Top 5 Antivirus Softwares

Are you wondering which antivirus software offers the best protection and performance these days? In this tutorial, I’ll show you five top-rated antivirus brands that won’t compromise your system performance. Their free antivirus programs offer exceptional malware protection. After hours of research and testing, I’ve selected five free antivirus software you should consider this year if you want to stay safe online. Plus, I’ll show you the best premium antivirus products that offer exceptional value for money.

Do you know how many times malicious hackers have invaded our data and privacy? Every 39 seconds. According to reliable estimates, cyber crimes are expected to cost the world 6 trillion annually by 2021. Shocking right? In the past year, 10 billion malware attacks were recorded worldwide. And in the USA alone, 8 million devices were infected with malware. These numbers are expected to grow even larger in the future. So if you want to protect the data and privacy of you and your loved ones, it is clear that you need the best antivirus software. And by best, I mean premium software that offers flawless malware protection without burdening systems. There is thin freeware that doesn’t stand a chance against modern evolving malware threats. Also, all cybersecurity companies reserve their best security features and utilities for their premium products. 

So, I highly recommend premium antivirus software if you can afford it. Premium products can be fully packed with advanced features and advanced malware detection technologies to protect against all types of existing malware threats. Also, additional features like file recovery, password manager, parental controls, encryption tool, VPN further improve your security and add more value. For just a few bucks a month, you can protect all the Internet-enabled devices in your home and get complete peace of mind. Talk about the best free antivirus software out there. I rent these free antivirus products in four different criteria.

1. Features

Features, where we review the features each free software offers.

2. Malware Protection

This is an assessment of how well these programs protect you from various types of malware threats.

3. System performance

Here we measure how much a security program affects system performance. I review recent independent lab tests conducted by an AV testing firm to see how this software stacks up in terms of malware protection and system performance. AV Testing is an independent, reputable testing organization trusted for reviews of cybersecurity products. The organization evaluates and rates antivirus software in three different categories: protection, performance, and usability.

4. User interface

Here I look at the user friendliness of the software interface.

# 5. Avira Avira Free Antivirus: https://www.avira.com/en/free-antivirus-windows

Avira is a German multinational computer security software company. Avira was founded in 2006. As of today, the company has over 30 years of IT security experience under its belt. Avira actively sells itself as private by design, which means all your information is secure and not sold to third parties, not even governments. 

Avira offers pioneering and cloud-based malware detection and analysis in a premium business model. That means no real action takes place on your computer. Moreover, detection methods are well hidden from hackers, since all activities occur on the company’s servers. That gives Avira an edge over hackers. The company’s freeware Avira Free Antivirus offers spyware, adware and basic ransomware protection. The free software is compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Android and iOS platforms. 

Another benefit of the cloud approach is that it takes up minimal resources on your system. In fact, Avira supports one of the lightest engines of all major antivirus products. It is an excellent choice even for older slow machines. Having said that, you don’t know freeware to upgrade to the premium version. In the AV test evaluations, the viewer scored six out of six points for malware protection and 5.5 out of six points for system performance. 

The freeware interface features a very simple and straightforward design. The left-hand panel contains access tabs for Scan, Modules, Quarantine, and Activity. You’ll also find a gear icon for Settings and a Feedback tab at the bottom of this panel. Another part of the screen shows your system security status. A quick scan button and some big icons like Real-Time Protection and Ransomware Protection. You’ll also find a couple of restricted icons to let you know what else you can have if you upgrade to a paid product. In my opinion, if you have a free antivirus, it will provide solid protection against malware. It is very light in terms of digital footprint. Avira is a good choice as long as you are not crazy about advanced features that you can only get with premium tiers.

# 4. AVG Antivirus Free: https://www.avg.com/

AVG Technologies is a subsidiary of Avast. It was established in 1990. The company develops a wide range of protection performance and privacy solutions for consumers and businesses. AVG typically offers freeware as its core product and generates most of its revenue through users upgrading to premium tiers. It covers Windows, Mac iOS and Android devices. The free software offers robust malware detection and removal capabilities, including spyware and other malware types. 

But it is especially effective against phishing scams against malicious websites and downloads. As soon as the software detects suspicious activity, it returns this data to the AVG database. In the database, this intelligence is shared with millions of other fields to check for similar suspicious patterns. AVG Antivirus Free comes with a secure browser that helps block ads, track attempts from hackers and dangerous URLs or email attachments. 

Additionally, Secure Browser redirects you from insecure sites to secure connections. It also offers scans for PC performance issues. The software is reasonably lightweight and occupies less space on your system. AV Testing Institute gave AVG an excellent six out of six scores for malware protection. The program received a slightly lower but still commendable rating in system performance with 5.5 out of six points. 

Moving on to the AVG interface, I can see that it is a straightforward design with different feature icons, which occupy a good portion of the screen. AVG makes sure you know what you’re missing out on with a basic level of protection. It also displays some lock icons on the main dashboard. To me, that seems like a waste of space. But the company has its reasons. You can view the overall and web and email security status on the main dashboard. You can run a quick scan by clicking the Scan Computer button at the bottom of the screen. 

The biggest positive aspect of AVG free software is that it integrates reliable anti-virus and anti-phishing features into its freeware. However, if you need protection against ransomware, webcam scams, or mobile protections, you’ll need to upgrade to paid tiers. You can learn about AVG Premium offers by clicking on the links in the tutorial description.

# 3.Kaspersky Kaspersky Security Cloud-Free: https://www.kaspersky.co.in/total-security

Kaspersky is a global cyber security company with a comprehensive security portfolio. The company started its operations in 1997 and leads in endpoint protection and deep threat intelligence. Kaspersky has continuously delivered innovative and specialized security solutions to the digital landscape.

The company offers Kaspersky Security Cloud Free, which includes its top-notch antivirus technology, auto analysis, real-time data, and fast scanning engines. The program receives regular automatic updates. Kaspersky Security Cloud-Free is compatible with Windows, Android and iOS devices. You also get protection against corrupt files and apps and suspicious sites. The software secures and stores your passwords and private documents while you are online. 

Kaspersky automatically installs a toolbar to identify dangerous links in search results. This toolbar works with Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer. Cloud technology means that the program uses minimal resources on your device and does not affect system speed. In the latest AV test evaluations, Kaspersky earned an excellent six out of six scores in the protection and performance tests. 

As for its user interface, Kaspersky has a simple and intuitive design. All available features show on the home screen, even some locked ones. The security status will show at the top of the screen. At the bottom, you’ll find a button labeled More Tools, access more features. It is smart that offers four basic levels of protection. However, for features like password management, privacy protection, safe money and home Wi-Fi monitoring, you need to get a paid subscription.

# 2. Avast Free Antivirus: https://www.avast.com/

The company opened its doors in 1988 and is now one of the largest security companies in the world. Avast is known for its scalable cloud-based security infrastructure. Avast specializes in next-generation technologies including malware detection and blocking, AI and machine learning, Internet of Things, and location technologies. 

The free software Avast Free Antivirus is also more feature-rich than other freeware out there, for starters, you get comprehensive protection against various types of malware threats. Second, you get Avast Wi-Fi Inspector, which offers ample protection from home network threats. This feature provides the first line of defense against hacking attacks and ensures that no rogue element enters your home network. Additionally, you get a password protector. This feature is really handy and keeps your accounts and financial information safe online. This locks all your passwords and credit card information behind a master password. You need to retrieve that information, the feature will automatically fill in the details for you. 

Avast is also quite efficient and does not occupy many resources on your system, allowing you to go about your daily tasks without any interruption. The software received a score of six and an excellent six in AV Test protection evaluations. For the performance test, the company got a slightly lower score of 5.5, which is not perfect, but not bad either. The software supports a new and clean looking interface.

The Run Smart Scan button displays security status information in the middle of the screen. You can access settings and details of other features from the left-hand panel. Here you can access the Status, Protection, Privacy, Performance and Settings tabs. Avast offers a pretty generous package for a free program. However, the company is known to sell user data to third parties such as corporate clients. So, if you are big on data privacy, maybe go for another solution.

# 1. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Version: https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html

Bitdefender was founded in 2001. The company has become a world leader in cyber security through its robust global security infrastructure. BitDefender has consistently delivered innovative and award-winning threat intelligence products to the sitesecurity landscape. The company specializes in developing, deploying, and managing trans-formative security solutions, including antivirus security, Internet security, endpoint security, and other cybersecurity software. 

BitDefender Antivirus Free Edition is the best free antivirus software out there that works on Windows, Mac, Android. The software is extremely thin and light. It does not interfere much with your daily activities, allowing you to focus on important tasks. It installs quickly and automatically downloads the latest version. The program will scan your system for active malware as soon as the download is complete. It’s a good idea to run a full scan as soon as you install antivirus software, but expect it to take some time. You will notice that subsequent scans take less time. Freeware offers excellent malware protection without burdening system performance. 

Recent AV test evaluations gave BitDefender a perfect six out of six scores on both protection and performance tests, which is incredible. The interface of the freeware is simple and straight to the points. The interface shows the system status at the top of the screen. Below that is a button to run a system scan. This is followed by a drag and drop area to scan specific files or documents, and then the rest of the screen is taken up by recent activity. You can access the software settings from the list above. About that. No fancy unnecessary details. 

Of all Bitdefender Antivirus, the free version is a pretty solid choice. However, if you can afford BitDefender’s premium grades, I highly recommend them as they provide exceptional value. Features like multi-layer ransomware protection, VPN, parental controls, hardened browser, system optimizer are part of premium suites. I have reviewed and ranked the best premium antivirus products and I think Bitdefender Total Security is the best antivirus product available in the market. 

Apart from providing top drawer anti-malware protection and offers all advanced premium features and utilities that should be in a high-end package. And best of all, it offers great value for money. You can protect up to five devices PCs, Macs or smartphones with just one license of this product. If you have more than five devices in your home, I highly recommend Bitdefender’s Family Pack 2020. You can cover up to 15 devices with this suite.