As we know, Antivirus protection is as important as ever right now. Having protection for your devices (PC, laptop, etc.) can save you enormous money and embarrassment in the long run. But what if you dont want to Spend high fees on some excellent protection? Believe it or not, there are several excellent free antivirus software available today.
Hackers and cyber-criminals are everywhere. There has even been an uptick in internet security breaches due to the current pandemic. Numerous people trying to gain control of your data have increased exponentially. For this reason alone, you must take steps to protect yourself.
Protecting your desktop, laptop, or other related machines can be difficult if you do not know what sort of antivirus software to look for. Additionally, it gets even more complicated when you’re trying to figure out free options.
In this post, I’ll show you 7 of the best free antivirus software out there today. Surprisingly enough, great ample products are completely free and work great at protecting you against fraud, viruses, hacking, and worms. We all know familiar names, such as AVG and Kaspersky, both of which have fantastic free antivirus software for you to use. Although, there are several more out there that you may be less familiar with.
All of the following options will provide outstanding protection for your PC. The best part? They all offer free plans that will not cost you a single penny. So be aware, hackers will never stop; neither will the creators of malware & viruses. And these folks are always coming up with new and inventive ways to hack your PC.
With that being said, the free antivirus software you choose to use must also be constantly updating their security software packages to safe and protect against ongoing threats such as phishing scams, ransomware. Let’s dive a little deeper into some info and then go over some top-notch antivirus options that you can choose from.
What to Look for in the Top Free Antivirus Software
You want to look for several things when comparing and choosing one of the best free antivirus software protection. In some instances, you probably are a little bit limited because the Antivirus version is free. But for the most part, you can still be capable of looking for certain things that make up a reliable free antivirus software package.
Furthermore, things to consider will include machine optimization, does it slow you down, or does it stay out of sight & out of mind. Add to that overall effectiveness, and you’ll have a recipe for adequate protection.
Other things you probably need to look for and consider include:
- Overall Effectiveness
- How Hard is it On System Resources?
- Privacy
- Protection on Other Platforms
- Does “Free” mean “Bad.”
What Computers Are at the Most Risk?
By far, Microsoft and Windows are the most at risk and are the biggest target for viruses & malware. Although, you still want to make sure all your devices are protected. Not many folks may know, but Android comes in second for the highest risk for attacks.
Note: Overall threats to MacOS & especially iOS is very low. It is mostly due to the tight control that Apple has over its app store. While some attacks happen, it is usually due to sideloaded apps, and still, this is rare. Besides, you can get free antivirus software for your Mac, but truth be told, you should be fine on Apple products without it.
Before I present the list, one more thing worth noting is that installing a VPN is another option you should consider. It’ll act as a bonus feature for protection when combined with the free antivirus software.
Let’s take a glance at 7 of the best free antivirus protection that is available today.
1. Kaspersky Security Cloud Free
Kaspersky Security Cloud Free provides so much that you would think it is the software’s paid version. It offers you a ton of features & extra virus protection, all for free.
It has an easy-to-use interface that allows for many customizations if you’re interested in that. Kaspersky will offer you with almost unbeatable malware protection. You’ll also have the ability to schedule scans at your leisure.
Performance impact on your PC is so minimal that you may find it speeds up your machine. Some of the more useful features you’ll get in this free antivirus software include a file shredder, an on-screen keyboard, & a terrific built-in email scanner. The password service & VPN are more limited unless you pay. Although, for free antivirus software, this one will be hard to beat.
Benefits of Using Kaspersky Security Cloud Free
- Best malware protection
- Performance impact is very small
- Tons of extra features all built-in
- File shredder
- On-screen keyboard
- Email scanner
- Limited password manager
- Forums & FAQs for support
- Ransomware reversal
2. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
Bitdefender provides one of the great overall antivirus protection software out there. Although did you know that they even offer a free version called Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition?
This version is stripped down some from the paid version, but it still provides impressive security with plenty of power at the handle. It is good because it offers nothing but the basics, yet with extreme power.
You’ll have the ability to manage the software from the program’s “System Tray” icon. Although once installed, you don’t need to interact with it too much. It provides an excellent malware detection engine and is considered by many to be the best “set it & forget it” pieces of software available.
Benefits of Using Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
- Perfect malware protection
- The interface is entirely automatic
- Set it & forget it
- Support forums & FAQs for help
- No need to manage daily
3. Total AV Free
Total AV Free continues to perform well & is now trusted by over 10 million users. It will offer you complete protection from malware, viruses, and other online threats. All this is for free. The quick install keeps you moving because it is so fast & easy. The product provides potent protection, yet it is a very lightweight solution that will keep your machine running fast.
If you need fantastic security features and the knowledge that millions of others are also using this product, Total AV Free is worth looking into.
Benefits of Using Total AV Free
- Excellent malware protection
- Free antivirus & Internet security
- Blocks malware and phishing sites
- Complete online protection
- Real-time spyware removal
4. AVG Antivirus Free
AVG Antivirus Free provides excellent malware defense, robust protection against phishing, and the ability to perform scans at your leisure. The product is filled with many great features, making it even more appealing because you can use it for free.
As a unique bonus, this free antivirus software comes with “AVG Safe-Price” This is a browser extension that tracks your online shopping Activity. If a Best deal or more coupons are found for you, they bump that info to consider using.
Moreover, the core engine of AVG Antivirus free provides reliable protection to your machine. It is one to look into if you’re searching for one of the best free virus scanners available.
Benefits of Using AVG Antivirus Free
- Excellent malware protection
- Shred using AVG
- Don’t disturb mode
- Deep scans
- Real-time protection
- Active performance issues scans
5. Avast Free Antivirus
Avast Free Antivirus also one of the top-rated and free antivirus protection software out there. Apart from the excellent antivirus protection, Avast Free Antivirus even gives you a network security scanner, a password manager, browser protection, and a fantastic collection of security features.
Add to all that, it is free, and you have one of the best antivirus versions of a product out there today.
The “Avast Secure Browser” is private, secure, & very fast. You’ll experience the difference right when the software has been installed. By default, this also becomes your new Internet browser. You can Revert back to your other browsers whenever you want.
One of the most exciting and best functions that Avast Free Antivirus provides is something called “Passive Mode.” It is a built-in tool that kicks in automatically if you install a different antivirus. It enables you to avoid conflicts, as it disables all real-time scanning & other active protection.
Benefits of Using Avast Free Antivirus
- Best malware protection
- Network security scanner
- Password manager
- Browser independent protection
- Tons of security-related bonus features
- Passive mode
- Automatic secure browser
6. Windows Defender Antivirus
Windows Defender Antivirus has been all around for some time. It is built-in in Windows 10 by default. That being said, all time, it has emerged to become one of the best free antivirus software available.
While it can not quite match some of the top-rated ones on the list, it is right there with Avast & AVG, and as stated, is built-in protection. There are not many features available, but some included parental controls, a gaming mode, and protections for its Edge and Internet Explorer browsers.
Again, Windows Defender is an excellent tool to have, and if used right, will work. It is an excellent alternative if you don’t want to use Kaspersky or Bitdefender.
Benefits of Using Windows Defender Antivirus
- Excellent malware protection
- It is already built-in to Windows
- Smooth & quiet, barely know it is there
- Game mode
- Hardened browser (Edge & IE only)
- Ransomeware reversal
- Scan scheduler
- 24/7 phone & email support
7. ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus
Rounding out our list of the top-notch free antivirus software is ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus. Not only do they offer firewalls & antivirus scanning, but they go a step further to address two growing security concerns of ID theft & data loss.
Fortunately, ZoneAlarm provides a “credit education specialist” tool that gives you a selection of credit monitoring tools. They also offer a cloud backup service for backing up your data, as well as encrypting it for online protection. All-in-all, ZoneAlarm provides users an excellent option for free antivirus protection.
Benefits of Using ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus
- Good malware protection
- Cloud service backup and encryption
- Credit education specialist tool built-in
- Firewalls
- Antivirus scanning
The Best Free Antivirus Protection
The best-paid antivirus software out there does so much for you. Some of the Best advantages of having this include:
- Protecting Children
- Secure Personal Details
- Protection Against Identity Fraud
- Optimize Your System’s Performance
- Manage Passwords
- Protect Mobile Devices
- Back-Up Files to Cloud
- Monitor Computer Firewalls
That being said, if you can not afford to Spend for antivirus software that does this, the query then becomes, “how can I protect my devices for free?”
Many PC users can not afford this sort of protection. Or, they need protection from malware or other threats on their PC without having to pay for it. Whatever the cause may be, free antivirus software can indeed be used.
You need to find the right one and know how great it is and how it will work.
In the past, there’s a trade-off in place. Most free antivirus software makers will offer you reliable protection, but you will need to deal with ads or give up some personal information.
It used to be the norm, but things have started to change for the better over the past few years. So much so that two of the very excellent paid antivirus software makers now provide free programs that you can use for protection.
Bottom line? It is now feasible to get free antivirus protection that is as good as paid protection. Sure, it will not have all the bells & whistles as a paid version, but the overall protection standard offered will be top-notch.
What Can Happen Without Free Antivirus Protection?
Remember, even if you can not purchase a paid antivirus version, it is very smart to get a free one. Without it, your PC is wide open for all sorts of attacks. If for some reasons, you decide not to get even a free antivirus, then at some point, you’re probably going to be a victim of or have to deal with some of the following:
- Your PC can get a virus that can change & hijack computer software.
- The adware can cause non-stop and unwanted ads to continually pop-up on your computer.
- People can monitor your activities via spyware.
- Ransomware that will lock your PC until you pay a “ransom.”
- Worms are very malicious pieces of code. These will spread fast from one PC to another.
Run multiple devices, and you’re opening yourself up even more to some of the issues above. There are various things you may want to look for in antivirus software also. Remember, just because it is free does not mean it is bad.
Conclusion
Dear Visitors, antivirus software is not hard to come by. What can be challenging is just finding out which ones are excellent and why they are the best. If you have a starting point, you can dig in a little deeper and do some research. I sincerely hope this post gave you some great suggestions on finding the best and top-notch free antivirus software. Any of the ones on the list will offer you with excellent protection. Let us know in the comments section below.