Paying for premium antivirus software means you get more features like spam filters, parental controls, system scans and advanced firewalls. This makes them more suitable for users who want full power and need a little extra security. It is also useful for anyone who wants their system to run as smoothly as possible.
It also means you avoid annoying pop-ups trying to entice you to upgrade to the full version. And as you discovered above, they won’t cost you a dime.
In fact, you can get top-quality protection for free these days, with almost every vendor offering a free antivirus. This gives developers more access to devices from which to collect data, therefore improving their knowledge and security platforms. It is not in their interest to reduce the amount of protection the free version offers.
Windows has come a long way when it comes to security, but it’s still fair to say that Windows 10’s built-in solution, Windows Defender, is the last free antivirus app you can rely on to keep your system clean.
Avira Free Antivirus for Windows continues to score highly in the AV test’s rigorous testing program. It destroys 99.7 percent of tested threats and is generally not very demanding on your hardware.
Avira free antivirus (opens in new tab) has a clean and user-friendly interface, with a redesign and throws minimal false positives. The introduction of a free security suite to optionally run alongside ransomware and phishing protection further sweetens the deal.
In fact, the feature list looks like a fully paid premium package. It adds identity protection, a password manager, anti-scam protection to prevent phishing attempts, and even a PC cleaner to keep your system spiky and span.
If there’s one thing we’d change, it’s the amount of popups and ads. However, that doesn’t stop us from putting Avira Free Antivirus first.
Read the full review here: Avira free antivirus (opens in new tab)
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Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition (opens in new tab) essentially consists of the AV part of the whole product with clear, light and well-engineered scanning mechanisms. These are universally faster than the industry average, and unmatched virus definitions mean Bitdefender is back on top.
The free version insists on running it on autopilot mode, and the knife cuts both ways. This makes the virus management process easy, but takes it out of the hands of the user. Although we tend to trust this, there have been situations in the past where automated systems were slightly damaged, such as the incident a few years ago where Panda Antivirus identified itself as a virus and shut down a large number of Windows systems .
However, AV-Test’s tests revealed a number of errors in handling zero-day threats. For only a small price, you can get started with the paid version, which also gives you one of the best products.
Read our full review here: Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition (opens in new tab)
The latest version of Avast Free Antivirus (opens in new tab) has an automatic game mode that can turn off pop-ups and reduce system load when starting a processor-hungry game. The interface has also been given a nice overhaul. There is also a password manager, which is an undeniably good addition to your security portfolio.
The software scores well on the AV test. Malware benchmark and continues to resist zero-day attacks nicely. The extensive detection network seems to help a lot. Less impressive is the somewhat negative effect Avast has on software startup and annoying pop-up behavior.
Read the full review here: Avast free antivirus (opens in new tab)
Sopho’s home (opens in new tab) Bills itself as “enterprise-grade security” and does little more than most free antivirus software. It is also very suitable for families.
You get standard virus protection and anti-malware protection, along with browser tools like anti-phishing and content control. Combined with a central administration that can manage up to ten PCs, this means you can effectively customize your children’s browser settings.
While AV-Test has not formally reviewed Sophos’ capabilities, AV-Comparatives gives a good assessment of its capabilities.
While Sophos Home has always displayed desktop notifications, there was no premium version of the software to encourage an upgrade. That changed last year with the launch of Sophos Home Premium.
Read the full review here: Sopho’s home (opens in new tab)
Antivirus FAQ
What is the best antivirus in 2023?
We’ve already tested the biggest names, and the best paid antivirus software in 2023 is Bitdefender (opens in new tab).
It is an excellent piece of software with Bitdefender Total PROtection and strong malware protection, excellent threat detection and useful features. In addition, Total Security offers a range of maintenance tools that can be used to protect your family’s computers, tablets and smartphones.
Do I still need antivirus protection in 2023?
Short about? Yes, definitely. They usually say that you just have to be careful where you surf, what you download and what you click on. That’s partly true, but we didn’t want to risk it. For example, even well-known websites sometimes run the risk of getting malware in their ads, so it doesn’t matter how careful and familiar with IT you are. An extra layer of protection never hurts.
How do I choose the best antivirus software?
To get a good idea of what you can choose and what you should be aware of, you can read this article prepared by our expertise. It is also continuously updated, which also applies to the reviews of the products on this list.
You must of course take into account your own needs as a user. Our first choice might not be the best solution for your situation if, for example, you have a tight budget or if you only want to protect one PC. But maybe you have a large family with many devices and then you need a package that covers this.
Our recommendations here are a good guideline, but you can certainly deviate from them to suit your own needs.
How does an antivirus work?
An antivirus app acts as a watchdog on your device. It monitors your entire system and looks for intruders. You thus get real-time protection against viruses or other threats that the software fails to deal with. They are prevented from infecting your system and doing more damage. In addition to automatic protection, you can also perform manual virus scans if you find it necessary.
Antivirus apps use “virus definitions” to catch intruders. These are actually ‘fingerprints’ of malware, and if anything suspicious with this fingerprint ends up on your system, that component will be quarantined. Antivirus software also uses heuristics that look for files or processes that exhibit suspicious behavior. This allows the app to detect newly developed malware that is not yet recognized by the definitions.
Is a free antivirus program enough?
We cannot give you a clear answer to that. A good free antivirus, like the ones you can find below, is a good option to protect your PC. They perform the basic tasks well and the way of working never differs much from that of more high-end paying products.
Premium antivirus software offers additional features beyond the basic functionality. This sometimes gives you a robust system of parental control tools or a dedicated anti-ransomware layer to protect your systems.
Considering the low price of some antivirus apps, especially with the many offers, it’s definitely worth considering for the extra features and extra peace of mind.