As a Windows user, you need to have a good up to date antivirus program on your computer. Be protected against online attacks and hackers. But which antivirus program is free and is the best?
Kaspersky is the best free antivirus program.
With an antivirus program, you keep your personal information safe. Paid antivirus programs often come with many different features you don’t use. If you want to save some money you can go for a free antivirus program. If you want the extra features you can consider upgrading to a pro version.
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Free or paid antivirus software?
Basic antivirus software gets the job done. Paid antivirus software comes with functionalities like extra protection for children. An improved firewall or extra measurements against ransomware are also often included.
We have tested all the best free antivirus programs and ranked them. We looked at the protection, performance and features the programs offered. Out of the 9 antivirus programs we have tested the Kaspersky Free Antivirus came out in the first place. Kaspersky Free Antivirus is your best option for a free antivirus program. It doesn’t slow down your system and offers excellent protection. Kaspersky Free Antivirus protects your system against viruses and malware.
They also offer an Android and iOS version. With these free smartphone antivirus programs, you can protect your mobile devices.
Another good option is Bitdefender. It came out second in our test and is easy to install. Bitdefender is a perfect choice if you don’t want to think about your antivirus anymore. Especially great if you are installing it for someone else that doesn’t have a lot of experience. Bitdefender offers real-time protection without compromising performance.
These 2 free antivirus programs only offer basic protection. Extended functions are only available in paid antivirus programs. AVG and Avast both offers a few more functions. But this will affect the performance of your PC.
1. Kaspersky Free Antivirus
The free version of Kaspersky antivirus can be a little hard to find. They don’t want you to know there also is a free version. That’s sad because the program is one of the best free antivirus programs that you can find. The interface is clear and easy to use and the impact on your computer is reasonable. But above all, the protection of your belongings against viruses and malware is the best.
2. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
If you choose the free version of the Bitdefender Antivirus you are good protected. The free version offers good protection and automatic upgrades. It is fast and has a minimal impact on your system’s performance. If you want extra features or online support you can upgrade to the pro version.
3. Sophos Home Free
Sophos Home is a good choice for an antivirus program. Especially if you have a family with more than 1 device. Sophos Home has more features than other free antivirus software. It comes with anti-malware and anti-phishing protection. But you can also use Sophos Home to control the websites your kids can visit. It is possible to manage and configure all Sophos Home installations from one PC. That’s what it makes the best antivirus program for families.
You can upgrade to the Sophos Home Premium version if you want more features. It costs €50,- per year and supports up to 10 devices.
4. Avast Free Antivirus
If you want free extra features your best choice is Avast Free Antivirus. It comes with a password vault to manage your passwords. There also is a Wi-Fi Inspector included which will scan your networks for problems. The only downside to the Avast program is that it cost you valuable PC performance.
5. Windows Defender
The default antivirus software in Windows is Windows Defender. It comes pre-installed with your operating system. Windows Defender offers good antivirus and malware protection. The best thing is that it comes with a few built-in extra’s that other antivirus programs don’t provide. You can enjoy family options and protect their devices. It’s also possible to limit the screen time or get weekly reports. Windows Defender is a good built-in program against viruses and other threats.
6. AVG AntiVirus Free
The AVG Antivirus Free application has the same antivirus engine as Avast Free Antivirus. But with Avast you get a free set of extra features. There are 2 reasons you can better choose another antivirus than AVG. AVG lacks extra features that you will get with Avast. And because it makes your system slower while scanning your system. On average, if you compare it with other antivirus programs. For these reasons, we don’t recommend AVG Antivirus Free.
7. Avira Free Antivirus
Avira Free Antivirus once was one of the best options. But all other antivirus programs have upgraded their performance. Avira is still the same as a few years ago. It has some extra functionalities but they are not functional until you buy the paid version. It still has a lot of options and is customizable. But the impact on your PC’s performance is still high compared to other programs. That is why we have listed Avira as the last option in our list.
