Visit us on Discord or Discourse to give us some feedback or chat.
| 13 Recommended Products | Recommendations | Price | Last Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 avast!· · · | 10 | 3 | – | Jun 21, 2017 |
| #2 Microsoft Security Essentials· · · | 7 | 2 | – | Sep 1, 2015 |
| #3 AVG Free· · · | 5 | 1 | – | Oct 29, 2016 |
| #4 Windows Defender· · · | 2 | 1 | – | May 16, 2017 |
| #5 Ad-Aware Free Antivirus+· · · | 2 | 0 | – | Aug 22, 2016 |
| #6 Malwarebytes· · · | 2 | 0 | – | Aug 22, 2016 |
Con Detection rate isn't too solid
Avast! is not the sort of antivirus product to give you peace of mind. In practice, it does miss some malware every now and then. You'll need backup virus protection, which raises the question why you should get Avast in the first place.
Con Expires after a year leaving computer exposed to new viruses.
Expires and stops updating after a year after which the user's computer may become infected by new viruses not covered by existing patterns.
Pro Simple and Silent
Does the job without distracting you.
Pro Performance
MSE doesn't seem too resource intensive
Con Used as non-competitive baseline since 2013
All except one tested antivirus scores above Security Essentials.
Pro It's free
It's built-in, and is free if running factory installed Windows.
Pro It's reliable
It's solid, no-frills and, easy to configure. I've used it for a long time and it's never failed me.
Know any negative aspects of this option?
Pro Easy to use
Ad Aware Free Antivirus+ has a clean, well designed user interface that's easy to use for anyone. It features a game mode, so that you're not disturbed by any kind of notification or not have your computer's performance weighed down by background scans while gaming.
Pro Real-time protection
This is one of the few good free antivirus solutions that offer real-time protection, stopping malicious processes on your computer at any given time. Ad-Aware Free Antivirus+ also scans downloads for malware.
Know any negative aspects of this option?
Pro Achieved a perfect score in a test performed by AV-TEST
In 2014 AV-TEST tested 7 different cleaning tools (along with 10 antivirus solutions) Malwarebytes was the only tool that was capable of completely removing and restoring the system. It was concluded by AV-TEST to be the best tool for removing malware from infected computers.
Pro Updated frequently
MalwareBytes has a very strong detection rate and will rarely miss anything. It updates at least daily to stay on top of new threats.
Con Free version lacks scan scheduling
Premium version of the software is required to schedule scans in advance.
Know any negative aspects of this option?
Pro Browser protection
Includes safe search plug-ins for Chrome and Firefox.
Con Advertises paid version
Occasional prompts to Upgrade to the paid version.
Pro Excellent protection
In benchmark tests done by av-test, Panda Antivirus got a perfect score.
Pro No more updates
Cloud antivirus means users no longer have to update their system or see dialogue boxes annoying them. Every year or two it prompts you to install major updates to the application, but that's it!
Con Below average performance
While easy to use and never requiring updates, it does slow down the loading of programs. The rate of slow down ranks it below average performance for launching applications.
Con Popups asking you to buy
When you start your computer you will get a small ad for a moment asking you to upgrade to the paid version, if you are using the free version.
Pro Has multiple scanners
Includes Avira and Bitdefender engines.
Know any negative aspects of this option?
Pro Best known for it's FortiGate network security appliance
Detects phishing easily, local malware blocking test, etc. Fortinet is best known for its FortiGate network security appliance and other enterprise-level network security products. A local client running on the company's desktops communicates with the FortiGate device for fully managed securit...
Know any negative aspects of this option?
Option marked as FlaggedComments
Welcome to the Slant Community
Stop spending hours researching
Slant is written by a community helping you be informed. Let us know what you’re passionate about to get an awesome personalized feed.