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Top Five Best Free Antivirus and Malware Software

Jul 12, 2024

Top Five Best Free Antivirus and Malware Software for Windows and Mac OS

Key Factors for Evaluation

  • System impact
  • Ease of use
  • Overall effectiveness

1. AVG Antivirus Free

  • Company: Sister company to Avast and Avira
  • Pros:
    • Email Shield: Warns about infected emails and attachments
    • Phishing protection: Avoids scams from infected links and websites
    • Good firewall
  • Cons:
    • Lag in system performance with real-time protection on
    • Lots of ads
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android

2. Avira Free Antivirus

  • Pros:
    • Uses machine learning and AI for threat protection
    • Includes a free VPN (limited to 500 MB/month)
    • Ad and tracker blocker built-in
  • Cons:
    • Negative impact on system performance on low-spec computers
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS

3. Secondary Antivirus Recommendations

  • Malwarebytes Free:
    • Good as a backup
    • Real-time protection turned off won’t interfere with primary antivirus
    • Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android
  • Other Recommendations:
    • ESET Free Online Scanner (Windows)
    • House Call from Trend Micro (Windows, Mac)
      • Easy to use, non-interfering, detailed threat reports, customizable scan options

4. Built-in Antivirus for Windows and Mac

  • Windows 10/11:
    • Microsoft Defender Antivirus: Suitable for low-risk behavior online
  • Mac OS:
    • Apple’s built-in antivirus: Decent but may not stop all malware.

5. Avast Free Antivirus

  • Pros:
    • Excellent firewall
    • Botnet Shield: Prevents your computer from being used in botnets
    • Ransomware protection
  • Platforms: Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS

6. Bitdefender Antivirus Free

  • Pros:
    • Excellent malware detection scores from independent labs
    • Live customer support
    • Low system performance impact with real-time scanning and threat detection
    • Great ransomware protection
    • Anti-phishing and anti-rootkit utilities
  • Platforms:
    • Windows
    • Mac OS (as Virus Scanner for Mac)

Additional Information

  • Links to download: Video description
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