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
• Engagement: Thumbs up, share, comment on current antivirus use
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