As long as computers will be in existence, whether connected to the internet or not, there will always be a need for antivirus software. There will never be a time when people, whether mischievous teenagers seeking a thrill or cyber criminals looking to exploit organizations and businesses, will stop looking to find ways to cause widespread damage, commit fraud, or just experience the rush of breaking into a computer.
Antivirus software is an important tool to help prevent such attacks. Not every type of cyberattack can be prevented with antivirus software, unfortunately, but it can be a great first defense when trying to prevent intrusion into a computer or network.
When looking to purchase the best antivirus software, make sure to purchase a trusted and well known, subscription-based software. This is important, as the makers of this type of software will be able to keep their subscribers’ computers protected with real-time updates that scout out the latest threats.
Antivirus software is a program or set of programs installed on your devices that are designed to prevent, search for, detect, and remove software viruses, and other malicious software like worms, trojans, adware, spyware, and more. Once installed, most antivirus software runs automatically in the background to provide real-time protection against virus attacks.
The best free antivirus software includes powerful protection and performance for your computer without the price tag. Most free antivirus softwares include protection against viruses, spyware, ransomware, and other malware. Additionally, they scan your computer for performance issues and some others block unsafe links, downloads, and email attachments.
Our top picks for the best free antivirus software:
Avast is an award-winning, free, lightweight, and powerful antivirus that is used and trusted by more than 435 million people to keep them safe. Features include:
Here’s how to get started:
For an advanced level of protection, we recommend upgrading to Avast Premium Security (starting at $34.99/year for 1 device).
Avast Premium Security features include everything in free plus:
To upgrade, go to avast.com and click Premium Security under the Security tab in the main navigation.
Malwarebytes is a titan in the cybersecurity industry that often finds threats that other antivirus software misses. In fact their cybersecurity technology finds malware on 39 percent of devices that already have antivirus installed. Malwarebytes free detects and removes malware and other advanced threats.
Here’s how to get started:
For an advanced level of protection, we recommend upgrading to Malwarebytes Premium (starting at $3.33/month for 1 device) which removes malware, viruses, and other threats from your device in seconds, and stops future infections with Real-Time Protection that works 24/7.
Additional Malwarebytes Premium features include:
To upgrade, go to malwarebytes.com and click Personal in the navigation, or upgrade on the Thank You page once you have downloaded the free version.
AVG is a great antivirus to give you essential free protection that won’t let you down. This version offers the following features:
Here’s how to get started:
If you are looking for more advanced security, AVG does offer AVG Internet Security – the best all-around protection for all of your devices (starting at $20.99 for the first year – a $49 savings!). Features for this version include:
To upgrade, go to avg.com and click AVG Internet Security under PC or Mac. Select the number of devices you need and click Buy now.
Bitdefender is a great antivirus that boasts its quick install and blazing fast speeds keeping it light against computer resources. Features include:
Additionally, they are powered by award-winning technology including:
Here’s how to get started:
If you are looking for more advanced security, Bitdefender does offer Bitdefender Total Security (starting at $29.99 for the first year – a $60 savings!) which includes additional benefits including:
To upgrade, go to bitdefender.com and click Bitdefender Total Security under the For Home navigation item, or upgrade on the Thank You page once you have downloaded the free version.
While free antivirus software is great for starting out, ideally you want to upgrade to a more robust antivirus software that offers additional features and benefits. Premium antivirus software can include features such as VPN, password management, multiple device support, ad blockers, and more.
Our top picks for the best premium antivirus software include:
Kaspersky is a global leader in cybersecurity with more than 975 million cyber-attacks prevented, 273 million malicious URL’s blocked, and 24 million unique viruses neutralized.
Founded in 1997, Kaspersky was based on a collection of anti-virus modules built by Eugene Kaspersky, a cybersecurity expert and the company CEO since 2007. They are now the world’s largest privately-owned cybersecurity company, and are committed to fighting cybercrime while maintaining the highest standards of professional integrity and transparency.
Kaspersky offers award-winning, lightweight, and powerful antivirus and cybersecurity products for home and businesses that are used and trusted by hundreds of thousands of users and organizations. Features include:
For those just starting out, we recommend purchasing Kaspersky Internet Security (starting at $39.99/year for 3 devices). Kaspersky Internet Security includes the following features:
Here’s how to get started:
McAfee was founded in 1987 and has been a global leader for internet security and antivirus software for decades. McAfee currently protects more than 600 million devices, stops more than 67.2 billion real-time threats every day, and discovers more than 375 threats every minute.
Their signature software, McAfee Total Protection (starting at 34.99/year for a single device) not only protects your devices, but also covers your identity and financial information, Wi-Fi connections, and even your browsing. McAfee Total Protection offers a wide assortment of other features including:
Several plans offered to fit your needs:
Here’s how to get started:
Norton is another large player in the cyber security and antivirus software industry and has been around for decades. Trusted by more than 50 million customers worldwide, Norton antivirus software and technology blocks thousands of threats every minute.
Norton 360 (starting at 25.99/year) is their signature antivirus software. Norton 360 offers an array of features including:
There are several plans with varying features, these include:
Here’s how to get started:
Trend Micro is a great provider for home cyber security and antivirus needs. They offer a variety of software and even have free tools that can detect and fix viruses, worms, spyware, and other malicious threats for free. Additionally, they have an all-in-one tool to detect misinformation and scams as well as a computer cleaner that can visualize, manage and free up your storage space in just one click.
Their latest offering, Premium Security Suite starts at 69.95 (a 46% savings!) for 1 year of protection for up to 10 devices. Premium Security Suite offers complete device and identity protection across PC, Mac, mobile phones, and tablets; their most comprehensive security solution, Premium Security Suite – includes the following products:
Here’s how to get started:
Webroot offers award-winning security through their antivirus software that protects against ransomware, phishing, viruses, identity theft, and other digital dangers. Currently, Webroot protects more than 206 million devices across home users, businesses, and technology partners.
Lots of antivirus security providers talk about how they use AI and machine learning but Webroot helped pioneer that kind of technology in security way before it was cool. In fact, they have been:
Webroot offers several plan options; these include:
Here’s how to get started:
Antivirus software is a program or set of programs that are designed to prevent, search for, detect, and remove software viruses, and other malicious software like worms, trojans, adware, spyware, and more. Once installed, most antivirus software runs automatically in the background to provide real-time protection against virus attacks.
Unfortunately, it is possible to be infected by a virus even if you have an anti-virus solution in place. Viruses, and other malicious software is always changing and becoming more sophisticated and Antivirus software relies on “definitions” – known viruses, so It is extremely important to ensure that you keep your Antivirus software up to date. Likewise, it is recommended to scan your computer on a regular basis to help prevent any infection.
A trojan virus is a type of malware that is often disguised as legitimate software. Trojans can be employed by cyber-criminals and hackers trying to gain access to a computer system. Users are typically tricked by some form of social engineering, such as links in an email, into loading and executing Trojans on their systems.
As more people use the internet for shopping, banking, and financial planning, cybersecurity stakes continue to rise and the need for computer security software increases. You need features like these to keep you safe:
• Password management
• Mobile security
• Identity and privacy protection
These important features aren’t included in most free virus protection software. When it comes to keeping you and your family’s devices safe, you get what you pay for.
There are many options available when choosing antivirus software. We recommend you focus on how many devices you need to secure, reliability, speed, and technical support.
If you’re looking for the best antivirus software, we recommend AVG and you can get started today for free, or upgrade to AVG Internet Security starting at $20.99 for the first year – a $49 savings!
Ultimately, whichever antivirus you choose you want to ensure that you can trust and rely on it to keep your devices fast and secure, allowing you to focus on growing your business.
Last updated on by Joshua Holdeman
