For example, one group of tests involves using trusted Windows apps to download malicious files, a common scripting trick. Bitdefender and Kaspersky realized there was a problem purely from the behavior, and killed the process before it could download the file.
Microsoft Defender accepted the behavior, allowed the download, and only raised the alarm when it realized the file was malicious. It still protected us, this time, but perhaps wouldn't have done if the threat were brand new.
We pitted Microsoft Defender against our custom ransomware, but it missed that, too, allowing it to encrypt thousands of test files. Turn this on and it automatically blocks unauthorized apps from accessing key document folders Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, more and you can easily add more. We turned Controlled Folders on, added our test folder to the list, and ran the ransomware simulator again. This time, Defender displayed an alert when our ransomware tried to access the folder, and it wasn't able to encrypt any documents.
This isn't exactly sophisticated. Controlled Folders simply blocks everything it doesn't recognize, and previously we've found some legitimate programs refused to run until we manually added them to an Exceptions list.
Avast's Ransomware Shield is smarter, more like a firewall; when it detects an unauthorized access to a folder, it alerts you, but also asks if the process is legitimate. Confirm it, Ransomware Shield adds the app to your Exceptions list itself and there's nothing else to do. Controlled Folders could be better, then, but it did its core job, keeping us safe from a threat that the antivirus engine missed.
We're not going to discuss it in depth here, but Windows' OneDrive integration helps a little, too. The standard 5GB of free online storage space isn't a lot, but it's free, it's 5GB more than you'll get with most security apps, and it could help you protect your most important data from attack.
Top of the list is probably the firewall. This does a fair job of protecting you from incoming network attacks, but it's less interested in controlling outbound access; if an app is able to run as an administrator, it's able to customize the firewall by adding its own rules.
Defender's reputation-based SmartScreen protection allows it to block access to malicious websites, files and apps. Its URL filtering is consistently less accurate than the competition in our tests, and, worse, it only works with Microsoft Edge.
SmartScreen's file and download checks work system-wide, though, and they're a useful extra layer of protection. Windows has a bunch of extremely low-level exploit and device security features, largely focused on how the operating system handles memory. Panda offers 5 different packages, monthly, annual, 2-year, and 3-year subscription options, and a day money-back guarantee. Download Panda Now. Malwarebytes offers advanced protection against a wide range of malware threats, including zero-day attacks and ransomware.
Malwarebytes provides excellent malware protection and anti-phishing controls, but not much else. Malwarebytes comes with a day money-back guarantee. Download Malwarebytes Now. Trend Micro offers good malware detection rates and excellent anti-phishing protection, but its additional features are hit or miss. Download Trend Micro Now. If Windows Defender detects malware, it will remove it from your PC.
Relying on Windows Defender as your sole antivirus puts your entire PC at risk of infection. While there are better free antiviruses out there, no free antivirus can offer the kind of guaranteed malware protection that the best anti-malware software can. Mostly, yes. But again, there are better free Windows antiviruses out there, and again, no free antivirus is going to provide the kind of protection that you will get with a full-featured premium antivirus.
In terms of malware detection, it often ranks below the detection rates offered by top antivirus competitors. And finally, in terms of essential security features, Defender is severely lacking. Using Windows Defender as a standalone antivirus, while much better than not using any antivirus at all, still leaves you vulnerable to ransomware, spyware, and advanced forms of malware that can leave you devastated in the event of an attack.
Professional Reviews. Affiliate Commissions. Reviews Guidelines. Ben Martens Updated on: January 1, This article contains. Avira — More and Better Free Features 5. BullGuard — Better Performance for Gamers 7. Panda — More Extras and Flexible Pricing 9.
Trend Micro — Good Phishing Protection. Short on time? Avira — Best free alternative with a more effective anti-malware scanner. Numbers of the best Defender alternatives. Avast who also owns AVG is one of the most popular free antiviruses out there, and many Windows users download it to replace the in-built Windows Defender. The parent company behind Avast was caught selling the browsing habits and sometimes personal information of people using their free antivirus products.
The midrange Bitdefender Internet Security adds parental controls, webcam protection and a two-way firewall, while Bitdefender Total Security tops off the lineup with an anti-theft feature for laptops, a system optimizer and licenses for Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac and Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android. Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus Plus review.
All of Norton's antivirus products offer excellent malware protection, and the once-heavy system-performance load is much lighter. The number of extra features each program has varies, but the sweet spot in the lineup is Norton Deluxe. It includes a password manager that works on all major platforms, unlimited VPN service, dark-web personal-data monitoring, parental controls and up to 50GB of online storage space.
Two other offerings, Norton Premium and Norton Platinum, give you more online storage and expand the antivirus and VPN coverage to 10 and 20 devices, respectively.
If you want full-on identity protection, Norton offers three bundles with varying degrees of LifeLock service and even more online storage.
Their subscription prices run well into the triple digits, but still cost less than if you were to buy the identity protection, password manager, cloud-backup storage and antivirus software separately. Unlike some of the other best antivirus software makers, Norton doesn't offer a file shredder, file encryption or secure web browser with any of its products.
Yet every other digital-protection service you could possibly ask for is included with at least some of its bundles.
Read our full Norton Deluxe review. McAfee's malware detection has improved greatly in the past couple of years, but it's still not quite top-of-the-line. To get parental controls or one of the best password managers in the business, you'll have to spring for McAfee Total Protection or its sibling McAfee LiveSafe, which comes pre-installed on many new PCs.
The multi-device licenses of those two security suites also come with an identity-protection service. But none of the McAfee products have a secure browser or webcam protection, which you often get with other premium antivirus programs. Read our full McAfee Internet Security review. Trend Micro offers very good protection, but its malware-detection engine creates a heavy system load during scans and returns a fair number of false-positive results. Parental controls, a system optimizer and a file shredder are bundled into the mid-range Trend Micro Internet Security.
Trend Micro Maximum Security adds a password manager, a secure browser and file encryption, while the new Trend Micro Premium Security adds a VPN and dark-web monitoring of personal data. However, none of Trend Micro's programs include a two-way firewall or webcam protection, standard with other brands' midrange offerings. Nor does the premium product have the cloud storage or backup software that some of the best antivirus brands add as enticements to their flagship packages.
Read our full Trend Micro Maximum Security review. ESET is one of the biggest antivirus names in Europe, with a very small system-performance load and fast scans. Its malware-detection rate used to be kind of meh, but has improved markedly in recent lab tests. However, there's no VPN client, backup software or file shredder. ESET's pricing is per device, which is optimal for users who might have more than a few devices to protect.
But if your device count gets into double digits, ESET's costs can add up. Sophos Home Premium does its job economically, offering reasonable protection from malware at an affordable price. Because it's spun off from Sophos' enterprise software for business clients, Sophos Home Premium lacks many of the bells and whistles other security suites offer, such as a password manager, identity theft protection service or VPN service.
What Sophos Home Premium does have is the essentials: ransomware rollbacks, webcam defenses and protection against keyloggers, malicious websites and boot-sector and fileless malware. It also has a web-filter system for parents and an online management console from which you can tweak most of the settings. Some people might demand more from an antivirus suite, but anyone who would rather buy only what they need will appreciate Sophos Home Premium's just-the-basics approach.
Read our full Sophos Home Premium review. A good paid antivirus suite is a digital-protection jackknife, often bundling in parental controls, identity theft protection, a password manager, backup software, cloud storage, a firewall, a system optimizer and software for Mac, Android and iOS as well as Windows.
But what if you just want Windows antivirus software without all of those pricey extras? And what if you can't afford to pay for antivirus software?
One of the best free antivirus programs might be exactly what you need. Free antivirus software used to be a step down from the paid software and involved trade-offs. The protection wasn't as good and you'd either have to put up with ads filling your screen or with constant nags to upgrade to a paid program. That's all changed. One of the best antivirus makers, Kaspersky, offers a free version with the same excellent malware protections as its paid offerings.
Its top rival, Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition, has been officially discontinued, although Tom's Guide readers can still download it with this link. A merger between the biggest names in free antivirus, Avast and AVG, created a combined malware-detection engine that's much better than the sum of its parts. Meanwhile, Microsoft's built-in antivirus software, Windows Defender, aka Microsoft Defender Antivirus, has gone from being a joke to being one of the best antivirus programs out there, free or paid.
You can now get free antivirus protection that's as good as anything you pay for. So here are the best free antivirus programs based on their protection, system impact, ease of use and extra features. Kaspersky Security Cloud Free 2. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition 3. Windows Defender Antivirus 4. Avast Free Antivirus 5. Kaspersky Security Cloud Free Antivirus may be the best free antivirus program we've ever seen. It has excellent malware protection, a decent set of extra functions and features, and a system-performance impact so small that our computer actually sped up after we installed the program.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition has been officially discontinued, and we're not sure how long Tom's Guide readers can still download it. It's the best "set it and forget it" free antivirus option. It's now one of the best antivirus programs altogether. You don't have to install or download it — it's already on your PC. If you want an unlimited password manager or a hardened web browser, Avast Free Antivirus might be for you. Its malware protection is much better than it once was, although its performance impact is fairly heavy.
Avast's stepsister AVG has the same malware-detection engine, but lacks Avast's full slate of useful extra features. But it does have a file shredder and system optimizer. We have to mention one program that's not antivirus software, but which we recommend anyway: Malwarebytes Free. While antivirus tries to stop malware from infecting your machine, Malwarebytes functions as the cleanup crew, sweeping out less-harmful adware or potentially unwanted programs that the antivirus software ignores.
It works well alongside any antivirus program. Kaspersky doesn't talk much about its free antivirus product, and you might have a hard time finding the free Kaspersky software download page on the company's website. That's too bad, because Kaspersky Security Cloud Free is the best free antivirus product we've ever tested.
We've never seen such a combination of excellent protection and extra features in a free antivirus program. It's got a bright, comprehensible interface, a lot of customization potential and Kaspersky's unbeatable malware protection. The program also lets you schedule scans, and its performance impact was so small that it actually sped up our test machine a bit.
Kaspersky's useful extra features include a file shredder, an on-screen keyboard and an email scanner. The password manager and VPN service are fairly limited, however, unless you pay. Read our full Kaspersky Security Cloud Free review. Bitdefender has officially discontinued Antivirus Free Edition, and it will be supported only until June 30, We still love it and you can still get it , but proceed at your own risk.
Compared to premium paid antivirus programs that are big, heavy and loaded with extra bells and whistles, Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is like a '60's sports car, stripped to the essentials but still providing plenty of power. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition offers nothing but the basics. There's no password manager, no gaming mode, no quick scans and no scan scheduling. You can manage the software from the program's System Tray icon, but you don't really need to interact with Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition after its installation.
Yet Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition has the excellent Bitdefender malware-detection engine, which sits just below Kaspersky and Norton in the lab-test rankings. It's the best free antivirus software if you want a security solution that you can set up and then forget about. It's also perfect if you need to protect the computer of an elderly relative but don't have time to manage antivirus software from afar.
Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition review. Microsoft's built-in antivirus software is now a heavy hitter. While Windows Defender, aka Microsoft Defender Antivirus, doesn't quite beat Norton or Kaspersky in malware-protection lab tests, it comes out ahead of Avast, AVG and most other free antivirus products while operating almost entirely behind the scenes.
You won't be getting many extra features with Windows Defender itself, yet Windows 10 does have parental controls, a gaming mode and protections for its own Edge and Internet Explorer browsers. There's no built-in VPN, but you also won't be bothered by pop-ups trying to upsell you to paid antivirus software.
As for a password manager, there's a stealth one built into the Microsoft Authenticator app for Android and iOS that syncs with the Edge browser, as long as you're signed into your Microsoft account on all devices.
We still recommend going for Kaspersky Security Cloud Free, which has even less of a system impact, better malware protection and more useful extras, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with using Windows Defender as your primary antivirus solution.
Read our full Windows Defender review. Avast Free Antivirus has the best assortment of extra goodies of any free antivirus program, including a hardened browser, a gaming mode, a Wi-Fi network scanner and a recently added ransomware shield.
Unfortunately, the unlimited password manager has been discontinued. The program is also very customizable, letting you tweak its appearance and functions to suit your style.
0コメント