Which antivirus is best for windows 7. Free antiviruses. Disadvantages or disadvantages

Having installed Windows, you should think about the security of your computer and which antivirus to install, for example, free or paid. The Internet is becoming one of the main spheres of human activity. However, many cybercriminals develop programs for easy money making or for espionage purposes.

There are a huge number of tricks used to infect a computer and often the user does not even know about the threat. Simple caution is no longer enough; mandatory protection with antivirus applications is required. The article discusses which is the most effective antivirus for Windows 7.

It should be noted that there is no absolutely perfect software to deliver and forget about threats, as one utility can never detect all threats using one method.

Professionals argue that even if you install the most "stuffed" antivirus program on your computer, this will not give a full guarantee of eliminating threats. New malware developments emerge daily. What's the best antivirus for Windows 7? To answer this question, you first need to figure out what viruses are.

Virus software

These are computer programs that can multiply on their own and damage computer data.

A list of some types of malware:

1. Keyloggers;
2. Trojans;
3. Rootkits;
4. Spies.

Antivirus utility

A program that analyzes the system and, when malware is detected, notifies the owner of the computer about the threat, and also performs the treatment or removal of the virus application. The anti-virus utility constantly monitors processes and analyzes the functioning of all programs in the PC. It is recommended to install only one anti-virus program at a time on one computer, otherwise they may conflict and as a result, the user gets a lot of errors and slow Windows.

A significant number of anti-virus utilities have been developed, which have their own pros and cons. For example, some do an excellent job with the presence of viruses in the system, while others do not allow programs that pose a threat to be introduced into the computer or have the ability to effectively destroy them.

Antivirus programs are conventionally divided into 2 types:

1. free;
2. paid.

They differ not only in price, but also in the effectiveness of protection.

Many will be saddened by the fact that qualified programmers say that the best protection for Windows 7 will be provided if you install a paid antivirus. Free software can also provide basic protection and we will also consider the best ones below.

The best paid antivirus programs for Windows 7

Kaspersky

It is the most popular of all anti-virus programs in Russia. Professionals convince that this is the best choice for Windows 7. With the most powerful algorithms and the largest database of viral content, constantly updated.

What is the main drawback of this utility? This is the need to stop the operation of applications when the antivirus fully scans the system.

The creators of this utility made the paid version not much different from the free one, so they managed to get a significant number of Avast followers. But even the paid option often skips malicious utilities.

Dr.Web

One of the most common antiviruses among users. The main advantages include the ability to disinfect individual files. This is a significant advantage over other antivirus programs because allows you to restore the data required by the user. Cons - the high price of the full version of the program.

This software is not very common in the Russian Federation. Has a Russian interface. Requires complex pre-configuration and is therefore only recommended for experienced PC owners. In addition to its basic functions, it provides protection against spam and fraud. Alerts about phishing. However, users are not happy with the time-consuming and costly verification process.

The best free antivirus programs for Windows 7

360 Total Security and Panda Cloud Antivirus ranked the best in tests by experts at free antivirus applications on Windows 7 PCs. Good performance was found in "AVG" and. Not significantly, but the performance of "Ad-Aware Free Antivirus" is worse. The best for Windows 7 turned out to be free software powered by Bitdefender.

What is the system resource requirement?

The best of the free ones turned out to be "360TS" and "Panda Cloud Antivirus"... They have had minimal impact on computer hardware through the use of new cloud technologies using the power of servers for testing.

What is the speed?

With the lowest speed of work: "Ad-Aware Free Antivirus", Bitdefender Free Edition and Comodo.

The fastest free ones are 360 \u200b\u200bTotal Security, Avast and AVG.

What is the usability?

"Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition" does not offer Russian during installation. Only "360 Total Security" can boast of a convenient and practical interface.

This article provides an overview of only the most popular utilities. To keep your Windows 7 computer as secure as possible, we recommend that you follow these tips:

1. when using external storage media, a preliminary scan of their memory is required for the possibility of infection with malware;
2. requires the use of regularly updated anti-virus software;
3. it is not allowed to run unknown applications from unverified sources;
4. while surfing the Internet, there should be constant monitoring of possible threats in real time;

Conclusion

It is absolutely accurate to draw a conclusion - what is the best software for Windows 7 is not possible.

What conclusion can be drawn for paid programs?

From paid programs, according to the results of the parameters considered, you can give preference to "Kaspersky" or "Doctor". There are hypotheses on the Internet that Kaspersky Lab itself develops viruses that can only be detected by their program. However, the experience of most users proves the high reliability of this antivirus program.

What conclusions can be drawn for free software?

For active Internet users, it is optimal to choose the free "360 Total Security". And if you have a good command of English, it is recommended to install the free version of Bitdefender.

Hello, friends! Today you will learn from me which antivirus is better for Windows 7 and Windows 10, as well as for Android. In general, it is better to install the antivirus for your computer - which will do its job best. Many will agree that the computer is firmly entrenched in the gray everyday life of our life, and it is not easy to get rid of it, since most of the work is performed by this particular device. Therefore, in order to ensure the full functioning of all computer systems, it is necessary to provide not only good, but the best protection against the main enemies of the computer - viruses. Any professional will tell you that no software will give 100% of the result of protection against malicious code, for the reason that it simply does not exist. However, if you wish, you can organize protection close to 100%. And we can do it!

Briefly about the main thing ...

There is an incredible variety of antiviruses on the market! A properly selected security utility will save your computer and protect it by 95%, in other words, you will not care about almost all the variety of malicious codes and utilities available today.

That is why I decided to write today's article. In it I will answer the question of how to choose an antivirus on a PC running Windows 7 and 8. But first, you need to understand some things ...

What is a Virus?

Antivirus software is a collection of software elements or software, the purpose of which is to block the path of malicious code to a personal computer. There are several types of viruses:

• Trojans
• Spies
• Rootkits
• Keyloggers

The duty of the antivirus is to scan the system in real time, and if a virus or other malicious code is detected, inform the user about it. This is followed by treatment, or complete and irrevocable removal of the utility.

A detailed instruction with a step-by-step choice of antivirus is best to start with a little advice. Many novice users are confident that the level of PC protection directly depends on the amount of antivirus software, but this is far from the case, because several simultaneously installed protection programs will only disrupt each other's work. In the end, you will get nothing but a bunch of errors and a braking system. Also, do not forget that such programs are very greedy for RAM.

If you want to install another antivirus, then, first, demolish the old one. As an exception, you can name special antivirus add-ons that can be installed on top of the main software. These are mainly rootkits or firewall programs, which are strikingly different from the main software.

Which antivirus is best for Windows 7?

Before finding out which antivirus is better for Windows 7, it is important to know that I do not have a definite answer to the question of which antivirus to install on a PC, so now we will consider 4 most popular programs, and I will give a couple of tips regarding each of them. I will also talk about the pros and cons, product price, protective properties, the amount of resources consumed, the trial period and much more.

I must say right away that the best antiviruses, unfortunately, are delivered to the average user on a paid basis, so we will consider them. Those who do not have the opportunity to purchase such software can easily install free software on their machine - this is the AVG and Avast antivirus. But, they do not have such a wide range of tools to work with, but they are guaranteed to provide basic protection against viruses and malware. There was a time when I also used these.

And so here is a list of, in my opinion, the best antivirus programs available today. TOP-4.

1. Kaspersky
2. Avast (paid version)
3. NOD32

All listed products are paidhowever, at first, you can use the test period, during which you will be able to decide on a purchase decision. As a rule, the trial period does not exceed one calendar month. Having installed any of the antiviruses, you can use it as you please, because in the test version all the same functions and capabilities are available as in the full-fledged program.

If you want to try all antiviruses, then this can also be done, install each one for a trial period, and after it ends, change to another. This will help you understand exactly which antivirus program is better.

Well, now let's take a closer look at the technical characteristics of each individual antivirus and talk about their pros and cons. Full information about each of the products can be found on the official Internet resources or developer sites. Let's start!

Kaspersky Anti-Virus

This antivirus rightfully belongs to one of the first places, since it is difficult to think of something better for ordinary PCs. It is almost perfect for all criteria, and in addition to everything else, it also protects against most threats that exist today.

Advantages of Kaspersky:

• Reliable and complete protection against malicious software, including very insignificant ones in terms of harm or damage.
• Minimal consumption of computer resources. The tests carried out show that Kaspersky works an order of magnitude faster than its competitors.
• Scanning files and programs takes relatively little time.
• Lightning-fast protection against pop-ups and virus sites.

Disadvantages or Disadvantages:

• Relatively high cost compared to competitors.
• Problems of working in real time, for a full check it is required to disable individual programs or utilities.

Antivirus Avast

Avast developers have created the product in such a way that the full version has only a slight advantage over the free one. Thus, they managed to greatly popularize the antivirus, which in turn increased the number of users of the paid version. The full version of the product has the following advantages:

1. Prevention of scam or hacker attacks
2. Protection against malware and software
3. Protection when making payment transactions
4. Blocking spam

Avast benefits:

• The ability to use the trial version throughout the year
• System scanning takes place in the shortest possible time
• Blocking Internet resources with viruses
• Analysis of the actions of running programs in real time

Disadvantages of Avast:

• Even the full version of the program does not notice individual viruses

Docto Web Antivirus

The main advantage of this antivirus is the ability to restore and disinfect individual files or folders. This is a huge plus, since thanks to it the user can restore the necessary files.

Doctor Web advantages:

1. Free version of the utility, can work without installation, and also does an excellent job of searching
   viruses.
2. The function of checking any files
3. Protection against hacking of the antivirus itself is organized at the highest level

Disadvantages of Doctor Web antivirus:

• High cost of the full version of the product.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

Antivirus for advanced users. And all because for a full and effective work, it must be configured using many parameters and criteria. And as practice shows, an ordinary user is too tough.

NOD32 advantages:

1. Spam protection
2. Fraud protection
3. Safe surfing on the Internet and in particular on social projects
4. Preventing actions by phishing and spyware
... Before him, I had AVAST on my machine, and everything was fine, scanning was fast, hacker attacks were blocked, etc. But relatively recently, while surfing the Internet, I came across a six-month free version of Kaspersky. Of course, I immediately installed it, ran a scan, and to my surprise I found about 10 malicious programs.

That's all! Now you know which antivirus is better for Windows 7 and other operating systems. Some may disagree with me, and I will not mind, because this is my personal opinion, for everyone the best antivirus is his own. However, now for me, there is no better Kaspersky! Do not forget to ask your questions in the comments and click on the social buttons as a token of gratitude. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Peace to all of you friends!

What antivirus is better for Windows 7 to install?

In my previous reviews of the best antivirus programs, I listed both paid and free products that performed best in tests by independent antivirus labs. This article is the TOP of free antiviruses of 2019 for those who prefer not to spend money on Windows protection, but at the same time ensure its decent level, besides, interesting changes have occurred here this year. Another rating: (includes paid and free options).

Also, as in the previously published lists of antiviruses, this rating is not based on my subjective preferences (I myself use Windows Defender), but only on the results of tests conducted by such laboratories as AV-test.org, av-comparatives.org, Virus Bulletin ( virusbulletin.com), which are recognized as objective by most antivirus market participants. At the same time, I tried to take into account the results for the three latest OS versions from Microsoft at once - Windows 10, 8 (8.1) and Windows 7 and highlight those solutions that are equally effective for all these systems.

Built-in antivirus for Windows 10, 8 and 8.1 - "Windows Defender" was not a bad solution from the very beginning, but several years after its release in tests it showed itself quite average, moreover, even Microsoft itself recommended using third-party antivirus solutions.

However, for two years in a row, Windows Defender has shown Real-World Tests results no worse than those of famous paid antivirus products, and its version for Windows 10 is constantly improving and acquiring new features: the next update will bring the ability to run dangerous programs in the sandbox.

If Windows 10 is installed on your computer or laptop, you do not turn off system updates and do not know if you need any additional antivirus, today the answer is: you may not need Windows Defender and other OS protection features (for example , SmartScreen) do quite well.

However, here I can note 3 nuances:

1. Users often do not take system warnings seriously and ignore Windows security warnings.
2. Windows Defender “does not like” illegal games and programs and often “silently” deletes their modified files, as a result of which they do not start.
3. According to independent tests, Windows Defender is good in everything, except for the number of false positives, perhaps this has something to do with the 2nd point.

Some points that speak in favor of the fact that perhaps you can get by with such protection:

1. You do not disable UAC (User Account Control) in Windows, and you may not even be running under an Administrator account. And you understand why sometimes UAC asks you for confirmation of actions and how confirmation can threaten.
2. Turn on the display of file extensions in the system and you can easily distinguish an image file from an executable file with an image file icon on a computer, USB flash drive, in an e-mail letter.
3. You check the downloaded program files, and if they are packed in RAR, you unpack and check twice as carefully.
4. Do not download hacked programs and games, especially those where the installation instructions begin with "disable your antivirus". And don't turn it off.
5. You can add a couple of more points to this list.

The author of the site has limited himself to Windows Defender over the past few years (six months after the release of Windows 8, he switched to it). But he has two licensed software packages from Adobe and Microsoft installed on his computer from third-party software, one browser, GeForce Experience and one portable text editor, also licensed, nothing else is downloaded or installed on the computer (programs from articles are checked in virtual machine or on a separate experimental laptop designed for this purpose).

Avast Free Antivirus

Until 2016, Panda was in the first place among free antiviruses. In 2017, 2018 and 2019 - Avast. Moreover, for tests, the company provides Avast Free Antivirus, and not paid comprehensive protection packages.

Judging by the results in various tests, Avast Free Antivirus provides close to the leaders of the paid antivirus ratings in Windows 10, 8 and Windows 7, has a minor effect on system performance and is easy to use (here you can argue: the main negative review for Avast Free Antivirus - an annoying offer to switch to a paid version, but even this in the latest versions is quite acceptable).

Avast Free Antivirus shouldn't be too difficult for novice users to use. The interface is understandable, in Russian, new useful (and not so much functions) similar to those that you can find in complex paid security solutions regularly appear.

Additional features of the program:

When installing the antivirus, you can configure which additional protection components you need, perhaps some of the above is not required. A description of each item is available by the question mark opposite it:

You can download Avast antivirus for free on the official page https://www.avast.ru/free-antivirus-download.

Panda Free Antivirus (Panda Dome)

After the aforementioned Chinese antivirus 360 Total Security disappeared from the ratings, Panda Free Antivirus (now Panda Dome Free) became the best (as of today - rather the second place after Avast) among free antiviruses for the consumer segment, showing detection results close to 100% in 2019 and removal both in synthetic and real-world tests on Windows 7, 8 and Windows 10 systems, carried out using various methods.

The parameter by which Panda is inferior to paid antivirus is the impact on system performance, but “inferior” does not mean “slows down the computer” - the lag is relatively small.

Like most modern antivirus products, Panda Free Antivirus has an intuitive interface in Russian, standard real-time protection features and on-demand scanning of your computer or files for viruses.

Additional features include:

• Protection of USB drives, including automatic "vaccination" of plug-in flash drives and external hard drives (prevents infection with certain types of viruses when drives are connected to other computers, the function is enabled in the settings).
• View information about processes running in Windows with information about their security.
• Detection of Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP) that are not viruses.
• Very convenient (for a beginner) setting of antivirus exclusions.

In general, it is a convenient and understandable free antivirus that works on the "install and forget" principle, and its results in the ratings speak in favor of the fact that this option can be a good choice.

You can download Panda Free Antivirus from the official website https://www.pandasecurity.com/russia/homeusers/solutions/free-antivirus/

Comodo Internet Security Premium

Comodo Internet Security Premium is tested in antivirus tests - it is the free version of the product (the paid version with technical support is called Pro). Comodo Internet Security is a powerful antivirus suite that includes, in addition to virus protection, one of the best firewalls available for free.

Among other things, the antivirus is able to find and remove potentially unwanted and malicious programs (many antiviruses do not react to them too much), has a wide range of functionality (for example, a built-in sandbox), is compatible with operating systems from Windows XP to Windows 10, and is extremely undemanding to resources computer and has several themes, in the screenshot below - an antivirus with a changed theme.

You can download the Russian version of Comodo Internet Security for free from the official website https://ru.comodo.com/software/internet_security/free-internet-security.php

Tencent PC Manager

After the Chinese antivirus 360 Total Security was excluded from laboratory tests (the product behaved differently during tests than during real work), another product from the Chinese giant - Tencent PC Manager, took its place among free antiviruses.

It also shows high performance, excellent protection and detection of viruses, malware and other potentially unwanted elements, uses BitDefender in addition to its own "engine", but, unlike 360TS, does not contain many additional add-ons (often unnecessary) for optimization and Windows settings.

A possible drawback for a Russian user is only the English interface language. You can download Tencent PC Manager for free from the official website https://www.pcmgr-global.com/

AVG Antivirus Free

AVG Antivirus Free is another free antivirus that shows the highest scores for protection against threats in tests: some laboratories test the paid version (AV-Test, Virus Bulletin), some test the free version (AV-Comparatives), but in all cases the results are in list of the best.

The free version does not have some functions, but everything basic, namely protection from viruses, malicious files and programs, downloads from the Internet, is present and works in the best possible way.

You can download AVG Antivirus Free from the official website https://www.avg.com/ru-ru/free-antivirus-download

Adaware Antivirus Free

The little-known product Adaware Antivirus Free (Ad-Aware Free Antivirus) is tested in Virus Bulletin and consistently shows good results, receiving the VB100 award. Russian interface language is present.

The free version does not contain a firewall, the ability to contact technical support and some less important functions, otherwise it is a full-fledged antivirus (and it is the free version that is being tested).

Somehow this product reminded me of the early versions of Avast. You can download Adaware Antivirus Free from the official website https://www.adaware.com/antivirus

Free antiviruses not tested, but supposedly good

The free antiviruses listed below do not take part in the tests of antivirus laboratories, however, instead of them, the top lines are occupied by paid complex protection products from the same developer companies.

We can assume that free versions of the best paid antiviruses use the same algorithms to detect and remove viruses in Windows and their difference is that some of the additional modules are missing (firewall, payment protection, browser protection), and therefore, I think it makes sense to bring list of free versions of the best paid antiviruses.

Kaspersky Free

Relatively recently, Kaspersky Free antivirus was released. The product provides basic anti-virus protection and does not include numerous additional protection modules from Kaspersky Internet Security 2019.

Over the past two years, the paid version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus has taken one of the first places in all tests, competing with Bitdefender. The latest tests carried out by av-test.org on Windows 10 also show the maximum scores in detection, performance and usability.

Reviews of the free version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus are mostly positive and we can assume that it should show excellent results in terms of preventing computer infection and removing viruses.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition

Bitdefender Antivirus Free, the only antivirus in this review without the Russian interface language, is a free version of the long-term leader in the set of tests - Bitdefender Internet Security. The recently released updated version of this antivirus has acquired a new interface and support for Windows 10, while retaining its main advantage - "silence" with high work efficiency.

Despite the simplicity of the interface, the almost absence of settings and any additional options, I personally consider this antivirus one of the best free solutions, which, in addition to providing a decent level of user protection, will almost never distract from work and does not slow down the computer at all. Those. if we talk about my personal subjective recommendations for relatively experienced users, I recommend this particular option (I used it myself, installed it on my wife's laptop a couple of years ago, I don't regret it).

More details and where to download:

Avira Free Security Suite 2019 and Avira Free Antivirus

If previously only the free product Avira Free Antivirus was available, now, in addition to it, the Avira Free Security Suite has appeared, which includes, in addition to the antivirus itself (i.e. Avira Free Antivirus 2019 is included in the kit), a set of additional utilities.

• Phantom VPN is a utility for secure VPN connections (500 MB of free traffic available per month)
• SafeSearch Plus, Password Manager and Web Filter are browser extensions. Validating search results, storing passwords, and checking the current website accordingly.
• Avira Free System Speedup is a program for cleaning and optimizing your computer (includes useful things such as finding duplicate files, deleting them beyond recovery, and others).
• Software Updater is a tool for automatically updating programs on a computer.

But let's dwell on Avira Free Antivirus (which is included in the Security Suite).

Free Avira Antivirus is a fast, convenient and reliable product, which is a limited in features version of Avira Antivirus Pro, which also has the highest ratings in terms of protecting Windows from viruses and other common threats.

Among the features included in Avira Free Antivirus are real-time protection, real-time virus scanning, and Avira Rescue CD virus scan boot disk creation. Additional features include checking the integrity of system files, searching for rootkits, managing Windows Firewall (enabling and disabling) in the Avira interface.

The antivirus is fully compatible with Windows 10 and in Russian. Available for download on the official website https://www.avira.com/ru/index

About 360 Total Security

Note: on this point, I cannot say that this antivirus is correctly included in the list of the best, but it makes sense to pay attention to them.

Previously, the free antivirus 360 Total Security, having been tested by all the indicated laboratories, famously bypassed most paid and free counterparts in terms of the aggregate results. Also for some time this product was present among the recommended antiviruses for Windows on the English-language Microsoft website. And then he disappeared from the ratings.

The main reason for disqualification, from what I was able to find, was that during testing, the antivirus changed its behavior and used not its own "engine" for scanning viruses and malicious code, but the BitDefender algorithm included in it (and this is a long-term leader among paid antiviruses) ...

Whether this is the reason not to use this antivirus, I will not say. It seems to me that no. A user using 360 Total Security can also turn on the BitDefender and Avira engines, provide himself with almost 100% virus detection, as well as use many additional functions, all for free, in Russian and indefinitely.

From the comments I received on my review of this free antivirus, most of those who have tried it once are usually satisfied with it. And only one negative review, which occurs more than once, sometimes "sees" viruses where they should not be.

Additional features included free of charge (besides enabling third-party antivirus engines) include:

• System cleaning, Windows startup
• Firewall and protection against malicious sites on the Internet (as well as setting up black and white lists)
• Running suspicious programs in a sandbox to eliminate their impact on the system
• Protecting documents from ransomware encrypting files (see). The function does not decrypt files, but prevents encryption if suddenly such software appears on your computer.
• Protecting flash drives and other USB drives from viruses
• Browser protection
• Webcam protection

Additional Information

Recently, one of the main problems of Windows users has become various kinds of page substitution in the browser, pop-up windows with advertisements, browser windows that open independently (see) - that is, various kinds of malware, browser hijackers and AdWare. Moreover, very often, users facing these problems have a good antivirus installed on their computer.

This rating of antiviruses is updated once a year and over the past years it has accumulated many comments with user experience on the use of various antiviruses and other PC protection tools. I recommend reading below, after the article - it is quite possible that you will find new and useful information for yourself.

Hello dear readers.

Users of the seventh version of the operating system from Microsoft, like any other user, want to protect their device from the actions of malicious software. Today there are many corresponding solutions, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Later in the article I will tell you which is the best antivirus for Windows 7 and present other solutions that are well worth the attention of users.

general information

Today there are many special laboratories that conduct software tests to find "bad" code on a computer. And the research results are taken precisely from their reports, and not based on my judgments.

So, the first four places went, of course, to paid solutions. They received the maximum rating in such areas as ease of interaction, speed of task execution, detection and subsequent removal of malware:

• Avira Antivirus Pro;
• Bitdefender;
• Kaspersky Internet Security
• Norton Security.

In general, the work of the above solutions is similar. In addition, almost all of them have a Russian-language interface. So it won't be difficult for users to figure it out.

Avira Antivirus Pro

The application stands out for its user-friendly interface and speed of work. In addition, in the matter of protection, it also showed itself in the best way.

In addition to the main functions, the solution protects against Internet problems, has a firewall, built-in tools for creating a LiveCD disk for scanning for viruses, a customizable game mode, and many additional components.

It should be noted that on official website in the Russian version, the only option is purchase. But if you switch to English at the bottom, you will be able to download the trial version.

360 Total

Some time ago, in almost all known tests, the first places were often taken by such a solution as 360 Total. But as it turns out, this program uses algorithms from another popular application. So this antivirus was immediately excluded from all possible lists. Therefore, if we compare Avira or 360 Total, it is better to stay at the first option, since the second is not recognized by most experts.

Kaspersky Internet Security

Of course, one of the best solutions of 2017 is this particular antivirus. The solution is very popular all over the world. And it's not just that, because it almost always gets the highest score in many categories.

He offers the opportunity download free trial... After familiarizing themselves with the basic functionality, users can buy a suitable option.

The application will delight you with a richness of additional features, and at the same time there is nothing superfluous for the average user: antivirus, parental control, online protection and much more.

It is also worth noting the user-friendly interface and high-quality support from the manufacturer.

It should be mentioned that this year the developer also provided a free version, which of course differs in functionality.

Norton Security 2016

This instrument has appeared on the world stage for a long time. And every year it only gets better. The solution has received public acclaim for its relatively low system requirements and yet it offers a reasonable level of protection for the operating system.

In addition to basic functions, the program also has a firewall, spam protection, encryption of personal data, and acceleration of the system.

Find a trial or full version for Windows x32 or x64 at official website.

Bitdefender

Recently, it has also been included in the top five antiviruses. It is endowed with a complete list of all relevant features. At the same time, it also stands out with some features. So, for example, each user can download the standalone full-installer and use it at any time.

Another big advantage over the tools offered by other companies is the trial period. If usually it lasts no more than 30 days, here - up to 180. It turns out that for six months you can safely use all the functions.

Avast

The software solution from Avast has also recently received a lot of positive feedback from specialists. In general, the product has many of the features mentioned earlier. But one special difference is active protection against ransomware or ransomware viruses.

So now you don't have to worry that you can simply rename all the files.

Also, in general, the program consumes relatively few computer resources, and therefore can be installed on not the most powerful machines.

Kaspersky Free

As mentioned above, a well-known company has finally decided to present a free tool. It is perfect for any Win build, be it home or maximum.

In general, the solution has a familiar interface, although parental controls, secure payments and some other features have been removed from this version.

Bitdefender Free

The free version of Bitdefender also received positive reviews. It is perfect for working with different versions and assemblies of Windows.

True, as mentioned above, there is no Russian language here. But despite this, the program will be able to interest the speed of task execution, simplicity and reliability.

Avira Free

Avira also offers a free option. In general, everything is the same as in the previous two options - there are no additional features, but it copes well with the main problems.

It can be downloaded from a torrent tracker, or better from official resource.

Well, as you can see, there are a lot of paid and free programs that allow you to protect your laptop or personal computer at the highest level from a variety of threats coming from the Internet, local network or in any other way.

In general, in order to once again protect yourself, it is better to use only proven web resources. Also, be sure to check the portable device for problems before starting it up. And you should not immediately open letters on e-mail, and even more so run the sent files in them.

I hope this article will help you decide and choose the most suitable solution for yourself.

Antivirus reviews and tests

It is unlikely that your computer will be infected with a virus, but at the same time, there is a danger of being infected with other types of malware and online threats. Ransomware Trojans encrypt sensitive files and wait for the ransom to be paid before unblocking access to them. Banking Trojans interfere with online transactions and try to steal funds. A botnet infection will make your computer a link in a chain of devices used to launch DDoS attacks. For these and many other reasons, you must protect your computer with antivirus software. Don't worry about the price. The best free antivirus programs are more effective than some commercial solutions. Internet portal PCMag has conducted a comprehensive review of more than a dozen free antiviruses and recommends the best products for selection.

Many of the presented antiviruses are free for non-commercial use only. If you want to protect computers in your organization, you will need to purchase the paid version. In this case, it is worth considering switching to a full-fledged comprehensive antivirus. Ultimately, the safety of your business depends on it. If you need to protect large enterprises, then SaaS solutions come to the rescue, which allow you to centrally monitor and manage the protection of all computers in the company.

Your antivirus should reliably remove malware ingrained in the system, but its main task is to prevent new infections by ransomware Trojans, botnets, Trojans and other types of threats. All antiviruses presented in this rating offer real-time protection against malicious attacks. Many products offer robust web protection that blocks access to sources of malicious objects and prevents sensitive data from entering fraudulent sites.

Laboratory testing

Researchers at independent labs spend a lot of time and effort testing antivirus software. Some organizations regularly publish reports of test results. PCMag tracks the results of 5 main laboratories: AV-Comparatives, AV-Test Institute, Simon Edwards Labs formerly Dennis Technology Labs), Virus Bulletin and MRG-Effitas. Certification by ICSA Labs and West Coast Labs is also noted.

Typically, antivirus developers pay to participate in testing. In turn, labs provide vendors with detailed reports that help improve products. Thus, the number of laboratories testing a particular product is an indicator of the value of this decision. In any case, two conditions must be met for testing an antivirus: the laboratory must consider the product to be important enough, and the developer company must be satisfied with the cost of participation. Labs are not required to test free products, but many vendors include full protection in free solutions, adding only advanced features to paid products.

PCMag tests

In addition to a thorough analysis of the results of laboratory tests, PCMag conducts its own amateur anti-virus testing to block malicious programs. Each antivirus encounters a set of different types of malware, after which the product's response to the threat is recorded. Typically, antivirus removes most of the samples at once and detects several more instances of malware when it tries to run it. Based on the test results, the product can receive from 0 to 10 points for blocking, depending on how well the system protects against test samples.

The test collection has been in use for months, so the malware blocking test does not measure antivirus's ability to detect the latest threats. A separate test attempts to download malware from online sources no more than a day old provided by MRG-Effitas. The testing process notes whether the product has blocked access to the network location, cleaned up the malware payload during boot, or ignored the threat. Norton received the highest score in this test, followed by Avira Free Antivirus in the final table.

Useful functions

Each antivirus product in the collection scans files on access to prevent the potential launch of malware, and scans the system on demand or on a specified schedule. Blocking access to malicious links is a great way to stay out of trouble. Many products extend protection to prevent you from visiting fraudulent resources, phishing sites that try to steal your credentials. Some solutions rank search engine results by flagging suspicious and dangerous links.

Behavioral detection is featured in some of the products in the collection. On the one hand, this component can detect malicious programs that are unknown threats. On the other hand, behavioral analysis can lead to false positives for reliable programs.

One easy way to keep your computer as secure as possible is to install security updates for Windows, browsers, and other popular programs. In Windows 10, updates are mandatory and fully automated, but there are many holes left in older Windows systems, popular apps and plugins. Scanning for vulnerabilities in the form of missed updates is a feature often found in commercial antivirus products. However, some free antiviruses offer similar functionality.

Who is not included in the rating

This rating only contains information on free antivirus solutions that have received at least a “Good” rating based on PCMag reviews. Among the products not included in this rating is Windows Defender, which was awarded 2.5 stars. Microsoft participates in tests of all monitored antivirus labs, but only as a baseline defense. If a product can't beat the baseline, it's not worth considering.

Avast Free Antivirus 2017 combines highly effective antivirus protection with an extensive collection of additional tools.

AVG AntiVirus Free (2017) has an updated interface and new security technologies. Independent lab tests and PCMag's own tests show that protection is even stronger than ever before.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition includes the same antivirus protection as the paid Bitdefender antivirus, but lacks the additional functionality of the commercial version.

Free Kaspersky Anti-Virus offers full-featured basic antivirus protection that scores excellent in lab tests.

ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + combines powerful antivirus protection from Kaspersky with a high quality firewall. The product is an excellent choice for users who do not want to install a complete solution.

Sophos Home allows you to provide powerful corporate antivirus capabilities to ordinary home users for free. The product has performed well in independent lab tests and most of PCMag's own tests.

Avira Free Antivirus (2017)

Avira Antivirus gets excellent scores from independent labs, but in amateur tests, PCMag was very slow in performing test system scans. Plus, Web Protection only works in Chrome and Firefox.

Adaware Antivirus Free 12 has a new name and a new look. However, its test results are not the best, and competing free antiviruses offer more options.

Comodo Antivirus 10 has been redesigned and achieved the ideal detection rate in the malware blocking test. However, the product performed worse in other tests by PCMag and in independent lab tests.

Panda Free Antivirus has an attractive user interface and an unusual USB vaccination feature. However, the product did not perform well in tests by independent laboratories and in PCMag's own tests.

Qihoo 360 Total Security comes with a powerful set of additional tools, but its basic antivirus protection cannot compete with the best free antivirus software.