I tested and ranked each free antivirus listed here for malware detection, ease of use, and additional cybersecurity features. Read the full Norton review here.
Plus, Windows Defender consistently ranks below the top antivirus scanners in our independent lab testing. The free downloads on this list are from top-notch cybersecurity companies that are offering their premium antivirus protection for free. And some of the free programs on my list also include additional cybersecurity protections.
Free antiviruses like Avira and TotalAV are pretty good, but their paid versions are way better — to begin with, they come with all of the internet security protections you need to stay as safe as possible online. Together with a malware scanner, these tools are crucial to building a good online defense against hackers, scammers, and predators.
Here are a few of them:. Avira Free Security for Windows is my favorite free Windows antivirus in — it has one of the best anti-malware engines on the market, includes more free features than any other competitor, and is really easy to use. Paid programs like McAfee and Norton are equally effective at detecting malware, but their full disk scans will slow down your system much more than Avira will. The Safe Shopping browser extension for Firefox and Chrome is really good — it blocks suspicious phishing sites, web trackers, and unwanted advertisements.
The extension also automatically recommends links to better deals when shopping online. Download Avira Free Now. Another thing that makes Panda a good choice for Windows users is the Rescue Kit feature, which allows you to download a bootable version of Panda to a USB drive and then use the USB drive to clean an infected PC and get it up and running again. With lightweight malware scanning, an automatic gaming mode, a Rescue Kit, and a VPN, Panda is an excellent free internet security product.
Download Panda Free Now. It uses a huge blacklist to identify known phishing sites as well as an AI-powered phishing detection system to detect new threats. TotalAV is also the most intuitive free Windows antivirus on this list, with easy-to-use and easy-to-understand features and functions inside a minimalistic, well-designed dashboard. Kaspersky Security Cloud — Free is good at detecting and removing malware, and it also comes with plenty of extras — including:.
All Kaspersky purchases include a day money-back guarantee. Download Kaspersky Free Now. Malwarebytes Free is a good choice for users looking for a simple antivirus scanner that they can install and forget about. Apart from the scanner, Malwarebytes Free also comes with a browser extension that protects against a wide range of threats, including malware, ads and trackers, scams, and PUPs.
Malwarebytes Free is a minimalistic antivirus scanner with good virus detection and removal rates. Prevents intrusive and malicious ads, banners, and pop-ups from loading. Stops companies from monitoring you online. Browsing the internet puts your privacy at risk. Companies want to track your behavior to create a detailed profile about you to serve personalized ads. Browser trackers enable companies to collect a significant amount of data and track your online activities.
You can easily become a victim of adware, which is not only intrusive but also slows down your device. The security of your devices is also at risk, especially when shopping online or using cloud-based services.
Cybercriminals are on the lookout for personal data, trying to steal passwords, bank details, or even hijack your computer access to use your devices for attacks against others. Keyloggers, rootkits, spyware, Trojans, and worms are just some of the malware types that can attack your system. To keep your system secure and protect your privacy, you need to install an antivirus software, designed to detect and remove malware.
With regular virus scans, you can protect your computer against a wide range of threats. The Windows Defender Antivirus is installed by default on all devices running Windows While it is a good option for conducting basic virus scans, it does not offer complete protection.
Furthermore, Windows Defender is not updated often enough to keep up with the new threats. To detect the new types of malware that are being spread daily, cybersecurity experts recommend an additional antivirus to conduct real-time virus scans and alert you as soon as a malicious threat is detected.
Avira Free Security is the best free antivirus for Windows, with an impressive track record in tests performed by leading industry experts. It also includes a free VPN for private and secure browsing and built-in performance optimization tools to keep your system running fast and efficiently.
Avira Free Security is an all-in-one solution for a carefree digital life. The fingerprints of new unknown files are automatically uploaded to our cloud and analyzed in real-time. This way, we protect you from Zero-Day-Attacks, where cybercriminals use new methods to infiltrate your system. Our Protection Cloud can detect these never-seen-before attacks.
Once a new thread has been identified, you are instantly protected against it. With our Firewall Manager you can optimize the protection with just one click. Our Email Protection , available for the Pro version, scans emails for these dangers. You can protect yourself and your devices from viruses, ransomware, banker Trojans, and other types of malware with our free antivirus for Windows.
We will continue to provide updates until the end of While we encourage you to upgrade to Windows 10, we still offer protection if you decide to continue using Windows 7 for a while. If your computer or laptop operates with Windows 10, download Avira Free Security, the best free antivirus for Windows Our next-gen AI Technology with cloud-based threat detection provides real-time protection and blazing fast virus scans. Avira is the pioneer of the freemium business model, offering free privacy, security, and performance tools for a wide range of platforms.
Our free antivirus uses the same real-time virus scan engine as the pro version. The pro version brings extra features, such as unlimited VPN traffic, limited to MB per month in the free version, and automatic software updates, but you can enjoy a carefree digital life completely free of charge. If you are looking for extra convenience, you can check out our all-in-one premium solution, Avira Prime. If you install another antivirus product, Microsoft Defender AV will automatically disable itself and will indicate this in the Windows Security app.
A setting will appear that will allow you to enable limited periodic scanning. Open the Windows Defender Security Center app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
Click See full history under each of the categories Current threats , Quarantined threats , Allowed threats. To change Controlled folder access settings, see Protect important folders with Controlled folder access. To set up ransomware recovery options, click Set up under Ransomware data recovery and follow the instructions for linking or setting up your OneDrive account so you can easily recover from a ransomware attack.
When should I use Microsoft Defender Offline? Also, type 'check for updates' in Windows Search and try updating your device, then restart your device. If this does not fix it, contact Microsoft Support who may be able to assist you with this. Windows Defender Antivirus is a built-in antimalware solution that provides antimalware protection for PCs running Windows 10 and servers running Windows Server Download windows defender windows, windows defender windows, windows defender windows download free.
Windows Defender. Select Microsoft Defender Offline scan , and then select Scan now. Notes: Before you use Microsoft Defender Offline, make sure you save any open files and close all apps and programs. Scan your PC for viruses and other malware.
Remove any malware that's found from your PC. This will significantly lower the protection of your device and could lead to malware infection. Review virus and threat protection settings in the Windows Security app Open the Windows Security app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
Comparison of settings and functions of the old app and the new app All of the previous functions and settings from the Windows Defender app in versions of Windows 10 before version are now found in the new Windows Security app. Note If these settings are configured and deployed using Group Policy, the settings described in this section will be greyed-out and unavailable for use on individual endpoints. Run a scan with the Windows Security app Open the Windows Security app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
Click Scan now. Review the security intelligence update version and download the latest updates in the Windows Security app Open the Windows Security app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender. Click Check for updates to download new protection updates if there are any.
Ensure Microsoft Defender Antivirus is enabled in the Windows Security app Open the Windows Security app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
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