Free antivirus software for vista reviews

Microsoft Defender formerly Windows Defender was generally seen as a bit of a joke in the not-too-distant past. It performed terribly by most measures and was a good advert for why you should really pay for antivirus. But as we explain further up this article, Microsoft Defender has come on leaps and bounds and can now legitimately be mentioned in the same company as Bitdefender, Norton and Kaspersky. As well as very solid virus protection, Defender has extra bits and bobs like a ransomware shield, webcam protection, privacy tools and even basic parental controls and cloud backup.

And the best bit No need to download a thing, just find it in your menu and get protected straight away. Read more and see how to use: Microsoft Defender review. The paid-for version of Kaspersky's Windows security software frequently tops charts of best virus prevention solutions and AV-TEST once again gave it full marks across the board in its latest round of testing.

As you would expect, Kaspersky Free is a scaled down version of the full program - a tool that we really like more on which below. The free version ditches additional features such as privacy protection and safe payment sandboxes to concentrate on powerful, no-frills and - most importantly - free protection for your PC. The result is a tremendously easy to use and navigate bit of software that does an effective job of keeping you protected from viruses.

Using the nuts and bolts real-world scanning engine of the paid-for suite, Kaspersky Free is fiendishly hard for viruses and trojan horses to break down. And we love that it doesn't constantly pester you with nudges to upgrade to the full version. But, ironically, we will just for a moment, because Kasperksy Anti-Virus isn't expensive to buy and yet affords much better protection to your PC or PCs. Review and where to download: Kaspersky Free.

Marketing itself as "business-grade security", Sophos Home does a little more than most free antivirus software, and actually seems better suited to families. You get standard virus protection and anti-malware protection, along with browser tools like anti-phishing and, most importantly, content control.

Combined with central management of up to 10 PCs, this means you can effectively lock down your kids' browsing options. Although Sophos Home has always had desktop notifications, there was no premium version of the software for it to encourage an upgrade to.

That changed in February with the launch of Sophos Home Premium. Review and where to download: Sophos Home. Each entry in this list has been carefully chosen for its business features, such as remote installation and central management.

The best business antivirus software will have enterprise-level protection against threats, but that doesn't mean they have to cost a lot of money, either. The price per installation can sometimes be cheaper than even our recommended best antivirus packages.

Avast Business Antivirus Pro An excellent business antivirus suite, giving you various tools such as virus protection, Firewall, email protection, anti-spam and the ability to sandbox applications for complete security. Avast Business Antivirus Pro as opposed to the standard Avast Business Antivirus also includes Sharepoint and Exchange protection, as well as a number of tools for your servers.

Bitdefender products are loved by the independent testing labs, highly rated for malware detection, removal, performance and usability. Most of the features work automatically — anti-malware, firewall, web advisor, URL filtering — but you can also customise the product to control user actions. Symantec Endpoint Protection Symantec's first benefit is the company's Insight file reputation technology, an effective way to detect and block even the very latest undiscovered threats.

Other layers of protection include virus protection, behaviour monitoring, intrusion protection, a firewall, and the 'Power Eraser' to remove stubborn threats and repair your system.

Avira Antivirus for Endpoint This is Avira's main small business product. It takes all the core features you'd expect — antivirus, baseline network protection, web filtering — and extends them with file server protection and optimisation, along with application whitelisting and blacklisting. The desktop side of the package has all the usual quality Kaspersky modules — antivirus, antispam, a firewall, more — but the mobile security technologies are even more impressive.

Mike began his career as a lead software developer in the engineering world, where his creations were used by big-name companies from Rolls Royce to British Nuclear Fuels and British Aerospace.

He now covers VPNs, antivirus and all things security for TechRadar, although he still has a secret love of quirky open-source and freeware apps which find brand new ways to solve common problems. North America. If you're looking for the best possible protection for your online devices in , then you've come to the right place - we've tested all of the best antivirus providers out there to come up with a definitive list of the absolute greatest.

View Deal. Bitdefender Antivirus. Maximum devices covered: Stand out features: Safepay banking protection, privacy tools, multi-layered anti-ransomware, VPN. Reasons to avoid - Room for improvement on detection. Norton AntiVirus. Stand out features: Intelligent firewall, PC maintenance features, bundled backup tool with online storage.

Reasons to avoid - Mixed results from the testing labs. Kaspersky Anti-Virus. Stand out features: Highly configurable virus scans, anti-ransomware, drive-by cryptomining infection prevention. Reasons to avoid - Not a huge amount of features. Trend Micro Antivirus. Reasons to avoid - Not as many features as key rivals. Avast One. Reasons to avoid - Not a huge upgrade from free version. Microsoft Defender. Specifications Operating system: Windows only. Stand out features: Anti-ransomware, webcam and privacy protection, web filtering.

Reasons to avoid Avira antivirus. Stand out features: Proactive anti-ransomware, software updater, web protection. Reasons to avoid - Ratings from some independent test labs are a concern. McAfee antivirus. Stand out features: VPN, spam filter, intelligent firewall. Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus. Specifications Operating system: Windows, Mac and Android options.

Maximum devices covered: 5. Stand out features: Identity theft protection, real-time anti-phishing, firewall monitor. Reasons to avoid - Below average results in independent tests. Sophos Home. Specifications Operating system: Windows and Mac. Stand out features: Central management console, AI-powered threat detection, advanced ransomware protection. 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. It also comes with a browser extension that blocks malware, phishing sites, ads, and trackers. Download Malwarebytes For Free Now. Sophos Home Free offers pretty good free anti-malware protection. It also includes some helpful web protections and covers up to 3 PCs all within its free antivirus package.

In addition to multi-device protection and remote management, Sophos is also a decent choice for families because it has free parental controls. Sophos offers pretty good antivirus scanning and remote management for up to 3 devices — which is pretty generous for a free antivirus. Users looking for coverage on up to 10 devices, advanced malware and ransomware protection, and advanced web safety tools should upgrade to Sophos Home Premium.

Download Sophos Free Now. There is no such thing as a truly free antivirus. Most antivirus companies limit the free version of their software to only offer basic protection. Windows Defender is not a bad antivirus — it even ranks a little bit better than some third-party free antiviruses. If you choose an antivirus program from a trustworthy company, then yes.

All of the brands on this list here are perfectly safe to use — the only difference between their free and paid versions is that the paid software includes additional features, like a VPN, a password manager, and parental controls, as well as better customer support options. Best rugged laptops in Work anywhere, in any conditions. Best online doctorate in management Top picks. Best online master's in information systems Top picks. Best online master's in computer engineering Top picks.

Best smart plug Putting the app in appliances. Best online master's in taxation degrees Top picks. The best GPS trackers and devices for kids in You agree to receive updates, promotions, and alerts from ZDNet.

You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to receive the selected newsletter s which you may unsubscribe from at any time. You also agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge the data collection and usage practices outlined in our Privacy Policy.

What are you looking for? Preferences Community Newsletters Log Out. Ed Bott Senior Contributing Editor Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications. Full Bio. Hope you like upsell offers. Avira Free Security. Antivirus and much more maybe too much. Bitdefender Antivirus Free.

The minimalist antivirus alternative. Kaspersky Security Cloud. From Russia, with a few extras. Sophos Home Free. Manage up to three PCs from the web. ZDNet Recommends. Toda View now at AVG. Avira Free Security Antivirus and much more maybe too much Avira Free Security includes basic antivirus scanning, as expected, but it also includes a pair of extra modules intended to improve performance and safeguard privacy. The performance tab of the Avira console includes options for cleaning the registry, View now at Avira.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free The minimalist antivirus alternative Bitdefender, a privately held company based in Romania, has a solid reputation for its paid security products.