Really free antivirus software

Based on tests, the best antivirus for Windows is Norton Norton offers powerful protection for Windows 10, 8, and 7. It even comes with extra features, like a VPN with unlimited data, parental controls, password manager, firewall, and much more.

It depends. Each antivirus is a legitimate program run by established companies — some even come with a VPN, password manager, and other tools at no extra cost. For example, I put Norton through a number of tests and found out it has a perfect malware detection rate and multiple features such as parental controls, a VPN, firewall, password manager, and more.

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Support WizCase to help us guarantee honest and unbiased advice. Share our site to support us! No Thanks. Best Antivirus for Follow our experts. Top 5 Antivirus. Our Reviews WizCase includes reviews written by our experts. Referral fees Wizcase may earn an affiliate commission when a purchase is made using our links. Includes bonus PC optimization tools for enhanced performance. Sophos — Best free antivirus for families with parental controls and remote management options, but average phishing protection.

Kaspersky — Powerful scanner detects Windows-specific malware, but has limited features on the free plan. TotalAV — Excellent antivirus engine, but leaves PC vulnerable due to no real-time or ransomware protection.

Panda — Free antivirus with configurable firewall and Game Mode, but no safe browsing feature. Bitdefender — Basic virus scanner for Windows, but comes with no extra features. Real-time malware scanner detects the latest cyberattacks Bonus features include password manager, PC optimization tools, and file shredder Supports all versions of Windows Phone and email support available Use on up to 5 devices.

AI-based malware scanner protects against the newest viruses Extra features include parental controls and remote management tools Apps available for Windows 7, 8, and 10 Customer support via email only Protects 3 devices.

You can prevent your kids from accessing several types of content with Sophos. Excellent malware scanner blocks viruses, ransomware, and more Bonus features include file shredder, VPN, and password manager Works on all versions of Windows 7, 8, and 10 Phone, email, and live chat support available Comes with 5 device licenses.

Download a free antivirus for your Windows device. Launch your antivirus software. Run a scan to detect any malware on your PC. I suggest running a Full Scan in order to detect any existing threats. Fix any issues. The antivirus will walk you through the steps. Alternatively, you can set up features like the password manager or browser extension. Top Choice. Did you enjoy this article? Share it! Did you like this article? Rate it! I hated it I don't really like it It was ok Pretty good!

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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.

Bitdefender Ant View now at Bitdefender. Kaspersky Security Cloud From Russia, with a few extras Eugene Kaspersky, who founded Kaspersky Lab, argues that offering free protection to its customers is part of its core mission.

Yes, you will see upsell offers in Kaspersky products including a can't-miss red "Upgrade package" button on the Kaspersky View now at Kaspersky.

After 30 days, your installation is downgraded to the free edition and you lose the ran View now at Sophos Home Free. Is the Microsoft Defender Antivirus included with Windows 10 good enough?

Do independent antivirus test results matter? Well, sort of. How much does effective antivirus software cost? My Profile Log Out. Join Discussion for: Best free PC antivirus software in 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. 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.