To help stop viruses from infecting your computer you’ll need a program that offers great protection not just from viruses but other malware including worms, Trojans, adware, and ransomware. So coming up we’ll count down the top five best free antivirus and malware software for both Windows and Mac OS with system impact, ease of use, and overall effectiveness being the most important factors. Let’s get to it!
1. AVG Antivirus Free
Starting off our countdown coming in at number five is AVG Antivirus Free, which is a sister company to others competing in the space Avast and Avira. While AVG does share the exact same antivirus protection engine as those other two, their free feature set is more limited. On the positive side, their email Shield can warn you about infected emails and attachments. Their phishing protection does help to avoid scams from infected links and websites, and it does have a good firewall to stop people from attempting to hack your PC’s network. Downsides are that some users have reported that their computers tend to lag when real-time protection is turned on and has a lot of ads when compared to other free antivirus. AVG Antivirus Free is available for Windows and Mac OS, and mobile apps are also available for iOS and Android.
2. Avira Free Antivirus
At number four is Avira Free Antivirus. Years ago, prior to being under the same corporate umbrella as Avast and AVG, it used to be our favorite, but sadly it got passed up by the competition. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad and has features many competitors don’t have. It utilizes the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence to protect against new and evolving threats. It also includes a free VPN, but you’re limited to only 500 megabytes per month, and it includes an ad and tracker blocker built in. Just like AVG, users do report that Avira Free Antivirus does have a negative impact on system performance on low-spec computers. If that doesn’t describe your situation and you want to try it out, it’s available for Windows and Mac, along with mobile apps for Android and iOS.
3. Malwarebytes Free
Coming in at number three, we recommend installing a secondary free antivirus as a backup to possibly find what your primary antivirus might have missed. Malwarebytes Free is great because with real-time protection turned off, it won’t interfere with your other antivirus software, slowing down your PC. It’s available for Windows and Mac, and they also have an app for Android. Recommended quite a bit by people in our comment section as a second line of defense is the free online scanner from ESET. This one’s only available for Windows. Our last pick for secondary antivirus is HouseCall from Trend Micro. Having tested it out for the last several months, this will come as a shock to some of you that follow our channel. It has now replaced Malwarebytes Free as our preferred secondary antivirus solution on most of our computers. Available for Windows and Mac, it’s easy to use, won’t interfere with the primary antivirus, the removal of threats is simple, provides detailed threat reports even a novice would understand, and these scan options are customizable.
Built-in Options for Windows and Mac
Before we get to our top two picks, if your computer is running Windows 10 or 11, the built-in Microsoft Defender antivirus may be all that you need. While the protection scores have improved, I’d only recommend it as the primary antivirus for people that practice low-risk behavior online. The same goes for those of you that own a Mac. Some might be surprised to know that the frequency of Mac OS being targeted with malware is on the rise. While Apple does have a decent antivirus built in, it won’t stop all malware attacks. So for some of you with higher risk behavior, you might be better off using something else as your primary antivirus.
4. Avast Free Antivirus
Back to the countdown, in the runner-up spot, Avast Free Antivirus comes in at number two. While sharing the same antivirus protection engine as its sister companies Avira and AVG, it ranks higher because it includes more useful features included for free. It includes an excellent firewall to protect your computer from hackers and other intruders, which is especially helpful when using a laptop connected to a public Wi-Fi network. Their botnet Shield protects your computer from being attacked and turned into a part of a bot network. In addition, the ransomware protection prevents hackers from getting access, changing, or locking your files, holding them ransom until you pay up. Avast Free Antivirus is available for Windows and Mac, and mobile apps are also available for Android and iOS.
5. Bitdefender Antivirus Free
In the top spot, coming in at number one, is Bitdefender Antivirus Free. It’s our favorite because various independent labs give it an excellent score for detection of malware. Unlike most free antivirus, it offers live customer support with real-time scanning and threat detection. It has a very low impact on system performance with great ransomware protection. Also included is a top-notch anti-phishing and anti-rootkit utility built in. Bitdefender Antivirus Free is available for Windows. It’s also available for Mac OS using a different name, Virus Scanner for Mac. It’s also available for free with various scan settings and lets you remove or quarantine any dangerous threats.