Good virus removers

Comparison of the Best Free Antiviruses for Windows in Here are a few of them: Avast. While Avast — and their subsidiary antivirus company AVG — continue to offer two pieces of widely used free antivirus software Avast Free Antivirus and AVG AntiVirus Free their repeated privacy violations have caused too many concerns. You can read more here. McAfee is one of my favorite antiviruses of It comes with an advanced anti-malware engine, excellent web protections, and a VPN with unlimited data.

Why should I use a free antivirus instead of Windows Defender? Is it safe to use a free antivirus? Is Avast free? What are the most common types of viruses that affect Windows computers? Will Windows allow me to install a free antivirus?

Read Review Visit Website. Share It: 0. Updated on: January 14, About the Author Katarina is a tech enthusiast specializing in cybersecurity products, data protection, and maintaining strong practices for general online safety.

When she's not a "Safety Detective", she likes to play with her two cats, binge watch crime dramas, sample fine wines, and read about the origins of the universe.

Was this article helpful? Please tell us what we can improve This field is required. It earns high scores for usability and offers solid virus protection. The free antivirus version of Sophos Home gives you virus protection for three Windows PCs -- using the company's high-scoring anti-malware tool -- plus a day trial of the company's malware-removal tool. Test after test, Avast Antivirus for Windows performs well for malware detection with options ranging from Avast free antivirus software to Avast Premium Security.

And we've included its antivirus in our list of recommended security app options before. But Avast was in the news for several months for its non-antivirus business, so we looked at the company, specifically reports at the end of that Avast allegedly collected user data with its browser plug-ins and antivirus software and then sold data it collected through its Jumpshot subsidiary in early In response to the reports that his company gathered and sold the details of its customers' online activities, Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek said in a statement that he understood that his company's actions raised questions of trust in his company.

To address that, Avast terminated Jumpshot data collection in January and closed its operations because the data collection business wasn't in line with Avast's privacy priorities.

These newer reports follow another in from Avast that its internal network was breached , possibly to insert malware into its CCleaner software, similar to an earlier CCleaner hack that occurred prior to Avast's acquiring the Windows utility.

Avast is now saying the right things about taking its customers' privacy seriously , but it only came to that point after reacting to investigative reporting that revealed the Jumpshot practices. The CCleaner revelations, while concerning, were self-disclosed, which is important to building user trust. We hope Avast's more privacy-friendly policies mean that there will be no further Jumpshot-style activities and it returns to glory as one of the best antivirus software.

In the meantime, we'd recommend using one of the many other solid choices in this realm listed above. Because the company has been in the news the past few years, let's talk about Kaspersky Lab -- specifically about the federal ban that blocks US government agencies from using Kaspersky Antivirus products.

Based in Moscow, Kaspersky Lab has for years produced some of the best antivirus software for business antivirus needs and home customers. But in the US government prohibited Kaspersky security cloud software on federal government computers because of alleged ties between Kaspersky and the Russian government.

But as with China-based Huawei , the question remains: If the federal government doesn't think the products are safe enough for its own devices, should consumers avoid them as well? In a statement sent to CNET, the company said, "Kaspersky Lab has no ties to any government, and the company has never, nor will ever, engage in cyber offensive activities. Kaspersky Lab maintains that no public evidence of any wrongdoing has been presented by the US government, and that the US government's actions against Kaspersky Lab were unconstitutional.

In Kaspersky's favor, it continues to earn top scores and awards for virus and malware detection and endpoint protection from independent testing labs. And it's reasonably priced. In the end, even though no one has ever publicly produced a "smoking gun" linking the company to Russian intrigue, we think any of the options listed above are a safer bet. And if you are a US government employee or work with the federal government, you'll want to steer clear of Kaspersky internet security products -- and perhaps use one of the antivirus software products mentioned here instead.

Picking the best antivirus software for Windows means finding one that keeps your PC safe, doesn't take up a lot of system resources, is easy to use and stays out of the way till you need it.

Here's what to look for. Antivirus software runs virus scans for known viruses and malware, of course, and can offer real-time protection. And it watches for shady websites and suspicious links to keep you out of trouble. It can also offer ransomware protection and monitor unexpected behavior that may be a sign of new and not-yet-identified viruses and malware. You want antivirus software that can successfully identify these unknown online threats without flagging too many false positives.

Light on system resources. You don't want antivirus software that taxes your PC's resources. If after you install the program, websites open slowly, apps download or open sluggishly or file copies take longer than expected, you may want to try another service.

The good news is, all our picks offer a free trial to let you try out the antivirus program, so if your system feels sluggish after installation, you may want to keep looking.

During my tests, Intego performed a quick scan in under 5 minutes — quicker than most competitors. However, the full scan took over 2 hours on my MacBook — longer than all of the other antiviruses on this list.

The Mac Premium Bundle X9 adds system optimization features, parental controls, and backup tools. Intego offers excellent real-time protection against viruses and other malware for Mac users. You can try out Intego with a day money-back guarantee. Download Intego Now. BullGuard has a good antivirus scanner — it combines extensive virus databases with machine learning to detect, block, and remove all kinds of viruses, including next-gen and zero-day viruses.

BullGuard also has a standout Game Booster mode which re-allocates system resources and stops background processes to improve PC performance while gaming — Game Booster actually improved my frame rate during a test run which is really impressive BullGuard ranked as the 1 antivirus for gamers. BullGuard Antivirus comes with an antivirus scanner, Game Booster mode, and coverage for 1 device, whereas BullGuard Internet Security also includes a firewall, parental controls, cloud storage, and coverage for 3 devices.

BullGuard is a good virus scanner for gamers — it uses machine learning to block viruses in real time and it has a unique Game Booster mode that speeds up PC performance while gaming. BullGuard also has an advanced firewall, a home network scanner that scans all IoT devices, parental controls, cloud storage, and more.

You can try out BullGuard with a commitment-free day money-back guarantee. Download BullGuard Now. On the other hand, third-party antivirus programs like Norton have advanced scanning tools like machine learning, heuristic analysis, and behavior monitoring to detect both known and zero-day malware.

The virus removal software on this list all have excellent security suites that extend protection to Androids and provide a variety of really useful features to protect phone and tablet users.

Norton has a really good Android app that blocks all malicious apps before you download them to your device. Norton also comes with advanced cybersecurity protections, including anti-phishing, a Wi-Fi network scanner, and lots more. While all the products I recommend have good iPhone apps, my favorite antivirus for iPhones is McAfee — which comes with an app scanner, anti-phishing protection, an app locker, a Wi-Fi scanner, anti-theft protection, and lots more.

Read our full Kaspersky anti-virus review. And, it seems to get better as time goes on. How good is it exactly? In particular, AV-Comparatives says it gives a high number of false positives, which could be a real nuisance. On the other hand, AV-Test reports high levels of accuracy and no issues with false positives at all.

Our experiences with the product is that protection levels look similar to Bitdefender, false positives are only marginally higher, and the system itself doesn't slow down our system noticeably more than anything else. Standout features include ransomware protection, advanced AI learning, email scam safeguarding, and Pay Guard.

We'd recommend running the trial for its full 30 days before you buy, then, to see if you notice any problems. But if you're unaffected, its high levels of detection and excellent bonus features make Trend Micro a good choice. F-Secure SAFE is a great collection of antivirus tools, and while it's a bit pricier than some of the other antivirus software on this best of list, the number of features you get certainly makes that high price tag worthwhile.

With F-Secure SAFE, you get the brilliant antivirus software from F-Secure, alongside banking protection for safe online shopping, family safety tools and a device finder that lets you track your lost Android or iOS device, and if needs be, remotely lock or delete it as well. The package typically receives maximum marks for protection from AV-Test, and generally scores highly with AV-Comparatives.

They also say it can generate significantly more false positives than most of the competition, but how that affects you will vary depending on how you use your computer. The interface is a major advantage, as it's extremely easy to use, lightweight, and for the most part, you can just leave the app to work alone looking after your PC.

The program has minimal effect on your system performance, and if you do need to intervene, you can generally solve any issues in a couple of clicks. Available for Windows, Mac, and Android, F-Secure SAFE remains an appealing package: fast, lightweight, and able to run alongside many other security tools without conflict.

Standout features include banking protection, Family Rules, and ransomware protection. Read our full F-Secure review. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is the strong, silent type. This anti-malware software doesn't even ask questions when you install it — it just quietly gets on with the job of identifying and eliminating anything that poses a risk to your safety and security.

It watches out for apps behaving badly, scans links on the web to identify scams, and has proactive malware and spyware scanning that can detect threats nobody has encountered before. Plus the app boasts boot scanning every time you start your PC.

Ad-free, nag-free and hassle-free, Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is a great product that runs quickly and silently while you get on with something more interesting. Its comprehensive suite of tools to protect your PC makes Bitdefender the best free anti-malware software you can download today. It's all the protection you need in one handy package. Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition review.