Looking for the best free antivirus software? AVG AntiVirus FREE is obviously our favorite pick, but if you’d like to know what other trusted experts think about the best free antivirus programs out there, you’re in luck. We’ve compiled insights from some of the most well respected antivirus software review sites and summarized them here. So if you’re in need of free protection for Windows 7, 8, or 10, here are the experts’ top picks, presented in alphabetical order.

Fake site blocker – Avast’s anti-phishing protection module. As the paid software. Plus, it comes with a generous set of extras and is compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Third-party lab testers that compare antivirus software always include Avast into their lists of. Jun 09, 2020 Webroot: Webroot's antivirus software packages start at $29.99/$39.99 for one year and a single device with basic malware protections and a few extras.At the high end, these plans cost up.

Apr 01, 2020 Avast Security Pro (for Mac), ESET Cyber Security (for Mac), Malwarebytes for Mac Premium, and Vipre Advanced Security (for Mac) also earned three stars. These four didn't make it. Avast is a great option for those who use more than one device in a network because for each network, a free scanning is available for every device. The free packages contain a lot of perks that most competitors offer in their paid packages—anti-malware software, a password manager, a gaming mode, and a Wi-Fi scanner to name a few.

Top picks:

Avast Free Antivirus
AVG AntiVirus FREE
Avira Antivirus
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
Kaspersky Security Cloud Free
Microsoft Windows Defender
Sophos Home Free

Additional options:

Adaware Antivirus Free 12
Check Point ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus+
Qihoo 360 Total Security 8.6

Read on for a quick summary of the best choices for free antivirus software for 2020.

Avast Free Antivirus

One of the oldest antivirus companies, Avast has been protecting users since 1988 and is trusted by millions of people around the globe.

Essential protection: Avast Free Antivirus consistently ranks extremely high for its core protection engine. Top antivirus test lab AV-Comparatives named Avast Product of the Year 2018 and Top-Rated Product in 2019, in addition to giving Avast awards for Malware Protection and Advanced Threat Protection. Avast continues to support Windows 7, even though Microsoft has stopped updating the operating system.

Features: Offering an easy-to-use interface, a secure web browser, a network security scanner, and more, Avast has a host of useful bonus features. Lifewire praises its Do Not Disturb Mode, which blocks pop-ups while you watch a movie or play a game, so you aren’t interrupted. Lifewire also highlights the Behavior Shield, which keeps an eye on your apps to make sure they don’t start to act strangely, a potential sign of a malware infection.

Need a second opinion?TechRadar notes that several special features are only available in Avast’s paid version. However, they still rate it as “a powerful antivirus which offers solid all-round protection. Experienced users will appreciate its lengthy feature list and the fine control they get over how the package works.”

AVG AntiVirus FREE

One of the pioneers of the free antivirus app, AVG has consistently won awards from AV-Comparatives over the past decade — including Top-Rated Product in their most recent test.

Essential protection:PCMag praised AVG AntiVirus FREE for achieving very good scores in a variety of independent tests, and for its excellent protection against phishing. AVG’s on-demand scan searches for hidden malware, which includes viruses as well as other sneaky malicious software such as spyware and ransomware. AVG also scans for malicious URLs, unwanted browser add-ons, and PC performance issues. AVG protects against 0-day threats by preventing unknown (and potentially dangerous) files from opening, and then sends these files to AVG Threat Labs for deeper analysis. If they’re found to be malicious, a cure is created and pushed out to you and all AVG users.

AVG continues to protect Windows 7, even though Microsoft is no longer supporting it.

Features: AVG AntiVirus FREE offers several bonus features, including a free File Shredder to securely delete sensitive files and prevent your personal data from being exposed. PCMag noted that, although AVG scans to find junk files and clutter that are slowing down your device, you’ll need to purchase AVG TuneUp to fix the problems.

Need a second opinion? In its review “8 of the Best Free Antivirus Software Options,” Mashable noted that AVG AntiVirus FREE has the most accurate virus detection, saying, “AVG AntiVirus FREE is near flawless with its ability to detect viruses and malware. It's unlikely anything is getting through this.”

Avira Antivirus

Avira has been creating antivirus applications for a long time, with the first one dating back to 1986.

Essential protection: While PCMag awarded Avira Antivirus a good score in their malware blocking test, they also found the on-demand scan slow and cautioned that its “real-time protection missed some malware EXEs and identified some valid programs as malware.”

Features: Avira’s free version is light on features. Safetydetectives.com notes that Avira’s focus is “on protecting computers without the bells and whistles.”

Need a second opinion? Tom’s Guide says, “Avira Free Antivirus has a heavy system load while providing only so-so malware protection.”

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition

Bitdefender protects half a billion users around the world and snagged the top spot this year from AV-Comparatives.

Essential protection: TechRadar praises Bitdefender’s “clean, light, well constructed scanning mechanisms – which are almost universally faster than the industry average – and unrivalled virus definitions.” But they also note that the product “grabs more resources than average, and might conflict with some programs.”

Features: PCMag says that “Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition includes the core malware-fighting components of Bitdefender's commercial edition, but without the vast collection of additional security features, and without some advanced layers of malware protection.' CNET notes that “Bitdefender Antivirus Free is refreshingly free of the ‘extra’ features and tools that make some apps unwieldy and confusing.”

Need a second opinion?DigitalTrends mentions that “the application features no configurations of any kind,” while TechNadu adds that “its minimalistic design ensures the app retains only the bare essential antivirus functionality monitoring the system in real-time without needless embellishments.”

Kaspersky Security Cloud Free

Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky has faced allegations of inappropriate connections to the Kremlin, prompting the US, the UK, and The Netherlands to ban the use of Kaspersky products across government agencies. Nevertheless, the allegations remain inconclusive and Kaspersky is consistently a top-rated product.

Avast Anti Phishing Software For Mac Windows 10

Essential protection: Kaspersky Free has earned excellent marks in independent test labs, including good scores on PCMag’s malware-blocking and malicious URL blocking tests and a perfect score on their phishing test.

Features: TechRadar says that Kaspersky is “short on advanced features and most of its extras are very limited, but you still get all the core antivirus essentials.”

Need a second opinion? A Tom’s Guide review found that “Kaspersky Free Antivirus delivers excellent protection with a moderate performance impact, but it has few extra features.”

Microsoft Windows Defender

Windows Defender is Microsoft’s built-in antivirus, which is included for free in Windows 10. If this app is already on your PC, you might be wondering why you should even bother with a free third-party an