The best free antivirus

Anti-virus protection of any device more complex than a coffee maker (and those too) is a pressing problem for many users. Without using any shield against malware (malware, in Russian, or programs written with the aim of harming the computer and getting some profit from it), you may well encounter the fact that spam will be sent on your behalf on social networks or a popular deception today in the style of “no money, help me out, two thousand before Wednesday.” Or one day you find that your computer is locked and you are demanding money to unlock it. Or you will lose all your data (along with the OS) without any requirements from the creator - just like that. Or…

In general, let's understand the features of protection and make a list of the best free antiviruses in 2017 for your devices.

Instead of a preface

Strictly speaking, such programs cannot be called free for use. They are shareware, or shareware. Payment is made not by transferring money to the account of the manufacturer, but by displaying advertising or reduced functionality, for the restoration of which you will have to pay.

Image from comss.net

The best free antivirus for Windows XP, 7, 8, 10 in 2017

Some users believe that it is enough to use the antivirus built into the latest versions of Windows and consider themselves safe. Yes, but not so. According to research by independent laboratories, Windows Defender misses an average of 1 in 10 malware. Therefore, it is necessary to think about additional protection (or even replacement with more effective means).

Be especially careful when installing. Inattentively clicking the “Next” button will lead to the installation of all sorts of Yandex.bars, Google toolbars, the Amigo browser, and so on. These are, of course, not viruses, but you shouldn’t unnecessarily clutter your computer with ballast programs.

AVG AntiVirus Free 2017

We put this antivirus in first place, and deservedly so. If in previous versions it showed not very impressive results in terms of performance and protection, then the 2017 version has significantly improved these indicators and feels great. For example, the AV-Test laboratory gave it the maximum score for its level of protection and low level of false positives.

This antivirus receives additional bonus points and virtual likes for the flexible configuration of many parameters sufficient for the average user.

There is also one non-critical disadvantage - there is no real-time updating of signatures. And even despite this, AVG is the best free home antivirus today.

Avira Free Antivirus

Many companies believe that for their product to be popular, it is necessary to provide it with an interface with half-screen buttons in the Metro style and a minimum of settings. In some ways, this is true - a beautiful interface pleases the eye. On the other hand, in this area there is no need to choose between “checkers or driving” - the second is clearly preferable. An antivirus is rated based on its ability to detect malicious code.

The Germans from Avira Operations GmbH & Co. They took exactly this path and from version to version they create a product that is unpretentious in appearance, but with a productive and efficient engine and analysis algorithms. AV-Comparatives placed Avira in first place in 3 of the last 10 tests, and in another five it entered the top five of the best free antiviruses. In addition, it is quite flexibly configured for comprehensive monitoring and protection. Or you don’t have to configure it, and the program will function perfectly with the default settings. Overall, an excellent choice for everyday use.

Panda Free Antivirus 2017

Panda appears in the top five in almost all tests of leading laboratories, and often falls into the top 3. In addition to the usual functions, it provides filtering of Internet links, significantly increasing the protection of the user's computer. You can also install protection on your USB drive, monitor running processes for virus activity, and much more.

Cons: relatively low scanning speed, poor settings. But for a free antivirus, such functionality is industry standard. Its overall detection performance and accuracy puts it on par with the very best anti-malware solutions for PCs.

Avast Free Antivirus 2017

Let's start with the cons. This program is not a powerful tool for protecting your computer from viruses in general. However, it has additional functionality that is head and shoulders above what is provided by its competitors. Protection against zero-day vulnerabilities (when malicious code has not yet been analyzed by specialists and not included in signature databases), blocking harmful links, monitoring network “holes”, password quality and much more allows us to consider it a fairly comprehensive tool. As an addition to another program - a wonderful choice.

The best free antivirus for Android

Android as an operating system itself has quite powerful mechanisms for regulating the launch of applications, including malicious ones, which came straight from its progenitor - *nix systems. But for maximum protection, you need to use other methods of protection and not rely on the fact that malware will not penetrate your device along with a trusted program.

Currently, it is quite difficult to choose an antivirus - the Play Market is filled with a huge number of all kinds of protection tools that are quite close in their functionality and reliability. Let's try to understand this wealth.

Avira Antivirus Security

Such a program is worthy of mention in itself, thanks to its wonderful desktop (read: on personal computers) experience. The engine and detection algorithms have won numerous awards and are ranked at the top of the rankings. The set includes nice bonuses:

• protection against theft, with sending geolocation data to the owner, remote blocking and other functions;

• password protection of confidential information and applications;

• call filtering.

360 Security - Antivirus FREE

One of the most popular software solutions for protecting your device according to the Play Market, which does not limit its functionality in any way. This product provides not only protection against malware, but also functions for cleaning garbage, saving battery power, removing running programs from RAM, and much more. In addition, it is undemanding to device resources, saves Internet traffic, and monitors during installation and startup. If you want to install a good antivirus for free, then this wonderful combine with many solutions for everyday use will be an excellent choice.

Online means

Leaving aside applications installed directly on devices, let’s consider a separate caste of “antiviral drugs.” They do not monitor the computer, do not log, and do not quarantine files. These are online scanners, and they are used when there is no confidence in the security of any file. The principle is simple to the point of disgrace - you upload a file to the site, it is checked by several engines in a row and a verdict is made about whether it is infected or safe.

VirusTotal

By uploading a file to VirusTotal, you can be sure that if the test result is negative and the file is “clean”, then it does not need any other verification. Scanning with more than 50 engines with analysis of behavior and operating principles allows you to be confident in its safety (or that it is a completely new virus). One of the main problems is false positives, the number of which is very large. However, today it is the best free online antivirus according to user reviews.

Metascan Online

Quite an interesting service, a direct competitor to VirusTotal. The principle of operation is exactly the same, with one plus and seeming minus - fewer scanning tools. Refusal of weak algorithms allows you to cut out false positives and increase the overall level of verification. The service also allows you to upload slightly larger files (up to 140 megabytes) and keeps a scan history.

We do not claim to be the ultimate truth, and cannot say unequivocally which free antivirus is the best, but by using the above software and online services, you will most likely protect your device from outside attacks.