Avast Launches 2019 Antivirus Range [PLUS WIN AVAST PREMIER] October 15, 2018 Three Great Alternatives To PhotoShop: Image and Photo Editors for Mac October 4, 2018. Just like AVG AntiVirus for Mac, Avast Free Mac Security uses traditional signature-based detection and heuristic monitoring. The software identifies and quarantines not only malware targeting Macs but also Windows malware. According to AV-TEST, Avast Free Mac Security stopped 99.17% of Mac OS X malware. Reviewers' favorite Mac antivirus just happens to be free: Avast Security for Mac (Free). 'A rare breath of fresh air in a sea of anti-virus products that haven't worked hard enough to keep up to date with current threats,' says Macworld, naming it 'Best Free Antivirus' for Mac. Other vendors, like Avast and Trend Micro Antivirus, offer an alternative feature that allows you to whitelist programs allowed to manipulate files in specific directories. Additionally, but Avast Antivirus also incorporates an alternative to scan your system for prospective protection dilemmas, plus the capability to block URLs that is rid and harmful of unwanted browser add-ons. Avast Security Pro for Mac review: Everything a modern antivirus app needs and a little bit more An all-around champion has strong malware-fighting abilities packaged with worthwhile extras.

1. Avast For Mac Review
2. Avast For Mac Free Download
3. Free Antivirus For Mac
4. Avast Free Antivirus

Malware, Spyware, and Adware Protection

Summer is winding down. Before you know it, kids will head off to school and come back with homework, notes from the teachers, and…malware? Quite possibly. You've protected your own PCs and laptops, but did you make sure to install antivirus protection on your child's laptop? If not, your kid could pick up more than a head cold at school. Viruses, Trojans, ransomware, or what-have-you, any kind of malware does well in a network populated by youths who aren't thinking about security. We've tested and rated more than 40 antivirus tools so you can pick the right one to protect you and your family from the evil side of the internet.

We call it antivirus, but in truth it's unlikely you'll get hit with an actual computer virus. Malware these days is about making money, and there's no easy way to cash in on spreading a virus. Ransomware and>field we've named four Editors' Choice products.

Some nonstandard commercial antivirus utilities proved effective enough to earn an excellent four-star rating alongside their more traditional counterparts. VoodooSoft VoodooShield bases its protection on suppressing all unknown programs while the computer is in a vulnerable state, such as when it's connected to the internet, and also acts to detect known malware. The Kure resets the computer to a known safe state on every reboot, thereby eliminating any malware. If you have malware, one of the ten products in the chart above should take care of the problem.

You may notice that one product in the chart earned just 3.5 stars. The chart had room for one more, and of the seven 3.5-star products, the labs only pay attention to F-Secure and G Data. F-Secure has the added fillip of costing the same for three licenses as most products charge for just one, so it made its way into the chart. The blurbs at the bottom of this article include every commercial antivirus that earned 3.5 stars or better.

These commercial products offer protection beyond the antivirus built into Windows 10; the best free antivirus utilities also offer more. However, Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center is looking better and better lately, with some very good scores from independent testing labs. The combination of good lab scores and a great score in our hands-on malware protection test was enough to bring it up to 3.5 stars.

Listen to the Labs

We take the results reported by independent antivirus testing labs very seriously. The simple fact that a particular vendor's product shows up in the results is a vote of confidence, of sorts. It means the lab considered the product significant, and the vendor felt the cost of testing was worthwhile. Of course, getting good scores in the tests is also important.

We follow four labs that regularly release detailed reports: SE Labs, AV-Test Institute, MRG-Effitas, and AV-Comparatives. We also note whether vendors have contracted with ICSA Labs and West Coast labs for certification. We've devised a system for aggregating their results to yield a rating from 0 to 10.

We Test Malware, Spyware, and Adware Defenses

We also subject every product to our own hands-on test of malware protection, in part to get a feeling for how the product works. Depending on how thoroughly the product prevents malware installation, it can earn up to 10 points for malware protection.

Our malware protection test necessarily uses the same set of samples for months. To check a product's handling of brand-new malware, we test each product using 100 extremely new malware-hosting URLs supplied by MRG-Effitas, noting what percentage of them it blocked. Products get equal credit for preventing all access to the malicious URL and for wiping out the malware during download.

Some products earn absolutely stellar ratings from the independent labs, yet don't fare as well in our hands-on tests. In such cases, we defer to the labs, as they bring significantly greater resources to their testing. Want to know more? You can dig in for a detailed description of how we test security software.

Multilayered Malware Protection

Antivirus products distinguish themselves by going beyond the basics of on-demand scanning and real-time malware protection. Some rate URLs that you visit or that show up in search results, using a red-yellow-green color-coding system. Some actively block processes on your system from connecting with known malware-hosting URLs or with fraudulent (phishing) pages.

Software has flaws, and sometimes those flaws affect your security. Prudent users keep Windows and all programs patched, fixing those flaws as soon as possible. The vulnerability scan offered by some antivirus products can verify that all necessary patches are present, and even apply any that are missing.

Spyware comes in many forms, from hidden programs that log your every keystroke to Trojans that masquerade as valid programs while mining your personal data. Any antivirus should handle spyware, along with all other types of malware, but some include specialized components devoted to spyware protection.

You expect an antivirus to identify and eliminate bad programs, and to leave good programs alone. What about unknowns, programs it can't identify as good or bad? Behavior-based detection can, in theory, protect you against malware that's so new researchers have never encountered it. However, this isn't always an unmixed blessing. It's not uncommon for behavioral detection systems to flag many innocuous behaviors performed by legitimate programs.

Whitelisting is another approach to the problem of unknown programs. A whitelist-based security system only allows known good programs to run. Unknowns are banned. This mode doesn't suit all situations, but it can be useful. Sandboxing lets unknown programs run, but it isolates them from full access to your system, so they can't do permanent harm. These various added layers serve to enhance your protection against malware.

Firewalls, Ransomware Protection, and More

Firewalls and spam filtering aren't common antivirus features, but some of our top products include them as bonus features. In fact, some of these antivirus products are more feature-packed than certain products sold as security suites.

Among the other bonus features you'll find are secure browsers for financial transactions, secure deletion of sensitive files, wiping traces of computer and browsing history, credit monitoring, virtual keyboard to foil keyloggers, cross-platform protection, and more. You'll even find products that enhance their automatic malware protection with the expertise of human security technicians. And of course we've already mentioned sandboxing, vulnerability scanning, and application whitelisting.

We're seeing more and more antivirus products adding modules specifically designed for ransomware protection. Some work by preventing unauthorized changes to protected files. Others keep watch for suspicious behaviors that suggest malware. Some even aim to reverse the damage. Given the growth of this scourge, any added protection is beneficial.

Beyond Antivirus: VPN

Your antivirus utility works in the background to keep out any faint possibility of infestation by malware, but its abilities don't extend beyond the bounds of your computer. When you connect to the wild and wooly internet, you risk the possibility that your data could be compromised in transit. Sticking to HTTPS websites when possible can help, but for full protection of your data in transit you should install a virtual private network, or VPN. This component is important enough that we're starting to see it as a bonus feature in some antivirus tools.

What's the Best Malware Protection?

Which antivirus should you choose? You have a wealth of options. Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Bitdefender Antivirus Plus routinely take perfect or near-perfect scores from the independent antivirus testing labs. A single subscription for McAfee AntiVirus Plus lets you install protection on all of your Windows, Android, Mac OS, and iOS devices. And its unusual behavior-based detection technology means Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus is the tiniest antivirus around. We've named these four Editors' Choice for commercial antivirus, but they're not the only products worth consideration. Read the reviews of our top-rated products, and then make your own decision.

Note that we have reviewed many more antivirus utilities than we could include in the chart of top products. If your favorite software isn't listed there, chances are we did review it. The blurbs below include every product that managed 3.5 stars or better. All the utilities listed in this feature are Windows antivirus apps. If you're a macOS user, don't despair, however; PCMag has a separate roundup dedicated solely to the best Mac antivirus software.

Editors' Note: We are aware of the allegations of Kaspersky Labs' inappropriate ties to the Russian government. Until we see some actual proof of these allegations, we will treat them as unproven, and continue to recommend Kaspersky's security products as long as their performance continues to merit our endorsement.

Best Antivirus Protection Featured in This Roundup:

• Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Review

  
  MSRP: $39.99
  

  Pros: Outstanding scores in independent lab tests and our web protection tests. Multi-layered ransomware protection. Active Do Not Track. Password manager. Banking protection. Offers a virtual private network, or VPN. Many security-centered bonus features.

  Cons: Unlimited VPN access requires separate subscription. With all real-time protection disabled, ransomware-specific features missed one uncommon sample.

  Bottom Line: With outstanding antivirus test results and a collection of features that puts many security suites to shame, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is an excellent choice for protecting your PC.

  Read Review

• Kaspersky Anti-Virus Review

  
  MSRP: $59.99
  

  Pros: Perfect and near-perfect scores from four independent testing labs. Perfect score in our phishing protection test. Good scores in our malware-blocking and malicious URL blocking tests. Full-scale phone and live chat support.

  Cons: Bonus scans significantly overlap each other.

  Bottom Line: Kaspersky Anti-Virus sweeps the antivirus testing labs, with excellent scores across the board. It remains an antivirus Editors' Choice.

  Read Review

• Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Review

  
  MSRP: $39.99
  

  Pros: Perfect score in our malware protection test. Very good antiphishing score. Ransomware protection. Light on system resources. Fast scan, tiny size. Advanced features.

  Cons: Limited lab test results due to unusual detection techniques. Missed one unique hand-modified ransomware sample in testing.

  Bottom Line: Tiny, speedy Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus keeps a light touch on your system's resources. It aces our hands-on malware protection test, and can even roll back ransomware activity.

  Read Review

• McAfee AntiVirus Plus Review

  
  MSRP: $59.99
  

  Pros: Protection for every Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS device in your household. Good scores in hands-on tests. Perfect score in antiphishing test. Includes new ransomware protection and PC Boost, plus many bonus features.

  Cons: Ransom Guard missed one hand-modified ransomware sample. PC Boost web speedup works only in Chrome. Mac edition less feature-rich than Windows or Android. Still fewer features for iOS.

  Bottom Line: A single subscription for McAfee AntiVirus Plus lets you protect every Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS device in your household. It's quite a deal, and the current edition adds some new and useful features.

  Read Review

• ESET NOD32 Antivirus Review

  
  MSRP: $39.99
  

  Pros: Very good scores from independent testing labs. Good scores in our hands-on tests. HIPS component blocks exploits. UEFI scanner finds malware in firmware. Comprehensive device control.

  Cons: So-so phishing protection score. Device control too complex for most users.

  Bottom Line: ESET NOD32 Antivirus gets good scores in lab tests and our own tests, and its collection of security components goes far beyond antivirus basics.

  Read Review

• Symantec Norton AntiVirus Plus Review

  
  MSRP: $59.99
  

  Pros: Excellent scores in independent lab tests and in our own tests. Includes online backup, spam filter, password manager, and other bonus features.

  Cons: First full scan unusually slow. Expensive. No multi-license pricing.

  Bottom Line: Symantec Norton AntiVirus Plus gets impressive scores in independent lab tests and our own hands-on tests, but it's expensive and doesn't offer volume pricing. If you want Norton protection, you're better off with one of Symantec's suite products.

  Read Review

• The Kure Review

  
  MSRP: $19.99
  

  Pros: On reboot, restores your PC to a clean, malware-free state. Exempts personal folders from being wiped. Ransomware recovery proved effective in testing. Live-chat tech support built in.

  Cons: Malware can act freely until eliminated by reboot. Doesn't offer 24-hour tech support.

  Bottom Line: When your PC has The Kure installed, you can wipe out malware just by rebooting. Your own documents aren't affected, and it even has the ability to reverse the effects of encrypting ransomware.

  Read Review

• Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security Review

  
  MSRP: $39.95
  

  Pros: Excellent scores in our antiphishing and malicious URL blocking tests. Many good scores from antivirus labs. Multi-layered ransomware protection. New Pay Guard protects online transactions. Many bonus features.

  Cons: Poor score in our hands-on malware protection test. Slow full scan. Ransomware protection uneven. Banking protection doesn't kick in automatically. Spam filter works only with Outlook. No multi-device licensing.

  Bottom Line: In addition to effective malware protection, Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security offers layered protection against ransomware, a firewall booster, protection for online banking, and more.

  Read Review

• VoodooSoft VoodooShield Review

  
  MSRP: $19.99
  

  Pros: Prevents non-whitelisted programs from launching when computer is at risk. New machine-learning tool flags malware. Checks blocked files against 57 antivirus scanners. Free edition for consumers.

  Cons: Could possibly whitelist malware running prior to installation. Flagged some legitimate programs as suspicious, some as malicious.

  Bottom Line: VoodooShield takes a whitelist approach to antivirus protection, but without getting in the user's way. A new machine-learning component brings it closer to the abilities of a standalone antivirus.

  Read Review

• Cylance Smart Antivirus Review

  
  MSRP: $29.00
  

  Pros: Easy installation, no configuration. Good scores in our tests.

  Cons: Not included in regular independent lab tests. No protection against fraudulent or malicious URLs. Lacks additional protection layers found in many competitors.

  Bottom Line: Commissioned lab tests and our own tests show that the machine-learning detection engine in Cylance Smart Antivirus really can identify malware, but it lacks the full range of protection features found in many competitors.

  Read Review

• Emsisoft Anti-Malware Review

  
  MSRP: $29.95
  

  Pros: Very good independent lab scores. Excellent score in our malware protection test. Behavioral detection successfully blocked ransomware. Surfing protection is browser-independent. Inexpensive.

  Cons: Dismal score in our phishing protection test. Few scores from independent labs. Behavioral detection failed against ransomware launched at startup.

  Bottom Line: Emsisoft Anti-Malware effectively handles the basic tasks of malware protection, including ransomware. Its few lab test results are good, as are its scores on our in-house malware protection tests, though it tanked on our antiphishing test.

  Read Review

• F-Secure Anti-Virus Review

  
  MSRP: $39.99
  

  Pros: Good scores in independent lab tests and our tests. Behavior-based DeepGuard detects brand-new malware, including ransomware. Advanced network protection. Streamlined, simple interface. Inexpensive.

  Cons: Ransomware protection failed against one real-world sample in testing. No antiphishing component.

  Bottom Line: F-Secure Anti-Virus's advanced network protection and DeepGuard behavior-based detection system make it a powerful malware fighter, but its ransomware protection missed one sample in our testing.

  Read Review

• G Data Antivirus Review

  
  MSRP: $39.95
  

  Pros: Excellent score in our hands-on malware protection test. Protects against banking Trojans, keyloggers, ransomware, and exploits. Includes spam filter.

  Cons: So-so scores in our malicious URL blocking and phishing protection tests. Very slow full scan.

  Bottom Line: G Data Antivirus gets decent marks from the independent testing labs, and it includes components designed to fight ransomware and other specific malware types. However, it gets mixed scores in our hands-on tests.

  Read Review

• Malwarebytes Premium Review

  
  MSRP: $39.99
  

  Pros: Includes exploit protection, ransomware protection, behavior-based detection. Can work in conjunction with traditional antivirus. Works well with Windows Defender.

  Cons: Advanced protection systems are difficult to test. Scores poorly in tests designed for traditional antivirus.

  Bottom Line: Malwarebytes Premium has so many advanced protection layers that the company deems it an antivirus replacement. However, we still advise using it in conjunction with a dedicated antivirus utility.

  Read Review

• Sophos Home Premium Review

  
  MSRP: $60.00
  

  Pros: Good scores in our hands-on tests. Protects against ransomware, keyloggers, and exploits. Remote management for up to 10 PCs or Macs. Inexpensive.

  Cons: No test results from independent labs. Advanced features require uncommon tech expertise. Parental control and webcam protection limited.

  Bottom Line: Sophos Home Premium expands on basic antivirus with protection technology forged in the company's Enterprise-level products, but doesn't have lab results to verify its efficacy.

  Read Review

Kaspersky Free Antivirus

Kaspersky Free Antivirus delivers excellent protection with a moderate performance impact, but it has few extra features.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition continues to be the best set-it-and-forget option among free antivirus products.

Avast Free Antivirus

Avast Free Antivirus offers lots of extra features, but its malware protection is mediocre and it may collect your browsing history.

Windows users need a strong antivirus program to ward off malware attacks, to keep their computers running efficiently and to safeguard their online identities and personal information. The best paid antivirus suites have many features to protect children, manage mobile devices and monitor a computer's firewall, software updates and other features. But some users don't want, or can't afford, to pay for those extra features and may need to go with a free antivirus program.

If that describes you, you've come to the right place. We've evaluated the best free antivirus programs based on their malware protection, system impact, ease of use and useful extra features. If you're undecided, check out our free vs paid antivirus comparison first.

So which free PC antivirus product would be best for you? Of the seven free antivirus programs we've recently reviewed, Kaspersky Free Antivirus barely edged out Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition for the top spot. Both offer excellent protection against malware without slowing down your system, but Kaspersky lets you schedule scans and has a quick-scan option.

Bitdefender, however, is still the best 'set it and forget it' free antivirus option. After installation, it takes care of itself and doesn’t need user intervention. If you need to put antivirus software on your grandparents' PC but don't have time to maintain it, this might be the perfect solution.

Both Kaspersky's and Bitdefender's products offer only the basics. If you want features such as a password manager or a hardened web browser, normally found in midpriced paid antivirus suites, then Avast Free Antivirus might be for you. But its malware protection isn't as good as the top two and its performance impact is heavier.

Latest Security Alerts and Threats

— A new browser exploit kit targeting Windows uses 30 different languages infects legitimate websites and tries to get visitors to install fake Adobe Flash, Google Chrome or font updates. When run, the 'installer' actually installs a remote-access tool. ADVICE: Use robust antivirus software and don't trust pop-up windows telling you to update Flash, Chrome or fonts.

Avast For Mac Review

— Apple patched a security hole that let you -- or a malicious website -- jailbreak an iPhone and install any kind of app, including potential malware. (This is not among the flaws that let several websites infect any iPhone.) ADVICE: Make sure your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch is updated to iOS 12.4.1.

— Diagnostic software loaded onto most Lenovo Windows computers made between 2011 and 2018 could be used to hijack a PC. ADVICE: Uninstall Lenovo Solutions Center from your Lenovo PC., and run Windows antivirus software.

Lean and mean

Reasons to Buy

Kaspersky Lab doesn't advertise that it has a free antivirus product, and doesn't make it easy to find the download page. Too bad, because this is one of the best free antivirus products we've ever tested, with a no-nonsense but comprehensible interface, a light-to-moderate system-performance impact and Kaspersky's unbeatable malware protection. The only reason we're not giving Kaspersky Free Antivirus a 4.5/5 rating is because it offers no extra features.

No muss, no fuss

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

Like Kaspersky, Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition offers nothing but the basics, and its malware protection is just as good, if a bit more prone to false-positive malware detections. Its scans are lighter on the system than Kaspersky's, but it offers fewer options — you can't even schedule a scan. It's best for users who want a set-it-and-forget-it security solution for themselves, or for a loved one.

Nearly a free suite

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

The malware protection in Avast Free Antivirus is a peg down from the top, but it's got the best assortment of extra goodies for a free antivirus program, including a password manager, a hardened browser and a network scanner. The program is also very customizable and offers limited access to Avast's VPN service. However, it caused a pretty heavy system load in our testing.

Finally good enough

Reasons to Buy

Microsoft's built-in antivirus software has finally reached the big leagues. Windows Defender won't beat Bitdefender or Kaspersky in malware protection, but it holds its own against other free antivirus products while delivering a small system-performance impact and a surprising number of extra features, including parental controls and protection for all browsers. For the first time, we can recommend using Windows Defender as your primary antivirus solution.

Not enough oomph

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

AVG shares Avast's decent if unspectacular malware-detection engine while having a much lighter system-performance impact. But AVG AntiVirus Free has far fewer useful extra features than Avast Free Antivirus. The good news is that AVG's wide range of customization options and its file shredder are still available; the bad news is that there's no compelling reason to pick AVG over Windows Defender.

Not what it once was

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

Avira Free Antivirus was the best free antivirus option just a few years ago, before Bitdefender and Kaspersky jumped into the ring and Avast, AVG and Windows Defender raised their game. Now Avira's malware protection is in the middle of the pack. Its numerous extra features are mostly just teases for paid services, and its system-performance impact is remarkably heavy. We do like that it's still got a wide range of customization options.

Has its ups and downs

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

Panda doesn't take part in every lab test whose results we use, so its malware protection is a bit of an enigma. We liked Panda Free Antivirus' high degree of customization options and its appealing interface. We didn't like the constant ads for other Panda products, the attempts to hijack your web browser, and the fact that unlike every other antivirus company, Panda won't let you opt out of automatic system-data collection.

Honorable Mention

Essential side piece

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is not antivirus software. It's more of a malware-removal tool. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free can't protect a PC from infection, but it does an excellent job of cleaning out malware that's already on your system. Plus, it doesn't interfere with any antivirus software that's already installed. We recommend Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free as a complement to any antivirus program.

How We Tested

Avast For Mac Free Download

To evaluate installation, ease of use, interface and performance impact, we installed each AV program on the same Asus X555LA laptop, which ran Windows 10 and featured an Intel Core i3-4005U processor, 6GB of RAM and 36GB of data on a 500GB hard drive.

We conducted our own tests on how much each antivirus product affected our laptop's performance, using our custom OpenOffice benchmark. We timed how long it took to run a quick scan and a full scan while the laptop crunched numbers in the background.

Free Antivirus For Mac

We also assessed how easy each program was to use, the number of useful extra features it offered (including free add-on software) and how insistently each program nagged us to upgrade to paid software.

Avast Free Antivirus

Our malware-detection data comes from four evaluation labs: AV-TEST in Germany, AV-Comparatives in Austria, SE Labs in England and our own lab in Utah. Each lab regularly tests major antivirus products for their abilities to detect zero-day malware and other threats.