Let’s go and check out the best antivirus we have of 2024. There are tons of antivirus from different parts of the world, and you will find different reviews for different antivirus, as most of the antivirus reviews are paid.
Here, I’m reviewing the antiviruses differently. These reviews are not paid (I hope I get some money through Google). The links available here are not affiliated, so you may buy whatever antivirus you like. These reviews are totally unbiased and I have no hatred against any antivirus company.
15. McAfee
McAfee is a leading name in online security, offering software that protects individuals and families from viruses, malware, and online threats. Founded in 1987, they’ve evolved beyond just antivirus, providing comprehensive security solutions for your devices and personal information, letting you experience the online world with confidence.
According to AV-Test, McAfee scores 6/6 in protection, perfomance and usability. McAfee is one of the oldest name in the entire market and they’re all on these in new computers. But I have put them in the least best antivirus and I’d say “You’re better off infect with a virus than using McAfee” because
- Heavy on resources : It has a bad reputation for slowing down computers. McAfee has been accused of slowing down computers, especially those that are old or have low memory. This may be due to the large amount of resources that the McAfee software uses.
- False Positives : It is known for issuing false positives. False positives occur when the McAfee software incorrectly identifies a harmless file as malicious. This can be frustrating for users as they may have to spend time removing harmless files.
- Pricing : It is expensive. McAfee is one of the most expensive antivirus solutions in the market. This can be a barrier for some people looking for an affordable antivirus solution.
- Privacy Policy : It has a controversial privacy policy. McAfee has been criticized for its privacy policy, which has been accused of being too intrusive. The company has been accused of collecting user data without their knowledge or consent.
14. Norton
Just like McAfee, Norton originally focused on PC protection, it now offers plans for Macs, smartphones, and tablets. Norton goes beyond basic antivirus, providing features like email security and secure browsing. Is Norton free? No. But is Norton the best antivirus on the market? Also no. Norton scores 6/6 in protection and 5.5 in both perfomance and usability.
But again I have to put Norton in “You’re better off infect with a virus than using McAfee” category because it’s just like McAfee. Norton is not resource friendly, gives false positives, Norton is more expensive than other solutions that are considered equally good or even better, and has a past history of dubious practices; such as Norton Crypto.
Norton and McAfee promote affiliate marketers, or an affiliate link scam. Where you purchase a subscription, but the scammer makes a commission on the sale. These affiliated links are usually found on adult websites and illegal pirated websites.
13. Avira
Avira Antivirus is a popular cybersecurity software company offering both free and paid plans. Their core product, Avira Free Security, protects your devices from viruses, ransomware, and other online threats. It also includes features like a privacy advisor, software updater, and performance optimizer. With a user-friendly interface and strong detection rates, Avira is a solid choice for basic online security.
According to AV-Test, Avira scores 6/6 in protection, perfomance and usability. Avira was very good back in those those when free antivirus was necessary and it was one of the best antivirus which was free. I said it was used to be good but not good anymore because Avast which recently acquired Avira fined $16.5 million for ‘privacy’ software that actually sold users’ browsing data. Note that Avira, Avast, AVG and Norton belongs to the same company now.
12. AVG
AVG, a well-known name in cybersecurity, offers free and paid antivirus software for Windows, Mac, and Android. Their free version protects against viruses, malware, and phishing scams. Upgraded plans add features like firewalls, ransomware protection, and secure browsing tools, keeping your digital life safe and private.
Just like Avira, AVG uses the same database as Avast and is as reliable as Avira. AVG was a great antivirus in Windows 7 days. AVG was the one we relied on, as it was considered one of the best antivirus programs, but then the truth started to roll out. Avast/AVG were previously caught selling user data, and they continue to include scareware-esque ‘upselling’ spam in their notifications and even scan results.
Can write a whole paragraph, but long story short, here are the worst thing about this antivirus
- Bad tech support.
- The product is too simple.
- VPN is blocked by too many websites.
- The product advertises the company’s other stuff in it.
11. Avast
Avast Antivirus shields your devices from viruses, ransomware, and other online threats. It offers free basic protection for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. You can upgrade to premium plans for advanced features like firewalls and anti-phishing tools. But will it make it to the best antivirus? Avast is a popular choice known for its ease of use and comprehensive protection.
Just like AVG, Avira and Avast, this antivirus got 6/6 in protection, performance, and usability in their AV-Test. It is definitely not one of the best antivirus programs on the market right now as this product is full of trackers. I’d avoid Avast, predatory marketing, free version gives you fake virus alerts in a bid to sell you their paid products, and the big one, being caught out selling their users data illegally.
Top 10 Best Antivirus of 2024 :
10. Trend Micro
Coming to big top 10 of best antivirus, Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security offers essential protection for your PC. It safeguards against viruses, malware, ransomware, and spyware. With features like Folder Shield, it helps shield your files from ransomware attacks. Trend Micro also offers advanced protection for social network privacy and guards against identity theft.
According to AV-Test, Trend Micro scores 6/6 in both protection and performance but scores 5/6 in usability. For executables, it is right up there with the very best, but it loses to those players due to poor protection against scripts, office trojans, and other fileless malware. But does it make it one of the best antivirus? No. It didn’t do very well in the latest MRG-Effitas test, and had a high number of false positives in AV-Comparatives, but in general, a good and serious security company.
Unlike the aforementioned best antivirus software like Avast, AVG or Avira; This company has no history of selling data, hence making it to the top 10 best antivirus of this article.
9. Vipre
VIPRE Antivirus ranks ninth on the best antivirus list, providing award-winning protection for both homes and businesses. Backed by over 20 years of experience, VIPRE uses advanced features like real-time behavior monitoring and threat intelligence to guard against viruses, ransomware, and other cyber threats. Their software is known for being lightweight and easy to use, keeping your devices safe without slowing them down.
According to AV-Test which was done in December 2022, Vipre had 6/6 in both performance and usability, and 5.5/6 in performance. But does this make it the best antivirus? Again No. I personally tried Vipre and found their rate detections aren’t as good as the best antivirus I’m going to mention below.
Also read : AMD Ryzen 7 Intel Core I9 5800X3D With Much Lower Power Requirements
8. F-Secure
F-Secure is a well-established cybersecurity company with over 30 million users. Their antivirus software offers award-winning protection for your devices, blocking viruses, ransomware, and other online threats. They also provide features like parental controls and banking protection, all in a user-friendly package.
According to AV-Test, F-Secure scores 6/6 in everything, whether it be performance, usability, or protection. F-Secure is one of the best antivirus programs in terms of resource management. F-Secure licenses Bitdefender’s engine, so base detection would be comparable to that. They also have their own technologies on top of that.
7. Windows Defender
Windows Defender Antivirus is your built-in security guard for Windows 10 and 11. It automatically scans for viruses, spyware, and other malware, working silently in the background to keep your device safe. Formerly known as Windows Defender, it offers real-time protection and frees you from the hassle of downloading separate antivirus software.
Windows Defender scores 6/6 in performance, protection, and usability, making it the best antivirus which is free and built in with Windows. It also offers protection in MacOS. You just need to install Windows Defender in Mac and you are good to go.
Since Windows Defender is the best free antivirus, is it enough? The answer for this specific topic, always will be: It depends. It can be very hard to answer, and is highly subjective.
Windows Defender works for most people as a free, built-in, native security solution integrated into Windows 10. Windows Defender generally has a very defined purpose, with evidence to back it up: Windows Defender functions primarily and satisfactorily as an online cloud-based, real-time AV. It scans most downloads and is very dependent on certain things. (Windows Defenders detection rate drops by 16% when offline.)
Some people want more protection than Windows Defender, for good reason. Some people achieve this by hardening Windows Defender, and tinkering with firewalls and misc security tools. Others choose alternatives to Windows Defender all together.
6. Sophos
Sophos is a cybersecurity company offering protection beyond just antivirus. It defends against malware, ransomware, and hackers with features like real-time scanning, web filtering, and AI-powered threat detection. Sophos provides options for both home users and businesses, keeping your devices and network safe.
According to AV-Test, Sophos scores 6/6 in protection and usability but scores 5.5/6 in performance. Sophos has discontinued its free version and is one of the best antivirus programs out there, but keep in mind that Sophos can also be quite resource-intensive. I generally found CPU and memory usage to be quite high, but that was in October 2023.
5. Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes offers powerful antivirus protection for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. Their free version scans for and removes malware, while their premium option provides real-time protection and advanced features like anti-ransomware. Malwarebytes goes beyond just signatures, using AI and behavior-based detection to identify even never-before-seen threats.
Malwarebytes scores 6/6 in performance, protection, and usability, but in my opinion, the Malwarebytes free version is one of the best antivirus programs to pair up with Windows Defender, as it doesn’t have real-time protection and provides an extra layer of security. However, the Full AV is not so good. It has certainly come a long way since it started, but it’s about as good as Windows Defender, if not slightly better.
4. Webroot
Only for low-end PCs. Others, please ignore!
Webroot is a cybersecurity company offering antivirus protection for consumers and businesses. Their cloud-based software, SecureAnywhere, is known for being lightweight and fast on devices. Launched in 2006, it goes beyond just antivirus, defending against spyware, identity theft attempts, and new online threats.
Although Websroot is not the best antivirus out there, unfortunately, it’s not very good. I’ve seen some recent tests, and it performed even worse than Windows Defender. Because it relies mostly on the cloud, it is very light. However, it fails when it comes to newer or more complicated threats. I gave it a solid 4 out of 5 as it is one of the best antivirus programs for lower-end PCs. It even consumes fewer resources than Windows Defender.
3. ESET
ESET, founded in 1992, is a European cybersecurity company known for its NOD32 antivirus software. ESET offers antivirus and internet security solutions for home users, businesses, and even Android TV. Their software is known for being lightweight and for consistently earning high marks in malware detection tests.
According to the AV-Test, it scores 6/6 in protection, usability and performance.
ESET is lightweight, has an exceptionally high detection ratio, and uses a uses a relatively responsive cloud (LiveGrid) to tackle emerging viruses. However, ESET’s behavior-based detection is not so solid compared with Kaspersky’s System Watcher, Bitdefender’s ATD, and even Avast’s IDP. So your PC is likely to get infected if ESET fails to detect Trojans using a traditional scanner.
Overall, ESET is not the best antivirus, but it is still a great antivirus.
2. Bitdefender
Bitdefender Antivirus is a security software program that shields your devices from viruses, ransomware, spyware, and other online threats. It offers multi-layered protection, including real-time scanning, web filtering, and anti-phishing technology. Known for its strong performance and user-friendly interface, Bitdefender Antivirus helps keep your digital life safe.
According to AV-Test, Bitdefender scores 6/6 in performance, protection and usability.
Bitdefender is actually really good. If you can pay, you should buy it; if you can’t, you can use their free version, which is also crazy good. In terms of ranking, Bitdefender is probably the best antivirus/second-best antivirus in the world right now, switching places with Kaspersky from time to time. It’s a little bit more resource-demanding than Kaspersky, though. But it has fewer bugs than Kaspersky. Also, Bitdefender has awesome customer support.
Is Bitdefender the best antivirus available right now? Probably, Yes.
Is Bitdefender a resource hungry antivirus? Yes.
1. Kaspersky
Kaspersky Antivirus is a veteran security program that has been protecting users from online threats since 1989. It safeguards your device against viruses, malware, and phishing attacks. It scans files in real-time, monitors suspicious activity, and offers additional features depending on the version you choose.
In AV-Tests, it scores 6/6 in protection, performance, and usability. Kaspersky and Bitdefender switch places for the top spot every now and then, but the reason I put Kaspersky at the top is that it doesn’t eat as much resources as Bitdefender does.
Kaspersky is the best antivirus if you don’t care that it is a Russian company. But I suggest you have a look at Bitdefender; it’s just as good as Kaspersky and is based in Romania. Just more resource hungry, VPN installs automatically with the antivirus, and few people face auto-renewal, which they couldn’t stop in Bitdefender.
