That's especially true if that computer is always online.Apple tech here: Don't run anything passive in the background. Windows gets attacked much more often than any other software platform, and using a PC without antivirus software is asking for trouble. If you need free antivirus protection for Windows 10, 8, or 7, here are the independent experts’ top anti-malware picks including our top-ranked AVG AntiVirus FREE.If you've got a Windows PC, you'll need one of the best antivirus programs, free or paid. Looking for the best free antivirus software We’ve compiled insights from the best antivirus software review sites and summarized them here.
Reddit Best Antivirus Mac Is MyKaspersky excellent free antivirus features. Avira The best free antivirus for families. Avira Free Antivirus for Mac is my favorite free antivirus for Mac it provides lightweight cloud-based malware scanning as well as more free features than any other brand on this list, including real-time protection, intuitive system tuneup tools, a surprisingly good password manager, and even a VPNBest free antivirus software quick list: TotalAV The most extensive free antivirus scanner. Avira Free Antivirus for Mac Best for Overall macOS Protection in 2021. I don't like avast or norton or any of that nonsense.1.Or you can save a bit of money with a premium security suite that includes parental controls along with antivirus software.Likewise, you can pay for a get a stand-alone VPN provider or password manager, or you can get one or both bundled with a security suite. But it can't match the extra protections and features that come with the best paid antivirus software and even some of the other free programs.For example, if you've got kids at home and you want to see what they're up to online, you can get one of the best parental control apps. Sophos best free antivirus for families.Fortunately, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11 all come with the built-in Microsoft Defender Antivirus (aka Windows Defender), which just a few years ago was terrible but now is one of the best free antivirus programs available.If all you want is to keep your PC free from malware, Microsoft Defender will do it well.It delivers excellent malware protection, a full complement of extra features and an easy-to-use interface.Right behind that are the entry-level Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, which may be the best bargain in antivirus software, and Norton 360 Deluxe, which offers excellent protection and a ton of extra features, including unlimited VPN service and LifeLock identity protection.Any of these three would serve you well, but the ideal choice depends on your circumstances. The top 3 best antivirus brandsOur first choice for best antivirus software is Kaspersky Total Security. Don't forget to check out our list of the best free antivirus software halfway down this page. These are aimed at customers according to their needs and spending power, which we explore further at the end of this page.Here's our list of the best paid antivirus software. Insert word doc into excel for macBitdefender Antivirus Plus is our top choice among entry-level antivirus products. We think it's the best antivirus software you can buy today.As mentioned earlier, Kaspersky Total Security has won Best Antivirus Software in the 2021 Tom's Guide Awards.Read our full Kaspersky Total Security review. It also includes software for macOS, Android and iOS.The premium antivirus suite, Kaspersky Total Security (£19.99 UK/$44.99 US), adds backup software, parental controls, file encryption, a file shredder and an unlimited password manager. It has a secure browser, anti-theft protection for laptops, webcam protection and a limited-use VPN client that kicks in when you connect to an open Wi-Fi network. But it's beaten by Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, which has even more features.Kaspersky Internet Security (£17.49 UK/$39.99 US) is our top choice among midrange packages. The best antivirus software you can buy today-Limited VPN usage -Microphone protection hard to enableKaspersky's Windows products have excellent malware-detection scores and a light-to-moderate system-performance impact, the two most important criteria in our rankings.The entry-level program, Kaspersky Anti-Virus (starting at £12.49 UK/$29.99 US), has dedicated ransomware protection, a virtual keyboard and a convenient online account portal. -Heavy slowdown during full scans -PriceyAll nine of Norton's antivirus products offer excellent malware protection, and the once-heavy system-performance load is much lighter. (The other programs limit you to 200MB of Bitdefender VPN usage per day.)But the best deal is the Bitdefender Family Pack, which puts Total Security on up to 15 devices for (a frequently discounted) $120 per year.As mentioned above, Bitdefender Total Security has merited a Highly Recommended mention for Best Antivirus Software in the 2021 Tom's Guide Awards.Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus Plus review. Its active scans don't add much to the background system impact, but that background load is a bit heavy.It also offers the most value, with an unlimited password manager, a secure browser with a virtual keyboard, a Wi-Fi network scanner, a file shredder, protection against encrypting ransomware and Bitdefender's new web-privacy software - features often found only with pricier antivirus packages.The midrange Bitdefender Internet Security adds parental controls, webcam protection and a two-way firewall, while Bitdefender Total Security tops off the lineup with an anti-theft feature for laptops, a system optimizer and licenses for Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac and Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android.A fourth product, Bitdefender Premium Security, is basically Total Security with unlimited VPN usage and priority tech support. -Heavy performance hit during scans -Many false positives on some testsTrend Micro offers very good protection, but its malware-detection engine creates a heavy system load during scans and returns a fair number of false-positive results.The brand's entry-level program, Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security, has basic tools but does have a secure web browser. Parental controls, a system optimizer and a file shredder are bundled into the mid-range Trend Micro Internet Security.Trend Micro Maximum Security adds a password manager, a secure browser and file encryption, while the new Trend Micro Premium Security adds a VPN and dark-web monitoring of personal data.However, none of Trend Micro's programs include a two-way firewall or webcam protection, standard with other brands' midrange offerings. Hardcore PC gamers may consider McAfee Gamer Security, which for $60 per year offers low-overhead protection for a single rig.Read our full McAfee Internet Security review. But none of the McAfee products have a secure browser or webcam protection, which you often get with other premium antivirus programs.At the top is McAfee Total Protection Ultimate, which adds unlimited VPN service with no strings attached. Yet every other digital-protection service you could possibly ask for is included with at least some of its bundles.-Very heavy performance hit -No parental controls on mid-priced tierMcAfee's malware detection has improved greatly in the past couple of years, but it's still not quite top-of-the-line.Despite that, the entry-level McAfee AntiVirus Plus is a bargain: $60 per year buys software for up to 10 (in practice, unlimited) devices, whether they run Windows, macOS, iOS or Android, and the software comes with a file shredder and a two-way firewall.To get parental controls or one of the best password managers in the business, you'll have to spring for McAfee Total Protection or its sibling McAfee LiveSafe, which comes pre-installed on many new PCs.The multi-device licenses of those two security suites also come with an identity-protection service. Their annual subscription prices run well into the triple digits, but still cost less than if you were to buy the identity protection, password manager, cloud-backup storage and antivirus software separately.Unlike some of the other best antivirus software makers, Norton doesn't offer a file shredder, file encryption or secure web browser with any of its products. Two retail-only offerings, Norton 360 Premium and Norton 360 Platinum, give you more online storage and expand the antivirus and VPN coverage to 10 and 20 devices, respectively.If you want full-on identity protection, Norton offers three bundles with varying degrees of LifeLock service and even more online storage space.
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