5 Best (REALLY FREE) Antivirus Software for Windows [2021] 

bu-Dhawneet Gehlot..

on-1-6-2021..

I tested every free antivirus I could find against thousands of old and new Windows malware files. Running virtual environments for various PC operating systems from Windows 7 – Windows 10, I not only looked at each antivirus’s malware protection capabilities, but also its user interface and its reputation for safeguarding user privacy. This wasn’t an easy task, and I learned that there are only a few free antiviruses out there that offer decent protection for Windows computers.

But there are also some really good free antivirus programs that offer improvements over Windows’s built-in protections. I was ultimately able to find 5 free downloads that each offer free virus protection alongside a decent set of free internet security tools.

That said, every free antivirus is going to include a few frustrating limitations. That’s why I always recommend investing a little bit every month into premium antivirus software that includes protection against all types of malware — with extra features like a VPN, password manager, parental controls, and dark web monitoring (Norton 360 has all of these features, is ranked as the best antivirus software for 2021, and is very affordable).

I tested and ranked each free antivirus listed here for malware detection, ease of use, and additional cybersecurity features. Unfortunately, no free antivirus includes all of the features you need for complete protection, but it’s better to protect yourself with the best free antivirus than no antivirus at all!.

Yes, You Already Have a Free Antivirus on Your PC, But It Isn’t Good Enough:

Your Windows computer already comes with Windows Defender (some newer Windows 10 computers call it “Windows Security” or “Microsoft Defender”) — which, as we saw in our full review, is a decent free antivirus. But the problem with Windows Defender is that it’s rarely updated, it doesn’t include additional internet security protections, and it frequently has vulnerabilities that don’t get fixed (sometimes for several years!). Plus, Windows Defender consistently ranks below the top antivirus scanners in our independent lab testing. That’s why I always recommend keeping your PC as safe as possible with third-party antivirus software.

All of the free antiviruses listed here are significantly better than Microsoft’s Windows Defender antivirus. The free downloads on this list are from top-notch cybersecurity companies that are offering their premium antivirus protection for free. These are some of the top antivirus and anti-malware engines in the world — and our independent lab tests have confirmed that these antivirus engines are much stronger, faster, and better than Microsoft’s Windows Defender.And some of the free programs on my list also include additional cybersecurity protections. My #1 free Windows antivirus, Avira Free Security for Windows, is particularly generous with its free offerings, but even Avira’s free plan has some annoying limitations that don’t exist on its paid plans.In general, cybersecurity companies try to entice you with their free products, but they’re ultimately looking to convert you into a paying customer. If you’re looking for the best protection for all of your devices, you’ll need to pay for premium antivirus software. Unfortunately, there’s no way around this.However, if you’re just looking for a simple free malware scanner with a couple of decent web protections that can improve on Microsoft’s Defender, then all of the products on this list will be good enough for you.

How I Rated the Best Free Windows Antivirus Software:

• Malware detection. I downloaded thousands of malware files onto my virtual PCs, including trojans, spyware, ransomware, rootkits, and keyloggers. I tested both full disk scans and “quick” scans, and I tested real-time protection engine when available. I only considered antivirus scanners for this list if they were able to detect malware more effectively than Windows Defender.
• Ease of use. Windows Defender is already pretty easy to use (it’s always running), so a free antivirus has to be very easy to use and offer the same excellent user experience that Microsoft has built into its native PC antivirus. All of the products on this list have user-friendly dashboards, intuitive features, and decent customer support.
• Additional features. While not necessary, some free antiviruses have extra features like a password manager, a VPN, and anti-phishing protections. I tested all of these features to find out which ones are actually good and which ones are too limited, don’t work properly, or aren’t really useful.
• Genuinely free. Many cybersecurity brands try to trick you into purchasing a premium product by offering a free trial and then making you pay to keep using the product. I’ve personally checked to make sure that all of the brands listed here offer free protection. While this protection may be basic (and while the company may try to upsell you to a paid antivirus), all of the antiviruses listed here have some kind of 100% free antivirus protection.

• Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut:

  I’ve spent a long time compiling and revising this list to guarantee that I’m offering you a high-quality resource. You may be surprised to see that some of the top antivirus brands didn’t make the top 5. Here are a few of them:

  • Avast. While Avast — and their subsidiary antivirus company AVG — continue to offer two pieces of widely used free antivirus software (Avast Free Antivirus and AVG AntiVirus Free) their repeated privacy violations have caused too many concerns. You can read more here.
  • TotalAV. TotalAV is one of my favorite antiviruses of 2021. It comes with excellent real-time scanning, powerful device optimization tools, and a VPN with unlimited data. There is a free version which you can get here, but it’s only a basic antivirus scanner and is not as full-featured as the others on this list. But if you need a high-quality antivirus, TotalAV’s low-cost internet security packages are some of the best on the market.
  • Norton. It’s really a shame that Norton doesn’t even have a “free trial” of its Windows antivirus. But like I said earlier, Norton is still one of the best antiviruses in the world for protecting PCs, so if you’re looking for premium protection, Norton is likely the best option.
  
  

• 1. Avira Free Security for Windows — Best Free Antivirus in 2021.

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Avira Free Security for Windows is my favorite free Windows antivirus in 2021 — it has one of the best anti-malware engines on the market, includes more free features than any other competitor, and is really easy to use.

Avira’s virus scanner operates in the cloud — so its detection and analysis doesn’t actually take place on your PC — making Avira extremely fast, lightweight, and low on system resources.

Avira’s anti-malware engine detected all of the malware files in my testing, and I was able to run CPU-intensive programs during scans with almost zero slowdown. Paid programs like McAfee and Norton are equally effective at detecting malware, but their full disk scans will slow down your system much more than Avira will.

Avira’s free antivirus also comes with some excellent extra features, such as:

• Safe Shopping browser extension.
• Privacy & performance optimizer.
• VPN (500 MB monthly limit).
• Password manager.
• Game booster.
• Firewall.
• File shredder.
• And more…

The Safe Shopping browser extension for Firefox and Chrome is really good

 it blocks suspicious phishing sites, web trackers, and unwanted advertisements. The extension also automatically recommends links to better deals when shopping online. I was actually able to find a lot of good deals, but it didn’t work 100% of the time (still pretty good though!).

I’m also a big fan of Avira’s privacy and performance optimization tools— they cleaned out my cookies and junk files, and also fixed hidden privacy settings that were leaking personal information on the web.

That said, I think the VPN that comes with Avira’s free antivirus is not that good. It’s limited to just 500 MB per month, which is barely enough to watch a couple of really short videos, and it only lets you connect to 1 server location, meaning you won’t be able to use the VPN to access geo-restricted content from around the world.

If you want a fast and reliable VPN with unlimited data, multi-device support, and advanced system optimization tools, you should consider upgrading to Avira Prime, which is one of the best antivirus suites of 2021.

Bottom Line:

Avira’s cloud-based, free virus scanning engine is one of the best on the market

it’s lightweight, fast, has perfect detection rates, and is 100% free. I’m also a big fan of Avira’s Safe Shopping browser extension and privacy optimizer, both of which offer significant improvement over Microsoft’s built-in protections. To get more advanced internet security protection, you’ll need to upgrade to one of Avira’s paid plans, but in terms of free Windows antiviruses, it doesn’t get better than Avira.