Most people are unaware that there are a number of companies out there that offer free anti virus software for non-commercial use (basically for home use).
These anti-virus programs are in most cases just as good and in my experience better than some of the products you pay money for each year. I personally run Kaspersky Internet Security 2012
If I am honest there is very little between the 3 listed here any one of them should provide you enough protection to keep you and your family safe. Remember it is important to combine you anti-virus with a good malware program like Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Related Post: The Best malware removal tools
Why do they give out free anti virus software?
The free version is there selling platform as it basically puts their name into the heads of potential customers should they require a more advanced version or want to use it for business purposes. By giving the basic products for free to the home user they opening up the consumer to purchasing their other products without having to hard sell to people through middle men and retailers. For example someone who has happily used Avast/AVG/Avira at home for a couple of years may for example setup a business and choose to use that company to provide their business anti-virus. It is a very clever marketing method that works for them and also provides users with good protection for free.
Below is a list of the top 3 free antivirus software programs and my experiences with each.
Avast – http://www.avast.com/en-gb/free-antivirus-download
I have been using Avast free anti virus software for more than 4 years (on 1 PC). A new version of Avast has just been released in the past couple of weeks so as we all know sometimes a new version does not necessarily mean better so the jury is still out on the new version. Having said that if the new version is as good as the previous versions I will probably be using Avast for the next 4 years too.
Pros
- Very light on resources even on an older machine
- Light on resources with scheduled scans
- Includes mail scanner, file scanner, network scan and more
- Scanning is one of the quickest of all the anti virus programs I have used
- Detection rates over 97% (higher than a lot you pay for) Link to report here
- Automatic Updates
- Nice interface
Cons
-Because it is not a “security suite” there is no firewall (they do have a suite product that is not free)
-Install can install unwanted programs/parts unless unticked in custom install.
Summary
Overall Avast comes number one on my list for free anti virus and is the anti virus I recommend to my customers should they want a free solution. The main pro is that it is very light on resources and very rarely slows down the computer which makes it ideal for older computers as well as newer ones.
AVG – http://free.avg.com/gb-en/homepag
I have used AVG in the past and had no real problems with it until the later version which seemed to be a bit more resource intensive than its predecessor. This is based on my last experience of AVG. I have not used AVG since Sept 2011 so can not really vouch for the newer versions but it does appear to struggle on older computers.
Pros
- Its free which is always a big Pro
- Relatively light on resources (previous versions were hopefully the next version will be)
- Includes mail scanner, file scanner, network scan and more
- Detection rates over 95%. Link to report here
Cons
-Because it is not a “security suite” there is no firewall (they do have a suite product that is not free)
-Personally found that it is not as friendly to the older machine.
-Slower scanning than some
-It can affect boot times (slower start-ups)
-Can install unwanted programs that require payment
Summary
Despite its few negatives AVG still is a very good anti-virus program although its detection rates do seem to have dropped a percentage point or two recently.
Avira – http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus
Avira is a free anti virus software program I have used in the past on occasion and is well known for its high detection rates compared to other free anti-virus (99.5%). It is the program I go to if for some reason a system does not like avast or AVG.
Pros
- Its free which is always a big Pro
- Relatively light on resources
- Includes mail scanner, file scanner, network scan and more
- Exceptional detection rates over 99%. Link to report here
- Fast
- Automatic Updates
Cons
-Because it is not a “security suite” there is no firewall (they do have a suite product that is not free)
-The interface I found a little boring
-Some report frequent false positives from the program
Summary
Avira again is a very good anti-virus program and you cannot go far wrong with it. It will appeal to those who want the very best detection rates.
Conclusion
So there you have it three free anti virus software programs that you are free to use for non commercial use. You may also be interested in looking at free online virus scanner that can scan your computer without installing the software on your computer (This should be used as extra protection and not replace of anti virus software)
