Modern antiviruses. Free antiviruses

Both products score very well in antivirus labs and PCMag's own tests and include several additional security features. Avast, in particular, includes a built-in password manager and a home network vulnerability scanner. If you have a budget set aside for computer security, the best commercial solutions will provide more effective and comprehensive protection. Otherwise, feel free to choose from the free solutions presented here.

Free protection against various types of threats

These days, new computers and laptops come with antivirus protection. As a rule, trial versions of commercial antiviruses from well-known brands are pre-installed on devices. If your trial ends and you ignore the subscription purchase reminders, Windows Defender will keep your PC safe. However, you can get more reliable and better protection with third-party solutions. Don't worry if your budget doesn't allow for a paid antivirus. You can get really good protection without paying a penny. PCMag tested 17 free antivirus programs to help you choose the right solution to protect your computer.

Your antivirus should definitely do a great job of cleaning up existing infections, but its main job is to protect your PC from ransomware, botnets, Trojan horses, and other types of malware. All antiviruses in this collection offer real-time protection. Some solutions additionally offer web protection to prevent you from visiting fraudulent sites and web resources with malware.

Free or commercial antivirus?

If free antiviruses are truly effective, why would anyone pay? First of all, many of the antiviruses proposed in the rating are free only for non-commercial use - if you want to protect computers in an organization, you will have to purchase a paid version. In this case, it is recommended to buy a comprehensive antivirus product because business security is at stake.

Even for personal use, many commercial tools offer much more functionality than the corresponding free versions. For example, Kaspersky Free does not include the powerful Activity Monitor component that is present in the paid version. This security module monitors suspicious activity and allows you to roll back malicious changes. The paid version of Adaware Antivirus comes with a similar behavioral detection tool, as well as a malicious site protection component that you won't find in the vendor's free antivirus. Panda also reserves some advanced security features only for commercial solution customers—among them firewall, software monitoring, and detection of insecure wireless networks.

In addition, many companies do not offer full technical support to free version customers. If you need professional help cleaning up stubborn infestations, you may regret not having this option.

Independent laboratory tests

Researchers from independent laboratories spend a lot of time and effort testing antiviruses. Some organizations regularly publish reports with test results. PCMag tracks results from 4 major labs: AV-Comparatives, AV-Test Institute, SE Labs and MRG-Effitas. Certification from ICSA Labs and West Coast Labs is also appreciated.

Typically, antivirus developers pay for the opportunity to participate in testing. In turn, the laboratories provide vendors with detailed reports that help improve products. Thus, the number of laboratories that test a particular product is an indicator of the significance of this decision. In any case, to test an antivirus, two conditions must be met: the laboratory must consider the product important enough, and the development company must be satisfied with the cost of participation. Labs are not required to test free products, but many vendors include full protection in free solutions, adding only advanced features to paid products.

PCMag tests

In addition to in-depth analysis of lab test results, PCMag conducts its own amateur antivirus testing to block malware. Each antivirus encounters a set of different types of malware, after which the product’s reaction to the threat is recorded. Typically, an antivirus removes most samples at once and detects several more instances of malware when it tries to launch. Based on the test results, the product can receive between 0 and 10 points for blocking, depending on how thoroughly it protects the system from the test samples.

The test collection has been in use for months, so the malware blocking test does not provide any indication of an antivirus's ability to detect the latest threats. A separate test attempts to download malware from 100 online sources less than a day old, provided by the MRG-Effitas laboratory. The testing process notes whether the product blocked access to a network location, cleared the malware payload during download, or ignored the threat. Norton received the highest score in this test, followed in the final table by Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security and Avira Free Antivirus.

Useful features

Each antivirus product in the collection scans files on access to prevent potential malware from running, and also scans the system on demand or on a set schedule. Blocking access to malicious links is another effective way to avoid trouble. Many products extend protection to prevent you from visiting fraudulent or phishing sites that try to steal your credentials. Some solutions assign rankings to search results by flagging suspicious and dangerous links.

Behavioral detection is featured in some products in the collection. On the one hand, this component can detect malware, which are unknown threats. On the other hand, behavioral analysis can lead to false positives for reliable programs.

Any antivirus should detect spyware, but some products include separate anti-spyware components. Features such as privacy encryption and webcam protection help keep sensitive information safe from third parties, but they usually come with paid solutions. However, some free antivirus programs include an on-screen keyboard to protect against keyloggers.

One simple way to keep your computer as protected as possible is to install security updates for Windows, browsers, and other popular programs. In Windows 10, updates are mandatory and fully automated, but there remain a large number of gaps in older Windows systems, popular applications and plugins. Vulnerability scanning in the form of missed updates is a feature often found in commercial antivirus products. However, some free antiviruses have similar functionality.

Who is not represented in the ranking

This rating contains information only about free antivirus solutions that have received at least a “Good” rating according to PCMag reviews - from 3 points or higher. In the latest review, Windows Defender Security Center received just 3 stars and worked better than last time. However, it is more of a Windows component than a standalone product. The best free antiviruses offer more layers of protection.

Some free security tools are designed solely to protect against ransomware. Cybereason RansomFree, Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware Beta and Trend Micro RansomBuster all serve one primary purpose - preventing any ransomware attacks that may be undetectable by mainstream antivirus protection. Bitdefender Anti-Ransomware tries to trick ransomware Trojans into thinking that the system is already infected. They were not included in the rating because they are not full-fledged antivirus products.

There are numerous free antivirus utilities that exist solely to clean up malicious infections. You turn to these utilities only if you suspect an active infection. Once the problem is resolved, they are not used because they do not offer ongoing protection. The title of “Editor's Choice” in this category belongs to Malwarebytes Free - this product is worth using in case of malicious infection. Since such solutions are usually free, you can use several scanning programs at once. Once the threat has been removed, you will need a full-fledged antivirus for ongoing protection.

List of all tested free solutions

• Avast Free Antivirus. Avast's free antivirus combines highly effective antivirus protection with a comprehensive collection of additional tools.
• AVG AntiVirus Free. Free antivirus AVG has received an updated interface and new security technologies. Tests from independent labs and PCMag's own tests show that protection is stronger than ever.
• Acronis Ransomware Protection. If your antivirus misses the latest ransomware and your data is at serious risk, Acronis Ransomware Protection will add an extra layer of protection for your files and provide 5 gigabytes of cloud storage for backups.
• Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition. The free Bitdefender antivirus includes the same antivirus protection as the paid Bitdefender antivirus, but lacks the additional functionality of the commercial version.
• ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus+. Free antivirus ZoneAlarm combines a high-quality and powerful firewall with a licensed antivirus protection engine from Kaspersky Lab. This is a great choice for users who don't need advanced security features.
• Cybereason RansomFree. The consequences of a malicious ransomware attack can be catastrophic. Therefore, the possibility of strengthening protection against this type of threat should be considered. Cybereason RansomFree is a free solution for organizing an additional level of protection against ransomware.
• Kaspersky Free. Kaspersky's free antivirus offers full-featured basic antivirus protection that scores excellent in lab tests.
• Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware Beta. Malwarebytes Analyzes program activity to look for suspicious behavior that is typical of ransomware. This lightweight utility will help you identify ransomware Trojans that can bypass basic anti-virus protection.
• Sophos Home. Sophos free antivirus allows you to provide the capabilities of a powerful corporate antivirus to ordinary home users absolutely free. Users have access to a cloud console that allows them to control up to three product installations.
• Avira Free Antivirus. Avira's free antivirus gets excellent scores from independent labs, but in PCMag's amateur tests it was very slow to scan the test system. Additionally, web protection only works in Chrome and Firefox.
• CyberSight RansomStopper. RansomStopper offers free advanced ransomware protection, but PCMag's own tests found that the product failed to respond to one rare strain of ransomware.
• Adaware Antivirus Free. The free Adaware antivirus has a new name and a new look. However, its testing results are not the best, and competing free antiviruses offer more features.
• Bitdefender Anti-Ransomware. Bitdefender Anti-Ransomware protects your PC from infections from four ransomware families. Tests have shown that the product successfully copes with this task. However, you will need additional solutions to protect against other types of ransomware.
• Comodo Antivirus. Free antivirus Comodo has received a new look and showed an ideal detection rate in the malware blocking test. However, the product performed worse in other PCMag tests and in independent lab tests.
• Panda Free Antivirus. Free Panda antivirus has an attractive user interface and an unusual USB vaccination feature. However, the product didn't perform the best in independent lab tests and PCMag's own tests.
• Qihoo 360 Total Security. Qihoo 360 comes with a powerful set of additional tools, but its basic antivirus protection can't compete with the best free antiviruses.
• Trend Micro RansomBuster. Built-in folder protection successfully blocks unauthorized changes to protected documents. However, the behavioral detection system needs improvement.
• Baidu Antivirus 2015. The antivirus has not been developed for a long time and cannot be recommended as the main antivirus protection.
• Comodo Internet Security Premium. Comodo's complete solution combines a standalone antivirus and a standalone vendor firewall in one product. For a free product, this antivirus includes a large number of functions, but not all of them are effective.
• Windows Defender Security Center. Microsoft Antivirus provides security for Windows 10 computers that do not have other antivirus solutions installed. In PCMag's newest round of testing, the product performed better than previously.

1. Finding malicious software is a top priority. In order for the program to cope with it better than other alternatives (even paid ones), we equipped it with 5 engines at once. Among them, the cloud 360 Cloud deserves special attention, removing unnecessary load from the system, Bitdefender, popular in the world, and the System Repair algorithm for restoring affected data.
   This interaction allows 360 Total Security to quickly find, contain and destroy any threat to your data.
2. Cleaning hard drives and registry from junk files. Special add-ons allow you to find programs that you have not used for a long time. A powerful free antivirus starts a disk and registry scan with one click, after which the system boots and runs much faster.
3. Another reason to download a powerful antivirus is free updates. All subsequent versions will be available to our users under the same conditions as FREEWARE now. This means that, unlike licensed software, which requires investment annually, our

It turned out that most antiviruses provide computer protection of over 95% with the desired 97%. In addition, experts have dispelled several myths about antiviruses, including the belief among users that paid programs are always better than free ones.

The study, which took place in one of the best testing centers in the world, involved 23 of the most well-known antiviruses - both paid and free versions - from developers from around the world. These include Bitdefender, Norton, AVG, ESET, Avira, Avast, Panda, McAfee and Sophos. For the first time, the international ICRT study included two Russian developments at once - Kaspersky and Dr.Web Antivirus, which indicates the high popularity of these antiviruses.

The best antiviruses for Windows 10

As a result, the paid version of the Romanian program Bitdefender Internet Security was at the top of the ranking of the best antiviruses, scoring 4,593 points out of a possible 5.5. In second place is Kaspersky Internet Security, which is only 0.2 points behind the leader (4.371). Third place goes to Bitdefender again, this time to the Antivirus Free Edition (4,367 points). Fourth place goes to the English antivirus BullGuard Internet Security (4,364 points), fifth place to the American Norton Security Deluxe (4,313). In addition, the free antivirus Avast Free Antivirus made it into the top ten.

The top ten antiviruses included:

ICRT experts selected paid and free programs - both built-in and offered separately. Based on selection principles, the study did not include the most expensive versions of software products from these brands. In addition, only one paid product from one brand could be presented in the rating. The second product could only be included in the rating if it was free.

As part of the study, experts checked the level of virus protection, ease of use and the impact of the program on the speed of the computer - in general, each program was assessed based on 200 indicators.

Experts conducted four groups of malware protection tests: a general online protection test, an offline test, a false positive rate test, and an automatic and on-demand scan test. To a lesser extent, the final rating was influenced by checking the ease of use of the antivirus and its effect on the speed of the computer.

The main conclusion that the experts made was that most tested antiviruses provide user protection of over 95%. However, this indicator is considered the lower limit of countering malware - 97% is considered a good indicator.

At the same time, as the study showed, almost all programs do a good job of protecting against spyware and protecting against phishing (Internet fraud, the purpose of which is to obtain user identification data). They differ in the presence or absence of a particular function in the tested version, which means that in order to select an antivirus that is suitable for a particular user, you need to familiarize yourself with the comparison table presented on the Roskachestvo website.

Built-in antivirus: Windows 10 Defender

Experts also checked the standard Windows Defender security program pre-installed in the Windows 10 operating system (as of February 2018, version 10 is installed on 43% of owners of computers running the Windows operating system). As the study showed, Windows Defender seriously lags behind its competitors - the program scored only 3,511 points and took 17th place in the overall rating (it was surpassed, including 4 free programs).

It earned this rating because it showed satisfactory results in terms of online protection, but did not pass the test for phishing and anti-ransomware, while protection against phishing is claimed by antivirus manufacturers. In addition, the antivirus on Windows 10 did a poor job of protecting your computer in offline mode.

Experts consider such protection to be only “decent” and believe that Windows Defender can be relied upon if the user has regular updates turned on, his computer is connected to the Internet most of the time, and he is advanced enough to avoid visiting suspicious sites.

Early versions of Windows remain unprotected

Experts also noted that users of earlier versions of Windows (48% of all users of this OS) remain practically unprotected, since these versions of operating systems do not have built-in protection, which means they absolutely need computer protection.

A detailed study of antiviruses for MacOS will be available in the summer of 2018.

About Roskoshestvo and ICRT

For reference: Roskachestvo is a national system of monitoring, comparative testing and confirmation of the quality of goods and services, established by order of the Government of the Russian Federation on the initiative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia.

Roskoshestvo conducts regular research on consumer goods. Also, the department, in accordance with the Decree of the Government of Russia, is the operator of the state Quality Mark, issued to the best domestic goods based on the results of research. The results of the study are published on the portal www.roskachestvo.gov.ru. Also, Roskachestvo has been the secretariat of the Government Award in the field of quality since 2017.

International Consumer Research & Testing (ICRT) conducts thousands of product tests per year and reaches an average of 30 to 40 million people through publications from ICRT member organizations around the world. Russia has been represented in ICRT by Roskachestvo since 2016.

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On this site you can download and install free antiviruses for your computer. Our rating is updated annually and is based on the results of numerous tests constantly conducted by the world's largest independent organizations and renowned Internet resources, including: Virus Bulletin, AV-Comparatives, AV Test, ICSA Labs, OPSWAT and others.

For your safety, we do not store anti-virus programs on our server. All download links lead only to official versions of programs on the websites of official software manufacturers. By downloading free antiviruses using our links, you are 100% protected from receiving software infected with viruses, which is quite possible on other Internet resources.

Download free antivirus Avira Free Antivirus

Computer protection:

Ease of use:

Manufacturer: Avira Operations GmbH & Co. KG
Supported OS: Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP

Avira Free Antivirus is a free antivirus with truly superior capabilities compared to its peers in detecting all types of malware (including adware) and zero-day vulnerabilities. The scanner of this program is by far the best in all tests among free antivirus software. The consequence of such high efficiency is only one limitation - Avira Free Antivirus will slow down on slow PCs.

The program will greatly delight advanced users: the antivirus software has a lot of settings and management capabilities, as well as a lot of additional functions, including a VPN client, Internet surfing protection, etc.

The Avira Browser Safety browser add-on will make your Internet surfing truly safe. The system will warn you about links leading to malicious sites, prevent attempts to redirect you to a fake site, for example, online banking (phishing protection), and also block advertising networks from tracking your actions. When downloading programs from the Internet, you will be warned if the new software is potentially unwanted (for example, it secretly installs browser plugins, adware, etc.)

To download the Avira Free Antivirus antivirus for free, follow the link, and the download of the antivirus program installer will automatically begin. Next, the installer will download the antivirus itself.

Install Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition

Computer protection:

Ease of use:

Pros: set it and forget it, minimal load on the system, excellent level of protection against threats, proactive protection against viruses, protection against phishing.

Cons: Russian language is not supported, almost no settings are available.

Manufacturer: Bitdefender
Supported OS

In 2016, this free antivirus made an incredible leap upward, outstripping all its peers in terms of speed, quality of detection and protection of users from malware. The anti-virus program comes pre-configured and does not require user interaction after launch.

The advantages of Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition are its built-in application network activity monitor, which catches viruses masquerading as normal programs when trying to access the Internet and blocks them if there is suspicious activity. The proactive protection system launches new suspicious files in a safe environment and, only if no malicious activity is detected, launches the program normally.

Program limitations – the minimum settings available to users. The program can be recommended to users who want to install an antivirus and never be distracted by it again.

To download the Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition antivirus for free, follow the link. The download will start automatically!

Download free antivirus Avast Free Antivirus

Computer protection:

Ease of use:

Manufacturer: AVAST Software a.s.
Supported OS: Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP / 2000

Avast is probably the most popular free antivirus among Russian users, which has been increasingly expanding its capabilities and improving its protection system against virus attacks over the years. The program can be used for free on home computers and for other non-commercial use. Avast provides the most essential protection against malware for your computer. The antivirus program works very quickly and hardly slows down your computer or laptop.

Avast monitors all running applications in real time and provides protection against spyware and rootkits. Safe Internet surfing provides a browser extension that warns you when you visit potentially dangerous sites. It also blocks malicious scripts on websites and also protects against substitution of links in search results. The new “password storage” feature will allow you to log into any Internet account using just one antivirus password. The new Home Network Security feature will allow you to check your Wi-Fi or wired network for hardware vulnerabilities before intruders.

If you use online banking or make purchases in online stores using a credit card, then it is better to purchase a paid version of the antivirus, because The free version of Avast does not have protection against phishing and theft of banking data.

After installation, Avast antivirus will ask you to register after 30 days. Registration of the program is absolutely free and is valid for 1 year, after which the antivirus will offer to re-register again. When registering and re-registering, select “Basic protection”. Be careful, you will always be unobtrusively asked to download the paid version of the program.

In order for Avast! Free Antivirus free download go to

Download free Panda Cloud Antivirus

Computer protection:

Ease of use:

Pros: easy to use, uses cloud technologies, good threat detection system with minimal load on the system.

Cons: lag in detection of zero-day threats, false positives, requires a constant Internet connection.

Manufacturer: Panda Security
Supported OS: Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP

Panda Cloud Antivirus is a fairly successful attempt by the Panda Security team in the market of free antivirus products. This software product, like the Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus, has a very simple interface and fully automated functions for automatically updating and removing malware. The level of protection is quite high, but according to recent tests, detection of the latest threats (so-called zero-day threats) is lower than that of competitors. Panda antivirus was one of the first to use cloud technologies (Cloud) for faster release of updates, which users automatically access when connected to the Internet.

The antivirus implements a full range of protections: antivirus, antispyware, behavioral analysis, URL and web filtering (a browser plugin is installed). However, the antivirus is not infallible and may accidentally mistake a completely safe process or program for a threat. In this case, the threat is automatically quarantined, and you are left to wonder why this or that program suddenly stopped working. A high level of PC security is also ensured only with a constant Internet connection.

To download the Panda Cloud Antivirus antivirus for free, follow the link and the download of the antivirus program installer will automatically begin. Next, the installer will download the antivirus itself.

Download AVG antivirus for free (AVG AntiVirus Free Edition)

Computer protection:

Ease of use:

Manufacturer: AVG Technologies
Supported OS: Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP

AVG AntiVirus Free is a free antivirus with the longest history (one might say the founder of free antiviruses) and the leader in the absolute number of downloads in the world in the entire history of the Internet. AVG was very popular a few years ago, but lost its supporters due to the deteriorating quality of threat detection. However, now the level of protection against malware and web threats in this program is again at its best, and it is returning to the market.

The appearance of AVG is a little not modern, as if you are plunging into the last century. The program has a lot of advertising. When installed, AVG also installs a search bar add-on for the browser. In addition to the basic functions, the antivirus has various useful components built into it to improve computer performance (registry cleaning, fragmentation, etc.).

It is currently impossible to download AVG AntiVirus Free from the developer’s official website. To download, users are redirected to the Cnet.com portal, which scares off many Russian users who are afraid to download a virus instead of an antivirus. The impression is further enhanced by the fact that it is not easy to find the required download link on the site - the site is full of advertisements for other software products.

To download AVG antivirus for free, follow the link.

Install free antivirus Microsoft Security Essentials

Computer protection:

Ease of use:

: Slow scanning, weak web surfing protection, lacks a lot of features provided by other free antivirus programs.

Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation
Supported OS: Windows 10 / 8 (antivirus included), Windows 7 / Vista

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free antivirus product from Microsoft. The program is characterized by a high level of detection of threats, especially rootkits. Perhaps the biggest advantage of the program is the almost complete absence of false positives and high-quality removal of malware detected in the system. The antivirus requires minimal user intervention: there is no registration, all updates and scans occur automatically, no intrusive advertising.

The main disadvantages of Microsoft Security Essentials are its very slow system scanning, as well as weak protection when visiting infected Internet sites. Installation of the program is possible only on a licensed operating system. The antivirus is optimal for older people who use a limited range of trusted Internet resources.

To download Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus for free, follow the link. Specify your operating system and the download will start automatically. With the Windows 8 operating system, antivirus is supplied by default.

Addition: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free - the best spyware cleaner!

Cleaning your computer:

Ease of use:

Manufacturer: Malwarebytes
Supported OS: Windows 10 / 8 (32/64 bit) / Windows 7 / Vista / XP

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is a very popular free utility all over the world that significantly increases the security of your computer. It is not antivirus software and will not protect your PC from viruses. However, the program does an excellent job of removing existing malware, spyware, rootkits, including adware (pop-up banners, advertisements, etc.), which somehow ended up on a computer or laptop.

Important advantages of the program are that it does not conflict with existing antiviruses and has a special camouflage mode that prevents viruses from detecting it on the computer. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is recommended as an addition to any free or paid antivirus program.

You can download the program and get additional information about it on the website: https://malwarebytes-anti-malware.ru

What is the best antivirus? Have your say!

Tell us about your experience installing free programs to protect your computer from viruses. Which antivirus do you think is the best or the worst? We look forward to your comments and personal ratings! Your opinion is important to us!

The main evaluation criteria, which included 200 indicators, were:

• virus protection;
• Ease of use;
• influence on the speed of the computer.

Protection against malware is the most important evaluation criterion: indicators within this group of parameters accounted for 65% of the overall antivirus rating. Ease of use and impact on computer speed accounted for 25% and 10% of the overall score, respectively.

Antivirus programs were selected for research based on popularity among consumers and affordability. For this reason, the list of antivirus programs studied included:

• Free programs – both built-in and offered separately.
• Paid programs from leading antivirus brands. Based on selection principles, the study did not include the most expensive versions of software products from these brands.
• Only one paid product from one brand for one operating system could be included in the rating. The second product could only be included in the rating if it was free.

This time, the international study included products developed by Russian companies in the category. As a rule, the list of products for international testing includes products with a sufficient market share and high recognition among consumers, so the inclusion of Russian developments in the study indicates their wide representation and demand abroad.

Top Ten for Windows

All antiviruses in the top ten cope with spyware protection and protect against phishing - attempts to gain access to confidential data. But there are differences between antiviruses in the level of protection, as well as in the presence or absence of this or that function in the tested versions of the antivirus.

The summary table shows the top ten programs according to the overall rating. It also takes into account the features of the packages in terms of their set of functions.

How good is standard Windows 10 protection?

As of February 2018, the share of Windows PC users with Windows 10 operating systems installed on their desktop computers was 43%. On such computers, the antivirus is installed by default - the system is protected by the Windows Defender program, which is included in the operating system.

The standard antivirus, which, judging by statistics, is used by most people, was only 17th in the ranking. In terms of overall performance, Windows Defender scored 3.5 out of a possible 5.5.

The built-in protection of the latest versions of Windows is getting better every year, but it still does not match the level of many specialized antivirus programs, including those that are distributed free of charge. Windows Defender showed satisfactory results in terms of online protection, but completely failed the phishing and anti-ransomware tests. By the way, protection against phishing is claimed by antivirus manufacturers. It also turned out that it does a poor job of protecting your computer offline.

Windows Defender is quite simple in terms of design. It clearly reports the presence of a particular threat, clearly demonstrates the level of protection and has a “parental control” function that limits children from visiting unwanted resources.

Windows 10's standard protection is only decent. Based on the overall rating, 16 programs for protecting a personal computer on Windows OS turned out to be better than it. Including four free ones.

In theory, you can rely only on Windows Defender if the user has regular updates turned on, their computer is connected to the Internet most of the time, and they are advanced enough to consciously avoid visiting suspicious sites. However, Roskachestvo recommends installing a specialized anti-virus package for greater confidence in the security of your PC.

How we tested

Testing was carried out in the world's most qualified laboratory specializing in antivirus programs over a period of six months. A total of four groups of malware protection tests were conducted: general online protection test, offline test, false positive rate test, and automatic and on-demand scanning test. To a lesser extent, the final rating was influenced by checking the ease of use of the antivirus and its effect on the speed of the computer.

• General protection

Each antivirus package was tested online against a set of viruses, totaling more than 40,000. It was also checked how well the antivirus copes with phishing attacks - when someone tries to gain access to the user's confidential data. A test was carried out for protection against ransomware, which restricts access to a computer and data on it for the purpose of ransom. In addition, an online test of a USB drive containing malware is carried out. It is needed to find out how well the antivirus copes with finding and eliminating viruses when neither the presence of malicious files nor their origin is known in advance.

• USB offline test

Detection of malware located on a USB drive connected to a computer. Before the scan, the computer was disconnected from the Internet for several weeks so that the anti-virus packages were not 100% up-to-date.

• False alarm

We tested how effectively the antivirus identifies real threats and skips files that are actually safe, but which the product classifies as dangerous.

• Automatic and on-demand scanning test

We tested how effectively the scanning function works when automatically scanning the computer for malware and when running it manually. The study also tested whether scanning could be scheduled for specific times when the computer was not in use.