The market of antivirus solutions is full of programs that can satisfy even the most demanding user. Developers create various plans with different sets of features to offer several payment categories. They even release free editions. They are rather limited but one can use them at no cost. Let’s discuss the top 10 free antivirus options on the modern market and how to choose one.
One thing to keep in mind
We should differentiate free antivirus editions from trial versions. While the latter exists to serve for up to a month, free editions don’t have time limits. What’s more, a free edition gets regular updates, just like the premium plans. The only difference if the feature limit. Very often, a free antivirus has nothing else but core malware protection.
Top 10 antivirus solutions one can use free of charge
In case you prefer to spend $0 on your antivirus protection, or you are tight on the budget, you should choose your antivirus program from the following offers:
- Avast Free Antivirus;
- Sophos Home Free;
- Norton Free;
- Kaspersky Security Cloud Free;
- Adaware antivirus free 12;
- Bitdefender Free Edition;
- Avira Antivirus;
- AVG Antivirus Free;
- Windows Defender;
- Check Point ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus+.
Things to take into account before the installation
First of all, deciding on which antivirus will suit your needs the most, one should figure out those needs. Think of what you expect aside from virus detection. Some programs come with additional features like password managers, optimization tools, parental control, etc. Define which ones are essential for your device.
Secondly, it’s important to look at the results from the independent testing labs. They test all software and publish objective results on their effectiveness. Visit AV-Test, AV-Comparatives, SE Labs, etc. Get real results to see what you can expect from the antivirus protection you got from a certain developer.
Besides, users should find out little details like the size of the program, how many resources it needs to run smoothly, etc. It’s better to pick something lightweight that doesn’t impact the system much. This way, you won’t slow down the device or get disappointed in the choice.
One should also assess general appearance and design. Pick software with user-friendly, intuitive navigation. It’ll save you time eliminating the need to waste time getting used to the program. For instance, some developers use colors to help users understand the status of the program. When the windows are green, the protection is active, and the software is up to date. Whenever the color changes to yellow or red, the system needs the user’s actions.
Finally, it’s probably more reliable to pick antivirus from well-known, reputable companies to ensure better security.
Final thoughts
The choice of the free antivirus solution is easier than it seems at first sight. It requires some research and thinking. However, once you know which details to pay attention to, you’ll have no trouble choosing an option from the list. Explore the top choices to get the best possible antivirus protection.