![]() You also need secure passwords, two-factor logins, data encryption, systemwide backups, automatic software updates, and smart privacy tools added to your browser. No antivirus tool, paid or free, can catch every malicious bit of software that arrives on your computer. Over the years, we’ve also spoken with security experts, IT professionals, and the information security team of The New York Times (Wirecutter’s parent company) to filter out the noise of the typical antivirus table-tennis headlines: Antivirus is increasingly useless, no, actually it’s still pretty handy, no, antivirus is unnecessary, wait, no, it isn’t, and so on.Īlthough in any category we usually test all the products we’re considering, we can’t test the performance of antivirus suites any better than the experts at independent test labs already do, so we relied on their expertise.īut ultimately, relying on any one app to protect your system, data, and privacy is a bad bet, especially when almost every antivirus app has proven vulnerable on occasion. We also read up on the viruses, ransomware, spyware, and other malware of recent years to learn what threats try to get onto most people’s computers today. We spent dozens of hours reading results from independent labs like AV-Test and AV-Comparatives, feature articles from many publications such as Ars Technica and PCMag, and white papers and releases from institutions and groups like Usenix and Google’s Project Zero. Windows Defender, Microsoft’s built-in tool, is good enough for most people. The “best antivirus” for most people to buy, it turns out, is nothing. And after all that, we learned that most people should neither pay for a traditional antivirus suite, such as McAfee, Norton, or Kaspersky, nor use free programs like Avira, Avast, or AVG. Along with the aforementioned apps, Norton Mobile Security and Lookout Security and Antivirus are also great alternatives to Kaspersky.We set out to do a standard Wirecutter guide to the best antivirus app, so we spent months researching software, reading reports from independent testing labs and institutions, and consulting experts on safe computing. However, the free version comes with ads and frequent messages to upgrade to the full version, which could be annoying to some people. People wanting a free security software for their phones should look at Avast Mobile Security, which is one of the most full-featured free AV solutions available on mobile. It also has minimal system impact, making it the go-to mobile security app for many users. ![]() ![]() It offers great malware protection, Wear OS watch integration, a VPN client, and a malicious website-blocker that's compatible with most browsers. ![]() ![]() While it offers many critical features in the free version, such as boot-time scan to remove persistent malware, it also requires an upgrade to the premium version for other advanced features.įor folks wanting alternative security solutions for their smartphones and tablets, Bitdefender Mobile Security is one of the best available options. AVG is another old and trustworthy name in the world of free antivirus programs, offering high-performance with low system impact. However, the free version is somewhat limited in terms of advanced features, which require an update to the paid version. The software routinely notches up high scores in lab tests and includes many privacy and performance features, making it a favorite among users. Folks looking for free AV solutions should definitely check out Avast, which offers impressive protection for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. ![]()
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