Best free antivirus software download 2009

If you choose an antivirus program from a trustworthy company, then yes. All of the brands on this list here are perfectly safe to use — the only difference between their free and paid versions is that the paid software includes additional features, like a VPN, a password manager, and parental controls, as well as better customer support options. Avira is my 1 pick for the best free antivirus in If you need a free antivirus, take a look at our list of the best free antiviruses in or just download Avira Free.

If you want the best protection for all of your devices, you need to pay for a premium antivirus program like Norton or Bitdefender. While there are literally billions of malware attacks reported annually, trojans and adware are consistently the most common types of malware found on Windows computers.

Trojans look like other files with extensions like. If you decide to uninstall your third-party antivirus, your PC will automatically ask you to reactivate the Windows Defender antivirus.

Professional Reviews. Affiliate Commissions. Reviews Guidelines. Katarina Glamoslija Updated on: January 14, This article contains. Short on time? Download Avira Free Security for Windows here. Quick summary of the best free Windows antiviruses for 1. Kaspersky — Free extras like a VPN, dark web monitoring, and a password manager. Malwarebytes — Minimalistic antivirus with on-demand scanning. Sophos — Good real-time scanning with remote access for 3 PCs. Its quite possible that the resource usage issue has been resolved by now though.

Cloud AV is the first free cloud-based antivirus client. Download Panda Cloud Antivirus 7. Comodo Internet Security Comodo Internet Security is a free all-in-one security software that that comprises of antivirus, host intrusion prevention system and a firewall.

Interestingly for a free product it comes with a free 30 day trial of their LivePCSupport. Download Comodo Internet Security 8. If you are in the US you are luckier as you can try it out now. Download Microsoft Security Essentials Beta 9. Have you got any suggestions??? Categories: Computer Security. About Lee Munson Lee's non-technical background allows him to write about internet security in a clear way that is understandable to both IT professionals and people just like you who need simple answers to your security questions.

Comments naj says. January 11, at am. Lee says. January 12, at pm. Anthony wright says. June 28, at pm. Are you looking for a free or paid-for antivirus program Anthony? December 14, at am. Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and high-profile attacks like the Columbia Pipeline hack are becoming more commonplace, which is concerning.

Looking for free antivirus protection, malware protection or virus detection, willing to pay for an antivirus program that offers broad internet security coverage across all your devices, including from ransomware and phishing, or need to remove a computer virus or malware from your PC right now?

Here's where to start when looking for the best antivirus software for your needs. Honestly, if you practice safe computing -- you keep your software up to date, you use strong passwords with the help of a password manager , you steer clear of unexpected emails and you don't click suspicious links that may be phishing attempts -- you probably can avoid zero-day attacks and ransomware attacks.

And with the free Microsoft Defender Antivirus software running on Windows 10, you have a malware protection safety net if you do let your guard down. In fact, it is one of the best antivirus software. Note that Microsoft changed the name of Windows Defender to Microsoft Defender and has expanded the service to other platforms.

This free antivirus program is built into Windows and it's turned on by default, the antivirus engine does its thing, and this antivirus solution will cover the basics of internet security.

Microsoft pushes new updates frequently. Defender also lets you tune the level of protection you want, giving you control over blocking potentially unwanted apps and protecting folders and files from a ransomware attack. Note that Windows 10 will automatically disable its own Windows Defender antivirus when you install third-party antivirus.

If you uninstall the third-party protection, Windows 10 will turn back on its own antivirus. Norton antivirus provides industry-leading security software for PC, Mac, and mobile devices. Note, we don't think antivirus protection is terribly useful outside the Windows realm.

In addition to malware and virus protection for your computer and mobile device, this antivirus suite provides GB of backup to the cloud, safe-browsing tools, a secure VPN, password manager, parental controls and LifeLock identity theft protection and fraud alert. While not all of those services are necessarily best in their respective class, getting them all in one package is a compelling option. If you'd like to take a step up in securing your PC without taxing your wallet, it's hard to beat Bitdefender's free antivirus software for Windows The Windows security software offers real-time monitoring for viruses, malware, spyware and ransomware protection.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is easy to set up and stays out of your way until you need it. And the protection this antivirus product offers is solid. Bitdefender antivirus software consistently earns top marks for its antivirus protection and usability from the respected AV-Test independent testing lab.

The free antivirus version covers one Windows PC. Malwarebytes does protect your PC from a virus or malware attack, scoring reasonably well in recent independent testing for guarding against malware threats. But that's not really what Malwarebytes is known for.

If you find yourself in trouble, the go-to disinfectant for many is Malwarebytes. To get the antivirus company's free antivirus version, download this trial version , which "downgrades" to a no-fee on-demand cleaner with fewer features that detects and removes viruses and malware when you run an on-demand antivirus scan after 14 days.

In addition to the four antivirus apps we recommend above, a handful of other anti-malware tools are worth considering among the best antivirus protection if you find them at a better price or just prefer to use one over our picks above. It feels like McAfee Antivirus has been around forever, first on its own in the '80s, then as part of Intel starting in , and then again on its own when Intel spun it off in And McAfee Total Protection has been around forever because quarter after quarter it creates solid, modern antivirus software that protects your PC.

In recent evaluations by AV-Test, it had high scores on both protection and performance. Maybe this antivirus provider is not as well known to consumers because of its focus on enterprise security, Trend Micro antivirus quietly brings its business expertise to the home with its Trend Micro Maximum Security tools.

Trend Micro's software earns high marks from AV-Test -- consistently scoring well for detecting zero-day attacks and widespread viruses and malware.

To detect the new types of malware that are being spread daily, cybersecurity experts recommend an additional antivirus to conduct real-time virus scans and alert you as soon as a malicious threat is detected. Avira Free Security is the best free antivirus for Windows, with an impressive track record in tests performed by leading industry experts. It also includes a free VPN for private and secure browsing and built-in performance optimization tools to keep your system running fast and efficiently.

Avira Free Security is an all-in-one solution for a carefree digital life. The fingerprints of new unknown files are automatically uploaded to our cloud and analyzed in real-time. This way, we protect you from Zero-Day-Attacks, where cybercriminals use new methods to infiltrate your system. Our Protection Cloud can detect these never-seen-before attacks. Once a new thread has been identified, you are instantly protected against it. With our Firewall Manager you can optimize the protection with just one click.

Our Email Protection , available for the Pro version, scans emails for these dangers. You can protect yourself and your devices from viruses, ransomware, banker Trojans, and other types of malware with our free antivirus for Windows. We will continue to provide updates until the end of While we encourage you to upgrade to Windows 10, we still offer protection if you decide to continue using Windows 7 for a while.

If your computer or laptop operates with Windows 10, download Avira Free Security, the best free antivirus for Windows Our next-gen AI Technology with cloud-based threat detection provides real-time protection and blazing fast virus scans. Avira is the pioneer of the freemium business model, offering free privacy, security, and performance tools for a wide range of platforms. Our free antivirus uses the same real-time virus scan engine as the pro version. The pro version brings extra features, such as unlimited VPN traffic, limited to MB per month in the free version, and automatic software updates, but you can enjoy a carefree digital life completely free of charge.

If you are looking for extra convenience, you can check out our all-in-one premium solution, Avira Prime. Download the award-winning free antivirus for Windows. Home Avira Antivirus Windows. Avira Free Antivirus for Windows Award-winning protection, and free forever Top antivirus: blocks spyware, adware, ransomware, etc.

Editors' rating: Rating: 5 stars. Award-winning technology that helps protect millions of users.