What is the best virus scanner

VirusTotal discloses their business model on their homepage — they are able to provide free antivirus scanning because they are paid by cybersecurity companies to gather information on global malware trends. The SafetyDetectives Known Vulnerabilities Scanner can let you know if your software is vulnerable and recommend updates and fixes. Professional Reviews. Affiliate Commissions. Reviews Guidelines. Sophie Anderson This article contains. In a hurry?

Here are the top 5 online virus scanners: SafetyDetectives Known Vulnerabilities Scanner : This online scanner uses the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures CVE database to check that your software is up to date with the latest patches.

Norton Power Eraser : Norton offers a free download of a useful tool which will scan your computer, erase viruses, and look for unwanted applications. Easy to install and use. ScanMyServer : This free online service scans your website or server for vulnerabilities and evidence of hacking.

Free users get a weekly vulnerability report with recommended fixes, and paid users can scan multiple sites and receive daily reports. Are there websites that can remove viruses? How do I know I can trust a virus scanner? Read Review Visit Website. Share It: 0. About the Author Sophie Anderson Cybersecurity researcher and tech journalist. Kaspersky Lab maintains that no public evidence of any wrongdoing has been presented by the US government, and that the US government's actions against Kaspersky Lab were unconstitutional.

In Kaspersky's favor, it continues to earn top scores and awards for virus and malware detection and endpoint protection from independent testing labs. And it's reasonably priced. In the end, even though no one has ever publicly produced a "smoking gun" linking the company to Russian intrigue, we think any of the options listed above are a safer bet.

And if you are a US government employee or work with the federal government, you'll want to steer clear of Kaspersky internet security products -- and perhaps use one of the antivirus software products mentioned here instead. Picking the best antivirus software for Windows means finding one that keeps your PC safe, doesn't take up a lot of system resources, is easy to use and stays out of the way till you need it.

Here's what to look for. Antivirus software runs virus scans for known viruses and malware, of course, and can offer real-time protection. And it watches for shady websites and suspicious links to keep you out of trouble. It can also offer ransomware protection and monitor unexpected behavior that may be a sign of new and not-yet-identified viruses and malware. You want antivirus software that can successfully identify these unknown online threats without flagging too many false positives.

Light on system resources. You don't want antivirus software that taxes your PC's resources. If after you install the program, websites open slowly, apps download or open sluggishly or file copies take longer than expected, you may want to try another service.

The good news is, all our picks offer a free trial to let you try out the antivirus program, so if your system feels sluggish after installation, you may want to keep looking.

Cost and discounts. Don't just pay the sticker price for antivirus protection. Before you buy, check for discounts on a company's website. Another way to save: The prices we list above are for 10 devices -- if the company offered that package -- but you can trim your cost with antivirus packages if you need to cover three or five devices.

You may also find discounts on an app's Amazon page. To be effective, antivirus software needs to monitor what's going on with your PC, check in with company servers about unusual behavior and should provide sound banking protection. The companies say they anonymize this technical data as much as possible to protect your privacy.

But if you want to know more, the security companies on our list post privacy policies on their websites, so read their privacy statements to learn what the companies do with the information you share. Protection for other platforms. Microsoft is by far the biggest target for viruses and malware.

While the Mac does come under attack via side-loaded apps, it's rare, and if you download apps only from the Mac and iOS app stores and keep your guard up when clicking links and download files, you should be OK without an antivirus app on Apple devices. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Best free Windows antivirus Microsoft Defender. Jump to details. See at Microsoft. See at NortonLifeLock. See at Bitdefender.

Best on-demand Windows malware removal Malwarebytes. See at Malwarebytes. Solid subscription antivirus alternative McAfee Total Protection. See at McAfee. Another good subscription option Trend Micro Maximum Security. See at Trend Micro. See at ESET. Alternative free Windows antivirus Sophos Home. See at Sophos.

Our recommendations 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?

We looked at the options and features each one of them offers. Once our in-depth research was completed, we determined which antivirus is, in our opinion, the best choice available today. In the table below we have provided a list of the best virus scanners of The table briefly compares their functions and features. Do you want to know what to make of this information? Then scroll further and decide which antivirus is the best one for you.

Below we will further describe each of the best antivirus options of Do you want to get started right away and close the best deal? Just click on the button below each section to go directly to the website of the virus scanner of your choice. During our tests, we quickly noticed that Kaspersky produces high quality products.

Each subsequent version listed has more functions than the previous. We can wholeheartedly recommend Kaspersky Internet Security. This version provides real-time virus and malware protection, allows you to run various scans, comes with a firewall , and also protects your online payments if using a secure browser. Moreover, it offers high-quality phishing protection. Do you want even more extra features?

Then Kaspersky Total Security is the right choice for you. This version adds features such as parental control, password management and file backups. But, even without all these extras, we think Kaspersky is still the best antivirus program of Is there something Kaspersky could improve?

Is this an issue for mainstream users? We doubt it. Want to know more? Click here to read our full Kaspersky review. Do you want to try Kaspersky for free for 30 days? Avira comes in in second place in our best virus scanners review.

Although this provider is not yet as big as some of its competitors, such as Bitdefender and Avast, it still has a lot to offer.

Avira includes malware protection against viruses, ransomware and other malware. It also includes tracker blocking, an adblocker , web protection, a device scanner, and an intelligent system that identifies both new and old threats using cloud technology.

Just like Kaspersky, Avira has different subscriptions. Avira Internet Security adds a password manager and a software updater. If you choose Avira Prime you get even more features, including a program that cleans your computer and a way to anonymize your browser history.

On top of that, Avira also offers a very decent free solution, Avira Free Antivirus. According to AV-Comparatives, Avira scores above average when it comes to blocking all kinds of viruses and other threats. This means that running this software will barely affect your normal internet activity. Another advantage of Avira is that the company is based in Germany, where privacy laws are very strong.

With Avira, you can therefore rest assured that your data is safe. In addition, Avira has a day moneyback guarantee, so you can try this antivirus before you are tied to an annual subscription. Bitdefender is a giant among virus scanners and is used by hundreds of millions of people.

That is not surprising, because Bitdefender has pretty much all the functions you may want or expect from an antivirus program. So, this is a possible drawback for Apple and smartphone users who prefer a basic antivirus package and are reluctant to pay extra for options they may not need or want.

However, if you are looking for a free antivirus program for Windows, Bitdefender has you covered. The solution helps to keep your personal information safe and is fast. Moreover, this provider values your privacy, their solution is easy to use and you can get basic protection at a low price. Our overall conclusion?

An excellent virus scanner with an excellent price to quality ratio. Do you want to know more about Bitdefender? Read our full review of this virus scanner. If you want to take out a subscription immediately, you can do so via the button below. AVG Antivirus is a well-known name among free antivirus programs. The same company also owns Avast Antivirus, our number 5 on this list.

AVG has several products, including a dedicated app for mobile devices. Their free package comes with reasonable basic protection against malware, a virus scan function and a firewall. This version includes a more advanced firewall, better protection against ransomware, webcam protection , as well as phishing and spam filters.

In addition, the fact that the software is easy to install and use, makes AVG very user-friendly. AVG requires very little working memory, and it does its job quietly and quickly in the background. Moreover, their customer service is difficult to reach.

In the past, AVG has been caught reselling user data to other parties.