Hey Guys, Welcome to ComputerWorld. Are you wondering which antivirus software offers the best protection and performance these days? In this article, we'll show you five top-ranking antivirus brands whose free antivirus programs offer exceptional anti-malware security without impacting your system performance. After hours of research and examination, we have picked out five free antivirus software that you can consider this year if you want to be safe online. Plus, we will also show you the best premium antivirus products that are worthwhile and offer exceptional value for money. Do you know how frequently malicious hackers attack our data and privacy? Every 39 seconds! According to reliable estimates, cybercrimes are expected to cost the world around 6 trillion dollars annually by 2021. Shocking, right? During last year, over 10 billion malware attacks were recorded worldwide, and over 8 million devices were infected with malware in the U.S. alone. And these numbers are projected to grow even bigger in the future. So, it’s clear that if you want to protect data and privacy of yourself and those you love, you need an excellent antivirus software. And by “excellent,” we mean a premium software that offers flawless anti-malware protection without putting a burden on systems, not a flimsy freeware that doesn't stand a chance against modern, ever-evolving malware threats. Also, all cybersecurity companies reserve their best security features and utilities for their premium products. So, we highly recommend a premium antivirus software if you can afford it. Premium products come fully packed with state-of-the-art features and cutting-edge malware detection technologies to protect against all sorts of existing and emerging malware threats. Also, additional features -- like file shredder, password manager, parental controls, encryption tool, VPN -- further improve your security and add more value. For just a few bucks a month, you can protect all the internet-capable devices in your household and get complete peace of mind.
Now, talk about the Top 5 Best Free antivirus 2020 software out there.We have ranked these free antivirus products on four different criteria:
1. 1 Features
– where we review the features offered by each free software.
2. 2. Malware
Protection – this is an assessment of how well these programs will protect you
against different types of malware threats.
3. 3 System
Performance - here we measure how much impact a security program puts on system
performance.
4. 4. User
Interface – here, we see the user-friendliness of software’s interface.
Now, let's get on with our Top 5 Best Free Antivirus 2020
1. 1. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition:- Bitdefender was founded in 2001.The company quickly became a world leader in cybersecurity through its robust global security infrastructure. Bitdefender has consistently delivered innovative and award-winning threat intelligence products to the cybersecurity landscape. The company specializes in developing, deploying and managing transformative security solutions, including antivirus security, internet security, endpoint security and other cybersecurity software. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition -- which works on Windows, Macs, Android -- is arguably the best free antivirus software out there. The software is extremely lean and lightweight. It doesn't interfere much with your routine tasks, allowing you to focus on tasks that matter. It is quick to install and automatically downloads the latest version. The program scans your system for active malware as soon as the download is complete. It's a good idea to run a thorough scan soon as you install the antivirus software but expect it to take some time. You'll notice the subsequent scans will take much less time. The freeware offers excellent malware protection without putting a burden on system performance. The recent AV-Test evaluations gave Bitdefender a perfect 6 out of 6 score on both protection and performance tests, which is incredible. The interface of the freeware is lean, simple and to the point. The interface displays system status at the top of the screen. Right beneath it is a button to run a system scan. This is followed by a drag and drop area to scan specific files or documents. And then the rest of the screen is taken up by recent activity. You can access the software settings from the top bar. That's about it — no flashy or unnecessary details. All in all, Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is a pretty solid choice. However, if you can afford Bitdefender’s premium tiers, we highly recommend them as they provide exceptional value. Features like multi-layer ransomware protection, VPN, parental controls, the hardened browser, the system optimizer are only part of the premium suites. We have reviewed and ranked the best premium antivirus products and we think that Bitdefender Total Security is the best antivirus product available in the market. Apart from providing top-drawer anti-malware protection, it offers all the advanced premium features and utilities that must be there in a high-end package -- and best of all, it offers good value for money. You can protect up to five devices (PCs, Macs, or smartphones) with just one license of this product. If you have more than 5 devices in your household, we highly recommend Bitdefender Family Pack 2020. You can cover up to 15 devices with this suite. Bitdefender offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can get all your money back if you request a refund within 30 days of the purchase. So, it's completely risk-free.
2. 2. Avast Free Antivirus:- The company opened its doors in 1988 and is now one of the largest security companies in the world. Avast is known for its scalable cloud-based security infrastructure. Avast specializes in next-generation technologies including: Malware detection and blocking AI and Machine learning Internet of things and Location technologies Even the free software, Avast Free Antivirus, is more feature-rich than most other freeware out there. For starters, you get comprehensive protection against a wide variety of malware threats. Secondly, you get Avast Wi-Fi Inspector which provides ample protection against home network threats. This feature provides the first line of defense against hacking attacks and makes sure no rogue element can enter your home network. In addition, you get a Password Protector. This feature is really handy and makes your accounts and financial information secure online. It locks all your passwords and credit card information behind a Master password. When you need to retrieve that information, the feature auto-fills the details for you. This makes it easier to protect your private information on the internet. Avast is also fairly efficient and doesn't occupy many resources on your system, allowing you to go about your routine tasks unhindered. The software secured an excellent 6 out of 6 score in AV-Test's protection assessment. For the performance test, the company received a slightly lower 5.5 score, which is not perfect but not bad either. The software supports a fresh and clean looking interface. The middle of the screen shows the security status information followed by a Run Smart Scan button. You can access the settings and details about other features from the left-hand side panel. Here you can see access tabs labelled Protection, Privacy, Performance, and Settings. Avast offers a pretty generous package for a free program. However, the company has been known to sell user data to third parties such as corporate clients. So, if you're big on data privacy, maybe go for another solution. The links here contain more information about Avast's premium offers.
3. 3. Kaspersky Security Cloud Free:- Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity company
with a comprehensive security portfolio. The company began its operations in
1997 and leads in endpoint protection and deep threat intelligence. Kaspersky
has continually contributed innovative and specialized security solutions to
the digital landscape. The company offers Kaspersky Security Cloud Free that
includes its top-rated antivirus technology, auto-analysis, real-time data and
the fastest scanning engines around. The program receives regular automatic
updates. Kaspersky Security Cloud Free is compatible with Windows, Android and
iOS devices. You also get protection against corrupt files and applications as well
as suspicious sites. The software also secures and stores your passwords and
private documents while you're on the internet. Kaspersky automatically
installs a toolbar to mark dangerous links in the search results. This toolbar
works with Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer. The cloud technology means
that the program uses minimal resources on your device and doesn't affect the
system speed. In the recent AV-Test evaluations, Kaspersky scored an excellent
6 out of 6 score on both protection and performance tests. As for its user
interface, Kaspersky has a simple and intuitive layout. All the available
features show on the home screen, even some locked ones. The security status
shows on the top of the screen. At the bottom, you'll find a button labelled More
Tools to access more features. It's a pretty neat offering for basic level
protection.
However, for features like password
management, privacy protection, Safe Money, and home Wi-Fi monitoring, you'll
have to get paid subscription. If you want to know what's included in
Kaspersky's premium offerings, check out the links
4. 4. AVG Antivirus Free:- AVG Technologies is a
subsidiary of Avast. It was founded in 1990. The company develops a wide range
of protection, performance and privacy solutions for consumers and businesses.
AVG typically offers freeware as its main product and earns most of its revenue
through users that upgrade to premium tiers. It covers Windows, macOS and
Android devices. The free software offers robust malware detection and removal
capabilities, including spyware and other malware types. But it is particularly
effective against malicious websites and downloads as well as phishing scams.
As soon as the software detects suspicious activity, it feeds this data back to
AVG database. At the database, this intelligence is shared with millions of
other feeds and checked for similar suspicious patterns. AVG Antivirus Free
comes with a Secure Browser that helps block ads, tracking attempts from
hackers, and dangerous URLs or email attachments. Additionally, the Secure
Browser also redirects you from unsecured sites to secure connections. It also
offers scans for PC performance issues. The software is reasonably light on
your system and occupies very little space on your system. The AV-Test
Institute gave AVG an excellent 6 out of 6 score for malware protection. The
program received a slightly less but still commendable rating in system
performance with 5.5 out of 6 points.
Moving on to AVG's interface, we can see that
it's a straightforward layout with different feature icons occupying the better
part of the screen. AVG makes sure you know what you're missing out on with
basic-level protection as it also displays a few locked icons on the main
dashboard. To us, that might seem like a waste of space, but the company has
its reasons. You can view both overall and web & email security status
on the main dashboard. You can run a quick scan by clicking on the Scan
Computer button at the bottom of the screen. The big positive about AVG Free
software is that it combines both trusted antivirus and anti-phishing features
into its freeware. Although, if you require protection against ransomware,
webcam frauds, or mobile protection, you'll have to upgrade to paid tiers. You
can find out about AVG's premium offers by clicking the links
5. 5. Avira Free Antivirus:- Avira is a German Multinational Computer Security Software company. Avira was founded in 2006. As of today, the company has over 30 years of IT security experience under its belt. Avira actively sells itself as being 'Private by Design'. Which means all of your information is secure and isn't sold out to third parties, not even governments. Avira is a pioneer in the freemium business model and offers cloud-based malware detection and analysis. That means the actual action doesn't take place on your computer. Moreover, the detection methods are well hidden from hackers as all the activity occurs on the company's servers. That gives Avira an edge over the hackers. The company's freeware, Avira Free Antivirus, offers spyware, adware and basic ransomware protection as well. The free software is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android and iOS platforms. Another advantage to cloud approach is in Avira being able to acquire minimal resources on your system. In fact, Avira supports one of the lightest engines of all the major antivirus products. This makes it an excellent choice, even for older, sluggish machines. Having said that the freeware does annoy you to upgrade to a premium version. In the AV-Test evaluations, Avira secured a perfect 6 out of 6 points for malware protection and a near-perfect 5.5 out of 6 points for system performance. The freeware’s interface consists of a pretty simple and straight-forward design. A left-hand side panel contains access tabs for Scan, Modules, Quarantine, and Activity. You'll also find the cog icon for Settings and the Feedback tab at the bottom of this panel. The other side of the screen displays your system's security status, a quick scan button and a few big icons like real-time protection and ransomware protection. You'll also find a couple of locked icons to let you know what more you can have if you upgrade to the paid product. In our opinion, Avira Free Antivirus does provide solid protection against malware. It's also extremely lightweight in terms of digital footprint. Avira is a good choice as long as you're not mad about advanced features, which you can only get with the premium tiers
I hope this Top 5 Best Free Antivirus 2020 helped you in finding the best antivirus product for your digital protection. Which antivirus software is your favorite? Leave us a comment below.
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