Windows OS is known for getting infected with virus, adwares, malwares, and trojans frequently. So, it is important to install an antivirus software on your windows OS to keep it clean on an on-going basis.
In this article, let us review the top 5 best FREE AntiVirus software available for windows. Some of these are effective than a highly priced commercial antivirus software.
1. Avira AntiVir
Avira AntiVir Virus Scanner provides excellent protection against virus, spyware, adware and rootkit. This has a very high virus detection rate, when compared to any other antivirus freeware for windows. This means you are pretty much guarded from almost all the viruses.
This does not scan the incoming emails automatically. However when you try to open an infected email, it will protect you.
You’ll get an annoying pop-up nagging you to upgrade to full version. You can disable this pop-up by following this instruction.
- Our Rating:
- Download Avira Antivir
- Avira Antivir Home Page
- The best virus detection rate. Pretty much detects every malicious virus.
- OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows 2000, Windows XP
2. Avast! Antivirus Home Edition
It was a toss-up between Avast! and Avira for #1 and #2 position, as both are best free antivirus software. Since a slight advantage went to Avira on the high quality virus detection rate, Avast! takes the #2 spot.
This has built-in protection for P2P, IM, Network and Web shields. This also supports the 64-bit windows. You can run this in silent mode and does not take too much of OS resources.
- Our Rating:
- Download Avast! Antivirus
- Avast! Antivirus Home Page
- Very good virus detection rate. Good performance – does not slow down system.
- OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows Vista, 2003, XP, 2000
3. AVG AntiVirus
AVG Free antivirus provides following protection:
- Antivirus and Antispyware protection against virus, spyware, adware and trojans
- LinkScanner Active Surf-Shield will protect you from a website that is infected with virus.
- LinkSCanner Search-Shield provides rating for websites that come up in the google search results page. This will help you to decide whether to click on that search result link or not.
The user interface is very intuitive and you don’t need to read documentation to understand how to use the software.
- Our Rating:
- Download AVG Antivirus
- AVG Antivirus Home Page
- Apart from antivirus, it also detects spyware and adwares. email scanning ability.
- Relatively less virus detection rate. By default installs unnecessary toolbars. Use custom install mode to remove these defaults.
- OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows Vista, 2003, XP, 2000
4. a-squared
a-squared is a free personal Antivirus software for windows XP operating system. This detects virus, trojans, spyware, adware, worms, bots, keyloggers and dialers. The user interface is not intuitive.
- Our Rating:
- Download A-Squared Antivirus
- A-Squared Antivirus Home Page
- Relatively less virus detection rate. Poor performance – slows down the computer when running the scan.
- OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows XP
5. Rising AntiVirus Free Edition
Rising Antivirus does all the basic things you would expect including protection against viruses, trojans, worms, rootkits. There is nothing special in this that you would not get in any one of the above 4 antivirus freeware. Before exploring this free antivirus software, I recommend you to try one of the antivirus software mentioned above.
- Our Rating:
- Download Rising Antivirus
- Rising Antivirus Home Page
- Relatively less virus detection rate.
- OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows XP
Comments on this entry are closed.
It would be nice to have short list of other options that didn’t make it to the Top 5, and perhaps the best commercial solution.
Thanks a lot to giving us such an important things for the daily ordinary and special internet surfer in the time of information explosion.
i enjoy the information. It is great to have access to fully functional programs that do their job well, and better yet, they are free!! One of my greatest challenges is the software end of running a very useful forum on Vegas. There are so many options out there and I am a novice. I appreciate your actions! 🙂
Don
i agree with u, I am using Avira.
Should the heading be – top 5 freeware antivirus ? ofcourse list is not top best freeware ‘softwares’
Yes, and an explanation of how you evaluated the software, and maybe a table of features/ratings comparisons would be nice. Right now, this could be just a listing of which companies bought you the most beers at the last conference. If you explained your evaluation methods, how you compiled the rankings, and how you compiled the list of candidate software for evaluation, the validity and believability of your rankings would increase significantly.
Earl
In general I agree with your list – I used Avira and Avast for a long time and liked them, but now I switched to Comodo – before it was only a good firewall, now it comes as a bundle of antivirus, firewall and defense, free for personal use. Would be interesting to hear your opinion about Comodo’s antivirus, it is not in your list of the best 5 – do you know anything bad about Comodo?
As-Salamu alikum Mr Krishna, I agree with you, i was using avira + avast on my computer and there was no any conflict, but lately i am using avast because i am seeing it the best of free antiviruses.
Mabrouk and best wishes to your new http://www.top5freeware.com blog
I have been using Avira also for a while…I love it…I work on computers and I had one a while back that was full of virus’s and about everything else, so I went through several of the freeware antivirus programs and Avira detected more then any of the other top ‘free’ ones.
@svn_blogger I use comodo’s firewall with avira…I did run it only with the antivirus running and there wasn’t anything bad about it but Avira always has one of the highest percentages and not just compared to the freeware ones. Here is a nice little score list of some antivirus programs. Here is another really nice site that compares detection rates and other antivirus/malware software.
p.s. love the new site!!
Greetings, from avid reader of GeekStuff, and fsdaily when I’ve got the time.
I am surprised that ClamWin has not been included in any shape or form?! But, of course that is only me, as GPL absolutely rules in my book. When talking free, I misunderstood the the word and I see you meant, only free of cost software. Note worthy is that some above software may be free for a time, and or to home users only. Is there a plan to check software for free, and maybe FREE as well for businesses?
And yes, I had commercial Alvira experience and it is probably the best solution for WindowsR computing. Not withstanding it is German and by my logic, should be preferred by companies in Europe. Then do not heed all I say, as I am dyslexic and you may not comprehend my logic. 😉
The Disclaimer: I am not a geek, I am a techkie. 😉
I installed Avast and uninstalled the free version of McAfee after reading your post. Avast is good.. the browsing speed is noticeably affected though as the phishing filter logic seems to be heavy. Probably that’s the best you get for free 🙂 I had great fun with Kaspersky and BitDefender in the past…
i need a strong antivirus for windows 2008 server,,must be freeware. Can you help me.
avira is better than bitdefencer
& i need windows 7 ultimate key
Ariva for me has been the best.It caught two serious malwares which were slowing
my computer.But I still have a key repeat problem.The key isn’t working but when I
get online to a search engine I’ll have example ” sssssssssssssssssss plus it fights
me.Anyone else have this problem? How to fix it?
Thanks for this information, is there any free antivirus for Win Server 2008 R2? I am using Clamwin but it doesn’t have realtime protection..
Regards,
Hary
i installed avast home edition and uninstalled nod32 now i can believe on my computer and the avast buddy also!
Surprised Comodo internet Security x64 isn’t even mentioned I’ve been using it for years now and never had a virus on my system and it surpass even the payed ones for function and support
my computer is on risk iam finding a best antivirus
Zonealarm the best of the best antivirus
Microsoft Security Essentials?
Thanks , it’s very good stuff
My problem is I bought good ole expensive Norton 360 for 5 comps and after windows updated to 8.1 I still ended up with the Dosearch engine ughhh! Norton doesnt recognize it!
avg is the best to use. It heals infected files without deleting it.
Well, I think you should include comodo antivirus. It has everything you need and it’s free.
I think it’s time for an update to these 6-year-old “Best Free” articles.
If you have AVG free, it’s OK, but it’s not free anymore for new users.
A d yes, there are other very good ones out there now, such as Comodo, which is top-rated by other well known reviewers.
Free Panda antivirus 15.0.1 is best free virus program, better than Avast or Avira.
Read Av test report , so you can see how good is free Panda antivirus.
I use free Panda antivirus in my computer.