Best Antivirus Software 2019 – Antivirus Reviews & Price Comparisons
The following ranking shows an overview of the protection and usability of the best antivirus programs.The maximum total score per criterion is 10.0 points.All virus scanners offer a good basic protection.However, the Top 3 antivirus programs offer much better protection!
The results are based on the test results from toptenreviews.com, av-test.org and our experience.
Security Software Reviews
The following table informs you about the current security situation and shows you how best to protect your PC, notebook and smartphone. To surf the Internet safely and keep malicious viruses, Trojans, etc. away from the PC, every user should purchase a solid protection program.
When using a smart device such as a smartphone, a personal computer, a tablet, or an iPad to access the internet, you are likely to be prone to malware if you have not protected the device adequately. To minimize your device’s exposure to malware, you need to install an antivirus in it. The software will protect your data from malware such as spyware, viruses, and other online threats that results from accessing the internet. Although many devices currently feature a pre-installed antivirus program, some devices require you to install the best antivirus of your choosing.
Common Antivirus Program Types
When searching for an antivirus, you will find different types of antivirus programs with each allowing you to enjoy specific features. The common types of antiviruses are:
Free Anti-Malware Software
They are antivirus programs that are available freely and anybody can easily download them free of charge from the internet. Most of the free antivirus programs, however, come with limited protection features that cannot guarantee an entirely safe browsing although some can offer significant virus protection against certain malwares.
Some of the common free malware programs that you can find on the internet are Avira, Avast, and AVG. If your computer or device is running on Microsoft’s Windows system, you can use the Microsoft Security Essentials anti-malware program for older Windows and Windows Defender for Windows 8 and other newer Windows. There are also antivirus app on the market.
Pay Antivirus Suites
Although some of the free antivirus programs have the option for users to upgrade to pay modules for enhanced protection, some programs are only available on the pay basis. Some of the pay antivirus programs that you can buy from software retailers and from online stores are Norton, Bitdefender, and Total AV. The paid for programs will provide you with enhanced protection from malware.
Common features for the pay antivirus programs include spam filters, a firewall, a file shredder, file backup, and other malware protection features.
Spam Filters
These programs are designed to help you filter spams in instances where your email programs do not offer adequate filtering of junk messages. In most cases, they come as an extra feature for the paid for antivirus programs.
File Shredders
File shredders are programs that are developed to help get rid of previous activities on your computer by erasing any electronic traces of previous files. By installing a file-shredder software, you will be able to shred unwanted files or destroy sensitive files to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. You can install a file shredder program although most of them come as an extra feature in the paid for software.
Anti-Phishing Toolbars
The anti-phishing toolbars are free security toolbars that are compatible with all the leading browsers. They are designed to enhance your safety when online, especially when you are using outdated browsers or against phishing sites.
Tips to Guide you when looking for the best Antivirus
Some of the basic guidelines that need to guide you when shopping for an antivirus are:
Consider the computer brand in question: Before you even decide which software is fit for your PC, you will need to determine what your operating system is. Generally, Windows PC are more vulnerable to spyware and viruses compared to PCs that run on Linux. A Mac can easily transfer infected files to Windows PCs if they are connected to the same network and you need to look out for this.
If you need reasonable free virus protection, free versions of antivirus software can be fine for you. If you are a conscious internet user who does not download items from suspicious websites, you can use free antivirus programs to get protection against malware and spyware. For enhanced protection when using free antivirus programs, you should keep your Windows firewall on at all times since it will help in blocking suspicious malware from malicious websites.
Every antivirus program has different performance based on the computer you are using. If you have a PC whose memory is less than 4 gigabytes, some programs could significantly reduce its speed while others can maintain its speed. Before you install any antivirus software, ensure that you research to establish that it will not slow down your computer. Some programs will take more time to scan through your files while others will take little time. As such, it is advisable for you to go for programs with high customer ratings. The best antivirus software for your PC should be compatible with your operating system and function properly without affecting the speed at which you work.
Pay antivirus suite often offer you more features compared to free programs. Although you will incur more when using a pay antivirus program, you will have an opportunity to enjoy more benefits as compared to using free software. Before settling for an antivirus program, however, it is imperative that you consider various antivirus reviews because they will help you compare the products’ performance. This will also help you to avoid products that could disappoint you in terms of service delivery.