Online security is critical in the Internet jungle. Whatever you do, just surfing, gaming, working, or for productivity purposes, common sense combined with suitable prevention/security mechanisms is more than necessary. It is an obligation. In this article, I will suggest some free security tools you can trust, and they do what they promise. Moreover, you can use them in combination with each other. Keep in mind that I don’t mean to use two active scanners or two antivirus apps at the same time. You can have your favorite live scanner as your main one and an on-demand as a second opinion scanner. This way, you can also have an extra layer of protection. Though nothing is perfect, we should try at least to offer the best possible protection to our system. This is the best we can do.
1. Kaspersky free antivirus
Kaspersky is one of the most well-regarded and significant players in cybersecurity. Although it is still advised to prefer its premium plans for your maximum protection, its free offer is more than enough for the average user. I strongly recommend installing Kaspersky free antivirus in a fresh Windows install for maximum protection results. It achieves excellent scores on all significant AV certification tests, and most Cybersecurity experts recommend it. It is set it and forget it.
- Excellent malware protection
- Solid product
- Easy UI
- Light on System Resources
- Limited free features
- Available only for Windows, Android, and iOS
2. Bitdefender free antivirus
Bitdefender is another major player in the Cybersecurity scene. As with Kaspersky, it is recommended to choose one of its premium plans. It comes at a competitive price that is worth your buck. This free antimalware offers a wide variety of features that you can’t find easily in other free apps, such as free support. Like Kaspersky, it achieves excellent scores on all significant AV certification tests, and most Cybersecurity experts recommend it. You should strongly consider it as your main System protection.
- Excellent malware protection
- Solid product
- Easy UI
- Light on System Resources
- Sometimes might be more intrusive than it is necessary
3. Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Microsoft Defender was once the Cybersecurity’s underdog. It was such a lousy offer that it was even worth considering not using protection at all if you choose it. This is not true anymore. Microsoft Defender is a good suggestion, especially if you won’t select a paid product. It is built-in in newer Windows OSes and combined with other second-opinion scanners and common sense is a defender you can trust.
- Solid malware protection
- Built-in in newer Windows OSes
- Easy UI
- Light on System Resources
- Free
- It is the antimalware solution that Cybercriminals try to bypass its protections more often
- Limited features, but still adequate for the average user
- Not so great on malware removal (though solid in scanning mode)
- Ransomware is still a big headache
- Heavily depends on cloud-scanning
- False positives
4. Malwarebytes Free Antimalware
Malwarebytes is a trendy antimalware tool. It is the most popular second-opinion scanner, as well. And for a good reason. It is a solid on-demand scanner, which might help you when your primary protection is insufficient. You can use it along with your preferred antivirus, though you might need to add it to your app’s exclusions occasionally. It is a solid product, but still, it is advised to use it as a second opinion scanner, then standalone protection. You can try it full-featured for a limited time when you first install it, but you should note that using two active scanners is not recommended. So, you are better off using it as a second opinion scanner.
- Solid malware scanner
- Easy UI
- Excellent on-demand scanner
- Zero-day attacks prevention
- Limited free features, but still adequate for the average user
- Not so great on malware removal (though solid in scanning mode)
- Not so great as a standalone antimalware product
- False positives
5. Emsisoft Emergency Kit
Emsisoft might be an antimalware company that you never heard of before. But its antimalware solutions are well-regarded. EEK is a worth-considering portable scanner that you can use on demand. It could be your primary scanner’s sidekick. If you want a portable solution, then EEK is an excellent choice.
- Solid antimalware results
- Easy UI
- Worth-considering on-demand scanner
- Free
- Portable
- Limited free features, but still adequate for the average user
- Not so great on malware removal
- Not to be chosen as a standalone antimalware product
- False positives
Epilogue
This is only a list of recommended free antimalware tools that you can try and trust. It is not fully complete. There are other antimalware solutions out there to try on your own, as well. We just mentioned the ones we have used and know well. But what is your opinion on this article’s suggestions? Are you using any of them? Do you have another solution that you would like to add? Please feel free to write your thoughts or suggestions in the comment section. Stay in the know, and stay safe!
