Getting free antivirus software does not mean that it is not good and not suitable, but it does mean that you are paying for the premium service and getting more features, such as spam filters, parental controls, system scanning and advanced firewalls. For those who want greater security and for those who want their system to run as smoothly as possible, it also means that you avoid annoying pop-ups that try to tempt you to upgrade to the full version.
But these days, you can get high-quality protection completely for free, as every major vendor provides a free antivirus program so that developers working in antivirus software companies can have access to more devices from which they can collect data and then improve their software and security. It is not in their interest to reduce the amount of protection provided by the free version.
Windows has come a long way in terms of security, with Windows 10 comes a free program from Microsoft included called Windows Defender, which is a free app that you should trust to keep your device clean so if you are determined to get a free antivirus, we highly suggest you check out the list of the best security downloads in 2019 below.
The best and most downloaded antivirus programs for 2019
1. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
Great product and software Bitdefender Free Edition’s clean and lightly built scanning mechanisms are universal – which are universally faster than average The Free Edition’s insistence on running in mode makes virus management easy It’s worth noting that you can currently get the best prepaid solution – Bitdefender Antivirus Plus – for the equivalent of about $2 per month. That’s a small amount to pay for a lot of extra features, like online banking protection, a built-in password manager, a permanent file shredder, and free 24/7 online support.
2. Avast Free Antivirus
Avast and AVG haven’t fully merged, though they officially acquired the latter in mid-2016. The newly combined company says the two free antivirus products will remain separate, though it appears Avast now has a lot more data to work with, having expanded its effective user base to 400 million users.
3. Sophos Home
Sophos Home markets itself as offering “business-grade security,” does a little more than most free antivirus software, and actually seems more family-friendly.
It gets you standard virus and malware protection, along with browser tools like anti-phishing and, most importantly, content control. Combined with centralized management of up to 10 computers, it means you can effectively lock down your children’s browsing options.
4. Kaspersky Free
The paid version of Kaspersky’s Windows Security software frequently tops the list as the best virus prevention solutions, and as you’d expect, Kaspersky Free is a stripped-down version of the full program – a tool you’ll really love.
The free version ditches additional features like privacy protection and secure payment boxes to focus on robust and most importantly free protection for your computer. The result is a very easy-to-use, grab-and-go piece of software that does an effective job of protecting you from viruses.
5. Avira Free Antivirus
Avira Free Antivirus for Windows continues to score highly in our rigorous testing program, crushing 99.7% of tested threats, and it generally doesn’t put a huge burden on your devices and has a clean, friendly interface with a light redesign for 2018. This earned Avira one of the best free antivirus programs of 2018.
