Best Reviewed
Anti-Spyware
- Best anti-spyware software PC Tools Spyware Doctor 6.0 *Est. $30
- Budget anti-spyware software Sunbelt CounterSpy 3.1 *Est. $20
- Security suite with the best spyware prevention Norton Internet Security 2009 *Est. $45
- Free adware/spyware removal tool Lavasoft Ad-Aware Free Anniversary Edition *Est. $0
- Free real-time spyware blocker Microsoft Windows Defender 1.1 *Est. $0
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Free real-time spyware blocker
- Free
- Decent malware detection
- Scans can be scheduled
- Real-time protection
- Not effective at malware removal
March 2009. Reviews say Microsoft Windows Defender, which is included in the Windows Vista operating system and available as a free download to validated Windows XP owners, is decent at detecting adware and better than nothing at catching spyware. But reviews say it's not effective at actually removing spyware. Experts say free anti-spyware downloads like Windows Defender are best used as supplements to better, paid protection. You can run manual and scheduled scans, and real-time protection is the default setting. Experts say that you probably should couple Windows Defender with some paid protection, or at least plug some holes with Lavasoft Ad-Aware Free Anniversary Edition, which gives no real-time protection but is decent as a removal tool, reviews say.
We found the best professional review at CNet.com, which does extensive testing and puts it into context. PC World also does extensive testing and compares two free products with four paid programs, ranking Windows Defender fourth. Download.com has more than 100 user reviews, the most balanced saying it isn't reasonable to expect perfect protection from a free product. Ratings from PC Magazine and Consumer Reports are a bit dated, and WebUser's review is skimpy.
Our Sources
1. CNet.com
CNet.com's Robert Vamosi says Microsoft Windows Defender "is perhaps the best free antispyware application we looked at [in 2007]." But, like any free download, Windows Defender isn't an all-in-one protector -- it "missed half of the spyware on our test machine and didn't fully remove half of the spyware samples in our tests."
Review: Windows Defender (version 1593), Robert Vamosi, Updated Mar. 5, 2008
PC World and AV-Test.org test six anti-spyware applications, two of which are free. Microsoft Windows Defender places fourth, and the gist is that it performs well on adware but poorly on spyware.
Review: Die, Spyware, Die!, Ryan Naraine, Aug. 22, 2007
3. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Consumer Reports tests a dozen free and paid anti-spyware programs in a lab, ranking them in a chart. Windows Defender is among them, but the latest version isn't tested. You must be a subscriber to view this report.
Review: Microsoft Windows Defender Review, Editors of Consumer Reports, Sept. 2007
4. WebUser.com
British website WebUser is lukewarm about Windows Defender, but likes "two options that warn about unknown startup and system changes."
Review: Microsoft Windows Defender Review, Neil Mohr, Sept. 13, 2007
Anti-Spyware Runners Up:
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
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