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Anti-Spyware: Ratings of Sources
Total of 11 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

1. PCMag.com
As of Feb. 2011
Antispyware
by Neil J. Rubenking
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentPCMag.com has excellent reviews of Internet security software, focusing mainly on suites and antivirus programs. Neil J. Rubenking's articles are comprehensive and test each program's ability to detect and remove malware. The range of ratings is impressively broad, and Rubenking is decisive about his recommendations. Testing is explained in detail, and a comparison chart is provided. Unfortunately, PCMag.com has only reviewed a handful of stand-alone anti-spyware programs in the last year.
2. Download.com
As of Feb. 2011
Spyware Removers
by Editors of and Contributors to Download.com
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentCNET editors review and rate anti-spyware at Download.com, a site that also hosts user reviews. Testing is not documented, but the analysis is balanced and addresses both pros and cons. However, some reviews reference earlier versions, and others address limitations in the trial versions without evaluating how the full versions actually perform. Several anti-spyware programs earn high marks, including Trend Micro's HijackThis and CounterSpy. Download.com is also the best source for user reviews, although they tend to be brief.
3. PC Advisor
As of Feb. 2011
Anti-Spyware
by Editors of PC Advisor
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentPC Advisor is a U.K.-based magazine that reports on stand-alone anti-spyware products and security suites in single-product reviews. Hands-on evaluation is combined with independent testing in balanced reviews that aren't shy about being critical when called for. Ratings are provided, which show enough variation to make it easy to see winners and losers at a glance. Ghostery, a web browser add-on, earns the PC Advisor Gold award. Lavasoft Ad-Aware Free also earns a positive review.
4. WebUser
As of Feb. 2011
Anti-Spyware Software Reviews
by Editors of Web User
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentWeb User, which is based in the U.K., rounds up several anti-spyware and Internet security programs. Individual descriptions are disappointingly short, and testing is not well documented. Few stand-alone anti-spyware products have been reviewed recently, as the site seems to focus most of its attention on Internet security suites.
5. TopTenReviews.com
As of Feb. 2011
Anti-Spyware Software Review
by Editors of TopTenReviews.com
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentTopTenReviews.com covers all of the major products in their newest versions. Write-ups are short, but the detailed comparison chart is useful. There's insufficient transparency to make this a top site, but there does seem to be some hands-on testing behind the ratings. Webroot's Spy Sweeper 2011 earns a Gold award, while CounterSpy, Stopzilla and Spyware Doctor are also highly rated.
6. Amazon.com
As of Feb. 2011
Spyware
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentAmazon.com sells a good selection of anti-spyware software, but most programs earn poor to average ratings. User reviews are especially helpful because they can highlight issues professional reviewers might miss, such as conflicts with other applications and computer slowdowns.
7. Softonic
As of Feb. 2011
Anti-Spyware
by Editors of and Contributors to Softonic.com
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentBased in Spain, Softonic.com is a popular download site in Europe and elsewhere. The site hosts lots of free anti-spyware programs as well as evaluation versions of commercial programs. Software gets both an editor rating and a user rating. Some anti-spyware programs receive reasonably detailed and balanced reviews that include a bottom-line assessment and a list of pros and cons.
8. StarReviews.com
As of Feb. 2011
AntiSpyware Software Reviews
by Editors of StarReviews.com
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentStarReviews.com ranks seven anti-spyware programs, breaking down evaluations by price, ease of use, customer service and other factors. The site appears to do hands-on testing, but documentation of that is inconsistent. Software is ranked by separate editor and user ratings, but includes some older programs. Stopzilla gets a Gold Star award; Spy Sweeper gets a Silver Star.
9. Softpedia.com
As of Feb. 2011
Windows Software Reviews
by Editors of Softpedia.com
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentSoftpedia.com is a download site that publishes brief editorial evaluations of anti-spyware programs. Some sort of hands-on testing is documented, but it's not well explained. Pros and cons are clearly noted, and each program is rated on a five-point scale. User ratings are also available.
10. PC World
As of Feb. 2011
Browser Security Reviews
by Editors of PC World
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentPC World rarely looks at stand-alone anti-spyware software. The site has excellent evaluations of Internet security suites that include anti-spyware features, but mostly does not evaluate performance in that regard. An older roundup of anti-spyware software is too dated to be useful.
11. 2-Spyware.com
As of Feb. 2011
Anti-Spyware
by Editors of 2-Spyware.com
Credibility Rating
Our AssessmentThis anti-spyware site includes a database of removal tools, including five recommended programs. Ratings are provided alongside reviews that seem to concentrate more on listed features than on testing, though a few go into more depth. However, it doesn't appear that the recommendations have been updated in more than a year, so the reviews typically refer to outdated versions.
     
 

This is our assessment of the review’s relevance, clarity of testing and thoroughness.

Read more about our Ratings Criteria by clicking the link at the top of the page.
 
 
 
  
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