Free Antivirus Software

Pros and cons of free antivirus software

You have many options if you don't want to pay for antivirus software, but experts say free programs have more downsides than antivirus software that isn't free. For one, free antivirus software typically doesn't include free technical support, although there are some exceptions. Instead of phone or email support, you may be directed to a FAQ page or user forums for answers. Free antivirus programs often contain ads for their paid counterparts, and they may offer fewer customization or reporting options. Even so, free antivirus software is better than none, especially when paired with safe browsing habits. Two free products stand out with critics.

AVG Anti-Virus Free 2012 delivers strong performance

Experts say AVG Anti-Virus Free 2012, a stripped-down version of AVG Internet Security 2012 (discussed in the section on Internet Security Software), is the best choice among free antivirus software. The free version doesn't come with technical support, and it lacks some of the full version's advanced features, including spam detection and a firewall. In addition, although it scans email content, the free version doesn't scan Internet chats or instant messages for troublesome links or downloads.

When it comes to straight-up virus detection, however, AVG Anti-Virus Free 2012 is one of the top programs around. As mentioned in the Internet Security Suite discussion, the antivirus portion of the AVG Internet Security 2012 suite receives Platinum Checkmark Certification from West Coast Labs and a certification from AV-Test.org, although that comes with the caveat that the program leaves behind a lot of harmless remnants from malware it removes. AVG also earns Virus Bulletin's VB100 certification for several different operating systems, and AV-Comparatives.org awards it an Advanced certification. The program removes a commendable 95.7 percent of malware, but it misses out on an Advanced+ certification because it also falsely identifies 51 safe files as being malware. That's the third-worst among tested products.

Independent testing labs aren't the only ones singing AVG Anti-Virus Free 2012's praises; professional critics also name it the best free antivirus software around. Maximum PC's Paul Lilly calls it "The King of Free AV" and gives it an 8 score in his antivirus roundup, Download.com's Seth Rosenblatt gives the software a 4.5 (out of 5) score, and PCMag.com awards it an Editors' Choice award. "This free product scored better than the commercial competition in PCMag's hands-on antivirus tests," Neil J. Rubenking writes. Britain's Which? magazine names it a Best Buy as well.

The impact on system performance is fairly minimal for free antivirus software. "You're looking at a much slower startup, fast scans, a minimal impact on shutdown, and a midrange hit to general system performance with AVG Free," Rosenblatt explains.

The interface remains largely the same from the 2011 version; reviewers call it functional, but busy. The social networking features get high marks, including the AVG LinkScanner, which ensures the safety of links on MySpace and Facebook. Other extras include a function that watches major programs for excessive memory usage, a PC Analyzer that scans your PC for junk or damaged files, and a SurfShield component that provides basic web exploit and phishing protection. SurfShield detects fewer exploits and phishing sites than paid antivirus software, but PCMag.com's Rubenking says it is more effective than Internet Explorer's built-in protection.

Avast Free Antivirus 6 offers decent protection with lots of features

Experts say Avast Free AntiVirus 6 is another strong pick in free antivirus software. Download.com gives it a 4.5 (out of 5) star rating, and it receives high marks in independent tests, including several VB100 awards from Virus Bulletin. In an on-demand detection test at AV-Comparatives.org, Avast Free AntiVirus 6 receives an Advanced+ certification -- the highest level available. The software detects 97.2 percent of malware with few false positives, more than Norton AntiVirus 2012 (*Est. $30), which detects 95.1 percent of malware in the same test.

While Avast's performance is strong, critics who review both it and AVG Anti-Virus Free 2012 tend to give the nod to AVG. Maximum PC and PCMag.com score Avast lower than AVG because Avast sometimes failed to remove all of the malware it detected. AV-Test.org certifies Avast Free AntiVirus 6, but says that it removes significantly fewer brand new zero-day threats than AVG, and like its competitor, Avast also leaves behind lots of nonactive remnants from malware it neutralizes.

That's not to say Avast doesn't have a lot going for it; reviewers say they appreciate the sleek, uncluttered look of the dashboard, and Download.com's testing shows that the boot-time impact of Avast is much less than AVG's, although AVG's scan times are a hair faster. It's also full-featured for a free program; it includes the ability to scan emails, instant messages, peer-to-peer shared files, websites and downloaded files for threats. A behavioral shield taps into the Avast user base to identify potentially dangerous websites you may stumble across while web surfing.

Avast Free AntiVirus 6 also includes a sandbox mode that opens "potentially unwanted programs" in a virtual environment so that they theoretically can't harm your computer; PCMag.com's Neil J. Rubenking ran into some issues with that feature, however, as one of the two trial keylogger programs he tried to install bypassed the sandbox, and the second one "was still able to log my keystrokes and monitor other activities" although it couldn't save files or affect the computer's registry.

All in all, experts say Avast Free AntiVirus 6 is a solid free option -- but not the best one. "Avast is clearly one of the best security products around, although there's definitely room for it to improve," Download.com's Seth Rosenblatt concludes.