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In this report
- Introduction{1 mention}
- Top Antivirus Software{7 mentions}{1 mention}{7 mentions}{2 mentions}
- Internet Security Suites{1 mention}{6 mentions}{1 mention}{2 mentions}{1 mention}
- Free Antivirus Software{2 mentions}{1 mention}
- Mac and Linux AV software{1 mention}{1 mention}{1 mention}{2 mentions}
- Useful Links
- Our Sources
Antivirus Software: Ratings of Sources
Total of 18 Sources
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
Detection Tests
by Editors of AV-Comparatives.org
by Editors of AV-Comparatives.org
Our AssessmentAV-Comparatives.org is an independent, nonprofit organization that tests antivirus software. The organization only evaluates the effectiveness of programs at detecting viruses and malware, but the test report is very thorough and detailed. AV-Comparatives.org conducts many types of tests, including an on-demand scan and a difficult proactive/retrospective test that tests the programs' chops against viruses that aren't in their databases. The best performing software earns the highest Advanced+ certification. AV-Comparatives.org also publishes a whole-product summary, which is helpful for evaluating Internet security suites.
VB100 Results Summary
by Editors of Virus Bulletin
by Editors of Virus Bulletin
Our AssessmentComputer magazines and specialty websites don't always conduct their own antivirus testing. Instead, they contract with organizations such as Virus Bulletin. To receive Virus Bulletin certification, an antivirus program must detect all viruses "during both on-demand and on-access scanning." It must also generate no false positives. Dozens of antivirus programs are tested, and most major brands pass the testing criteria. As a result, Virus Bulletin is helpful for ensuring your chosen software effectively prevents malware, but it's less helpful for picking the best programs overall.
Anti-Virus Desktop Checkmark Certification
by Editors of West Coast Labs
by Editors of West Coast Labs
Our AssessmentWest Coast Labs is another of the major independent test labs. West Coast Labs does not review software or evaluate anything other than malware detection performance. Certification requires that the "product must be able to detect all those viruses, worms and BOTS in the current test suite." Several products earn the Platinum Checkmark Certification, but the award is handed out much less frequently than certifications from some other testers. For example, most major antivirus solutions fail to earn the Platinum Checkmark
Security
by Editors of PCMag. com
by Editors of PCMag. com
Our AssessmentPCMag.com reports on antivirus protection offered by standalone software and multi-application security suites. Neil J. Rubenking puts security and antivirus products through several tests and reports on the percentage of rootkits, scareware and total malware they are able to defend against, with separate results for malware blocking and removal. Independent lab results are also taken into consideration, and top performers are identified in yearly roundups.
Choose Your Defender! 10 Anti-Virus Programs Reviewed and Compared
by Paul Lilly
by Paul Lilly
Our AssessmentReviewer Paul Lilly examines 10 antivirus programs, testing them for system performance and scan speed, annoyance of use, features, price and -- of course -- virus detection. Each product receives a write-up as well as a numerical score, and charts at the end of the article display testing data. Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete 2012, Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 and Norton Internet Security 2012 all receive scores of 9, although only Norton's offering receives the Kick Ass award for best antivirus.
Security Software
by Editors of Which? magazine
by Editors of Which? magazine
Our AssessmentBritain's Which? magazine covers most of the top antivirus solutions around, and it does a good job of staying on top of product releases. The reviews themselves are a bit short, but they include a full list of tests covering several criteria, rating each on a 1- to 5-star scale. A pair of free and a pair of premium programs are highlighted as Best Buys.
Detailed Test Reports
by Editors of AV-Test.org
by Editors of AV-Test.org
Our AssessmentAV-Test.org, an independent IT security institute, tests 25 consumer antivirus programs on Windows-based systems. Quarterly tests were conducted, but the institute has switched to a bi-monthly schedule. Programs are tested for usability and virus blockage and removal capabilities, with a separate score assigned for each criterion. Like Virus Bulletin, the majority of products receive certification, making AV-Test.org less useful for identifying the best antivirus programs, although you can draw your own conclusions by studying the detailed individual test results.
Antivirus Software
by Editors of and contributors to Download.com
by Editors of and contributors to Download.com
Our AssessmentDownload.com, a service of CNET, has a good selection of reviews for standalone antivirus programs. Like many technology reviewers, Download.com does not test effectiveness in preventing malware; it relies on independent lab tests for that. However, editors have a number of details on usability, including factors such as installation, interface, features, technical support and speed. Most antivirus products, including some free software, earn high ratings. Users can also chime in with their own opinions, and they can sometimes differ significantly.
Antivirus Software Reviews and Downloads
by Editors of AntivirusWare.com
by Editors of AntivirusWare.com
Our AssessmentAntivirusWare.com lists its top 10 antivirus programs with links to full reviews. The effectiveness of programs is determined through a synthesis of results from major testing labs, while user interface and eight separate computer performance-related criteria (such as scan speed and reboot increase time) are evaluated hands-on. Evaluations seem comprehensive, unbiased and competent, but we'd be more comfortable with the site if it were less commerce oriented. No free software is covered. Norton AntiVirus 2012 is named the best antivirus program.
The Best Mac Antivirus Software
by Mary Landesman
by Mary Landesman
Our AssessmentMary Landesman, About.com's antivirus guide, lists her picks for the top antivirus solutions available for Apple computers. Each product receives a short blurb and a link to a longer review, but the longer reviews are short themselves, seem devoid of any hands-on testing and some cover older, obsolete versions of the software. On the positive side, the reviews assign numerical ratings for each antivirus program and do a good job of describing the basic abilities of each piece of software. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Software
by Contributors to Walmart.com
by Contributors to Walmart.com
Our AssessmentWalmart.com has a good selection of user reviews for some antivirus software packages. You'll have to wade through different types of software to find specific reviews, and the reviews themselves are usually brief. The various Kaspersky security products are the clear favorites with Walmart.com customers, with hundreds of mostly positive reviews posted for its security suite and its PC and Mac antivirus programs. Bitdefender products also receive a good number of mostly positive reviews, though nowhere near as many as Kaspersky. Reviews for other antivirus products are few, however.
Security Software Programs
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Our AssessmentConsumerReports.org tests a variety of security suites and free antivirus programs, rating performance, features, ease of use and speed. The software's performance on net threats and false positives is also rated. However, the report hasn't been updated to account for the 2012 editions, so most of the recommended programs have been replaced and updated. However, it's still a useful source for reviews of free antivirus software, many of which haven't been updated since ConsumerReports.org took a look at them last year.
Antimalware Software
by Editors of TechRadar.com
by Editors of TechRadar.com
Our AssessmentBritain's TechRadar.com reviews a handful of security suites that contain antivirus components, all of which are picked up from affiliated magazines like PC Plus and Mac Format. The reviews are short and, although hands-on testing has obviously been conducted, the critics do a poor job of outlining the process or the actual results, relying more on general impressions. Additionally, the scores assigned are very similar, with all products earning 4 to 4.5 stars.
Antivirus Software
by Contributors to Amazon.com
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Our AssessmentOwner reviews are an excellent guide to issues that professional reviewers sometimes don't encounter -- such as system conflicts on a typical machine. Amazon.com users tend to favor Norton, Kaspersky and McAfee programs, as well as Intego VirusBarrier X6 for Macs. However, reviews of the newest versions aren't particularly plentiful.
Antivirus Software
by Contributors to Newegg.com
by Contributors to Newegg.com
Our AssessmentTechnology retailer Newegg.com allows customers to review and rate products. In general, users of this site are more technically savvy than most, and reviewers are asked to rate their own level of technical understanding. None of the listed antivirus software earns more than a handful of ratings, and some of the programs listed are older versions.
Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition
by Israel Torres
by Israel Torres
Our AssessmentAlthough the software is reviewed on an older "Snow Leopard" Mac, Israel Torres' review of Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac is thorough and covers every angle of the program, from the first moments of installation to virus removal and uninstallation (if you decide to go that route). He awards the program a 5/5 rating despite a few flaws. "It's certainly more comprehensive, updatable, customizable and user friendly than the built-in Mac Anti-Malware feature," Torres writes.
AntiVirus Software Review
by Editors of TopTenReviews.com
by Editors of TopTenReviews.com
Our AssessmentThis site compares 10 antivirus programs. Although most programs are rated excellent in most categories (only two of 60 ratings are considered less than "very good"), BitDefender Antivirus Plus 2012 is the top-rated program. The reviews are so positive and devoid of criticism that they could have been written by the manufacturer. Noticeably missing from the charts and the comments is an indication of how much drain each program exerts on a computer's resources. While the comments are lengthy, one gets the impression that no hands-on testing was conducted and the reviews rely instead on feature and spec lists.
Sophos Introduces Free Antivirus for Mac
by Phillip Sellers
by Phillip Sellers
Our AssessmentSystem administrator Phillip Sellers, who owns several Apple computers and laptops, muses on his first impressions of the Sophos Anti-Virus For Mac Home Edition. The write-up is brief, but Sellers likes the programs ease of use and small performance footprint. Unfortunately, he doesn't go into much detail beyond that.
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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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