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Antivirus Software: Ratings of Sources
Total of 19 Sources

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

1. West Coast Labs
As of Mar. 2009
Anti-Virus Desktop Checkmark certification
by Editors of West Coast Labs
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Computer magazines and specialty websites no longer conduct their own testing. Instead, they contract with organizations like West Coast 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 wild'," at the time of testing.
2. Virus Bulletin
As of Mar. 2009
VB100 Results Summary
by Editors of Virus Bulletin
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Virus Bulletin is another of the major independent test labs. To receive Virus Bulletin certification, an antivirus program must detect all in-the-wild viruses "during both on-demand and on-access… scanning." It must also generate no false positives. Antivirus software must pass these tests in their default states (which presumably means without user adjustment of settings). One weakness is that the charted data only lists brands, rather than specific programs. One strength is that the chart shows brands that failed tests.

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3. CheckVir.com
As of Mar. 2009
Certification Test Results
by Editors of CheckVir.com
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

According to its editors, "The main purpose of CheckVir project is testing antivirus products and solutions independently from developers, helping users and antivirus companies as well." CheckVir.com tests… programs' abilities to detect and destroy nearly a thousand common malware threats. Products can earn Standard qualification or Advanced qualification, which means they also could possibly restore the infected file to its original state. Effectiveness in mail-scanning is also tested. This PDF file summarizes the test scores for the last five years, including how many times each product was tested, what type of certification it received, and how many times, if any, it failed to be certified.

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4. CNET
Jan. 28. 2009
Best Security Apps
by Robert Vamosi
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

In separate articles Robert Vamosi reviews both antivirus and full-featured Internet security programs, with the best products winding up on this list. CNet.com does not test effectiveness in preventing… malware; it relies on independent lab tests, but Vamosi evaluates other factors of usage that are neglected in many reviews. Vamosi thoroughly measures how each program affects computer speed. Comparisons in that regard are good, but Vamosi doesn't address software conflicts and deinstallation problems. Users also weigh in with opinions.

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5. ICSA Labs
As of Mar. 2009
ICSA Labs Anti-Virus Testing Reports
by Editors of ICSA Labs
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment ICSA Labs lists monthly test results for a comprehensive range of antivirus programs. The most recent coverage, from November 2008, covers the latest 2009 versions. Testing methodology is detailed, but test results are not, and software isn't tested for usability or compatibility.
6. AV-comparatives.org
As of Mar. 2009
Antivirus Comparative
by Editors of AV-comparatives.org
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment AV-comparatives.org is an independent, nonprofit organization that tests antivirus software. The organization only evaluates the effectiveness of programs at detecting viruses and malware. Usage issues such as conflicts, system drag and ease of use are not evaluated. A December report lists the top products overall and in various categories.
7. PCMag.com
As of Mar. 2009
Security Software Reviews
by Neil J. Rubenking
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

PC Magazine reports on antivirus protection offered by standalone software and multi-application security suites. Reports rely on published test results from independent testing labs to establish how… effective the software is at virus prevention, but PC Magazine does evaluate other performance aspects on its own, such as ease of use and installation and impact on computer performance. Ratings are provided, but in the case of suites, take lots of factors aside from virus protection into consideration. Norton products are higher rated this year.

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8. NewEgg.com
As of Mar. 2009
Antivirus Software
by Contributors to Newegg.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Technology retailer Newegg.com allows customers to review and rate products. In general, users of this site are more technically savvy than most, and in the reviews section, owners are asked to rate their… own level of technical understanding. At press time, few programs have many user reviews. NOD32 has a top average rating in over a 200 reviews, with nearly 85 percent of owners rating it five out of five.

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9. Amazon.com
As of Mar. 2009
Antivirus Software
by Contributors to Amazon.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Owner reviews are an excellent guide to issues that professional reviewers sometimes don't encounter -- such as system conflicts on a typical machine. Norton Antivirus 2009 gets good -- though not perfect -- grades after about 60 reviews. NOD32 does even better, but with less feedback, and comments are about the previous version (NOD 3.0)
10. Which? (UK)
As of Mar. 2009
Security software
by Editors of Which?
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment British consumer magazine Which? indexes all the security programs it's reviewed. The list is confusing, but primarily includes Internet security suites. The only standalone antivirus programs reviewed are free programs. Among those, AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition earns a Best Buy award. Norton Internet Security 2009 is also honored.
11. Bright Hub.com
July 29, 2008
Top Anti-virus Software For 2008
by Ashwin Satyanarayana
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Business consultant Ashwin Satyanarayana summarizes the pros and cons of five popular security programs including Kaspersky Internet Security 2009, BitDefender Anti-Virus 2008, ESET Nod 32, AVG Anti-Virus, F-Secure Anti Virus. Write-ups on each program are very short, and it's not clear if the author's conclusions are based on any testing.
12. About.com
As of Mar. 2009
Antivirus, Firewall, and Security Software Reviews
by Mary Landesman
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

About.com's guide to antivirus software, Mary Landesman, reviews all types of Internet security software, including security suites with antivirus protection and free, standalone antivirus programs. The… discussion isn't greatly detailed or highly critical, but does provide a good overview of a program's strengths. Mac users will want to check out the Mac antivirus reviews. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

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13. Michael Aulia's Blog
Jan. 9, 2009
Thumbs Up for ESET NOD32 Version 4 Public Beta 1
by Michael Aulia
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Blogger Michael Aulia takes a look at the beta version of NOD32 v4, which became the current version of NOD32 in early March. He notes that NOD32 and Kaspersky are his favorite antivirus applications because they don't seriously impact computer performance. This new version of NOD32 -- even when still in beta -- was also solid and effective.
14. WebUser
As of Mar. 2009
Anti-Virus Round-up
by Wayne Williams, J.J. O'Donoghue, Andy Shaw
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment U.K. Internet magazine WebUser regularly reviews security software, but the reviews are cursory and heavily reliant on third-party testing. We found mostly very short reviews of free software, though Norton Internet Security 2009 is also covered.
15. Virus.gr
June 2008
Comparative Tests of Antivirus Programs
by Editors of Virus.gr
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Virus.gr is a Greek website that regularly conducts exhaustive tests of antivirus programs by subjecting them to more than 100,000 viruses. The most recent tests were concluded in June 2008, making them a… little dated. The testing methodology is explained in detail, but much of that information will only be understood by technology professionals. No subjective information is evaluated. Each program is ranked by the percentage of virus infiltrations it is able to prevent.

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16. ConsumerReports.org
Sept. 2008
Antivirus Programs
by Editors of Consumer Reports
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Consumer Reports tests 10 security suites and one free antivirus program, rating detection, features, ease of use and speed. Several of the programs covered have since been updated, making this report a little dated. Discussion is limited -- and is non-existent for products that don't earn recommended status.
17. TopTenReviews.com
Not Dated
2009 AntiVirus Software Product Comparisons
by Editors of TopTenReviews.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This site compares 17 antivirus programs. Although most programs are rated excellent in most categories (only three of 60 ratings are considered less than "very good"), BitDefender 2009 is the top-rated… program. This review is so positive and devoid of criticism that it could have been written by the manufacturer. Noticeably missing from the chart and the comments is an indication of how much drain each program exerts on a computer's resources.

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18. BetaNews FileForum
As of Mar. 2009
Antivirus-Software
by Contributors to BetaNews FileForum
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This shareware site offers downloads and invites members to vote on or review products they have downloaded. Members review many freeware and shareware antivirus programs. Top-rated antivirus programs include avast! Home and NOD32 Antivirus 4. Both have excellent overall scores and hundreds of votes.
19. Download.com
As of Mar. 2009
Untitled
by Contributors to Download.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Download.com, like BetaNews FileForum, let's users rate antivirus software they've downloaded. Freeware and trial versions of most commercial antivirus software are available here. Some programs garner a brief editorial review and rating, but the user reviews and ratings are the real reason to visit.

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