Antivirus Software Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Antivirus Software. See our ratings criteria

For recommendations of best Antivirus Software, see our Fast Answers page, which summarizes what these reviews say. A longer summary and analysis appears in our Full Story report for Antivirus Software. Our Where to Buy page contains information on retailers and Antivirus Software prices.

Where to Buy

Fast Answers

Full Story

All Reviews

Antivirus Software Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Antivirus Software Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. West Coast Labs	Anti-Virus Desktop Checkmark certification Engineers of West Coast Labs As of Jan. 2008		West Coast Labs is one of the major independent test labs for security software. 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. This gives a clear and independent indication of which antivirus products perform best.
2. Virus Bulletin >> Details/Subscribe	VB100 results summary Engineers of Virus Bulletin 2007		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). The weakness here is that none of the new releases have been tested on consumer operating systems. Also, the charted data shows brands, rather than specific programs. One strength is that the chart shows brands that failed tests. Only three consumer brands passed the last five tests.

Antivirus Software Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Antivirus Software Ratings Comments on Reviews

3. CheckVir.com	Certification Results Engineers of CheckVir.com Oct. 2007		According to its editors, "The main purpose of CheckVir project is testing anti-virus products and solutions independently from developers, helping users and anti-virus companies as well." In the most recent test, which involved current and previous generation products, CheckVir tested programs' abilities to detect and destroy nearly a thousand common malware threats. Three consumer products receive both CheckVir Advanced and Mailscanner certification. Three other antivirus programs receive Standard certification. No other aspects of performance or use are tested, and CheckVir doesn't say which submitted products (if any) failed to achieve certification.
4. GCN (Government Computer News)	You are naked without it John Breeden II Aug. 13, 2007		GCN (Government Computer News) reviews six antivirus programs in this issue. Unfortunately, the timing is terrible. New versions of most of these programs were released shortly after publication. GCN's testing isn't comprehensive, but it covers more aspects than other reviewers do, and objectivity and balance are unmatched. Each program receives a grade for functionality, ease of use, speed and value. This approach is superior to individual ratings because it allows consumers to make decisions based on their own priorities. Pros and cons are summarized. Panda Internet Security 2008 is judged best overall.
5. Scot's Newsletter	ESET's NOD32 2.7: The Best Antivirus Product of 2007 Scot Finnie Feb. 2007		Computerworld editor Scot Finnie spent months thoroughly testing the 2006 versions of 16 antivirus programs in real-world use. Additionally, Finnie weighed the feedback of hundreds of expert readers. He chose F-Secure Anti-Virus 2006 as the Best Antivirus Product of 2006 and NOD32 2.5 as the runner-up. He reviews the newer versions of each program in the February 2007 issue of Scot's Newsletter. Finnie chooses NOD32 2.7 as the Best Antivirus Product of 2007. He praises its effectiveness, low price and invisible impact on performance. Finnie is currently testing the recently released version 3.0.

Antivirus Software Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Antivirus Software Ratings Comments on Reviews

6. Bright Hub Inc.	Anti-virus Member-contributors to BrightHub.com As of Jan. 2008		Bright Hub's admirable slogan is "truth before commerce." The company's business model and website are confusing, however. Testing isn't comprehensive. Paul Pardi reviews several programs and provides subcategory ratings, but has no other method of comparison, and ratings have little variation. His expertise is impressive and his reviews have potential, however. Yet, he admits his performance tests are non-scientific. The focus and review sections are similar to CNet.com's (see below). The substance is a little better, but performance needs more attention.
7. CNet.com	Antivirus Software Reviews Robert Vamosi As of Jan. 2008		In separate articles from September through December, Robert Vamosi reviews six antivirus programs. CNet.com does not test effectiveness in preventing malware; it relies on independent lab tests, but Vamosi evaluates other factors of usage, which 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 uninstall problems. Users can also weigh in with opinions. In most cases, average user ratings are substantially below those of CNet.com.
8. ICSA Labs	Product Certified under the Anti-Virus Cleaning Criteria Engineers of ICSA Labs As of Jan. 2008		ICSA Labs most recently tested antivirus programs in September 2007, which means that new versions of programs have not been tested yet. Only three programs with small U.S. sales failed the September tests. Test methodology is detailed, but test results are not.
9. BiosMagazine.co.uk	Reviews: software Christian Harris As of Jan. 2008		British business computing magazine BIOS reviews all types of computer products, but doesn't review enough in any category to develop sufficient expertise or a broad frame of reference. The new version of ESET NOD32 is selected as an Editor's Choice. In the past year, Christian Harris reviews four Internet security suites and the previous version of NOD32. All have lower ratings. Harris says NOD32 is improved, but he doesn't address testing. The widely-despised user interface has been simplified. However, Harris seems to still recommend it more for technically minded users as NOD32 "still requires a fair bit of tweaking."
10. Virus.gr	Comparative tests of antivirus programs Editors of Virus.gr As of Jan. 2008		The anonymous engineers behind this Greek website regularly conduct exhaustive tests of antivirus programs by subjecting them to more than 100,000 viruses. The most recent tests were concluded in May 2007. That means the latest versions of programs have not been tested yet. 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.
11. AV-comparatives.org	Antivirus Comparative Edited by Andreas Clementi Aug. 2007		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. Programs have not been updated since the last round of testing, so this site isn't currently as useful as it could be.
12. Newegg.com	Antivirus Software Contributors to Newegg.com As of Jan. 2008		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 2008 programs have many user reviews. Norton 2008 still has severe bloating problems, according to users. In early results, two-thirds of users give it the bottom rating. NOD32 3.0 has a perfect average rating so far, but only a dozen reviews at the time of our visit. Version 2.7 trounced the competition in average ratings.
13. Amazon.com	Antivirus Software Contributors to Amazon.com As of Jan. 2008		Although Amazon.com customers lack the tools to gauge the effectiveness of antivirus software, most customer comments indicate that they've used multiple past versions of Norton and McAfee programs, which provides some frame of reference. Owner reviews are an excellent guide to issues that professional reviewers won't encounter. At press time, only Norton AntiVirus 2008 has more than ten reviews. Even numbers of totally satisfied and totally dissatisfied buyers generate an average rating. One user experiments with Kaspersky 7.0 based on reviews, and happily returns to Norton after problems with Kaspersky. Other programs have small numbers of reviews, but none have better than average ratings.

Antivirus Software Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Antivirus Software Ratings Comments on Reviews

14. WebUser.co.uk	Anti-Virus reviews Andy Shaw, Mark Wilson As of Jan. 2008		UK Internet magazine Web User regularly reviews security software, but the reviews are cursory and heavily reliant on third-party testing. No 2008 versions of antivirus programs are reviewed. Andy Shaw reviews the new versions of McAfee Total Protection and Symantec Norton Internet Security in the November issue. The ratings for both products are much higher than the middling copy infers they should be. The magazine ran a good comparison of free antivirus programs more than a year ago, which still has some value.
15. PC World >> Details/Subscribe	Virus Stoppers Ryan Naraine Apr. 23, 2007		For this article, PC World partners with AV-Test.org to comprehensively test 2007 antivirus programs. Test results are described in detail. Results are reasonably consistent with what other testers achieved. PC World rates and ranks the programs based entirely on the results. That means installation, removal, software conflicts, system drag, ease of use and other issues are not factored into the ratings.
16. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Security Suites 2008 Neil J. Rubenking Dec. 12, 2007		PC Magazine rarely reviews standalone antivirus programs, and it has not yet covered any 2008 applications. Rather, this article summarizes 14 recently reviewed Internet security suites. PC Magazine no longer conducts independent tests for viruses. Instead, it relies on the third-party services. Still, the virus protection ability of these suites -- as reported by Neil Rubenking -- has some value for prospective buyers of standalone antivirus programs from the same brands. The catch is that ratings are not very relevant for people who don't care about things like spam protection or suite integration.
17. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Antivirus Programs Editors of Consumer Reports Sept. 2007		Consumer Reports tests 12 antivirus programs, rating detection, features, ease of use and speed. All the commercial Windows software programs have been replaced by newer versions. Usage issues are not rated. While the ability of programs to detect viruses is the first item on the chart, the ability of programs to remove viruses is not even evaluated. The Consumer Reports rankings are considerably different than any other reviewers. Programs that other testers say are ineffective fare well in this test, and vice versa.
18. About.com	Review: Free Antivirus Software Mary Landesman Aug. 21, 2006		About.com's Guide to Antivirus Software reviews three free antivirus programs: AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic, avast! 4 Home Edition and AVG Free Edition. The university-based AV-Test.org independently tested each program. AntiVir PersonalEdition does the best job of detecting viruses, but manages to find only three-quarters of them. AVG found the fewest viruses. None of the programs are able to detect much adware or spyware. Although Mary Landesman gives ratings to the free programs, she does not address their adequacy relative to commercial software, and the comparison is dated. (Note that ConsumerSearch is affiliated with About.com.)
19. Which.co.uk >> Details/Subscribe	Security software Editors of Which.co.uk Dec. 14, 2007		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 the three major free programs. The test dates are listed as "2007," but version 4 of avast! is rated (4.7 is the current version). The range of ratings is just one percent, and all three programs are Best Buys.
20. 6Star Reviews.com	2008 Anti-Virus Reviews Editors of 6StarReviews.com Not Dated		The proprietors of this website say, "We are a bunch of online marketers that simply started reviewing products and websites, since we see them everyday anyway." In their explanation of review criteria, they admit to their interest in affiliate marketing, which is a process where their referrals generate sales commissions. In keeping with that orientation, the top rated programs have coupon codes for discounts. 6StarReviews reviews, rates and ranks nine antivirus programs. Although amateurish and informal, reviews are adequately balanced and informative, but effectiveness is not tested. The top-ranked program, The Shield Deluxe 2008, is not reviewed by any other source.
21. Top Ten Reviews.com	Anti-Virus SoftwareReviews2008 Editors of TopTenReviews.com Not Dated		This site compares 17 antivirus programs. Although most programs are rated excellent in most categories (only three of 60 ratings are below "very good"), BitDefender 2008 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. The 2008 date in the title and subtitles are deceptive; many of the reviews are of previous versions of the programs. Rankings haven't changed from last year, which makes us wonder if anything but the dates and pictures changed.
22. BetaNews	Antivirus programs Contributors to BetaNews FileForum As of Jan. 2008		This shareware site offers downloads and invites members to review products they have downloaded. Members review many freeware and shareware antivirus programs. avast! Home Edition is compared with other free and commercial programs. avast! has the highest average rating of any free program and is based on hundreds of user's opinions, but most date to earlier versions of the program. The popular AVG program has more than 300,000 downloads, but earns only an average rating, which has declined in the past year. The opinions expressed by members are too divergent to form a consensus, but both programs are clearly popular.
23. Macworld >> Details/Subscribe	Antiviral Armor Rob Griffiths June 20, 2006		According to Macworld, as the Macintosh computer gains in popularity, it could become more vulnerable to virus attacks. Rob Griffiths adds that adding security software not only protects a Mac user, but prevents unwittingly passing viruses on via attachments or Office documents. Three major Mac antivirus programs are examined, but the article is dated.
24. PC World >> Details/Subscribe	Hassle-Free PC: Dump Pricey Antivirus for a Freebie Steve Bass Nov. 22, 2006		In this short article, PC World Contributing Editor Steve Bass recommends Grisoft's free AVG antivirus program over Symantec's Norton AntiVirus and McAfee's VirusScan Plus. Much of the short article is devoted to instructions for removing Norton and McAfee from systems. Both programs are difficult to fully uninstall. Other than price, Bass doesn't state his objections to the commercial programs. He says he uses AVG Anti-Virus, and implies it is as effective as the commercial applications. He also recommends Alwil's avast! software. We found several other technology writers with the same point of view.
25. CNet.com	Windows Live OneCare Robert Vamosi Feb. 26, 2007		Windows Live OneCare is Microsoft's first product to include an antivirus program. It's actually a subscription service, rather than a product. This article is revised from the original May 2006 version, and includes some comparison with Norton 360. Robert Vamosi fails to explain the difference between managed online security and conventional Internet security suites. He points out many of the problems with Live OneCare. Users are forced to remove all existing antivirus and firewall applications. Vamosi feels Live OneCare is not ready for prime time on your desktop.
26. SC Magazine	Anti-virus 2007 Mike Stephenson, Kris Rowley and John Aitken June 14, 2007		SC Magazine is a U.K. trade journal for IT security professionals. For this issue, the magazine's lab conducts comprehensive tests of many antivirus software programs. For most consumers, the test results are meaningless. First, the tested programs are last year's versions. More importantly, the full article with test results is not published online. As few U.S. libraries subscribe to foreign trade journals, access is a challenge. Fragments of information are available on the websites of companies whose products excelled in the tests.

Antivirus Software Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Antivirus Software Ratings Comments on Reviews

27. Erickson Tribune	Ask Joe: My love/hate relationship with antivirus software Joe the Computer Guy Oct. 1, 2007		Joe Fino (a.k.a Joe the Computer Guy) writes a monthly column for the Erickson Tribune, a newspaper that promotes the Erickson retirement communities, and also provides articles of general interest to senior citizens. In this column, Joe says, "Do as I say, not as I do." He admits he does not use antivirus software because he can't stand the slowing and system problems it causes. He recommends that people use programs, but just mentions "a few of the most popular programs." The irony in this careless approach is that he mentions the programs that are the worst slowing offenders.
28. Smart Computing >> Details/Subscribe	Keep Your System Safe Jennifer Johnson Feb. 2007		In this general article about computer security, Jennifer Johnson devotes a paragraph to antivirus programs. She says, "If you're looking for a free program, consider Grisoft's AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition or Avira's AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic." She offers no explanation for the recommendation, nor any documentation or evidence of testing or even personal usage. The magazine has not previously reviewed either program. Two other programs, McAfee Internet Security Suite 2007 and Norton Internet Security 2007, are briefly described but not specifically recommended.
29. All-Internet-Security.com	Top 10 Antivirus Software Editors of All-Internet-Security.com Not Dated		This website claims it is "a trusted source of information for buyers and sellers of try-before-you-buy software." The "updated" date changes daily. A minimal amount of information coupled with no explanation provides no grounds for trust. In spite of the title, only six programs are ranked. Each listing is accompanied with a brief list of features and a summarized version of the manufacturer's marketing copy. The ratings and rankings are the only review elements found here. Effectiveness and usage are ignored.
30. FilterGuide.com	2008 Antivirus Software Reviews Richard Seng Not Dated		FilterGuide.com is a third-party marketing website disguised as a review source. Richard Seng compiles a chart of 15 antivirus programs. The top six programs on the chart are all labeled "Editor's Choice." Other than that exception, programs aren't rated, ranked, compared or criticized. Links from the chart lead to individual product description pages. Each page hypes product features and encourages readers to buy. Seng often employs scare tactics as a motivational tool. He never cites testing the programs, although he implies that he's used them.