I’m a firm believer in FREE antivirus products. And though I do support and recommend some products that cost money, I am confident that the average home user doesn’t NEED to pay for antivirus software. (Now if you don’t follow safe browsing guidelines, you could be asking for trouble!) Following are my top picks for FREE antivirus products in 2010 with ultra-brief reviews for each. I wholeheartedly recommend any of these products all of them have passed the Virus Bulletin’s latest comparative and are therefore recipients of the VB100 an award that is widely recognized within the industry. All products also received either two or three stars (three being the highest award) in their advanced performance testing and in their advanced retrospective pro-active testing from AV-Comparatives for their December 2009 and May 2010 testing. My reasons for recommending the three programs below are simple:
1. They are free
2. They are effective
3. They are not known to slow down your computer (noticeably)
4. They are simple to use.
5. They all offer ‘pay’ versions, for those who feel more comfortable upgrading to something with internet security.
AVG 9 FREE
AVG Is my number one pick. I have an extended review on AVG 9 Free which you can read here. In short AVG 9 is rock solid, and scans 50% faster than previous versions. Nice interface, easy to use, lots of features, custom scans, automated scans and more.
AVIRA (AntiVir personal FREE)
Avira is known for having very strong detection rates. It has great features, and the backing of years of testing and industry support. It’s user interface is however lacking somewhat, and may appear slightly confusing at first.
AVAST Free Antivirus
It is somewhat of a toss up between AVG and AVAST (though as you can tell I’m partial to AVG). Avast gets five stars from CNET editors review, and “provides steadfast protection and a robust selection of features” (CNET). Avast is known for performing well, and having strong detection rates, it is also great for dealing with spyware and adware (as are all of these mentions).
Honorable Mention:
BitDefender FREE edition
Bit Defender’s scanning engine is excellent, but it only gets a honorable mention because their free edition is only an on-demand scanner. This is a good product to have in addition to one of the three I mention above.
36 comments
Tweets that mention Daniel’s top FREE Antivirus picks for 2010 « Information Carnivore -- Topsy.com says:
Jun 29, 2010
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Daniel Snyder, Daniel Snyder. Daniel Snyder said: Recommended FREE AV products for 2010. http://bit.ly/csAbpg #antivirus […]
dragonblogger says:
Jun 30, 2010
I use Avira myself on all 3 computers in my house, it worked far better than Avast at finding trojans.
Danielsnyder says:
Jun 30, 2010
Thanks for the input. I’m pretty faithful to AVG, but like I said I recommend all these programs. Avira does have pretty solid detection rates.
danielsnyder says:
Jun 30, 2010
Thanks for the input. I'm pretty faithful to AVG, but like I said I recommend all these programs. Avira does have pretty solid detection rates.
Gadget Newz says:
Jun 30, 2010
[…] Top FREE Antivirus picks for 2010 […]
HN says:
Jul 8, 2010
I am currently using avast! free anti-virus 5.0 with Prevx 3.0.
This combination is running light & has little impact on the computer's resources.
By the way, may I request for a FREE KEY for Safe Returner?
Thanks in advance.
danielsnyder says:
Jul 8, 2010
Interesting combination of AV software, so you say it's not using up a lot of resources… impressive! You don't feel comfortable with avast on it's own? I guess you can never be too cautious. 🙂 Yeah, will send you a link for a license key to safe returner. thanks for commenting.
HN says:
Jul 9, 2010
No, it doesn't eat up a lot of resources.
Well, there is nothing to lose running an extra layer of protection.
HN says:
Jul 9, 2010
Hi,
Have you sent the link?
I don't seem to find it in my mailbox.
Thanks.
danielsnyder says:
Jul 9, 2010
I did send email to your provided address. Check again (spam filter?) In any case I have re-sent it. Thanx!
stagnant says:
Jul 12, 2010
I agree with your picks EXCEPT, I personally have found Microsoft Security Essentials to be better at detecting malware and less resource intensive. Also, no annoying adds from AVG when it is time to upgrade trying to sell you the pro version 🙂
Try it, you won't regret it.
best anti virus 2010 cnet | ANTIVIRUS TOOL says:
Jul 15, 2010
[…] Daniel's top FREE Antivirus picks for 2010 « Information Carnivore […]
danielsnyder says:
Jul 18, 2010
Gotta be honest, when it has got “microsoft” in it's name I'm hesitant. Of course with Windows 7 I'm starting to be a little more impressed and satisfied, but I don't know if I'm ready to try their anti-virus software… Everyone has a different tolerance level when it comes to ads, some are more invasive then others too. I've been able to handle AVGs for now… we'll see what the future holds!
Why do people Pay for Antivirus protection? « Information Carnivore says:
Jul 19, 2010
[…] expensive product. That’s a lot of extra cash to just fork out, when a free product such as AVG, Avast or Avira will be relatively just as effective (Read my post on top free antivirus picks for […]
Vote on this article at blogengage.com says:
Jul 21, 2010
Daniel’s top FREE Antivirus picks for 2010…
I’m a firm believer in FREE antivirus products. And though I do support and recommend some products that cost money, I am confident that the average home user doesn’t NEED to pay for antivirus software. (Now if you don’t follow safe browsing guidelines…
BloggersBase Internet says:
Aug 1, 2010
How long can I browse the web with no antivirus protection?…
Maybe you’ve heard of them running a car with no oil to see how long it takes for the engine to seize? (Normally bets are taken and whoever guesses the closest time, wins.) Well how long can I……
Lee says:
Aug 3, 2010
Aha, I'm 3/4 of the way through testing 10 free antivirus programs myself so I was intrigued to see what you had to say Daniel.
Its interesting that your conclusions are very similar to mine, especially your comments about Avira's interface which I think may put the not-so-savvy user off of that particular program.
I would also go along with stagnant – MSE is a good quality and free solution without ads – I'd recommend giving it a go too.
danielsnyder says:
Aug 3, 2010
I hear a lot about MSE these days, so I'm tempted to check it out… you know it's been hard to overcome the whole Microsoft is good at security thing, but with Windows 7 and recent improvements, plus the good social publicity MSE is getting I think they've turned the corner.
Lee says:
Aug 3, 2010
I hear what you're saying about Microsoft's historical reputation for security but I think you'll find they've now turned the corner at the very least.
danielsnyder says:
Aug 4, 2010
Looks like I'm getting inspired… to write a new post! 🙂 thanks Lee!
MSE about to become major player for AV Solutions « Information Carnivore says:
Aug 8, 2010
[…] free alternatives to the big name expensive products. My favorite free products being discussed here (Top free antivirus picks) so be sure to read up on them. Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of […]
BloggersBase Internet says:
Aug 8, 2010
MSE about to become major player for AV Solutions…
I write a lot about Antivirus solutions and I’m a big fan of free alternatives to the big name expensive products. My favorite free products being discussed here (Top free antivirus picks) so be……
Zolex PC says:
Aug 9, 2010
I have tried MS Sec Ess and I would put it on the same par with AVG and the others. I do find it less resource intensive than AVG or AVAST. In addition it also includes antispyware/antimalware protection.
For myself I use AVG with Spybot and Spyware Blaster. As long as you don't mind manually updating them, I stay pretty infection free.
danielsnyder says:
Aug 9, 2010
That's high accolades, putting MSE on par with AVG and AVAST. Shows Microsoft is becoming a key player in the security industry… I'm writing a couple posts on this topic right now…
BloggersBase Internet says:
Aug 29, 2010
Why do people Pay for Antivirus protection?…
A question has continually been running through my mind. Why do people pay for Antivirus protection? I firmly believe that the average home user has no need to fork out cash for antivirus……
DO FOLLOW LUV says:
Sep 26, 2010
Daniel’s top FREE Antivirus picks for 2010 | Info Carnivore…
Top recommended antivirus software for 2010. There are 3 options to choose from plus a special mention which all are 100% free no gimmick. Stop paying for antivirus today….
Brentparlee says:
Oct 21, 2010
Thank-you for your review. As a guy who is relatively new to honest web browsing I read your review and switched from Norton to AVG thanks to a little nudge from you Dan. Best move yet
Daniel Snyder says:
Oct 22, 2010
Sweet. Glad to see you got 2011 installed now as well! I’m going to write a review on that soon.
AVG 2011 Antivirus Review | Info Carnivore says:
Nov 4, 2010
[…] in the antivirus industry and there are some really top notch products (Take a look at my 2010 Top Free Antivirus picks!). Norton is “the world’s best selling antivirus”, that is a big statement, made […]
Online Strategies says:
Nov 10, 2010
I found bit defender quick scan very useful. It stays at the bottom of the browser and is really powerful and light weight.
Daniel Snyder says:
Nov 11, 2010
Agree, I do appreciate Bit Defender products as well… unfortunately I have found them to be rather clunky when it comes to their use of system resources… that’s my only problem with them.
mkvirtanen says:
Nov 12, 2010
I have used Antivirus software since 1990, even written a cleaner for one specific beast back then. Having used AVG, Avast, Bitdefender 8, F-Secure, Norton, Sunbelt etc. I have now landed onto the Microsoft platform. My wife has been running MSE for over a year and it is a solid product. I have paid for AV several times (Norton, Bitdefender, AVG, Sunbelt, at least).
The worst of the herd was definitely Bitdefender. Their product simply caused huge problems for a lot of people. Some had to reinstall their OS. My version refused to update itself. Please read their forums if you do not believe.
As for MSE it is fast, invisible and seems to do its job just as well or even better than many of the competitors. I was a fan of AVG for five years but ditched it for a number of good reasons. A recent pretty impartial report from nsslabs.com reveals that AVG alongside with NOD are in a pretty bad shape. Have a look at the report here: http://tinyurl.com/2vlmvfj
The bottom line is that you really do not need to pay for AV software any more. The real treats are somewhere else. Do not believe the marketing people or advertisement-monetized sites or magazines.
Daniel Snyder says:
Nov 14, 2010
Excellent comment here! I completely agree with you – and am also a fan of MSE (even though it wasn’t mentioned in this post), but I have written other articles about it. There is no need to pay for AV, I’m with you on that… if you are going to pay for a product, I find most people do it for peace of mind (difficulty trusting a free product), don’t pay for something because it’s the easy option, do your research and buy a solid solution! I agree with the commenter about Bitdefender… not a worthwhile pay solution.
Rajesh@Hack Facebook Account says:
Dec 28, 2010
Well, I have been using Avira and pretty happy with its working. I work on Virus testing and I must say that its really hard to bypass Avira. So, you can trust max on Avira.
foster says:
Feb 7, 2012
hi daniel! great article i agree with all thats the tops for the best! ,however im using a unknow one haha but is my recomendation for all Zenok Free Antivirus also offer a backup online service thats amazing here is 🙂 http://www.zenok.com/en/free-antivirus/
Phanmem says:
Mar 14, 2012
Today, I think that Avira and Avast are 2 most powerful and light free antivirus soft ware. My company’s a distributor of Avira in North Vietnam. In my country, many computer has been setup Avira or Avast free edition while buy new computer. For more information about Avira product, I recommended this source: Avira product information