What's the best free antivirus right now?

Is it still Avast? I'm temporarily using AVG 2012 for about a week now. Can anyone recommend a better free antivirus, one that's light and gives you better protection than AVG.

 

For myself, it's Avira AntiVir Free.

 

Still using Avast here version 6.0.1367. Good 30 day trial of another here...
http://majorgeeks.com/a-squared_Anti-Malware_d172.html
After 30 days you can remove it, recommend using Revo Uninstaller to remove...
http://majorgeeks.com/Revo_Uninstaller_d5706.html

 

I've been happy using AVG 2012 Free; also use Microsoft Security Essentials on client PCs (free, works on Vista and Win 7 only). Both seem to do the job well and don't hog a ton of system resources like Norton or McAfee.

 

I'm a dedicated Avast user. It's been on all my systems.

 

On two of my computers I have Microsoft Security Essentials,,without any problems ,because it's light!! On my other two I have Avast because I do more surfing and downloading on them. Because of all the shields I would refer Avast!!

 

Another for Microsoft Security Essentials. Also Comodo Internet security is good.

 

I have seen Comodo slow down my Netbook after the change in the last major update, but for MSE, it actually has faired better using it, vs Comodo Internet security. It is more of a trial and error, in trying to find the best solution for the computer that the person is using. What works for one person, may not work the same for another.

Now, with the latest update beta for MSE, it actually is working better than the last version. Plus, I only allow it to use 30% of CPU resources when scanning, not the default of 50.

 

AVIRA has been best for me. I have used AVG and AVAST both free and pay versions and didn't like them. AVIRA has almost no "fingerprint" on your system when your not scanning. I have also not have virus problems despite going to several typically shady sites.(torrent sites and watch tv sites mostly)

I also use malware fighter v1.2.

 

Thanks for all your answers. I'll give Microsoft and Avira a try.

 

Yep, one at a time. I planned to try Microsoft Security Essentials for a month, then Avira on January. But i really like the simplicity and lightness of Microsoft and think i'll stick with it after i tried both.

Btw, it also works on Windows XP( which is what i have) contrary to what gman863 said. There's no download link for XP here so i downloaded mine on Microsoft.

 

Been using MSE for almost 2 months now. I've just removed it to give Avira a try. While trying to install Avira though, it warned that it has identified 3 potential incompatible software and recommended that these be uninstalled. These are Comodo Firewall, Comodo Antivirus( i'm only using the Firewall though) and SpywareBlaster. Should i just continue installing the antivirus anyway without removing the firewall and SpywareBlaster? Coz these 2 are very important part of my security.

 

I was actually surprised it flagged me on Comodo and SpywareBlaster...hasn't happened on any antivirus i've used. I was all set to continue installing Avira and just ignore this warning..but wanted some opinions here just to be sure. Should i go ahead anyway?

 

I have Avira AntiVir, Comodo Firewall, and SpywareBlaster on all my machines.
Have never had any problems.

 

>> Worth noting that the top 3 are all shareware. I have been saying for over a year now that Norton is back <<

I totally agree with Major Attitude. Norton Rules!

I used both AVG Free edition as well as Zone Alarm as a firewall for many years. However this year I decided to try out Norton Internet Security; mostly because when I switched my ISP to Comcast and the full version of Norton Internet Security 2012 was provided free of charge. Also a plus: Comcast allows its customers to install the suite on as many computers as you have in your home - all free of charge! Many internet providers in the US provide free AV products; such as RCN and Verizon which both offer their customers McAfee Active Protection free AV and firewall protection. My advice: Always check your ISPs home page to see if they provide free AV protection.

Anyway, there's no turning back! I'm always downloading new freeware and the NIS suite has done a great job catching any potential threats thus far. I also run Malwarebytes and have had no conflicts between them at all. The NIS suite came with several additional useful features including "Backup Now" as well as the "Smart Firewall." The firewall actually turned out to be a lot less hassle to run compared to Zone Alarm; which provided good coverage but in retrospect, I do not miss the seemingly endless pop-ups that became a bother after a while.

Side Note: If anyone decides to install Norton: If you are running an older computer (or even a newer model with less RAM memory) I strongly recommend upgrading your computer's memory to at least 2GB. I say this because I also have an old Win XP computer in the house with minimal RAM (1 GB) and when I installed and tried out the Norton Internet Security on it the computer slowed to a crawl; especially whenever I start up the computer and/or reboot.

Good Luck!

COMP

 

Don't know about now, but several years ago, Norton had a reputation of being a serious resource hog.
Main reason I avoided them, but now very satisfied with my current setup.

 

The latest overall review is here:
Anti-Virus Comparative: December 2011

Bitdefender, which got the highest rating on the Malware Removal Test,
has a free online scanner to detect any currently running virus (memory scan) HERE

 

Avira's ok but i guess i'll be sticking with MSE anyway. Light & Simple. Hope i removed Avira properly, with Revo.

 

Been using the free Avira for years, but on PCs with low resources (like under 1gb RAM on XP, or 2gb on Vista/7) it can cause some lag. Comodo is good too. I've been messing around w/ Comodo quite a bit at work recently, and I really like what I see....

 

Wow, an extensive 129 page review there. Thanks for posting a link to it.

I have avast! Free Antivirus installed on several systems. I've been pleased with it and, therefore, am reluctant to change to another antivirus program now, although Avira is tempting me. I think I'll at least wait until I have seen version 7 of avast! when it's released. I read a long forum discussion about it, based on a beta version, and it has some new features that look quite interesting. So, yeah, I think I'll wait and see what it's like before making any changes to my choice of antivirus program.

 

All FREE antivirus suck compared to Paid ones such as Kaspersky and Eset's products. You get what you pay for. Less security with more false positives and a high performance hit.

I have switched from Eset Smart Security to Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 and it is actually very light unlike their past versions which were a bit heavy on the system.

 

Got anything to back that up, other than your opinion? More often than not, paid versions include nothing more than tech support for those that don't know how to use the product.

 

Paid for or free, an antivirus product is only as good as it's scanning engine and the latest updates. Most, if not all, of the major players in both fields have loused up with sending out bad updates in the past. Will any of them never repeat those mistakes? (clue: some already have!, there are humans involved)

From my viewpoint, a sensible layered approach to security using good, free software can achieve the equivalent, if not better, security than relying on a paid suite. I would say that that has been the case for some years now.

Often, it's the independent, often one-man, freewares that have enabled many of us to stay safe as well as given us the ability to clean infected machines (including those 'protected' by paid security suites) - in some aspects, they're well in advance of many of the big names.

How to protect yourself from malware! covers most of the best free tools available and best practices for safe computing, check it for updates (Currently - "Last edited by chaslang; 01-31-12 at 00:08.. Reason: Remove outdated tools" - see the bottom line of the post) as regularly as you do your scans (during your scans?) and you won't go far wrong.

Time-consuming? Yes - but educational and empowering (and FREE).

 

I disagree. If you visit their websites, most of the antivirus software makers tell somewhere on their site what the difference is between the free versions and the paid versions. For example: http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download clearly shows that avast! Free is Antivirus with anti-spyware but does not include other features included with the Pro Antivirus or Internet Security package. But, as far as virus-only protection is concerned, the free version provides the same protection as the paid versions.

And, as far as a high performance hit, I sure haven't seen that with avast! Free.