Looking For Free Non Freemum Antivirus/antispyware Programs

So malware bytes isn't really getting everything. Spyhunter pretty much detected a bunch of stuff malware bytes missed. and i've been looking for a free alternative.

Note that this is me asking for help finding antivirus/antispyware programs that are free in the same way malwarebytes is. where they remove stuff but more useful features are behind a paygate while performing the very thing they are supposed to without need for money.

 

All the freeware security programs are listed on MajorGeeks home page. Malwarebytes is not free for real time protection but the freeware choices for that are substantial - Comodo, Avast, Avira, BitDefender, Kaspersky, ClamWin among others. The choice is yours.
There never has been a need to pay for security software and the premium versions have features unconnected with actual security.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/sortname/all_in_one_anti_virus_suites.html

 

To help you decide, visit AV-Comparatives.
https://www.av-comparatives.org/comparatives-reviews/

Here are the latest "Real-World Protection Test" results.
http://chart.av-comparatives.org/chart1.php?chart=chart2&year=2017&month=7&sort=1&zoom=2

 

Looks like bit defender it is. 99.7% is great, i'd get panda but the false positive forces me to give it a .5% penalty.

By the way a friend of mine asked me why a bunch of av programs looked the same but were going under different names. I didn't know what to say so i'll ask why they looked the same here. Is it just a copy and paste av program or something more sinister?

 

Panda has a score of 100%.
1 false positive is negligible.

 

Avast bought AVG in 2016
https://press.avast.com/avast-announces-agreement-to-acquire-avg-for-13b

 

On my main computers, I use Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium. But on all other computers here, we use Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Free. While the Malwarebytes Premium has a real-time component, the free version has NEVER found anything malicious on any of our other systems Windows Defender missed. So I have no problems recommending Windows Defender that comes with W8/W10.

I put no faith in any test lab results. Contrary to what some may claim, they are synthetic scenarios, not real-world. Also note that all those products rely on good test scores for marketing purposes - all except Windows Defender. For that reason, Microsoft does not code Windows Defender to score well on lab tests. It only codes to protect our systems in today's real-world environment, and it does that well, without bogging down our systems.

Remember, only Microsoft has the true incentive for malware to go away. All those other products, whether sincere or not, depend on malware continuing to thrive. If malware went away, they would all go out of business.

With the exception of the Russia based Kaspersky, I have no problems with the commercial products and am not pushing one over the other. I am just saying don't discount Windows Defender because it has the Microsoft brand name on it (as many do), or because it is not the top scorer in simulated lab tests. Note you don't have to drive around in an Abrams tank to be safe. You just need a modern car that is properly maintained and most importantly, you must drive defensively. These are the same precautions regardless your security solution of choice.

@Ichinzen - You say Malwarebytes failed to get everything but did not say what it missed. It is important to note that PUPs are not automatically malicious - in fact, many programs Malwarebytes reports as "potentially unwanted" are totally legit. The "false positive" is mainly due to Malwarebytes not having the chance to totally vet the program yet. Also note keeping your OS current is one of the most important user responsibilities needed to keep our systems secure. And of course, we cannot be "click-happy" on unsolicited links, downloads, popups, or attachments. No security solution is perfect and every one can easily be defeated if the user opens the door and lets the bad guy in.

 

A lot of what malwarebytes seemed to miss was spyware/adware. I know theres at least one adware on my computer making text based links whenever text is displayed on a browser. I think avira removed it though.

 

There is a big difference between spyware and adware. While a piece of adware may be a nuisance, it is not necessarily malicious. Real spyware is, however, always malicious. Without knowing specifics, I cannot offer an explanation.

Was that the premium (real-time) version of Malwarebytes, or the free (on-demand)? The free version can only catch malware that has already made it past your other real-time defenses.