If you are looking for antivirus, you are sure to notice that there are dozens of options. Developers constantly compete to deliver the best quality of services and offer something unique to the customer. That’s why making a choice might turn out to be harder than expected. Let’s find out what things you need to account for before you make a purchase or how to pick the best free antivirus software.
First things first
To be completely satisfied with your future choice, you need to decide whether you want a free or a paid solution. Going from here, you’ll easily sort out the rest of the features and offers. Keep in mind that the first type, free antivirus, is usually a basic program. It helps avoid some threats but doesn’t offer much other than that. The second type, premium antivirus, is superior software that differs in features and prices but often brings you extra tools. This program will protect your desktop or laptop whenever you go online or stay offline.
4 more aspects where your decision is required
The next step will be to get a reliable program that can ensure your device’s complete protection. To do it, you may go through the results of the independent labs’ tests. They objectively rank the software they test running a series of tests. Mind that if one antivirus program got 100% at one test, it does not necessarily state that the rest of the tests are as successful.
If you decide to buy a premium version, you should also define how much you are willing to spend. There are lots of options in different price categories. Very often the price reflects the set of tools you get that’s why the same antivirus might have different prices. However, when you look closely, you discover that the same developer created different versions with various extras to help you get only the tools you need. The price tag will also differ based on the number of devices you need to be covered.
It’s also important to learn about the impact on the system’s performance. Look at the details to make sure your device meets the requirements. Find out how fast the scans are, etc. Some antivirus programs are known to slow down users’ computers, and this is a huge drawback.
Finally, you should make a list of things and tools you expect antivirus software to have. This will help you narrow down the list of options and pick the best antivirus for you.
Top 3 free solutions you should try
Avast Free Antivirus offers one of the biggest bundles of tools and features on the market. While most free versions deliver only free core protection, here you’ll also get a password manager, a safe browser, etc. It’s for personal use only but millions of users can’t be wrong about the quality of protection you get.
Bitdefender also offers a free trial version. It has fewer features but the program has shown great results of malware detection. You can definitely rely on this solution. It has a simple interface even a beginner can easily navigate. When you decide to upgrade, look for promotions and discount codes.
Finally, there’s the Kaspersky Free. This edition is rather basic since a user gets malware protection and a password manager (optional). If needed, you may run scans but other than that, the antivirus doesn’t deliver any extra tools or features. Once upgrades, you’ll get more tools including privacy protection, parental control, safe payments, etc.
The verdict
Now you know a simple way to pick the best antivirus for your device. Just follow the directions or try one of the 3 options mentioned above. They are the best antivirus programs on the market and millions of loyal users are here to prove it.