For Windows computers, a good antivirus program is essential, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay for it. Practically everyone has seen the commercials for Norton or McAfee, but those commercials are expensive, and the last thing we want to do is pay for them. There are several excellent antivirus products with free editions, and the companies behind them make their profits by offering “professional” or “corporate” editions which include the same protection with added features and support.
So in this article I’ll cover the available free solutions and their pros and cons. The worst thing to do is leave your Windows computer without any protection at all, because you might never notice if some piece of malware was silently sending out all of your keystrokes or personal files to an attacker. Thankfully most viruses aren’t that malicious, but it’s certainly worth taking a little time to save yourself from hours of frustration later down the road.
Avira AntiVir Personal is the highest-rated, free antivirus solution, and in some tests, it performs better than any other antivirus software (including paid-for products). It installs quickly, and although registration is required, the installer can automatically register for you and doesn’t require you to input any personal information. However, there are adware-like popups which appear during updates. If you choose Avira, I recommend opening the configuration panel after installing, enabling “expert mode,” and changing the update options so that updates are automatically downloaded and installed.
Avast! Antivirus 4.8 Home Edition is a very popular and effective product that is free, although registering is required for a license key which is valid for one year. Although Avast may seem somewhat less offensive than Avira, there is more adware when the license is about to expire. Version 5 will feature a much-needed facelift and is expected to be released this October. It will also have a free edition, but it would be prudent to wait a few months after the official release before installing it.
Comodo Internet Security includes Comodo’s reputable firewall and their relatively new antivirus product. Unfortunately, Comodo’s antivirus has not been rated by organizations such as av-comparatives.org, and independent reviews by other groups, such as PC Magazine, have not been that good. However, Comodo Antivirus is free for both business and personal use, and as far as I know, it’s the only one that is. If you decide to try it, I recommend installing only the antivirus because firewalls aren’t necessary in most cases. Also make sure to avoid installing the toolbar it comes packaged with, and be prepared for warning popups (which are not adware) when you’re making big changes. I also recommend using the ThreatCast feature, which allows you to see other users’ choices when responding to suspicious activity warnings.
Microsoft Security Essentials is a free antivirus solution which replaces Windows Defender (which provides protection from adware only) and Windows Live OneCare. Although it’s still in development, it will no doubt become an important player in the antivirus market. Unlike Microsoft’s last antivirus product, OneCare, which received very poor ratings, beta versions of MSE have so far garnered positive reviews. A public release for Windows XP, Vista, and 7 is expected by the end of 2009, and naturally this antivirus product will be free for business use.
