Many free anti-virus programs are available out there that will help you protect your system from viruses and malware, but not all will perform this task perfectly. So here is a list of 10 best free antivirus programs that you should definitely check out.
NOTE: The list is in no particular order, as all the programs boast different features and cannot be compared. So check out every entry to get an idea as to which program suits your needs the best!
Microsoft Security Essentials
It is a great antivirus which was launched by Microsoft in 2009. It is quite lightweight but still very powerful and competent as it can take care of most of the viruses and malware that are around. It is a simple program with a clean user interface. It has all the basic antivirus features that are expected and the best part is that it is free, and you can even use it in business situations as it doesn't have any professional version to upgrade to.
Download MSE
AVG Free
AVG is one of the most popular free antivirus program out there. AVG provides complete malware protection. Although the AVG Free version constantly reminds you that you can get the paid version for better protection -- and this thing can be a bit annoying too but still it does it work i.e. protect your system nicely. So thsi little annoyance can be looked over, right?
Avira Free
Avira is a simple and lightweight program that is really good at protecting your system against malware. Avira also has a paid professional version, but it does not remind you of it as aggressively as AVG does. It is a good program and you should definitely give it a try.
Avast! Free
Well Avast! is as cool as its name. It is one of the top free anti-viruses on the market and the reason of that is that it is quite complete. It provides awesome all-around protection, including against trojans and spyware. But it also reminds you of a free version you can upgrade to quite often, on your desktop and in your inbox. But still the protection is quite good.
Malwarebytes
Well it doesn't matter what default anti-virus you have on your system, you should download Malwarebytes too.
Running on your system background and protecting you is not what it does. What is does is actually taking care of a problem what other programs can’t -- when you face a problem. You can take care of unbootable systems by running Malwarebytes from safe mode. It can solve all your malware problems. I suggest you keep this one in your flash drive, it can come in handy just in case you ever need to fix a computer for a friend
ComboFix
Well what will you do when you have a virus in your system, and your anti-virus program cannot take care of it? Use Malwarebytes, of course. But what will you do if even Malwarebytes cannot take care of it? Use ComboFix! Yes, ComboFix is a very powerful program that can take care of almost any virus. It is a very non-user-friendly program that runs from a command window. If you do not know how to use it, then I suggest you don't. But it will surely come in handy when everything else fails. A must have for every geek.
Clamwin
It's the Windows version of ClamAV, which is the main Linux anti-virus out there. ClamWin has its flaws, like it just scans but does not provide real-time protection and it is not user friendly. Still, having it in your system won't hurt, as it is good to have as much protection as you can get.
Panda Cloud AntiVirus
Panda Cloud AntiVirus is a cloud based antivirus that works only when you are connected to internet. It simply stores its virus definitions online. The advantage of this is that it always keeps your definitions up to date and the disadvantage is that it constantly uses your internet connection. On the whole it is a good program to have to protect you when you are online.
Comodo Firewall + Antivirus
It is popular for its free firewall but also boasts a bundled firewall and antivirus program. Well it is not a very easy to use program and the antivirus does not protect from non-virus forms of malware, but still it will be great for you if you want a free security suite that has both a firewall and anti-virus protection.
Common Sense 2011
Well it provides the best protection from viruses and malware. Without it you cannot protect your system. Well yes I am taking about the Common Sense which is a 'noun' and means "Sound practical judgment". So please judge wisely and use internet carefully. The golden rule is: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is a visus or malware. So in short avoid any sites you are unsure about.
