Best priced or Free anti virus software

GunJack

Re-post in true blue peter style (one I prepared earlier )


I must admit (and spud will confirm this) I've just finished doing a back-to-back comparison of the main free av products for RAM footprint, ping times, and general usability. AV-Comparatives are much better at testing the detections for these, so I use their results as an indication of effectiveness.

This time's results had a surprise in them. So, in order, here's what I found...all testing done on the same Win 7 Pro 32-bit machine

1. Avira free. RAM 22 meg, ping time 26ms. Set heuristics to High. Av-Comparatives shows highest detections of the 4 products here.

2. AVG free. RAM 22 meg (this was the surprise, previous versions have taken up way too much RAM), ping time 42ms. 2nd highest detections in Av-C tests.

3. Avast free. RAM 35 meg, ping 38ms. lowest in Av-C tests.

4. MSE. RAM 60meg, ping 48ms. 3rd of the 4 listed here in Av-c tests.

Something to point out, avira scored 98.2%, avast 94.8%, so there isn't a lot in the detections scores. And, as someone pointed out above, an av is only part of your security. However, I still use avira and would also recommend avast. AVG, despite obviously having improved over the last year or so, stil needs to sort out it's user interface, and I wouldn't recommend it yet without more long-term trials. MSE I wouldn't go near, for the RAM and ping results.

spongmonkey

I personally vote for Avast. It's free with a simple registration each year, there is a paid for version but it's not necessary.

I install it for all my clients and to date nobody has asked me for anything else!

Trev1981_2

I uninstalled Norton last night and tried the MSE as mentioned above. It seems pretty decent and easy to use, if that like you mention above doesn't play ball i will try Avira.

I know being free you don't have the back up that you get when you buy AV software but after years of paying for it and having no issues i'll try these.

Thanks for all the advice everybody.

officeguru

Hi All

If you open up an account with Barclays (I had one already) one of their freebees is the full Kasperski Security Suite. I have been using this for around 3 years now and you are also allowed to put it onto 3 computers.

You don't have to have a special account... I just have a small current account which feeds my paypal so that if they manage to hack into anything they don't have access to my main current account which is with a different bank. I just put some money into it whenever I please so there are no regular deposits required...

I hope this helps

Cheers

macman

Kaspersky is free with Barclays internet banking-not just with a Barclays account.

RandomDan

Another vote for Avast. I have been using it at home for years and reccommend to family, who have also had no issues. You need to enter some sign up details and get a free licence every year but it is no hassle.

At work we use the Microsoft Essentials which is also good, but personally I find its lack of visibility somewhat odd.

officeguru

macman wrote: »

Kaspersky is free with Barclays internet banking-not just with a Barclays account.

Thanks for the correction... I meant internet banking ... but I was trying to point out that there was no catch with the free Kaspersky..

Cheers

Smithsonian

I use Rising Antivirus. A free program, that is lightweight. Never had any viruses using Rising. Dont understand the point of paying lots of quids for AV programs.