2004 antivirus comparison

Go here for a list of the best antivirus software of You can also look at the expert opinions of our reviewers at SafetyDetectives. Home Antivirus Comparison. Select 1st Antivirus. Select 2nd Antivirus. Select 3rd Antivirus Optional. We tried the free alternative: e-mail.

The form was hard to locate, but techs were responsive, answering within 24 to 48 hours. Unfortunately, Norton does not offer online tech chat, a feature McAfee offers with mixed results for its VirusScan customers. The Automated Support Assistant, another feature accessible via the support site, is a convenient way to download product upgrades and keep your copy of NAV up-to-date. Symantec's free online knowledge base is a helpful do-it-yourself resource.

The Good New protection against spyware and adware; improved scanning of compressed files; well-designed interface. Minor improvements over version; antispyware feature is imperfect. NAV is still a good choice for first timers, but its minor improvements means NAV users need not upgrade. Previous versions have consistently led the antivirus pack in security innovations, being the first, for example, to scan instant-messaging attachments as well as inbound and outbound e-mail.

As a result, our research only focuses on Windows computers. Still, you can find a review of top Mac antivirus programs here. The argument is essentially the same as with Mac users. Because there are fewer Linux users, there are also far fewer viruses attacking Linux operating systems. You can find out more here in our study on Linux viruses. Viruses on mobile devices are far less common, but they do exist.

Among the mobile device world, the situation is similar to Windows vs. If you have an Android device, you are extremely susceptible to getting a virus infection, especially from malicious app downloads.

According to mobile cybersecurity company Lookout , phishing is among the biggest threats facing mobile users.

Importantly, many mobile users are not prepared to stop phishing attempts, which increasingly come in the form of spam text messages. Many of the antivirus tools we cover in our data provide mobile tools. However, there are also many tools available specifically for Android and iOS devices. We then created a tool which compares each tool based on its average lab test results across the three major categories tested:. Each lab maintains different rating standards and methods.

For example, AV-Test creates a score out of 6 for each category. Meanwhile, AV-Comparatives assigns a score out of for Protection, but uses the raw number of False Positives instead of creating a score. To account for these differences, we took averages and made adjustments to equalize their ratings. We also created our charts to differentiate by how many lab tests each AV software appeared in.

Furthermore, we added extra filters to help consumers identify which tools might be the best value. For that, we included a minimum purchase price, the number of devices allowed for the purchase, and an average score based on other consumer review sites, where available. While Avast performed extremely well in our review, this service now comes with a warning. A Motherboard and PCMag investigation published in January found that Avast was not only secretly recording and collecting user web browsing data, but was then selling that data for profit.

Every click. Every buy. The company was then selling that data to major companies, including Google and Microsoft. The data was sent to and processed by Avast-owned company Jumpstart, which marketed and sold the data.

Since the report published, Avast killed its Jumpstart subsidiary company , but the damage had already been done. Outside of these issues, both Avast and AVG are well-performing antivirus tools. However, consumers who have extra concerns may want to avoid these tools in favor of other equivalently-rated programs. First, it should be noted that almost every AV tool on the market that was tested by the 5 testing labs performed similarly with regard to Protection.

That means that almost any tool you purchase is likely going to identify, quarantine, and clean malware from your system with a high degree of success. Of the tools tested by the labs, only 4 received sub-par scores:. The protection score is a measurement of how effectively the tool was able to identify and remove malware, including zero-day viruses. Many tools score well on this front, with some of the best scores going to the following consumer-focused apps:.

Additionally, small variations in the protection scores are usually acceptable. Most users will experience few, if any, differences when using tools that have protection rates within a few percentage points of each other. Ahnlab is not available to consumers, however, and while Panda Free Antivirus scored well in performance, its false positives score was extremely subpar. That makes eScan Internet Security Suite the best in this category.

Four testing labs used False Positives as a measure for testing. Not every tool showed up in every lab test, however, and we had to make some adjustments particularly for AV-Comparatives, which did not create an average score for that category but instead offered only gave a raw number e. However, when you consider the Performance and Protection scores, the top tools in this category are:. Quite obviously, most consumers prefer a free tool versus a paid one.

And indeed, many of the free tools on the market are high-quality options worth considering. The best free antivirus tools on the market, based on score averages across all three categories, include:. Consumers may also want to consider using Microsoft Windows Defender, which comes loaded with any new installation of Windows, or Panda Antivirus Free. Those two tools score well in the Protection and Performance categories, but poorly in False Positives.

As far as low-cost options, however, there are a few stand-out AV tools that may offer great value and quality, while there are some notable exceptions that are far too pricey for what they deliver. A few tools are simply not worth the price, however, as they are both expensive and poor performing.

These include:. Other available tools may still be worth the price when consumers take into consideration other features. Individual investigation of those features may be prudent before making a final decision based on price. Most AV companies charge more money per month for more device installations. However, each offers a certain number of device installations for the base price. In most cases, you can install the software on multiple devices with one subscription. If you need to cover multiple devices while saving money, two AV tools are standout options:.

Those looking to cover multiple devices may be better served with one of these options, all of which have good test results as well. Comparitech uses cookies. More info. Menu Close. The Best Antivirus of A data-driven comparison We compiled a data-backed list of the best antivirus providers comparing features including overall protection, system performance, false positives, price, and more to find the best antivirus.

Sam Cook Data journalist, privacy advocate and cord-cutting expert. Delivers well-regarded internet security that can include ID theft protection with LifeLock. TotalAV — Best antivirus for web browsing protection.

Actively scans for suspicious websites and monitors for criminal use of your private information. Intego Antivirus — Best web protection for Mac users. McAfee Total Protection — Offers well-respected protection for individuals or families.

Bitdefender Internet Security — Maintains consistently reliable performance and includes a webcam protection tool. Kaspersky Lab Internet Security — Best selection of features. Refine your search Use the tools below to refine your search by only displaying reviews with a certain number of star ratings or to only show reviews from a certain time period. Latest Reviews. If you are commenting on behalf of the company that has been reviewed, please consider upgrading to Official Business Response for higher impact replies.

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