Best Free Antivirus for Windows 2024, I tested heaps of free antiviruses against thousands of Windows malware files, both old and new. I didn’t only look at each antivirus’s malware protection capabilities, but also its reputation for safeguarding user privacy, its ability to integrate with recent versions of Windows, and its user interface.
But it’s important to keep in mind that every free antivirus has limitations. That’s why I always recommend investing a little bit into premium antivirus software that includes protection against all types of malware — with extra features like a virtual private network (VPN), dark web monitoring, and a password manager (Norton 360 has all of these features, is ranked as the best antivirus software for 2024, and is very affordable).
That said, it’s better to use the best free antivirus than no antivirus at all! I found several good free antivirus programs that offer improvements over Windows’s built-in protections, as well as features that aren’t included in Windows Defender at all.
1. Norton — Best Overall Windows Antivirus in 2024
Norton is my favorite Windows antivirus on the market — and while it doesn’t currently have a free plan, it offers a risk-free 60-day money-back guarantee, which gives you 2 months to try it out and see if it’s right for you. It has an advanced malware engine, a wide range of additional features, and affordable plans that cover up to 5 devices across all operating systems.
Norton provides perfect malware detection against all known and emerging cyber threats. In all of our tests, it was able to identify every malware sample, from simple ones like viruses to sophisticated threats like spyware. It also has excellent phishing protection, a smart firewall with tons of customization options, and online banking and shopping protection.
2. Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows — Lightweight With Advanced Malware & Web Protections
Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows is one of the best free antiviruses out there — its malware scanner scored a 100% detection rate during my tests. Moreover, Bitdefender uses a cloud-based scanner, which means most of the detection and analysis doesn’t take place on your PC, reducing its system impact. I didn’t notice any slowdowns on my computer even during full system scans.
Bitdefender also provides excellent anti-phishing protection. During testing, it blocked many fake websites that had evaded detection from the built-in protections on the Chrome and Firefox browsers, as well as the anti-phishing tools of other antiviruses. Out of all the brands on this list, only Bitdefender and Norton had perfect anti-phishing results.
One downside of the free version of Bitdefender is its lack of extra features. It offers some of the most effective malware, web, and real-time protections on the market, but that’s about it. Bitdefender’s premium plans are where you’ll find all of the extra features, including multi-layer ransomware protection, online banking protection, a VPN, device optimization tools, a password manager, parental controls, and much more.
Best Free Antivirus for Windows 2024
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3. Panda Free Antivirus for Windows — Good Virus Protection With Decent Extras
Panda Free Antivirus for Windows is lightweight, secure, and easy to use — during my tests, Panda’s antivirus scanner detected significantly more adware, spyware, and ransomware files than Windows Defender. Panda’s real-time protection also performed really well, blocking most of the malware files I tried downloading to my PC.
One reason Panda is a good choice for Windows users is its Rescue Kit, which allows you to download a bootable version of Panda to a USB drive and then use the USB drive to clean an infected PC and get it up and running again. Very few antiviruses offer this feature, and I’m very happy that Panda includes it in its free version!
The Free plan also includes dark web scanning, and while it only scans your email address, I was happy to see that it sends you an alert when there is a new breach (and you don’t have to check manually for breaches like you do with some competitors).
Additionally, I like that Panda has a gaming mode in its free antivirus — whenever you’re playing a game or watching a video in full screen, Panda automatically suspends notifications. That said, I prefer Norton for gaming, as it doesn’t cause any slowdown, allowing for smooth and uninterrupted gaming.
Panda’s free antivirus also comes with a secure (but limited) VPN. It provides fast connection speeds, but it only lets you connect to 1 server and has a data limit of 150 MB per day — this is a big improvement over Avira’s 500 MB per month, but it’s still not nearly enough data for streaming or file sharing. If you’re interested in unlimited streaming or torrenting, you’ll need a better VPN (check out our list of the best antiviruses with VPNs here).
4. TotalAV Free Antivirus — Most Intuitive Free Antivirus
TotalAV Free Antivirus provides excellent virus and phishing protection — during my tests, TotalAV’s cloud-based malware scanner detected and removed more malware samples than most antivirus programs, successfully identifying even very tricky ransomware and cryptojacking files.
TotalAV’s phishing protection is also very good. It uses a huge blacklist to identify known phishing sites as well as an AI-powered phishing detection system to detect new threats. In my testing, the anti-phishing tool scored a near-perfect detection rate, stopping me from entering more malicious sites than Chrome’s native phishing tool. Out of all the antiviruses on this list, only Norton and Bitdefender blocked more risky sites than TotalAV.
TotalAV is also the most intuitive free Windows antivirus on this list, with easy-to-use and easy-to-understand features and functions inside a minimalistic, well-designed dashboard. I had no problems navigating TotalAV’s dashboard, and I found it very simple to access and use all of the provided tools. If you’ve never used an antivirus before, TotalAV may just be your best option.
That said, TotalAV’s free Windows plan lacks vital features. The biggest drawback of TotalAV Free Antivirus is that it doesn’t have real-time protection, meaning you won’t get notified if a malicious file attempts to make changes to your PC in real time.
5. Malwarebytes Free — Minimalistic Virus Scanner
Malwarebytes Free is a good choice for users looking for a simple antivirus that they can install and forget about. Its virus scanner uses a virus database as well as heuristics to catch all types of malware. It performed pretty well in my tests, detecting around 90% of the malware files I hid on my PC. However, it did miss a few well-hidden files that competitors like Norton and Bitdefender detected.
Apart from the scanner, you also get a browser extension that protects against a wide range of threats, including malware, ads and trackers, scams, and PUPs. One of the things I like the most about this extension is that all of the protections are turned on by default, so there’s nothing for you to do (but you can easily turn off one or all of the protections).
Malwarebytes’s browser extension blocked most risky sites I tried to visit, scoring a 90% phishing detection rate. However, the extension wasn’t as accurate at blocking ads — I visited dozens of sites filled with ads, and Malwarebytes blocked only around a third of them.
Malwarebytes performs the basic function of detecting and removing malware efficiently — however, its free version lacks real-time protection, a crucial component for preventing malware intrusion in the first place. What’s more, features like Wi-Fi protection, a firewall, system tune-up tools, and a password manager aren’t available even in the premium plans. If you just need the basics, Malwarebytes is fine, but it’s pretty barebones compared to top competitors like Norton and Bitdefender.
For real-time protection, you can upgrade to Malwarebytes Premium, which provides coverage for up to 5 devices and starts at TRY1,200 / year. Malwarebytes Premium + Privacy also adds a decent VPN for TRY840 / year. Both of Malwarebytes’s premium plans are covered by a generous 60-day money-back guarantee. Additionally, Malwarebytes Free includes a 14-day free trial of Malwarebytes Premium, allowing you to test the paid features without any risk.
6. Avast One Essential — Effective Antivirus With Nice Privacy Tools
Avast One Essential is fairly comprehensive for a free Windows antivirus. It’s actually one of two free antiviruses offered by Avast — the other, Avast Free Antivirus, is basically identical to AVG’s free antivirus. Avast One Essential comes from the company’s newest product line and offers more free features, including a VPN and PC speedup tools. I found it easy to use and was pleased to see that it detected 100% of the malware samples I tested it on.
I like that it encourages users to review their overall online security via the Privacy Advisor. After I ran my first scan, the app automatically suggested I review my privacy settings on various websites and provided links and clear instructions on how to do so.
Avast One Essential comes with a built-in VPN, but it isn’t ideal. You can’t change servers on the free version, and the provider doesn’t have a no-logs policy. Still, it’s nice that it operates within the same app as the antivirus and lets you use up to 5 GB of data each week (which is more than the other free VPNs on this list).
There’s also a powerful firewall that monitors inbound and outbound traffic and blocks malicious connections. Other security features include effective web protections (it blocked almost every malicious site I visited) and Network Inspector, a tool that scans for vulnerabilities in your Wi-Fi connection. I did find the interface a bit cluttered though, and somewhat less intuitive than competitors like TotalAV.
7. Avira Free Security for Windows — Advanced Cloud-Based Malware Scanner With System Cleanup
Avira Free Security for Windows has a solid anti-malware engine and operates fully in the cloud. This makes Avira fast, lightweight, and easy on system resources. During my testing, Avira’s anti-malware engine detected all of the malware files I previously downloaded to my computer, and I liked that I was able to run CPU-intensive programs during scans with almost zero slowdown.
Avira is also user-friendly — its display is very easy to navigate with all features clearly listed. It comes with many excellent extra features too. These include:
The Safe Shopping browser extension is really good — it blocks suspicious phishing sites, web trackers, and unwanted advertisements, and you can download it for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Edge. The extension also automatically recommends links to better deals when shopping online. I was actually able to find a lot of good deals, but it didn’t work 100% of the time (still pretty good though!).
I’m also a fan of Avira’s privacy and performance optimization tools — they cleaned out my cookies and junk files, and also fixed hidden privacy settings that were leaking personal information on the web. But unfortunately, Avira’s best optimization tools are locked behind a paywall.
8. Kaspersky Free — Good Range of Free Features
There’s currently no reason to suggest that Kaspersky poses a threat to home users. You can read more about our decision to keep Kaspersky on this list here.
Kaspersky Free is good at detecting and removing malware — like Norton and Bitdefender, it caught 100% of the malware samples on my PC when I tested it. And unlike TotalAV, Kaspersky’s free plan comes with real-time protection, which also performed well in my tests.
I really like Kaspersky’s display, which makes it easy to access various security scans and settings. Everything is clearly labeled, well-organized, and complemented by helpful tips.
It also comes with a few extras — including:
Kaspersky’s free VPN automatically connects to the closest server and offers 300 MB of data per day. While this is more daily data than Panda, it’s still not enough for streaming or other data-heavy tasks. And Kaspersky’s free password manager only saves a total of 5 entries — this includes both logins and sensitive documents (like credit cards or passport details). Norton‘s password manager is also free, but it allows you to store an unlimited number of passwords on an unlimited number of devices.
9. AVG AntiVirus Free — Solid Malware Scanner With File Protections
AVG offers a decent free antivirus that’s easy to use and has some nice features. It’s basically identical to Avast Free Antivirus — they’re owned by the same company and feature more or less the same underlying technology. It’s pretty distinct from Avast One Essential, though.
The virus scanner works well — it detected 100% of the malware samples on my PC. What’s more, you can run 5 types of scan. The Deep Scan worked quite well, but the quick-running Smart Scan missed a few items in my test. You can also scan specific folders and external devices or run a boot scan. There’s an option to run a performance scan to tune up your PC, but you can’t do anything with it on the free version.
AVG comes with several features that, though standard, will help protect your files. The File Shield successfully issued a warning when I tried to open up a malware-infected file. I then used the quarantine tool to prevent the files from doing any damage to the rest of my machine.
You get added protection from Behavior Shield, a tool that scans for malware that isn’t listed in databases. It actively scans apps for suspicious activity. If any is found, the program is automatically blocked.
10. ZoneAlarm — Effective Malware Scanner With a Free Firewall
ZoneAlarm offers a free and effective antivirus solution complete with a firewall. It’s easy enough to use and has good customer support options, even if you don’t have a premium subscription. It also comes with real-time protection and automatic updates, which is pretty cool. However, it’s Windows-only on all but the most expensive plan, and it lacks extra features like a VPN, optimization tools, and a password manager.
During my tests, ZoneAlarm detected all of the malicious files I downloaded onto my PC. The scan took about an hour and provided a report about the threats it neutralized — however it wasn’t nearly as detailed as I’d like it to be. The scan also slowed down my PC quite substantially. If you have an older device, you’re probably better off with a cloud-based tool like Bitdefender.
That said, the inclusion of a firewall on the free app is ZoneAlarm’s best feature. It offers inbound and outbound protection, ensuring your network remains safe from hackers and other threats. It worked well when I simulated a network attack. The free firewall is included with the antivirus and is also available as a standalone product.
Yes, You Already Have a Free Antivirus on Your PC, but It Isn’t Good Enough
Your Windows computer already comes with Windows Defender (some newer Windows 10 and 11 computers call it “Windows Security” or “Microsoft Defender”) — which, as we saw in our full review, is a decent free antivirus. But the problem with Windows Defender is that it’s rarely updated, it doesn’t include additional internet security protections, and it frequently has vulnerabilities that don’t get fixed (sometimes for several years!).
Plus, Windows Defender consistently ranks below the top antivirus scanners in our independent lab testing. That’s why I always recommend keeping your PC as safe as possible with third-party antivirus software.
All the free antiviruses listed here are better than Windows Defender. The free downloads on this list are from top-notch cybersecurity companies that are offering their premium antivirus protection for free. These are some of the top antivirus and anti-malware engines in the world — and our independent lab tests have confirmed that these antivirus engines are much stronger, faster, and better than Microsoft’s Windows Defender.
Some of the free programs on my list feature extra cybersecurity protections. Avira Free Security for Windows is particularly generous with its free offerings, but even Avira’s free plan has some annoying limitations that don’t exist on its paid plans.
In general, cybersecurity companies try to entice you with their free products, but they’re ultimately looking to convert you into a paying customer. If you’re looking for the best protection for all of your devices, you’ll need to pay for premium antivirus software. Unfortunately, there’s no way around this. However, if you’re just looking for a simple free malware scanner with a couple of decent web protections that can improve on Microsoft’s Defender, then any of the products on this list will be good enough for you.
Free Antivirus vs. Paid Antivirus
Free antiviruses like Bitdefender and Panda are pretty good, and they offer decent protection. But free antivirus software doesn’t come with all of the extra features needed for complete online protection — you’ll need a premium antivirus to stay 100% safe.
Premium antiviruses are way better, as they come with all of the internet security protections you need to stay as safe as possible online. And I’m not just talking about anti-malware protection here — extras like a VPN (to ensure you’re anonymous online), a password manager (to protect your sensitive data, including financial information), and parental controls (to make sure your child is protected on the internet) all contribute to complete cybersecurity protection.
Together with a malware scanner, these tools are crucial to building a good online defense against hackers, scammers, and predators — it’s incredibly difficult to achieve the same level of security only using free antivirus software.
Top antiviruses like Norton even offer up to $1 million in insurance coverage for cases of identity theft (US customers only), making it worth the relatively low yearly cost of a paid subscription.
What’s more, paid antiviruses also include better customer support, so you know you can get help removing malware, accessing a feature, or solving any other issue with your antivirus at all times. Free antiviruses, on the other hand, don’t include live chat and phone support, so the only way to get assistance is to read a knowledge base, post a question on a forum, or send a ticket.
Overall, if you want complete online protection, consider a paid antivirus (most of which are low cost, especially with our promotional coupons and discounts). You can read more about paid antiviruses for different operating systems here.
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