Free Antivirus Programs
One of the best-known free anti-virus programs is, AVG from Grisoft. The software is available for Windows XP and Windows Vista. AVG internet security software includes Virus and spyware protection and Phishing and E-Mail scam blocking. There is a Linux version of AVG antivirus also available for free. AVG claims its product has been downloaded by more than 80 million users worldwide.
Another free antivirus program is Avast antivirus home edition. This software is free of charge for non-commercial & home use only. Avast antivirus has a daily automatic virus definition update. Avast also available in 30 other languages. Avast says it’s antivirus product is being used by 70 million users.
Open Source – ClamWin & WinPooch
On the open source front ClamAV has long been one of the antivirus products with the fastest response time to new viruses.
Paid Solutions
Sophos antivirus program primarily focus on corporate needs. It has good management features in a network environment. Its graphical user interface is very simple compared to other popular antivirus programs, but it perform most of the task without any user interaction. Sophos lacks a built in firewall.
Symantec’s Norton antivirus is the most popular product in the market now. In the past, uninstalling Norton antivirus was not that easy for a novice user, but it looks like they have fixed the issue in the latest versions. Virus definition updates are provided much faster, in some cases within five minutes of the last update.
Kaspersky Labs has been one of the best antivirus software developers in the world. Kaspersky lab is often the first to find and identify new viruses. Like so many of the other antivirus packages including BitDefender, Kaspersky Anti-Virus comes with an antispyware component. Without a second thought, we can say paying $40 for a one year license is a good investment. Kaspersky also offer a free online virus scan, in their website.
McAfee Virus Scan plus includes Anti-virus, anti-spyware, and SiteAdvisor. McAfee software also comes with a Firewall. McAfee VirusScan automatically downloads updated virus definitions from the Internet on a regular basis.
We welcome our user’s feedback about the antivirus programs. You can either leave a comment or vote for the best antivirus program on our user’s choice page. On this page you can view which software other users prefer and vote for your choice.
