For every PC, antivirus software is essential. Your bank account, data, and personal information are all at risk without it.
What antivirus should you pick, though? There are countless! To make it simple for you to choose an antivirus program that meets your needs, we’ve reviewed more than 40 of them. Here, we’ve compiled the top two products that have been tested along with some advice on how to choose the best antivirus.
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
You have the option of purchasing an antivirus tool that does everything an antivirus should do or one that does significantly more. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus would be that. In this context, the Plus denotes a variety of features. A simple password manager, automatic detection of missing security patches, protect your sites from Cuber threats, ransomware protection, a hardened browser for financial transactions, VPN protection for connections, a feature that thwarts ad trackers—the list is endless. Despite having an antivirus name, this product’s feature set surpasses that of many security suites.
Additionally, it works well as an antivirus. It consistently receives perfect or nearly perfect scores from independent testing labs, and it aced many of our practice tests. In tests, its defense system against ransomware also succeeded. And thanks to its Autopilot feature, all of this occurs with the least amount of hassle for you, the user.
Oh, there are a couple of small nits. For instance, the password manager doesn’t have all the newest features. Additionally, there is an additional fee if you want to use the VPN without limits. Overall though, this is a fantastic antivirus protection option.
Who It Is For
Simply launch Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and enable its Autopilot if you want the best antivirus protection with the least amount of effort. You are now free to relax and do, well, whatever you want!
PROS
outstanding results in our phishing protection tests and independent lab tests
multiple layers of ransomware defense
Browser isolation for banking security
A VPN is provided by Active Do Not Track.
numerous bonus features focusing on security
CONS
Access to an unlimited VPN requires a separate subscription.
astonishingly slow initial full scan
Webroot SecureAnywhere
Without a doubt, the smallest antivirus we’ve seen is Webroot SecureAnywhere. When diskettes were widely used, they could fit on just one. Because Webroot’s intelligence is in the cloud, its local presence can be minimal. Like most antivirus programs, it immediately removes known malware, but it takes extra care with unknown threats. In addition to allowing an unknown program to run in isolation and virtualizing any system changes so they don’t become irreversible, it also sends information about that program to the cloud. Cloud analysis can take some time, but if it finds that the program is malicious, Webroot deletes it and undoes any system modifications. This system can even undo the effects of ransomware, according to our tests.
The majority of standardized tests don’t lend themselves well to this delayed-action detection, though. The majority of the time, laboratories anticipate that an antivirus will decide either immediately or not at all. Webroot appears in lab reports infrequently and receives a variety of grades. But it consistently receives excellent ratings in our hands-on tests.
Additionally, Webroot offers full remote control over every antivirus installation, which is helpful if you’re in charge of maintaining security for less tech-savvy friends or family members. You can verify that every device has a green status from the online console. Additionally, you can use commands to shut down or restart the remote computer as well as run a scan, and quarantine potentially harmful files. This little tool has many functions.
Who It Is For
It helps if you’re the security guru for your family or group of friends because some of Webroot’s advanced features call for above-average expertise. But whether you’re an expert or not, you’ll appreciate its tiny size and lightning-quick scans.
PROS
Near-perfect rating in our tests for malware and phishing protection.
system resources are scarce
quick scan, small size
able to repair ransomware damage
advanced capabilities
CONS
fewer results from lab tests as a result of unusual detection methods
Mixed testing outcomes with manually modified ransomware
Currently, the firewall component is not operational.
Summing Up
What antivirus program should you pick? You have a wide range of choices. The independent antivirus testing labs consistently award Bitdefender Antivirus Plus perfect or nearly perfect scores, and it has more features than some security suites. The smallest antivirus available is Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus thanks to its unique behavior-based detection technology. These two commercial antivirus programs have been named Editor’s Choice. You can decide for yourself after reading the article.
