Surfing Internet is an almost always fun and enjoyable activity, but it is not at all risk-free: hackers spread viruses across the network, and anyone who is not prepared can end up infecting the machine with one of those threats. That’s why it’s always important to have an antivirus solution installed on your PC. The Techkhiladi tested some of the available for Windows 10 to know which is the best free antivirus of the actuality.
Before comparing, we asked: what solutions did you want to see in these months. We then follow the result of our poll and put the top five antivirus for Windows 10 side by side. They are Avast Free Antivirus; AVG Internet Security; Avira Antivirus Pro; Kaspersky Internet Security; and Norton Security.
To compare, in addition to thorough analysis, we use a private and updated collection of pest and malware. We also use the deep and complex analyzes and studies of independent institutes such as the AV-Comparative and the AV-Test Institute. And finally, we visit malicious sites listed by the PhishTank organization to ensure that the antivirus offers protection as we browse the web.
Table of Contents
Interface
In this first point, besides looking at the beauty and graphic design of each solution, we look for the most intuitive and easy to use application. All of them bring the main functions, such as scanning and also if there is a threat, quite explicit on the little screen.
The Avira solution is one of the most complicated to use by someone who has never tampered with this type of software. Kaspersky Free is poorly visual but makes it clear that most functions are only available in the paid version. Norton and AVG bring large, easy-to-understand icons.
But in our opinion, the best interface, both in design and in usability is that of Avast antivirus; dark background icons with all the main functions and even some very accessible and easy to find extras.
Performance
This analysis assesses the impact each antivirus has on the performance of your computer; how much it affects the speed of various functions. To do these tests, we open sites that we are accustomed to visiting, download applications, open different programs, copy files from side to side and see how much it affects PC performance.
Already in this area, Avast was in the last place. We saw impact mainly when opening websites that we are accustomed to browsing and also when opening some programs. In the middle of the field, AVG and Norton are tied. And at the top of this ranking, Avira and Kaspersky – the two with great performance, quite light and without hampering the performance of the computer.
Consumption of resources
We have just seen the impact of each antivirus on the performance of the machine. Now, at this point in our assessment, we compare how much each solution requires from the computer; mainly in terms of memory and processor – how much each one consumes when it is inactivity. Performance and use of your machine’s features are complementary, but not commensurate.
Here, Norton stands out as the heaviest, always requiring more of the PC to perform. Avast and AVG are equivalent, although AVG resource consumption is a bit lighter. And the ones that least “eat” memory and CPU are, respectively, Avira and Kaspersky …
Efficiency
No doubt this is the main issue of this Lab, after all, the least you can expect from an antivirus is that it really protects your equipment, right? In this assessment, we compare the effectiveness of each in both detection and removal of virtual threats – as well as in the identification of false and suspicious sites. No solution failed in any of our individual tests; which is great.
That is, with any of the five solutions compared in this Laboratory, your machine will be properly protected. By analyzing the results of the independent bodies that test these solutions exclusively, the efficacy index of all is very close to 100%; the only one that stays a bit behind is AVG, but certainly, nothing that will compromise your security.
Extras
We opted for the free version of each of this software. Paid versions offer a lot more, including some extra features that might be interesting when deciding which one to use.
All brands offer a trial period for you to try out these extras. But still, in the free version, some tools catch your eye. Norton’s solution did not go into this issue because the antivirus does not have a free version, only a trial period of the complete package.
Kaspersky brings nothing but the basic antivirus; all the rest is paid. Avira offers real-time protection. AVG brings the Internet and Email modules, which block web attacks, unsafe downloads, and suspicious email attachments.
Avast comes first, as well as an integrated e-mail and browser module, the Wi-Fi tester is a tool that assesses security and possible faults in your network. The software updater, as its name already says, is in charge of keeping your programs up to date. Also interesting, for free, is the password manager.
Conclusion
After a few days of testing, evaluations, and comparisons, the big winner as the best free antivirus of 2018, in choosing Techkhiladi is Kaspersky’s solution. Although the free version offers few extras, in what it is dedicated to doing, it does in an excellent way; protect your machine without impacting its performance.
With maximum performance in the tests of the main independent laboratories, the Kaspersky antivirus does not fail and also protects you against malicious websites very quickly and effectively.
In the second place, with excellent quality and, most of all, very light and effective, was Avira. The detail is that when we made that comparison two years ago, Avira bittered the last placement – the solution has improved a lot.
The interface is still lacking, it is true, but Avira is the antivirus that least impacts the daily performance of your computer and also the least requires resources of the machine as memory and processor to operate.
Just below, in a double more than a fair tie, we can safely say that Avast and AVG are quite equivalent. Avast is the heaviest, we really feel a bit slow in some activities when the solution is running.
On the other hand, it is the one that offers more extra functions for free and what has the best interface in our opinion. AVG loses some dots in effectiveness, according to some deeper tests. But, believe me, nothing will interfere with the safety of your equipment.
Lastly – which is by no means a bad solution – Norton is only slightly behind because it is the only one without a permanent free version. After the trial period, you need to decide whether to pay for the application or if you switch antivirus.
Other than that, it turned out to be a rather cumbersome antivirus and what “steals” most from your machine – which, depending on your computer’s performance level, can be compromising. If it’s top-of-the-line equipment, fine.
There are other great solutions and even, according to some independent tests, even better than these free on the market available for Windows 10; but these were the five most voted that you have chosen for our comparison.
Final Ranking
- Kaspersky Internet Security
- Avira Antivirus Pro
- Avast Free Antivirus and AVG Internet Security
- Norton Security
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