Free Antivirus Software Review from PC World 08-24-2009
You can find lots of free software made to stop worms, viruses, and other malware. We tested several such programs to find the free antivirus you can depend on. Edited by Nick Mediati.
Aug 24, 2009 8:30 pm
Pros
Excellent detection and disinfection
Top-notch scan speed
Cons
Interface is unfriendly to novices
Daily pop-up ads for paid version
Bottom Line
Avira Antivir Personal offers great, thorough protection and top-notch scan speed, but some nontechies might find its interface frustrating.
Avira AntiVir Personal Free Antivirus Software
AntiVir Personal Review, by Erik Larkin August 24, 2009
Avira AntiVir Personal's excellent malware detection, disinfection, and scan speed earned it the top spot in our ranking of free antivirus software. Its interface could be better, though, and using the app means putting up with daily pop-up ads.
In AV-Test.org tests, AntiVir's 98.9 percent overall malware detection rate was the best among the software on our chart (the unranked Panda Cloud Antivirus outperformed it). AntiVir was also tops in proactive-protection tests that use two- and four-week-old signature databases to simulate the detection of new, unknown malware, with rates of 52.7 percent and 45.5 percent, respectively.
The strong performance continued in disinfection tests. AntiVir found and disarmed all of the rootkits and other malware infections tossed at it, though (like all the free antivirus software we tested) it tended to leave some remnants, such as relatively harmless Registry changes, in place.
Avira's program was not just the most thorough tool of the group, but also the fastest. It led in speed tests for both on-demand scans (which you schedule or start manually) and on-access scans (which happen automatically during tasks such as copying files).
If AntiVir's interface were as polished as its malware-fighting ability, it would be a no-brainer recommendation. But its daily pop-up ads for Avira's paid ID-theft protection software could easily annoy many users, and at times its interface feels better suited to advanced users. For example, the program's installer prompts you to select among ‘extended threat categories'. Some are obvious, such as games or jokes, but you might be forgiven for not knowing whether to pick ‘unusual runtime compression' (listed in Avira's online help as ‘Files that have been compressed using an unusual tool and are therefore suspicious').
In a similar vein, its detection pop-ups offer too many choices and don't suggest the option most appropriate for the average user. It checks the ‘Deny access' option by default, but that choice would leave the discovered malware sitting on your PC; you would continue to receive warnings until you opted to delete or quarantine the discovery (you can also choose to rename or ignore the file).
Such less-than-friendly default behaviors make Avira AntiVir Personal a better choice for tech-savvy users who know how to muck about in the settings. If you're willing to put up with a somewhat clumsy interface and the recurring pop-up ads, in return you'll enjoy top-notch, free protection against malware. It's not a bad trade-off by any means.
Alwil Avast Antivirus Home Edition
Pros
Capable malware detection
Fast scan speed
Cons
Outdated, confusing interface
Bottom Line
Avast Antivirus Home Edition provides solid antimalware protection and a good set of features, but its outdated interface needs a makeover.
Alwil Avast Antivirus Home Edition Free Antivirus Software
Avast Antivirus Home Edition Review, by Erik Larkin August 24, 2009
Avast Antivirus Home Edition, developed in the Czech Republic, offers capable malware detection and faster-than-average scan speed, both of which helped propel the app to the number two spot in our rankings of free antivirus software. Its clunky interface badly needs updating, however.
In AV-Test.org malware-detection tests, the program blocked a respectable 98.2 percent of samples out of a malware "zoo" consisting of about a half-million files. That wasn't enough for Avast to top the best performers, Avira AntiVir Personal and the unranked Panda Cloud Antivirus, but it's still a good showing. Avast didn't do quite as well in proactive-detection tests, which simulate how well a program would fare against new and unknown malware: Its catch rates of 46.1 percent (two-week-old signatures) and 41 percent (four-week-old signatures) put it in fourth place.
The app was relatively nimble at on-demand scans (which you start manually) and on-access scans (which occur automatically when you save or use a file), placing second in each test (behind Avira in both cases). It issued just one false positive (labeling harmless software as malicious).
In disinfection, Avast nearly matched the top performers (Avira and Microsoft Security Essentials), detecting and disabling 90 percent of the rootkits used in our tests. All three apps, however, also left behind Registry entries and failed to reverse all of the changes that the malware had made.
While Avast does well as a malware blocker and remover, it fares poorly as a program that people have to interact with. Its outdated interface has sections that look entirely different depending on whether you're running a scan, checking status, or changing settings. The scanning interface mimics a music player, but you probably won't be singing its praises. Be sure to read the how-to guide that pops up the first time you use the program, unless you enjoy scratching your head and growling at your monitor.
The Avast product is the only free antivirus software in our test group that requires you to register within 60 days to receive a free license key. It's also the only app that scans Web traffic for malware (AVG 8.5 Free's LinkScanner scans Web traffic for the attacks that can presage malware, but not for the malware itself), and it scans e-mail traffic as well.
Avast Antivirus will do a decent job protecting a PC from malware, but if you're willing to put up with a less-than-perfect interface (and some ads), you're better off going with Avira's top-notch blocking.
AVG 8.5 Free
Pros
Good at PC disinfection
Ability to scan Web traffic and e-mail
Cons
Middling malware detection
Slow on-demand scans
Bottom Line
Though AVG 8.5 Free has a good, straightforward interface and useful blocking of Web-based attacks, its malware blocking is below average.
AVG 8.5 Free Antivirus Software
8.5 Free Review, by Erik Larkin August 24, 2009
AVG Technology's AVG 8.5 Free antivirus app has solid features and a generally polished interface, but its relatively lackluster showing at malware detection pulled it down to third place in our rankings of free antivirus software.
AVG detected 95.8 percent of AV-Test.org's malware zoo of about half a million Trojan horses, worms, spyware, and other nasties. Though that isn't a terrible result, it doesn't stand up well against the detection rates of the top performers, Avira AntiVir Personal and the unranked Panda Cloud Antivirus. Hampering AVG's overall score was its 95.3 percent detection rate for Trojan horses, the most common type of malware in the set, as well as its surprisingly poor 88.8 percent detection rate for spyware that tries to steal financial-account passwords.
AVG's proactive detection and scan speed were both in the middle of the pack. The software was third in tests that evaluate the program's ability to block new and unknown malware. It ranked the same for on-access scan speed, which comes into play when you open or save a file. For on-demand scans it was a lot pokier (sixth out of nine), but since you can schedule the scans for when you're not around, a slower speed isn't as problematic here.
This long-standing program performed well in system disinfection. In one test, it detected and disabled all ten malware infections. It tended to miss less-critical things such as Registry changes or blocked access to the Windows Task Manager, but so did all the other free antivirus software we tried. AVG also did well in avoiding false positives, making only one boy-who-cried-wolf mistake.
The AVG package offers a good set of features. Its LinkScanner component will try to detect and stop attacks on Web pages while you surf, and it will provide safety ratings for search results (you can download LinkScanner by itself).
The program can scan e-mail, too, something only Avast Antivirus Home Edition and ClamWin Free Antivirus also offer. But while that is a beneficial extra, the program's AVG toolbar with search options doesn't afford any additional protection; you can safely skip it during installation. You'll likely find most of the default settings appropriate, except for the daily full scan at noon. You can choose another time of day in the installation wizard, but to change it to a weekly scan you'll have to adjust the settings after installation.
AVG displays an ad for its paid product at the bottom of the main program window, along with an occasional pop-up ad. Neither is especially intrusive, and the interface is generally straightforward enough for use on a daily basis.
AVG 8.5 Free is well-rounded overall, but its second-tier malware detection rate should make you consider one of the better-performing programs first.
Microsoft Security Essentials Beta
Pros
Nearly perfect in disabling infections
Good proactive detection
Cons
Slow on-access scans
Merely decent malware detection
Bottom Line
An effective but somewhat slow utility, Microsoft Security Essentials will be a solid contender when it comes out of beta around the end of 2009.
Microsoft Security Essentials (Beta) Free Antivirus Software
Security Essentials Beta Review, by Erik Larkin August 24, 2009
Microsoft has a new free antivirus utility coming to replace its now-defunct OneCare suite. And while it was still in beta as of this writing, Microsoft Security Essentials shows much promise: In our tests it was decent at detecting malware, particularly in proactive tests that simulate the handling of new, unknown malware. It took fourth place in our rankings of free antivirus software. The main drawback of the tool, which will launch by year's end, seemed to be its slow scan speed.
Since Microsoft says the beta tool is feature-complete and simply undergoing fine-tuning now (and since it had a limited public beta release in early summer), we decided to evaluate it alongside other free antivirus software for our recent roundup. Keep in mind, though, that its performance may change before its final release.
One thing we hope will change is its relatively poky scan speed. It was the slowest in our on-access scan test, which judges how quickly scans run when you copy, open, or save files. The app's Dynamic Signature Service may account for some of that: When Security Essentials sees a potentially malicious file that doesn't match known malware, it contacts Microsoft servers for additional analysis. The feature likely affords greater protection owing to the use of the latest signatures online, but it may also introduce some delay if Security Essentials has to wait for a response.
The app's ability to detect and block malware was neither especially good nor particularly bad. Its 97.8 percent overall detection rate put it in fourth; but it did well in proactive tests, which use two- and four-week-old signature databases to simulate how well a program detects new, unknown malware. Its results of 52 percent and 43.8 percent, respectively, were second only to those of the top-ranked Avira AntiVir Personal, our overall winner.
Microsoft's program put up no false positives (flagging of benign software), and it got a near-perfect score overall in detecting and cleaning rootkits and malware infections. It detected and disabled every infection, and although it left behind several changes to the Registry and other areas (as every free app did), they couldn't cause further harm.
Security Essentials has a pleasing interface, is simple to use, and has appropriate defaults. Its warning pop-ups let you deal with an issue quickly or dig in for details. If Microsoft can improve the detection rate a bit--and rev up the scan speed more than a bit--before the program's final release, Security Essentials could turn out to be a real contender in the free antivirus arena.
PC Tools Antivirus Free Edition
Pros
Good worm detection
Decent malware-infection cleanup
Cons
Purposely neglects to detect spyware
Poor heuristic detection
Bottom Line
PC Tools Antivirus, which neglects to detect spyware, allows far too many pieces of malware through for it to realistically protect any PC.
PC Tools Antivirus Free Edition Software
Antivirus Free Edition Review, by Erik Larkin August 24, 2009
PC Tools Antivirus Free Edition does a remarkably poor job of keeping a PC safe, largely because it holds to a now-archaic distinction between spyware and other forms of malware. It came in at number five (out of six contenders) in our rankings of free antivirus software.
In an age when a single baddie might spread like a worm, steal passwords like spyware, and allow backdoor-style remote control of an infected PC, most security vendors recognize that labels such as "Trojan horse" or "spyware" are secondary to the idea of keeping everything bad off PCs. Hence today's use of malware as a catch-all term for attack software.
However, PC Tools says that its free program will not detect what it deems spyware (a critical point not emphasized on the company's Web site). And that limitation may account for its awful detection and blocking results: The app left the door wide open for about half of the malware in our tests.
And while the app purports to protect against Trojan horses, a common malware type, it detected only 46 percent of such software in AV-Test.org tests. It did better in detecting worms, but its catch rate of 83 percent for the self-spreading malware still didn't compare with the detection results we saw from Avira AntiVir Personal, the overall leader among the free antivirus software we tested.
Unsurprisingly, the poor performance carried over to AV-Test.org's heuristic tests, which use two- and four-week-old signature databases to simulate how an app will handle new and unknown malware. PC Tools Antivirus came in last, with respective results of 33 percent and 36 percent (in contrast, Avira, the best app we tested, scored 52 percent and 45 percent, respectively). It was decent in detecting and removing existing infections, missing only one out of ten--but most of the tested antivirus apps got them all.
While the program installs smoothly and looks relatively good, it doesn't schedule a scan by default, nor does it automatically update. The software will notify you once a day (by default) if an update is available, but to make it do the updating by itself, you will need to turn on the Smart Update feature.
In short, there's no reason to choose PC Tools Antivirus when other free apps can truly keep your PC safe. Fortunately, the behavior-based PC Tools Threatfire supplemental utility is as good as Antivirus Free Edition is bad.
Source: http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/collection/1597/free_antivirus_software.html
