Best Free Antivirus For Windows 8.1 2020

9/13/2020

Best Free Antivirus For Windows 8.1 2020

The most effective antivirus software program you should purchase right this moment
1. Kaspersky Complete Security

The most effective antivirus protection general.

Anti-theft: Sure | Backup software: Sure | Firewall: Sure | Sport mode: Yes | Hardened browser: Yes | Parental controls: Sure | Password supervisor: Yes | Ransomware rollback: Sure | Webcam safety: Sure | Digital keyboard: Sure | VPN: Limited upsell | Wi-Fi scanner: Sure
Kaspersky Whole Safety 5 Devices 1 Year
$49.99/yr
Kaspersky Whole Security 5 Units 2 Years
$49.99/year
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at Kaspersky Lab
Glorious malware protection
Wealthy parental controls, password manager
Mild-to-moderate system affect
VPN information capped until you pay further
Onerous-to-enable microphone protection

Kaspersky's Home windows products have excellent malware-detection scores and a light-to-moderate system-performance impact, the 2 most essential criteria in our rankings.

The entry-level program, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, has dedicated ransomware protection, a digital keyboard and a convenient online account portal. However it's beaten by Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, which has much more options.

Kaspersky Internet Security is our best choice among midrange packages. It has a secure browser, anti-theft protection for laptops, webcam safety and a limited-use VPN shopper that kicks in while you connect with an open Wi-Fi community. It also consists of software for macOS, Android and iOS.

The premium antivirus suite, Kaspersky Whole Security, adds backup software, parental controls, file encryption, a file shredder and a limiteless password manager. We expect it is the best antivirus software program you should purchase right this moment.

The best antivirus software program you should buy
Kaspersky provides wonderful malware safety, lots of useful further features and a light-weight system influence with an easy-to-use interface.

Click here if you happen to're within the U.K. (or anywhere else)

Finest antivirus: Bitdefender Antivirus 2020 Field Artwork
(Image credit: Bitdefender)
2. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus

One of the best worth antivirus software program presently accessible.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is our best choice amongst entry-level antivirus merchandise. It has excellent, if not good, malware-detection scores. Its active scans don't add much to the background system affect, however that background load is a bit heavy.

It also offers the most worth, with an infinite password manager, a safe browser with a virtual keyboard, a Wi-Fi network scanner, a file shredder, safety towards encrypting ransomware and Bitdefender's new web-privacy software -- features usually found only with pricier antivirus packages.

The midrange Bitdefender Web Security provides parental controls, webcam safety and a two-way firewall, while Bitdefender Whole Security tops off the lineup with an anti-theft characteristic for laptops, a system optimizer and licenses for Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac and Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android.

A fourth product, Bitdefender Premium Safety, is basically Total Security with limitless VPN usage and priority tech support. (The other applications limit you to 200MB of Bitdefender VPN utilization per day.)

But the very best deal is the Bitdefender Family Pack, which puts Complete Safety on as much as 15 devices for (a steadily discounted) $120 per yr.

Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus Plus evaluation.

Best antivirus: Norton 360 Deluxe
(Picture credit score: Norton)
3. Norton 360 Deluxe

Nearly the whole lot you could ever need.

Anti-theft: No | Backup software program: Yes | Firewall: Sure | Sport mode: Yes | Hardened browser: No | Parental controls: Yes | Password manager: Yes | Ransomware rollback: No | Webcam protection: Sure | VPN: Unlimited
Norton 360 Deluxe
$39.99/year
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at Norton
Glorious malware safety
Parental controls, backup software program, on-line storage, password manager, webcam protection, limitless VPN
LifeLock id protection with prime tiers
Heavy slowdown throughout full scans
Pricey

All eight of Norton's antivirus merchandise supply excellent malware protection, and the once-heavy system-performance load is much lighter. The variety of further features every program has varies in line with value, but the candy spot in the lineup is Norton 360 Deluxe.

It includes a password supervisor, unlimited VPN service, dark-web personal-data monitoring, parental controls and as much as 50GB of online space for storing. Two retail-only choices, Norton 360 Premium and Norton 360 Platinum, give you extra online storage and broaden the antivirus and VPN protection to 10 and 20 units, respectively.

If you would like full-on identity safety, Norton presents three bundles with varying levels of LifeLock service and even more online storage space. Their annual subscription costs run well into the triple digits, however nonetheless price lower than in case you had been to purchase the identification safety, password manager, cloud-backup storage and antivirus software separately.

Unlike some of the other best antivirus software makers, Norton doesn't offer a file shredder, file encryption or secure web browser with any of its merchandise. But every other digital-protection service you might presumably ask for is included with not less than a few of its bundles.

Read our full Norton 360 Deluxe evaluate.

Greatest antivirus: Trend Micro Maximum Security
(Image credit score: Pattern Micro)
4. Development Micro Maximum Security

Heavy scans yield many false positives.

Backup software program: No | Firewall: No | Game mode: Yes | Hardened browser: Yes | Parental controls: Yes | Password supervisor: Sure | Webcam safety: No | Virtual keyboard: No | VPN: No
Trend Micro Most Security
$39.95/year
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at Development Micro
Superb malware safety
Safe browser, file shredder, password supervisor
Fast full scans
Heavy performance hit during scans
Lacks extras other manufacturers supply

Development Micro provides excellent safety, but its malware-detection engine creates a heavy system load throughout scans and returns a fair number of false-positive results. The model's entry-level product, Trend Micro Antivirus+ Safety, is pretty basic by way of further tools though it does come with a safe web browser.

Parental controls, a system optimizer and a file shredder are bundled into the mid-range Development Micro Internet Safety. Development Micro Maximum Safety adds a password manager, a secure browser and file encryption, whereas the new Trend Micro Premium Safety adds a VPN and dark-web monitoring of non-public data.

However, none of Trend Micro's applications embrace a two-way firewall or webcam safety, that are customary with other brands' midrange choices. Nor does the premium product have the cloud storage or backup software program that some of the best antivirus brands like to add as enticements to their flagship packages.

Read our full Trend Micro Most Security review.

Greatest antivirus: Sophos Dwelling Premium
(Picture credit score: Sophos)
5. Sophos Home Premium

A no-frills method to strong security.

Sophos Home Premium does its job economically, providing reliable protection from malware at a really reasonably priced worth.

As a spinoff from Sophos' enterprise software program for enterprise clients, Sophos House Premium lacks lots of the bells and whistles, similar to a password manager, id theft safety service or VPN, that different security suites provide to shoppers.

What Sophos House Premium does have is the necessities: ransomware rollbacks, webcam defenses, browser hardening and safety against keyloggers, malicious web sites and boot-sector and fileless malware. It additionally has a web-filter system for fogeys and a web based administration console from which you can tweak a lot of the settings.

Some people may demand more from an antivirus suite, but anyone who would somewhat pay for only what they need will admire Sophos Dwelling Premium's just-the-basics strategy.

Read our full Sophos Home Premium evaluation.

Greatest antivirus: McAfee Web Safety 2020 Field Art
(Image credit: McAfee)
6. McAfee Internet Security

Good but not excellent

Anti-theft: No | Backup software: No | Firewall: Sure | Game mode: Sure | Hardened browser: No | Parental controls: No | Password manager: Yes | Ransomware rollback: Sure | Webcam protection: No | Digital keyboard: No | VPN: No
McAfee Complete Safety 2 12 months
$29.99/12 months
McAfee Complete Protection 1 Year
$44.99/year
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at McAfee
Protects plenty of machines for affordable
Password supervisor, id protection
So-so malware protection
Lacks a number of frequent system protections
No parental controls

McAfee's malware detection has improved greatly up to now couple of years, but it surely's still not fairly top-of-the-line.

Regardless of that, the entry-level McAfee AntiVirus Plus is a discount: $60 per yr buys software program for up to 10 (actually, limitless) gadgets, whether or not they run Windows, OS X, iOS or Android, and the software comes with a file shredder and a two-way firewall.

McAfee Internet Security adds among the best password managers in the business, but to get parental controls, you'll need to spring for McAfee Whole Safety or its sibling McAfee LiveSafe, which comes pre-installed on many new PCs.

The multi-device licenses of these two safety suites also come with an identity-protection service, but none of the McAfee products have a secure browser or webcam safety, which you typically get with the most effective antivirus applications.

On the top is McAfee Total Protection Final, which provides unlimited VPN service with no strings connected. Hardcore PC players could take into account McAfee Gamer Security, which for $60 per 12 months provides low-overhead safety for a single rig.

Learn our full McAfee Internet Security evaluate.

Greatest antivirus: ESET Good Safety Premium
(Image credit score: ESET)
7. ESET Good Security Premium

Nothing fancy.

ESET is without doubt one of the largest antivirus names in Europe, but whereas it has a small system-performance load and quick scans, its malware-detection rate isn't as good in lab checks as most of the best antivirus manufacturers on this page.

The entry-level ESET NOD32 Antivirus is simple to use, but has few helpful extra instruments. ESET Web Security adds webcam protection, parental controls and a browser-hardening extension, in addition to ESET security-software licenses for Mac, Android and Linux units. (The latter offers a 90-day free trial in the course of the coronavirus crisis.)

The top-billed ESET Sensible Security Premium tosses in file encryption, a virtual keyboard and a password manager. Nevertheless, there is no VPN shopper, backup software or file shredder.

ESET's pricing is per system, which is optimal for customers who may need more than a few devices to protect. But if your system count gets into double digits, ESET's prices can add up.

Read our full ESET Sensible Security Premium review.

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