Five of the Top Free Antivirus Programs

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If you're tired of spending a lot of money for an anti-virus program, or the only free anti-virus program you know of is AVG, start reading. In this article we review five -- count'em, five -- free anti-virus programs. Sure, AVG is here, but so are some other good options, and one of them is bound to suit your needs.

Avast! 4 Home Edition 

One of the top free antivirus programs on the market today is Avast! Home Edition. At first glance, some users may be turned off by the late 90s era media player design that the program features, but you have to dig deeper to find the true value of Avast!. You will most likely not be spending that much time looking at the interface of the program itself, but if you are concerned by the appearance, you might want to skip over this software. 

Of the top antivirus programs, Avast! is arguably the least restrictive, which gives it major points on the “free software” scale. It boasts both anti-rootkit and anti-spyware scanning capabilities. In addition, there are real-time protection features such as a web scanner, an e-mail scanner, and protection for your instant messaging and P2P download programs. 

The program is fairly user friendly, reportedly using very few computer resources. This is good for users that are on older computers that take longer to do things. In addition, it cuts down on potential annoyance if you are trying to do anything on your computer while also scanning for infections. It also has extended support for the older versions of Windows, so those users should not have any trouble. 

One downside of the program is that there is a relatively high number of detected “infections” that are genuinely benign files. You will run into these will almost all scanners, but an abnormally high rate could prove to be somewhat annoying. In addition, you are required to periodically re-register your free version, reminding you that you can upgrade to a paid version. If this annoys you, then you might opt for a different choice. 

Overall, the extensive features of Avast! combined with its solid performance make it a pretty decent choice for anyone looking to save on their antivirus software. All free antivirus programs are going to have their weak points, and Avast!’s are relatively few and small. 

Next: Avira AntiVir Personal Edition >>
 

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