Top 5 Anti-Viruses in the Market

Well it doesn’t really matter how safe you think your computer is because it’s a fact that your PC is always vulnerable to a number of malicious worms and viruses that may attack just any moment. So an anti-virus is a must have for just anybody who uses computer and the internet!

There are two categories of anti-viruses, the first one being freeware which is available free of cost as the name suggest and the second one being the shareware which is the paid version, commercially available. Actually the choice of an anti virus depends on several factors such as cost, purpose of usage, user friendliness etc…

One of the most common choices amongst the anti-viruses available today is AVG, which is most popular as a freeware and is used by millions of users worldwide. The lightweight AVG Free provides protection against the various nastiest malicious attacks floating around the internet. Both the freeware (with limitations) and commercial versions of their software are available, but most users find AVG Free is all they need (including me!) and the usage of the paid version is rather uncommon.

1. AVG Anti-Virus (Freeware and Shareware)

The latest freeware version available presently is AVG 8.0 though many users prefer versions prior to the most recent 8.0 release. I like the 7.5 version the most on account of its user friendliness which is probably lacking in the latest version.

2. Kaspersky Anti-Virus (Shareware)

If you are willing to spend a few bucks then Kaspersky is a good option for you as an Anti-Virus, because of its exceptional capabilities to detect any new threats almost within a fraction of a moment!

The fans of shareware antivirus app Kaspersky point out its consistently strong ratings in protection from millions of continuous malicious attacks, which make it well worth the $60 license. Kaspersky also provides an extremely quick response time to new viruses, earning it a special place in the hearts and system trays of its users.

3. Avast Anti-Virus (Freeware and shareware)

Another popular choice amongst the freeware is the Avast anti-virus. Avast is slightly heavier on system resources, but users feel that the excellent protection features more than make up for the increased footprint. It is available in both freeware (Home) and shareware (Professional) flavors with the former being the more popular and will simply cost you an email address to get a free registration code from the website!

4. NOD32 (Shareware)

Amongst the sharewares, NOD32 is best known for its speed and small system footprint. It is also considered as a comprehensive and bulletproof solution by many users worldwide. It’s available at a yearly subscription of $40 for a home license, so although it’s not free, NOD32 die-hard users still claim the price-tag to be well worth it!

5. Avira Anti-Virus (Freeware and Shareware)

Last but surely not the least is Avira Anti-Virus, which just like several of its peers, is available in both freeware and shareware versions, but as usual most people find the freeware alternative plenty to suit their needs!

Most of users claim it to be damn good at detecting viruses and other malware that other anti-virus apps miss out many a times! Although one of the downsides to Avira on installation is the fact that pop-up ads enabled by default, but of course you can disable the ads with a couple of clicks!

Which one is possibly the best?

Well technically speaking, although while comparing the various anti-viruses available today there is no specific parameter for determining their credibility as there are millions of malicious harmful infections that your computer may catch any moment, so it’s a tough call to say which is the best. However popularity, user friendliness and cost, are the only parameters for the purpose of analysis.

So keeping all these facts in mind, personally I prefer the AVG freeware (while keeping the windows online security ON!) and it is undoubtedly popular amongst plenty of internet users. Probably Kaspersky may be considered the common choice amongst the users, based on the level of popularity and effectiveness. Although not rated here, I feel that Symantec Norton 360 is also a good contender as well!

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Filed Under: Internet