pcmag.com
Neil J. Rubenking
May 10, 2017
Antivirus software is critical for all PCs. Without it, you risk losing your personal information, your files, and even the cash from your bank account. We've tested more than 40 utilities to help you pick the right one for your computer.
Malware these days is about making money, and there's no easy way to cash in on spreading a virus. Ransomware and data-stealing Trojans are much more common, as are bots that let the bot-herder rent out your computer for nefarious purposes. Modern antivirus utilities handle Trojans, rootkits, spyware, adware, ransomware, and more.
Listen to the Labs
I take the results reported by independent antivirus testing labs very seriously. The simple fact that a particular vendor's product shows up in the results is a vote of confidence, of sorts. It means the lab considered the product significant, and the vendor felt the cost of testing was worthwhile. Of course, getting good scores in the tests is also important.
I follow five labs that regularly release detailed reports: Virus Bulletin, Simon Edwards Labs (the successor to Dennis Technology Labs), AV-Test Institute, MRG-Effitas, and AV-Comparatives. I also note whether vendors have contracted with ICSA Labs and West Coast labs for certification.
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2017
Editors' Choice
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2017 combines top-scoring antivirus protection with so many bonus features it would almost qualify as a security suite.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus (2017)
Editors' Choice
The independent testing labs consistently award Kaspersky Anti-Virus their highest ratings, plus it aces our own antiphishing tests, adds plenty of bonus features, and it's fast. That's enough to earn our Editors' Choice nod again this year.
Symantec Norton AntiVirus Basic
Editors' Choice
After a few years on hiatus, Symantec's standalone antivirus is back. Norton AntiVirus Basic earns top scores from the independent labs and in our own tests. It's a winner.
Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus
Editors' Choice
Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus remains the smallest, fastest antivirus around, and it aced our hands-on malware-blocking test.
McAfee AntiVirus Plus (2017)
Editors' Choice
McAfee AntiVirus Plus doesn't score as high as other Editors' Choice products in testing, but it covers vastly more than the others. One subscription lets you protect every Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS device in your household.
Avast Pro Antivirus 2017
Avast Pro Antivirus 2017 offers the same wealth of features as its free edition, and not a lot more. It's an excellent product, but for most people the free version will suffice.
Check Point ZoneAlarm PRO Antivirus + Firewall 2017
With the powerful ZoneAlarm firewall, antivirus licensed from Kaspersky, and a unique new approach to phishing protection, Check Point ZoneAlarm PRO Antivirus + Firewall 2017 is worth a look.
Emsisoft Anti-Malware 2017
Hence the name, Emsisoft Anti-Malware focuses on the core task of keeping your PCs free of malware. It does a good job, and with a clean, simple interface, it looks good too.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 10
North America ESET NOD32 Antivirus 10 scores well with most independent labs and in most of our hands-on tests, and its full system scan is faster than most.
F-Secure Anti-Virus (2017)
F-Secure Anti-Virus's fast full scan and DeepGuard behavior-based detection system make it a powerhouse against malware, but it doesn't offer many bonus features.
The Kure
When your PC has The Kure installed, you can wipe out malware just by rebooting. Your own documents aren't affected, and it even has the ability to reverse the effects of encrypting ransomware.
Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security (2017)
Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security earns high scores in our hands-on tests, though not in every independent lab test. Ransomware protection is a welcome addition in this latest version.
VoodooSoft VoodooShield
VoodooShield takes a whitelist approach to antivirus protection, but without getting in the user's way. A new machine-learning component brings it closer to the abilities of a standalone antivirus.
Ashampoo Anti-Virus 2016
The technology that Ashampoo Anti-Virus licenses from other companies does very well in most of our tests, but you're probably better off just going straight to those other vendors.
G Data Antivirus 2017
G Data Antivirus 2017 gets decent marks from the independent testing labs, and it includes components designed to fight specific malware types, including ransomware. However, in our own tests its scores ranged from excellent to poor.
Malwarebytes 3.0 Premium
Malwarebytes 3.0 Premium has so many advanced protection layers that the company calls it an antivirus replacement. However, we still advise using it in conjunction with a traditional antivirus.
Avira Antivirus Pro (2017)
Avira Antivirus Pro offers all the same protection as the free Avira Antivirus, plus a few added features that don't all work well. Stick with the free edition or, in a commercial setting, look elsewhere.
BullGuard Antivirus (2017)
BullGuard Antivirus offers spam filtering as a bonus feature, and it scored well in our malicious URL blocking test. However, in some independent lab tests and some of our own, it didn't do so well.
K7 AntiVirus Plus 15
K7 Anti-Virus Plus 15 avoids the plague of false positives that afflicted the previous version. Its scores in our tests and lab tests have improved, but they're still not great. Better options abound.
Panda Antivirus Pro (2017)
Panda Antivirus Pro has all the features of Panda's free antivirus and more. It's a decent product, but its test scores are down from last year, and its pricing scheme doesn't make much sense.
PC Pitstop PC Matic With Super Shield
PC Matic with Super Shield now develops all of its antivirus technology in house, no longer using licensed third-party engines. In testing, it stopped all of our malware samples from launching, but didn't properly identify all of them as malicious.
Quick Heal AntiVirus Pro 17
Quick Heal AntiVirus Pro 17 is a huge improvement over the limping version 16, though still not among the antivirus elite.
thnx to pcmag.com for these reviews and information
Neil J. Rubenking
May 10, 2017
Code:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372364,00.aspAntivirus software is critical for all PCs. Without it, you risk losing your personal information, your files, and even the cash from your bank account. We've tested more than 40 utilities to help you pick the right one for your computer.
Malware these days is about making money, and there's no easy way to cash in on spreading a virus. Ransomware and data-stealing Trojans are much more common, as are bots that let the bot-herder rent out your computer for nefarious purposes. Modern antivirus utilities handle Trojans, rootkits, spyware, adware, ransomware, and more.
Listen to the Labs
I take the results reported by independent antivirus testing labs very seriously. The simple fact that a particular vendor's product shows up in the results is a vote of confidence, of sorts. It means the lab considered the product significant, and the vendor felt the cost of testing was worthwhile. Of course, getting good scores in the tests is also important.
I follow five labs that regularly release detailed reports: Virus Bulletin, Simon Edwards Labs (the successor to Dennis Technology Labs), AV-Test Institute, MRG-Effitas, and AV-Comparatives. I also note whether vendors have contracted with ICSA Labs and West Coast labs for certification.
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2017
Editors' Choice
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2017 combines top-scoring antivirus protection with so many bonus features it would almost qualify as a security suite.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus (2017)
Editors' Choice
The independent testing labs consistently award Kaspersky Anti-Virus their highest ratings, plus it aces our own antiphishing tests, adds plenty of bonus features, and it's fast. That's enough to earn our Editors' Choice nod again this year.
Symantec Norton AntiVirus Basic
Editors' Choice
After a few years on hiatus, Symantec's standalone antivirus is back. Norton AntiVirus Basic earns top scores from the independent labs and in our own tests. It's a winner.
Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus
Editors' Choice
Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus remains the smallest, fastest antivirus around, and it aced our hands-on malware-blocking test.
McAfee AntiVirus Plus (2017)
Editors' Choice
McAfee AntiVirus Plus doesn't score as high as other Editors' Choice products in testing, but it covers vastly more than the others. One subscription lets you protect every Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS device in your household.
Avast Pro Antivirus 2017
Avast Pro Antivirus 2017 offers the same wealth of features as its free edition, and not a lot more. It's an excellent product, but for most people the free version will suffice.
Check Point ZoneAlarm PRO Antivirus + Firewall 2017
With the powerful ZoneAlarm firewall, antivirus licensed from Kaspersky, and a unique new approach to phishing protection, Check Point ZoneAlarm PRO Antivirus + Firewall 2017 is worth a look.
Emsisoft Anti-Malware 2017
Hence the name, Emsisoft Anti-Malware focuses on the core task of keeping your PCs free of malware. It does a good job, and with a clean, simple interface, it looks good too.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 10
North America ESET NOD32 Antivirus 10 scores well with most independent labs and in most of our hands-on tests, and its full system scan is faster than most.
F-Secure Anti-Virus (2017)
F-Secure Anti-Virus's fast full scan and DeepGuard behavior-based detection system make it a powerhouse against malware, but it doesn't offer many bonus features.
The Kure
When your PC has The Kure installed, you can wipe out malware just by rebooting. Your own documents aren't affected, and it even has the ability to reverse the effects of encrypting ransomware.
Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security (2017)
Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security earns high scores in our hands-on tests, though not in every independent lab test. Ransomware protection is a welcome addition in this latest version.
VoodooSoft VoodooShield
VoodooShield takes a whitelist approach to antivirus protection, but without getting in the user's way. A new machine-learning component brings it closer to the abilities of a standalone antivirus.
Ashampoo Anti-Virus 2016
The technology that Ashampoo Anti-Virus licenses from other companies does very well in most of our tests, but you're probably better off just going straight to those other vendors.
G Data Antivirus 2017
G Data Antivirus 2017 gets decent marks from the independent testing labs, and it includes components designed to fight specific malware types, including ransomware. However, in our own tests its scores ranged from excellent to poor.
Malwarebytes 3.0 Premium
Malwarebytes 3.0 Premium has so many advanced protection layers that the company calls it an antivirus replacement. However, we still advise using it in conjunction with a traditional antivirus.
Avira Antivirus Pro (2017)
Avira Antivirus Pro offers all the same protection as the free Avira Antivirus, plus a few added features that don't all work well. Stick with the free edition or, in a commercial setting, look elsewhere.
BullGuard Antivirus (2017)
BullGuard Antivirus offers spam filtering as a bonus feature, and it scored well in our malicious URL blocking test. However, in some independent lab tests and some of our own, it didn't do so well.
K7 AntiVirus Plus 15
K7 Anti-Virus Plus 15 avoids the plague of false positives that afflicted the previous version. Its scores in our tests and lab tests have improved, but they're still not great. Better options abound.
Panda Antivirus Pro (2017)
Panda Antivirus Pro has all the features of Panda's free antivirus and more. It's a decent product, but its test scores are down from last year, and its pricing scheme doesn't make much sense.
PC Pitstop PC Matic With Super Shield
PC Matic with Super Shield now develops all of its antivirus technology in house, no longer using licensed third-party engines. In testing, it stopped all of our malware samples from launching, but didn't properly identify all of them as malicious.
Quick Heal AntiVirus Pro 17
Quick Heal AntiVirus Pro 17 is a huge improvement over the limping version 16, though still not among the antivirus elite.
thnx to pcmag.com for these reviews and information
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