From what people in the comment section say: Try using Bitdefender or Malwarebytes or Kaspersky. Or you can not get antivirus and use Windows Defender, since that always gets the job done as well. Answer from Deleted User on reddit.com
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PCMAG
pcmag.com › home › best products › security › antivirus
The Best Free Antivirus Software We've Tested for 2026 | PCMag
November 26, 2025 - Jump To See More Details AVG AntiVirus Free Review ... Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies. Microsoft Defender Antivirus does a decent job of securing Windows 10 and 11 PCs without other antivirus protection, though ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/antivirus › a good completely free anti-virus
r/antivirus on Reddit: A good completely free anti-virus
December 6, 2024 -

I have recently become very concerned about the security of my Microsoft accounts since one of them was deleted by a Russian hacker. Thankfully, only my Minecraft account was on it; none of my personal info was. So I need an anti-virus that is free and capable of these points. Btw I use AVG currently but basically everything is hidden behind a paywall. I want something that's free but also like Bitdefender. Also mods pls don't delete this saying there's stuff in the wiki, Im genuinely really concerned about my account safety.

  1. Trackers and viruses Support: Block suspicious hackers, trackers and viruses. Optional: Have a feature like in Bitdefender where it scans a file before opening or smth.

  2. Optional: I don't know if this is possible but account security.

  3. Scans for finding hidden flaws or something on the PC, this is there in AVG but all that really happens is that they find nothing, but then they want you to pay for some random stuff that might happen.

  4. Doesn't randomly have a popup showing to upgrade(optional)

  5. I just like all the features of premium BitDefender and premium AVG. But I just want them for free.

This is really important for me. :)

People also ask

What's the best free antivirus program?

Deciding what the best antivirus program is depends on what your needs and objectives are. We value security, performance, user-friendliness, price, support, and presence of a mobile app. In EXPERTE.com's evaluation of free antivirus programs, Avast excelled in all of these categories and is our best free solution.

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experte.com
experte.com › antivirus › best free antivirus
Best Free Antivirus: TOP 8 Free Antivirus Programs | EXPERTE.com
Is free antivirus better than paid antivirus?

The best antivirus software is the one you use. If you can’t afford to purchase antivirus software, go for the free versions. Free versions just have fewer features.

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safewise.com
safewise.com › home › internet security › best free antivirus software
Best Free Antivirus Software | SafeWise
Is Avira Free Antivirus really free?
Yes. Avira Free Antivirus for Windows is available to download for nothing. The antivirus protection program for your PC uses the same antivirus scanning technology as Avira Antivirus Pro for online protection you can count on. The Pro version for Windows has additional features. This includes web protection and the Avira Firewall.
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avira.com
avira.com › avira antivirus › windows
Download Free Antivirus Software for Windows PCs & Laptops | Avira
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EXPERTE.com
experte.com › antivirus › best free antivirus
Best Free Antivirus: TOP 8 Free Antivirus Programs | EXPERTE.com
Best Free Antivirus: TOP 8 Free Antivirus Programs
Panda Security offers free versions of its Windows and Android apps. We felt that Panda Security's user interface was somewhat messy, however, there isn't much else to complain about. The testing labs were impressed with the software and its support is solid. Thanks to its variety of subscription packages, upgrading is easy in case you need more features than you originally thought. ... Our 'best in test' antivirus ...
Rating: 4.3 ​
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AVG
avg.com › en-us › free-antivirus-download
Download Free Antivirus Software for PC | AVG Virus Protection
You can check out our guide for how to manually get rid of viruses from your computer, or you can download a great virus removal tool like AVG AntiVirus Free and start protecting your PC in real time today. Whether you're working on a Windows 10 desktop device or laptop, AVG AntiVirus Free ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/antivirus › best free antivirus software?
r/antivirus on Reddit: Best free antivirus software?
April 8, 2023 -

Hi

I joined to ask people's opinions on what the best basic free antivirus software is. My Malwarebtyes subscription expired and to save some money, I've decided to uninstall it and go for something free and basic that'll get the job done. I've recently installed AVG Free, but I'm still unsure. Everything these days is subscription based, which I'm not a big fan of and miss the times when you just bought things with a one-time payment and it was yours to install on many devices. :-\ There's also 'catches' I find, where a piece of software will scan your computer, will find something, but then advise you to go 'Premium' in order to get/remove it. Thoughts?

Thanks

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PCWorld
pcworld.com › home › best picks › security best picks
Best free antivirus for Windows PCs 2026: Top 5 picks | PCWorld
6 days ago - There are third-party options that have better detection capabilities based on independent tests, but so long as you’re not visiting sketchier places on the internet, you’ll stay protected. Windows Security is active by default in Windows 10 and 11, and it works in the background ensuring you’re protected from threats. ... As you can see, there are several capable free antivirus programs for you to choose from.
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Avira
avira.com › avira antivirus › windows
Download Free Antivirus Software for Windows PCs & Laptops | Avira
That’s why we recommend using our free antivirus protection app, Avira Free Antivirus, on your Windows computer to boost your online security. Windows Defender doesn’t conflict with other antivirus programs.
Find elsewhere
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SafeWise
safewise.com › home › internet security › best free antivirus software
Best Free Antivirus Software | SafeWise
After hours of hands-on testing and research, we found that Bitdefender is the best free antivirus software for virus protection and so much more. It’s aggravation-free and protects against viruses, malware, ransomware, zero-day exploits, and malicious websites.
Published   April 2, 2025
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Avast
avast.com › windows-10-antivirus
Download Free Antivirus for Windows 10 PCs & Laptops | Avast
Windows 10 provides very basic protection but adding Avast’s antivirus software gives you powerful real-time protection against viruses and other malware, and it even includes advanced features, like home Wi-Fi security — all completely free.
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Avast
avast.com › en-us › index
Avast | Download Free Antivirus & VPN | 100% Free & Easy
Join hundreds of millions of others & get free antivirus for PC, Mac, & Android. Surf safely with our VPN. Download Avast!
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Bitdefender
bitdefender.com › en-us › consumer › free-antivirus
Bitdefender Free Antivirus Software
Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows is a free antivirus software especially designed to protect Windows computers. Need protection on more operating systems? Bitdefender Total Security offers cross-platform protection that covers Windows ...
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Malwarebytes
malwarebytes.com › home › free antivirus
Free Antivirus 2023 | Free Malwarebytes Download | 100% Free & Easy Install | Malware Removal
Malwarebytes | Malwarebytes Premium
Download free antivirus: easy install for all devices. Remove unwanted malware like viruses, ransomware, spyware & more. Premium device cyber protection for you and your family.
Rating: 4.6 ​
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Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-best-free-antivirus-for-Windows-PC
What is the best free antivirus for Windows PC? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): I have been using Norton Antivirus from 2000’s u until today. Early versions were total crap. Bogged and slowed down the PC with multiple annoying pop ups for frequent scans and virus definition updates.
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Tom's Hardware Forum
forums.tomshardware.com › home › software › antivirus / security / privacy
[SOLVED] - Best Free Antivirus and are they any good | Tom's Hardware Forum
May 29, 2021 - Hi, Between a free antivirus and nothing, choose nothing. Windows Defender is more than enough if you don't want to pay for a paid version.
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CNET
cnet.com › tech › services & software › antivirus › best antivirus software we've tested in 2026: this security service just dethroned a top competitor
Best Antivirus Software We've Tested in 2026: This Security Service Just Dethroned a Top Competitor - CNET
November 24, 2025 - We test all of these methods of communication during our reviews to help you get a sense of the company's overall commitment to customer support. In test after test, Avast Antivirus for Windows performed well for malware detection, with options ...
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AVG
avg.com › en-us › windows-10-antivirus
Download Free Antivirus Software for Windows 10 PC | AVG
AVG Free AntiVirus is one of the best free antivirus apps for Windows 10 thanks to our advanced AI-powered antivirus engine and global threat-detection network — the largest in the world. Whenever any device protected with AVG detects a new threat, we’ll automatically send out a cure to ...