Choosing the best antivirus for your computer is one of the most important decisions you have to make as soon as your buy the computer. Many of us usually stick to the trial version of any free antivirus that we get our hands on without understanding the consequences or the repercussions of our ‘free’ download. Choosing the best antivirus for your computer is like hiring the best guard for your home because let’s face it, most of our information is available online through the sites we access and the apps we use. Would you hire a guard who just sits outside your house for free or would you want *metaphorically* Superman or Hulk to guard it for a small, yearly price?
Now that I may have convinced you to choose the best antivirus for your system, let us look at the best antivirus in the market so you can decide what to get.
1. Bitdefender
Bitdefender is the best antivirus in the market that offers excellent protection in its trial and paid versions. While the free version gives you basic protection from internet malware, the full, paid version has surpassed all the security tests that had been done on it and has defeated all other antivirus companies and has gone on to become the best. It does not slow down your PC, uses limited resources, very easy and convenient to use, and is the most efficient of all the antivirus software in the market!
Price: Pro version for $38.97/year
2. Kaspersky
Kaspersky has been one of the most sought-after antivirus in the market and not without good reason. It is famous for its very effective malware destruction and excellent protection against spyware, rootkits, security exploits, and ransomware. Another great feature about Kaspersky is that it protects against software detecting keyboard strokes. Even if you type out your credit card details without using the virtual keyboard, you can be fully protected thanks to Kaspersky’s feature. However a disadvantage of Kaspersky is that the full system scan takes quite some time and really tests our patience. But for strong protection, we just have to go with the flow.
Price: Pro version for $39.99/year
3. Avast
Avast is in this list of the best antivirus software because of its extra feature of telling you if your system files need updating. If you are like me, you would likely put-off updating your PC’s software till you absolutely need to update. While you procrastinate on this area, many hackers will work actively to attack your system and bring it down. With Avast, however, you don’t need to worry about that because of its software updater. Apart from this, Avast also offers a 24/7 telephone support which is a nice addition to its impressive offerings. It is smart, efficient, and does its work well, which is keeping your system safe. The malware scanning time is a bit longer than expected and there are some advanced features that may not sit well with an average user. Apart from that, Avast is every bit good as the other players out there.
Price: $34.99/year
4. Norton
There is no way Norton is not mentioned in a post about the best antivirus because of its cult status. Although many new antivirus software come and go, Norton is in a position where nothing can touch it. This is because Norton’s antivirus is tough, strong, and very powerful. Although Norton offers a free and a full version, it is highly recommended to use the full version because Norton guarantees 100% protection or it will return your money. Now, no one can make such a heavy claim lightly except when they have an astounding product that delivers results. Norton also has many other features like a bootable recovery tool, file backup, child protection, and many more. It also offers antimalware and antispyware capabilities, antispam, antiphishing, a password manager and a secure online vault. This means it packs more features than most antivirus software and with Norton, you are good to go.
Price: $39.99/ year
5. Panda Antivirus
Panda Antivirus belongs to the list of best antivirus software because of its excellent firewall protection and its ability to block untrustworthy apps. It also offers features like a rescue disk tool, USB scanning, and a built-in firewall. It can perfectly identify the bad files from the good ones and it is proactive in nature. It can predict attacks to your computer and defend your computer against it quite effectively. However, there are two major disadvantages to the Panda: it slows down the system just a little bit after installing and there are many other antivirus that offer more features than the Panda. But this antivirus software does not compromise when it comes to security and it acts as both a firewall and an antivirus software. If you are tired of many complicated options coming from the bigwigs, give Panda a shot.
Price: $32.99/year
So there you have it: a list of the 5 best antivirus software on the market. There are still other good ones out there like Eset, McAfee, Avira, and AVG. The important thing here is to have an effective antivirus in place so it does not ruin your PC experience. Choose wisely!
