Top 5 Best Free AntiVirus Software For Windows

Windows OS is known for getting infected with virus, adwares, malwares, and trojans frequently. So, it is important to install an antivirus software on your windows OS to keep it clean on an on-going basis.

In this article, let us review the top 5 best FREE AntiVirus software available for windows. Some of these are effective than a highly priced commercial antivirus software.

1. Avira AntiVir

Avira AntiVir Virus Scanner provides excellent protection against virus, spyware, adware and rootkit. This has a very high virus detection rate, when compared to any other antivirus freeware for windows. This means you are pretty much guarded from almost all the viruses.

This does not scan the incoming emails automatically. However when you try to open an infected email, it will protect you.

You’ll get an annoying pop-up nagging you to upgrade to full version. You can disable this pop-up by following this instruction.

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• Avira Antivir Home Page
• The best virus detection rate. Pretty much detects every malicious virus.
• OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows 2000, Windows XP

2. Avast! Antivirus Home Edition

It was a toss-up between Avast! and Avira for #1 and #2 position, as both are best free antivirus software. Since a slight advantage went to Avira on the high quality virus detection rate, Avast! takes the #2 spot.

This has built-in protection for P2P, IM, Network and Web shields. This also supports the 64-bit windows. You can run this in silent mode and does not take too much of OS resources.

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• Avast! Antivirus Home Page
• Very good virus detection rate. Good performance – does not slow down system.
• OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows Vista, 2003, XP, 2000

3. AVG AntiVirus

AVG Free antivirus provides following protection:

• Antivirus and Antispyware protectionagainst virus, spyware, adware and trojans
• LinkScanner Active Surf-Shield will protect you from a website that is infected with virus.
• LinkSCanner Search-Shield provides rating for websites that come up in the google search results page. This will help you to decide whether to click on that search result link or not.

The user interface is very intuitive and you don’t need to read documentation to understand how to use the software.

• Our Rating: 
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• AVG Antivirus Home Page
• Apart from antivirus, it also detects spyware and adwares. email scanning ability.
• Relatively less virus detection rate. By default installs unnecessary toolbars. Use custom install mode to remove these defaults.
• OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows Vista, 2003, XP, 2000

4. a-squared

a-squared is a free personal Antivirus software for windows XP operating system. This detects virus, trojans, spyware, adware, worms, bots, keyloggers and dialers. The user interface is not intuitive.

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• A-Squared Antivirus Home Page
• Relatively less virus detection rate. Poor performance – slows down the computer when running the scan.
• OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows XP

5. Rising AntiVirus Free Edition

Rising Antivirus does all the basic things you would expect including protection against viruses, trojans, worms, rootkits. There is nothing special in this that you would not get in any one of the above 4 antivirus freeware. Before exploring this free antivirus software, I recommend you to try one of the antivirus software mentioned above.

• Our Rating: 
• Download Rising Antivirus
• Rising Antivirus Home Page
• Relatively less virus detection rate.
• OS: All flavors of Windows including Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows XP