Definitive Best FREE Antivirus 2017

[4CxbqFxVnstmA Veteran]

It's a new year, and so we have a new poll for Definitive Best Free Antivirus.
 
The 2016 thread can be found here.
 
This is a poll for best FREE antivirus software. There is a separate thread for PAID antivirus software here.
 
If your choice of free antivirus software is not listed, please choose Other and specify in the comments.

[dead.cell]

I won't speak on BitDefender, as I haven't tried it in about a year. I do know that I didn't like how sluggish it was at the time. Qihoo's 360 Total Security used to be my go to, but I read some not so great things on them as a company, coupled with common false-negatives.

 

For 2017!

I've always been a big critic on Avira over the years, as I never liked their little pop-up ad that shows up once every what... 48 hours? Either way, that's what I'm using right now. It definitely comes loaded ready to do a lot when you first install. I had to scale it back to tailor it better to do what I wanted. The good thing is Avira has plenty of options even in the free version that really let you have full control. It also isn't a resource hog, as I barely remember it's there (until the notification ad pops up). I have pushed some tests to ensure that it does work too, which it successfully notified me of what it blocked, why, and whether I wanted to continue running a scan. 

 

My only concern now is that behavior based inspection with AI learning is the way forward. Microsoft is heading this direction with their enterprise Windows Defender, and there are numerous paid softwares out there going this route too. In a world of ransomware, I feel this is something to pay attention to, rather than just checking signatures. With that in mind, I don't recommend anyone ever really sit complacent on an AV software just because it's always worked for you. Reading up is always important, which I hope is focus point for threads like this.

 

On that note, I'll be trying out Avast here shortly, given the number of people I've seen using it and recommendations elsewhere. Stay safe!  

[Circaflex]

7 minutes ago, Mockingbird said:

Putin Antivirus Free Edition

3/10 warwagons

[adrynalyne]

3 minutes ago, Circaflex said:

3/10 warwagons

More like .5/10. 

[+Warwagon MVC]

Still using Secureaplus.

[+mram Subscriber²]

Windows Defender is totally fine if you just script a DAT update more often than 1x a day... do it like every hour.  That's the only reason it gets rated low for zero day vulnerabilities.  Out of the box all the highly rated zero-day scanners do updates that often, but Defender (really: Windows) gets knocked for trying to be conservative.

 

Consider that Microsoft gets pummeled with attacks more than most, and they use Defender.  The only real difference is Intune knob turning of the service, which is what I'm proposing here... nothing that can't be done with some scripting and no money.

[farmeunit]

54 minutes ago, mram said:

Windows Defender is totally fine if you just script a DAT update more often than 1x a day... do it like every hour.  That's the only reason it gets rated low for zero day vulnerabilities.  Out of the box all the highly rated zero-day scanners do updates that often, but Defender (really: Windows) gets knocked for trying to be conservative.

 

Consider that Microsoft gets pummeled with attacks more than most, and they use Defender.  The only real difference is Intune knob turning of the service, which is what I'm proposing here... nothing that can't be done with some scripting and no money.

It's a terrible resource hog when working with a lot of large files.  Disk usage runs at 100% almost non-stop for me, so it makes it unusable.  I still find it lacking when compared to a "real" AV solution.  Especially with ransonware and such making such a big impact.  Of course there are some free anti-ransomware tools available, as well.

[Mando]

webroot secure anywhere only time i give any time for, but it aint free.

 

Webroot corp@ work.

 

if i was pushed to recc a free one, probs sophos home or Kapersky free home av.

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

There is a commercial anti-malware thread at

that you may wish to post in, if you have not already done so.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

14 hours ago, Mando said:

webroot secure anywhere only time i give any time for, but it aint free.

 

Webroot corp@ work.

 

if i was pushed to recc a free one, probs sophos home or Kapersky free home av.

 

[Seahorsepip Veteran]

Added Kaspersky Free.

[mjedi7]

I didn't expect Microsoft Security Essentials/Windows Defender, being the most voted.

 

It's because is the default in Windows or because it's actually good?

 

I use AVG, works fine for me.

[bikeman25]

For Second Half of 2017, (When Fall Creators update arrives, don't wanna mess with uninstalling as yet) 

 

I'm Probably Switching from Avast Free on Household systems to Windows Defender for the following reasons,  1 Avast new direction seemingly, new threat alerts (present in current beta,  and just feel it's time to rely on Defender, and less on 3rd party antivirus

 

 

Avast Webshield, File Shield, Behavior Shield eventually gonna popup like this photo, and center themselves in Computer screen and has to be closed manually, no response from Avast staff on why the change at all.  Currently on the 3rd Beta release, been thru 17.6.2305, 17.6.2306, and now 17.6.2307 and so far these alerts like that still remain