Security experts and users alike are aware of a myriad of aspects when selecting an antivirus program, apart from its protection capabilities. Things like cost impacts on systems, usability, compatibility and personal judgment about a company’s business practices are all important factors that play a role in determining whether a person should choose a particular antivirus tool.
Germany-based Avira is a great option for anyone looking for an antivirus program that is reliable with test results and a monthly billing option. The AV program boasts impressive laboratory scores across all categories and also provides many useful extras including a password manager. Avira scans are lightweight and don’t use a lot of resources. The speed of full-scan scans is reduced by 53 percent. This is among our most significant results.
A few of our top choices are not perfect. Kaspersky can slow down your PC by up to 53% thanks to its powerful background effect, whereas Avast is only a little slower at 44%. On the other one hand, Bitdefender has an excellent free version as well as a powerful subscription-based AV solution, which has superb independent testing lab scores. Its features include a VPN and is large, making it stand out from the other alternatives.
F-Secure is the highest-rated paid antivirus program. McAfee Total Protection and Trend Micro Internet Security are also highly reviewed. While Microsoft Defender, which is built into Windows 10 and 11, has a moderate post-installation background impact at only 9%, it’s also prone to heavy slowdowns during full system scans.