Introduction

Everyone using a PC nowadays knows how important it is to have some sort of antivirus installed. The question usually comes up, but which one should I install? Should I pay for antivirus software? Do I need to install more than one? Well, we hope to answer some of those questions here and also give you a couple of options on what we recommend to install. Those being Avira, Avast, and Bitdefender.

Avira

Avira is one of the top free antivirus software out now. It has a very high detection rate for cloud-based scanning. When a suspicious file is detected, it scans the file in real time, in the cloud, for faster service. They also have a feature that finds unwanted software that might be running within legitimate software. Instead of having its own firewall, it works with the firewall that Windows already provides.

Avast

Avast is arguably the best free antivirus out right now. It has a very low impact on your computer and offers a lot of features in the free version, like a password manager and a secure web browser that other antivirus only have in the paid version. The free version of Avast also has a scanner that will let you know if there are any problems on your network. However, it will not fix them, it will only notify you of the issues.

Bitdefender

Bitdefender is the argument over Avast. Bitdefender scores nearly perfect on all tests. Bitdefender also includes a password manager and a VPN so your ISP cannot track your activity online.

To Pay or Not to Pay

Another big question when it comes to antivirus software is should I get a free version or should I pay? And the answer is really whatever you feel comfortable with. You should never have to feel like you need to pay for antivirus software. The free versions of our three recommendations work perfectly fine, and for most people, this is all the protection you need.

But with the paid versions of these programs, there are a few extras you get that will increase your protection, such as increased scan speeds. This is exactly what it sounds like: the speed the scan will run will be increased. Day-Zero updates: virus, spyware, adware, and other types of malware are constantly changing, and with paid versions of antivirus software you get those updates the day the software company puts them into their database. With a free version, you may have to wait for a couple of days for the software to do its update and installs a few new identifiable threats at one time.

Probably the biggest thing that you can gain from a paid version is some sort of ransomware protection. Free antivirus programs do not have any sort of ransomware protection, while the paid version will generally have some sort of ransomware protection. So, as stated before, the answer to whether or not you should pay for antivirus software is what you feel comfortable with. If you are okay with a little bit slower scan speeds, a couple days behind on updates, and you don’t feel that ransomware is a problem for you, then the free version will be just fine, but if you want a little beefier protection, and you have the money to spend, then I would recommend going for the paid version.

Are Two Antiviruses Better than One?

Running two antiviruses should be better than only running one, right? NO! In fact, you can actually do more harm to the PC having more than one antivirus installed. The reason for this is because they start fighting against each other, and as they are fighting, they do not stop anything from coming through. The only other software you should run with your antivirus is a program called Malwarebytes. Malwarebytes uses a different algorithm than antivirus programs, so they do not conflict with one another. Think of Malwarebytes as the assistant to your antivirus—it can catch things that your antivirus might miss.

Wrapping Things Up

Hopefully, this helps you choose which antivirus program will work for you and gives you a little bit more understanding of what to look for in an antivirus. If you still have questions, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have. If your computer does fall prey to a virus, we offer a comprehensive virus removal service. We will get your computer back to full health.