Best free antivirus in 2023

Free doesn't have to mean bad. In most cases, paying a premium for a service will often net you better features, but many of the best antivirus offerings have a free counterpart that will do the job just fine.

Paying a premium for a service typically means you get more features like spam filters, parental controls, system scans and advanced firewalls. This makes them more suitable for power users, those who want a bit of extra security and anyone who needs their system to run as smoothly as possible. It also means you avoid annoying pop-ups that try and tempt you to upgrade to the full version. 

In fact, these days you can get top quality protection absolutely free, with just about every single major vendor out there offering a free antivirus. By doing so, developers gain access to more devices from which they can collect data, and therefore improve their knowledge and security platforms, so it’s really not in their interest to reduce the amount of protection provided by the free version.

The best paid antivirus software for 2023

Free is great – but sometimes a paid option is a better bet. While the downsides to free antivirus apps may be minimal, there are still downsides. For that, a full-featured paid option might be the better choice. We've covered the best antivirus software in detail – here are our favorites: 

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Best free antivirus for 2023

(Image credit: Avira)

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Avira Free Antivirus for Windows continues to score highly on AV-TEST's stringent testing program, quashing 99.7% of tested threats, and it generally doesn't put too big a burden on your hardware. That's pretty good for a freebie, and why we have no qualms at all in naming it as our #1 best free antivirus download.

As well as the essential security smarts, we also love the clean, friendly interface and the fact it has a track record of throwing up minimal false positives. The introduction of a free security suite to optionally run alongside it – with anti-ransomware and a 500 MB/month free VPN and various speedup promises – just sweetens the deal.

In fact, the list of features reads more like a fully paid premium package. It throws in identity protection, a password manager, anti-scam protection to prevent phishing attempts, and even a PC cleaner to keep your system spick and span.

If there's one thing we'd change, then it's the tad overeager badgering - although popups and advertisements are very common to free products, and that doesn't prevent us from wholeheartedly recommending Avira Free Antivirus.

➨ Review and where to download: Avira Free Antivirus (opens in new tab)

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(Image credit: Avast)

Avast and AVG haven't yet fully merged, despite the former formally acquiring the latter in mid-2016. The newly combined company says the two free antivirus products will remain separate, although there's apparently a joint AV package on the way soon. Obviously, though, Avast now has a lot more data to work with, having expanded its effective user base (and, therefore, its threat detection network) to a whopping 400 million users.

The latest edition of Avast's free antivirus - now branded Avast One Essential - adds an automatic gaming mode to mute popups and reduce system load when you're firing up a processor-hungry game, which is very handy indeed, and the interface has been given a clean new overhaul. There's a password manager, too, which is an undeniably good addition to your security portfolio.

It scores well on AV-TEST's widespread malware benchmark and continues a clean sweep against 0-day attacks – presumably that expanded detection network is really helping. Less impressive is the slight negative effect Avast has on software launch times, and its slightly popup-heavy attitude.

➨ Review and where to download: Avast Free Antivirus

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(Image credit: Microsoft)

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Microsoft Defender (formerly Windows Defender) was generally seen as a bit of a joke in the not-too-distant past. It performed terribly by most measures and was a good advert for why you should really pay for antivirus.

Where it lagged behind more well-known apps previously, Microsoft Defender has come on leaps and bounds and can now legitimately be mentioned in the same company as Bitdefender, Norton and Kaspersky.

As well as very solid virus protection, Defender has extra bits and bobs like a ransomware shield, webcam protection, privacy tools and even basic parental controls and cloud backup.

And the best bit... it's just sitting there on your Windows PC, just waiting to be used. No need to download a thing, just find it in your menu and get protected straight away.

➨ Read more and see how to use: Microsoft Defender review

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(Image credit: Kaspersky)

The paid-for version of Kaspersky's Windows security software frequently tops charts as one of the best virus prevention solutions, and AV-TEST once again gave it full marks across the board in its latest round of testing.

As you would expect, Kaspersky Free is a scaled down version of the full program – a tool that we really like (more on which below). The free version ditches additional features such as privacy protection and safe payment sandboxes to concentrate on powerful, no-frills and – most importantly – free protection for your PC. The result is a tremendously easy to use and navigate a bit of software that does an effective job of keeping you protected from viruses.

Using the nuts and bolts real-world scanning engine of the paid-for suite, Kaspersky Free is fiendishly hard for viruses and Trojan horses to break down. And we love that it doesn't constantly pester you with nudges to upgrade to the full version.

But, ironically, we will just for a moment because Kasperksy Anti-Virus (opens in new tab) isn't expensive to buy and yet affords much better protection to your PC (or PCs). The standard price is $29.99 to protect three computers and includes more muscle when it comes to preventing ransomware, spyware and Trojans.

➨ Review and where to download: Kaspersky Free

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(Image credit: Sophos)

Marketing itself as "business-grade security", Sophos Home does a little more than most free antivirus software, and actually seems better suited to families.

You get standard virus protection and anti-malware protection, along with browser tools like anti-phishing and, most importantly, content control. Combined with central management of up to 10 PCs, this means you can effectively lock down your kids' browsing options.

Although AV-TEST hasn't formally assessed Sophos' skills, fellow lab AV-Comparatives offers a decent rating of its abilities. 

Although Sophos Home has always had desktop notifications, there was no premium version of the software for it to encourage an upgrade to. That changed in February with the launch of Sophos Home Premium.

➨ Review and where to download: Sophos Home

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Free Antivirus vs. Paid

As we said previously, while a free antivirus option isn't the worst choice, it certainly isn't the only choice. Everyone loves free, and security software like a VPN or antivirus is no exception – but you do need to be mindful of the downsides that come along with it. 

While you'll get solid protection and features with most of these free options, their premium counterparts will always get you more robust service – be that file scanning, online protection or any number of other safety features. 

If you do choose a free option, make sure it's a trusted name (like the ones on this list) so you know what you're getting into and don't make things worse for yourself right out of the gate. 

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Antivirus FAQ

What is the overall best antivirus of 2023

We've tested all the biggest names in internet security, we've found that the very best antivirus software in 2023 is Bitdefender (opens in new tab).

It's a superb bit of software – from its entry-level Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and its cast-iron malware defenses, excellent threat detection and genuinely value-adding extra features, right up to its all-singing, all-dancing Total Security that adds an array of maintenance tools and can be used to protect your family's computers, tablets and phones. See our picks for the best antivirus here.

What does antivirus do? How does virus protection work?

With today's connected devices, threats are abundant and can come from anywhere. Even if you think you're safe when online, odds are, you aren't. An antivirus app on your device (typically your home computer) watches over your activities, keeping a keen eye out for malware or other threats that may try to weasel their way onto your system. If anything fowl-play is detected, the software will act, alerting you of the threat and providing measures to handle it. 

These apps are constantly on the lookout for malware that may make its way to you by various means. Many antivirus apps also have options to scan your system for infected files, keeping you protected on an even deeper level. 

For more details on this topic, see our full breakdown of exactly how antivirus software works.

How do I choose the best antivirus software?

While choosing antivirus software isn't necessarily as involved as choosing a VPN, for example, it can still be a challenge to weigh the pros and cons of each service. Luckily for you, we've done the hard work, so you don't have to!

In the case of free software, there is really no downside to choosing any of the ones on this list, as you can always just try another if it's not up to snuff. Most offer the same basic features, while you really only get into more advanced options with paid antivirus software.  

Keep in mind though that these are just our recommendations. Your needs may vary, so it's worth checking out our article on how to choose the best antivirus. 

Do I really need antivirus in 2023?

While it seems that as technology advances, the need for antivirus may be declining, that isn't actually the case. Even if you're mindful of your actions online and smart enough to not open any dodgy email attachments, the chance to have malware land on your computer is still very real. 

Even the largest, most well-known sites can be victim to attacks, so it's always a smart move to use antivirus software and keep yourself protected. Let's put it this way – there's no good reason not to use antivirus software. Better safe than sorry! 

Is free antivirus enough?

The answer to this one isn’t straightforward – it’s a bit of a ‘yes, but no’ kind of reply.

A good free antivirus – like the ones we recommend on this page below – is a perfectly reasonable option for protecting your PC, with Microsoft Defender now the best we've ever seen it. It’ll do the basics of defending your system well, as any reputable vendor uses the same virus protection engine – the central tech that polices the device and repels malware – as the paid product.

That said, premium antivirus programs offer extra features above and beyond the fundamentals. A robust system of parental controls could be a huge win for those with kids, for example. Or, a dedicated anti-ransomware layer of protection that only comes with the paid-for product could help catch one of the most dreaded infections and halt it in its tracks.

Given how cheap some premium antivirus apps are - particularly with the various deals on offer - it’s well worth considering going this route instead to get extra features that could give you more peace of mind.

For more on this, read our full piece on whether free antivirus is enough to protect you. Or just keep scrolling as we reveal today's best free antivirus software providers...

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