Tech

Best Antivirus Software for your computer in 2020

What are some general features of a free antivirus?

It gives your computer protection from the more common types of viruses
A free anti-virus will block files and apps that appear dangerous to your PC and give you a warning in case of any suspicious websites.
Free anti-virus software gives you malware protection since it runs scheduled scans on your computer as well as manual ones on the entire system
With free anti-virus software, you also get web protection whereby they keep track of your web activity so that they’re able to block any threats such as viruses and Trojans before they appear. They will even alert you in case any has been blocked.
With free anti-virus software, you can also get some technical email support in case you’re uncertain about how to configure it.
Free anti-virus software, unfortunately, allows for many ads to be displayed on the software screen which can be very annoying because it’s a distraction.
Free anti-virus software comes with a simple interface.

What are some general features of a free antivirus?

Paid anti-virus software offers a parental control option whereby you can restrict what your children can do on a computer and manage their access to specific apps.
Paid antivirus software allows for identity theft protection. For this, the antivirus company monitors web activity in those places with stolen information and alerts you on how to protect yourself.
With paid antivirus software you get 24-hour technical support in case an issue arises or if the software affects your system.
Paid antivirus software enables you to get faster signature updates whenever a threat arises, keeping you more protected.
The cleaning algorithm is better with paid antivirus software as it always attempts to get rid of all infected files with a better success rate compared to free antivirus software.

What to consider when buying antivirus software

The methods of scanning and detection

It’s important to get antivirus software that provides a real-time scanner that will run continuously in the background checking all your offline and online accessed files.

You also need antivirus software that comes with an on-demand scanner to check for malware in files whether or not you’ve accessed them.

How it affects the speed of your device

Some antivirus software can consume your CPU resources while running in the background and affect your processor’s speed making your device slower.

Always make sure the antivirus software you pick will not affect the requirements of the device you’re using.

The antivirus software’s privacy policy

In a world whereby personal information is under threat, you should first check that your antivirus software’s manufacturing company has not been involved in data scandals.

You also have to carefully go through the antivirus software to understand how much access the software will have to your personal information.

How easy it is for the antivirus software to remove viruses

Some viruses only affect files while others can damage the entire device system. The antivirus software you go for should be well equipped to handle the situation as it is so that your device is restored to its original state.

Here are the top three best antivirus software for your computer in 2020

Kaspersky Total Security

Features

Firewall
Rich parental control
Password manager and two-factor authentication
Webcam protection
Virtual Keyboard
Wi-Fi scanner
A hardened browser

Kaspersky is perhaps the most popular antivirus software among computer owners and users. This is because of the excellent malware detection it comes with.

It’s also great anti-virus software because it features a system-performance impact that is moderate.

Kaspersky antivirus in its entry-level program comes with ransomware protection. It also has a virtual keyboard and will offer you an account portal that’s convenient for use.

This antivirus software has great internet security compared to many in its range. With it, you can keep track of what your kids have access to through parental control.

The browser is also safe considering it has anti-theft protection for your PC.

If you use your webcam often, you will also enjoy the protection and you get to enjoy a VPN every time you’re in public areas with open Wi-Fi.

With the premium version of the antivirus, software, you get extra backup and a file shredder. You also get to enjoy the unlimited password manager it comes with.

This antivirus software has an edge over many.

Panda Free Antivirus

Features

Easy to use
150MB per day VPN
Powerful firewall
Excellent antivirus scanner
Lightweight antivirus software
Safe browsing
Good-looking interface

The Panda Free Antivirus as the name suggests is perhaps the best free antivirus software you can find for your PC.

It’s a lightweight one that is user friendly with everything well laid out on the dashboard.

This antivirus software is great for people who are not so experienced since the settings are not that advanced.

The Panda antivirus software might not be one of the most known ones but its antivirus scanner is excellent and will give you a virus detection rate of 100%.

It comes with a powerful firewall that blocks intrusions better than many other free antivirus software in the market today.

If you’re particularly interested in VPNs, you will love that it comes with a free one but with a limit of 150 MB a day, which is good enough for you to browse and send emails.

However, with this much data, you can’t stream or share large files.

Overall, the Panda antivirus software is a great one overall if you’re looking for a free option.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus

Features

A hardened browser
Virtual keyboard
Limited VPN
Wi-Fi scanner
Fast scanning
Great malware protection
File shredder

If you’re particularly interested in antivirus software that provides the best value in 2020, then Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is exactly what you need.

It is great entry-level antivirus software with an almost perfect malware detection score.

With it, the system performance impact that you get during scans is also very light with the Bitdefender software.

The secure browser, Wi-Fi network scanner, and unlimited password manager see to it that you get the most value for the money you spend on this antivirus software. You can also enjoy the file shredder and the encrypting ransomware protection feature.

The midrange Bitdefender antivirus software enables you to add parental control, webcam protection file encryption, and a two-way firewall.

In case you opt for the Bitdefender Total Security, you will enjoy a reliable anti-theft feature and a system organizer too.

You can also go for the more advanced Bitdefender Premium Security antivirus software and the Bitdefender Family Pack for even more advanced features.

Best overall antivirus software

From our antivirus software picks, Kaspersky Total Security wins as it provides a great combination of features for different kinds of users.

It provides the best malware protection, lots of complementary features, and is also very user-friendly.