An antivirus program should not be missing on any computer. The question of whether such a program has to cost money is almost as old as the computer itself. Experts have a clear answer.
Many malicious programs spread rapidly and are also masters in the disciplines of camouflage and hiding. At the same time, criminals attempt phishing attacks to steal sensitive data such as passwords or credit card information. It therefore makes sense to use a protection program on both Windows and Mac computers. But how do the various antivirus programs fare in the test?
Very good protection at no cost
Good for the wallet: whether you use a paid or free program hardly plays a role in terms of security. The basic protection against malware and phishing is the same for both free and paid virus scanners, according to Stiftung Warentest in a comparison of 14 such programs for Windows and 9 such programs for MacOS (“test” issue 3/23).
Therefore, the price tip from the experts is: Use one of the four good free programs with very good protection for Windows computers or one of the two good and free Mac programs.
For Windows, these are the virus scanners Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows, Avast One Essential, AVG Antivirus Free and Avira Free Security. And for macOS, these are the Avast One Essential (Mac) and AVG Antivirus for Mac programs.
Defender brings up the rear in the antivirus program test
Microsoft’s in-house virus scanner Defender, which is integrated into Windows 10 and 11, comes in last in the Windows test field with a “satisfactory” in terms of protection and also as an overall rating.
Apple, on the other hand, does not equip MacOS with protective software. After all, MacOS users hardly have to fear virus attacks, according to the product testers. However, they could and should benefit from the phishing protection of the tested programs.
What’s the difference?
But what is the difference to the paid programs if the free programs do so well? Additional functions such as automatic updating of programs and drivers is the answer from the product tester.
The providers also draw a direct benefit from the free versions: the more customers a provider has, the more information it receives about new malicious program variants, the experts explain the mixed calculation. Because all virus scanners forward any finds immediately to the server of their provider, which can then react quickly.