The Best Free Antivirus Software 2026

The best free antivirus in 2026 is Avast Free Antivirus, but if you want full paid-level protection with no commitment, Norton AntiVirus Plus offers a 30-day free trial backed by a money-back guarantee.

We tested the top options across ease of use, features, and real protection scores to help you find the right fit, whether you want free forever or just want to try before you buy.

The best free antivirus software

Antivirus	Best Overall
Best for	Overall	Free trial	Real-time protection	Malware protection
Star rating	5.0 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	5.0 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	5.0 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.8 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Free plan		No, 30-day free trial only
Malware scans	Manual and scheduled	Manual and scheduled	Manual and scheduled	Manual and scheduled
Real-time protection
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection
24/7 customer support
Free plan compatibility	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Windows
Starting premium price	$49.08/first yr	$29.99/first yr	$31.20/first yr	$24.99/first yr
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review	Get Norton Read Norton Review	Get AVG Read AVG Review	Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review

How we tested the best free antivirus software

We selected the top three free antivirus products based on four critical criteria: ease of use, number of features offered, degree of protection provided, and the overall value delivered to the user. We also added one product with a prolonged free trial and money-back guarantee period. 

We chose the first three criteria because they are the primary factors contributing to overall value. A product's overall value depends on its ease of use, feature set, and effectiveness at protecting your devices, email, and online presence.

• Ease of use, including installation simplicity, compatibility, access to website resources and support, and whether an account is required.
• Number of features offered, including how many additional add-on security features are available as well as the degree of each feature’s functionality.
• Degree of protection provided, including lab testing scores, firewall protection, ransomware and phishing protection, plus any other functions that improve the user’s cybersecurity protection.
• Overall value delivered, including consideration of all the above criteria as well as the overall ease of use.

Avast Free Antivirus: Best overall

What we liked

Avast Free Antivirus is an excellent selection if you want the most secure, feature-laden free antivirus option that works across multiple device types. While all three top choices have strengths and weaknesses, Avast's free software appears to be the most balanced considering the number of free features you get and the quality of their performance. It also comes with fewer drawbacks compared to other free antivirus software.

Avast Free Antivirus gives you more free features than most antivirus software, starting with the protection offered by an industry-leading, machine-learning-supported antivirus engine. Avast delivers real-time protection, including malware and ransomware scanning. The free version provides six layers of antivirus security, including Smart Scan, Cybercapture, Behavior Shield, File Shield, Rescue Disk, and Quarantine features.

Avast Free Antivirus also provides added bonus protection with a data leak alert, Wi-Fi network security, and a safe browsing and emailing feature.

Avast has often earned perfect scores across protection, performance, and usability in AV-TEST’s latest testing rounds, and it scored well in SE Labs testing.

If you need flexibility when it comes to which devices you install antivirus on, Avast is your best option. It's compatible with Windows PCs, macOS, Android, and iOS devices, though certain feature functionality is more limited with macOS, Android, and iOS.

What we didn't like

Unfortunately, while offering more compatibility than most free antivirus software, many of Avast’s free features are limited. When we tried to resolve issues found in our antivirus scan, it directed us to purchase Avast Premium Security.

Avast Free Antivirus specs

Free plan compatibility	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Firewall	No — paid plans only
Malware scan	Yes
Phishing protection	Yes
Ransomware protection	Yes
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review

Norton AntiVirus Plus: Best free trial

What we liked

Norton stands out on this list because you're not actually getting a free product; you're getting the full paid product free for 30 days. From the starting Norton AntiVirus Plus plan, you'll receive real-time protection, a firewall, scam protection, and 2 GB of cloud backup.

One differentiator is the Virus Protection Promise. If Norton's experts can't remove a virus from your device, you get your money back. No other option on this list offers that kind of guarantee. At $29.99/first yr after the trial, it's an affordable way to get a fully backed, award-winning antivirus.

The protection behind the trial is legitimate. In our own hands-on testing, Norton passed all three EICAR tests, blocking manually downloaded malware, drive-by downloads, and phishing pages without issue. It caught all EICAR test files placed across the device, including ones left in the recycling bin. 

Third-party results back that up: Norton scored a perfect 18/18 across protection, performance, and usability on AV-TEST's most recent evaluations, and it hit 99.5% in AV-Comparatives' real-world protection test.

What we didn't like

The 30-day trial requires a payment method upfront, so you'll need to remember to cancel if you don't want to be charged. Norton Antivirus Plus also only covers one device, which is limiting if you want to protect a household. 

And unlike Avast and AVG, there's no permanently free tier. Norton AntiVirus Plus offers a 30-day free trial backed by a money-back guarantee.

Norton AntiVirus Plus specs

Compatibility	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Firewall	Yes
Malware scan	Yes
Phishing protection	Yes
Ransomware protection	Yes
Learn more	Get Norton Read Norton Review

AVG AntiVirus Free: Best for real-time protection

What we liked

Avast acquired AVG in 2016, so it makes sense to expect some of Avast’s free product quality in AVG AntiVirus Free. And AVG AntiVirus Free doesn’t disappoint.

AVG AntiVirus Free is perfect for anyone seeking the top-notch antivirus protection of Avast but in a smaller, simpler, no-frills package. It comes with a high level of antivirus protection for your PC and email.

It's hard not to like a lifetime of free antivirus protection that requires no account to set up and installs in roughly three minutes.

AVG AntiVirus Free doesn't stop there. It shines with outstanding real-time protection capable of stopping viruses, malware, and ransomware. AVG’s paid version has achieved perfect scores for usability, performance, and protection in recent AV-TEST reports.

AVG uses artificial intelligence technology to detect malware on your devices, and while you browse online, it quarantines affected files and keeps you up to date with real-time alerts and analysis of current malware threats. We also liked that it includes an email shield that alerts you to malicious emails or attachments.

AVG AntiVirus Free matches Avast with convenient Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android compatibility.

What we didn't like

AVG AntiVirus Free comes with a lot to like but also has some drawbacks, starting with a website that's not easy to navigate and compatibility that tends to favor Windows users regarding feature functionality.

AVG AntiVirus Free specs

Free plan compatibility	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Firewall	No — paid plans only
Malware scan	Yes
Phishing protection	Yes
Ransomware protection	Yes
Learn more	Get AVG Read AVG Review

Bitdefender Antivirus Free: Best for malware protection

What we liked

Bitdefender Antivirus Free covers the essentials well: real-time protection against viruses, malware, adware, Trojans, and rootkits, plus phishing defense and both manual and scheduled scans. 

In our testing, it passed all three of our EICAR tests for malware detection, drive-by download blocking, and phishing page detection. Bitdefender's paid products also consistently earn high scores from third-party testers AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs.

Bitdefender's free antivirus software provides plenty of automatic "set and forget" protection without any extras. The software runs fast and offers automatic software product updates, provides an excellent anti-phishing feature, and uses behavioral detection to monitor threats on active apps in real-time. 

Bitdefender also breaks a trend among free antivirus software by offering free online support, which many paid antivirus products don’t even offer.

What we didn't like

Unlike the other antivirus programs on this list, Bitdefender's free antivirus is exclusive to Windows. In addition, phishing protection works best with the free Bitdefender TrafficLight browser extension installed; without it, the app alone may miss some phishing attempts. 

Bitdefender Antivirus Free specs

Free plan compatibility	Windows
Firewall	No — paid plans only
Malware scan	Yes
Phishing protection	Yes
Ransomware protection	Yes
Learn more	Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review

Bottom line: The best free virus protection software

Avast, AVG, and Bitdefender products all had excellent scores in the AV-TEST categories of usability, performance, and protection. Each covers a different need: Avast gives you the most features at no cost, AVG keeps it simple with solid real-time protection, and Bitdefender delivers the most precise malware detection of the three.

If you want a free antivirus with no strings attached, Avast Free Antivirus is the best overall pick. But if you'd rather try a premium product before committing, Norton AntiVirus Plus gives you 30 days of full protection free and backs it with a money-back guarantee if it ever falls short.

Ultimately, your choice of free antivirus software will come down to individual priority. AVG AntiVirus Free is a strong choice if real-time protection is your top priority. For those desiring comprehensive malware protection, Bitdefender Antivirus Free is tough to beat.

4 best free antivirus software 2026

Antivirus	Free plan compatibility	Best for	Learn more
Avast Free Antivirus	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Best overall	Get Avast Free Antivirus Read Avast Review
Norton	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Best free trial	Get Norton Read Norton Review
AVG AntiVirus Free	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Best for real-time protection	Get AVG AntiVirus Free Read AVG Review
Bitdefender Antivirus Free	Windows	Best for malware protection	Get Bitdefender Antivirus Free Read Bitdefender Review

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