ClamWin Antivirus Review 2026: Is Being Free and Open-Source Enough?

ClamWin is free, open-source, and safe to use, but it's not a robust enough antivirus to use alone. ClamWin doesn't offer any real-time scanning, phishing site protection, or a firewall. Its full system scan can take several hours to complete, which suggests it’s being very thorough.

ClamWin can scan for viruses and other threats on your Windows device. However, many of the best antivirus programs come with free plans that provide features like real-time protection and have been tested by third parties to prove their effectiveness.

Keep reading our ClamWin antivirus review to learn more about its benefits and drawbacks.

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At a glance

We no longer test ClamWin because the software hasn't been updated since January 2021. 

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Our experience

Our latest ClamWin experience wasn't great. When we first opened ClamWin, we noticed right away that the interface looked dated. However, the toolbar's selection of options was straightforward to navigate.

We liked that ClamWin gave us the option to run a scan on any drive on our device (in this case, our C: and G: drives), including our device's memory or only specific files. We could also scan our emails and set up email alerts to let us know when a virus was found.

You can set up hourly, daily, workday, and weekly scans in the scheduler, which is a nice touch.

Last time we tested ClamWin, we tried scanning one of our hard drives and it never stopped, even after we left it scanning overnight. That said, the memory scan was much quicker (anywhere from two to five minutes based on our latest tests).

During scans, you get all the details on what files ClamWin is scanning, which ones it can't access, and where it's found a virus (if applicable). This is especially helpful given how long scans can take.

When ClamWin finds a virus, it displays the result in red text along with other scan updates:

After that, it doesn’t take any further action. You have to locate and remove the detected file and get rid of it yourself, unlike modern antivirus programs that will automatically quarantine and remove found viruses right away.

This time, ClamWin couldn't update its virus database, constantly spitting out the same error saying that our client was outdated. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a more recent client to download, so it seems ClamWin may finally be coming to the end of its usefulness.

Overall, we appreciate how straightforward ClamWin is, but think it's a poor replacement for any modern antivirus system available today, free or premium.

Top alternatives

ClamWin is fairlybare-bones, with no firewall or real-time protection. If you're looking for more from your antivirus program, we recommend the following:

Antivirus	TotalAV	McAfee	Norton 360
Star rating	4.7 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.	4.9 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.
Price	$19.00–$49.00/first yr	$39.99–$199.99/yr	$29.99–$299.99/first yr
# of devices protected	4 - 8	Unlimited	1 - 10
Real-time protection
Malware scans	Manual and scheduled	Manual and scheduled	Manual and scheduled
Firewall
EICAR test results	3/3	3/3	3/3
Phishing protection
Compatibility	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Chrome, Edge, Opera	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Extras	Password manager, ad blocker, VPN	Parental controls, performance optimization tools, VPN	Password manager, VPN, dark web monitoring, parental controls, privacy monitor, identity theft protection, cloud backup
Learn more	Get TotalAV	Get McAfee	Get Norton 360

Who is ClamWin best for?

• Recommended for Windows 10 or earlier users seeking basic, free virus protection

Having a computer virus infect your Windows device is never fun. In this age of viruses, malware, and other cyber threats, your PC or laptop should have basic antivirus protection. That is why ClamWin antivirus makes a good choice for Windows users on a budget — it’s accessible to all Windows users for free.

ClamWin is easy to download, install, and use, making it accessible regardless of technical experience. It's also good for people who don't want antivirus software scanning everything they do. Since it has no real-time protection, you can rest assured it's only scanning what you're asking it to scan.

Thus, ClamWin is a good choice for anyone who is willing to forgo real-time protection for a free antivirus solution that scans and removes viruses from hard drives, memory, files, and emails.

ClamWin antivirus features

ClamWin doesn't have all the bells and whistles that full-featured antivirus software does. But as a free and easy-to-use antivirus program, its manual and scheduled scanning options and integration with Microsoft Outlook and Windows Explorer work well.

ClamWin isn’t flawless, though. First, it only works with Windows (sorry, Apple and Linux fans). Next, it doesn’t automatically check files for threats as they open or run, which may turn off users who prefer a beefier antivirus solution like Bitdefender or TotalAV antivirus.

Finally, its scanning speed is slow compared to other antivirus solutions.

Malware and antivirus scan

ClamWin offers both manual and scheduled scans. The scheduling offers a lot of flexibility, which lets you control when scans run.

ClamWin doesn't offer the usual "quick" vs. "full" scan that we're used to seeing nowadays. Instead you can choose to scan any programs or files that are currently in your computer's memory or scan a certain file or set of files. The memory scan is equivalent to a quick scan, while scanning your entire drive is closer to a full scan.

Although it may take a while to complete a scan, it thoroughly scans your computer’s hard drive, memory, or files for viruses. It can even check your emails.

Moreover, ClamWin uses the ClamAV virus database to obtain the latest virus definitions. They can also be downloaded manually if you want to be sure the database is up to date.

ClamWin can also scan your Microsoft Office docs for embedded malware.

Phishing protection

While ClamWin doesn't offer general phishing protection, Microsoft Outlook users can scan incoming and outgoing emails as well as any attachments. If the antivirus detects a virus in an email attachment, it replaces that attachment with a report file.

As a result, your Windows PC or laptop is safe from any phishing attacks that might otherwise compromise it.

Firewall

A firewall can protect your device from unauthorized access or prevent malware from infecting it by blocking unauthorized incoming and outgoing connections.

ClamWin doesn't have a firewall, but it works with other firewalls. ClamWin can complement other security tools like Windows Defender's built-in firewall or another third-party firewall.

Real-time protection

The biggest drawback with ClamWin is that it doesn’t offer real-time protection. This feature, which is available in antivirus programs like TotalAV, protects you in advance by scanning files as you open them.

For real-time protection, you should consider other options like Bitdefender, McAfee, or Norton, our top three picks for the best Windows antivirus protection.

Anti-fraud protection

ClamWin also lacks anti-fraud protection. Practicing safe browsing and taking extra security measures, such as installing security updates and using strong passwords, is important for complete protection.

You can also check out identity theft protection services for additional tools like dark web scans, credit reports, and identity recovery.

ClamWin antivirus test results

To make sure an antivirus can actually protect you, we put the programs we review through a series of in-house tests. We usually supplement this testing with trusted third-party test results, but we couldn’t find any published third-party protection tests for ClamWin.

This isn't entirely surprising though, since most third-party antivirus testing organizations charge a fee to test antivirus programs. As a free program, ClamWin may lack the funds and resources necessary to pay for these tests. Note that this doesn’t mean that ClamWin is automatically a bad product.

Here's how ClamWin did against our in-house tests.

Scan efficiency

• Result: Found no preexisting files

Before we installed ClamWin, we placed dummy malware files across our device. Then, we ran scans with the software to determine if it could find these preexisting files.

We started with the Memory Scan, which took about two minutes. However, it only scanned 124 files and no threats were detected.

Then, we started the Full Scan, left it on overnight, and found that it was still going the following morning.

While it's most important for an antivirus software to do a good job, scans that last too long can be a significant downside for users. At a certain point, waiting for a scan to finish can become demanding and make you less likely to open up your antivirus again.

The ideal duration of a full scan is 10 to 20 minutes, so ClamWin is leagues behind premium antivirus programs in this regard.

EICAR test results

• Result: 0/3

The European Institute for Computer Anti-Virus Research (EICAR) has published a series of publicly-available tools that allow you to put your antivirus software to the test. These include non-malicious files that are designed to act like viruses as well as webpages that are made to trigger anti-phishing protections.

Test results as of Q2 2026.

Since ClamWin doesn't have real-time protection, it's not able to block the download of EICAR files. Although it has found the "infected" files we planted in past tests, this time it wasn't able to detect it.

ClamWin didn't block the phishing page, which is unsurprising considering it doesn't claim to have anti-phishing capabilities. You'll need to pair ClamWin with another antivirus for comprehensive cyberthreat protection.

ClamWin compatibility

ClamWin only works on PCs and laptops that run Windows; there is no compatibility with macOS. Here’s the complete list of Windows versions that ClamWin is compatible with.

• Windows 10
• Windows 8
• Windows 7
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP
• Windows Me
• Windows 2000
• Windows 98
• Windows Server 2012
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2003

Though Windows 11 isn't listed on its site, we tested the software on a Windows 11 laptop and found it worked just fine.

ClamWin customer support

There is no live chat, phone, or email support for ClamWin users, which is a major drawback. It’s a free antivirus, though, so that's not unexpected.

The app does have support as an option in its main menu, which redirects you to their community-driven user forum to ask other ClamWin users for help or get solutions. ClamWin’s website also has an FAQ section. (At this time, however, the user forums seem to be offline.)

Lastly, ClamWin has help guides available in the program itself should you need help with installation or configuration.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is ClamWin good?

As a free and open-source solution, ClamWin antivirus can scan your device but not much else. It lacks premium features like real-time scanning and an integrated firewall. If you can’t afford to pay for an antivirus solution, there are plenty of other free antivirus programs to use instead, like Bitdefender.

But for anyone who can squeeze an antivirus subscription into their budget, we recommend a paid antivirus program for more protection. If that sounds like you, you may want to check out our guide on the best antivirus software for recommendations on what to look for and which antivirus programs to check out next.

2.1

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.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On ClamWin's website

Antivirus Software

ClamWin

• Open-source and free
• Microsoft Outlook integration
• No real-time protection

Author Details

Mars Groves

About the Author

Mars Groves approaches cybersecurity writing from inside the field. As a Cybersecurity Analyst at WEBGAP, an advisory board member specializing in browser isolation, and Editor-in-Chief of Secjuice, he brings practitioner-level knowledge to his VPN and data security coverage. He is currently interning at NASA JPL in software engineering and has authored more than 85 articles for All About Cookies, including more than 40 VPN reviews and guides.

Kalleigh Lane