We review the best antivirus software for 2019, both free and paid versions and the benefits of each.
The reality is that malware is as a big a threat in 2019 as it was over a decade ago. And while your average Internet user today may be a little more tech savvy than they were many years ago, malware too has become more advanced, and potentially more destructive.
Ransomware, for example, which has the devastating ability to encrypt all your photos, videos and documents, rendering them inaccessible until you pay a hefty ransom. It means having reliable antivirus installed is imperative. So we take a look at our favourite antivirus programs, both paid premium versions and the free lightweight versions.
One Year Paid Subscription, 3 Devices, Windows Operating System.
Bitdefender’s latest offering for 2019 is, perhaps predictably, at the top of most lists when it comes to the best performing antivirus programs. Bitdefender has one of the best reputations when it comes to Internet security, and their 2016, 2017 and 2018 versions excelled, so it’s no surprise that 2019 also followed suit.
The Antivirus Plus option is a premium paid choice, but it’s not too much on the wallet and you get plenty of features that you won’t find in the comparatively lightweight free alternatives. And yes, there is currently a great discounted price.
It goes without saying that Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2019 has exceptional detection and removal rates, meaning even the latest incarnations of malware are removed easily. But it also comes with a variety of other features, including…
Multi-layered Ransomware protection – new to 2019, this feature is a must-have for home users, given the rise of the particularly destructive ransomware malware. Bitdefender analyses the behaviour of ransomware, giving it the ability to detect and stop it before it encrypts your files.
Password manager – Bitdefender Antivirus comes bundled with its own password manager so you can store and manage your passwords for various accounts easily and securely.
Anti-Phishing – technology designed to spot and prevent phishing scams on the Internet.
File shredder – so when you delete a sensitive document, you know it’s gone for good and not still available to tech-savvy crooks.
VPN – new to 2019, Bitdefender Antivirus comes with a VPN so you can remain anonymous when surfing the Internet. 200MB daily traffic allowed.
Online Support – if you run into problems.
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus comes bundled with many other extras including the above, making it our editor’s choice software for 2019. You can also beef up your security even more with the Total Security option that has even more features including parental controls, webcam protection, file encryption to limit access to sensitive files, anti-theft tools and a firewall.
For more information, you can grab Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2019 right here.
Free, unlimited devices, Windows and Mac versions available.
Our preferred free version is Avast, which is a simple, lightweight antivirus program with great detection rates.
Avast and fellow security firm AVG merged in 2016, but their free antivirus programs remain separate, and we prefer Avast. This option isn’t going to have any negative affect on your system performance and even features a handy gaming mode to make sure your online gaming experiences don’t have to share resources with your security software.
Like most free versions, there aren’t many extras bundled in (you do get a password manager though) and there are upgrade links to the premium products, but it’s free, so that’s to be expected.
Overall though, if you’re not in the market for premium, all-round protection, Avast is a great solution.
Free, unlimited devices, Windows and Mac versions available.
Since our editor’s choice security software is Bitdefender Antivirus premium, we would be amiss not to include the free version, which features the great detection rates of its premium counterpart. Okay so you don’t get all the added extras with the free version, but it’s still a great solution if you’re just looking for a quick and easy antivirus that’s capable of working behind-the-scenes in auto-pilot mode.
Still though, if you are looking for the best protection possible, we still recommend the premium version for all the added extras and support we outlined above.
One Year Paid Subscription, 1 Device, Windows Operating System.
ESET is well-known for its great detection rates, even for some of the most recent strains of malware. It has great heuristic detection, meaning it understands how malware behaves, which helps it spot infections before it’s too late.
It also comes with some great extras, including ransomware detection, URL filtering and features to block advanced exploit attacks.
It’s geared more towards advanced users however, meaning beginners may struggle with the highly configurable interface.
However it is reliable, lightweight and powerful, meaning it’s one of the best premium solutions available.
Free, cloud-based coverage for up to 10 devices, Windows and Mac versions available.
Sophos – home of the famous Naked Security blog – provides very good antivirus protection with their free Home option, but the reason we included it here is because of the program’s ability to control multiple devices from a single master computer, making it a great choice for families.
With Sophos Home, parents can control the devices belonging to children, restricting what they can browse. Sophos Home also has decent ransomware and anti-malware protection.