Best free antivirus software in 2013?

November 16, 2013 6:53 PM

This was last asked in 2011, and things can change a lot over 2 years. In your experience, what is the best (free) way to protect one's PC? Ideally, it would use native system dialogs, not hog the CPU, and respect users by not constantly attempting to up-sell.
posted by anemone of the state to Computers & Internet (21 answers total)

Microsoft Security Essentials remains an excellent choice.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:57 PM on November 16, 2013 [10 favorites]

I have Panda haven't had a problem,
posted by hortense at 7:06 PM on November 16, 2013

Microsoft Security Essentials and you're done.

Free, never a stray dialog to get in your way, does its thing quietly and effectively. No reason to use anything else.
posted by killdevil at 7:11 PM on November 16, 2013 [2 favorites]

Actually, Microsoft Security Essentials used to be pretty decent, but its effectiveness has slid recently -- just this September their malware head called MSE a "baseline" and recommended using third party software for more robust protection.

I use AVG Free myself.
posted by Rhaomi at 7:26 PM on November 16, 2013 [6 favorites]

If you're looking to protect against government-sponsored malware (and who isn't?) you may want to read this blog post (Dutch, use Google Translate)

tl;dr: ESET, F-Secure, Kaspersky, Panda and Trend Micro (so far) have gone on the record claiming they don't whitelist government malware.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:39 PM on November 16, 2013 [4 favorites]

Panda Cloud works for me (as long as you have a decent-ish connection).
posted by Samizdata at 8:58 PM on November 16, 2013

Rhaomi: "Actually, Microsoft Security Essentials used to be pretty decent, but its effectiveness has slid recently -- just this September their malware head called MSE a "baseline" and recommended using third party software for more robust protection.

I use AVG Free myself."

I would have agreed a long while back with AVG, but they have gotten more and more bulky and intrusive, and I have seen it turn a decent machine into a dragging mass of glob with almost non-functional internet.
posted by Samizdata at 8:59 PM on November 16, 2013 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: AVG was an option years ago, but it has become a flagrant violator on the intrusion front: AVG Free 2014 has a new faux-Win8 webby UI which is full of dark patterns meant to steer you into into buying something from them, making it an exercise in frustration to use.
posted by anemone of the state at 9:06 PM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]

I have read that many folks use a second line of defense beside their anti virus solution. In my case, this is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, a silly name but a useful product. It is said to be able to block the darn Cryptolocker, but I have to admit that I have not looked into this any further. Just throwing this out there. The SW works well alongside the typical AV solutions, Norton in my case
posted by nostrada at 10:11 PM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]

I personally really like Avast. Free and seems to work well. Doesn't use native system dialogue messaging, if I am understanding what that means, but they only try to "upsell" once a year when you register for a year of free protection. You can turn off all notifications, which I do, so it doesn't interact with you unless it detects a virus. It definitely warns me of shady websites I go to when looking for "free" stuff. Ahem. I recommend.
posted by AppleTurnover at 10:30 PM on November 16, 2013 [3 favorites]

I'm pretty happy with Avast, as well, although the free version does have a lot of random pop-ups -- but they're self-dismissing at least.
posted by dhartung at 11:15 PM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]

The only pop-ups I can recall are when Avast detects a threat, and when I first turn on my computer it tells me it automatically updated virus definitions. Luckily, the pop-up is brief and unobtrusive. But I would recommend disabling all sounds as soon as you install it though, just an FYI if you do try Avast.
posted by AppleTurnover at 11:22 PM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]

Two knowledgeable computer geeks have recommended running Malwarebytes now because there is a lot of nastiness going around. I bought the pro version of MWB a couple of years ago. If you blindly follow links in sites like (ahem) MetaFilter, a regular MWB check up is not a bad idea. You might also clean up tag ends and leftovers with C-cleaner.
posted by Cranberry at 12:17 AM on November 17, 2013

Keep in mind that no antivirus software is perfect, and most of them react to existing threats and are unable to cope with new threats effectively. If you want to be safe from viruses, the best advice is to keep your software up to date (especially browsers, browser plugins and other software you use to view files from the internet), avoid downloading attachments you aren't expecting, and avoid downloading anything from sites you don't trust. An antivirus may help keep you safe from the occasional slip up, so I still recommend using one, but it can't be your first line of defense these days.

For my own computers, I use Microsoft Security Essentials and a healthy dose of paranoia. :) I have also heard good things about Avast.
posted by Aleyn at 12:23 AM on November 17, 2013

Avast is awesome, always has been.
posted by Mario Speedwagon at 12:29 AM on November 17, 2013

Computeractive Magazine in the UK has a feature on this very subject in its latest issue and recommends Avast.
posted by essexjan at 12:31 AM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

Another vote here for Avast.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:01 AM on November 17, 2013

The best free way to secure your PC is to patch religiously. This means the OS as well as any web browsers or other applications you are using. On my PC, I also avoid installing Adobe Reader - malicious PDFs will tend to target exploits for Adobe specifically and not other readers. I also keep Java off my PC, but if you need it, keep it patched. All that said, MSE and Malwarebytes are probably your best software options for non-intrusively scanning your computer.
posted by antonymous at 7:44 AM on November 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

Webroot FTW, here.

AVG has pissed me off for life with bloatware/adware behavior.
posted by IAmBroom at 8:32 PM on November 17, 2013

I should warn you though that my opinions are that an AV/security package should neither be seen or heard until an anomalous situation occurs or it requires me to make a judgement call (like networking situations).
posted by Samizdata at 10:41 PM on November 17, 2013

I've started switching from MSE to Avast on all the machines I manage.
posted by getawaysticks at 7:48 AM on November 18, 2013