Avira emerged as the best free antivirus in 2021 - but while it has a strong virus scanner and some decent features, no quality antivirus can afford to defend against complex and advanced strains of malware for free.įortunately, there are plenty of low-cost premium antivirus providers and I believe it’s well worth the investment to keep your private files, photos, and passwords safe. To help keep you safe, I’ve tested and ranked the top 6 (actually) free antiviruses for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Other free services work well at first, but turn out to be free trials that expire in a few weeks, leaving you unprotected. I’ve tested dozens of free antiviruses and found that some actually expose you to malware. It’s easy to find a free antivirus program online, but it’s much harder to find one that works well. IPVanish VPN vs Private Internet Access.