Battle Avast Free, Kaspersky AV, ESET NOD32 or renew Emsisoft?

Compare list
Emsisoft Anti-Malware
Eset NOD32 Antivirus
Kaspersky Antivirus (free or paid)
Avast Free

Tibro

Level 1
Thread author
Verified
Dec 10, 2017
40
Hello guys,

My Emsisoft license has expired and i have to buy new one but i'm comfused.
I need an AV with really minimal system impact and stability (with my software enviroment) with good protect. With Emsisoft i had some trouble with behavior module: put my games (paid, not warez) and some softwares to quarantine, flaged with suspicious and it is really
obstructive and uncomfortable to me.
I don't know what changed about last year what AV is good nowadays from my list?

PC: Intel i3 8100, 16GB DDR4, 256GB Samsung SSD.
Windows 10 Pro (1809) 64 bit

Frequent softwares: Google Chrome and Firefox, Total Commander, Spotify, Windows Mail, Skype, Steam, Origin, Microsoft Office 2016, OpenVPN, PHP Storm, Git, Composer, XMPP, TeamViewer, Gimp, VLC, K-Lite Codec Pack, TeamSpeak, Viber, Discord, Google Suite tools.
 
Last edited:

RoboMan

Level 34
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
Jun 24, 2016
2,399
Hi! From the options mentioned in your list, ESET will give you the most light experience, nevertheless I would go with the Internet Security version, it's worth the money. Kaspersky Free on the other hand is great, but Application Control is the core in my opinion, and it's not present on the free version. Kaspersky paid version is the most complete and robust version, but maybe not as light as ESET.

In my honest opinion, I'd go with Kaspersky Internet Security.
 

LDogg

Level 33
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
May 4, 2018
2,261
From the option above, for paid software use ESET, for free software Kaspersky or Avast.

If you want the lightest ESET.
If you wish to go free Kaspersky or Avast, with Avast a fantastic setup you can do is settings Avast's Hardened mode on and install Syshardener.


Remember to take your own daily tasks, the software on your machine already, websites you visit, any compatibility issues and other things into account when choosing to.

~LDogg
 
  • Like
Reactions: ForgottenSeer 72227

bribon77

Level 35
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Jul 6, 2017
2,392
I have used a few security programs throughout my life, there is none perfect all at give false positives at a certain point in time do not detect what they should detect.

Another thing is the impact on your pc because you are a player, well in that case choose Eset or Avast Free.:giggle:
 
Last edited:

Cortex

Level 26
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Aug 4, 2016
1,465
Just my opinion but if you choose Kaspersky & you use a VPN as your info seems to indicate check your VPN speed with K (a trial?) - The problem doesn't occur with ESET or Emsisoft but the only reason despite having licenses for K I don't use it is it reliably halves my VPN speed on any PC I've tried it around 50% or more down with all VPN's I've tried - People think it's the VPN in my experience it isn't - There may be other AV solutions that do this?
 

shmu26

Level 85
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
Jul 3, 2015
8,150
Hello guys,

My Emsisoft license has expired and i have to buy new one but i'm comfused.
I need an AV with really minimal system impact and stability (with my software enviroment) with good protect. With Emsisoft i had some trouble with behavior module: put my games (paid, not warez) and some softwares to quarantine, flaged with suspicious and it is really
obstructive and uncomfortable to me.
I don't know what changed about last year what AV is good nowadays from my list?

PC: Intel i3 8100, 16GB DDR4, 256GB Samsung SSD.
Windows 10 Pro (1809) 64 bit

Frequent softwares: Google Chrome and Firefox, Total Commander, Spotify, Windows Mail, Skype, Steam, Origin, Microsoft Office 2016, OpenVPN, PHP Storm, Git, Composer, XMPP, TeamViewer, Gimp, VLC, K-Lite Codec Pack, TeamSpeak, Viber, Discord, Google Suite tools.
From a quick description of your quest, it sounds like you want a light AV that will do the job without giving you a headache.
To my ears, that sounds like Avast free (choose custom installation, don't install the bloat). And after registration, block AvastUI in outgoing firewall, so you will not be nagged.
I tried ESET a few days ago and I had software conflicts. :( And Kaspersky is famous for software conflicts.
If you want a pain-free experience, and Windows Defender is not for you, go for Avast free. You won't be sorry. The protection is very good, and if you want it to be even better, put it in aggressive mode.
 

shmu26

Level 85
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
Jul 3, 2015
8,150
Installing and uninstalling AV programs is likely to leave remnants on your system that will cause complications when you try future software. Not all uninstallers are created alike. Some are pretty poor.

If you want to try AV programs, make sure you take a system image beforehand, and restore that image before trying the next one, or in the end your system will be like mud.
 

SearchLight

Level 13
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Jul 3, 2017
625
Installing and uninstalling AV programs is likely to leave remnants on your system that will cause complications when you try future software. Not all uninstallers are created alike. Some are pretty poor.

If you want to try AV programs, make sure you take a system image beforehand, and restore that image before trying the next one, or in the end your system will be like mud.

Just getting opinions but from other posts on this forum, I think I found my match in Cf/cs with Forticlient AV Free.
I agree too many installs and uninstalls leave remnants, and I do have multiple system images as backups. Thanks.
 

Bleak

Level 4
Verified
Well-known
Sep 5, 2017
149
One should not trade usability with security, all the the ones you've mentioned does provide sufficient protection, but each has its own way of doing things, so my suggestion is to try each for a week or two and see how it goes.

In your case as you've stated, if Emsisoft is giving you trouble, drop it and try others. You should not be committed to a single solution, there are other several alternatives.
 

Similar threads

About us

  • MalwareTips is a community-driven platform providing the latest information and resources on malware and cyber threats. Our team of experienced professionals and passionate volunteers work to keep the internet safe and secure. We provide accurate, up-to-date information and strive to build a strong and supportive community dedicated to cybersecurity.

User Menu

Follow us

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to know first about the latest cybersecurity incidents and malware threats.

Top