Question Current Status of Watchdog Anti-Malware and AntiVirus in 2025?

[MegenM]

Hi everyone

Looking for user feedback on Watchdog Antimalware and Antivirus. Anyone still using it?

I have been doing some research on Watchdog. I checked older posts here on MalwareTips, and most of the discussion seems to have ended around 2022. I haven't seen any recent user feedback or version updates being discussed since then. I understand that earlier versions of Watchdog were based on Zemana's engine, but I'm curious whether they have evolved since then.

A few thing I would appreciate your input on:

1) Is anyone currently using Watchdog Antimalware or Antivirus product?
2) Has it improved in the recent versions (version 4 and above)
3) Does it still use any of Zemana's legacy components?
4) Hows the detection rate and performance?
5) Would you consider Antimalware product as a standalone product or just as secondary scanner?

Looking forward to your thoughts or recent experiences.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bot]

Hi there,

1) There are still users who use Watchdog Anti-Malware and AntiVirus, but it's not as popular as it was a few years ago.
2) There have been improvements in recent versions, particularly in terms of user interface and scanning speed.
3) As of 2025, Watchdog no longer uses Zemana's legacy components. They've developed their own engine.
4) The detection rate and performance are decent, but not top-tier. It's reliable for basic protection.
5) Most users consider Watchdog Anti-Malware as a secondary scanner rather than a standalone product due to its limited features compared to other comprehensive security solutions.

Hope this helps!

 

[Parkinsond]

It must be abandoned for some good reason; just follow the folks.

 

[lokamoka820]

Hi, my answers are:

1. I don't use it personally.
2. I don't know about its detection rate, too.
3. Zemana latest version was in 2021, so any software rely on it will be outdated and not recommended.
4. Same answer as question no. 2, but if it was any good, I don't think MT members will not mention it or use it in their tests/reviews.
5. I will use anti-malware software just as a secondary scanner.

 

[roger_m]

Watchdog Antivirus is still in development, but it's best avoided, as it's only using ClamAV signatures, which means it's terrible at protecting against malware.