What Is The Best AV You Have Tried?
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simbatippe1234
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Share practical recommendations that address the author's needs.
Unpopular, but probably MS Defender. Quietest and least problems, but bad interface and occasional serious issues (but they never caused me problems personally).
3rd party:
F-Secure - I haven’t had any issues yet, but I only recently started using it so time will tell.
ESET - the closest to a problem free solution that I’ve used long term.
3rd party:
F-Secure - I haven’t had any issues yet, but I only recently started using it so time will tell.
ESET - the closest to a problem free solution that I’ve used long term.
Avast. I have used Avast at one time or another since 2010 when their GUI looked like a car radio. The new Avast One has great protection and does not bug me with upsells or ads. Avast One free mobile version does a great job on my phone as well. I think Avast gets a lot of things right nowadays and they try to offer products that work well and actually help people.
C.H.
C.H.
devjit2020
Level 2
If you want the best in protection it's Kaspersky.... there's no doubt about it my friend. Personally for me it has always felt heavy regarding CPU usage and that's why I don't use it. The best all-rounder that I have tried is ESET Internet Security. Solid protection if you tweak it and extremely light. You'll not even notice that an AV is installed in your PC. In case of a free antivirus Avast would be my top pic. Just choose a custom installation and install only the required shields with the firewall and you're ready to go. 
Then what do you use?
Same for me.
F
ForgottenSeer 94654
Just Windows native security. A third party security software is not needed.
I believe that anti-virus software's job is to protect against getting your computer infected, and when I say what I like best, I have to be honest, I don't know. I've never had an infected computer, "as far as I know". I've had f-secure, Kaspersky, Eset, Norton, Avast, Norman, Bitdefender free, Avira and Avg, but never WD, "maybe that's why I never got infected "
I forgot to say, I have had computers since win95 came out.
"I forgot to say, I have had computers since win95 came out.
Last edited:
Setup PC setup
"Best" is a little complicated, but the least intrusive and bug prone in my experience is ESET and Microsoft Defender in a close second place.
Along the years I tried many security solutions, enjoyed some and hated much more, but ESET always run pretty stable in my machine, it just works and its protection is more than enough for me, it is simple a safe bet.
Kaspersky and Bitdefender are the other two antivirus that I really like and they are superior in protection compared to ESET, but they usually give me some trouble or show some erratic behavior, unlike ESET that is rock stable in all machines and configurations that I tried it on.
On a side note, I had the most trouble with Norton, Trend Micro and Webroot, they are a big no-no for me.
Along the years I tried many security solutions, enjoyed some and hated much more, but ESET always run pretty stable in my machine, it just works and its protection is more than enough for me, it is simple a safe bet.
Kaspersky and Bitdefender are the other two antivirus that I really like and they are superior in protection compared to ESET, but they usually give me some trouble or show some erratic behavior, unlike ESET that is rock stable in all machines and configurations that I tried it on.
On a side note, I had the most trouble with Norton, Trend Micro and Webroot, they are a big no-no for me.
F
ForgottenSeer 93475
Kaspersky is the undisputed winner of the Protection beauty pageant
miguelang611
Level 2
For me it is Kaspersky, and BitDefender as honourable mention.
Not me, but my family (who I manage their PCs) got infected via Eset in 1 month in 3 different PCs with different malware back like 6 years ago... (All blocked with boot sectors damaged).
Then similar thing with avast! and then more lately with Defender (not pure malware which locked the PC but pups basically).
With BitDefender (which I ran like 4 years ago for a year -then avast! and Defender-) and now Kaspersky (KTS for 2 years until 2 months ago, now KSC Free). 0 infections with them (but prevented quite a few on my family's machines -I saw the logs-), and also pretty much 0 intervention needed (which is appreciated on not knowledged people -I always try to teach them, but you know, it is their brain the one which works when they click-)
To be honest, back then, Eset was a huge disappointment, basically due to the lack of a good behavioural engine (same issue as Defender), and I think it still has pretty much the same problem today. You can tweak it to be restrictive... But annoying as f*ck
Nowadays I still like BD and Kaspersky, but I find Kaspersky much more customizable, and I really appreciate it.
Then, Kaspersky for me. Customizable, relatively light, 0 annoyances and rock solid.
These days I doubt a lil bit about Kaspersky bcs of it's origins, but tbh, I have been looking for an alternative and I can't get one which gets them all in a pack as Kaspersky, I must loose customization (BitDefender), annoyances (Eset with HIPS on high or Defender with protected forlders), etc
Not me, but my family (who I manage their PCs) got infected via Eset in 1 month in 3 different PCs with different malware back like 6 years ago... (All blocked with boot sectors damaged).
Then similar thing with avast! and then more lately with Defender (not pure malware which locked the PC but pups basically).
With BitDefender (which I ran like 4 years ago for a year -then avast! and Defender-) and now Kaspersky (KTS for 2 years until 2 months ago, now KSC Free). 0 infections with them (but prevented quite a few on my family's machines -I saw the logs-), and also pretty much 0 intervention needed (which is appreciated on not knowledged people -I always try to teach them, but you know, it is their brain the one which works when they click-)
To be honest, back then, Eset was a huge disappointment, basically due to the lack of a good behavioural engine (same issue as Defender), and I think it still has pretty much the same problem today. You can tweak it to be restrictive... But annoying as f*ck
Nowadays I still like BD and Kaspersky, but I find Kaspersky much more customizable, and I really appreciate it.
Then, Kaspersky for me. Customizable, relatively light, 0 annoyances and rock solid.
These days I doubt a lil bit about Kaspersky bcs of it's origins, but tbh, I have been looking for an alternative and I can't get one which gets them all in a pack as Kaspersky, I must loose customization (BitDefender), annoyances (Eset with HIPS on high or Defender with protected forlders), etc
In terms of usage experience, I think Eset is the best product I have ever used. I have never had any problems with it and I also really like the customizability of it. Unfortunately, the level of protection, in my opinion, does not correspond to its price.
By the way, this also applies to the mobile version, of all antiviruses for Android Eset seemed to me the most functional with a clear simple interface
I think I have Norton as the second best. It is also light on the system and has some interesting settings.
Kaspersky in turn would be in third place. In my opinion it has too many unnecessary features. The web protection module with the injection of a script looks extremely non-private for me. Also when I tried it on my computer the Application Control was very slow when I tried to add rules there for access of applications to certain resources (I tried to limit access to the browser from outside as much as possible), but the application control features are really amazing.
By the way, this also applies to the mobile version, of all antiviruses for Android Eset seemed to me the most functional with a clear simple interface
I think I have Norton as the second best. It is also light on the system and has some interesting settings.
Kaspersky in turn would be in third place. In my opinion it has too many unnecessary features. The web protection module with the injection of a script looks extremely non-private for me. Also when I tried it on my computer the Application Control was very slow when I tried to add rules there for access of applications to certain resources (I tried to limit access to the browser from outside as much as possible), but the application control features are really amazing.
Eset Internet Security followed closely by Kaspersky Internet Security.
Kaspersky wins on protection, both by objective and subjective reasons. Objectively because its detection engine is probably unparalleled, combined with KSN and regular signature updates, it's hard to match. Subjectively because it's been on the top for such a long time among its competitors that you just "know" it's a good product, and you can't say the same about most other AV suites due to either weaker protection results or bad behavior from the vendors. Kaspersky's been consistent on what it does for several years. Although, I have to say I'm worried about its future with everything going on recently. Loosing market share and access to other resources like bug bounty programs is bound to affect it somehow, so the following months will be critical to evaluate if it remains as good as it is today.
What I don't like about Kaspersky is that it tries to shove components down your throat you didn't ask for. Password manager is opt-out during installation, and it attempts to reinstall itself after each major software update, which I consider bad behavior from Kaspersky. But the worst offender is the VPN module, which cannot be opted-out from installing unless you manage to download the offline install files and forcefully remove the VPN installation files. This is the heart of the issue I have with Kaspersky, as it feels like dirty move from a shady company when it doesn't give you a choice on the matter. They could easily address this, but it seems they are not interested.
Eset Internet Security wins on trouble-free usage and performance, though. I mention EIS instead of ESSP because, with the exception of LiveGuard, everything else on that product is useless to me. Eset is honest on what it offers, never attempting to shove unnecessary features upon install, and being fully configurable. You can easily grab the offline installers (I just don't like web installers for anything), there's no offerings of other stuff upon install, and throughout the years it has remained consistently good. I also like how it sits quietly and never bothers you. The performance impact is possibly still its greatest strength compared to every other AV. Also, you can get actual support for it and Eset's knowledge base is possibly among the best. Still, it often fails on achieving perfect scores on tests due to the lack of a behavioral scanner, which is Eset's greatest weakness, but their signatures are probably the best available and compensate for that.
Kaspersky wins on protection, both by objective and subjective reasons. Objectively because its detection engine is probably unparalleled, combined with KSN and regular signature updates, it's hard to match. Subjectively because it's been on the top for such a long time among its competitors that you just "know" it's a good product, and you can't say the same about most other AV suites due to either weaker protection results or bad behavior from the vendors. Kaspersky's been consistent on what it does for several years. Although, I have to say I'm worried about its future with everything going on recently. Loosing market share and access to other resources like bug bounty programs is bound to affect it somehow, so the following months will be critical to evaluate if it remains as good as it is today.
What I don't like about Kaspersky is that it tries to shove components down your throat you didn't ask for. Password manager is opt-out during installation, and it attempts to reinstall itself after each major software update, which I consider bad behavior from Kaspersky. But the worst offender is the VPN module, which cannot be opted-out from installing unless you manage to download the offline install files and forcefully remove the VPN installation files. This is the heart of the issue I have with Kaspersky, as it feels like dirty move from a shady company when it doesn't give you a choice on the matter. They could easily address this, but it seems they are not interested.
Eset Internet Security wins on trouble-free usage and performance, though. I mention EIS instead of ESSP because, with the exception of LiveGuard, everything else on that product is useless to me. Eset is honest on what it offers, never attempting to shove unnecessary features upon install, and being fully configurable. You can easily grab the offline installers (I just don't like web installers for anything), there's no offerings of other stuff upon install, and throughout the years it has remained consistently good. I also like how it sits quietly and never bothers you. The performance impact is possibly still its greatest strength compared to every other AV. Also, you can get actual support for it and Eset's knowledge base is possibly among the best. Still, it often fails on achieving perfect scores on tests due to the lack of a behavioral scanner, which is Eset's greatest weakness, but their signatures are probably the best available and compensate for that.
In terms of protection, Kaspersky. I don't use it myself, as I prefer to use something lighter, but Kaspersky has consistently been excellent for many years.
Bitdefender and ESET are worth mentioning too. Bitdefender provides very solid protection and is less buggy than it used to be. ESET is extremely light and I like the UI a lot. If ESET had the option to always prompt me when a threat is detected, rather than auto quarantining, I would use it.
Bitdefender and ESET are worth mentioning too. Bitdefender provides very solid protection and is less buggy than it used to be. ESET is extremely light and I like the UI a lot. If ESET had the option to always prompt me when a threat is detected, rather than auto quarantining, I would use it.
If you want good protection and very good GDPR privacy , G-Data ! you can always opt out and get your data removed.
www.gdatasoftware.com
Privacy Policy for G DATA Antivirus Software for Windows
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