After my Emsi EAM sub ran out I hunted around for a free alternative replacement. After Bitdefender I tried Avast and AVG. I was appalled by all the awkwardness of their configuration options. Compared with EAM they (Avast and AVG) were too much 'in my face' (fair enough I guess as they are free products and want to encourage me to dip into my wallet). With the money saved from my EAM sub I bought Sandboxie lifetime. Eventually I settled for Panda AV. I like its cloud based security, it is not 'in my face' like the others, and just gets on with the job in the background.
I think the important point with AV for me, is that it is only one aspect. I guess Sandboxie is the first line of my layered defence (which is why I love reading threads to learn details and specifics of how others use it e.g.
forums.sandboxie.com • View topic - [REQUEST YOUR THOUGHTS]|Ransomware & SBIE). Panda AV just rattles along in the background, without being too important. I appreciate that it is quiet and seems very efficient and capable.
In my normal day to day usage, when I download a file or software, I rely on VirusTotal, or Zemana On-Demand cloud based scanner if it is a larger file, together with a healthy dose of common sense.
I would add that EAM is a fantastic piece of kit. Strong well-rounded, quiet, confident. Similar to others on this forum however, I just don't think AV on its own is that effective, which led me to look for an alternative to paying the annual fee
Am I the only one that uses bitdefender?

I really want to know your opinion/experiences with bitdefender.
Hey Darlene, I tried Bitdefender early 2015 for a couple of months. Actually I can't exactly remember why I didn't like it, so apologies as my answer is a bit vague. I didn't like it because I found it too 'automatic' and not enough able to control or configure it. As I remember I just couldn't get any confidence in it. That said, I didn't test it, as I am not a pc specialist and not a malware tester. Hope that helps
