Scan & Fix 100 registry errors free 
Seth Rosenblatt, Senior associate editor April 29, 2010
You don't need to pay for your PC's security, and there are currently six excellent free security programs on CNET Download.com that are rated 4 stars or higher. These include the three most popular programs on the site: AVG, Avira AntiVir, and Avast, as well as ThreatFire from PC Tools. There are also two cloud-based security solutions in the group, Microsoft Security Essentials, which replaced the company's OneCare paid suite, and Panda Cloud AntiVirus.
None of them will replace smart browsing habits. For example, Google announced earlier this week that fake antivirus scams account for 15 percent of all malware. So if you get a pop-up trying to get you to download another antivirus program, ignore it. One of these six security will be more than enough to protect most users, although there's nothing wrong with paying for a security program if you feel you'll get better protection.
| Product Name | Avast Free Antivirus | AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2012 | Avira Free Antivirus | Microsoft Security Essentials | Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition | ThreatFire AntiVirus Free Edition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date Added | November 30, 2011 | February 01, 2012 | October 04, 2011 | July 26, 2011 | June 21, 2011 | October 11, 2011 |
| Editor's Rating | | | | | | |
| Average User Rating | | | | | | |
| Review Date | February 23, 2011 | August 31, 2011 | October 05, 2011 | December 22, 2010 | October 27, 2010 | November 24, 2009 |
| Summary | The bottom line: After the last version's radical new interface that brought this security stalwart into a visual comparison with its competitors, Avast looks ... Read more | The bottom line: AVG Free 2012's renewed focus on performance keeps scans zippy, but struggles with slowing down your boot time and too many ... Read more | The bottom line: An aggressive redesign aimed at making its best-known suite more accessible than before, Avira Free Antivirus 12 combines fast scans with above-average ... Read more | The bottom line: Microsoft Security Essentials 2 will protect you, and it will generally do it well. However, its impact on system performance could be ... Read more | When it originally debuted, Panda Cloud Antivirus was notable as a free security solution for two reasons: Panda traded on its reputation as a solid ... Read more | ThreatFire offers real-time prevention of virus and malware infections by identifying suspicious behavior ("zero-day" events) as it happens, before malicious code installs itself on your ... Read more |
| License | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Limitations | No limitations | No limitations | No limitations | No limitations | No limitations | No limitations |
| Downloads Last Week | 716193 | 1026599 | 373070 | 14997 | 5478 | 6541 |
| Total Downloads | 172479413 | 404414689 | 134844274 | 2430907 | 3020519 | 3443232 |
| File Size | 61.23MB | 3.78MB | 79.05MB | 7.7MB | 694.65K | 9.42MB |
| Operating Systems | Windows 7 Windows XP Windows Windows Vista | Windows 7 Windows XP Windows Windows Vista | Windows 7 Windows Vista 64-bit Windows Windows XP 64-bit Windows XP 32-bit Windows Vista 32-bit | Windows 7 Windows XP Windows Windows Vista | Windows 7 32-bit Windows 7 64-bit Windows Vista 64-bit Windows Windows XP 32-bit Windows Vista 32-bit | Windows 7 Windows XP Windows Windows 2003 Windows Vista Windows Server 2008 |
| Additional Requirements | No additional requirements | No additional requirements | No additional requirements | No additional requirements | No additional requirements | No additional requirements |
| Publisher | AVAST Software | AVG Technologies USA | Avira | Microsoft | Panda Security | PC Tools |
