In order to find out wich is the best free antivirus, we have conducted a series of tests of our own using 3 of the most downloaded free antivirus software. Each software was installed on the same ordinary office computer running on Windows Xp SP2, with the same file system and each scan was compleated without cleanning, desinfecting or deleting the infected files. Here are the results:


A-Squared Antivirus, Scan duration: 0h 8min 39sec, Scanned files: 76400, Threats: 32, System resources ussage: low

Avast! Antivirus, Scan duration: 0h 8min 32sec, Scanned files: 50113, Threats: 1, System resources ussage: high

AVG Antivirus, Scan Duration: 0h 10min 27sec, Scanned filles: 17107, Threats: 2, System resources ussage: low

A-Squared Antivirus
A very poor antivirus software and is basically an antispyware/cookie scanner, with few if any options for locating adware, and you have only one option for choosing where you want to scan, either in the memory, the computer registry, or in the disks. All of the threats detected were suspect cookies but no major threats. There's no option to exclude folders, for example, which can make the process unnecessarily tedious. It has a payed full time protection utility. Overall, it is a good antivirus software.

You can download A-Squared Antivirus from here.

Avast Home Edition
With a skin-based interface Avast! is the friendliest antivirus software from our test. This can be a minus because using sophisticated skins can affect the memory ussage. It has an interesting feature "VRDB". The aim of VRDB is to help when, despite all the security measures, a virus gets inside the computer and the files are infected. With the help of VRDB, it is possible to repair infected files (return them exactly to their original state). It has detacted only 1 of the 2 major threats on the test computer.

You can download Avast home Edition from here.
AVG Antivirus
Offering a rock-solid protection AVG is THE BEST FREE ANTIVIRUS from this test. It has a very good deffinition update system,uses little system resources and a full time protection utility with "on-access" file scanner and e-mail scanner. The program doesn't tax your system when scanning or when running in the background and always proved effective in our tests. This app's interface can't be described as beautiful, yet it is mostly simple to navigate. During the full system scan it has detected both of our major threats on the test computer.



You can download AVG Free Antivirusfrom here.

written by Cristian M.