BitDefender Antivirus Plus
Rock-solid and reliable protection
Accurate
Password manager
Can be resource-hungry
In
a world packed with free security software, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
2018's annual $39.99 fee may look expensive. Especially as this now only
covers you for a single device, down from three last year.
Still,
there are compensations. Bitdefender's engine is one of the most
accurate and reliable around, for instance, loved by all the big
independent testers.
Web filtering blocks access to
malicious sites, a secure browser keeps your online financial
transactions safe, and there's a password manager which auto-completes
credit card details in web forms.
An excellent
anti-phishing module alerts you to malicious links in your search engine
results, and blocks access to dangerous sites
ESET NOD32 Antivirus
Expert-level antivirus for the more experienced user
Highly configurable
Device access control
Relatively expensive
Not for beginners
If
you judge an antivirus on the length of its feature list, ESET NOD32
Antivirus might be a disappointment. There’s no firewall, password
manager, file shredder, vulnerability scanner or any of the bundled
extras you'll often find elsewhere.
This
doesn't mean the package is short on power, it's just more focused on
the antivirus fundamentals. ESET NOD32 Antivirus comes with real-time
malware protection, an anti-ransomware layer, exploit protection, URL
filtering to block malicious websites, and modules to prevent attacks
using PowerShell and malicious scripts.
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A
Device Control module limits the risk of infection from other devices
by controlling access to USB sticks, external hard drives, optical
storage media, even devices connecting by Bluetooth and FireWire. It's
an unusual extra, but could make a difference if others are regularly
plugging devices into your PC.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus isn't
aimed at beginners. The interface is clumsy sometimes, some features
are very advanced, and even the Help isn't always exactly helpful.
Experienced
users will appreciate ESET’s power and configurability, though.
Above-average protection does a good job of keeping you safe, and a
lightweight design ensures the package won't slow you down
F-Secure Antivirus
Nothing is easier to use
Very user-friendly
Good value
Prone to false positives
If
you're tired of the junk that weighs down some antivirus tools,
F-Secure Anti-Virus will make a refreshing change. There are no
unnecessary extras here, no bonus features you'll never use: you just
get straightforward real-time browsing and antivirus protection.
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Keeping
things simple doesn't mean compromising your safety. The package
typically receives maximum marks for protection from AV-Test, and
generally scores highly with AV-Comparatives, too. They also say it can
generate significantly more false positives than most of the
competition, but how that affects you will vary depending on how you use
your computer.
The
interface is a major plus. It's extremely easy to use, lightweight, and
for the most part you can just leave the app alone to look after your
PC. The program has minimal effect on your system performance, and if
you do need to intervene then you can generally solve any issues in a
couple of clicks.
Competitors like Bitdefender and
Kaspersky offer better protection and more features, but F-Secure
Anti-Virus remains an appealing package: fast, lightweight, and able to
run alongside many other security tools without conflict. It's good
value, too.
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