Which antivirus to choose?

What is an antivirus?

The issue with PC antivirus

Free or paid, which antivirus to choose for your computer?

The organization AV Comparatives, an authority figure in ranking the best computer antivirus, regularly establishes charts allowing comparison of security solutions according to several criteria. The first thing to notice is that all offer relatively comprehensive protection, regardless of their paid or free status, with more than 95% of threats blocked. This should reassure you in your choice: the risk of encountering a poorly performing antivirus is very low.

Evolution of PC antivirus and security suites

Antivirus software has evolved in recent years, no longer limited to simple protection against viruses on your computer or trying to invade it. They have adapted to internet usage and offer customized solutions and features for each type of use. This is why we don't talk about the "best antivirus" because each player in the industry offers different solutions and suites, and because the user's experience and ability to detect malicious traps themselves are also taken into account in the criteria that define what the best PC antivirus is.

We thus arrive at computer antiviruses whose use is easy for you with a good interface, whose budget suits you under a subscription economic model, or even one whose features are appropriate for your use. For example, some offer to cover a wide range of devices rather than just one, an offer aimed at families. This antivirus that covers your own needs will be the "best" one for you. So, throughout this guide, we will present the best antiviruses according to several profiles. It's up to you to choose the one that suits you best!

Note: This guide is not definitive, given the changing nature of viruses and the potential lack of updates in the future of an antivirus presented here.

Key criteria for a good computer antivirus

Budget is not taken into account in these criteria as it is inherently subjective.

• Minimal impact on overall computer performance - With its constant monitoring, the antivirus obviously consumes resources (RAM, processor, etc.). The ideal should therefore be invisible consumption while being effective so that your PC remains usable without slowdowns.
• Efficiency in virus detection and removal - With a database regularly updated, an effective protection system to detect suspicious activities on your PC and quarantine the virus.
• Limited false positive rate - Sometimes the antivirus detects threats where there is actually no danger, which can quarantine healthy and sometimes personal and important files. A good antivirus should avoid these false positives as much as possible to only sound the alarm in case of a real threat.
• User-friendly - It goes without saying that the antivirus must be adapted to your experience and your personal use of computers and the internet. Therefore, it must be simple, clear, and intuitive. Each feature present in the antivirus must be perfectly clear to you to decide whether or not you need it to be performed.

Now that you know the main points to compare between different PC antiviruses, let's get started!

The classic of free antivirus - Avast Antivirus

No need to introduce it, Avast is probably the most frequently mentioned free antivirus spontaneously by internet users. And not without reason, as it is elegant and easy to use while offering a more than honorable level of performance, as you can see in the AV comparison.

Moreover, the fact that it runs constantly in the background without slowing down the machine makes it a safe bet. The software is lightweight, and its free version, although it does not have all the features of the premium version, is largely sufficient for the general public; it is even worth noting that the editor relies on its paying customers to finance it. No risks of seeing your data resold.

The free outsider for travelers - Panda Security Antivirus

We couldn't not mention Panda antivirus, the innovative and recent antivirus for Windows that is also available for Mac and especially Android. In line with what is now being done, we find a minimalist interface, but not simplistic; truly light and airy, combined with effective protection for your device.

Panda is very good at detecting phishing (phishing for your personal data), a significant plus, and can even work without being connected to the Internet, a feature that few other free antiviruses offer. Very useful when traveling with tools like USB drives that have not been analyzed. In the same vein, it offers a free VPN of 150 MB per day, which is still light but allows for a secure connection in a café, for example, to check your emails.

The best protection, free or paid - BitDefender Antivirus

It's all said, BitDefender offers the best in terms of protection while displaying a relatively low rate of false positives. Premium or free version, the protection is the same and offers an impressive real-time protection as well as very effective phishing detection. However, note that this antivirus is for personal use and not professional, so it is prohibited to install it on your work PC. Beyond this small prohibition that won't bother most people, BitDefender is a solid and free antivirus. It is notably the number 1 antivirus on the French market if you need additional assurance of its capabilities!

Its Total Security paid solution, also available in a Family pack, includes a wide range of easy-to-use tools from a very clear interface: constantly updated antivirus, ransomware management system, support and assistance at your service, parental control, optimal firewall, highly secure system for online purchases... this solution offers a complete package for an average subscription of €40 per year when you find the right discount. Still hesitant? In 2020, it was elected for the 3rd consecutive year as the "best antivirus" by the AV Comparative organization we saw earlier.

The more flexible solution - Kaspersky Antivirus

Standing out for years with its antivirus, the company Kaspersky holds nearly 35% of the French market and is therefore just behind BitDefender. Here too, we find a solid and effective antivirus accompanied by a complete Total Security suite that we recommend.

On the agenda, extended compatibility on all devices (Android, Windows, MacOS, iOS), protection against all types of viruses and malware, and finally a range of tools related to the protection of your data: online banking transaction protection system, digital safe, parental control, password management... everything is there. Additional flexibility comes with the choice of offer, modular according to the number of devices you want to protect, which softens the subscription price.

We tell you once again, the best PC antivirus is the one that suits you, not the one that ends up at the top of an online ranking. It is up to you to decide the budget to allocate to the protection of your data, and according to the number of devices to protect. Some antiviruses could even turn out to be incompatible with your PC's configuration, slowing it down a bit during use despite being labeled as the "best antivirus" by a website or third-party organization. Finally, as you will have understood by looking at the AV Comparatives graph, each antivirus solution offers almost complete protection against cyber threats without erasing the zero risk, of course. Which antivirus software to choose for your PC, in the end, it's up to you to answer that question!