Free security software Panda Free Antivirus uses cloud processing to protect your PC, eliminating the need for hefty software updates and demanding scans. This collective intelligence should lead to more harmful programs being detected while using a fraction of the system resources.

According to the antivirus testers at AV-Test, Panda Free Antivirus right on the industry average in terms of virus detection, sitting at around the 98% mark for zero-day attacks and a hair under 100% for established threats. 

Those are good numbers, and Panda is good software – providing you remember to deny it permission to take over your browser’s home page and search facility upon installing. Its process monitor is very useful, it scans quite quickly, and it’s simple enough in its presentation for even the most technophobic user to find their way around.

Download here: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/free-antivirus/

Type: Antivirus

Developer: Panda Security

Operating system: Windows

Version: 18

You might not realise at first, but Panda Free Antivirus begins scanning as soon as it's installed to ensure your PC is protected immediately. You can also perform three types of manual scan: full, critical areas, and custom.

The suite's other tools include a process monitor, which lets you see active processes and whether they are using a secure connection. Processes that don't are blocked, but you can undo this manually if you're confident it's safe.

There's also a handy vaccination tool that checks attached USB drives for malicious software. We recommend changing the settings so it runs automatically to pick up any threats as soon as possible.

If one of your PCs has been locked by a malicious program, Panda Free Antivirus can create an emergency rescue USB drive that you can use to scan the affected machine. This feature uses Panda Cloud Cleaner – a specialist scanner that detects viruses and malware other scanners might miss.

All of of these options are presented in a clear dashboard, with moveable tiles that you can customize to suit your preferences or remove if you never use a particular feature.

Unfortunately, in our tests, Panda Free Antivirus still had a significant impact on system performance, despite its cloud-based approach. Its emergency cleaner and USB vaccination tools are well worth investigating, but if you're looking for a free antivirus tool that will have a minimum impact on other system processes, you might want to look elsewhere.

This cloud-based free antivirus suite promises to delegate the bulk of its processing work to Panda's cloud servers, but it still had a significant effect on our test PC's speed. Its detection rates and security tools are excellent, however, and make it worth investigating.

Something of a stalwart of the antivirus world, AVG Antivirus's popularity has been eaten into by a number of other free security tools. So does that mean that the software is any less worthy of attention? Far from it.

While AVG Antivirus Free may appear to be a relatively simple piece of protective software, there is an awful lot going on in the background. However, it's worth noting that while AVG says "whatever your device, we've got you covered", this only applies to Windows, Mac and Android – there's no iOS or Linux version available.

AVG Antivirus Free manages to cater to two types of people: those who just want protection and don’t want have to get involved in the process, and those who want control over everything that's going on. This, really, is quite a feat.

It's reassuring to know that AVG Antivirus Free will automatically protect against rogue software, malicious emails, dangerous websites and more – you don’t need to do anything; the software will just spring into action when it is needed.

But for the more experienced user, AVG Antivirus Free offers pages of options for configuring exceptions, choosing how and when checks are performed and much more. It's a delicate balancing act that AVG manages to pull off with aplomb.

Where to download: http://www.avg.com/

Type: Antivirus

Developer: AVG Technologies

Operating system: Windows, Mac, Android

Version: 2017 

It's hard to get away from the fact that AVG Antivirus Free badgers users into upgrading to a paid-for version of the software. Right from the start – the moment of installation – you're prompted to install a trial of AVG Internet Security (in fact, you're actively encouraged to go down this route). Even if you opt not to install this software, you'll still find that the interface of AVG Free is littered with links to components that are not free. It can be annoying.

Get past this, though, and AVG Antivirus Free's interface is simple and pleasing to use. Learn to turn a blind eye to the pestering, and this is a great piece of software.

AVG Antivirus Free may serve as a gigantic advert for other AVG software, but it does its protective duties well.

You would think that software manufacturers would like to make a good impression right from the start, and on this front Avira Free Antivirus is an immediate disappointment. The installation of the antivirus tool not only takes an age, but it’s littered with advertisements for other Avira software. Sure, they're all free tools, but it's annoying to have to ensure the ads nonetheless.

Once you get past this, however, things start to pick up dramatically. Performing a full system scan can be slow – this can probably be put down to the fact that Avira doesn’t hog resources like some antivirus software – but lab tests show that detection rates are very high indeed.

For households with multiple systems, Avira Free Antivirus is available not only for Windows, but also Android and Mac, providing protection for all your devices.

Despite the name, there is not just protection against viruses on offer – the program can also be configured to look out of games, 'joke' programs and other potentially unwanted elements. There's a lot to like in Avira Free Antivirus, it won't be to everyone's liking.

Avira Free Antivirus's interface is like stepping back into the 90s, and you're constantly reminded that you're using the free version of the program thanks to the fact that there are greyed-out links to numerous settings that you're unable to use without upgrading to the premium version.

Outside of the virus protection side of things, Avira Free Antivirus provides handy access to Windows' own built in firewall, offering what many people will find an easier way to adjust settings. Virus scans are highly customizable, allowing you to choose the level of heuristic detection that's used, and opting to exclude certain files, file types and folders from scans.

If you're looking to tweak settings, however, be prepared to spend a while drilling down Avira's raft of options.

If you can ignore the ads and the slow scans, this is a high capable tool which will do a great job of protecting your computer.

Avast is one of a number of free antivirus tools vying for attention and it fares well against the competition in lab tests for rates of detection. It provides great protection against viruses and malware, displaying a casual warning when anything nasty is detected rather than making a song and dance about things.

So the program's headline feature works well – but it doesn’t end there. You're also treated to a password managed, a VPN, system performance enhancements and a game mode that prevents interruptions while you play.

It's not all great news, though. After the installation there is a slightly disturbing – but refreshingly honest – warning that user data may be collected and shared with third parties. While Avast points out that this can be switched off, you have to manually hunt down the opt-out setting; it would have been nice to have been presented with it immediately. Instead you have to head to Settings > General > Privacy and uncheck the 'Participate in data sharing' option.

There's also the question of what essentially amount to advertisements. There are links within Avast Free Antivirus – such as the firewall and secure DNS – that are not actually available until you upgrade to the paid-for version of the program. It feels a little sneaky.

Download here: https://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

Type: Antivirus

Developer: Avast Software

Operating system: Windows, Mac, Android

Version: 17

For the most part there's little to worry about when it comes to the virus protection side of things; Avast will just run in the background and stay out the way until it's needed, and you can perform a manual scan if you want. Venture into Settings, however, and prepare to whimper. There's not only a seemingly endless selection of settings, they are very inefficiently laid out. It's good to have options, but they are probably best left to advanced users.

Overall, the program's interface is great to use, easy to navigate and intuitively set out – but you might find the nags to upgrade somewhat annoying after a while.

This is not only a fantastic antivirus tool, there are so many free extras thrown it that it becomes impossible not to recommend it.

Windows 10 comes with a built-in antivirus tool – Windows Defender – so you might wonder why it’s worth installing a third-party security program like Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition.

The answer is superior protection from viruses and other threats, and a far more convenient approach to scans. Bitdefender makes very light work of keeping your computer secured against viruses, as well as offering protection against phishing attacks, fraud and signs of suspicious activity.

The great thing about Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is that it’s been designed for anyone who just wants to keep their computer secure without having to worry about the details. Once the program is installed, you'll probably never have to look at it again – everything is taken care of for you in the background, and there's no complex configuration to worry about.

BtiDefender Antivirus Free Edition uses a multi-pronged approach to detection, meaning it has an excellent track record of picking up both known and unknown threats, and quarantining accordingly.

For the most part, Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is very much a case of set-it-and-forget-it. The beauty of the program is that it will happily whirr away in the background, ensuring that your computer is free from nasties, but you may decide that you want to perform a full system scan or check individual files manually.

Checking files is a simple matter of dropping them onto the program window, and a full scan is an equally simple – if lengthier – process.

Security suites can appear intimidating to the average user, but Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition manages to avoid this pitfall thanks to its clear and simple interface.

The perfect way to keep your PC, Mac or Android device protected if you don’t want to have to think about ongoing maintenance.