Bitdefender, Avast free antivirus programs just as good as paid options, Hong Kong Consumer Council finds
In collaboration with global consortium of consumer organisations, the Hong Kong watchdog tested 2,360 types of malware on 23 free and paid programs to see which ones worked best
Two free computer programs – Bitdefender’s Antivirus Free Edition and Avast’s Free Antivirus – are just as good as paid-for software at protecting devices from malware, Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog said on Monday.
In collaboration with the global consortium of consumer organisations, International Consumer Research & Testing, the Consumer Council tested 2,360 types of malware on 23 free and paid-for programs to see which ones could block ransomware and other cyberattacks.
It found that 15 programs did well in guarding against attacks and ranked them at least 4 out of 5. Seven were “completely unable” to block ransomware and scored 1. One program scored 3.
The Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition got 4.5, while Avast’s free software scored 4, beating many programs that users have to pay for.
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Among the ones that scored poorly were Avira’s free and paid-for antivirus programs, and Microsoft’s default Windows Defender software.