What are the 7 examples of antivirus software?

The 7 examples at a glance

1. Microsoft Defender — the antivirus built into Windows, free and enabled by default. Its detection has matured into a respectable baseline, and for cautious users with a single Windows PC it is often enough. It offers little beyond core protection, though — no VPN✕A VPN routes your internet traffic through an encrypted external server. This hides your real IP address and stops third parties — like your provider or public Wi-Fi — from seeing what you do.More in the glossary →, no password manager, minimal web filtering outside Microsoft Edge.

2. Bitdefender — a Romanian vendor with consistently strong results in independent tests, known for high protection rates at low system load. Its suites (Antivirus Plus up to Premium Security) add a VPN, anti-tracking and ransomware✕Ransomware is malware that encrypts your files and demands a ransom to release them. An up-to-date backup is the best protection against it.More in the glossary → remediation.

3. Norton 360 — an all-in-one approach: antivirus plus unlimited VPN, password manager, cloud✕"The cloud" refers to services and storage that run not on your device but on external servers on the internet. You can access them from anywhere.More in the glossary → backup✕A backup is a copy of your data kept in a separate place, letting you restore everything after data loss, hardware failure, or a ransomware attack.More in the glossary → and dark-web monitoring in every 360 plan. Backed by Gen Digital, one of the largest consumer security companies.

4. ESET HOME Security — the Slovak vendor’s lineup (Essential, Premium, Ultimate), popular with technically minded users for its configurability and light footprint. Known historically for its NOD32 engine.

5. Avira — a German-rooted brand offering one of the better-known free tiers, Avira Free Security, alongside paid Prime plans that bundle a VPN and tune-up tools.

6. McAfee — focuses on unlimited-device family plans with identity monitoring built into its McAfee+ tiers. A fit for households protecting many devices under one subscription.

7. Malwarebytes — started as a second-opinion cleanup tool and grew into a full replacement product; its Premium version registers as the system’s security program. Its reputation rests on removing infections other scanners miss.

How the seven compare

The table shows the market’s spread: some products win on raw protection scores, others on price per device or bundled extras. Independent labs like AV-TEST publish rolling results for protection, performance and false alarms — a far better signal than brand familiarity.

Free vs. paid: what actually changes

Free options — Microsoft Defender, Avira Free Security and a handful of others — cover core real-time protection✕Real-time protection watches the system continuously and blocks threats the instant they appear, not just during a manual scan.More in the glossary →. Paid suites add layers around it: a VPN for public Wi-Fi, a password manager, parental controls, identity monitoring, cloud backup. The protection engine itself is usually the same within a vendor’s lineup; you pay for breadth, not a secret better scanner.

One rule applies whatever you choose: run only one product with real-time protection. Two resident scanners fight over the same files, slow the system down and can even weaken protection.

Frequently asked questions

Is Microsoft Defender enough on its own?

For a single, cautiously used Windows PC with automatic updates✕Automatic updates install new versions of WordPress, themes and plugins on their own. They close security holes without you having to keep watch.More in the glossary → on — often yes. Defender’s detection is solid in lab tests. Paid suites justify themselves when you want cross-platform coverage (macOS, Android, iOS), web protection in every browser✕A browser is the program you use to open websites and surf the internet — such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.More in the glossary →, or extras like a VPN and password manager under one roof.

What is the difference between antivirus and anti-malware software?

Today, almost none — the terms are used interchangeably. “Virus” is one old category of malware; modern products detect the whole spectrum, from ransomware to spyware. Some brands, like Malwarebytes, kept “anti-malware” in their identity, but functionally they compete as antivirus software.

Is Malwarebytes a real antivirus?

Yes. Malwarebytes Premium positions itself as a full antivirus replacement and registers as the primary security program in Windows. The free version, by contrast, is only an on-demand scanner — useful as a second opinion, but it does not block threats in real time.

Which antivirus software is completely free?

Microsoft Defender is free and built into Windows. Avira Free Security is a well-known free tier from a commercial vendor. Free versions protect the basics but skip extras and sometimes show upgrade prompts — reasonable trade-offs as long as the protection engine itself tests well.

Which of the seven fits you?

The right pick depends on your devices, budget and which extras you would use — not on which name you have heard most often. Our antivirus comparison ranks these vendors on protection results, system load, features and price, so you can match one to your setup.