Table of Contents
The Best Free Antivirus –
Top Online Virus Scanners, Malware attacks are on the rise. To protect your devices from cybercrime! The following table overviews the top free antivirus programs’ protection effectiveness and other vital features.
Free Online Virus Scanners You Can Trust
Many antivirus services claim to offer free online skimming tools. But very few are cloud-based services. Instead, most require you to download software to work.
While an online virus scanner can’t replace your antivirus running offline continuously in the background, it can be helpful in quickly classifying infections.
What Remains A Virus Scanner?
A virus scanner remains a web service that scans your device from a remote server. Since it’s not as powerful as a full-scale antivirus, and some work from the cloud, there is little to no system lag. Suppose you suspect your device remains infected with a virus and haven’t installed a paid antivirus. In that case,
However, not all virus scanners are created equal, and very few are free web-based services. They also vary considerably in accuracy, customization, and additional features.
How We Test Them
To assess the best online virus scanners, we used a device with several known malware infections and tested it with the most popular and robust online virus scanners we could find.
We Then Graded Them According To The Following Criteria:
- Easy to use
- Online vs. Download
- Ability to identify infections
- Additional characteristics
- Price
- drawbacks
We compared many virus scanners, including Kaspersky, Trend Micro, and Meta Defender Cloud. We found that while these are good free online scanners, the ones on this list provide better overall protection.
The Following Seven Ranked First In All Factors:
- Safety Detectives Vulnerability Scanner
- Virus Total
- ESET Online Scanner
- F-Secure Online Scanner
- Norton Security Scan
- BullGuard Online Virus Scan
- Bitdefender Home Scanner
1. Safety Detectives Vulnerability Scanner
Unlike many of the other connected virus scanners we verified. For example, the Safety Detectives vulnerability scanner doesn’t require a download. Instead, it runs a thorough scan to detect threats and then clarifies how to fix them.
The image takes only a few seconds and accurately identifies system vulnerabilities on all platforms. But, again, it doesn’t fix the problem but tells you how to fix it. So while it’s free, lightweight, and swift, it should only be relied upon to identify problems, not fix them.
Advantage:
- No download is required.
- Scan the entire system in seconds.
- 100% accuracy rate.
- free service
- It clearly explains how to correct the problem.
- Multi-platform.
- Indicates the level of threat.
- No ads.
- Cons:
It does not fix known vulnerabilities.
No Customization Options.
While many antivirus businesses claim to offer a web-based scanner, the fact remains that few do. The Safety Detectives vulnerability scanner is one of the few exceptions. While not technically considered a full-scale antivirus. This online scanner offers a fast and easy-to-use cloud-based solution. In addition, if it detects a problem, it provides a threat-level warning and tips/advice on correcting it.
As a genuinely free cross-platform solution, it’s a great online tool for quick checkups without needing a download or subscription.
2. Virus Total (no download required)
Virus Total is a free online scanner that scans suspicious files and URLs for suspected malware by referencing an extensive online database of known infections.
Although it scans uploaded files impressively fast, it can only watch one at a time. It isn’t enjoyable to run every file on your PC through a full system scan. While it works as an accurate web-based scanner as it cannot remove any threats, it cannot remain classified as a system-wide detection tool.
Advantage:
- No download is required.
- free service
- High level of precision.
- Perform quickly.
- Various scanning options.
- Full reports. Multi-platform.
3. Norton Security Scan
Norton’s free Security Scan tool provides a faster and more detailed scan than many competitors. But like most online virus scanners, Norton Security Scan requires a software download to work. Therefore, it cannot remain classified as a simple web-based scanning service.
However, when tested, it identified 70% of the malware, along with many suspicious cookies or outdated applications. While its results were more extensive than most, it still can’t remove the infections. Instead, you remain redirected to purchase Norton’s full antivirus software.
The tool also does not reveal the names and locations of the infections, so you cannot remove them manually. However, if you want to check your system for malware and then use another program to remove it, then Norton’s Security Scan is a decent option.
Advantage:
- Full system scan.
- Exploring suspicious cookies.
- Identifies system vulnerability.
- High detection rate.
- Trusted and established brand.
Check
Many online virus scanners try to sell you a paid antivirus, so the fact that Norton couldn’t clean my system wasn’t much of a surprise. However, removing the contagion is arguably the most important part of antivirus protection.
Unfortunately, Norton Security Scan is not compatible with Mac. Still, Apple users have the option to try a trial version of any other Norton antivirus app without having to provide credit card information.
4. BullGuard Online Virus Scan
Cyber security giant BullGuard used to offer a dedicated online virus checker. However, they recently updated their system, allowing users to download a free two-month trial of their premium security packages. These free apps offer fewer features, so they take up less space on your computer.
They can also be accessed through any browser, offering more excellent compatibility than similar tools. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to set it up. Also, it doesn’t have an instant scan setup; you must select critical areas in a custom scan.
Advantage:
- Available in most browsers.
- Various options are available.
- Premium quality.
- Available for 60 days.
- Cons:
- No dedicated online scanner.
- Long installation process.
Check
It was surprising that BullGuard removed the online scanning tool from their site. However, its free trial options are still speedy and convenient to use. That said, I wasn’t impressed with the
5. Bitdefender Home Scanner
Bitdefender’s Home Scanner is a low-use, download-only application that is part of Bitdefender’s free toolbox. You can use it to perform a quick scan of critical areas of your device, do a complete system check, or target a custom location. We chose the first option, and it completed the scan in less than a minute.
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