Running two antiviruses should be better than only running one, right? NO! In fact, you can actually do more harm to the PC having more than one antivirus installed. If you are okay with a little bit slower scan speeds, a couple days behind on updates, and you don’t feel that ransomware is a problem for you, then the free version will be just fine, but if you want a little beefier protection, and you have the money to spend, then I would recommend going for the paid version. So, as stated before, the answer to whether or not you should pay for antivirus software is what you feel comfortable with. Free antivirus programs do not have any sort of ransomware protection, while the paid version will generally have some sort of ransomware protection. Probably the biggest thing that you can gain from a paid version is some sort of ransomware protection.
With a free version, you may have to wait for a couple of days for the software to do its update and installs a few new identifiable threats at one time. Day-Zero updates: virus, spyware, adware, and other types of malware are constantly changing, and with paid versions of antivirus software you get those updates the day the software company puts them into their database. This is exactly what it sounds like: the speed the scan will run will be increased. The free versions of our three recommendations work perfectly fine, and for most people, this is all the protection you need.īut with the paid versions of these programs, there are a few extras you get that will increase your protection, such as increased scan speeds. You should never have to feel like you need to pay for antivirus software. To Pay or Not to PayĪnother big question when it comes to antivirus software is should I get a free version or should I pay? And the answer is really whatever you feel comfortable with.
Bitdefender also includes a password manager and a VPN so your ISP cannot track your activity online. Bitdefender scores nearly perfect on all tests.