I know it is recommended to use Windows Defender if you need an AV on a windows device. MY question is, are there any other antiviruses that are better? I only know that Bitdefender is the best but is there an open source one or a generally trusted one?
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There’s ClamAV. I have never tested it since I only use WD so I don’t know if it has the same performance as WD or other big AVs.
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I would NEVER consider Bitdefender as the best AV for windows mainly because I work in tech for and a lot of my false positives come from Bitdefender. I’ve even contacted them to whitelist my projects and they have in the past, but lately they haven’t been. Hope this helps and best of luck. If I see your reply I’ll make sure to give suggestions if needed.
ClamWin: ClamWin is a free and open-source antivirus program for Windows. It provides basic virus protection and supports automatic updates.
Comodo Antivirus: Comodo Antivirus is a free antivirus software that provides real-time protection against viruses, malware, and other online threats. It includes features such as sandboxing and a built-in firewall.
Avast Free Antivirus: Avast is a popular antivirus software that offers a free version for personal use. It provides real-time protection against viruses, spyware, and other malware.
Sophos Home: Sophos Home is a free antivirus software for Windows that provides real-time protection against malware, viruses, and other online threats. It includes features such as web filtering and parental controls.
AVG AntiVirus Free: AVG AntiVirus Free is a free antivirus program that provides basic protection against viruses, spyware, and other malware. It includes features such as email protection and automatic updates.
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As @rollsicecream mentioned, ClamAV. It’s the only open source antivirus, I’m aware of. Though, it’s not one I can recommend. In pretty much every test I’ve seen, it falls short, even against Windows Defender (which isn’t that great).
Something to also note, ClamAV, by default, does not offer important features, like Real Time Protection. I’m told there are community projects that add this functionality, but I can’t confirm how good they are.
If security is important to you I’d generally advise you to look at a commercial option. You mention Bitdefender, but I can also recommend ESET (arguably more so than Bitdefender). I’ve also experienced good results with Kasperskey, but many people don’t trust it’s Russian origin. Speaking of trustworthiness, all of this is up to you. These services rely on the cloud to properly function. You can disable sending your files to the cloud, though. You’ll still get good protection.
Vast majority of AVs suck. The most I would consider going for is maybe Malwarebytes just to serve as a sanity check. But Windows Defender in conjunction with scanning one-off suspicious files in VirusTotal is sufficient. Whatever you choose to go with, just always be aware that AVs are software that have access to a lot of your system at a root level and will likely send that kind of data to the company.
After looking a bit more into it, if I have can’t use Windows Defender, I’ll use malwarebytes. Thanks for the suggestions! I hope someday, there is a good, open source AV.
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