| Option | Tier | AV-TEST August 2026 scores (protection / performance / usability) | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avast Free Antivirus 26.6 | Free | 6 / 6 / 6 | Sensible default for a Windows PC when lab scores are the deciding factor. |
| Bitdefender Total Security 27.0 | Paid | 6 / 6 / 6 | Matches the free product on lab scores, so pay only for extras you will use. |
| AVG (free), Norton and Kaspersky (paid) | Free and paid | Listed in the same table | Check each product’s current row before choosing. |
Scores come from the AV-TEST home Windows results, where free and paid products appear side by side.
Avast Free Antivirus 26.6 is the best free antivirus to start with on Windows: it scored 6 of 6 for protection, performance and usability in AV-TEST’s August 2026 table, the same as paid Bitdefender Total Security 27.0.
That verdict covers Windows PCs only, and it holds while the product keeps matching its paid rivals in later test rounds. Antivirus is only one layer of device security, so pair it with a sound account setup, starting with how to choose a password manager.
What the independent lab results show
The lab says it focused on realistic test scenarios and challenged each product with real-world threats, which means the scores describe how antivirus software behaves out of the box against live malware, not how it behaves after careful tuning.
Products were allowed to update themselves at any time and to query their cloud services. That matters for real-time protection, the part of an antivirus that checks files and activity as they happen. The scores reflect a product working with a normal internet connection, so a PC that is often offline may not see the same results.
A product that holds its scores across several rounds is a safer choice than one that peaked once, so check more than the latest row before committing.
The second lab, AV-Comparatives, publishes results by test type, vendor and platform. Its listings include a File Detection Test and a Real-World Protection Test for Microsoft Windows products. Use it as a cross-check: a product that does well at both labs is a stronger pick than one that does well at only one.
When a free antivirus is the right call
A free product suits most people running Windows at home, because the lab table shows a free product matching a paid suite on all three scoring categories. The decision then rests on what else you want from the product.
- Basic protection and light use: Avast Free Antivirus 26.6 scored 6 / 6 / 6, so protection, speed impact and everyday usability were all rated at the maximum. A household that only needs malware protection loses little by skipping a paid plan.
- Shopping on lab evidence: the August 2026 table lists AVG and Avast, both free, alongside paid Bitdefender, Norton and Kaspersky. That layout lets you compare tiers on the same scale before spending anything.
- Trade-off to accept: a free tier is not graded for its extras in these tables. Read the vendor’s feature page and privacy policy before installing, because the lab scores say nothing about what a product bundles or how it handles your data.
A manual scan is also a sensible check after installing unfamiliar free software, for example anything from the best free photo editing app list. The steps are further down.
Windows built-in protection versus paid antivirus
Whether the protection already on your PC is enough depends on how its scores compare with the free and paid products in the lab table. Look for the built-in Windows protection in the current AV-TEST table and compare its protection, performance and usability scores with the 6 / 6 / 6 that Avast and Bitdefender recorded in August 2026.
- Stay with the built-in tool: if its lab scores sit at or close to the free and paid leaders, a second product adds little for protection alone. Keeping a single tool also means less software to update and fewer privacy policies to read.
- Move to a free third-party product: if its scores trail in a category you care about, such as protection, a free product that scored the maximum is a no-cost upgrade.
- Move to a paid plan: only if a specific extra feature justifies the price, since the lab table shows no score gap between the free and paid products named above.
What paid antivirus plans add
In the August 2026 table, paid Bitdefender Total Security 27.0 and free Avast Free Antivirus 26.6 earned identical scores, so a paid plan’s extras are not reflected in a higher lab score there. What a paid tier adds therefore varies by vendor and has to be read from that vendor’s tier comparison page.
- Suites versus single-purpose products: names such as Total Security signal a bundle rather than a bare scanner. Check which bundled tools you would actually use before paying.
- Overlap with tools you already have: if a plan’s draw is a bundled password tool or storage, compare it with a standalone choice first. The guide on how to choose a password manager covers that comparison.
- When paying makes sense: when you want one subscription covering more devices or more features than the free tier offers, and the vendor’s own page confirms the coverage.
Phones and other platforms
Platform support has to be checked product by product.
The AV-Comparatives results page includes a platform field next to the vendor, test and award, which makes it the more practical place to confirm that a result belongs to the device you own. A Windows result for a vendor tells you little about that vendor’s phone app.
How to run a manual malware scan
A manual scan checks files already on the device, which complements real-time protection that watches activity as it happens. Run one when a PC behaves oddly or after installing software you do not fully trust.
- Update the antivirus first. Products in the lab tests were allowed to update at any time, so let the program fetch its latest definitions and cloud data before scanning.
- Close unneeded programs. Save your work so the scan has less to compete with.
- Choose the thorough option. Open the scan section of your antivirus and pick the full or deep scan instead of a quick scan.
- Let it finish. Interrupting a scan leaves part of the device unchecked.
- Review the results. Act on each detection as described below, then restart the PC and scan again if anything was found.
Reading a detection
A detection lists the file, the type of malware flagged and the action taken. Quarantine isolates the file so it cannot run, while deleting removes it. Quarantine is the safer first choice, because you can restore a file that was flagged by mistake.
Delete anything you do not recognise once it has been quarantined. If the same threat reappears after a restart, run another full scan and use the vendor’s own support pages for further steps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free antivirus?
On Windows, Avast Free Antivirus 26.6 is the strongest evidenced choice, scoring the maximum in all three AV-TEST categories in August 2026. Check the latest AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives rows before installing.
What extras do paid antivirus plans add?
It depends on the vendor. Paid suites are sold as bundles, and the lab table gave the paid Bitdefender product no scoring edge over the free Avast one. Read the tier comparison on the vendor’s own site and pay only for features you will use.
Is Windows built-in protection enough compared with paid antivirus?
It can be, if its scores in the current AV-TEST table are close to the free and paid leaders. A paid plan is then justified by extras, not by protection.
Do lab results for Windows apply to my phone?
No. The AV-TEST table here covers home products on Windows 11, and AV-Comparatives lists results by platform, so confirm that a result matches your device.
