From securing bank accounts to text messages, it is important to ensure safety everywhere. Getting your computer infected with a virus is a pretty common thing.
Over 1.3 million people got affected by a worm or a trojan over the past twelve months but, is it okay? Of course not.
Just like you would lock your door to prevent thieves, have privacy, etc. Viruses attack your PC, deleting files, destroying programs, erasing all the data on the hard drive and some make it impossible for you to do anything on the internet.
It is annoying and you certainly don't want anyone intruding your PC. So, it's important to keep it safe.
And keeping it safe from the malware and getting infected by viruses means installing an antivirus or malware software, running scans and being cautious by keeping your Antivirus software updated.
Your PC can get infected if you find a weird link and click on it. You might be redirected to a website that might install a malware on your PC. A virus, disguised as a nonmalicious software or file, can be installed on your PC without you knowing it. An external drive containing a virus can be connected to your PC and the virus can be transferred to your device.
Antivirus softwares scans those files for you, before you run it and notify you of malicious softwares if they find any. Not only this, but they also provide firewalls, protect from identity thieves, make your computer run faster, block spam sites and ads and control so much more that you literally don't have to worry.
You do have to keep it updated though. And of course, make sure you have the best antivirus/malware softwares installed. That can be a hard choice because every antivirus company promises the best. So, which ones are exactly "the best?". After searching and comparing, we made a list of antivirus softwares that you can buy.
And yes, the money that you will invest in the antivirus is worth it.
Go on reading to make choosing easier.
Other related articles: Top 10 Best Accounting Software in India, How to Remove a Virus from Your iPhone or Android Phone (2020)
We Highly recommend you to read the Antivirus Softwares for PCs Buying Guide at the end of this article to get in-depth knowledge about the latest [item name] technologies and tips on making an informed decision about which product to buy for your needs 
Let's explore the list and have a look at the features along with the pros and cons of the Top 10 Best Antivirus Softwares for PCs in India.
Top 10 Best Antivirus Softwares for PCs in India
Although my favorite among all is Quick Heal Antivirus Pro but you must check all of them to make your buying decision.
1. Quick Heal Antivirus Pro
The quick heal antivirus pro is an antivirus software that's lightweight, which means it doesn't take up a lot of processing power, RAM or space.
The scanning modes in this software are both customizable and automatic. The automatic mode takes care of all the little details, so you don't have to fiddle around those tiny details. It does it all for you.
It also includes an Automatic Rogueware Scan that looks for rogueware separately. Rogueware is a type of malware that installs other malware on your device.
The Rogueware malware can't be detected by a traditional antivirus software as it disguises itself as a malware removal tool. This makes it very deadly and threatening.
Besides it's amazing scanning options, it also has a well designed parental control system because blocking websites for young kids browsing out there isn't easy so, based on users' ages, the system has filtering templates, an anti-keylogger tool and a scheduler for automatic scan.
It also backs up all your data automatically so you won't lose anything in case anything happens. It works better, stopping threats and danger that traditional antiviruses can't. It also prevents the network connected threats that may arise.
It also stops the malware to spread to your computer through USB or external drives. It blocks suspicious emails that might have links infecting your computer.
It offers good software support for debugging which is available 24×7. They have amazing customer service, along with their remote support functionality through which you can just give out your ID and password and a technician will take over your system and fix anything needed
Pros
Cons
Related Post: How to Reset Windows 10 PC (2020)
2. Kaspersky Total Security
Kaspersky total protection is delivered by the Russian company Kaspersky.
Kaspersky has a long history in creating some of the best malware protection software and Kaspersky Total Security is no different.
Kaspersky Total Security is an easy to use tool that protects your computer from all kinds of malware. It keeps your computer safe and secure.
It also updates itself to the latest version automatically. So, it is as good as the new edition. Kaspersky put an extra effort into protecting your privacy.
The antivirus is equipped with anti-phishing technology that checks if the website you’re on is safe or not. It also blocks unsafe redirects to fake websites.
For complete protection of your privacy, it helps prevent tracking of your browsing patterns and keeps your personal and sensitive information sage from web hackers. Its amazing webcam protection protects your webcam from being used by hackers to spy on you.
Kaspersky Total Security also manages all your passwords. It stores and synchronises all your passwords so that you can access them from any device like your PC, MAC, Android, or tablet. All you need to do is remember one master password and you can access all your devices.
It also adds extra protection to your online shopping endeavours by adding layers of security over the payment portals. This prevents hackers from accessing your data. Kaspersky has one of the best R&D teams to tackle any new threat too, so it's one of the most reliable options.
Pros
Cons
3. Max Secure Antivirus Plus
The Max Secure Anti-Virus is specially designed for home and small office users. It is a lightweight antivirus.
It provides protection from viruses and other threats without being too intrusive while using other applications.
It is specially designed for total ransomware protection. Ransomware is a type of virus that hijacks your computer and demands a ransom to unlock the computer.
Max secure anti-virus is loaded to deal with any and all kinds of ransomware by encrypting your data.
It comes with an active monitoring mode that monitors your computer for any suspicious activity. It also monitors your computer for any malicious files constantly.
A lot of times, we encounter malicious software on the internet without even realizing it. Max Secure’s “Smart Firewall Technology” allows for online protection too. It constantly blocks and targets threats from the internet for a better and safer surfing experience. It also provides protection from homepage hijackers.
It also provides total protection from offline sources like external drives. It’s automatic scan system scans for threats on these external sources and throws warnings to either fix or terminate the contaminated files. This keeps your computer safe in every way possible.
The antivirus package is designed to not act as bloatware for your system. It has been designed to not tax on memory. Max Secure also offers free email and chat support for debugging. It also automates your scans and updates for when your PC is idle so that it doesn’t interfere with your workflow.
Pros
Cons
4. McAfee AntiVirus Plus
McAfee AntiVirus Plus is a great budget friendly antivirus that has been actively providing protection for over 30 years.
It's an award-winning antivirus with a clock active protection giving you extra protection from all those malware and security threats out there.
Its Malware detection rate is 98.7%, which means that it'll detect a huge amount of malware trying to get to your computer.
It has a malware removal rate of 99%! This means almost all your malware will be gone with this Antivirus.
Amazon also ranked it “the number one best selling software". It gets rid of all the unnecessary junk like temporary files and cookies, freeing space.
While its strong firewalls monitor the traffic on your PC, its site advisor keeps track of these hazardous URLs, identifies them and then blocks the antivirus software or gets rid of them. It has an amazingly fast scanner that will keep you protected at all times.
Its amazing parental protection feature will help with keeping your children safe by monitoring the adult websites and such, and lets you keep track of when your child comes online and to what sites they go to. It filters your mails blocking all the unnecessary and dangerous mails that could infect your PC.
When tons of the unnecessary junk gathers up in your PC, it slows it down. McAfee AntiVirus Pro has a Quick Clean and a McAfee Shredder software that gets rid of these useless, extra files that just take up space helping you work smoothly on your PC with no lag.
Pros
Cons
5. K7 Total Security
The K7 Total Security Antivirus Software is an effective and a strong antivirus that has been providing protection to its users for over 20 years against all kinds of malwares and viruses and can get rid of them easily.
Its “safe search” has one of the best internet protections allowing you to surf the web without worries. It earned 17 out of 18 points in the AV tests!
Making it one of the top Antivirus software out there. With amazing malware detection rates and excellent scanning speed, it definitely does it's job very well.
It has a perfect mail filter throwing away the unwanted or maybe harmful mails into spam, so you can check them out later or throw them into the bin.
The high protection is able to detect and tackle any complicated virus there is. K7 comes with bonus features like, a virtual keyboard to protect your identity, optimization of the disk drives and permanent deletion of unwanted files or data that are useless and much more!
It also has a webcam protection which means when you enable this feature, your webcam will shut off making sure no creep is spying on you. It will notify you when any website or app needs to use your camera so you can choose to enable or disable it then. This gives you assurance that you are being protected.
Pros
Cons
6. NPAV Net Protector
The NPAV Net Protector is a homegrown antivirus and is amongst the first of its kind. It has also been promoted by the Indian prime minister himself, so you know it’s the real deal.
The NPAV net protector is specially designed to keep your internet experience safe. This antivirus caters to all your internet security needs.
The antivirus is a complete solution to internet security. It checks the memory on startup and cleans the computer automatically.
Instead of waiting for the virus to infect your computer and then fix it, it protects the system from threats in real time.
It makes sure that your internet connection is fast and secure. It checks all our incoming traffic and blocks malware, and reduces bloatware by blocking unwanted traffic.
It is capable of detecting and blocking adware, trojans, spyware, internet dialers, etc. like malware on the go. It can also detect and stop unknown worms trying to enter your computer. Unwanted pop-ups and false critical security alarms are also handled by the antivirus automatically without adding too much bloatware onto your system.
NPAV also provides its customers with a robust customer service for all their debugging needs. With great reviews on Amazon, it is one of those few cheap products that doesn’t con you, but instead gives you value for money.
It also has an ever growing R&D team that constantly makes the software a better experience. It also has an import feature any antivirus should have.
Pros
Cons
7. BitDefender Antivirus Plus
BitDefender Antivirus Plus antivirus provides a complete solution to all your security needs. The antivirus is loaded with tons of features.
There is hardly any security feature that this antivirus lacks. It offers complete protection against all kinds of malware, including ransomware.
Its anti spyware and anti fishware technology protects your computer from any foreign entities that might be trying to keep tabs on you.
It also comes with a USB immuniser that is able to scan and neutralise any threat when an external drive is connected to your device.
Also, the “fileShredder” feature allows you to delete any file on your device permanently so that there is no way for a hacker to restore and misuse them.
The “Rescue mode” allows you to disinfect all the partitions inside and outside your operating system. This is especially useful for users that might be using a dual boot setup. Online protection is also very robust in this software.
The antivirus provides social network protection by blocking any kind of intrusion on your social media. Its fast and secure payment options add an extra layer of security when shopping online.
The password manager provided by this software makes your life easy by managing all your passwords. Now, what you have to do is remember that one master password. It also suggests best security practices with its Search Advisor and WiFi Advisor. It is truly a complete antivirus.
Pros
Cons
8. ESET NOD32 Antivirus
The ESET NOD32 antivirus is a very capable antivirus with its 10-year unbeaten record at the VB100 awards. It has seen a revamp in its user interface which has made it very user friendly now.
The antivirus provides all the protection from viruses that you’d expect in a prodigy like this. It protects your device from malware from external sources like the internet.
It also protects your device from malicious software that can be transferred via an external drive like a pen drive. It also protects your device from spyware with its anti-spyware technology.
With its exploit blocker technology, it blocks even those attacks that are designed to evade antivirus detection. It is also capable of detecting and eliminating ransomware. It is also equipped with anti-fishing technology that saves you from fake websites. On fake websites, your passwords, usernames, and other sensitive data are shielded automatically.
There are various kinds of malware that hide their activity under multiple layers of encryption. It has an advanced memory scanner feature that scans and eliminates even those kinds of malware. It also has some amazing features like gamer mode that saves the resources of the computer while gaming, watching movies, or giving presentations.
And if all of that wasn’t enough, the antivirus software comes with settings for advanced users too. This allows for in-depth protection customization. You can even schedule your scans, define the number of files to be scanned and much more to fit your needs perfectly.
Pros
Cons
9. Avast Pro Antivirus
Avast antivirus is one of the leading antivirus softwares in the industry. It has a lot of features preinstalled.
The antivirus is capable of detecting and neutralising any threat with ease. It runs any suspicious software in a safe sandbox so that there is no chance of your device getting infected.
It also allows for greater customization so that your antivirus never gets in the way of your work. Creator customisation and flexibility are some key features of Avast.
With its streamlined cloud computing feature, it is able to scan and fix your computer without ever slowing it down.
It also comes with a real site feature that can protect your computer from network attacks like DNS hijacking. The gaming mode allows for better performance while gaming or doing other performance-intensive work. It also comes packed with its own browser that is rated the world's most secure browser. So, using the internet on it is as peaceful as it gets.
It detects and fixes all issues on your local device as well as on external devices connected to your device. This keeps your device safe in every way possible. It also provides added security to your network by scanning your router for vulnerabilities and then automatically fixes them.
This prevents intrusions to your network and keeps all your data safe and secure. It also gets frequent micro and regular macro updates that make it extremely secure.
Pros
Cons
10. eScan Anti-Virus Version 11
The eScan antivirus is a simple solution to your system protection needs.
It provides smart protection to your device using complex heuristic algorithms. It protects your device from all kinds of threats.
With its real time protection, the antivirus prevents any kind of malware from entering your device. Malware are restricted from entering the device almost entirely.
The antivirus operates on the function of prevention rather than looking to fix issues related to viruses in the long run.
It offers a faster on-demand scanning feature that allows you to scan files, folders and partitions separately on your device. It saves time and resources as it is coupled with the feature of quick scan rather than analyzing all the issues present in the device from scratch.
Its auto backup and restore features backup all your data automatically. So, in case your computer gets infected with a harmful virus or you lose your data, you’ll still have a backup ready. This is an amazing feature that never loses its novelty.
The antivirus also protects all your local data by scanning your device frequently. Therefore, the eScan Antivirus ensures that the performance of your device is maintained throughout.
It is also capable of restricting spams on your mail. This prevents you from ever clicking on doubtful links that might harm your device. Likewise, the risk of harmful viruses affecting the device is significantly reduced in the long run.
Pros
Cons
Buying Guide: How to Purchase Antivirus Software for PCs
It's obvious now that you need antivirus software to shield your everyday devices from getting infected by viruses or certain malware and sorts. Whether it is a Windows PC, macOS or Android that you're running, your device will most likely get infected by something you definitely don't want to.
It can be hard picking an antivirus software, just like it is picking any gadget. You will want to get the best one for your PC. The one that can provide you with the best security and amazing features. Yes, I am sure anyone would want that.
As you might have read above, we have made a list of antivirus softwares you can choose according to your choice and budget. Now, here we have arranged the list of important things you need to be looking for in an antivirus software. So you may understand them better, making it easier when you have to choose one.
Detection of Malware
You need to make sure that the antivirus has a high malware detection rate, around 98% will do. Also ensure that it detects and stops a maximum amount of malware, say 99%. The complicated malware or the simple every day malware, they need to prevent them all. Make sure they scored well in the AV Test. You will get this information in the description of the product.
Neutralising Threats
Not all threats that your antivirus detects will be neutralised by it. Some threats are detected but are not neutralised. These threats are to be deleted permanently. This might, in some cases, cause the critical data that was infected with the malware, to also be deleted.
So, make sure that the antivirus you buy is capable of not just detecting, but also neutralising most threats that it encounters on your device.
Easy to Use
Most antiviruses, just like some apps, are hard to understand, install and use. The instructions are a lot and you end up watching videos just to be able to operate it. So, make sure the one that you choose is very easy to use and you will be able to learn how to operate it yourself.
An integral part of the antivirus is its user interface. This allows you to control the software any way you want. An antivirus software with a complicated interface is a disaster. No matter how good the software is, if you aren’t able to operate it properly, it is basically useless. So, when you choose an antivirus, make sure you choose one with a good user interface.
Some of the key features to keep in mind when judging an interface are:
- Easy navigation
- Simple and clean design without too many complications
- Informative and easy to understand settings
Email and internet protection
The email and internet protection makes sure the antivirus blocks all the suspicious or unnecessary emails, URLs and allows you to browse the web safely by checking it before you even load it. It scans all these beforehand, allowing you to open them without getting infected. Filtering your mail and keeping it in a spam folder is also what it does, preventing your mail from getting mixed up with spam.
Lightweight
Having a lightweight antivirus software is such a huge relief and makes using your PC a smooth experience. It can be running in the background while you browse the web or check your mail and still get safe screening and notifications about malware. There are softwares that make your computer run smooth even if they are continuously active.
These are the main features, and then, next are the things that would be better if your antivirus software has them.
Parental Control
The parental control feature in antivirus means the antivirus software will detect contents, pages or websites that are not child friendly and aren't really for the younger audience out there, so what it does is block them. This makes it easier on parents since they can't always keep tabs on their children and don't really know all the harmful websites.
Difference between AntiMalware and Antivirus Softwares
You must also know that anti-malware softwares and antivirus softwares are not the same thing. All that anti-malwares do is clean up your computer after infections, and they do it pretty well. But they don't exactly do what antivirus softwares do.
They don't prevent any virus or malware infections from infecting in the first place and that is, well, not a preferable thing. Wouldn't you want to prevent them from happening? Like they say, prevention is better than cure.
Multiple Protection
Try getting an antivirus that is capable of protecting not just one but multiple devices at the same time.
If you require security on your devices, then just securing your PC or just your laptop won’t do. You might have a lot of devices that hold your sensitive data. So, you need an added layer of security on all of them.
Most antivirus softwares is only licensed over one device, this means that even though you have purchased the software, most of your devices are still unprotected and vulnerable to malware.
An antivirus like ESET NOD32 allows 10 users to use the antivirus at the same time. This doesn’t just save money but also a lot of crucial data. Multiple protection provided through just one antivirus also means that all the specifications and layers of protection are the same.
This means that you always know the level of security on all your devices and you don’t have to configure different levels of security of different devices separately. This makes managing your devices and your data a lot easier.
Which one's better? Free Antivirus Software or the Paid ones
Another question that you might be asking is "why not get a free antivirus software?". To be fair, getting a free antivirus is not a bad decision, but paid protection is way better and has more features that come along with it, like firewall, they also offer wireless protection, have sandbox, etc.
They automatically detect the harmful, damaging malware that intrudes and delete or get rid of them. They also control the behavior of dangerous malware and apps. That's their quality, they're always active, ensuring that you are protected at all times.
While the free softwares provides basic security, scans and gives out instructions on how to put an end to these threats, many things can go wrong in the process and put you at a greater risk. They are active when needed. It's always better to be careful and go for the paid protection.
It's easier, better and certainly worth it. Price should be your least concern here.
Software Update
Software updates are essential to any antivirus. Hackers all over the world are always trying to find new ways to access your device and retrieve sensitive data. And most of the time, they succeed in making such softwares. This means the list of threats to your computer is always increasing.
To tackle that, the list of preventive measures against those threats should also be ever increasing, this is where the software updates come in. Every company rolls out new software updates which are essentially new preventive measures they have developed against new viruses.
These updates can also be more efficient ways to deal with older viruses or just performance of user interface-based updates. Therefore, it is important to purchase an antivirus that gets frequent updates, so that your device is always able to tackle the new threats lurking on the internet.
Optimization
A common complaint with antivirus softwares is that they make your computer slow. While this might be true in some cases, in some cases, it's not.
A lot of times, your computer is filled with so much junk that it makes our computer lag. This junk might not be any sort of malware but metadata and other obscure files that you don’t use. This kind of data can easily pile up and take storage and RAM when programs related to this data are executed.
It is very easy to blame the antivirus for your slow computer when your own data can be at fault. In fact, some antiviruses can help you deal with this problem.
Certain antivirus softwares scans your computer for junk data. They inform you of this junk and then, you can decide what to do with all that data. Clearing all your junk manually is a very cumbersome task, so choose an antivirus that does it for you automatically.
Apart from junk data, there are also several system settings that can be optimised for better performance. Some antivirus softwares come with presets to turn on these settings. If you are a noob, you can still increase the performance of your device through a simple click, if you choose the right antivirus software.
Apart from all this, antivirus software itself needs to be tweaked for better performance. Some settings that it offers, might be too obtrusive and may end up slowing your computer down. Therefore, choose an antivirus that has enough controls and customizability to tweak these settings and keeps your machine running efficiently.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the best AntiVirus in 2020?
Bitdefender AntiVirus Plus: It has a numerous number of features like banking protection, Wi-Fi scan, VPN, password manager, is easy to use and run, secures the file deletion, can cover 3 users.
F- Secure AntiVirus SAFE: Its coolest feature is phone finder, and even if the device can't be found, then you can lock or delete it, keeping the data safe. It has ransomware protection and covers 3 devices.
Norton AntiVirus Plus: This software has a very advanced security, blocks visits to malicious sites, runs and scans continuously, is lightweight, has a decent price for subscriptions and is always up-to-date with the recent malware.
2. Why should you not go for a free antivirus?
Free antiviruses may be free but they come with a lot of disadvantages. Some of them have been highlighted below:
Features: It doesn't have as many features compared to a paid antivirus, like the parental controls, customer care, etc. You need better features to have the best protection.
Slow: The scanning speed is very slow. Fast scanning is important because the amount of threats are always increasing.
Protection: They offer you a very limited type of protection that doesn't include firewall or strong AntiMalware.
Ads: Lots of ads and pop ups appear because the company will be encouraging you to buy the free antiVirus.
3. Does Windows 10 have built in antivirus?
Yes, Windows 10 includes the latest antivirus protection called Windows Security. The moment you start your device, it starts to do its job. It continuously scans for antiviruses, security and data threats and malware. It keeps updating automatically to secure your device by detecting the malware and protecting it from threats. Windows Security includes an antivirus called Windows Defender. Even though Microsoft Windows Defender is always active, it will turn off on its own if you are running another antivirus app. And it will turn on, on its own if you uninstall or stop running the other antivirus app.
4. What are the advantages of having an antivirus on your PC?
Antivirus Software scan your device from all the harmful viruses like trojan, worms, bots and other malwares that can be harmful for your PC and get rid of them. Without these antivirus software, a person might access malware by clicking some link without knowing it and causing chaos.
With an antivirus installed, you get maximum protection against any virus, identity thieves and get a faster computer. Your device gets protection from phishing attacks, which is when a third party tries to get into your device's data infecting it or making it useless. It filters your mail, blocks spam ads and websites and much more.
5. How do antiviruses work?
Viruses get into your computer and spy, eavesdrop, disable, dysfunction, erase your data. To prevent this, we use antivirus softwares. Every virus has its own DNA. Their own unique pattern makes them different from the other programs that you use on your computer and also makes them recognizable. Antivirus scans and identifies those patterns and sees if these patterns match with their previously detected ones. Of course, sometimes these new viruses are derived from the past old viruses and have the same patterns. Thus Antivirus Software must always be updated to detect these new patterns that might make their way into your computer.
