The number of cybercrimes is growing significantly every year. According to the McAfee Labs Threats Report for August 2019, ransomware attacks more than doubled this year, with a 118% rise in the first quarter of this year alone. 

This means that hackers are getting smarter and the risks to your online privacy is rapidly evolving. Having an antivirus is no longer enough because attackers are coming up with new and inventive ways of intruding into your privacy. These new threats need new layers of defense. What you need is an anti-malware. 

Having an anti-malware is crucial if you want to protect your data, identity, and hardware against the sophisticated attacks of modern hackers. These attackers are working extra hard at making their malware undetectable and untraceable, but security experts are working even harder at countering them. There are many anti-malware products on the market today that internet users can take advantage of to guard against online attacks. 

Antivirus vs Anti-Malware

These two terms are generally used interchangeably, but they are actually different. Antivirus specializes in attacking viruses, a type of self-replicating malware that inserts malicious code into the system. Although an antivirus is an important part of your online security toolkit, it will not work against other types of malware. You need an anti-malware application to deal with various types of malware. 

An anti-malware software detects and removes a wider range of malicious applications and provides a more comprehensive protection. 

Best Anti-Malware Apps for Your Devices

When you search for anti-malware on Google, hundreds of different results will come up. Some are free, while some require a subscription. There is also anti-malware that specializes in fighting specific malicious applications. Finding one that suits your needs is like finding a needle in a haystack. You need to test each one to see which works for you. And after all these trial-and-errors, it might be possible that you’d end up with nothing in the end. 

So, to make things easier for you, we’ve listed down the 10 best anti-malware software based on our experience. This guide will discuss what makes each software unique, how each app works, and what level of protection they provide. Let’s take a closer look at the list. 

1. Norton Security

When it comes to online security, Norton is considered an old hand. The company has been providing protection against malware for almost 30 years. Norton is the best anti-malware for familiesbecause it offers great parental controls and it can cover multiple devices, depending on the subscription. 

Norton protects your devices against spyware, adware, viruses, and other types of malware. It also offers a two-way firewall and web protection for safe browsing. If you have kids, its impressive parental controls will give you the peace of mind knowing that your family has sufficient protection against online attacks. You’ll also be able to track each device’s location, if necessary. 

Norton uses cutting edge technology, called SONAR Behavioral Technology, to analyze files in isolation and determine whether they are safe. It also offers 100% virus removal guarantee, so you can rest assured that you’re always protected. 

2. Avira Internet Security Suite

You’re probably familiar with Avira’s antivirus program that’s littered ads, but Avira offers a much wider range of products aside from that. For example, Avira’s Internet Security Suite is a combination of both the antivirus program and other security features. 

Avira Internet Security Suite offers real-time protection against viruses, ransomware, and other malicious software. Its Privacy Pal feature offers some very impressive tools to protect your online privacy, such as blocking online tracker. 

And if there are new threats or mutations, the Protection Cloud feature alerts you to their presence so you can stay away from them immediately. This feature keeps you one step ahead of rapidly evolving threats.  

Another impressive feature is the Software Updater Pro, which keeps your drivers updated automatically, and patches potential software vulnerabilities. This way, malware won’t be able to exploit your system vulnerabilities and invade your system. 

The downside of using Avira is that you’ll have to go without a firewall. It has been discontinued in 2014, so you’ll have to look elsewhere if you need one. But despite this limitation, Avira Internet Security Suite provides a comprehensive package of malware detection and removal utilities. 

3. Comodo Cybersecurity 

If you’re looking for protection on the network level, Comodo Cybersecurity is perfect you. It considers itself as the leading cloud-based security program today and it has the credentials to back up this claim. 

Comodo offers a broad range of free and paid security programs, but most of the impressive features are available for paid subscribers only. 

Comodo offers complete protection against all types of malware, mutated or otherwise. It believes that prevention is better than cure, so it focuses on keeping the threats out so you don’t have to remove them. It does so use the Default Deny Protection feature that blocks entry to all malicious software. 

Comodo Cybersecurity also offers added protection for online shopping and online banking transactions with its Secure Shopping feature. It’s two-way firewall and VPN features add extra layers of protection to your privacy. 

4. Avast Internet Security

Avast is one of the most popular anti-malware programs today, with about half a billion active monthly users. Avast protects its users against 2 billion malware attacks per month, a testament to its ability to detect and get rid of malware. 

Avast’s free product is widely-used because it offers superb protection against malware and prevents users from visiting dangerous websites. However, the paid packages offer a more impressive range of privacy and security features. 

Aside from enjoying complete protection against spyware, adware, ransomware, and other pesky types of malware, Avast also scans your email to block phishing scams before they get to your inbox. Its Web Shield feature provides highly effective browsing protection against phishing websites and guide you safely through the web. 

The paid Avast packages come with a handy VPN feature and an automatic software updater for a more comprehensive protection.

5. Bitdefender

Bitdefender provides one of the strongest lines of defense against malware in the industry. It offers a wide range of security features, including file encryption, safe browsing, ransomware protection, and game mode. 

Bitdefender has a powerful file-scanning tool that scans all files and compares suspected codes against known malware signatures. If the file behaves suspiciously, Bitdefender then cleans it out. Browsing history, cached data, and recent activities are collected together with these suspicious files for analysis. So if you don’t clean up your system regularly with a PC cleaning software, it would take Bitdefender quite some time to go through all your junk files and analyze each one of them. 

6. MalwareBytes

MalwareBytes has a different perspective when it comes to fighting malware. Instead of focusing on removing existing threats, MalwareBytes centers its campaign on catching the newest forms of malware that traditional security companies haven’t discovered yet. 

MalwareBytes has a powerful tool called Chameleon, that specifically deals with malware that tries to disable the security programs on the infected computer. It’s Anti-exploit feature, on the other hand, monitors attacks that invade your system via software vulnerabilities instead of malware. 

MalwareBytes is one the lightest anti-malware apps because it doesn’t stress out your computer. 

7. Hitman Pro

HitmanPro, which is now an integral part of Sophos Security, is one of the most reliable anti-malware tools in the industry right now. It relies on its own data and cloud-based scanning engine to detect and remove threats. 

HitmanPro uses a behavioral-based technology to analyze unknown threats, according to their behavior. Despite the impressive anti-malware tools, HitmanPro runs very light and very fast. It is also compatible with most antivirus programs today.

HitmanPro requires a paid subscription, but you can take advantage of the 30-day free trial to see whether this program works for you. 

8. AVG Antivirus  

AVG, a subsidiary of Avast, is known for its powerful antivirus and anti-malware tools. It uses cloud technology to scan the system for malware and get rid of it completely. AVG blocks an average of 4 million threats every single day, which goes to show how effective this tool is. 

AVG usually works unnoticed in the background, but you will be notified whenever there’s an event that needs your attention or a malware has been detected. It provides real-time protection via cloud scanning, so you are alerted immediately when various malware and ransomware get detected. 

AVG is easy to install and use on various platforms, including Windows, Mac, and Android.  

9. RansomFree

With ransomware doubling in activities this year, anti-malware tools such as RansomFree will only be more valuable in the future. This anti-malware program was designed to deal with all ransomware. This low-profile software detects and destroys malicious ransomware that targets your sensitive data in the system and server. 

RansomFree runs quietly in the background, watching out for malicious files that might contain ransomware that might be missed by traditional antivirus tools. Unfortunately, this anti-malware is only available on Windows and offers protection against ransomware. The best way to use this tool is to pair it with another antivirus or anti-malware program that provides a wider coverage. 

10. Xvirus Anti-Malware 

This small and simple anti-malware tool helps protect users against various threats lurking online. It works in a straightforward manner, detecting malware that most antivirus apps are not able to pick up. The app is free to download, but the Pro version comes with extra options that strengthens your protection. 

Xvirus Anti-Malware runs smoothly together with your current antivirus, so you don’t have to uninstall anything before running it. It also has its own database of adware, ransomware, and other dangerous malware that the app uses for scanning and detecting threats. 

Xvirus Anti-Malware works well in detecting various threats on your system in real-time. It is used best for running quick scans of critical areas to detect and remove malware. 

Summary

Protecting your computer against malware is crucial in safeguarding your data and your identity. Unfortunately, guarding against malware is a lot more difficult these days because the threats are constantly evolving and attackers are finding more creative ways in infecting your computer. 

Installing an antivirus is no longer enough. You need a robust anti-malware solution to give your system a comprehensive protection. 

Author Bio

As a Journalist by profession, April Reyes has extensive experience in writing about various topics under the sun, including technology, gadgets, travel, social media, and digital marketing. If she’s not writing articles for Software Tested and Outbyte, she’s either watching her favorite TV series or playing video games.