Downloading Free Anti-virus Software

On the whole there are only really two or three high quality anti-virus products available for a system running on Windows, while Macintosh options are even more limited.

Avast Free Anti-virus
This application is widely recognized and considered the best free anti-virus software available today. It is very small and consequently has a low impact on the overall performance of the system. It runs very quick while running effective scans that, if the application is regularly updated, detect most possible threats. The interface is also very simplistic and therefore easy to use. There are some features missing compared to its professional edition but overall it is the best option for every kind of user.

Avira AntiVir Personal Free Anti-Virus
Avira AntiVir comes in as a close second and is certainly a good alternative to Avast. The interface is a little bit outdated and it is even more restricted in terms of its features compared to Avast but it is slightly better when it comes to detecting threats and the scanning speed is on par with Avast. Among the free anti-virus software available it is a good free option that has been around for a long time.

Options for Macintosh
Although Apple's operating system is not a real target for big threats, there is some malware out there. The easy-to-use and free ClamXav should suffice for all major anti-virus needs. It is not as up-to-date as other applications but it detects all major viruses and offers a good protection for the Mac operating system.

Conclusion
Aside from the mentioned applications there is Microsoft's own Security Essentials, which is trustworthy lacking in features compared to other options. On the whole, there is no real need to compare twenty or thirty available applications as Avast and Avira offer everything that one can expect from a free anti-virus application.