Over the past two years, Windows Defender has improved to the point where it now offers malware protection as good as almost any free or paid antivirus program. In all 26 monthly rounds of tests conducted in , and the first two months of by German lab AV-Test , Windows Defender detected either Defender still isn't as good as industry leaders Kaspersky or Norton , which detected all malware in all of AV-Test's , and so far evaluations, but it's finally within shouting distance.
Not all these brands mentioned offer free antivirus software, but of those who do, Kaspersky comes out on top with perfect scores. Next up is Bitdefender, which got all the widespread malware in those two-plus years but missed some zero-day bugs in three instances. While they detected either Windows Defender is also detecting fewer false positives than it used to, at least in AV-Test's evaluations. It registered 21 false alarms in , but only 15 in Still, Kaspersky had only three false positives over the entire two years.
Tests by the Austrian lab AV-Comparatives are much more sensitive to false positives, and in those, Windows Defender racked up too many: a total of 74 in four monthly tests from February to May , and 58 from July through October Kaspersky got zero false positives for the entire year; Bitdefender got four and Avast and AVG 13 each.
Microsoft told us that this was because its Smart Screen browser-protection feature flags any unknown file as potential malware, and that AV-Comparatives chalked up a false positive every time that happened.
On the plus side, Windows Defender stopped a respectable average of Bitdefender got Notably, Defender got zero false positives in all three of those most recent SE Labs rounds, a perfect streak that goes back to at least January Microsoft's security offerings are baked into Windows 10 and available to users of other antivirus programs. Windows has a built-in firewall, which doesn't screen outbound traffic by default as many third-party firewalls do, but you can set the Windows firewall to do that by adding rules.
It's not a fully hardened browser for banking or buying online, but Edge's SmartScreen filter blocks known malicious websites. There is a password manager baked into Microsoft Edge, just as there is for Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome, but it can't be used outside the browser. If you're running Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise or Education, you can use Windows Defender Application Guard, which opens untrusted websites in an isolated instance of Microsoft Edge to protect the rest of the machine.
There are Application Guard extensions for Chrome and Firefox , but all they do is let you open dodgy websites in the isolated version of Edge instead. Microsoft built parental controls into the Windows Security Center, but they mainly work only with other Microsoft products. The screen-time limits work with Windows or Xbox One, but not a Mac.
The browser filters screen what kids see in Edge and Internet Explorer, but not in Chrome or Firefox. These two features do work with Android devices, but the devices need to have the Microsoft Launcher app installed. Windows Defender's mandatory protection makes computing safer, but it complicates our testing because it means that Defender is always running in the background and there's no easy way to generate a pre-installation baseline score comparable to those of other antivirus brands.
For what it's worth, installing Kaspersky Security Cloud Free actually sped up our system by 0. To gauge performance, we used our Excel-based benchmark, which measures how long it takes to match 20, names and addresses in a spreadsheet.
This notebook ran Windows 10 with the latest updates. Windows Defender took an average of 1 hour and 34 minutes to complete a full scan of our test system, the slowest of the free malware apps to examine an entire computer. The quick scan took an average of 3 minutes and 38 seconds, well behind Avast Free Antivirus' 1 minute and 36 seconds. With no active scans running, our benchmark test took Windows Defender's quick-scan results were better, with the benchmark finishing in 15 seconds.
The Windows Security Center can be reached by clicking the shield icon in the System Tray that slides out from the little up arrow in the bottom right of the desktop interface.
Device Security lets you activate core isolation and memory integrity to help stop fileless-malware attacks. Family Options just links to your online Microsoft account, where you can set up the aforementioned parental controls.
One big drawback: There's no easy way to schedule scans with Windows Defender. Instead, you need to set up scans in the Task Scheduler, which hasn't changed much since Windows Vista and will try the resourcefulness and patience of most users.
Because it's part of Windows, there's nothing to install or turn on with Windows Defender. It's there whether you want it or not. There are also a lot of resources online, including set-up tips, reports of new malware and detailed instructions. Windows Defender now provides world-class malware protection and makes a good argument for not replacing it with a third-party antivirus program. Professional Reviews. Affiliate Commissions.
Reviews Guidelines. Ranked 52nd from 62 antivirus companies. Windows Defender Coupons. Security Windows Defender Security Center provides basic protection against viruses, Trojans, ransomware, and other malware forms. Strong Endorsement from Testing Labs After evaluating Windows Defender over three days, I was pleasantly surprised by the wealth of features in this free default tool.
Feature-Rich Parental Control Options What really impressed me is the fact that Defender includes a comprehensive parental control filter. Ease of use Windows Defender comes pre-installed on every Windows PC and, if no other antiviruses are installed, is automatically enabled. Support Windows Defender is a factory-installed component, so Microsoft will resolve any issue you may encounter. Pricing Windows Defender and all its components are included in the Windows operating system.
Visit Windows Defender. Was this article helpful? Please tell us what we can improve This field is required. About the Author Sophie Anderson Cybersecurity researcher and tech journalist. About the Author Sophie Anderson has spent the last 10 years working as a software engineer for some of the biggest tech companies in Silicon Valley.
Share this Review 0. Check the top 3 alternative antivirus programs 9. Windows Defender User Reviews 24 Show first. English 8. Spanish 7. Italian 5. Dutch 4. Polish 4. Portuguese 4. Russian 2. Arabic 1. German 1. French 1. Hebrew 1. Swedish 1. You can trust the Community! Companies can't ask us to delete or change user reviews. Was it helpful? Best free antivirus. Reply Share. Chris Cummings. Does a decent job.
It is FREE. Easy to use and configure. It is There already. James Martin. There are a lot of people out there that will tell you how great Norton is, or Kaspersky, and how - because you are paying for security software there is some liability on behalf of the security company when it fails.
This is not true. Symantec will tell you "So sad for your loss. Give us more money. Maybe it will work next time". I know, I've been there more than once after businesses have already lost everything. And look, you don't have to believe me. What would I know about computers, IT and security? I've only built some of the worlds largest computer war-game environments that specifically allow ma Show More licious users into the system to attack each others resources to validate and document various vulnerability vectors.
I'm sure these 20 something security 'experts' that have done an online course when they joined the security company know far more than Enterprise Architects like me. But if its one of my environments, I can tell you right now, there is no Norton , no McAfee, just some Windows Defender living on the Wintel equipment.
I think I'm safe with it for a while. Aashish Trivedi. Performance needs to be reviewed again as of June Dear James, thanks for the great review, I like it. Since last week, 12Jun19 Windows defender has performance issues. While it's running, it will slow down my laptop top resulting in frozen screen. I can't run it while I am using some applications like YT.
Can you please research and comment?
Windows 10 provides comprehensive, built-in protection—at no extra cost. The Windows Security app provides an easy glance of your device's performance. The dashboard highlights any issues with storage, battery life, apps, and software. No need to download—Microsoft Defender comes standard on Windows 10 as part of Windows Security, protecting your data and devices in real time with a full suite of advanced safeguards.
Save your files to OneDrive to keep them protected, backed up, and accessible from all your devices, anywhere. Set your location, camera, and data usage options in the easy-to-access account settings panel.
With Windows 10 and Windows Security, schedule screen time, limit access to mature content, and restrict online purchases, including apps, games, and movies.
Windows Hello logs you in 3x faster than a password. Enabling Windows Hello turns on sign-in with windows 10 defender antivirus review free download face or fingerprint. Windows Hello works with compatible apps like iHeartRadio and Dropbox, so you can bypass the password and breeze right through with facial recognition biometric security.
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Windows Security provides new features and updates for free. Now windows 10 defender antivirus review free download have the option to update when it's convenient for you. If your kids want more screen time or to purchase a game, app, or movie, you can require them to request your permission first.
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You can manage your data saved to the cloud. Find My Device is a Windows Security feature that can help you locate your Windows 10 device if it's lost or stolen.
Internet access fees may apply. Also requires Android devices with Microsoft Launcher installed and signed in with the same Microsoft account associated with their Microsoft family account.
Activity reporting features require Android 5. Family settings available on Windows 10 and Xbox One devices. Some settings available on Android devices with Microsoft Launcher installed. Family settings work on the Microsoft Edge browser only. Netflix Ultra HD plan required.
Requires Dolby Vision-supported PlayReady content and capable hardware. Fees may apply. Protect your data and devices with Windows Security Windows 10 provides comprehensive, built-in protection—at no extra cost. Get Windows Windows Security The Windows Security windows 10 defender antivirus review free download provides an easy glance of your device's performance. Always on defense—at no extra cost No need to download—Microsoft Defender comes standard on Windows 10 as part of Windows Security, protecting your data and devices in real time with a full suite of advanced safeguards.
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Share and edit files in OneDrive Save files to OneDrive to keep them protected, backed up, and accessible from your iOS, Android, and Windows devices, virtually anywhere. Security and privacy you can count on Privacy starts with putting you in control. Follow Microsoft Windows. Share this page.
