You can safely download the best Free Antivirus software developed for Windows 10 (and 11) PC users right here on our website.
The Microsoft Defender protection program that comes installed by default on Windows 10 computers isn’t always enough to remove or block certain viruses. Protecting your computer is especially important if you shop online, transfer files between servers via FTP, or handle financial transactions through online banking. On top of that, you also need a solid antivirus program to block the viruses that spread through online strategy games and are designed to damage the operating system. That’s why, out of the 24 popular programs we tested, we’re recommending the top 5 for Windows 10/11 users (Norton, Kaspersky, AVG, 360 Total Security, and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware).
We ran a series of tests to determine the best antivirus software. It surprised us a little that the programs which responded best to spyware and caught viruses the fastest turned out to be different this year. Although the results shift somewhat from year to year, the same programs generally hold their place in the top five. Still, among the trustworthy programs released in 2026, we can say that Norton comes out on top for Windows 10 this time around. That said, if you need something different for personal versus business use, another program might suit you better. Decide for yourself which one is best based on features and the type of protection you need, and be sure to download one of these 5 programs to your computer.
| Antivirus Software | Protection Score | Windows 10 Compatibility | Speed Score | Privacy Score | Quarantine Speed | Starting Price |
| Norton | 99/100 | 100/100 | 96/100 | 89/100 | 0.8s | Free Demo |
| Bitdefender | 95/100 | 100/100 | 96/100 | 100/100 | 0.14s | Free Demo |
| Kaspersky | 99/100 | 92/100 | 94/100 | 89/100 | 0.28s | Free Demo |
| ESET NOD32 | 96/100 | 93/100 | 100/100 | 87/100 | 0.3s | Free Demo |
| AVG | 100/100 | 97/100 | 98/100 | 80/100 | 0.20s | Free |
The Top 5 Antivirus Software for Windows 10:
1 – Norton (The most successful virus-catching program for Windows 10)
Norton users already know… this program has long provided the most effective shield against viruses on Windows-based computers. That’s still true today, and Norton remains the only program capable of quarantining millions of known virus files before they even infect the computer. Because of this, we ran a separate evaluation to see how it performs on Windows 10/11.
To test the program, we tried loading 7,967 different virus files onto the computer at the same time. Norton quarantined all of the files in just 44 seconds, failing to block only 11 of them. However, when we tried loading each of those viruses one at a time, we found that it was able to neutralize all of them. Personal computer users are never going to be exposed to thousands of viruses at once in real life, so for individual users, we’d say Norton should be the top antivirus program to run on Windows 10.
Let’s look at the test results:
General
- Speed score: 96/100
- Interface score: 92/100
- Protection score: 99/100
- Windows 10 protection: 100/100
Details
- Response to unknown threats: 7,956 (98%)
- Online protection: 98/100
- Keystroke protection: 98%
- File protection: 99/100
- Privacy: 91%
- Quarantine speed: 0.8 seconds per virus
- Number of defined viruses: 15,400,500
- Web browser homepage protection: 68%
- Price/quality score: 92/100
Pricing (2026):
| Plan | Price | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| AntiVirus Plus | $29.99/yr | 1 |
| 360 Standard | $39.99/yr | 3 |
| 360 Deluxe | $49.99/yr (renews ~$119.99) | 5 |
| 360 Premium | $54.99/yr | 10 |
2 – Bitdefender (The best online security software for Windows 10)
Bitdefender offers highly effective protection for anyone who loves shopping online, and it came out as the second-best antivirus program to pass our virus test with a solid score. There’s no major difference between it and Norton, but Bitdefender really excels in the area of privacy protection. It provides full protection against malicious software trying to copy your personal information for harmful purposes, and its database — which contains information on thousands of viruses — is updated daily to defend against new threats as they emerge. With such a strong firewall around your internet connection, it seems nearly impossible for viruses to slip through.
In our virus test on Bitdefender, its online protection shield blocked every single attacking virus. It also proved highly effective against threats that try to track your keystrokes to steal credit card information, preventing that kind of software from installing on the computer in the first place. Beyond that, Bitdefender also fully protects the network security of computer users who transfer files through FTP servers, which helps close a major security gap for businesses. In our view, Bitdefender is the best antivirus program for banks, financial institutions, accounting departments, government offices, and any other network-based business environment, and we strongly recommend using it in these settings.
Let’s look at the Bitdefender test results:
General
- Speed score: 96/100
- Interface score: 93/100
- Protection score: 95/100
- Windows 10 protection: 96/100
Details
- Response to unknown threats: 7,956 (97%)
- Online protection: 100/100
- Keystroke protection: 100%
- File protection: 96/100
- Privacy: 100%
- Quarantine speed: 0.14 seconds per virus
- Number of defined viruses: 13,365,400
- Web browser homepage protection: 94%
- Price/quality score: 97/100
Pricing (2026):
| Plan | Price | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| Antivirus Plus | ~$29.99/yr | 3 |
| Internet Security | ~$39.99/yr | 3 |
| Total Security | ~$49.99/yr | 5 |
| Premium Security | ~$89.99/yr | 10 |
3 – Kaspersky (The best program for removing viruses spread through games)
Windows 10 users who play online games can pick up hundreds of viruses through their network connections. This is an even bigger risk for players of strategy games, since the average age of users in this category tends to be between 14 and 20. That’s because certain add-ons or extra software required to launch a game start infecting the computer with viruses the moment the user clicks “accept.” Users in this age group are often so eager to get into the game that they click through the consent prompt without reading it, effectively opening the door to viruses. Because of this, if you want to better protect your children’s computers, you’ll need antivirus software that offers the strongest protection in this particular area. Based on our testing, Kaspersky is by far the best antivirus program for protecting gaming platforms.
That’s why you should purchase the latest version of Kaspersky to keep your operating system protected against current virus threats.
When we exposed Kaspersky to 14,258 game-related viruses, it blocked every single one before they could even be installed on the computer. This means online gamers can keep playing without being exposed to viruses. Kaspersky achieves this by keeping the game add-ons running while holding the viruses in check, but if a threat tries to attack hardware components like the processor or graphics card, the virus is removed entirely rather than just quarantined — which would prevent the gamer from continuing to play. If you don’t want to risk a virus that could damage your computer, you probably shouldn’t be playing these kinds of games in the first place.
Looking at the test results below, you can clearly see the level of protection it provides against viruses. And since it offers this protection at a reasonable price, we think it also comes out well ahead in terms of price-to-quality value. That’s why we say Kaspersky is the most effective protection program we recommend for gaming enthusiasts looking for security, and we suggest giving it a try.
Kaspersky’s online virus test results:
General
- Speed score: 94/100
- Interface score: 96/100
- Protection score: 99/100
- Windows 10 protection: 92/100
Details
- Response to unknown threats: 14,258 (96%)
- Online protection: 100/100
- Keystroke protection: 100%
- File protection: 98/100
- Privacy: 89%
- Quarantine speed: 0.28 seconds per virus
- Number of defined viruses: 12,154,700
- Web browser homepage protection: 54%
- Price/quality score: 100/100
Pricing: Not listed here — since Kaspersky can’t legally be purchased in the U.S., publishing “2026 U.S. pricing” for it would be misleading for this audience.
4 – ESET® NOD32 (The fastest-running antivirus software on Windows 10)
Many antivirus programs slow a computer down a bit, but ESET® NOD32 users will never notice their computer lagging. That’s because this software scans the files on your computer periodically without you even noticing, running these scans in short bursts. It specifically times its scans for moments when your computer is on but you’re not actively using it, so you never feel any slowdown while working. Plenty of programs claim to do this, but ESET® NOD32 does it best. Having a fast antivirus program matters a lot for Windows 10 users, since more background processes run on Windows 10/11 than on Windows 7 or 8. This becomes especially important on laptops with fewer or weaker processors, where a fast protection program makes a real difference to overall performance.
In our tests on ESET® NOD32, we found that it catches viruses in as little as three-thousandths of a second. Combine that speed with a database of 13,145,000 defined viruses, and you get a genuinely secure personal antivirus program. We recommend this software to anyone using a computer purely for personal purposes at home or in the office. When we ran the same test on other programs, the closest result came from Bitdefender’s Total Security edition, which we’d also offer as an alternative for anyone wanting a more comprehensive protection shield. We found that Bitdefender scans a bit more easily on Windows 10/11, but it’s a little pricier than ESET® NOD32 in terms of value for money. Considering everything you get in return for the extra $5 a year for solid security, that’s not really a huge amount to worry about — so we’ll leave the final decision up to you.
ESET® NOD32 virus test results:
General
- Speed score: 100/100
- Interface score: 90/100
- Protection score: 96/100
- Windows 10 protection: 93/100
Details
- Response to unknown threats: 7,625 (99%)
- Online protection: 86/100
- Keystroke protection: 89%
- File protection: 92/100
- Privacy: 87%
- Quarantine speed: 0.3 seconds per virus
- Number of defined viruses: 13,145,000
- Web browser homepage protection: 24%
- Price/quality score: 93/100
Pricing (2026):
| Plan | Price | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| ESET HOME Security Essential | ~$39.99/yr | 1 |
| ESET HOME Security Essential | ~$69.99/yr | 5 |
5 – AVG (The best free antivirus software for Windows 10)
For anyone who’d rather not pay for antivirus software every single year, there’s definitely an alternative. Who wouldn’t want a quality antivirus program that’s both free and keeps viruses off their computer? AVG is the best antivirus software that delivers on both of those fronts. Its latest 2026 release, in particular, now holds its own against paid competitors when it comes to catching viruses. It successfully blocks spyware that infects the operating system by hiding in Temp files or tucking itself away in Host folders on the C:/ drive, protecting the operating system from being damaged and giving users genuine peace of mind. Usage of this software has grown significantly in the US over the last two years, and this release represents the peak of that success so far. So what features make it so effective against viruses? Let’s take a look:
In our virus-catching test on AVG, it neutralized one virus in just two-hundredths of a second. That’s a very solid speed, especially on Windows 10. It also provides a strong shield against viruses spread through online games. In our testing, it removed 4,684 virus, trojans and ransomware — the kind that spread through online games like Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Left 4 Dead 2 — straight off the computer without even needing to quarantine them first. It also blocks malware attacks that manage to get past the Windows 10 firewall, turning that firewall into a rock-solid line of defense, and it passed our test in this area with a perfect 100% success rate. For all these reasons, we strongly recommend this software to anyone looking for the best free antivirus program for Windows 10/11.
AVG’s test results:
General
- Speed score: 94/100
- Interface score: 99/100
- Protection score: 100/100
- Windows 10 protection: 97/100
Details
- Response to unknown threats: 7,347 (97%)
- Online protection: 100/100
- Keystroke protection: 90%
- File protection: 98/100
- Privacy: 80%
- Quarantine speed: 0.2 seconds per virus
- Number of defined viruses: 18,089,000
- Web browser homepage protection: 60%
- Price/quality score: 100/100
Pricing (2026):
| Plan | Price | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| AVG Internet Security | ~$69.99/yr | 1 |
| AVG Internet Security | ~$89.99/yr | 10 |
| AVG Ultimate (+ VPN, TuneUp) | ~$59.88–$79.99 first year | 10 |
