What is free antivirus software?

The world of security software is diverse enough to offer people multiple options and alternatives. Whereas the average commercial antivirus application provides notably high protection level, it might not be affordable for some. This is why free antivirus software has always had its relevance, delivering the basic malware defense at no cost. Of course efficiency of such programs might leave much to be desired, still having one installed on your computer is way better than being completely unprotected.

The advantages and drawbacks of free antivirus software have been a matter of numerous discussions in the IT community. Some of the generally accepted virtues include pretty solid (although not likely 100%) virus detection scores, low consumption of system resources and certainly the price equaling zero. The other side of the coin encompasses some weak points which might be as follows: limited protection against cyber threats, poor capability to intercept zero-day infections, restricted feature set and low to moderate URL sandboxing integrated. And yet, due to the fact that this kind of software is free, it really did gain significant popularity with many users worldwide and keeps its firm positions on the security arena.

Some of these utilities have upgrade options, which means if you like the effectiveness and the rest of their traits you can get yourself a licensed counterpart to reinforce protection and get access to a much broader list of features. One thing to keep in mind is that free antivirus software shouldn’t be confused with the apps offering a certain trial period which is clearly stated once you begin using them. Once this time interval expires, you’ll be required to purchase the license key.

To sum it all up, a free antivirus is not a cure-all solution for resisting malicious objects but it does offer a certain extent of protection to keep most badware off your machine and help your PC stay afloat.

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