The best antivirus software for Windows Home User

The best antivirus software for Windows Home User

AVG

Internet Security

During January and February 2017 we continuously evaluated 19 home user security products using their default settings. We always used the most current publicly-available version of all products for the testing. They were allowed to update themselves at any time and query their in-the-cloud services. We focused on realistic test scenarios and challenged the products against real-world threats. Products had to demonstrate their capabilities using all components and protection layers.

Protection

Protection against malware infections
(such as viruses, worms or Trojan horses)
More information

	January	February	Industry average
Protection against 0-day malware attacks, inclusive of web and e-mail threats (Real-World Testing) 195 samples used
Detection of widespread and prevalent malware discovered in the last 4 weeks (the AV-TEST reference set) 11,524 samples used

Protection Score 

5.0/6.0

Performance

Average influence of the product on computer speed in daily usage
More information

	Standard PC	Industry average	High end PC	Industry average
Slowing-down when launching popular websites 40 websites visited	17%	16%	14%	14%
Slower download of frequently-used applications 20 downloaded files	4%	7%	7%	6%
Slower launch of standard software applications 12 test cases applied	5%	6%	5%	13%
Slower installation of frequently-used applications 20 installed applications	21%	21%	37%	29%
Slower copying of files (locally and in a network) 7,632 files copied	8%	13%	9%	33%

Performance Score 

5.5/6.0

Usability

Impact of the security software on the usability of the whole computer
(lower values indicate better results)
More information

	January	February	Industry average
False warnings or blockages when visiting websites 500 samples used	0	0	0
False detections of legitimate software as malware during a system scan 1,308,896 samples used	1	2	2
False warnings concerning certain actions carried out whilst installing and using legitimate software 42 samples used	0		0
False blockages of certain actions carried out whilst installing and using legitimate software 42 samples used	0		0

Usability Score 

6.0/6.0

15:46