Table of Contents
Others, like Google Play Protect, are free all the way through. Lucky for you, a great free antivirus app doesn’t have to have the performance problems you might expect from a tool like this. We chose these Best Free Antivirus for Android apps because they are easy to use, don’t use too many system resources, get good reviews from users, and have a wide range of features.
Installing one of the best free antivirus for Android can protect you not only from malicious apps and other types of malware, but also from identity theft. The best Android antivirus apps can find and stop malware very well, and they also have useful privacy and anti-theft features. Most of these apps have a free level of service so you can try them out first.
Best Free Antivirus for Android
TotalAV
TotalAV Antivirus is a great tool for protecting a wide range of devices that run on different operating systems from viruses. Real-time protection is made possible by the software, which constantly checks your downloads, executables, and files for threats that could damage your system.
It automatically and regularly checks for updates so that it can get rid of all types of malware and virus threats. Users can set up scheduled scans to protect their system automatically with this software. The other thing that TotalAV Antivirus does well is block ads.
Features
Pros
- Excellent protection against all forms of internet threats
- One of the least demanding antiviruses in terms of system resources
Cons
- Longer Time to Complete Full System Scan
Norton
The best antivirus software for Android phones is Norton Mobile Security. It keeps your device safe from threats, protects you from cybercrime and unsafe Wi-Fi networks, and keeps you safe while you’re browsing the Internet.
Norton Mobile Security is a cheap and reliable way to protect your Android phones and tablets. This Android antivirus software has won several awards and is highly recommended for personal use. You can download Norton app from google play store.
Features
Pros
- Flawless malware detection
- App Advisor beats the competition
- Intuitive design
Cons
- No more anti-theft functions
- Lacks free tier
Avira
Avira is our best choice because of a few things. First, both AV-Test and A-V Comparatives give it top marks. From the first, it got 99.9 percent on both the real-time attacks and widespread malware tests in March 2022. In the 2021 Mobile Security Review by A-V Comparatives, Avira was able to find 100% of the nearly 3,700 samples.
Avira also has more features than its competitors. In addition to the virus scanner, it has 100MB of VPN usage per day, some features for optimising storage, protection for your identity, and a permissions manager. At the time of this writing, it has a nice set of features and is very safe.
Features
Pros
- Offers very good value
- Excellent antivirus protection
Cons
- VPN is lacking
Bitdefender
Bitdefender is a good choice if you want something that is much easier to use and has just as good protection scores. The company from Romania has two apps in the Google Play Store. Bitdefender Antivirus is the free one, not Bitdefender Mobile Security.
The free version does exactly what it says: it scans your phone when you ask it to. When you download a new app, Auto-pilot does a small amount of automated scanning. This is a possible attack vector for Android phones.
Features
Pros
- Affordable
- Scans are fast and effective
Cons
- Malware scans require internet connection
AVG AntiVirus
The first antivirus app on Google Play to reach 100 million downloads was AVG AntiVirus for Android. It keeps you safe from spyware, unsafe apps and settings, viruses, and other malware and threats. It lets you schedule scans, protects you from malicious apps.
Can scan the files on the internal storage device, warns you about apps that other AVG users have reported as threats, and can treat potentially unwanted programmes as malware. This app also keeps you safe when you use Chrome to browse the web.
Features
Pros
- Excellent scores in multiple independent lab tests and on our hands-on tests
- Includes webcam, data, and firewall protection
- Improved system performance
- Slick interface
Cons
- Persistent upsells
- Single-device plan is expensive
Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes is a popular programme that helps desktop users get rid of malware. They also have an Android version, which is much more limited than the paid version but still finds and gets rid of viruses for free.
You can only turn on deep scanning, which checks more of your device than a normal scan but takes longer. On our test device, the regular scan took less than 10 minutes and checked hundreds of apps and more than 150 files.
Features
Pros
- Includes an ‘allow list’ for false positives
- Can perform a security audit
Cons
- Automatic scans aren’t free
Avast
Avast Mobile Security & Antivirus is one of the best Android antivirus apps with the most features. It comes with a privacy advisor, a system optimizer, and block list that you can change.
Malware protection from Avast is good, but it’s not perfect. We had trouble with some of Avast’s anti-theft features, and its call-blocking feature didn’t work at all. And the ads and constant requests to upgrade that come with the free version are annoying and in the way.
Features
Pros
- Inexpensive premium version
- Lots of features for free
Cons
- Unreliable anti-theft features
Kaspersky
Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus, which is also called Kaspersky Internet Security for Android, protects against malware nearly perfectly, has a small effect on the system, and has a call blocker that actually works.
In the free version, there are no ads, and the paid plan isn’t pushed on you too much. Free users get call filtering, support for Android Wear, and a strong set of anti-theft features, but each new app has to be scanned by hand.
Features
Pros
- Strong malware protection
- Call blocking works
- No ads in free version
Cons
- Limited features overall
- Free version won’t auto-scan new apps
FAQs
Which free Android antivirus is best?
- Bitdefender Mobile Security
- McAfee Mobile Security
- Norton Mobile Security
- Avast Mobile Security
Which is the No 1 antivirus for Android?
Norton Mobile Security, also known as Norton 360, is the best Android antivirus app we tested for protecting against malware.
Is there a 100% free antivirus?
Yes, there are many free antivirus programmes, but not all of them will protect you completely. Avast Free Antivirus is free, and it gives you all the protection you need.
Can I trust AVG Antivirus Free?
In tests done in 2021, an independent group called AV Comparatives gave AVG’s antivirus software three out of three stars. AVG Antivirus Free got top marks for both how well it worked and how well it protected basic data.