EDITOR’S NOTE: The winners of the 2021 Tom’s Guide Awards have been announced, and Kaspersky Total Security has won Best Antivirus Software. Bitdefender Total Security is the runner-up. Head to the Tom’s Guide Awards 2021 Best Products for Working From Home page to see all the winners and recommended runners-up.
Got a Windows PC? You’ll need one of the best antivirus programs, free or paid. Windows gets attacked much more often than any other software platform, and using a PC without antivirus software is asking for trouble, especially if that computer is always online.
Thankfully, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11 all come with the built-in Microsoft Defender Antivirus (aka Windows Defender), which just a few years ago was terrible but now is one of the best free antivirus programs available.
