Avast Free Antivirus
Free tierby Avast (Gen Digital)
Long-established free antivirus with real-time protection.
- Real-time virus and ransomware shield
- Malicious and phishing website blocking
- Wi-Fi network security scanning
7 Best Free Antivirus & Security Software for Windows in 2026
Antivirus scanners, anti-malware tools and password managers that protect your machine and your accounts without a subscription. Every program below runs on Windows.
- 7 Windows programs
- 2 open source
- ₹0 to download
Free antivirus & security programs for Windows
AVG AntiVirus Free
Free tierby AVG (Gen Digital)
Lightweight free antivirus with web and email protection.
- Real-time malware detection
- Email attachment and download scanning
- Performance scan for junk files
Bitdefender Antivirus Free
Free tierby Bitdefender
Minimal-configuration antivirus with a top-rated engine.
- Highly rated detection engine
- Very low system impact
- Almost no configuration required
Malwarebytes Free
Free tierby Malwarebytes
The standard second-opinion malware remover.
- Excellent adware and PUP removal
- Runs alongside your existing antivirus
- On-demand scanning in the free tier
ClamAV
Open Sourceby Cisco Talos
Open-source antivirus engine, standard on mail servers.
- Fully open source
- Designed for mail and file server scanning
- Scriptable command-line interface
KeePassXC
Open Sourceby KeePassXC Team
Offline password manager — your vault never leaves your disk.
- Fully offline encrypted vault
- No account or subscription required
- Browser integration extension
Bitwarden
Free tierby Bitwarden, Inc.
Open-source password manager that syncs across all your devices.
- Unlimited passwords and devices, free
- Open-source client and server
- Apps and browser extensions for every platform
Choosing antivirus & security software on Windows
All 7 programs listed here have a native Windows build — this is not a list of software that merely "might work" through a compatibility layer. 2 are open source.
Since every option is free, testing two or three on your own files is usually faster and more reliable than reading further comparisons. Avast Free Antivirus is the most widely adopted of these and a reasonable starting point.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free antivirus & security software for Windows?
Avast Free Antivirus long-established free antivirus with real-time protection. AVG AntiVirus Free and Bitdefender Antivirus Free are the other most common picks.
Are these really free on Windows?
Yes. Each is labelled with its licence — open source, free, or free tier — so you know exactly what you are getting before you download.
Where do the downloads come from?
The publisher's own website, every time. We host no installers, which is the single most effective protection against the bundled adware that plagues software download portals.