The 6 Best Free Malware Removal Tools of 2022

Internet, Networking, & Security > Antivirus 72 72 people found this article helpful The 6 Best Free Malware Removal Tools of 2022 Enjoy top notch malware protection without opening your wallet By Jeremy Laukkonen Jeremy Laukkonen Facebook Twitter Writer Shoreline Community College Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles . lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on January 3, 2022 Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Antivirus Online Scams Social Media Scams Email Scams Phone & Texting Scams Malware has become a commonplace problem, since it's easier than ever to pick up malware, even when you think your internet behavior isn't risky. That's why malware removal tools exist. The best malware removal tools will excel at virus removal and dealing with spyware. We reviewed numerous malware removal tools to come up with this list of the best for Windows and Mac computers. How to Tell if You Have a Computer Virus on Windows 01 of 06 Best Overall: Malwarebytes What We Like Great independent testing scores. Easy to use. Available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. What We Don't Like Lacks real-time scanning. Includes few extra features. Malwarebytes Review Malwarebytes takes our top pick for the best overall free malware removal tool thanks to its sterling reputation, frequent updates, and how easy it is to use. The free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware even comes with a 14 day free trial of the premium version, which protects you with real-time scanning and additional measures to thwart ransomware. Malwarebytes is a comprehensive security tool thatâs designed to shore up your traditional antivirus program. It receives daily updates to help you keep on top of the latest malware, and also employs a number of techniques that can help it identify brand new malware on your system thatâs never even been seen before. Once Malwarebytes has identified an issue, itâs able to clean up and remove the malicious code. This fantastic malware removal tool is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and even Chromebooks. The free version allows you to scan for malware and remove it whenever you want, but it lacks the real-time scanning and protection that you get from the premium version. Download Malwarebytes 02 of 06 Best Antivirus With Malware Removal: Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition What We Like Includes anti-malware protection. Available for Windows, macOS, and Android. Excellent independent testing scores. What We Don't Like iOS version only available with premium versions. No automatic (software) updates, but virus definitions are auto-update. What Was Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition? You can use a lot of our favorite malware removal tools with the antivirus program of your choice, but Bitdefender is our pick for the best antivirus that includes built-in malware protection. That means you can use it as your primary defense against viruses, worms, trojans, zero-day exploits, rootkits, and all sorts of malware as well. The free version of Bitdefender is a lightweight antivirus program thatâs available for Windows, Android, and macOS. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Bitdefender Total Security, which are both paid versions of the software, add protection for iOS as well. While the free version lacks some of the advanced features you get with the premium versions of Bitdefender, like automatic updates, itâs equipped with the basic features required to protect your computer with real-time threat detection, virus scanning, and malware removal. In addition to real-time threat detection, Bitdefender also has a handy option that allows you to drag and drop suspicious files or folders to the home screen of the app. This is an extremely easy way to quickly scan any files that you suspect may be infected. Download Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition 03 of 06 Best for Cutting Edge Malware Protection: Adaware Antivirus Free What We Like Fast, accurate scans. Automatic download scanning. Heuristic monitoring included. What We Don't Like Only available for Windows. If youâre looking for a malware removal tool thatâs capable of staying ahead of the curve, you need to check out Adaware Antivirus Free. This is the free version of the fantastic Adaware anti-malware toolkit, and itâs capable of identifying and eliminating brand new malware the moment it crops up. Adaware maintains a database of known threats that receives regular updates, like other antivirus software and malware removal tools. When a scan finds something that matches the threat database, the app is able to locate and eliminate the problem. It can also scan your downloads automatically, helping to eliminate that attack vector. What sets Adaware apart from most of the competition is the heuristic analysis technique that it uses to identify new malware. By setting up suspicious programs in a protected virtual environment, Adaware can look for behaviors and signs that the program is actually malware and then take appropriate measures. The free version of Adaware is only available for Windows, but it does support Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. Download Adaware Antivirus Free 04 of 06 Best for Spyware and Malware: SUPERAntiSpyware What We Like Plenty of scan options. Fast, easy scans. Will find existing spyware on your system. What We Don't Like Doesn't update automatically. No scheduling capability. 12 Best Free Spyware Removal Tools (January 2023) Our top pick for the best malware removal tool thatâs capable of tackling spyware is SUPERAntiSpyware. This malware removal tool specializes in spyware, but it can also handle a variety of other threats including rootkits and ransomware. SUPERAntiSpyware is designed to work in concert with your antivirus, specifically targeting spyware, adware, keyloggers, and other threats to your personal data. Itâs also able to protect your files against ransomware, which is designed to hijack your data unless you pay the attacker to release it. The free version of SUPERAntiSpyware comes with the same daily updates as the paid version, ensuring that youâre always protected against the latest threats. The only catch is that you have to check for updates automatically. SUPERAntiSpyware is only available for Windows, but it is compatible with every version of the operating system dating back to Windows XP. That means SUPERAntiSpyware is a great way to protect your computer If youâre still using an outdated version of Windows like Windows XP or Windows Vista. Download SUPERAntiSpyware 05 of 06 Best for Windows: Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool What We Like Designed for Microsoft Windows. Requires no registration. Runs automatically with Windows updates. What We Don't Like Limited malware targeting. Single-use program. There are a lot of great malware removal tools for Windows, but the one that you really canât do without is Microsoftâs own Malicious Software Removal Tool. This indispensable malware removal tool may even be on your computer already thanks to Windows Update. If you donât already have it, you can download it for free from Microsoft. Microsoft updates the Malicious Software Removal Tool on a regular basis, and a new version, designed to remove new malware threats, is usually available once per month. It isnât updated as often as some other tools, but it does target the most prevalent malware threats, so it should be your first line of defense as a Windows user. The Malicious Software Removal Tool isnât designed to replace your antivirus software, and it works best when used in conjunction with a good antivirus and other anti-malware apps. Itâs been available since Windows XP, but Microsoft only provides support and updates for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 versions as older versions no longer receive security updates. Download the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool 06 of 06 Best for Mac: Avast Free Mac Security What We Like Includes antivirus and malware protection. Protects email and hardens Wi-Fi network. Excellent independent testing scores. What We Don't Like No ransomware protection. No real-time Wi-Fi intrusion protection. Avast Free Mac Security takes our top pick for the best free Mac malware removal tool due to its fantastic track record of detecting and eliminating various types of malware. In independent testing, it was able to root out 99.9 percent of macOS malware, giving it the edge over other free options. macOS has a reputation for not being as vulnerable to viruses and malware as Windows, but itâs still important to protect your data against a worst-case scenario. Avast Free Mac Security is the best free option out there, combining an excellent antivirus platform with top of the line malware detection, and protection against infections from email and the web. It can even harden your Wi-Fi network against intrusion. The free version of Avast for macOS provides most of the benefits that you get from the paid version, but it canât protect your data against ransomware or identify Wi-Fi intrusions in real-time. If you want those features, youâll need the paid version. 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