Gaurav Shukla, Wed, February 11, 2026 at 1:17 PM UTC. Consumer Reports ranks Avira Free Security and Avira Antivirus Pro as the best free and paid antivirus options for Windows. AV-Comparatives' Real-World Protection Test (July–October 2025) found Avira blocked 99.5% of threats. Avira Free Security provides an on-demand scanner, real-time threat monitoring, browser extensions to block malicious downloads, ads and tracking, a software updater, 500 MB VPN, a password manager, and a Windows tune-up tool. Avira Antivirus Pro (about $65/year, often discounted first year) focuses on antivirus protection with native blocking of threats in internet traffic including email, enhanced ransomware protection, and premium customer support, but lacks the software updater, password manager, and Windows tuner. The free version is a budget-friendly option despite upsell prompts; the Pro version offers more complete protection against both existing and web-borne threats.
