Antivirus Comparisons - How to Choose the Best Antivirus Software Product

By Paul Elms

Years ago it used to be important that you had some antivirus software on your machine. With the Internet, it is now imperative. Viruses can spread extremely quickly thanks to email, file sharing and chatrooms. To protect yourself you will want the best products available to you. Here is how to carry out antivirus comparisons to make sure you are using the best product.

First you should visit the websites of companies that carry out antivirus software reviews. Virus Bulletin and AV-Comparatives specialise in this type of software and both have a respected position in the industry. You can also visit the websites of computer magazines or buy them from a newsstand.

These reviews will concentrate on how effective the software is at doing its job: finding and eliminating viruses. Narrow your search down to the top performing products. But there are a lot more factors that will affect your choice. The first of these are speed and stability.

Find user reviews online that discuss how the software has performed on people's computers. Has it adversely affected the speed of the computer or are their conflicts with other software? Once you have carried out this bit of research, download a trial version. Any problems with stability will now show up before you actually spend money on the product.

Use the trial to evaluate other features such as ease of use and the graphical user interface. This type of software is very advanced but some manufacturers have succeeded in making it very easy to use. Others still have a way to go.

Another feature that many people ask for is a 'set and forget' option. This allows you to set the software to automatically perform scans and pick up updates. You should evaluate this process with the free trial.

When you are carrying out antivirus comparisons, don't be afraid to put several products on free trial. Just be aware that most antivirus software is incompatible. You have to remove one before you can install another.

Learn more about free virus software by visiting http://www.top-antivirus-software.com. Can free antivirus programs be better than paid? The results are surprising.