Besides an antivirus that protects the computer in real-time, the most prudent users also install in the system an anti-malware to act in real-time, which is with continuous protection in real-time so from make threats harmless right away, without waiting for symptoms and problems to occur on your computer. Let’s see together how to choose a good anti-malware for Windows 10, answering all the doubts and questions that users ask about this additional protection.READ ALSO: Best Anti-malware to find even hidden spyware
Guide to free anti-malware on Windows
In the following chapters, we will show you what anti-malware is, how to use it alongside a traditional antivirus, and which free anti-malware to choose, so as to have complete 360-degree protection against all modern cyber threats.
What is real-time anti-malware?
Real-time anti-malware protection is different from the on-demand scanner. The scanner checks for malware only when the program is launched, searching the entire PC and reporting any infections. On the other hand, real-time protection is continuous, the program works in the background and reports (or should report) the presence of the computer infection the moment it enters the computer.
An anti-malware, therefore, works as an antivirus, but with tools capable of blocking more invisible and hidden threats.
Can they keep antivirus and anti-malware together?
Two antiviruses together cannot be kept on one computer because they conflict; an antivirus and anti-malware coexist very well. When buying a paid full antivirus suite such as that of Kaspersky, Nod32, GData, BitDefender, or others (see how download paid antivirus, free trial), anti-malware is included and no other program needs to be installed.
If instead, we use a free antivirus, we have basic protection against all threats, but we never reach the effectiveness that we can achieve with the antivirus + anti-malware combination (even in the case of solutions that integrate both components in the free suite).
Is Windows Defender anti-malware?
On Windows 10 we already find a free antivirus like Windows Defender, which protects against major threats from viruses, Trojans, and other harmful PC programs.
This program is a good antivirus and anti-malware even if very basic: it can block almost everything but if the threat is already present or is imported from other media (USB sticks, external hard drives, etc.) it often crashes or slows down everything. computer in an attempt to “clean up”.
For this reason, we advise you to combine Windows Defender with good free anti-malware, so it could better react to external threats before they could do any damage. If we want to learn more about how Windows Defender works, we can read our guide How to use the “Windows Defender” antivirus.
Best free anti-malware
If we have so far focused only on free antivirus solutions, it is worthwhile to always download one of these free anti-malware, which offers continuous and real-time protection against all kinds of threats that can affect the Windows operating system.
1) If we are looking for a good free anti-malware with real-time scanning, we can try IObit Malware Fighter.
Once installed on our PC, it will provide an advanced on-demand scanning scanner capable of intercepting all threats that the antivirus present in the system is unable to identify, also thanks to an innovative system for continuous updating of signatures and information on new malware in circulation. In addition to the real-time scanner, it also offers a very efficient on-demand scanning system, so that you can always scan the whole system for threats. IObit Malware Fighter real-time scanning is always free, with no time limit (one of the few in the category).
2) If we are looking for a valid alternative to IObit Malware Fighter and a program capable of blocking all ransomware, we recommend that you try Malwarebytes, one of the most famous programs in the category.
By activating the Premium free trial version we will be able to benefit from complete protection against all types of threats hidden in web pages but also threats against exploits, tracking cookies, and hidden cryptocurrency miner systems (very difficult to intercept).
The only limitation of this program is that the real-time scanner is the prerogative of the Premium version, which we can try for free only for a limited period of time.
3) Lavasoft Ad-Aware is a very famous antivirus and anti-spyware tool, also because it was born several years ago and is still developed and downloadable for free. In the past I used Adaware then it got heavier and heavier and today it’s still a heavy program. However, Ad-Aware is one of the few cybersecurity programs it offers free and real-time protection against spyware and malware, thanks to the tool Ad-Watch which checks file, log, and network data. Like the programs on this list, Ad-Aware works in partnership with its own antivirus. Ad-Aware always shows itself to be a bit too slow, both in loading and in scans, and on older computers, it weighs down Windows because it consumes a lot of memory.
4) If instead we are looking for a very powerful anti-malware with a real-time scanner always up and running, we can try the protection offered by Comodo.
The free version of the antivirus includes a powerful anti-malware capable of identifying any threat even without the aid of digital signatures, thanks to an advanced heuristic and behavioral interception system. If we want to replace the free antivirus and add the very powerful anti-malware we can rely on Comodo’s all-inclusive solution, sure to get superior free protection.
5) Another valid anti-malware that we can examine is Xvirus Anti-Malware.
Once installed, the program works in the background to intercept, through Shields technology, all the threats that can normally escape the antivirus integrated into Windows 10 or any other free antivirus, without hindering the user’s work (not surprisingly it is one of the lighter and more discreet).
6) Immunet Protect, described in another article, is a famous antivirus integrator that works in real-time, enhancing the installed antivirus and making it more secure.
7) Finally could not miss the list of anti-malware programs as powerful as HitmanPro.
This program combines the power of Bitdefender and Kaspersky’s scanning engines to find and intercept any malware we come into contact with, blocking and disinfecting before any other program. Also, in this case, the powerful real-time scanner is only offered as a free trial for 30 days, after which we will have to purchase a license to use it continuously. Due to its capabilities, it has often been recommended even for free one-time use, in guides to remove malware from infected PC.
Conclusions
Real-time malware protection can help keep your PC immune to next-generation malware (ransomware, cryptocurrency generators, etc.), particularly if the computer will be used by users inexperienced with computer threats.
We always try to keep a good balance between antivirus and anti-malware: if we focus on a paid antivirus suite these programs are useless, while if we choose to keep a free antivirus it is better to be foresight and install a separate anti-malware; then if we want a complete and free solution we can focus on Comodo Antivirus.
If spyware is our biggest concern, please read our guide now Best Anti-Spyware programs to protect your PC.
Did the virus or malware manage to get through our defenses? We can fight it by reading the tips in our guides If a virus is not eliminated from your pc, remove it with the ComboFix advanced scan is Program to eliminate viruses from your PC for free.