5 Best Malware Removal + Protection Software [2022]

Malware prevention software is the best and most effective way to protect your device from cybersecurity threats.

I tested 57 malware removal programs. Most of them failed to detect or remove my test malware files. However, there were some programs that worked well.

I was able to find 5 powerful anti-malware tools that can detect and remove all cyber threats. These include ransomware, keyloggers and rootkits as well as viruses, ransomware, keyloggers and rootkits. These advanced malware-fighting devices are available online in both paid and free cybersecurity packages.

Quick summary of the best malware removal software:

• 1.🥇 Norton — Best malware removal and overall protection in 2022.
• 2.🥈 Bitdefender — Full anti-malware software (very fast scans).
• 3.🥉 McAfee — Excellent scanner for total malware + virus removal.  
• 4. TotalAV — Fast and easy-to-use anti-malware program with good PC optimization.
• 5. Avira — Best free malware removal software (with free security protections).
• Bonus: Malwarebytes — Simple, secure anti-malware software.
• Bonus: Intego — Best malware removal tool for Mac.

🥇1. Norton 360 — Best Malware Removal Software in 2022

Norton 360 is the best anti-malware program available. It uses machine learning, heuristic scanning and a large malware database to find and remove the most complex malware.

Norton’s real time protection blocked 100% of the malware files that I attempted to download onto my computer during my tests. After turning off Norton’s real time protection, I downloaded the same files to my hard drive. Norton’s complete system scan detected and completely removed every malicious file. The scan took about 40 minutes and didn’t slow my computer down at all.

Norton’s strong protection against malware is complemented by additional security features such as:

• Firewall for the network
• Anti-phishing protection.
• Virtual private network (VPN)
• Password manager.
• Secure storage
• Parental control
• Protect your computer from webcams

Norton’s firewall is very good. It uses machine learning to detect unusual network activity and blocked all exploit attacks in my testing. While competitors offer only customization options for Windows firewalls built into all computers, Norton’s Smart Firewall outperforms all other firewalls in my tests.

Norton 360 Antivirus Plus provides protection for 1 computer or Mac at D463,790 per year. Norton 360 standard adds webcam protection and a VPN for D927.810 per year. Norton 360 Deluxe protects up to 5 devices and 50 GB cloud storage. Parental controls are available for an additional D1,159,820 per year.

Norton 360 Select also offers 100GB cloud storage, a million dollar LifeLock identity protection package and privacy monitoring at D2,319 870 per year, but this is only available to US users.

Bottom line:

Norton 360 is my favorite malware removal tool in 2022. It’s an excellent internet security suite that has perfect malware detection rates and quick malware removal. Norton’s firewall and anti-phishing protections as well as VPN, dark Web monitoring, parental controls, password manager, and VPN are all top-notch. Norton 360 comes with a generous 60 day money-back guarantee.

🥈2. Bitdefender — Full-Suite Internet Security Software

Bitdefender’s cloud-based malware scanner keeps devices 100% safe without affecting CPU performance. Bitdefender offloads scanning from the cloud to speed up the process and reduces CPU load.

While Bitdefender performed a complete disk scan, I was able stream HD video and play high-performance games on the computer. Adobe Photoshop was also available without interruption. Bitdefender performed very well, even though Norton did cause some slowdowns on my system during scans.

Bitdefender has more features than any other antivirus software, making it one the best internet security suites in 2022. Bitdefender offers more than just web protection and firewall features. Bitdefender also includes advanced tools such as ransomware protection, remediation, USB scanning and a secure browser to access online finances.

Bitdefender offers four different antivirus plans. The 2 lower-tier plans Bitdefender Security (D556,600/year) and Bitdefender Web Security (D742,440/year) ,, are only available to PCs. Bitdefender Total security protects 5 devices and costs D835,240 per year. Bitdefender Premium security adds VPN coverage that covers up to 10 devices at a cost of D1,623,840.

Bottom line:

Bitdefender offers a great suite of anti-malware programs, but Mac users, as well as those who want mobile protection, will need to upgrade to the most costly plans to receive coverage for iOS, Android, or Mac. All Bitdefender plans are very affordable and come with a 30-day guarantee.

🥉3. McAfee — Advanced Malware Scanning Engine

McAfee Total Protection’s antimalware engine uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to detect and remove all malware. It ranks alongside Norton for perfect malware removal and detection. After I downloaded McAfee I noticed a slight lag in my computer’s performance. It ran a full scan of my system, which was slower than Bitdefender’s.

McAfee has a large number of well-designed features to make up for the slowdown. It does:

• Firewall.
• Wi-Fi protection.
• Anti-phishing protection.
• System tune-up tools.
• VPN.
• Password manager.
• Permanent file deletion.
• Protection against identity theft (available in 24 countries, including the USA, France, Spain and Germany as well as Australia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Japan, Australia and Canada).

While I love all of McAfee’s extra features, I also love McAfee’s mobile protections. McAfee provides real-time scanning and web protection for Android and iOS. It is also easy to use. It is one of the most popular mobile antiviruses, especially for Android devices that are vulnerable to ransomware or spyware threats.

McAfee Total Protection Basic is $84.99 per year and covers only one device. McAfee Total Protection Plus covers 5 devices at $49.99/year, while McAfee Total Protection Premium covers 10 devices with parental controls for $54.99/year. Both plans are excellent value, but you can also get a multi-year subscription for even more savings.

Bottom line:

McAfee Total Protection has a powerful suite of malware removal tools that can be used on both mobile and desktop computers. However, I experienced some slowdowns with McAfee on one of my devices. McAfee offers a 30-day guarantee for all plans if you have a fast computer.

4. TotalAV — Fast + Easy-to-Use Anti-Malware Scanner

TotalAV’s interface is easy to use and detects and removes 99% of malware that was on my computer. It also scans my computer very fast during scanning. Norton topped this list with its 100% detection rate. However, TotalAV was lighter and faster on my computer.

TotalAV offers more than just a malicious software removal tool.

• Web attack prevention.
• Performance optimization tools
• VPN.
• Password vault.
• Additional purchase for identity theft protection

TotalAV’s performance optimizers were more efficient than any other system tuning feature on this list. The Junk File Cleaner removed 8GB of duplicate, unused, and cached files from my computer. TotalAV helped me speed up my computer’s startup time and remove any browser cookies that were tracking how I used the internet.

TotalAV Antivirus PRO ($29.00/year) includes TotalAV’s anti-malware scanner and performance optimization tools. It can be used on up 3 devices. TotalAV Internet Security ($39.00/year) adds a VPN to provide coverage for up 5 devices. TotalAV Total security ($49.00/year) includes an ad blocker as well as a password vault that can be used by up to six users.

Bottom line:

TotalAV’s lightweight antivirus engine detected nearly all the malware on my device. TotalAV also offers the most powerful performance optimization tools available — these tools greatly improved my computer’s startup speed and memory usage. TotalAV’s antiphishing browser extension and VPN as well as an ad blocker are excellent security add-ons. TotalAV offers a 30-day money back guarantee on all plans.

5. Avira — Best Free Malware Removal Software

Avira offers a powerful, lightweight, efficient, and free malware scanner. It’s included in Avira’s free package without restrictions. Avira’s malware scanner is as effective as Bitdefender or Norton’s. It completely removed all malware and, when I tested it, it found every piece of malware even before I could install it. Avira’s ransomware protection is included in its free plan!

Avira free also includes additional features such as:

• Safe Shopping: Web Privacy Extension
• Performance optimizer.
• VPN (500MB monthly limit).
• Password manager.

Safe Shopping browser extension is my favorite online privacy tool. It blocks trackers and intrusive advertisements as well as phishing websites that can steal your data. This extension can also help you find the best deals, but it didn’t perform well in my tests.

Avira is my favorite anti-malware software, but it has some annoying limitations. Avira Prime is a great VPN that offers unlimited browsing data, premium password management, performance optimization, and up to five devices. It costs $59.99 per year.

Bottom line:

Avira offers the best free malware removal software. Alternatively, you can upgrade to Avira Prime to get a VPN that has no limits, advanced performance optimization tools and a password manager for up 5 devices. Avira’s annual plans are available with a 60-day money back guarantee.

Bonus: Malwarebytes — Simple Anti-Malware Software

Malwarebytes offers premium anti-malware scanning, removal, and reinstallation, but it isn’t as powerful as top brands like Bitdefender and Norton. However, if you are looking for an anti-malware scanner that’s simple, Malwarebytes can be a good choice. It was able remove the majority of malware from my computer during testing.

Malwarebytes provides anti-phishing protection, a VPN, and an anti-malware engine. Although the anti-phishing shield works well, it is not as good as the built-in protections against phishing from Chrome and Firefox. The optional VPN upgrade was quite good. I was able connect to servers all over the world and even bypassed Netflix’s VPN block (but only for about half the time).

Malwarebytes offers a free on-demand malware scanner after a 14-day trial. While the free version can be used for basic malware removal, it is not sufficient to protect against future threats. Malwarebytes Premium ($39.99/year) ,which provides real-time protection as well as anti-phishing protection up to five devices. Malwarebytes Premium+ Privacy is available for $99.99 per year .

Bottom line:

Malwarebytes is a great malware scanner but doesn’t offer much else. It does have a decent anti-phishing tool, and a VPN. Malwarebytes offers a 60-day money back guarantee on all plans.

Bonus: Intego — Best Malware Removal for Mac Users

Intego’s macOS malware removal program provides significant improvements over macOS’s built-in antimalware protections. Intego caught every piece of Mac-specific malware that macOS’s XProtect malware scanner could not detect.

Intego also offers:

• Smart firewall
• Clean-up and optimization tools for your system.
• Parental control
• Backup of data

Intego’s firewall adjusts protections automatically based on network activity. The file backup tool offers cool options for creating custom folders, synching across multiple drives and scheduling automatic backups. Intego’s parental controls are excellent. While Bitdefender and Norton offer great Mac-compatible parental controls as well, Intego is the only Mac antivirus that offers this feature.

Intego offers a variety of plans. The Internet Security X9 entry-level plan includes a firewall, malware scanner, and costs $24.99 /year. While the Premium Bundle X9 provides all the features offered by Intego for only $39.99 /year,

The bottom line:

Intego Anti-malware Software for Mac Users is the best. It has additional features that make it more effective than Apple’s own built-in security tools. The parental controls provide better content filtering than macOS. All Intego plans come with a 30-day money back guarantee.

How to Choose the Best Malware Removal Software of 2022

• • Excellent malware protection and removal. Effective malware removal tools must quickly and effectively detect and eliminate online threats. To prove this, I downloaded nearly 1,000 malware samples including trojans and worms as well as ransomware, spyware and rootkits. I scored each anti-malware program based on how many files it detected with disk scans, real-time protection, as well as how fast and effective each threat was eliminated. I also assessed how fast the program was able to recover a computer from malware infections. It was a pleasure to report that all of the software I tested did a good job in detecting and removing malware. Top brands such as Bitdefender and Norton scored 100%.
  • Other features. The best internet security suites provide many useful additional features in addition to malware removal and protection. To ensure that all anti-malware programs I tested worked as promised, I used every feature. Extra points were awarded for useful threat prevention tools such as Wi-Fi scanning, a virtual Private Network (VPN), and dark web monitoring.
  • Easy to use. No matter how tech-savvy you are, cybersecurity products should be easy to use. Each product was hand-tested, I walked through each feature, and made sure that the products made it onto this list were intuitive and easy to use for everyone.
  • Customer service. You should be able access quick and effective support if you have a problem with your malware removal tool. To test this, I reached out to each company’s customer support team via phone, email, or live chat. Then, I ranked them according the amount of information and help they gave me.
  • Value. High-quality features make the best internet security suites worth every penny. I recommend only malware removal software with a high number of cybersecurity features at a reasonable price. You can also get helpful add-ons such as free trials, money back guarantees, and first-time discounts.

  Top Brands That Didn’t Make it to the Cut

  • Kaspersky. Kaspersky has been a leader in cybersecurity. It charges more for the premium version of its security suite than any of the other security suites listed on this list. However, it offers a wider range of internet security tools and is cheaper than all the others.
  • BullGuard. BullGuard provides decent malware protection and removal. It also has a game booster feature that improves the performance of gamers’ computers. BullGuard’s interface is not as intuitive as other programs.
  • Antivirus/AVG. Antivirus/AVG was accused of selling user data. I don’t like cybersecurity companies selling user data, especially if it is not their knowledge. There are many companies that offer strong malware protection that you don’t need to compromise privacy.

  What is the difference between malware and viruses?

  Viruses may be one type of malware. However, there are many types of malware.

  Some examples of malware are:

  • Trojan. Malware that appears to be benign and then activates secretly after installation to give hackers remote access to your system, system surveillance, or the ability of causing damage.
  • Ransomware. Encrypts your files and infects your device until you pay a ransom. This is a common attack on businesses and organizations.
  • Spyware. Spyware is often included in free downloads. Allows hackers to access your screen, keystrokes and microphone to steal your personal information. It can also influence the results of your suggested searches.
  • Adware. Similar to spyware. This hacks your browser and collects browsing history. It then displays targeted ads on your computer and browser. Many of these linked ads could lead to malware downloads and phishing sites that are designed to steal financial data.
  • Keylogger. Logs all your keystrokes. Gives you access to every thing you do on your device including passwords and credit card information.

  Viruses can be considered malware in the same manner as carrots. The best anti-malware software, such Norton, uses advanced tools such as machine learning, heuristic analysis and cloud-based malware directories.

  What is the difference between anti-malware and antivirus software?

  Although viruses are one type of malware, antivirus software can detect many other types of malware.

  Simple antivirus checks files for malicious code and determines if they are. The antivirus will notify you if any of your files match the directory of known malware. This is a great way to catch most viruses, trojans and worms. However, it will not detect any newer malware files that haven’t been saved in a malware directories, such as cryptojackers and rootkits.

  Norton and TotalAV are anti-malware programs that use behavior analysis, machine learning/artificial Intelligence, and heuristics to detect and remove malicious files immediately. Low-quality antiviruses can only perform on-demand scanning, leaving your devices vulnerable.

  What is the best anti-malware software for Windows?

  Norton 360 is my favorite anti-malware software. It boasts a 100% malware detection rate and removal rate, along with many standout features that can protect against future cyber attacks. Bitdefender’s user-friendly interface and quick malware scanner make it an excellent choice for Windows users who need a powerful tool to remove malicious software.

  Most of the anti-malware programs on this list work well with Windows. Read more about our detailed comparison of the top antiviruses for Windows.

  What is the best malware removal tool for free?

  Avira is the best free anti-malware software on the market. It also comes with an effective and powerful anti-malware scanner.

  However, every free anti-malware program has limitations. Avira for example limits its best features only to its Avira Primepaid virus — which offers better web protections and better optimization tools as well as a better VPN.

  While free products can provide basic protection and prevention, paid antiviruses are the best. Norton 360 is my favorite malware removal tool in 2022. It uses advanced detection methods to scan, find, quarantine and remove malware. Additionally, it includes a firewall, antiphishing tools and identity theft monitoring. A VPN, password manager and parental controls are included to protect you from future malware attacks.

Source : #safetydetectives
Editor by : BEST Antivirus Review Team