Today you are going to see the top 17 Antiviruses for android.
Two weeks ago one of my readers asked me via Facebook "What is the best antivirus for android, and please tell me the antivirus app you are using." I didn't send a reply to him because that question created an idea in my mind -- writing the answer as an article.
A lot of people struggles to choose an antivirus program for their devices. I'm 100 percent sure, after reading this article you will not feel any struggle to select a suitable antivirus for your android device.
Let's dive into the list...
The first one in my list is...
- Lookout
****This is the one I'm currently using.*****
The user interface of this app is pretty good. The main window features 6 panels such as Security, Backup, Missing Device, Theft Alerts, Safe Browsing, and Privacy Advisor. Each panel includes a tick mark that shows the current status.
It has real time scanning feature but that doesn't seem to affect the device's performance or the battery life.
While testing, it detected and removed almost 85 percent of the malware samples.
In my opinion, one of the most useful features in this app is the Privacy Advisor that scans your device for apps that might leak your information.
If you want to try the premium features for free, just start the two-week FREE trial.
Cons:
- The anti-theft feature doesn't have an SMS command option.
- Limited cloud backup.
- No firewall.
Pros:
- Fast scanning.
- Cloud backup.
- Low RAM usage.
- Signal flare locates the device before the battery dies.
- Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has a clean user-interface and it is very easy to use. It is also very efficient at detecting malware. While testing, Malwarebytes detected almost 90 percent of the malware samples.
If it detects a malicious website link in an incoming text message, it will alert the user. The app also scans the device for security vulnerabilities.
The privacy audit option is very helpful, you can use that to identify the applications that are monitoring your location, messages, calls, web history, and etc. The app also has some drawbacks such as super slow scanning, and excessive battery consumption, and it also slows down the device a little bit.
Pros:
- Simple UI.
- Free.
Cons:
- No Web protection.
- No anti-theft tools.
- No Firewall.
- Slow scanning.
- Avira Antivirus Security
The user interface of this app is not a typical one, it looks a bit different with the nature picture in the background. I'm not really a fan of that, but I think a lot of people will love that difference.
In my testing, Avira detected 98 percent of the malware samples.
Avira is a lightweight app, and the resource consumption is pretty low compared to other apps with this kind of performance. It also has some interesting features such as Anti-Theft, Call & SMS Blacklist, Privacy Advisor, Identity Safeguard, Remote lock, and App lock.
The premium version offers safe browsing, more frequent updates, and premium tech support.
Cons:
- No Firewall
- No remote camera in the anti-theft feature.
Pros:
- Scanning is faster than Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
- Good UI.
- AVG AntiVirus
It is another lightweight app in this list. I really like the user interface design probably because I'm a huge fan of Iron Man movies.
AVG AntiVirus app has a lot of cool features including App Lock, App Backup, Call & Message Blocker, Task Killer, Junk Cleaner, Battery Saver and Anti-theft.
While testing the app, it detected and removed 99 percent of malware samples.
I have to say this... the scanning process is super fast, I like this app!
Cons:
- No anti-phishing.
- No Firewall.
Pros:
- Fast scanning.
- Remote camera, lock, wipe.
- Battery saver.
- Doesn't seem to affect the device's performance.
- Avast Mobile Security virus
It is probably the coolest AntiVirus UI ever. Look at the user interface, it looks like a launcher program, I love this design.
Avast detected 100 percent of the malware samples used in the evaluation.
Avast Mobile Security has a lot of features such as App Lock, Call Blocker, Privacy Advisor, WiFi Security Scanner, Junk File Cleaner, Battery Saver, Anti-theft, Free VPN, Password Manager, and Firewall. Yes, it has an inbuilt firewall, but you need root access to use it.
It also has a thing called "Web Shield" that can block malware-infected links, trojans, adware, spyware, and even USSD numbers.
Pros:
360 security has a ton of features including Data Monitor, Firewall, Battery Saver, Device Booster, Find My Phone, Call & SMS Filter, and App Lock. I really like the user-interface, especially the animations. The anti-theft feature is absolutely easy to setup, and you know, the developers included a 97-decibel alarm in it to help you find a lost device.
Pros:
Detection rate: 99 %
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Detection score: 99%.
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It also has a thing called "Web Shield" that can block malware-infected links, trojans, adware, spyware, and even USSD numbers.
Pros:
- A lot of features.
- Firewall.
- Cool UI.
- Stealth mode hides the app whenever the Anti-Theft is activated.
- Fast scanning.
Cons:
- App locking issues.
- No SMS blocker.
- No anti-phishing.
- Slows down the device a little bit.
- 360 Security
360 security has a ton of features including Data Monitor, Firewall, Battery Saver, Device Booster, Find My Phone, Call & SMS Filter, and App Lock. I really like the user-interface, especially the animations. The anti-theft feature is absolutely easy to setup, and you know, the developers included a 97-decibel alarm in it to help you find a lost device.
It also has SIM notification feature that sends a text message to an emergency contact when a thief replaces your SIM card.
The device booster is really working, if your device is a low-end one, try 360 security's device booster, you will see a good change.
According to the AV-Comparatives report, 360 Security detected 100 percent of 4,523 malicious applications.
You don't have to open 360 security every time to clean junk files or kill running processes, just use the floating widget.
Note: The firewall feature requires root access.
Pros:
- Free.
- Beautiful UI.
- Firewall.
- Fast scanning.
- Less impact on device performance.
Cons:
- No full device reset in anti-theft.
- No SMS commands.
- Norton Security and Antivirus
If I create an android app, I never design that like this one.
Norton is a big name in the cyber security industry, but they designed their mobile security app like an old HTML website, that's the only problem of this app.
Note: If you are a Norton user, please tell me what you think about this app's design.
Norton security has a unique feature "App Advisor for Google Play" which allows you to scan apps in the Google Play store for issues before download. It also has some other useful features such as Anti-theft, Web Protection, App Advisor, Call Blocker, and Contact Backup.
Its resource consumption is pretty low compared to Malwarebytes AntiMalware.
Detection rate: 99 %
Pros:
- Excellent phishing protection.
- Scan apps on the Google play store.
- Fast Scanning.
Cons:
- Limited backup.
- No Firewall.
- Kaspersky Internet Security
Kaspersky Internet Security is a well-designed app, but it doesn't have any unique features, it's a normal antivirus app. And, the resource consumption of this app is pretty low, I didn't expect this from Kaspersky Internet Security because the PC version totally sucks.
Features:
- Real-time protection: Automatically scans apps you download.
- Call & Text Filter: Allows you to block unsolicited contacts and text messages with ads.
- Anti-Theft: If the device is lost or stolen, you can use the portal or SMS commands to remotely turn on an alarm on the device, lock and locate it, wipe information from it, or take a mugshot of the person currently using your device.
- Text Anti-Phishing: It inspects links you receive in text messages - so you don't take the bait from phishing attempts.
- Web Protection: Protects you against unsafe websites.
- Privacy Protection: Allows you to hide contacts, calls & messages from prying eyes.
Detection score : 99 %
Pros:
Pros:
- Hides special contacts.
- Anti-phishing protection.
- SIM notification.
Cons:
- Scanning is much slower than Norton Mobile Security.
- No Firewall.
- ESET Mobile Security
It has a simple and good looking UI, I really like it. The features are pretty much the same as the above one except for the fact that the components in the ESET mobile security are more flexible.
You can perform scans in one of three flavours: Quick, Smart, and Deep. During the Smart Scan, I 've checked the CPU and RAM usage, and I found that the impact it makes on the system resources is negligible.
I didn't find any text anti-phishing component in this app, so that's a minus. However, the malware detection rate is also the same as the above one.
ESET's Security Audit component is lacking in specific information about potential dangers -- Dividing apps into various categories is not really what I want.
Pros:
- SIM Guard.
- Clean design.
- Excellent malware detection.
Cons:
- No Firewall
- No text anti-phishing.
- McAfee Security & Power Booster
McAfee Mobile Security is a bit heavy on the CPU and battery usage. Other than that, it's good. The user interface is pretty good and it has a lot of useful features such as App Lock, Call & SMS Filter, Data Exposure Inspector, Battery Optimizer, Memory Cleaner, Cloud Backup, and Anti-theft.
The WiFi secure component is also very good at finding any address resolution spoofing attacks that could allow attackers to listen in on your web traffic.
Note: Don't install McAfee Mobile Security on low-end devices (especially on cheap tablets).
Detection rate: 99 %
Pros:
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Pros:
- Excellent anti-theft features.
- Best malware detection score.
Cons:
- Expensive.
- No firewall.
- Heavy on the system resources.
- Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus
Bitdefender Mobile Security is a paid app, but if you want to try it for free, you can start the 14-day free trial. Scanning process is ultra fast in Bitdefender, you may think it's a fake app, but it is not. I have tested it with over 200 malware samples, it detected all of them.
I have played GTA Vice City on my device without any lag while scanning. I don't think the Bitdefender affects the device performance.
The Privacy Advisor component in the Bitdefender allows you to identify hidden app behavior, which is really helpful if you don't trust the apps you install.
Web protection is also working very efficiently, it blocked almost all the phishing sites while testing. And the Anti-Theft feature allows you to remotely lock, locate, wipe or trigger an alarm by using the Bitdefender website. You can also trigger those options via SMS commands.
If you have an android wear smartwatch, you can set the Bitdefender Alarm to help locate your device. It also shows warnings if you go too far away from your android phone.
Cons:
- Requires internet connection for malware scan.
- No remote camera in anti-theft.
- No firewall.
- No call & SMS filtering.
Pros:
- Brilliant UI and outstanding performance.
- Ultra fast scanning.
- Remote antivirus scan.
- TrustGo Antivirus & Mobile Security
TrustGo has a clean user-interface, but I think it's a bit outdated one.
Tapping on the Security Scanner starts the scanning process, there is no option to select a target folder or an app. Like other antivirus apps, TrustGo scans new apps for malware and other threats.
It can even detect malwares that are not in the database, thanks to the heuristic based scanning. You can also open up and use any app or game you want without any lag while scanning the device.
And, I really like TrustGo's Privacy Gaurd, it categorises the apps according to their access privileges.
Detection score: 99%.
Pros:
- Free.
- Faster cloud backup.
- Heuristic based scanning.
Cons:
- No SIM notification feature in Anti-Theft.
- No Firewall.
- Panda Antivirus and Security
The main window of Panda Antivirus shows the current status of the device and a scan button.
The app has a quite good material design UI, the best thing about this design is that it is simple and very easy to use.
A hidden left-hand tray snaps open with a tap, giving you access to the AntiVirus, Privacy Auditor, Task Killer, Anti-Theft, Settings, and etc.
You probably know that the Panda AntiVirus is a cloud-based antivirus, so you should connect your device to the Internet before scanning, otherwise it won't work. The malware detection score is pretty amazing, it detected 99 percent of the malware samples.
It affects the device's performance but that is negligible.
Pros:
- Excellent User Interface design.
- Motion alert (warn you when someone picks up your device without your permission).
- Smartwatch support.
- Fast Scanning.
Cons:
- No firewall
- No SIM alerts.
- Trend Micro Mobile Security & Antivirus
Trend Micro has a vertically oriented design, which is quite good.
And the scanning process is super fast, it took only 3 seconds to scan 18 apps on my device. But the full device scan took slightly longer time.
It has the ability to detect malware apps before installing them. Unfortunately, this feature is not compatible with some devices.
Here is the list of unsupported devices:
- ASUS Fonepad ME371MG
- Cherry Mobile Omega Aeon
- Fujitsu ARROWS Z FJL22
- HTC J One
- HTC Sensation XL
- Kyocera DIGNO M
- Kyocera Digno Dual
- Kyocera URBANO L02
- LG G2
- Samsung GALAXY Note 3 (only samsung-SM-N900)
- Samsung Galaxy S4
- SoftBank Fujitsu Arrows A 201F
- Sony ST26i Xperia J
- Sony Xperia E1
- Sony Xperia UL SOL22
According to the AV-Test's latest reports, the Trend Micro detected 100 percent of the 3,370 malware samples used in the evaluation.
- Privacy scanner (lets you identify the apps that are stealing your private information).
- Clean UI.
- Excellent anti-phishing.
- Auto Just-a-Phone (automatically kills non-essential background processes during calls when your battery is low).
Cons:
- Expensive.
- No remote control via SMS in anti-theft.
- Weak parental controls.
- No firewall.
- Sophos Free Antivirus
Sophos AntiVirus is a free award-winning app with the detection rate of 100 percent (AV-Test). It has a lot of interesting features such as QR code Scanner, One-Time Password Manager, Spam Protection (call & SMS filtering), Privacy Advisor, Security Advisor, App Protection and Web Filtering.
Like any other antivirus app, Sophos automatically scans each and every app as soon as you install it. With 8 apps running in the background, Sophos took an average of 2 minutes to complete a full scan.
And, it didn't seem to impact on my testing device. Even with 8 apps running on top of a full system scan, I didn't see any hiccups or stutters while playing GTA Vice City.
Pros:
- Free.
- Excellent Privacy Advisor.
- Good UI.
Cons:
- No Firewall.
- No text anti-phishing.
- Dr.Web Security Space
The design of this app makes it clear that it is protecting your device. App's home screen displays shortcuts to the main features such as SpIDer Guard, Blacklist, Anti-Theft, Cloud checker, Firewall, and Security Auditor.
In my testing, it detected 99 percent of the malware samples used in the evaluation and took an average of one and half minutes to scan my testing device (Micromax Canvas Gold).
During the scan, Dr. Web Security barely touched the RAM resources, but it did drive the CPU usage from 29 to 52. However, I have played GTA Vice City on my device without any lag while scanning.
- Less impact on device's perfomance.
- Firewall.
- Customizable Web Filter.
- Scans vulnerabilities.
Cons:
- No parental control.
- No local or cloud backup.
- AhnLab V3 Mobile Security
According to the recent reports from AV-Test, AhnLab V3 Mobile Security is the best antivirus app you can get. In my hands-on testing, it detected 99 percent of the malware samples used in the analysis.
And, it took 6 minutes to complete a full scan. Also, the AhnLab V3 Mobile security does impact the device's performance, during the scan, I saw some hiccups and stutters on the device.
In addition to malware blocking, AhnLab V3 Mobile Security also scans for apps that might leak your personal information. It categorises these apps based on their access privileges. If you want to see that, just open the Privacy Advisor.
Pros:
- App and Gallery lock.
- Privacy cleaner.
- Excellent detection score.
Cons:
- No firewall.
- No Message Filter.
- No cloud or local backup.
That's all. I hope you liked this list. If you did, please share this article with your friends and followers...
I will talk to you guys in the next article...
Peace out...
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Top 17 Antiviruses For Android
Reviewed by AC10 Tech
on
Sunday, June 05, 2016
Rating:
Reviewed by AC10 Tech
on
Sunday, June 05, 2016
Rating:
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