Comodo Free Antivirus Review
Multi-layered levels of threat protection to keep your system stay away from problems.
Comodo Free Antivirus is and always has been one of the best free antivirus programs available. This is due mainly to the software’s proprietary Defense+ technology that assumes all unknown files are a potential threat, increasing the effectiveness of this free antivirus almost to a 100%. Most competitor programs assume unknown files are safe and only flag a limited number of the scanned applications.
Comodo Free Antivirus for Windows offers solid real-time protection against viruses and malware and basic features comparable to similar freeware, which include a desktop widget, firewall protection, Game Mode, drag-and-drop submission of suspicious apps for analysis, and cloud-based definitions. There are also some unique extras, such as the Comodo Dragon secure Web browser, which is free, and the optional Geek Buddy support service, which requires a paid license.
Comodo Free Antivirus offers constant virus protection, which is also known as on-access or resident protection. This means the freeware can completely replace antivirus software from companies like McAfee and Norton that charge for their software and for annual updates. When it comes to functionality, availability of features and performance – Comodo Free Antivirus is in a class of its own. As a free program it can provide almost complete protection from malicious software.
Technically the free version of the antivirus doesn’t have version numbers, but they do get updated in parallel with the paid products. Since 2016, Comodo has switched from using the year to a straight version number. With the paid products marked as version 7, the latest free product is also identified as version 7 too.
Comodo Free Antivirus Performance
Comodo Free Antivirus runs off an engine that is stable and robust and can handle almost anything. The real-time scanning feature makes the program very useful as it checks files for viruses on an individual basis before they are used. Its host-intrusion protection system blocks spyware in combination with heuristic detection – something that is rare for free antivirus software. Heuristic detection methods analyse the behaviour of viruses to provide proper identification, thus increasing the level of protection.
Comodo Free Antivirus can perform full system scans as well as partial system scans. It also scans removable drives, including USB drives, CDs and DVDs. It can scan any additional mobile devices, including cell phones, and remove any electronic intruders. The program uses an incremental scanning system that marks files and folders that have been deemed safe. This allows for much faster average scan times. In addition, users have the option to create a fully customizable list of safe software and files, which further reduces the average scan time.
Updates for the software are released daily and help keep Comodo’s antivirus capabilities up to speed with new threats. Most features can be customized in accordance with user preferences.
The number of alerts and notifications given initially by the program can be a minor annoyance. Any suspicious or strange behaviour on the computer system will be the subject to a security alert. Comodo’s firewall is one of the main culprits for all of these alerts. Over time, the number of alerts grows smaller as the antivirus software records patterns of frequent use of programs and internet connections.
The effect of Comodo Free Antivirus on a system’s performance is notably minimal. Minor interruptions may occur while opening large files, but it happens rarely. The software’s detection rate is excellent and it is one of the most feature-packed free antivirus applications available. It even has some features than some of the paid, professional antivirus options packs. The newest version of Comodo Free Antivirus relies on a cloud-based method for the scan for viruses and worms, which enables it to provide in-depth analysis of files that are not recognizable.
Comodo Free Antivirus Experience
Unlike the other Antivirus programs, Comodo Free Antivirus comes with similar features with its paid version. The program includes an Antivirus scanner, A quarantine box, Sandbox operating environment and a Task Manager. Its fast cloud-based scanning gives a list of infected files in real time.
After download and installation, the program automatically runs updates. Comodo Free Antivirus is based on the concept of prevention, not detection. It has a clean and easy to use interface that includes all available features of the suite. The Sandbox technology used creates a virtual computing environment for untrusted programs, thereby keeping your PCs safe from viruses and Trojans. This virtual operating environment executes untrusted programs or files without affecting the application in which it runs.
Users can schedule PC Scans according to their own convenience. When the program detects an infected file during scan it puts it Quarantine, which saves important data. Users can later choose whether to permanently delete the file.
The main window of Comodo Free Antivirus is almost identical to that of Comodo’s free personal firewall. Both feature several tiles that report overall security status. Users can click some of the tiles for more detail. The only noticeable difference is that the tile called “Network Intrusions” in the firewall becomes “Detected Threats” in the antivirus.
Comodo Free Antivirus is a nice and useful antivirus program which comes with a comprehensive package of protection options along with user-friendly interface. Its focus lies primarily on protection than detection. The program removes infected files from the PC thereby improving its speed and performance.
Comodo Free Antivirus Pros and Cons
Comodo Free Antivirus scores well in terms of hands-on malware blocking as well as real-time protection. The proprietary Sandbox technology limits damage from unknown programs. This free antivirus software helps users secure their Windows PC completely. It assures a complete protection against both malware issues and data stealing Trojans.
Pros of Comodo Free Antivirus
- On-access protection from viruses and other malware
- Regular updates of virus definitions
- Game-mode
- 64-bit version
- Compatible with Windows (10, 8, 7, Vista, XP)
- Behavioural Blocking
Cons of Comodo Free Antivirus
- Large setup file (170 MB)
- Lengthy initial updates
- Not suitable for business use
- Above average false positive rate
- Default auto-sandbox interfered with installation of unknown programs
As a well-known software application that was developed by professional IT security specialists, Comodo Free Antivirus hits all deliverables – it is light on your PC, performs well in terms of detection and removal of potential threats, updates regularly and doesn’t pester the user with ads and upgrades. It is feature-rich and can be customized to meet individual user’s computing patterns. Its cloud-based scanning method provides in-depth analysis of files and real-time scanning capabilities that increase the level of protection.