Panda Free Antivirus Review
Protects you while you work, play, or browse the Internet
Panda Free Antivirus is a popular choice when it comes to user-friendly and intuitive protection for a computer. It defends against a wide variety of viruses, spyware, rootkits, hackers and online fraud as well as spyware, phishing (online fraud), rootkits (stealth techniques) and banker Trojans. Panda Antivirus vaccinates USB flash drives against infections as well. In fact, it provides on of the most complete and comprehensive protection packages for complete peace of mind. Thanks to its trademarked real-time protection technology, Panda Free Antivirus is safe, fast and reliable.
Panda Free Antivirus relies on proprietary technology for an intelligent protection system based on a user community where everyone contributes. Computers always stay up-to-date and protected. Additionally, a PC won’t restrict the detection power as Panda’s vast virus detection database is cloud-based. This leads to a new, modern and intuitive user experience that is aligned with the latest operating systems and platforms.
Panda Free Antivirus Performance
Panda Free Antivirus performs as well as the best free alternatives in stopping malware attacks in tests by AV-Test. It accurately distinguishes between good and bad files, while remaining light on the PC platform its run on.
This virus protection software is able to detect and disable known and unknown threats, leaving it up to the user what to do about them. It scans internet browsers, instant messages and files on disk, and users can pick any of these or none. There is an option of allowing the antivirus to record these events in a log. The software’s protection extends beyond the Windows 10 system to protect mobile devices. It has a gaming mode, so users can play games on their computers without irritating pop-up reminders or scheduled scans interrupting the gameplay.
Recently, Panda has updated the look of its antivirus software for both the free product as well as the paid-for ones. The main screen has a modern design with tiles that show scanning statistics, a link to the dashboard, USB protection and process monitoring.
These last options are uncommon in a free Antivirus program. USB protection prevents apps from running automatically upon plugging in a USB device and analyses file contents for malware, while process monitoring provides a simpler interface for the type of info the Windows Task manager offers.
A helpful feature of the Panda Free Antivirus is the creation of a rescue USB drive to use when the computer cannot boot because of infection. When it’s time to create a rescue disk before you need it, it is easier to recover from otherwise catastrophic situations.
Panda Free Antivirus Experience
The interface of Panda Free Antivirus was redesigned since the last version with a focus on making it easy to read and use. Functions are now displayed in big, colorful icons and the most vital information is presented at the top with charts and large text. Menus and their explanations have been simplified so users know exactly what each feature does.
Application is good with quick scans that use up minimal system resources. Panda Free Antivirus focuses on providing an unobtrusive security experience and it succeeds for the most part. After setup, it runs in the background and only displays an alert if an infection is found or if any action is needed. The software’s firewall replaces the Windows default firewall and has the ability to allow connections from common applications.
Panda Free Antivirus stops infected files immediately. It doesn’t fill up the screen with unnecessary warnings all the time, which is convenient, especially when gaming.
If Panda Free Antivirus Server anti-malware signatures are up to date, the program displays the Signature Version number in blue, which makes it easier for users to know when it is necessary to update. The Signature Version information is displayed in a different colour if it notices that it is outdated.
Panda Free Antivirus is scheduled to look for updates automatically once a day. This can be changed by the user from the Check for Updates tab in the Server menu.
Overall, Panda Free Antivirus is an efficient and user-friendly free antivirus program that protects the system without needless interruptions and without taking up too many resources.
Panda Free Antivirus Pros and Cons
Panda Free Antivirus offers protection for PCs, Mac® or Android™ devices against all types of threats. Users can enjoy well-equipped antivirus software with real-time protection against the latest malware and an intuitive program. It’s a good opportunity to browse, shop and play online with complete peace of mind.
The software protects PCs, external hard disks or USB flash drives and keeps documents, photos or confidential files safe. Users can store all important documents securely and delete files permanently.
It also offers protection against inappropriate content (pornography, drugs, weapons, etc.) with the convenient Parental Control feature included in this antivirus. Another additional feature worth mentioning is the Toolbar Cleaner, which removes toolbars and plug-ins from your browsers. The third-party utility can clear browsing traces and disable programs that launch at startup. However, changes to the tool are not reversible.
The Process Monitor feature keeps track of all running processes and the URLs they access. It lists all active processes, their risk level and whether they’re accessing the Internet. This makes it easier to pay special attention to those that are marked with a medium or high-risk level. The program itself blocks certain processes, based on their behavior.
Pros of Panda Free Antivirus
- good detection rate
- low memory usage
- web protection
- collective intelligence
- good behavioural analysis
- transparency and reliability for its users
- minimized impact on the communication performance for users’ devices
- blocks all untrusted apps
- Wi-Fi protection
Cons of Panda Free Antivirus
- slow scan
- some removal issues
- dependant on internet connection (weaker offline protection)
- heavy on system for a cloud program
- some false positives despite information available in the cloud
- less effective against phishing sites
- Panda’s telephone and live chat support is only available with an extra fee
Panda Free Antivirus is a solid protection program with an impressive range of products that cater to different needs. It is very user-friendly and light on system resources. There is a free trial on the paid version but no attempts to upsell on the free one, which is a pleasant change. As a whole, Panda Free Antivirus protects against a wide variety of known and unknown threats, making it ideal for home as well as office use. It is a viable option in protecting business as well as any personal data, which is uncommon for freeware. Its biggest advantage is the bonus feature pack given that the software is totally free.