Free Malware Scanner and Removal Tool (2024)

Avast’s antivirus solution regularly receives top marks in lab testing, and it’s been named the best free antivirus software in a variety of product reviews, including winning AV-Comparatives' 2021 Outstanding Product Award. There are many free malware removal and antivirus options available, but few with the threat-detection capabilities of Avast.

Free malware removal for Windows 10 comes pre-installed. But Windows Defender may not be enough to counter all threats to your system. For comprehensive security, use an ironclad tool like Avast One, which will defend against malware, protect you from spoofing and phishing attacks, and enhance your privacy with a built-in VPN.

The easiest way to remove malware from your computer is to use a free virus removal tool like Avast One, which scans for and removes existing malware, as well as prevents future infections. Avast One is compatible with all devices, so you can scan for, detect, and remove malware on Mac, iPhone, and Android too.

Common symptoms of malware include an overheating computer, slow speeds, frequent crashes, adware, loss of disk space, and the sudden appearance of unknown programs. Malware may also redirect you to suspicious websites. If your phone’s been hacked, you’ll likely notice data-usage spikes and app crashes. If you think you may have malware, run an anti-malware scan to find out.

1. Use an antivirus tool to remove any malware from your computer or phone.

2. Reset your Chrome browser to its default settings, make sure you have the best security extensions for Google Chrome, and remove any Chrome extensions you don’t want or don’t trust.

If your Chrome browser continues to act buggy, switch to a dedicated privacy browser like Avast Secure Browser that features powerful built-in protection.

Reliable antivirus software like Avast Free Antivirus features comprehensive anti-malware tools — trojan removers, rootkit scanners, anti-spyware tools — that will remove malware and block future infections in real-time.

There’s no real difference between quality antivirus software and anti-malware. Beyond computer viruses and worms, top-shelf security software needs to defend against a wide range of cyberthreats, including keyloggers, phishing, cracking, and other vulnerabilities that can be exploited. So while anti-malware is an antivirus, it’s also much more. And any antivirus worth its salt must be able to identify and block the array of today’s online threats.