But it can't match the extra protections and features that come with the best paid antivirus software and even some of the other free programs.

If all you want to do is keep out malware, Microsoft Defender will do it. Thankfully, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11 all come with the built-in Microsoft Defender Antivirus (aka Windows Defender), which just a few years ago was terrible but now is one of the best free antivirus programs available.

Windows gets attacked much more often than any other software platform, and using a PC without antivirus software is asking for trouble, especially if that computer is always online. Got a Windows PC? You'll need one of the best antivirus programs, free or paid.