Best Malware Removal Tools for 2026 Tested on an Infected PC

Malware rarely makes itself obvious. A scan finds a file it can’t delete, or a toolbar keeps coming back after you remove it. Sometimes a friend mentions a strange link your email account sent them.

At that point, the questions are always the same: what’s on the device, what has it taken, and how do you remove it without making things worse? A malware removal tool is a scanner that looks for infections and deletes them, and the right one depends on how deep the infection goes.

To see which tools finish the job, I infected a test PC on purpose and cleaned it with five different scanners. If something is on your device right now, the four steps that follow come first.

Remove Malware Right Now: 4 Quick Steps

These steps work on Windows, Mac, and Android, and they’re free.

For Windows, Malwarebytes Free is the simplest free scanner to use. On a Mac, Malwarebytes for Mac targets the adware and browser hijackers behind most macOS infections. Android has Play Protect built in, so run its scan from the Play Store before installing new apps.

Before you download a removal tool, check where it came from. Never install one offered by a pop-up, a search ad, or a site that isn’t the company’s own. Fake cleanup tools often turn a mild adware problem into a serious one. Type the company’s web address yourself, and never call a phone number shown in a pop-up.

Shortlist of the Best Malware Removal Tools

1. Malwarebytes Free: Best dedicated malware removal tool. It’s free and works alongside an installed antivirus.
2. Bitdefender: Best for removal plus ongoing protection. It flagged the fewest safe files by mistake in lab testing.
3. Norton 360: Best for a badly or repeatedly infected PC. It offers bootable rescue media and an expert cleanup.
4. Avast One Free: Best free tool that keeps protecting afterward. Its real-time protection never expires.
5. McAfee: Best for cleaning several devices on one plan. Its Premium plan has no device limit.
6. NordVPN Next-Gen Antivirus: Best for stopping reinfection. It blocks infected downloads but can’t remove an infection.

What Happened on the Infected Machine

The headline result is a tie. Every scanner removed every infection on the test machine. Nothing remained in the registry, scheduled tasks, services, or browser extensions; nothing returned after a restart, and every rescan was clean. NordVPN has no scanner, so it wasn’t part of this test. The only difference was the amount of scanning.

Malwarebytes removed everything with its Threat Scan, which took 2 minutes 20 seconds. For Bitdefender, Norton, and Avast, a quick scan of under 90 seconds was enough. McAfee’s quick scan didn’t detect a WMI event subscription, a hidden Windows task that malware uses to restart itself. Only its full system scan found it, after 16 minutes 47 seconds. On McAfee, a quick scan can report a clean PC while the infection is still there.

Best Malware Removal Software: Detailed List

1. Malwarebytes Free: Best Dedicated Malware Removal Tool

Malwarebytes is a cleanup tool first. It scans when you ask, removes what it finds, and leaves day-to-day protection to another product. For an infection you’re dealing with right now, it’s the best malware removal tool to install first.

Rating: 4.7/5⭐

What Malwarebytes Does on an Infected Machine

• Removal result: everything removed, and nothing returned after a restart
• Scan needed: Threat Scan, 2 minutes 20 seconds
• Detection: 99.57% in my tests with 14 false alarms; 99.59% protection at the independent lab AV-Comparatives in March 2026, with 23 false alarms
• Speed and load: Deep Scan 28 minutes 43 seconds, 645 MB during scans, 38 seconds to install
• Price: free on unlimited devices; paid real-time protection comes with the Premium plan, from about $45 a year
• Pre-boot option: none

Rootkit scanning is disabled by default, so enable it before you clean an infected PC: open Settings, Security, then Scan for Rootkits. A rootkit hides deep in Windows, and this check looks for it. My figures come from the default settings, so expect the Deep Scan to take longer with it enabled. Malwarebytes also has no pre-boot scan, the kind that checks a PC before Windows starts, so a PC that won’t boot calls for another tool.

The 14-day Premium trial adds real-time protection, which stops on day 15. The app tells you when that happens, and if you only want to clear the current infection, the free scanner is enough.

Should You Use Malwarebytes to Clean Your Device?

Yes, for a first scan on almost any PC. It worked without conflicts next to Bitdefender and Avast, so it can provide a second opinion without replacing your main antivirus. Its 14 false alarms were the most in my tests, so check the quarantine list before deleting a file you recognize, and restore it if it’s yours. Its Deep Scan was also by far the slowest full scan I tested, but for a one-off cleanup, a longer scan is a fair trade.

2. Bitdefender: Best Malware Removal and Protection in One

Bitdefender removes the infection, and then guards against the next one, so a single product covers both jobs.

Rating: 4.6/5⭐

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What Bitdefender Does on an Infected Machine

• Removal result: everything removed, confirmed across quick, system, and boot scans
• Scan needed: quick scan, 1 minute 4 seconds
• Detection: 99.8% in my tests with 5 false alarms; 99.94% protection at AV-Comparatives with 4 false alarms
• Speed and load: full scan 14 minutes 3 seconds, with an 11% CPU peak, the lowest I recorded
• Price: the Total Security plan covers 5 devices for about $60 in the first year; Antivirus Free is Windows-only
• Pre-boot option: Rescue Environment, 21 minutes 57 seconds

Ransomware Remediation, which restores files that ransomware encrypts, starts disabled, so enable it once the cleanup is done. In my test, it restored every file it was asked to, and a manual restore button means you don’t have to wait for Bitdefender to act.

Should You Use Bitdefender to Clean Your Device?

Yes, if you want one product to clean the PC and protect it afterward. The web protection in Bitdefender’s paid suite makes a repeat infection through the browser unlikely. The renewal price nearly doubles after the first year, which is disappointing for software most people keep for years. Its free edition is also Windows-only, so on a Mac, Malwarebytes Free is the free cleanup tool to use.

3. Norton 360: Best for a Badly or Repeatedly Infected Machine

Norton 360 is built for a machine in serious trouble. Its rescue media can start a PC that won’t boot, and its Virus Protection Promise assigns an expert to the cleanup.

Rating: 4.5/5⭐

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What Norton Does on an Infected Machine

• Removal result: everything removed by the quick scan, and nothing returned
• Scan needed: quick scan, 58 seconds
• Detection: 99.8% in my tests with 3 false alarms; 99.97% protection at AV-Comparatives; 95% phishing protection, tied with NordVPN for the best phishing result I recorded
• Speed and load: full scan 13 minutes 22 seconds, faster than Bitdefender, Avast, and McAfee, at 23% CPU, with 12 seconds added to boot time
• Price: Norton AntiVirus Plus is about $30 in its first year; Norton 360 Standard costs about $40, and Norton 360 Deluxe about $50 for 5 devices
• Pre-boot option: Norton Rescue Disk, 16 minutes 39 seconds

Norton retired Power Eraser, its free removal tool, on April 30, 2026, with no direct replacement. Rescue Disk is now Norton’s tool for stubborn infections. It starts the PC from a USB drive into a minimal version of Windows and scans before the normal system loads. That helps when an infection stops an antivirus from installing or working. Creating the bootable USB took 3 minutes 49 seconds on an 8 GB drive, and the drive worked the first time.

The Virus Protection Promise comes with a condition. A Norton expert attempts the cleanup, and if it fails, Norton refunds your current subscription. The promise only applies while auto-renewal is on, so check that setting in your Norton account first.

Should You Use Norton to Clean Your Device?

Yes, when things are bad. Norton slowed startup more than any other scanner I tested, and its renewal price is steep. For a PC that keeps getting reinfected, the rescue media and the expert cleanup make up for both. The promise comes with every Norton 360 subscription, so the Standard plan is enough for a cleanup.

4. Avast One Free: Best Free Malware Removal With Real-Time Protection

Avast removed the infection as completely as the paid suites, costs nothing, and keeps real-time protection working after the cleanup.

Rating: 4.4/5⭐

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What Avast Does on an Infected Machine

• Removal result: everything removed by the quick scan, and nothing returned
• Scan needed: quick scan, 1 minute 12 seconds
• Detection: 99.78% in my tests with 4 false alarms; 99.97% protection at AV-Comparatives
• Speed and load: full scan 14 minutes 38 seconds, with a 12% CPU peak
• Price: free, with real-time protection that doesn’t expire
• Pre-boot option: boot-time scan, around 42 minutes

The boot-time scan is one of Avast’s most useful features, because it exposes malware that hides once Windows is up. It’s also the slowest pre-boot scan I tested, about three times as long as Avast’s own full scan, and the PC can’t be used until it finishes. Start it at the end of the day.

In February 2024, the FTC fined Avast $16.5 million over its Jumpshot subsidiary selling users’ browsing data. That’s a privacy issue, separate from how well Avast detects malware, and it’s fair to weigh it before you install. Expect upgrade prompts after scans too, and ignore them if the free version is enough for you. The firewall and Software Updater, a tool that keeps your other apps patched, come with Avast’s paid plans. On the free version, the firewall built into Windows covers the basics.

Should You Use Avast to Clean Your Device?

Definitely, if the budget is tight. Its quick scan left the test PC as clean as Norton’s did. In AV-Comparatives’ March 2026 test, Avast, AVG, and Norton also recorded identical scores, so the free version’s detection is close to Norton’s paid suite.

5. McAfee: Best for Covering Several Devices at Once

McAfee’s strength is coverage. Its Premium plan installs on unlimited devices, a big plus when a whole family’s computers are infected.

Rating: 4.2/5⭐

What McAfee Does on an Infected Machine

• Removal result: everything removed in the end, and nothing returned
• Scan needed: full system scan, 16 minutes 47 seconds; the quick scan didn’t find a WMI event subscription
• Detection: 99.71% in my tests with 7 false alarms; 99.97% protection at AV-Comparatives, but 86.1% detection without an internet connection, below Microsoft Defender’s 89.2%
• Speed and load: 33% CPU peak and 415 MB during scans, the highest CPU peak I recorded
• Price: the Essential plan costs about $40 in the first year and covers 5 devices, and the Premium plan about $50 for unlimited devices
• Pre-boot option: none

McAfee was the only scanner whose quick scan left something behind. Most people stop after a clean quick scan, so on McAfee, always run the full system scan.

Security Scan Plus, McAfee’s free standalone checker, never launched. It installed, showed its logo, and closed, even after a restart. Skip it and use the full scan in the main app. Scam Detector worked well on a live mailbox and flagged genuine scam and phishing emails. Its three false alarms were a message from an ISP and marketing emails from well-known security brands.

Should You Use McAfee to Clean Your Device?

Yes, if a single subscription has to cover several infected devices. On a single PC, Norton, Bitdefender, and Avast finished faster. Its heavy scan load, the quick scan’s blind spot, and its weak offline detection are the drawbacks. If the PC was offline during the cleanup, scan it again once it’s back online before trusting the result.

6. NordVPN Next-Gen Antivirus: Best for Stopping Reinfection

NordVPN renamed Threat Protection Pro to next-gen antivirus. It has no system scanner, so it can’t remove malware from your device. Its role starts after a cleanup: keeping the device clean.

Rating: 3.9/5⭐

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What NordVPN Does on an Infected Machine

• Removal result: not applicable; it has no scanner for files on the drive
• Scan needed: none available
• Detection: blocked 90% of malicious downloads before they were saved, plus 95% of phishing pages; neither AV-TEST nor AV-Comparatives has tested it
• Speed and load: 0.2% CPU and 282 MB at idle, with no scans to run
• Price: included with NordVPN’s Complete plan, which costs about $4.50 a month on the two-year plan
• Pre-boot option: none

NordVPN’s next-gen antivirus scans downloads as they arrive and blocks malicious sites in the browser, which helps most on a PC that was cleaned once and then reinfected. A 90% block rate means one malicious download in ten was saved in my test, so keep a scanner installed alongside it. No independent lab has tested it yet, and it’s missing from NordVPN’s cheaper plans, so check yours before you count on it.

Should You Use NordVPN to Clean Your Device?

No, it can’t remove an infection. Use it after the cleanup, alongside a scanner, if you also want a VPN.

Compare the Best Malware Removal Tools

	Removal result	Scan needed to reach clean	Left behind	Pre-boot option	Free version
Malwarebytes	Complete	Threat Scan, 2:20	None	No	Yes, unlimited devices
Bitdefender	Complete	Quick, 1:04	None	Rescue Environment, 21:57	Windows only, 3 devices
Norton 360	Complete	Quick, 0:58	None	Rescue Disk, 16:39	No
Avast One	Complete	Quick, 1:12	None	Boot-time scan, ~42:00	Yes, with real-time
McAfee	Complete	Full system, 16:47	None after full scan	No	No
NordVPN	Not applicable	No scanner	Not applicable	No	No

How to Remove Malware Step by Step

Each platform has its own steps, but the order is similar everywhere: confirm the signs, change your passwords from a clean device, then scan, remove, and check again.

Signs a Device Is Infected

Some symptoms point to malware much more clearly than others. Pop-ups that appear when no browser is open are close to conclusive, because a website can’t draw a window on your desktop. A homepage or search engine you didn’t choose is another strong sign. So is security software that won’t start, won’t update, or has turned itself off.

Weaker signs are worth confirming with a second symptom or a scan: slowdowns, unexplained data or battery use, and apps you don’t remember installing. These usually have ordinary causes, and a slow laptop often just has a full drive, so check that first.

A clean scan on a healthy device is the outcome you want, and it doesn’t mean the scan failed.

How to Scan for Malware in Windows Security

The Windows Security app, home of Microsoft Defender, is already on every Windows 11 PC, so start there. Open Windows Security, Virus & threat protection, then Scan options, and choose one of four scans:

• Quick scan checks the folders where malware usually hides and takes a few minutes.
• Full scan checks every file and running program. It took 12 minutes 24 seconds on my test PC.
• Custom scan checks a folder or drive you choose, such as a USB stick.
• Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) restarts the PC and checks it before Windows loads, which detects malware that hides while Windows is active.

To check a single file, right-click it in File Explorer, choose Show more options, then Scan with Microsoft Defender. If Defender finds nothing and the symptoms continue, scan again with a second tool such as Malwarebytes Free. No single engine detects everything.

Removing Malware From Windows

If a scan finds something it can’t remove, or the malware keeps coming back, restart in Safe Mode with Networking. It loads Windows with almost nothing else active, so most malware doesn’t launch. Hold Shift while you click Restart, then choose Troubleshoot, Advanced options, Startup Settings, Restart, and press 5. Scan, remove what’s flagged, and restart normally.

Next, check where malware reinstalls itself after a restart. The Startup apps tab in Task Manager and the Task Scheduler Library are the first spots to look, so disable items you don’t recognize. Then fix the browser: remove extensions you didn’t install and reset it to its default settings, which undoes a hijacked search engine or start page.

Finally, right-click the browser shortcut, open Properties, and make sure nothing has been added after the program path in the Target field. The same steps work on Windows 10. However, Windows 10 support ended in October 2025, so a Windows 10 PC only keeps receiving security fixes through Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates or an upgrade.

Removing Malware From a Mac

Open Activity Monitor and sort by CPU. Note the name of any unfamiliar process that’s using a lot of CPU, then quit it. Expect it to return until you remove what restarts it: a login item, a launch agent, or a configuration profile.

Under System Settings, General, the Login Items and Background Items list is easy to check. Launch agents and daemons, small settings files that start programs automatically, are harder to find. Check /Library/LaunchDaemons, /Library/LaunchAgents, and your user folder’s ~/Library/LaunchAgents for .plist files with the name you noted.

Configuration profiles, settings packages that can change a Mac’s browser and network settings, are the third place, and most Mac adware persists through them. Open System Settings, Privacy & Security, and look for Profiles (on newer macOS versions, it’s under General, Device Management).

Before cleaning the browser, delete unfamiliar profiles, or the cleanup won’t last. Then remove unknown extensions, reset the search engine, and run a scan. Most of what people call a Mac virus is adware, and this sequence removes the bulk of it.

How to Remove Malware From Android

Scan the phone first. Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, and go to Play Protect, then tap Scan. On a Samsung Galaxy, also run the built-in scan, powered by McAfee, in Settings under Device care (Battery and device care on some models). Write down the name of any app that’s flagged.

Then restart in Safe Mode, which keeps third-party apps from launching: press and hold the power button, then press and hold Power off until Safe mode appears. Before uninstalling, open Settings, Security, Device admin apps (the menu names vary by phone) and disable apps you didn’t enable yourself.

Apps with device administrator rights can’t be uninstalled until those rights are removed. Next, open Settings, Accessibility, and disable access for unfamiliar apps. This permission lets an app read the screen and tap for you, and most Android malware depends on it.

Uninstall the app from Settings>Apps, restart normally, and scan again. Finally, check Payments & subscriptions in the Play Store. Fleeceware, apps that sign you up for overpriced subscriptions, often leaves a charge behind, and uninstalling the app doesn’t cancel it.

When a Factory Reset or Clean Install Is Necessary

Reset when removal has clearly failed. The clearest signs are a detection that returns after every restart and a scanner that won’t launch or update. Security websites that won’t load and administrator accounts you didn’t create are two more. Before a full reset, use a pre-boot scan. Norton, Bitdefender, and Avast include one, and Windows has its own. Each one restarts the computer, which can’t be used during the scan.

On my clean test desktop, Norton Rescue Disk finished in 16 minutes 39 seconds and Bitdefender’s Rescue Environment in 21 minutes 57 seconds. Avast’s boot-time scan took about 42 minutes. Microsoft Defender’s offline scan is free and took 5 minutes 36 seconds, because it checks only the most likely locations. Norton’s version works from a bootable USB drive. Create it while the PC still works, because a computer that won’t start can’t make its own.

If those scans fail, a factory reset removes malware in almost every home-user case, because it wipes the operating system and everything installed on it. People often go wrong with the backup. Restore one that contains the infected app, file, or profile, and the problem returns within minutes.

Back up only your personal files, such as photos and documents; restore those first, then reinstall apps from their official sources. Rare firmware-level infections can persist after a reset, and at that point, contact the manufacturer.

What to Do After the Device Is Clean

A clean device doesn’t mean clean accounts. Change your passwords from another device, starting with the email account that can reset all the others. Then sign out everywhere: Google, Apple, and Microsoft accounts have a security page that lists active sessions and lets you end them at once.

Revoke app-specific passwords there too. These let older apps sign in without your main password, and they keep working after a password change. Then enable two-factor authentication, review recent sign-ins and subscriptions, and make sure real-time protection is enabled again.

Scan the other computers and phones on the same network as well. If you lost money or think your identity was stolen, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or IdentityTheft.gov.

Should You Pay for Virus Removal?

A professional is rarely necessary. A paid virus removal service makes sense when the PC won’t start even with rescue media, or when it stores business or client data you can’t risk. It also helps if you’d prefer not to edit system folders yourself.

Check your manufacturer’s warranty and your antivirus subscription first. Some suites, including Norton 360, come with an expert cleanup. If you use a repair shop, choose one you can visit in person. Never accept help from a company that contacts you first.

A pop-up, phone call, or email offering to fix a virus is almost always a tech support scam. Giving a stranger remote access to your PC can expose your bank logins, and security companies don’t call customers unprompted about an infection.

Best Malware Removal for Android

In my Android tests, Bitdefender Mobile Security had the strongest detection, and Play Protect is the free tool already on your phone. Each Android app runs in its own sandbox, which limits what a security app can inspect. A security app can still check installed apps and new downloads, compare apps against a cloud reputation list, and filter web pages and messages.

The malware engines score close together, while scam filtering and web protection vary much more. On a Galaxy S26 Ultra, Bitdefender detected 100% of my samples without a single false alarm, in line with its 100% at AV-Comparatives in June 2026.

Play Protect covers the basics for free. It scored full marks in AV-TEST’s Android test in July 2026, and AV-Comparatives put its June detection rate at 98.9%. The best antivirus apps for Android add scam text and call filtering on top.

Try Bitdefender on Android

Best Malware Removal for Mac

For a Mac that’s already infected, the best malware removal tool is Malwarebytes for Mac, and Avast One Free protects the Mac afterward.

To clean a Mac, a dedicated scanner is a better fit than a full suite. On an M1 MacBook Air, Malwarebytes had the weakest score for blocking unwanted apps, 92%, compared with 97% for Avast One and Norton. However, that test checks whether an app is stopped on the way in, and removing one that’s already installed works differently.

On the same Mac, Malwarebytes detected 99.4% of malware samples, and a full-drive scan finished in 10 minutes 44 seconds. On a Mac, Avast One Free includes real-time protection, but Ransomware Shield, free on Windows, requires a paid plan. For full-time protection, the apps in my best antivirus for Mac tests add ransomware and web protection that free tiers lack.

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Malware Removal on iPhone: What Works and What Doesn’t

There’s no malware removal app for iPhone. iOS doesn’t let an app read another app’s files or scan the system. No App Store app can do what a Windows or Mac scanner does. Traditional malware is also rare on an iPhone that hasn’t been jailbroken, meaning modified to install apps from outside the App Store.

An “iPhone virus” is nearly always a browser pop-up, a malicious configuration profile, or a scam page made to look like an alert. Clear Safari first: open Settings, Apps, Safari, then Clear History and Website Data. Next, open Settings, General, VPN & Device Management, and remove any profile or VPN configuration you didn’t install.

Profiles can change your search engine, redirect your traffic, and add web shortcuts to your home screen. On iOS, they’re the closest thing to a lasting infection. Then update iOS, because most iPhone attacks exploit flaws Apple has already patched.

Finally, if you’re a journalist, an activist, or another likely target for paid spyware, enable Lockdown Mode under Privacy & Security. It’s an extreme protection setting that limits some features to block advanced attacks.

Security apps for iPhone still have a role, but none of them removes malware. Bitdefender Mobile Security and Norton 360 for Mobile filter dangerous links, watch for breached passwords, and flag unsafe Wi-Fi. NordVPN also blocks malicious sites and checks links on iPhone. Together, these features stop you from opening a bad page, the main threat on an iPhone.

Try Norton 360 on iPhone

Best Malware Removal for Windows 11 and Windows PCs

On Windows 11, the best malware removal tool for most PCs is Malwarebytes Free next to Microsoft Defender, and it removes most infections at no cost. Defender includes a firewall, real-time protection, browser controls, an offline scan, and ransomware protection through controlled folder access, a setting that stops unknown apps from changing protected folders.

Defender relies heavily on cloud lookups, meaning checks against Microsoft’s online threat database. With the internet off, its detection fell to 88% in my tests, close to the 89.2% offline rate AV-Comparatives recorded in March 2026.

Online, the same lab put it at 98.1%. Disconnecting is still the right move when you suspect data theft, but it also disables the cloud half of Defender. So disconnect, deal with the immediate risk, then reconnect and scan again before you decide the PC is clean.

Try Norton 360 on Windows

Best Free Malware Removal Tools

Free tools remove most home infections, and Malwarebytes, Avast, and Bitdefender offer free versions. For a device that’s already infected, the best free malware removal tool is Malwarebytes Free. It scans on demand and installs on unlimited devices across Windows, macOS, and Android.

Avast One Free also keeps protecting the PC after the cleanup with real-time scanning. Bitdefender Antivirus Free works only on Windows, on up to three devices, and it’s light on resources. For browser hijackers, Malwarebytes also makes AdwCleaner, a free Windows tool that removes adware, unwanted toolbars, and hijacked search settings.

Free Tools Already Installed

Every major platform includes a free scanner that works without any setup. On Windows, Windows Update delivers Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool every month, and it targets a short list of common malware families.

Play Protect checks Android apps when you install them and again on a schedule. XProtect Remediator removes known malware from a Mac in the background. Use these first, then add a dedicated scanner if the symptoms continue.

Where Free Isn’t Enough

Free tools remove infections well, but they do less about what comes after one. There’s no ransomware rollback, so files encrypted by ransomware can’t be restored, and Bitdefender’s Ransomware Remediation is a paid feature. There’s no bootable rescue media for a PC too infected to start, and support is limited to forums and help articles.

Pay when a free tool can’t finish the job. That’s the case when the same infection returns after a clean removal, files have been encrypted, the PC won’t start, or several devices in one household are infected. Short of that, a free scanner and the built-in tools are enough, and the best free antivirus tools keep protecting the PC afterward.

Fake Malware Removal Tools to Avoid

Scareware has followed this category for years in two forms. One fakes detections to sell a subscription for a problem you never had. The other is malware posing as a cleanup tool. Both target people right after a scary pop-up, and the names change too fast to list.

The first warning sign is an unrequested scan, especially one that appears on a web page. A website can’t scan your computer, so any page that claims to is making up the result.

Also watch for a large number of problems with no named detections behind them. A countdown, a price, or a demand to pay before a single file is removed are red flags too. Legitimate tools show you what they found and let you remove those items. Before you install a removal tool, check four things:

• Where did the tool come from? One that arrived through a pop-up or a sponsored link fails this check.
• Is the download coming from the company’s own website, typed by you into the address bar?
• Does the company appear in results from independent labs such as AV-TEST? Well-known security brands are listed there, and scareware isn’t.
• Does it name specific detections, or only report a vague number of issues?

Anti-Malware vs Antivirus: Do You Need Both?

Antivirus once meant matching files against a list of known viruses, and anti-malware was the term for products that detected newer threats like adware, spyware, and ransomware. Every serious product now does both, so judge a product by how it works. On-demand scanners check the drive when you ask, then stop. Resident suites watch files, downloads, and web traffic all the time.

A cleanup tool and a protection product do different jobs. In this situation, most people want one of each: one to remove what’s there today, and one to prevent the next infection. Two security products can share a PC if only one of them is resident. A suite plus an on-demand scanner works fine, and the scanner adds a useful second opinion.

Two resident suites at once cause problems. They watch the same parts of the system and often flag each other, which slows the computer down and can stop both from working properly. Windows manages this automatically: install an antivirus, and Microsoft Defender steps aside.

Defender can still work as an on-demand second opinion through the Periodic scanning option in Windows Security, which is disabled by default. Enabling it adds a free second engine. For the resident half, the best antivirus software for Windows adds web protection and ransomware recovery on top of detection.

How I Tested

I tested removal separately from detection, because a detection score on a clean machine says nothing about clearing an infection that’s already in place. Every product kept its default settings, so the results reflect what you get out of the box. The removal results come from one controlled test on one infected image.

Test step	Details
Test PC	Ryzen 7 5800X, 32 GB of memory, 2 M.2 SSDs, Windows 11 Pro
Testing period	November 2026
Infected machine	A virtual machine with no security software, infected with live malware samples and restarted
Infection check	Autoruns, a Microsoft tool that lists everything set to start automatically, confirmed each sample in registry run keys, scheduled tasks, services, browser extensions, and a WMI event subscription
Removal test	Each scanner on its own identical copy of the infected image: scans, removal, and a restart, then a check of every startup location and a second scan
Connection	Online throughout, so cloud lookups were available
Windows lab results	AV-Comparatives Malware Protection Test (March 2026) and AV-TEST Windows test (June 2026)
Mobile lab results	AV-TEST Android test (July 2026) and AV-Comparatives mobile report (June 2026)

Conclusion

Removing malware rarely takes more than a free scanner, a restart, and a few manual checks. Malwarebytes Free, Bitdefender, Norton 360, and Avast One Free removed the infection with a short scan, so the choice depends on what happens after the cleanup.

For a single infection, a free on-demand scanner is enough, and there’s no reason to start a subscription for it. Paying is worth it once the PC won’t boot or the same infection keeps coming back. In those cases, rescue media and expert help justify the cost. iPhone owners can skip removal apps: clearing Safari and deleting unknown profiles does more.

Once the device is clean, deal with how the infection got in. Most infections arrive through an outdated browser, a download, or a fake page, so install any pending system and browser updates first. A download filter such as NordVPN’s next-gen antivirus can then block the next infected file before it’s saved.

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Common Questions About Malware Removal