Update 2023: Minor updates to make the list current. Windows Defender now “Microsoft Defender.” We also have an updated list of antivirus options for nonprofits available here that goes into further detail than this article.
Update 2020: Name changes on Windows Defender (formerly “Defender ATP”), updates to the list.
Update 2015: Added some new antivirus products with valid licensing.
Last week I mentioned ways of cutting back on viruses within your organization. One of the things I promised was to list the antivirus suites I know of that are free for commercial and nonprofit use. These can be a lifeline to small organizations, but if you’ve grown over 5-10 computers you’ll want to move to an antivirus solution that offers endpoint protection and offers good detection rates as reviewed by independent testers.
Nonprofit Only
The following are free to use for nonprofit organizations but not for commercial/business usage. There are also more options available below in the commercial and nonprofit section.
Panda Cloud Antivirus
https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/homeusers/free-antivirus/
Panda is actually a relatively heavy hitter in the antivirus world. This incarnation has garnered mostly good reviews; however, it can’t be installed on servers and can’t be centrally managed so it is best suited for very small organizations.
ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall
ZoneAlarm has a history of providing decent antivirus and firewall software. The upside is that ZoneAlarm is 100% free for nonprofits; however, like Panda Cloud Antivirus, it can’t be centrally managed so it won’t be suited for larger organizations. ZoneAlarm is not free for educational organizations.
Qihoo 360 Total Security
https://www.360totalsecurity.com/en/
Qihoo 360 Total Security is a relatively new contender that is scoring well in recent (early 2015) comparatives. While I have mixed feelings on Chinese antivirus companies due to active state sponsored cyberwarfare and sketchy private information collection (see Skype TOM), Qihoo 360 appears to be quite solid and it wouldn’t be fair to assume every Chinese software company is actively spying or exploiting on behalf of the government. The licensing only restricts commercial use, making it legal for churches, NGO’s, and nonprofit organizations.
Update 2023: Unfortunately Qihoo was caught cheating on antivirus testing for its free antivirus product. There is also increasing tension and control of Chinese tech companies as proxies for the Chinese Communist Party.
Commercial or Nonprofit
The following are free to use for both nonprofit organizations and for commercial/businesses; however, there may be limitations as to the number of free instances that may be deployed.
Comodo
Unlike a lot of the other free options, Comodo does offer endpoint management for it’s free antivirus. You can manage up to ten antivirus clients or it appears you can have an unlimited number of installations that aren’t managed. While I used to use Comodo, I became fed up due to the addition of bloatware like Geek Buddy and Comodo Dragon, their declining ranking, and overzealous malware detection. Geek Buddy is particularly bad because it is a tier 1 service that according to user accounts breaks things as often as it fixes them. Like my dad used to tell me though: “boy, beggars can’t be choosers” so if you need to manage antivirus for a small group of computers and don’t have a budget, Comodo is probably okay. I’ve barred it from my house though.
2015 Update: Comodo doesn’t seem to be getting ranked anymore, so it isn’t being treated as a leading solution, you should probably go with another solution.
Microsoft Defender/Defender for Business
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/microsoft-defender
2023 update: Microsoft Defender has climbed into a top dog spot for nonprofit antivirus products. Seriously, when we first wrote this post it was a mediocre product and now, ten years later, it’s one of the best in class. Every nonprofit we work with is on it and it does a fantastic job! It’s also expanded to macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux.
To manage Defender in the organization, Microsoft Intune can be used which comes with Microsoft’s Tech for Social Impact donation. This also offers additional management capabilities for mobile devices and computers. We also offer a free Windows configuration service for churches that sets all the advanced Defender settings to their recommended configuration.
ClamAV
ClamAV is an open source antivirus program and staple for a lot of Linux machines. I must confess I haven’t used it much on Windows, but it was pretty decent at finding dormant Windows viruses sitting around on Linux file servers.
Education Only
If you have a nonprofit that is education based, or a public library that is not profit seeking, then this area is for you!
Avast
Avast is one of the leading Antivirus solutions out there so if you are in the education sector, this is the one to go with. Interestingly enough the EULA states it can also be used for business commercial for a single license when it is a sole proprietorship.
Final Thoughts
For most organizations it pays to have a top notch security solution. You should seriously consider paying for one of the top-rated antivirus suites (see chart) or contracting GeekOut Technologies to handle licensing and antivirus for you.
2015 Update: All our managed services include managed antivirus now, taking the headache out of ensuring your systems have adequate antivirus and anti-malware coverage.
