First, let’s talk about the criteria of a proper antivirus program. It must be an app with a user-friendly interface so every user, irrespective of skill, can use it.
Easy and automatic updates, efficient scan settings by default, uncomplicated detect management – that are essential characteristics for pensioners, housekeepers, and children.
Another detail is wide functionality – for experienced users, who will certainly configure the program manually, and enable only those functions that are needed.
Two other yardsticks are detection quality and system repairing skills. These parameters are easy to understand – the best antivirus is one that can detect all possible viruses and completely repair your system after malware attacks.
And the last, which is solely for all categories of users – price. You must be very rich or careless if you buy a product whose functions are unsuitable for you or if these abilities overwhelm your needs. The money you pay for any product must correlate with the quality of this product for you.
Searching for the perfect anti-malware software
After the assumption of all these criteria, I have started to look for the antivirus program, which can satisfy all of the mentioned requirements. Top-tier antiviruses, which can be supposed as an ideal solution for everyone, are overpowered. Most users don’t need embedded VPN, or keychain or disk encryption – all of these functions can be easily substituted by separate programs for a much lower price.
I decided to take a look at other anti-malware programs. Some of them fit my criteria but have low AV-TEST ratings. Others have high ratings and good protection scores but unfriendly user interfaces.
Through about 12 antivirus solutions I was comparing I found only one – GridinSoft Anti-Malware, which meets all the requirements I’ve mentioned before. Let’s talk about this program and check all the mentioned criteria.
Ease of use
GridinSoft Anti-Malware has quite a simple interface. Right after the installation, you will be offered to launch this program. After the first launch, the Startup scan will be performed, so you will get information about your computer’s health immediately and without any additional actions.
This antivirus is ready to be used out-of-box – you don’t need to spend a lot of time in the settings, choosing which parameter is needed to enable to make the program more efficient. The only thing which is needed to be enabled (and which is turned off by default) is the On-Run Protection. This feature is essential for users who download a lot of files from the Web.
During the scan, you will see quite an informative window, where all detected hazards are shown. The information is presented in easy-to-understand form, so you will surely understand everything about the detected program.
Flexibility and range of settings
Despite a great out-of-box efficiency, GridinSoft Anti-Malware can be configured to fit even fastidious users. You can enable GridinSoft to start together with the system, as well as scanning every plugged USB carrier. If you don’t want to see any notifications from this antivirus – just set the “Silent Mode” option active.
However, it will take huge amounts of time to tell about every function and to explain when it can be needed. I will just stop by saying that you can personalize the setting of literally every process – starting from scheduling the scan or update time up to creating the restore point before the scanning process begins.
Detection quality and system repairing
The detection quality of any antivirus software depends on its detection database quality. GridinSoft Anti-Malware states that there are more than 10.5 millions of different malicious programs in their database.
It’s not easy to compare with other anti-malware vendors because they are not publishing such information. But my archive which contains about 3000 samples of different malware gets completely cleared in 5-6 minutes, so, I think that this is enough to say that GridinSoft Anti-Malware detection engine is effective.
There are 4 different types of scans, so the user will surely find the fitting one in case he has some special needs. Custom scan allows you to scan not only folders but also archives without their extraction, i.e. you can check the compressed folders without any risk for your PC.
Real-time protection, which was mentioned before, can create an ultimate shield for your PC. It scans all files and folders you are trying to interact with, so even if you try to open the folder, that contains malicious files – you will see the notification telling you about blocked malware.
However, system repairing is a bit more complicated than the other functions.. Malicious programs can change various parts of your system, including registry, some system files, and browser settings. GridinSoft Anti-Malware has only “Reset browser settings” button visible, but its functions are much wider. This button also sets HOSTS file to default. Any registry or Group Policy changes will be reverted to the original during scans. By the way, all changes in these system elements will be wiped out even by a minor Windows update.
Pricings
GridinSoft Anti-Malware costs ~30$ for a six-month license, 40$ for the annual one, and 90$ – to purchase a lifetime right of use. In my opinion, these prices are quite reasonable for the functionality I have described above. Besides paid versions, there is also a trial version. You will obtain it after logging in to your account. The trial period lasts for 7 days, and has the same functionality as paid versions have.
As you can see, it costs much less than top-tier antivirus software does. If you are unsure about its functionality, you will certainly have a chance to try it out for one week. And, in contrast to top-tier anti-malware programs, it has no excessive functions, which are not demanded in most cases but paid for by every user because these features are obligatory included.
Conclusion
GridinSoft Anti-Malware is really a great solution if you need a simple, adjustable, and reliable antivirus program for a reasonable price. It can fit everyone - from computer genius to your grandmother and will serve effectively every time, in every case. I think I can recommend this program for PC protection.