Test: Anti Virus Software
Ralf Haller
March 27th, 2009
The German consumer test magazine Stiftung Warentest looked at 16 anti virus software packages and compared PC load, help functions, features and price with each other. The top three were from GData, BitDefender and F-Secure. Looked at the list from the bottom the worst are from CA, Panda and Agnitum. That CA is the last of all the tested programs is due to its high toll on PC performance, lack of help functions and this for the highest price of all tested programs. Three free programs were tested as well and landed in the middle and these were from AVG, Avira and Alvil. I personally would have done this test differently though. Strong protection is key, but then I also find it very important to not put too high load on the CPU. I had installed programs in the past that when they updated the virus library or when they checked on e-mails or starting up programs took the full CPU power and I could not work for a while anymore. I find this entirely unacceptable. Looks like the winner GData falls into that category although I have not personally used it so don’t know it first hand. What the test also looked at were help features. This seems not that important to me though either. What should be much higher on the list is a fully automated while safe operation. You don’t really work with a virus scanner but expect it to do its job well and does this in the background and maybe only informs you of certain actions it does. Not sure how the results of this test would have looked like then, but I guess GData would not have been on top then anymore. I am currently using Kaspersky and it does fulfill all of my criteria extremely well (no CPU stress, super safe, reports occasionally on actions it does so you can or also cannot change it) but landed only on place 4 of this test. So I recommend to not take this test too serious but decide for yourself what is important for you.
