Best Free Malware Removal Tools 2026: 6 Options Compared

Removing malware is a different job from preventing it, and a free tool you run on demand is usually the right instrument. Malwarebytes Free scans and cleans Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, with real-time protection reserved for the paid edition per a TechRadar review. Microsoft Defender Antivirus is built into Windows and can run an offline scan that boots before Windows loads, which helps against threats that hide while the system is running. Bitdefender Antivirus Free, Avast Free Antivirus and Avira Free Security are full free antivirus products whose scanners also clean infections, with upgrade prompts attached. ClamAV is an open-source command-line scanner for Linux and mail servers that finds malware but offers no friendly clean-up wizard. The trade-off is depth versus convenience. A second scanner catches what the first misses, yet malware that has taken root in the boot sector or in a browser profile may call for a reinstall rather than a scan. Disconnect from the network, run one scanner at a time rather than two real-time shields, change passwords from a clean device afterwards, and restore from a backup you made before the infection if the machine still behaves strangely.

Malwarebytes

Free scanner for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, widely used as an on-demand second opinion. The free edition lacks real-time protection per a TechRadar review; paid plans add it.

Price: Free (Free malware scanner; per a TechRadar review the free edition has no real-time protection) (Malwarebytes pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Proprietary.

Best for: Second-opinion scans after an infection.

Compare: Malwarebytes alternatives

Microsoft Defender Antivirus

Built into Windows with no extra cost. Windows only; central management needs a paid Microsoft product. Run a full or offline scan first.

Price: Free (built into Windows) (Microsoft Defender Antivirus pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Windows. Proprietary.

Best for: The first scan on any Windows PC.

Worth knowing: Windows only; central management needs a paid Microsoft product.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free

Windows only, with real-time protection and basic ransomware protection, requires a Bitdefender Central account. Mac, iOS and Android need paid plans.

Price: Free (Free for Windows with real-time protection and basic ransomware protection; VPN capped at 200 MB per device per day) (Bitdefender Antivirus Free pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Windows. Proprietary.

Best for: Light free protection after cleanup.

Avast Free Antivirus

Free antivirus for PC, Mac and mobile with some features behind paid plans. Check the vendor site for the current platform list.

Price: Free (Free antivirus for PC, Mac and mobile; some features need a paid plan) (Avast Free Antivirus pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Proprietary.

Best for: Cross-platform households.

Avira Free Security

Free antivirus plus password manager and a VPN capped at 500 MB a month, on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. Official page was blocked; details are from search snippets.

Price: Free (Free antivirus, password manager and VPN capped at 500 MB per month) (Avira Free Security pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Proprietary.

Best for: Cleanup plus a few free extras.

ClamAV

GPL-2.0 open-source scanner for Linux, Windows and macOS. Signature updates only, with no central console or behavioural detection.

Price: Free (ClamAV pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Linux, Windows, macOS. GPL-2.0 (open source).

Project activity: 7.5k GitHub stars · latest release clamav-1.5.4 (Aug 7, 2026) · last commit Oct 22, 2026

Best for: Linux servers and scripted scans.

Worth knowing: Scanner and signature updates only; no central console or behavioural EDR.

Which one to pick

• You suspect an infection and want a second scanner: Malwarebytes
• You run Windows and want zero downloads: Microsoft Defender Antivirus
• You want light protection to stay on afterwards: Bitdefender Antivirus Free
• You manage a Linux mail server: ClamAV
• You must clean a Mac and a PC: Avast Free Antivirus