AV-Comparatives: Performance Test - April 2021

Chart: Comparison - AV-Comparatives

Full Article: Performance Test April 2021 - AV-Comparatives

trevo said:

As the report indicates, I've always found Windows Defender to have the most impact on performance, which is surprising considering it is part of the OS.

VERY surprising, it should be the lightest logically since it comes from the people who built the OS. the biggest problem with Windows Defender is it has no whitelisting feature. Modern AVs such as ESET NOD32, Kaspersky, Emsisoft Anti-Malware, once they scan a file, they put like a whitelist stamp on it so they don't need to keep scanning it every time UNLESS its digital file hash/ has changed. Windows Defender keeps scanning the files and entire contents of a folder upon every access.

I have a folder called software. In that folder, it has many subfolders of portable apps such as CCleaner, Tor browser, etc. I have set a custom icon for every folder to make them standout. If I had Windows Defender enabled, every time I access that folder, the icons start loading one at a time in slow motion despite me having a super fast laptop as you see in my specs and an SSD.

Additionally, installation of programs and launching them is significantly lower but many people don't even wanna bother trying other options just because this is built in and free. I would take Panda Free Antivirus any day of the week over Windows Defender.

Spartan said:

I would take Panda Free Antivirus any day of the week over Windows Defender.

I did, just to shut up Windows and disable Defender for real.
It is the lightest AV I know, only Forticlient Free comes close.

I don't care for AV Comparatives, Webroot's reputation, aside from my own lengthy history of using Webroot, has proven their test methods to be silly and inaccurate.

They don't seem have a very good understanding of Kaspersky either.