An antivirus can combat these threats, whether to protect against malicious software from being downloaded when installing mods or to prevent phishing attacks targeting gaming platforms. The trouble is that very few free antivirus programs for gaming exist. Moreover, even fewer provide sufficient protection while remaining lightweight enough not to slow down your gaming rig.
In this post, we’ve looked for free antivirus tools that offer lightweight software with minimal performance impact so you can continue gaming as normal. We’ve also tried to find gamer-friendly features, such as the option to silence notifications and pause updates during gaming sessions. We’ll also explain how you can get set up and provide tips for keeping your gaming PC safe and optimized for the best possible performance. If you’re in a hurry, check out our shortlist below, or stick around for the in-depth reviews.
Best free antivirus for gaming computers:
- Bitdefender Free Antivirus: Best free antivirus for gamers. Lightweight enough that it doesn’t slow your system when gaming. Unique in that it provides live customer support and lets you use it on 3 devices.
- Malwarebytes Free: Highly adept at detecting and removing stubborn malware, but lacks real-time protection. Light, user-friendly, and compatible with other antiviruses.
- Avast Free Antivirus: Provides real-time protection and no shortage of extras. Silent mode for turning off notifications when gaming. Scores very well in performance tests.
- Avira Free Antivirus: Features a game mode for minimizing interruptions. Stands out for its extras which include a password manager and VPN. Excellent, easy-to-use apps.
- AVG Antivirus Free: This was one of the stronger performers in testing, with little system impact. It is a beginner-friendly app that features useful tools such as a file scanner.
Criteria for the best free antivirus for gamers
When looking for the best free antivirus for gamers, we’re trying to balance sufficient protection from threats while being lightweight enough for optimal performance. To separate the many options available, we selected those that fulfill the following criteria:
- Strong virus and malware protection
- Lightweight with minimal slowdown
- Gaming mode or silent notifications
- Receives frequent updates
- User-friendly interface
We go into more detail about our testing criteria later in our methodology section.
Best free antivirus for gamers
Here’s our list of the best free antivirus programs for gamers:
1. Bitdefender Antivirus Free
Bitdefender Antivirus Free might not have a dedicated gaming mode, but it is lightweight enough that it won’t slow down your gaming. It operates quietly in the background and doesn’t consume significant resources. With it, you can expect real-time protection, safeguarding you from various threats, be viruses, ransomware, or trojans. Bitdefender Antivirus Free is one of only a few free antivirus programs, including live customer support.
This is one of the least intrusive free antivirus tools, only alerting you to threats when necessary. Scans are customizable, so you can set them for when you’re not gaming, allowing you to play with optimal performance. Bitdefender Antivirus performed well in our testing, from protection to performance. This is further reinforced by its numerous awards in the same categories from AV-Comparatives.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free can be downloaded for Windows, Android, and Mac.
Pros:
- Lightweight so it doesn’t slow gaming
- Offers live customer support
- Use it on up to 3 of your devices
Cons:
- There’s no dedicated gaming mode
BEST FREE ANTIVIRUS FOR GAMERS:Bitdefender Antivirus Free protects you from malware yet remains lightweight as well as easy to use. Unusually for a free antivirus, it offers live customer support. You can use it to secure your gaming PC and two more devices.
Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus review.
2. Malwarebytes Free
Malwarebytes Free differs from Microsoft Defender Antivirus and other antiviruses because it doesn’t offer real-time protection. Despite this, it’s an excellent free tool for detecting and removing malware such as spyware, adware, and ransomware. The free version only allows for on-demand scans, which makes it a lightweight solution for gamers. It doesn’t run in the background or consume resources while gaming, which can help improve performance.
Another advantage of Malwarebytes Free is that it won’t interrupt your gaming sessions with ads or notifications. This is not something that can be said of all free antivirus programs. By pairing Malwarebytes Free with Microsoft Defender Antivirus and its real-time protection, you can have strong, layered security for your PC without significantly impacting gaming performance. They’re both lightweight and won’t be competing for resources in real-time.
Malwarebytes Free provides apps for Windows, Mac, and Android. The iOS app is limited to blocking ads and spam calls.
Pros:
- Strong malware detection
- Very fast scans
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Lacks real-time protection
EXCELLENT MALWARE DETECTION:Malwarebytes Free excels when it comes to detecting different types of malware. Although it lacks real-time protection, it can be paired with another antivirus such as Microsoft Defender Antivirus. Beginner-friendly app.
Read our full Malwarebytes Antivirus review.
3. Avast Free Antivirus
Avast Free Antivirus offers an impressive set of features for a free antivirus. Aside from real-time protection, Behavior Shield notifies you of suspicious app activity, and File Shield scans any files you download or open. Its silent mode turns off notifications when you don’t want your gameplay interrupted.
You’re also protected by Avast’s web and mail shields and its Ransomware Shield – something that not too many free antivirus providers offer. We awarded Avast perfect protection and performance scores in our most recent tests. As such, you can expect to secure your PC without slowing it down. Independent testing labs further corroborate this. Avast Free Antivirus is consistently a top antivirus product as recommended by AV-Test.
You can download Avast Free Antivirus for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.
Pros:
- Packed with features
- Impressive testing score
- Beginner-friendly apps
Cons:
- Notification-heavy outside of silent mode
INCLUDES SILENT MODE:Avast Free Antivirus has a silent (gaming) mode for disabling annoying notifications when you want to play interruption-free. Lots of extras including a firewall and scores very highly for both performance and protection, making it ideal for gamers.
Read our full Avast Antivirus review.
4. Avira Free Antivirus
Avira Free Antivirus has a handy game mode feature that detects when you’re playing and delays updates and scans to minimize interruptions. Moreover, AV-Comparatives has consistently recognized Avira Free Antivirus for its lightweight design and awarded it top performance scores.
Aside from real-time protection, Avira Free Antivirus has several extras, including a VPN (albeit limited to 500 MB of data a month), a password manager, and even tune-up tools for optimizing your Windows PC. The latter, of course, is particularly useful if you want the best possible gaming performance. The Avira Free Antivirus app sports a clean UI, separated into key categories such as Security, Performance, and Privacy, for quick and easy navigation.
It’s possible to download Avira Free Antivirus for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.
Pros:
- Extras including a password manager
- Comprehensive protection including from ransomware
- Lightweight design for gaming
Cons:
- Tiny VPN data allowance
INTRIGUING EXTRAS:Avira Free Antivirus includes a password manager, VPN, and even PC optimization tools. Offers a high level of protection from threats such as viruses and ransomware. Impressive independent testing lab scores.
Read our full Avira Antivirus review.
5. AVG Antivirus Free
AVG Antivirus Free is one of the top performers in AV-Comparatives’ regular performance tests. It has minimal impact on installing and launching applications, downloading files, and everyday browsing, making it a highly suitable antivirus for gaming. Its perfect score in our in-depth performance testing further supports that it’s one of the best free antivirus programs.
AVG Antivirus Free couldn’t be easier to use. The interface and tools are clearly laid out, so you can spend time gaming rather than finding your way around. Several extras are included despite it being a free antivirus. For example, its Behavior Shield warns you of any suspicious app behavior. There’s also File Shield, which scans any files you add to or open on your PC. It’s just enough without feeling overwhelming.
Download it for Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS to use AVG Antivirus Free.
Pros:
- Minimal system impact
- Easy to navigate
- Some useful extras
Cons:
- Only covers one device
LOW SYSTEM IMPACT:AVG Antivirus Free won’t put a strain on your system, allowing you to play games while still being protected. User-friendly with features including file scanning. Blocks a wide range of threats and is a top performer in independent lab tests.
Read our full AVG Antivirus review.
How we found the best free antivirus for gamers: Our testing methodology
We’ve already compiled a list of the best free antivirus programs. That doesn’t necessarily make them the best free antiviruses for gamers, though. When looking for the best free antivirus for gamers, we emphasize performance. After all, an antivirus is not good for gaming if it doesn’t allow you to play games.
Our antivirus testing methodology sees us examine every aspect of an antivirus, from its ability to detect and remove malware to its independent testing lab results. Of course, we adjust it accordingly based on specific use cases. Below, we explain what we were looking for in a free antivirus for gaming:
- Ability to detect and remove malware: The ability to detect and remove malware is a critical factor for any antivirus, free or paid. Real-time detection is part of this because it ensures threats are quickly identified and removed before they can damage your system.
- Minimal system impact: We look at the antivirus’s CPU and memory consumption when idle and during scans to get an idea of its impact on your system. Of course, we want to make sure that the antivirus software isn’t slowing down gaming sessions, so we prioritize lightweight, free antivirus software.
- Gaming mode or silent mode: Having a gaming mode or silent mode is very important if you want to enjoy uninterrupted gaming sessions. This should silence notifications such as pop-ups during gameplay. A gaming mode may also pause background tasks such as scheduled scans and updates.
- Ease of use: You probably want straightforward protection without complicated setup so you can get on with gaming. The best free antiviruses for gamers have a simple installation process and a user-friendly interface. We also look for automatic updates and alerts that clearly explain any issues and recommended actions.
- Frequent updates: Regular updates protect you and your gaming rig from the latest threats. We’ve specifically selected antivirus providers that frequently update their virus definitions. The ability to automatically download and install updates is also important for updated protection.
- Additional features: When comparing the best free antivirus programs for gaming, it’s worth evaluating additional features which can add extra value and improve your protection. This may be a firewall, a VPN (albeit likely with limited data), or even customer support. The presence of a particular feature might help you reach a decision.
You can find out more about how we analyze antivirus software in our antivirus testing methodology post. This post details our process for assessing everything from protection and performance to pricing.
How to use a free antivirus for gaming
Here’s how to use a free antivirus for gaming:
- As listed above, choose one of the best free antivirus programs for gamers. We particularly recommend Microsoft Defender Antivirus.
- Download and install the free antivirus from the provider’s official website, making sure it’s the correct version for your device’s operating system.
- Open the antivirus app and perform a full scan to detect and remove any existing threats on your gaming device.
- If available, turn on the antivirus program’s gaming or silent mode to prevent interruptions during your gaming session.
- Whitelist trusted gaming platforms such as Steam to prevent false positives and unnecessary interruptions.
- Set up regular scans during hours when you’re not gaming so that you can maintain protection without sacrificing performance.
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Free antivirus for gaming: FAQs
Do I need an antivirus for a gaming PC?
It’s a good idea to have an antivirus on your PC regardless of whether you use it for gaming. This ensures you’re protected from malware when downloading games and mods. Gamers can be targets of phishing attacks, particularly on popular platforms such as Steam and Epic Games. The best free antivirus for gaming offers real-time protection and safeguards you from phishing attempts, ensuring in-game purchases and passwords are kept safe.
Will a free antivirus slow down my gaming?
Antivirus programs, both free and paid, consume system resources, particularly during full scans and updates. This can of course impact your gaming performance. That’s why it’s a good idea to choose a lightweight antivirus. Schedule any scans and updates for when you’re not gaming. Finally, make use of the gaming mode or silent mode that suspends background activities and notifications during gameplay.
What features should I look for in a free antivirus for gaming?
If you’re choosing a free antivirus for gaming, there are a few specific features to look out for. First, you’ll want a free antivirus that has a minimal impact on your PC’s CPU and memory so you don’t bog down the system while gaming. A gaming mode or silent mode can help prevent interruptions. Real-time protection is also important as it can keep you safe without having to perform manual scans.
Do free antivirus programs work with gaming platforms?
Yes, the free antivirus programs covered work with popular gaming platforms, including Steam, Origin, and Epic Games. However, you can whitelist platforms and game files within your antivirus settings. If you do notice any slowdown when using your antivirus program with one of these platforms, you may want to delay any updates or scans until after you’ve finished playing so your gaming rig’s performance isn’t negatively impacted.