I often get asked what I think the best antivirus program is.
That is a bit like asking what is the best icecream flavour. Then there is also the issue of which brand. I like Mooloo hokey pokey and Tip Top French Vanilla.
Often it is just a matter of preference, although there is also some truth in the old addage that you get what you pay for. A few years ago antivirus simply meant "anti virus", a program that detected viruses. Now days antivirus programs have all sorts of internet security features such as spyware and adware detectors and firewall features. Conversely, firewall programs are now detecting viruses.
If you have a new computer with fast processor and plenty of RAM, then you can probably protect yourself with anything and be happy. The problem is that many people like me are using an older computer and don't want something that is going to choke resources and make it run even slower.
Now I don't want to run product down, but many computers come with Symantec Norton Antivirus installed and a limited licence. Norton is not free. To keep it up to date costs money. It is a resource hugger and can be difficult to remove. Arguably one of the best pay for programs is NOD32. It is an effective antivirus tool and is light on resources.
There are several free options available and two of the more popular are AVG and Avast.