Member Avatar for charliebrooke

I'm using Windows Defender as full antivirus and Malwarebytes (Free version)

So far. I've never had viruses malware on my computers. I started doing this 2016-2017.

Are paid antivirus products not worth it now?

Back then i used to use Bitdefender and it was pretty good. It had a pretty good GUI and many other protection features.

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Short answer: for most home users today Microsoft Defender (built into Windows) plus good habits is a perfectly reasonable baseline, and using Malwarebytes as a second-opinion scanner is a common, effective setup. Independent labs have put Defender into the top cluster of products in recent consumer tests, so you’re not losing core detection by relying on the built-in engine. (av-test.org)

Clarifying the Malwarebytes side: the free Malwarebytes build is primarily an on‑demand scanner; Premium/paid builds add real‑time web/ransomware/exploit protection and other live shields. Using Malwarebytes free as a manual “second opinion” alongside Defender is a low‑cost, low‑complexity approach (what describes). If you want always‑on extra layers (browser blocking, exploit mitigation, ransomware remediation), consider Premium. (malwarebytes.com)

Practical tweaks based on the thread: the Explorer delay sees is usually Defender re‑scanning files on access (or cloud checks). To avoid repeated slow folder scans, add an exclusion for that folder or tune Defender’s settings; you can also ensure “Cloud‑delivered protection” and automatic sample submission are turned on so Defender relies on fast cloud verdicts rather than repeated local heuristics. If you prefer PowerShell for a one‑line exclusion, for example:

Set-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\Users\YourUser\Downloads"
Start-MpScan -ScanType QuickScan

Note: don’t run two full real‑time AV engines at once — it causes conflicts and slowdowns; Windows will also adjust Defender behavior if it detects another active AV. If you have users who torrent or deliberately disable security (as warned), that’s the most common reason even a top AV will fail. (support.microsoft.com)

When to pay: paid suites add convenience features (VPN, password manager, parental controls, identity services, central management) and sometimes slightly different detection/rollback tech — valuable for families, heavy downloaders, or small businesses. For low‑risk single‑PC users who keep Windows and browsers up to date, Defender + occasional Malwarebytes scans + backups/MFA/patching is a sensible, low‑cost posture (echoing ’s point about extra features in paid products). When picking a paid product, check current independent lab reports before buying — results and features shift year to year. (av-comparatives.org)

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Member Avatar for Reverend Jim

The last couple of reviews I read had Windows Defender (WD) rated as near the top with very little difference between WD and the top rated. I've been using WD exclusively on my computers and those of family members. We haven't had a single infection in three years or more.

Member Avatar for rproffitt

We changed to WD in 2015 and no infections so far. Now this doesn't work for a few that torrent apps and disable WD so if you have someone that pushes their luck then they will have issues no matter which antivirus system they use.

Member Avatar for Reverend Jim

My only complaint with WD is the time it takes to scan a folder in Explorer. How may times does WD have to scan my downloads folder before it is happy with the results? It would be nice if I didn't have to wait for 30-60 seconds to see my files with nothing to watch but a slowly advancing green progress bar. It doesn't do this every time but I have yet to determine what causes WD to decide a new scan is needed.

Edited by Reverend Jim
Member Avatar for gracelee

If you are using the windows defender you no need to worry for virus as we know it provides the same protection as other antivirus softwares but if you go for any other paid antivirus software you will get some extra features like internet security, clear cache etc .The only difference is that it provides you full package in one software.

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