What are the best free antivirus to install on Linux? 2022 list

Although it is true, Linux is a free Unix POSIX-type operating system, which stands out for being based on a multi-platform, multi-user and multi-tasking solution. Since it resembles the famous Microsoft Windows, it has a large number of users around the world and well, more and more continue to be added.

However, as in all operating systems, these users are not exempt from contracting any type of virus or malware on their computer. For this reason, it is worth making use of an optimal antivirus for Linux And what better than finding completely free alternatives.

In this way, we want to let you know, through this post, the best antivirus options that you have to install on your computer that operates under Linux. Considering that, hackers love Linux to infect its users with viruses and malware; so it is appropriate to avoid it. In addition to this, we also indicate what are the main characteristics of an effective antivirus for such OS.

List of the best antivirus for Linux that you can install for free on your computer

Although it is not very common to hear someone say that their Linux machine has been infected with viruses or malware, the truth is that these computers are also vulnerable to these types of threats. For that reason, it is important that you download and install a good antivirus that you use constantly on your computer.

In this sense, We have compiled for you a total of 12 antivirus programs that exhibit excellent performance on Linux And best of all, they are totally free solutions.

Next, we detail each option with its particularities of greatest interest, also keeping in mind its main advantages and disadvantages:

bitdefender

At the top of the list, we place this powerful antivirus that was launched on the market in 2001 and since then, it has become one of the leading software in this industry. Therefore, it is compatible with Linux and also with Windows and Mac (on all operating systems offers a free trial). Which is based on analyzing files, email accounts and websites in real time.

Among its most important characteristics, we find that provides a fully customizable user interfacein a way that allows its customers to choose the level of simplicity or complexity to make use of this antivirus.

Thus, it allows for three interface views: essential (has the simplest set of options), intermediate (provides access to more options and functions) and expert (provides details to users about all software operations).

Advantage

• Provides a great anti-spyware and anti-phishing protection.
• offers a complete file scanning.
• It has the function of “rescue mode” which is responsible for placing the computer in a safe place, in case of disaster (rootkits, ransonware, viruses, Trojans, etc.).
• It includes technical support at all timesthat is, 24/7.
• can be executed directly from the command line.
• Count with one “portable mode” that allows you to save battery resources whenever your laptop is unplugged.
• You won’t have to configure absolutely nothing to get the most out of the software and it does not contain any alerts or pop-ups.

Disadvantages

• It is estimated as a short term solution. Since, it is no longer being supported.
• BitDefender provides results below par when it comes to detecting spyware and scareware, specifically. Considering that, during a test, it managed to detect only 77% of the scareware samples.
• various features are blocked behind a paywall. That is, behind a system that restricts access to content to users who do not have a paid subscription.

Clam AV

One of the most famous solutions for Linux computers, without a doubt, is this free open source antivirus which is still under active development. In this sense, it stands out for being a program with a simple graphical interface that has regular updates for virus definitions.

In addition to this, it offers options for schedule on-demand scans to quickly scan your computer for malware.

For its part, Clam AV supports command line interface scanning, offers email scanning and one of its best features is that it has support for a wide variety of file types (Such as: Office, PDF, ZIP, etc.). It should be noted that this program has been specially designed for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, BSD and others.

Advantage

• It is a software of easy installation (portable) and configuration. Therefore, it is estimated as an ideal alternative for the most beginner users.
• It works, perfectly fine, as a versatile and long-term solution.
• It is defined as an antivirus that not intrusive and this is precisely what is required when running such a program on a Linux machine.
• can detect around 350,000 viruses, worms and Trojansjust like programmed viruses.
• Supports platforms 32 and 64 bit.

Disadvantages

• It is not a resident virus and this means that it does not have the ability to constantly analyze your computer in real time.
• Clam AV does not have native GUIthough you can download your own.
• The engine is not financially backed by a user base with which to employ cybersecurity specialists to look for emerging threats in user-submitted code samples.
• Scheduled scanning can only be set depending on each unit.

Download Clam AV Linux

ClamTk

Although it is not an antivirus as such, it stands out as a good security solution for Linux users. In view of that, this is a “front end” graphic for Clam AV antivirus software. Which is fully designed to be an on-demand antivirus scanner for Linux-type systems, with the ability to scan individual files or directories.

In this sense, basically, ClamTK consists of a graphical interface that gives you the facility to carry out actions without the requirement to open the terminal. Thanks to this, it achieves excellent protection of your system and stands out as an ideal solution for those users who need a good antivirus, but do not want to use the command line (although it can also be run from the command line interface). ).

Advantage

• It is a very light tool and because of this, it does not consume many system resources.
• It is characterized by being extremely easy to use and manage on Linux systems.
• Its design allows it to function as an on-demand antivirus scanner Very powerful.
• It allows configure manual or automatic updates for ClamAV virus definitions.
• It is clearly gratuitous.

Disadvantages

• In Several times, some users of this tool have indicated that its scan engine can take a noticeable amount of time to output results. That is, this function becomes slow.

Download ClamTk Linux

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

It is an antivirus software developed by the company ESET of Slovakian origin and built exclusively for the Linux operating system. However, the product is also available for Windows, Mac OS X, Solaris, Novell, and FreeBSD. It even has versions for mobile devices, email servers, file servers, Gateway servers and a remote administration console.

For its part, this antivirus offers high capacity heuristic analysis with detection of viruses and other malicious code. In addition to this, with respect to its disk space, we note that the installer occupies a total of 6MB and on disk only 2MB. It should be noted that it provides automatic updates.

Advantage

• The malware detection rates it shows are exceptionally strong.
• Offers analytics very fast. Said increase in parsing speed is done by associative search using multilevel caching and low-level programming optimization.
• It has standard and advanced view.
• The memory consumption it exhibits is really small.
• In the event of an infringement, it guarantees the reconstruction of the most important critical areas of the system.
• It has the ability to work remotelyso it allows you to work with multiple servers located in various places.

Disadvantages

• Unfortunately, the program is locked behind a paywall after free trial.
• Compared to other antiviruses for Linux, ESET NOD32 is considered to be it lacks more options for its management.
• On some occasions, it presents certain problems for detect compressed files.
• It has support for few file formats (only ZIP, RAR and ACE).

Download ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4 Windows

Sophos

Another of the best solutions for Linux computers refers to this antivirus that is also compatible with other systems such as Windows, Mac OS X and Android. Among its most optimal characteristics, we find that it is between the best antivirus you can install and that gives you high malware detection based on heuristics.

Among other details, Sophos provides on-demand and real-time scanningshows the minimum impact on system performance because it is very light, has truly powerful functions and thanks to this, it guarantees complete protection against threats that may put your computer at risk.

Advantage

• Gives great protection against malware, worms and trojans.
• It has small files update.
• Offers the option of exclude certain files and directories.
• It is characterized by its administration simplified and automated. Reason why it reduces the administrative burden by automating the deployment of protection.
• Your scan engine it is high speed and its integrated technologies
• Intrusion prevention and instant cloud-based protection combine to detect new threats constantly.

Disadvantages

• His biggest problem is that, in certain cases, he himself recognized some of its own files as malware and delete them.
• Although it has an anti-ransomware feature, this is locked behind the paid version.
• It does not come with a built-in GUI.
• For some users, its configuration interface can be very complex.
• does not exhibit the ability to disinfect executables.

Download Sophos Windows

F-PROT Antivirus

It is an antivirus program that is based on a product with great ease of use, complete reliability and remarkable speed, in order to provide a powerful affordable antivirus solution. In this way, it has excellent characteristics that allow to obtain a complete protection against boot sector viruses and trojansespecially.

On the other hand, it is an alternative completely free that offers analysis on demand, as well as scheduled scans and, as if that were not enough, it has internal drive and driver support. It is appropriate to note that this software is also available for Microsoft Windows.

Advantage

• It is highly recommended because it is considered the program that more virus detects and removes with very reliable heuristics.
• Provides support for systems of both 32 as 64 bit.
• Sample a low impact about system performance.
• It has a portable facility.
• emits real-time protection against viruses.
• Have a complete directory of threats to scan.
• stays up to date to keep up to date with all the new viruses and malware that appear.

Disadvantages

• The connection and search options are very small and limited.
• Your user interface it’s not attractive at allsince it is very disorganized.
• This program is only suitable for computers that have at least 512 RAM.

Download F-PROT Antivirus Windows

Comodo Antivirus

It is an excellent alternative for Linux, thanks to the fact that it offers a real-time protection system and has a powerful engine for configuring on-demand and real-time analytics. Apart from being a completely free software, it also stands out as a highly qualified security tool for this operating system, as well as for Microsoft Windows.

It should be noted that, in addition to protecting you from the threats that the Internet keeps, it also provides other security modules and among the most relevant, we find protection against SPAM and phishing. On the other hand, Comodo Antivirus is compatible with a remarkable number of distros and hardware, and contains email filtering.

Advantage

• Guarantees regular updates for new virus definitions, if any.
• support for a wide variety of distrosincluding Ubuntu, Mint, Red Hat, and Fedora.
• It has support for systems 32 bit and 64 bit. This allows compatibility with older versions of hardware.
• It stands out for providing the same network security as paid programs, but for free.
• Manage to eliminate threats Instantly.
• Protects the machine from problems that may cause, in the future, malicious intrusions anywhere in the system.

Disadvantages

• Unfortunately, consumes a lot of resources in the system.
• Some experts estimate that threat detection is somewhat weaker than the competition.
• With Regarding the scanning of mails, the software it works very slow.
• Your uninstall becomes very complicated.

Download Comodo Antivirus Windows

Avast CoreSecurity

Due to its remarkable fame in Windows, this renowned antivirus followed this tradition in Linux and today, it is one of the security programs more employees in such operating system. Basically, it turns out to be quite an effective tool for prevent malware and spyware powerfully.

For its part, Avast Core Security is software that provides a test totally free for a certain time and delivers analysis on demand, it also ensures great protection in real time. In addition to this, among other features of interest, we highlight that said antivirus contains scanning programming, network security, can be executed on the command line and has a “Core Protection”.

Advantage

• It has regular updates to also be able to prevent the most new viruses.
• It has the ability to locate malware on dual boot systems with other operating systems.
• It has support for systems 32 and 64 bit.
• It also has support for a large number of distros (Like, for example: Ubuntu, Debian and Red Hat).
• toast an optimal heuristic; which is the technique used by antiviruses to recognize malicious code such as viruses, worms, Trojans, etc.

Disadvantages

• No guarantee ransomware protection.
• does not take care of clean browser or junk files of the computer.
• In some cases, this antivirus does not hide your IP address very well.
• Pitifully, has pop ups.

Download Avast Core Security Windows

McAfee VirusScan Enterprise for Linux

It refers to a solution that ensures remarkable real-time, always-on anti-malware protection for Linux environments. In such a way that, it can also be considered as an excellent alternative to install in said operating system in order to protect your integrity and that of your computer. Taking into account that, this antivirus program makes use of an exclusive analyzer that locates potential attacks on the system.

For its part, McAfee stands out for its simple and centralized management from the McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator console. Additionally, it employs a heuristic analysis that uses rules based on behavior to identify and block new variants of malware without the need to download signatures.

Advantage

• Compared to other antiviruses, the level of protection of this program it is clearly high.
• Ensures good performance in conjunction with all the tools it offerssuch as: Personal Firewall, Internet Security, Antispyware and many others.
• has a configuration easy to run and an interface fast handling.
• Contains built-in analysis of stored files, with the ability to detect and block threats effectively. Which protects you against malware more completely.
• Ensures a protection in real time.

Disadvantages

• reveals a high consumption of resources.
• With regard to applications, it fails to recognize them at a very high level in order to know which ones you should block and which ones you shouldn’t.
• Does not offer a way to save your preferences in terms of computer applications.
• On many occasions, the Personal Firewall tool exhibits incompatibility with LAN and proxy servers.

Download McAfee VirusScan Enterprise for Linux

Panda Security

It consists of another of the most recognized solutions to install on Linux computers in order to have greater protection against the constant viruses that hope to access the system and all your information. Mainly, this tool is based on the advanced cybersecurity with technologies suitable for the prevention of cybercrime.

Thus, a product created and designed by the Spanish company of the same name, which is responsible for providing solutions around computer security.

In the same way, taking into account its most interesting characteristics, we reveal that it has a patented TruPrevent technology that guarantees a set of proactive capabilities aimed at block unknown viruses. It also adds an automatic real-time detection, analysis and classification of malware. This, thanks to its Collective Intelligence model.

Advantage

• Show an interface very easy to use.
• This renowned antivirus has advanced heuristics.
• Thanks to has one of the largest databasesoffers the ability to clean a computer that has been infected with any type of virus for a long time.
• It is a tool that is kept up to date to provide excellent team security management.
• Can download updates 100%. Unlike almost all other antiviruses that only download a little more than 30%.
• It has technical assistance every day of the year and at all times.

Disadvantages

• Not a free solution at all. Well, it only offers you a free trial and once the estimated time has elapsed, you will have to choose to pay for one of its premium plans to continue using the software.
• the free version is very limited in terms of protection, connectivity between devices, account protection and personalized customer service.

Download Panda Security Windows

chkrootkit

This consists of a mechanism specialized in searching for rootkits, as its name indicates. Thus, it is appropriate to limit that rootkits are a set of software that allow continuous privilege access to a computer to hackers so that they access the system in a hidden way.

In this sense, Chkrootkit is characterized by being a free open source security tool which normally works from the command line. In addition to this, it can be used directly from a Live CD and one of its best features is that it is very light.

Advantage

• Add the backdoor and botnet detectionplus TinyNDS malicious detection and Linux.Xor.DDS malware scanning.
• It can be used directly from a “rescue disk”.
• Is considered a more advanced tool than the antivirus detailed above for Linux.

Disadvantages

• It must be executed with superuser permissions.
• It is not an antivirus program as suchbut it is a tool that only works on Linux.

Download Chkrootkit Linux

Rootkit Hunter

As well as the solution mentioned above, this is also a tool designed for Linux in order to detect low-level threats and even the most complicated ones to detect and eliminate. Thus, it is also based on the detection of rootkits on computers operating under this operating system.

Now, among its most relevant features, we find that Rootkit Hunter is written in Bourne Shell, it is compatible with the vast majority of UNIX-based systems and is portable as well. In addition to this, the present security tool makes use of the comparison of SHA-1 hashes in order to detect malicious entries.

Advantage

• Aside from rootkits, it also shows the ability to detect worms, exploits, malware hidden in the Linux Kernel itself Y rear doors in the system.
• It can be run from command line interface.
• It is a protection mechanism completely light.
• It is considered as a highly advanced tool with greater capacity than usual antiviruses.
• Get rid of threats from your computer without compromising its integrity.

Disadvantages

• are required superuser permissions in order to run this tool.

Download Rootkit Hunter Linux

What features should a good antivirus for Linux have? Is it worth using?

Now, in order for you to choose the best solution for your Linux computer in terms of antivirus, it is important that you know which are the most relevant characteristics to take into account when proceed to install such software.

In this way, below, we detail the most important particularities of all:

heuristic analysis

It is extremely important that the antivirus that you are going to select for your Linux computer, count with heuristic analysis or advanced heuristics. Since, this function is based on a technology designed to detect codes proactively, that is, without the prior requirement of having a specific signature.

Thanks to this, the antivirus program will be able to detect a malicious action quickly and it will block it instantly. Which means that the computer will be much more protected from any threat.

32-bit and 64-bit support

It is also of great interest that the antivirus to choose has support for 32 and 64 bit systems. Thanks to that, this will be of great help so that said software exhibits no incompatibility with older hardware versions and for this reason, if you have a somewhat obsolete computer, the program will continue to function optimally against viruses and malware.

It should consume few system resources

As the anti-virus software consumes less system resources, such as battery, memory or power, it will be a much more qualified option. Since this feature will allow the execution of the program to be much more efficient and at the same time, it will not affect the general functioning of the computer.

constant updates

Also focus on choosing an antivirus that offers the ability to stay updated Or, it can be constantly updated. Given that, only in this way, the program will be able to keep abreast of the new viruses implemented in the computer world and with this, it will develop the necessary tools to prevent these viruses from infecting the Linux system.

But, is it really necessary to use an antivirus for Linux?

On the other hand, since there are few known cases of a virus-infected Linux computer, its users have surely asked if it is really necessary to install such a program on their computer.

Well, given these doubts, we note that despite the fact that this operating system has a more robust database than others and is less vulnerableSimilarly, it is very important to have an antivirus solution.

This is basically because the number of cyber threats to Linux users is on the rise and therefore, the OS presents a certain degree of vulnerability when it is infected by any kind of virus. Taking into account that there are more and more threats in the world of computing.

On the other hand, in addition to shielding yourself against these threats with an excellent antivirus for Linux, we also recommend that you do responsible use of your computervisit secure websites, download truly reliable files, and keep your system and applications up-to-date at all times.