The best free antivirus: a comparison

Description: this posting will discuss which of the following three programs deserves the title of "best freeware antivirus program": Avira Antivir, Avast, or AVG.

My conclusion: all three are very worthy contenders that can hold their own or surpass any heavyweight for-pay antivirus; however Anitvir and Avast are definitely in the first tier, while AVG is a close second tier.

There's been a vigorous debate going on in the little "cbox" message box (in the sidebar) over which freeware antivirus program is best. This posting will explore this issue more closely. The objective is to go beyond the ubiquitous "I have used program x for y years now and it has kept me completely virus free" to a more substantial comparison.

from: http://www.freewaregenius.com/2009/04/07/the-best-free-antivirus-a-comparison/