Download free antivirus for Windows 11
Avira’s award-winning antivirus secures your Windows 11 device and protects you from online threats.
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Enhanced security, privacy, and performance
Real-time antivirus protection
Protects you in real time against all types of malware and viruses. With an ever-growing database and over 10k new virus strains added daily, Avira Free Security protects you against emerging threats and the latest malware.
Avira Protection Cloud
Avira’s cloud-based technology provides industry-leading detection rates and enhanced protection against the most sophisticated threats, including ransomware, banking Trojans, and newly developed viruses.
More than just an antivirus
Avira Free Security includes a free VPN for secure and anonymous browsing, a password manager for securing your online accounts, driver & software updater, and much more. Explore all the features of Avira Free Security for Windows 11.
Award-winning technology that helps protect millions of users.
Security features in Windows 11
With Windows 11, Microsoft is focusing on security in response to rapidly evolving cyberthreats. Windows 11 requires newer CPUs and motherboards that can support advanced security features such as virtualization-based security (VBS), memory integrity or hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI), and Secure Boot. These features are turned on by default to increase protection against malware.
Virtualization-based security (VBS) is used to create and isolate a region of memory from the rest of the operating system so processes can run in a secure and controlled environment, called "virtual secure mode". Even if the system gets infected with malware, the malware can be contained and its damaging effects reduced.
Hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI), better known as memory integrity, is a virtualization feature that verifies the integrity of the code running in the Windows kernel. It prevents malicious code from running and helps users protect themselves from exploits.
Secure Boot, Trusted Boot, and Measured Boot prevent unauthorized software from running by checking the software loaded during the boot sequence. These features are crucial for preventing rootkits — a type of malware that typically loads at startup, bypassing operating system security.
Windows Defender vs. Avira Free Security
In addition to the hardware-based security features, the latest Windows release comes with Windows Defender built-in for basic malware protection. However, with new malware being developed each day, relying on the built-in security features is not enough to keep your device and data secure.
Specialized antivirus solutions have better Malware Scanners and are updated more frequently. With less frequent updates, Windows Defender might miss some of the latest viruses. With specialized antivirus software, such as Avira Free Security for Windows, you have an additional layer of protection against malware and viruses — plus you get a lot of extra features in addition to the antivirus:
Free VPN (with up to 1GB of data per month) for safe and anonymous browsing
Password Manager for generating and storing unbreakable passwords for all your accounts
Software & driver updater for updating outdated apps and drivers
Browser safety ad-on for blocking ads and preventing tracking
File shredder for deleting files permanently
System privacy settings for improving your system’s privacy
Duplicate file finder & cleaner for freeing up storage space
“Avira’s cloud-based Malware Scanner performed really well during my tests, detecting 100% of the malware sample files on my device — far better than Windows Defender.” (SafetyDetectives)
FAQ
Installing an antivirus in addition to Windows Defender is highly recommended. Specialized antivirus solutions, such as Avira Free Security, have more powerful virus scan engines, larger malware databases, and receive updates more frequently compared to Windows Defender. Windows Defender is a good solution for basic protection against viruses, but the rapidly evolving cyberthreat landscape makes it necessary to have an additional layer of protection.
Avira Free Security for Windows is a powerful antivirus solution packed with extra features such as a free VPN, password manager, software & driver updater, and more. It has been ranked the best free Windows antivirus software by SafetyDetectives and it has received multiple awards for its protection capabilities, usability, and performance. Avira’s cloud-based Malware Scanner provides reliable real-time detection, achieving 99.99% detection rates, and its efficient use of resources does not slow down your PC.
To upgrade to Windows 11, your Windows device needs to meet these requirements:
CPU: x86_64 or ARM64 CPU with at least two cores and 1 GHz
RAM: minimum 4GB of RAM
Storage: minimum 64GB, preferably at least 128GB
Graphics: compatible with DX12 or later, with WDDM 2.0 driver
Firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable
TPM: Trusted Platform Module 2.0
Display: 720p minimum resolution, 8 bits per color channel or higher
Download Avira Free Security from our website, open the .exe file, then follow the installation instructions. In just a few minutes, you will be able to run your first smart scan to check for security, privacy, and performance issues. We recommend that you create a My Avira Account to enjoy additional VPN data, extra features for Password Manager, and more.
Windows Defender does not conflict with other antivirus software. However, to ensure your system’s performance is not affected by running multiple security programs, you should enable real-time protection only for one of them. You can temporarily disable the real-time protection in Windows Defender in the "Virus & Threat Protection" section of Windows Security if you have another antivirus software installed.
