We would like to tell you, there are almost zero virus scanners online. Most of which are only trial versions of paid software, many of them actually do nothing, and some of them are phishing sites that try to steal your data or persuade you to download malware.
Luckily, there are some really useful online cyber security tools, as well as some one-time downloads that can really help you clean up your computer.
There are two types of tools online :
- Vulnerability scanners that can ensure that the basic security of your software is up to date.
- Free downloadable virus scanners that can scan your entire computer for malware.
Personally, without installing high quality antivirus software does not turn on your computer even for a minute. Users on a budget can download the free version of Avira, or you can follow my recommendation for top antivirus software and choose any of the low-cost Norton 360 packages.
But if you need a quick answer to whether you are infected or not, these tools will help you.
Which is the best free online virus scan and remover ?
It depends on your needs. If you need something that is small and runs fast, then F-Secure Free Online Scanner might be the best online virus scan tool for you. If you need something like a Swiss army knife and does a lot of stuff, the EmsiSoft emergency kit is a great option.
If you’re concerned about things on your network beyond your device, TrendMicro HouseCall will do the trick. The point is, these options are all good and one of them will be the best fit for your needs.
Best Free Online Virus Scanners & Removers
Norton Power Eraser – Best Downloadable Virus Scanner & Virus Removal
Norton’s full-suite antivirus software is one of the best in the market. And Norton’s Power Eraser is a streamlined version of their antivirus scanner, offered as a free online download. It’s a complete and effective antivirus scanner – it detected several PUP and malware files during my testing, and it safely removed them all from my computer.
The software is minimal, so it is very easy to use. Once downloaded, it gives the option of either a full rootkit scan or 1 of 4 advanced scanning options :
Unwanted Application Scan – Scans all program files for PUP and offers to remove them from the system.
Reputation Scan – Scans specified folders for known malware files based on Norton’s malware database.
System Check – Scans only the operating system for vulnerabilities.
Multi – boot scan. Enhanced version of system scan for computers with multiple operating systems.
The rootkit scan takes about 90 minutes and we found 100% of the malware cached on our computer. And the Reputation Scan took only seconds to identify and remove malware in the personal folders we selected.
Features :
- Updates every time it runs
- Unwanted application scan
- Reputation scan for files and folders
- Full system scan
- Multi-boot scan for systems with multiple Windows operating systems
- Scan logging
- Rootkit scan
Safety Detectives Known Vulnerabilities Scanner — Free Online Scanner
When it comes to fully online cybersecurity tools, the SafetyDetectives Known Vulnerabilities Scanner is among the best. It’s a quick and secure way to find out if you have any unsafe programs running on your computer and if any of your programs need a security update.
The tool was developed with the support of the CVE database (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), the world’s largest database of known cyber security vulnerabilities. When a developer or cyber security researcher discovers a vulnerability in any program, they work first to develop a fix. After this potential threat has been eliminated, it gets reported to the CVE, so that any user can be aware of the vulnerabilities in their software — and download the update to patch up their security.
The SafetyDetectives vulnerability tool checks your browser and operating system settings against the CVE database, and it recommends fixes based on these vulnerabilities.
This tool is hosted entirely by the SafetyDetectives website, so there’s no need to download anything, and the scan completes in seconds. Most hackers exploit systems that aren’t up to date – the Known Vulnerabilities Scanner will make sure you are as secure as you can be, without downloading any software (though you should definitely have an antivirus installed).
ScanMyServer — Best Free Website and Server Scanning
ScanMyServer is different from the other products on this list — it’s a security tool that scans your website or server every week for vulnerabilities or security intrusions. There are a lot of great vulnerability scanning tools out there, but ScanMyServer is free and completely online — no download necessary.
If you are worried about the security of your website, ScanMyServer will scan your code for common vulnerabilities and send you a full report, usually within a few hours of testing. There’s a paid service for users with multiple sites, but for a single website, you can get a weekly report completely free.
Because it’s online-only, you don’t get the same user interface, custom settings, or detailed analytics that top vulnerability scanners like Mozilla Observatory or Qualys provide.
Bitdefender Virus Scanner for Mac — Scan macOS for Malware (Free Online Download)
Trust me — there are a growing number of hackers dedicated to creating new malware to invade macOS. If your Mac is experiencing slowdown, unwanted pop-ups, or security notifications, check out Bitdefender’s free Virus Scanner for Mac.
Virus Scanner for Mac is a simple but effective tool for detecting and removing viruses. I loaded my test Macbook with malware and PUPs, and the scanner detected every single one of them. It even turned up a few .dmg files that Avast had missed!
Virus Scanner for Mac has 3 different scans to choose from :
- Critical Locations Scan. This is a quick scan which checks the places where viruses usually try to hide out.
- Deep System Scan. This full system scan took about 30 minutes on my device.
- Custom Scan. Scans specific files or folders. I had it look through my downloads folder and my recent torrents.
F-Secure Free Online Scanner
F-Secure is another well-established name in antivirus. Their free online scanner is as simple as 1-2-3. Click on the Run Now button on their site, run the executable that gets downloaded, and the app will scan for, and remove, any viruses it finds. That’s it.
At the end of the process, there’s a link to download their free installable antivirus app, but you don’t have to do that. Delete the executable if you want it off of your computer.
Features :
- Simple virus scan and removal
- Quick scan
VirusTotal — Online Virus Scanner with Huge Malware Database, Also Scans Websites
VirusTotal is the best online-only virus scanner — no download required, and it’s totally free. Even better, every piece of malware and every predatory website scanned by VirusTotal gets shared with the global cybersecurity community — so by using it, you’re actually helping users around the world.
VirusTotal’s scanner is not the same as a typical antivirus software — it won’t scan through all of your files and folders, flagging PUPs and malware. That’s simply not something that’s possible for a website to do — if you want a full antivirus scan of your computer, you will need to download an antivirus.
What VirusTotal’s scanner does is much simpler: It scans any file or website that you enter into its online portal. The scan uses over 70 different malware and anti-phishing engines around the world — Microsoft, McAfee, Panda, Norton, and Comodo are just some of the companies that have volunteered their engines for VirusTotal’s scanner.
It’s really easy to use — just upload a file or copy-paste a web address into Virus Total, and the scanner will let you know if any of those 70 cyber security engines detect a threat.
I tested their scanner against several malware files, both new and old, and VirusTotal correctly flagged all of them. It won’t remove anything from your computer — if you want malware removal, you need to have some kind of antivirus or anti-malware software installed.
ESET’s Free Online Scanner
ESET’s free online scanner is a downloadable executable. The scanner does call back to ESET’s servers to get fresh virus definitions every time it’s run.
Features :
- Three levels of scanning : Full, Quick and Custom.
- Can be set to alert, quarantine or not quarantine suspected viruses.
- Can be set to do monthly virus scans if the executable is not deleted.