The Best Malware Removal Tools of 2021

You’ll likely be familiar with many of the companies on our list. Adaware has been on the go since 1999, and its products are trusted in millions of homes and businesses across the globe.

Adaware has a range of options to help you protect your computer and network from malicious threats, but its malware removal and protection software is our real focus. There are three versions:

• Free
• Pro
• Total

All versions stop malware, ransomware, spyware, and various viruses. They also all offer download protection, which scans files before you download them to ensure they’re safe. The final feature all versions share is real-time protection. The instant malware appears on your system, Adaware Antivirus reacts accordingly.

The Pro and Total versions also include a vast selection of useful extras, including email protection, a digital file shredder, and (for Adaware Total) a suite of tools to clean and maintain your computer.

Avast also appears to offer a range of antivirus tools. It breaks down available software into security, privacy, and performance sections. However, every security option leads back to the free antivirus software. 

The program was once known as Avast Internet Security but is now part of Avast Premium Security. It’s part of an all-inclusive package tailored to protect all your devices against viruses, malware, and more.

Avast Premium Security scans websites for suspicious activity and redirects you if it finds anything amiss. It also protects you from remote access attacks (hackers) and, of course, viruses and malware.

There’s a slightly cheaper version that only covers one computer, but if you’re running a business, paying a little extra to install the malware removal software on another nine devices is recommended. Best of all, Avast Premium Security is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

Many of the best malware removal tools offer very similar features, so if a company offers something a little different, it's automatically interesting. AVG’s free virus scanner and malware removal tool has various security options similar to its peers that keep your devices clean.

It looks for outdated software, among other things. It’s easy to assume that malware only uses modern software to enter your system, but the truth is that hackers use any means necessary. Outdated software can create "back doors" in your system that AVG helps close off. 

AVG also protects your system 24/7, even if you’re not actively running the program. This can cause concerns about whether the program will act as a resource hog. Thankfully, AVG has a minimal impact on performance. 

The AVG virus scanner and malware removal tool is suitable for most operating systems, from Mac to Windows and mobile devices.

The best malware removal software typically acts as an all-in-one solution to remove viruses and stop cyber attacks. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, as it’s known, does all this and more.

It’s full of useful features, including:

• Phishing protection
• Secure VPN
• Multi-layer ransomware protection
• Low impact on device performance

We mentioned reports as one factor we looked at when compiling this list and Bitdefender ticks this box with its vulnerability assessment. This feature, once run, points out potential issues and how to solve them. From missing patches to outdated software, Bitdefender tells you what’s a security risk.

Bitdefender’s malware removal includes behavioral detection technology. In short, the software learns to recognize unusual and suspicious behavior on your system and automatically deals with it.

The software also blocks trackers, which seem relatively benign as they don’t actively interfere with your system. However, they’re just as dangerous as other malware since they send your private data back to a host. Bitdefender reports on this and lets you decide how to proceed.

Kaspersky offers several malware removal options suitable for home and office use. They include:

• Kaspersky Antivirus
• Kaspersky Internet Security
• Kaspersky Total Security
• Kaspersky Security Cloud Personal

All include malware removal and related features, but we’ll concentrate on the stand-alone antivirus software for now. It contains several things often overlooked by lesser malware removal programs.

One example of this is protection against the cryptolocker trojan. This is a virus that's hidden within a document or executable that, once opened, installs ransomware on your computer. It then encrypts your data and generates a "ransom note" asking for payment in cryptocurrency to decrypt everything.

It’s just one example of how insidious malware can be, which is why the best malware removal software offers a wide range of relevant tools to combat it. Aside from the aforementioned protection, it also incorporates triple-layer security and real-time monitoring.

The latter feature instantaneously detects and neutralizes any threats before they have a chance to infiltrate your system or network. It also protects against keyloggers, worms and rootkits — all common but dangerous examples of malware and viruses.

Possibly one of the most well-known names on our list, Malwarebytes is considered by many the best malware removal option around. Obviously, only you know what’s best for you, but we can objectively say it’s got a place on our list due to its excellent features. 

Malwarebytes states that it’s “cybersecurity that crushes what others don’t,” which is a bold claim but not unsubstantiated. The company has multiple versions of its software available for home/personal and business use across various operating systems.  

Whichever you choose, you’ll find real-time protection that stands above the rest by incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning, meaning the software can even identify emerging threats before they become known.

Malwarebytes malware removal also includes an all-new proprietary Katana Engine. This feature is capable of identifying threats and giving you more detailed reports on any issues found.

McAfee Virus Removal Service offers something a little different, as it isn’t software you download. Rather, one of McAfee’s security experts remotely accesses your computer and cleans it for you.

Otherwise, it works in pretty much the same way as other malware removal options on our list. A McAfee representative takes control of your device to find and remove any malware. They also apply any necessary security updates to your system. 

The main advantage of having an expert conduct live malware removal is you can chat with them as they do it. So if you’re not familiar with the removal procedure or want to know how a virus found its way onto your device, they can tell you whatever you want to know.

McAfee Virus Removal Service is ideal for anyone who either isn’t confident with running malware removal themselves or doesn’t have time to do it. The security expert who examines your device will leave McAfee Software and Virus Signature Update on your system to help keep it safe.

One caveat: Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) isn’t a typical antivirus program. Instead, it’s a post-infection tool. To be clear, this doesn’t make it any less useful than other entries on our list; it’s still one of the best malware removal options out there. 

Where other applications on our list remove but also prevent malware, MSRT just removes it. It also only targets active malicious threats, which typically include:

• Viruses
• Trojans
• Worms

What this means is that MSRT is a very niche malware removal tool, but a highly effective one. It has two scan functions, full and quick, which check all drives except mapped network ones. Once it identifies a threat, you’ll receive a notification and information on further steps (e.g., delete the affected files). 

The MSRT then sends relevant info back to Microsoft’s malware database for future MSRT updates.

Norton has been protecting computer systems with its signature antivirus software since 2006, but its Power Eraser is a brand-new tool with similar benefits.

It primarily features:

• Detection and removal of hidden malware
• Targeted scareware, rogueware, and scamware removal

Norton Power Eraser is more aggressive than most typical malware removal tools, and there’s a small chance it’ll flag legitimate programs as a risk. You’ll need to pay careful attention to the tool’s reports. 

While you need to download Norton Power Eraser to use it, it doesn’t require installing. This makes it one of the least invasive malware removal tools around.

Trend Micro, a lesser-known but no less worthwhile name in the world of cybersecurity, has various antivirus and internet security options available, but we’re going to focus on its HouseCall tool.

Trend Micro’s HouseCall offers a decent range of features, including:

• Fileless detection
• Smart scan
• Broad compatibility
• Enhanced cleanup

HouseCall can block malicious threats that hide outside files, lets you check and review scan results, and recover files, and it works across multiple devices and platforms.

Every entry on our list integrates with a computer’s system to offer full scans and detection, but compatibility issues sometimes arise. HouseCall uses a stand-alone browser-independent application to avoid any potential problems.

If HouseCall finds malware it has trouble removing, Trend Micro’s other products should help keep your device clean and safe. We’ve listed the prices below.