Bitdefender Total Security 2012 Ultimate Silent Security

Norton AntiVirus 2012

Kaspersky Anti-Virus

Kaspersky Internet Security

Avira Free Antivirus

Features and support

Avast Free Antivirus

The bottom line: After the last version's radical new interface that brought this security stalwart into a visual comparison with its competitors, Avast looks to the future with version 6's edgy improvements.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2012

The bottom line: AVG Free 2012's renewed focus on performance keeps scans zippy, but struggles with slowing down your boot time and too many false positives.