It provides real-time filesystem scanning, and is usually running in the background of your Windows server or VPS, unless specifically disabled.

Windows Defender is included by default with editions of Windows newer than Windows Server 2012 R2 / Windows 8. Works with Windows Server.ĭownload: Runners Up: Windows Defender & Microsoft Security Essentials The free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is easy to install on all versions of Windows, including Windows Server editions.

Malwarebytes is another trusted and long-standing program, and is specifically an anti-malware tool, which can be used alongside anti-virus applications. The Free Antivirus+ edition is a perpetual free version of the Antivirus. It works well with Windows Server editions, in addition to home versions of Windows. In addition to on-demand full scans, Immunet provides an unobtrusive real-time antivirus and quarantine that does not interfere with remote desktop (RDP), or with other antivirus programs.ĭespite its outdated interface (as of writing in 2017), all of these benefits result in our recommendation of Immunet as the best free anti-virus for Windows Server.Īd-Aware Free Antivirus+ is supported by a trusted security company (Lavasoft), and includes live file checking and web protection in addition to anti-virus and -malware scanning. In our tests, Immunet detected and removed threats more effectively than any other solution. It is based on Clamwin, the Windows port of renowned open-source antivirus ClamAV. Immunet is a free AV for Windows Server that utilizes real-time cloud analytics drawn from millions of end-users to provide cutting edge virus detection. We have installed and tested each one to ensure they are compatible with Windows Server. Below are our picks of the top free anti-virus programs for Windows Server editions. We recommend running an anti-virus/anti-malware application on all Windows machines, with Windows servers no exception.

Free anti malware programs