# Alternatives to ClamAV The open source scanning engine. ClamAV ranks #9 of 9 in Antivirus software, with an Alt Score of 46. It is licensed under GPL-2.0, free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 5 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/clamav/ Category: Antivirus software ## Where ClamAV stands out - **Ad-free experience** — 1 of 5 apps with a verified answer have this ## Overview - **Who it's for**: System administrators and developers who need to scan mail gateways, servers, endpoints, or file uploads for malware, particularly in Unix/Linux environments where an open-source, scriptable AV engine is preferred over commercial suites. - **What you get**: A multi-threaded scanning engine (clamd) plus command-line tools (clamscan, clamdscan) that detect viruses, trojans, and other malware across many file and archive formats, including unpacking nested archives for deeper inspection. Signature databases update automatically via freshclam. It's free, open-source, and maintained by Cisco Talos, with builds available for major operating systems. - **How it works**: ClamAV runs as a background daemon or command-line tool that scans files, directories, or mail streams against its signature database. freshclam periodically pulls updated virus definitions, and the engine flags or blocks content matching known malware signatures, commonly as part of a mail gateway or file-upload pipeline. ## Profile - **License**: GPL-2.0 (verified 2026-07-10) - **Pricing model**: Free (verified 2026-07-10) - **Starts at**: ? - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux - **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-10) ## Ranked alternatives | # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms | |---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------| | 1 | [Bitdefender](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/bitdefender.md) | 91 | ? | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | | 2 | [Avast](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/avast.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | | 3 | [ESET](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/eset.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android | | 4 | [Malwarebytes](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/malwarebytes.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | | 5 | [Microsoft Defender](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/microsoft-defender.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | | 6 | [Norton](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/norton.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | | 7 | [AVG](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/avg.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | | 8 | [Avira](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/avira.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/ ## Feature comparison Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified). | Antivirus software checklist | ClamAV | Bitdefender | Avast | ESET | Malwarebytes | Microsoft Defender | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | Free | Freemium | Freemium | Subscription | Freemium | Free | | Starts at | ? | $24.99/year | $49.99/year | ? | $59.99/year | ? | | License | GPL-2.0 | ? | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | | Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | | Independent lab scores (AV-TEST) | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Real-time protection | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Ransomware protection | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Performance impact | Partial | Yes | ? | Yes | Partial | Partial | | Free tier | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | | No data selling | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Web protection | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Cross-platform | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | | Firewall included | ? | Partial | Partial | Yes | ? | Yes | | Ad-free experience | Yes | Partial | Partial | ? | Partial | ? | ## Sources Sources for ClamAV. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **Pricing model**: Free — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “ClamAV® is an open-source (GPL) anti-virus engine used in a variety of situations, including email and web scanning, and endpoint security.” - **License**: GPL-2.0 — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 2, June 1991” - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “We offer a PKG installer for macOS. These are universal binaries built for Intel x86_64 and Apple M1 arm64 processors.” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “ClamAV 1.5.3” - **Real-time protection**: Partial — (verified 2026-07-10) - Note: On-access scanning via clamd/clamonacc; no consumer real-time GUI shield. - Quote: “On-Access Scanning is a form of real-time protection that uses ClamD to scan files when they're accessed.” - **Performance impact**: Partial — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Enabling Prevention mode will seriously impact performance if used on commonly accessed directories.” - **Free tier**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “ClamAV® is an open-source (GPL) anti-virus engine used in a variety of situations, including email and web scanning, and endpoint security.” - **Cross-platform**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “We offer a PKG installer for macOS. These are universal binaries built for Intel x86_64 and Apple M1 arm64 processors.” - **Ad-free experience**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Note: Free OSS; no ads. - Quote: “ClamAV® is an open-source (GPL) anti-virus engine used in a variety of situations, including email and web scanning, and endpoint security.” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/