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.
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.
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.
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.
Where ClamAV stands out
Verified capabilities most alternatives don't have.
Why people leave ClamAV
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
How ClamAV compares with its alternatives, feature by feature.
| Antivirus software checklist | ClamAV | Bitdefender | Avast | ESET | Malwarebytes | Microsoft Defender |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| No data selling | ||||||
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| Ad-free experience |
Every fact and feature listed for ClamAV is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-10
ClamAV® is an open-source (GPL) anti-virus engine used in a variety of situations, including email and web scanning, and endpoint security.
https://www.clamav.net/about -
License GPL-2.0 verified 2026-07-10
GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 2, June 1991
https://github.com/Cisco-Talos/clamav/blob/main/COPYING.txt -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux verified 2026-07-10
We offer a PKG installer for macOS. These are universal binaries built for Intel x86_64 and Apple M1 arm64 processors.
https://docs.clamav.net/manual/Installing.html -
Status active verified 2026-07-10
ClamAV 1.5.3
https://github.com/Cisco-Talos/clamav/releases -
Real-time protection Partial verified 2026-07-10
On-access scanning via clamd/clamonacc; no consumer real-time GUI shield.
On-Access Scanning is a form of real-time protection that uses ClamD to scan files when they're accessed.
https://docs.clamav.net/manual/Usage/Scanning.html -
Performance impact Partial verified 2026-07-10
Enabling Prevention mode will seriously impact performance if used on commonly accessed directories.
https://docs.clamav.net/manual/Usage/Scanning.html -
Free tier Yes verified 2026-07-10
ClamAV® is an open-source (GPL) anti-virus engine used in a variety of situations, including email and web scanning, and endpoint security.
https://www.clamav.net/about -
Cross-platform Yes verified 2026-07-10
We offer a PKG installer for macOS. These are universal binaries built for Intel x86_64 and Apple M1 arm64 processors.
https://docs.clamav.net/manual/Installing.html -
Ad-free experience Yes verified 2026-07-10
Free OSS; no ads.
ClamAV® is an open-source (GPL) anti-virus engine used in a variety of situations, including email and web scanning, and endpoint security.
https://www.clamav.net/about
FAQ
Yes. Bitdefender, Avast and Malwarebytes have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.