These programs can help you to protect not only your device but your information, from hackers and scammers. There are various antivirus software programs available for the Linux Mint. Whether you are looking for a free software antivirus or willing to pay for a program we have covered the best antivirus for your Linux system.
Best Antiviruses for Linux Mint
Malware such as trojans and worms invade the Linux device and cause harm to your system. In order to protect your Linux devices from such viruses, you need a strong antivirus program. Some of the best programs for the Linux Mint are listed below:
1: Avast
Avast is the most popular and most used antivirus software for Linux Mint. It protects your Linux system from online threats. Some of the popular features offered by Avast software are:
- It scans all the files of the device and online files
- The software is automatically updated on regular basis to provide the protection against latest threats
- It prevents unauthorized access to your system
- It can be run through command line
The Pros and Cons of the Avast software are:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The background scanning is good | It consumes a lot of space |
| It has user-friendly interface | Slow the speed of the device |
| Advanced firewall protection and comes with useful features | It is not an open source |
2: Comodo
The other most demanded virus scanner for Linux based systems is Comodo. Below are key features of this tool:
- It provided security by checking the cloud files
- Protects the device from all upcoming threats
- It updates automatically to protect the device from new threats
The pros and cons of the Comodo tool are:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It provides impressive features | The protection from phishing is not too good |
| It comes with a secure browser | It slows down the system |
| It is an effective sandbox tool | It is a bit complicated |
3: ClamAV
It is the free and open-source tool for Linux based systems. It detects trojans, viruses, and malware. Below we have listed some features offered by ClamAV:
- It is easy to install and use tool
- Provides the work from the command line interface
- It Provides database updates
- Scans within archives and compressed files
- Update database multiple types in a day
Following are the pros and cons of the ClamAV:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It is free and open-source program | It offers the limited features as compared to other antiviruses |
| It is easy to use and customizable | It has the lower detection rate for some malware |
| It is compatible with almost every Linux distro | It affects the performance of system |
4: mcAfee
mcAfee antivirus is compatible with almost all devices and is available for the Linux. The features of mcAfee are written below:
- It provides the real-time protection against viruses
- It ran in the background and detect virus anytime they enter in the device
- It blocks new viruses using heuristic scanning
The pros and cons of the mcAfee are:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Firewall protection for hybrid networks | Random pops up of the software can be annoying |
| It user-friendly | Block the useful websites |
| Stays up to date | Take alot of time while scanning |
5: Sophos
Sophos is the powerful free Linux antivirus, some of the features of this tool are listed below:
- It provides the real time scanning of the directories in the Linux
- Users can scan the system at any time
- The software update automatically
- It is helpful for Linux users as it can be launch via command line
The Pros and Cons of the Sophos:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It is effective in removing the malware from the system | Consumes more memory and slows down the system |
| Easy to install and has a user-friendly interface | It does not offer protection against all types of malwares |
| It has a free version | Free version lacks advance features |
Comparison of Five Powerful Linux Antivirus
Below we have compared the features of the five powerful and best antivirus tools for Linux Mint:
| Antivirus Software | Avast | Comodo | Clam AV | McAfee | Sophos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supported Platforms | Linux, Windows, macOS | Linux, Windows | Linux, macOS | Linux, Windows, macOS | Linux, Windows, macOS |
| Price | Partially free | Partially | Free | Paid | Partially |
| Features | Real-time protection, malware scanning, firewall, email protection, web protection, Wi-Fi security scanner | Real-time protection, malware scanning, firewall, HIPS, sandboxing, cloud-based threat analysis | Malware scanning, command-line scanner, database updater | Real-time protection, malware scanning, firewall, web protection, email protection | Real-time protection, malware scanning, firewall, web protection, email protection, application control |
| User Interface | Modern and easy to use | Modern and easy to use | Command-line interface | Modern and easy to use | Modern and easy to use |
| Performance | Light on system resources | Can be resource-heavy | Light on system resources | Can be resource-heavy | Light on system resources |
| Detection Rate | Good | Good | Average | Good | Good |
| False Positives | Some reports of false positives | Some reports of false positives | Few reports of false positives | Some reports of false positives | Some reports of false positives |
| Customer Support | Good | Good | Limited | Good | Good |
Bottom Line
Linux is the most secure operating system; however, viruses and malware still attack the system. Having good antivirus software installed on your system provides an additional layer of security. There are several antivirus tools available for the Linux Mint, we have listed the top three most popular and widely used antivirus software. Choose the one according to your requirements.
