Panda Antivirus Review 2020

Panda antivirus offers a pricing scale for every budget, ranging from Panda free antivirus to what they term ‘premium’ Panda protections. Not surprisingly, the Panda free antivirus is not as easy to find on the Home Users page as the paid versions.

The first level of protection, Panda Free Antivirus, is offered at no cost, with a simple fast and – even better – anonymous sign up process. Coverage includes antivirus for PC and real time updates.

The Basic Protection program, at $19.99 / year, offers antivirus and Wi-Fi protection for Windows, Android and Mac, extending the protection beyond your PC to mobile and Mac devices.

The Complete Protection option, at $37.49 / year, adds data shield and backup, and parental controls to the other features provided in the free and basic programs.

The package called Complete Protection, at $52.49 / year, includes a much more extensive features list, including password manager, device optimization, smart control from a smartwatch and a feature that enables you to locate your laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Panda Premium Protection is the gold standard at $66.49 a year, and includes all Panda security features plus dedicated 24-hour technical support, and personalized services for premium users.

For an extra $5.59 a year, users can include an Android protection service that protects and optimizes your Android device. And, for $69.99 a year, you can download antivirus protection for Mac OS X that includes malware protection for iPhone, iPad and iTouch devices. This is a welcome addition, as the Panda free antivirus does not protect Mac devices, while the Panda Pro antivirus provides only limited Mac protection.

All packages come with a 30-day free, no obligation trial, and monthly payments that can be cancelled at any time. This Panda antivirus review must take note of the fact that it took some digging on the website to find more specific pricing and plan information. The Home User section is targeted to the less tech-savvy crowd and speaks in the language that your average home user can relate to, addressing such issues as online shopping, online bullying and parental protection for kids on the internet. It provides a good overview of how Panda antivirus can serve families, yet it wouldn’t hurt to have the available packages laid out more clearly and accessibly.

Panda antivirus software provides protection against viruses and Trojans, and offers full anti-spyware, anti-malware and anti-phishing protection. In addition, Panda Pro 2017 offers some extra tools, such as malware scanning and protection for USB drives, and a Rescue Kit to boot and scan a computer that has already been infected by a virus.

Panda antivirus scores well in virus detection tests carried out by our testers, although some tests have shown that the latest edition is not as highly rated as previous editions.

The beauty of Panda free antivirus and Panda Pro is the Panda cloud cleaner – the fact that the software resides in the cloud. Cloud processing eliminates the need for your computer to host heavy scanning and software updates that demand your computer’s processing and storage space. This reduces the effects of Panda antivirus software on your system performance. Having said that, tests on the latest Panda 2017 antivirus still show a moderate effect on system performance, even with the Panda cloud cleaner, which some reviewers find disappointing.

Panda Antivirus Detection and Removal Tools

Panda free antivirus and Panda Pro give you the option to set scheduled scans or scan manually at any time you like. It is recommended to set scheduled scans, so that Panda antivirus always remains on top of your antivirus protection needs, even if you forget to run a scan. Scheduling a scan is simple. Click on the Antivirus button on your main Panda window, and add a scan in the Scheduled scans section.

It is also very easy to keep up to date with the status of your scans and Panda antivirus protection by clicking on the Process Monitor tab. You can see a quick overview of the processes executed, threat levels, and blocked viruses or threats. This information is probably not of much interest to non tech-savvy home users, however it is helpful to have, and for home users with some experience, it is an excellent way to get an understanding your Panda antivirus protection status.

Panda free antivirus does not provide firewall protection but Panda Global Protection programs do. If you choose to go with the Panda free antivirus download, you’ll need to search for another firewall protection program that can give you that extra support or, for Windows users, utilize the firewall protection that comes standard in the OS. If you choose Panda Pro or other more advanced, pay-as-you-go Panda antivirus programs, you will be able to enjoy the Panda firewall protection. Firewall permissions are assigned automatically by Panda antivirus to the various applications on your computer. However they can be adjusted manually via the dashboard widget to meet your individual protection needs.

Downloading the Panda free antivirus software was simple and easy. It was virtually a one-click process. After installing the software, the program provides various prompts with recommended default settings that didn’t require much extra thought or effort on my part. Designed for average home users, the Panda antivirus set up interface is a friendly and inviting process, and no annoying error or warning messages appeared to make the process uncomfortable. If you don’t wish to have the Panda account page as your default browser home page, make sure to unclick the option during the set up process. Installation took only a few minutes, and then the system was up and running. It really was a reassuringly easy procedure. And the best part? For the Panda free antivirus download, there was no requirement to set up an account with myriad personal details. Just an activation email sent to my email address, and a polite request to enter my name if I wish. They asked so nicely, I was happy to oblige.

When it comes to user interface, Panda antivirus is up there with the very best. The main control screen is attractive, clear and easy to understand. It displays the number of files scanned in real time. Click on ‘My Protections” and you are shown a neat visual display of exactly what features you are using, and if they are turned on or off. The option to scan your computer is right there in front of you. Juts click on the Scan button and you’re given three options: the recommended option is a scan of Critical areas, including memory, currently running processes and cookies. It only takes a few minutes but gives real time detection of active viruses. The Full scan option is a comprehensive scan of the entire system, which can take up to a few hours. This is recommended to do from time to time. You can also choose a Custom scan, in which you can select the folders you want to scan. Noticeably with the Panda free antivirus download, the user interface is constantly providing opportunities to upgrade to Panda Pro. While it is a bit annoying, it is hardly unexpected for a free antivirus software, and is really not an important concern.

Panda antivirus offers a robust technical and customer support system, with options for email, telephone and online chat support. There is also an extensive help library and support forums available. Obviously, the Panda free antivirus system offers minimal support, with an email function with a promise to respond within 24 hours. Indeed, I sent a standard-issue question via Panda email support and received a suitable response in under 24 hours. There is also a telephone number for technical support between the hours of 9am to 6pm. For Panda premium users, the customer support network widens with 24/7 telephone support, 24/7/365 remote support and chat support, and even remote technical services such as basic tune-up and virus removal, and maintenance and repair of operating systems, common programs and mobile apps. While the Panda free antivirus download offers minimal basic level support, the options certainly improve with the premium Panda Pro antivirus offerings.