In certain instances, we may earn revenue when a reader makes a purchase or completes a form through our pages or on a partner’s website. We adhere to a strict While Linux is often regarded as a secure operating system, it’s not immune to malware threats, and having a good Linux antivirus is wise. Vulnerabilities exist within various Linux applications and extensions, providing multiple pathways for potential infections. Notably, high-profile incidents, such as the attack on Linux-based IoT devices in the Mirai botnet outbreak, demonstrate how deeply malicious actors can penetrate systems, even reaching firmware levels.
To lessen these risks, the best Linux antivirus software offers comprehensive malware protection, ensuring your device’s security. However, not all antiviruses are suitable for Linux OS. Therefore, I have rigorously tested and compared the best antiviruses for Linux regarding their malware detection rates, impact on performance, additional security features, and overall value for money.
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The Top 5 Linux Antivirus Programs Ranked
- Bitdefender – Best Linux antivirus overall
- NordVPN Threat Protection – Best Linux antivirus for privacy
- Avast – Best small business Linux antivirus
- Trend Micro – Robust antivirus for Linux servers
- ESET – Best Linux antivirus for enterprise
Does Linux Need Antivirus?
Just like Windows, Linux systems are targeted with ransomware and phishing attacks. And given that many critical systems run on Linux devices, they can be particularly rich targets for hackers looking to infiltrate businesses and institutional systems. In addition, while some distros have built-in security features, there’s no fully fledged equivalent to Windows Defender.
Because of this, Linux users are advised to get antivirus software, especially for commercial systems and networks and when dealing with sensitive files.
The Best Linux Antivirus Programs Reviewed
Here are my in-depth reviews of the best Linux antivirus solutions. I picked the top five providers based on thorough, hands-on testing following our rigorous assessment methodology so you can see how they compare and choose the best antivirus software solution for your needs.
1. Bitdefender – Best Linux Antivirus Overall
| Starting Price | $1.26/user/month |
|---|---|
| Key Features | Fileless Malware Protection, Network Defenses, Anti-Exploit Features |
| Linux Support | Business, Enterprise, Servers |
| Free Version / Trial | 30-day guarantee, 30-day trial |
Why We Picked It
The Bitdefender Linux antivirus packages stand out for their comprehensive but intuitive features and offer excellent threat prevention and advanced network protection.
Bitdefender supports a wide range of major Linux distros, including Ubuntu, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora, Oracle Linux, and Amazon Linux. I rate it as the best Linux antivirus on the market today.
Features
- Anti-Exploit and Fileless Malware Protection – Bitdefender can detect and block even the most sophisticated malware – including fileless and zero-day threats – by leveraging machine learning. In my tests, I found it was able to consistently address memory corruption vulnerabilities involving custom exploits.
- Network Attack Defense (NAD) – This OS-independent feature is designed to inspect payloads, network packets, and headers by monitoring network traffic, allowing Bitdefender to block network-based attacks. The system uses behavioral analysis to counter malware that has never previously been observed.
- Anti-Malware Scans – Linux users can use Bitdefender to fully or partially scan their devices for various types of malware, including rootkits and Trojans. The antivirus matches its findings against its security database and leverages its heuristic engine to detect emerging threats – which I found to be highly effective in my testing.
Pricing
Bitdefender offers several scalable plans, with the cheapest Linux-compatible option being its GravityZone Small Business Security plan. This can protect up to 100 devices and costs $1.26/user/month with a three-year subscription per device with a five-device minimum.
Upgrading to the GravityZone Business Security plan ($1.73/user/month) gets you NAD and other advanced features, making it the best choice for small to medium-sized businesses based on my assessments.
You can test Bitdefender’s capabilities with its 30-day trial and the 30-day money-back guarantee with each plan.
Who It’s Best For
Bitdefender provides the most comprehensive antivirus protection for Linux devices and servers. This makes it an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes, including enterprises.
For more information, read our Bitdefender review.
Pros
- Real-time and on-demand malware protection
- Detects zero-day and fileless attacks
- Superb performance against unknown and custom malware
- Great web protection features
- Excellent for hybrid work environments
Cons
- Expensive add-ons
- Some learning curve for home users
2. NordVPN Threat Protection – Best Linux Antivirus for Privacy
| Starting Price | $2.99/month |
|---|---|
| Key Features | VPN, Web Protection, Ad Blocker |
| Linux Support | Home |
| Free Version / Trial | 30-day guarantee |
Why We Picked It
NordVPN Threat Protection is a lightweight antivirus for Linux that comes with numerous privacy-oriented features, including one of the best VPNs for Linux.
Features
- Web Protection – NordVPN Threat Protection offers a DNS filtering feature that blocks the IP addresses of malicious websites before they can load on your Linux PC, protecting your device and shielding your privacy. The provider’s advanced browsing protection features also help prevent you from falling victim to phishing attacks.
- Ad Blocker – The provider prevents ads and third-party trackers from loading, improving your privacy and security online and blocking adware. I noticed a sharp drop in pop-up ads and tracking scripts while browsing the web during my testing, which resulted in improvements in browsing speed.
- Integrated VPN – Connecting to one of the provider’s 6,700+ VPN servers also helps protect your data from being intercepted, as NordVPN uses AES-256 encryption and masks your IP address to keep your browsing activities anonymous. A VPN connection is required for Threat Protection on Linux, but I noticed nearly no change in connection speed while using it.
Pricing
NordVPN Threat Protection is available with NordVPN’s Basic plan, which costs $2.99/month for two years and protects up to 10 devices.
For advanced protection, however, I recommend the Complete plan. It adds one of the best Linux password managers and 1TB of encrypted cloud storage for $4.89/month with a two-year subscription.
There’s no free trial for Linux users, but NordVPN does have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Who It’s Best For
NordVPN Threat Protection offers the best tools for users looking to enhance their privacy while browsing and minimize the risk of online threats harming their Linux devices.
Find out more in our NordVPN Threat Protection review.
Pros
- Minimal impact on device performance
- Blocks intrusive ads
- VPN servers in 111 countries
- User-friendly interface
- Affordable combined service
Cons
- Can’t scan drives
- No free trial for Linux users
3. Avast – Best Small Business Linux Antivirus
| Starting Price | $13.33/month |
|---|---|
| Key Features | Real-Time Updates, Command-Line Scanner, File Server Shield |
| Linux Support | Business, Servers |
| Free Version / Trial | 30-day guarantee (30-day trial for Avast Ultimate Business Security) |
Why We Picked It
Avast offers the most user-friendly Linux antivirus I’ve tested this year. It’s a perfect fit for small businesses looking to protect their data without interruptions to their workflow. It also supports several Linux distros, including Ubuntu, Red Hat, and Debian, and both 32- and 64-bit systems.
Features
- Command-Line Scanner – Avast antivirus offers real-time malware protection for Linux endpoints and a system-wide scanning tool that excels at identifying and eliminating threats. I found the command-line scanner especially useful, as it’s made with Linux users in mind and gives you greater control over scan parameters, making it ideal for small businesses looking for efficiency.
- Streaming Updates – Avast relies on its constantly updated malware database to detect common and emerging threats. Enabling the Streaming Updates feature will establish a permanent connection between your devices and Avast’s cloud, ensuring you’re protected even from the very latest cyber threats.
- File Server Shield – Avast offers robust protection for Linux-based file servers, which often have a central role for small businesses that manage and share files across their networks. It scans files in real-time as they’re accessed and used to protect your company’s data, regardless of whether the threat originates from Linux or Windows environments.
Pricing
Avast Business Antivirus for Linux is Avast’s Linux-focused plan. It costs $13.33/month for a single device for a three-year subscription, with lower prices when subscribing for larger numbers of devices. The plan is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit devices running Linux distros, including Red Hat, Debian, and Ubuntu.
There’s no free trial for the Linux anti-virus plan, but there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Who It’s Best For
Avast Business Antivirus for Linux is ideal for small businesses seeking a solution to detect threats in mixed-OS environments and is optimized for streamlined, CLI-based operations.
Find out more in our Avast antivirus review.
Pros
- Real-time database updates
- Compatible with various Linux distros
- Comprehensive file server protection
- Customizable scanning options
Cons
- Relatively expensive
- Limits on scalability
4. Trend Micro – Robust Antivirus for Linux Servers
| Starting Price | Custom quote |
|---|---|
| Key Features | Advanced Malware Protection, Apex Central, Multi-Threaded Scanning Engine |
| Linux Support | Servers, Enterprise |
| Free Version / Trial | 30-day money-back guarantee, 30-day trial |
Why We Picked It
Trend Micro is the best Linux server antivirus for businesses that require continuous, robust protection while maintaining optimal server performance.
Features
- Apex Central – Trend Micro’s control panel, Apex Central, impressed me with its intuitive and user-friendly interface, offering a unified view of security events and incidents across all the Linux servers on your network. The package includes automatic component updates and streamlined response actions, letting you start detailed incident investigations and create automated reports, among other tasks.
- Multi-Threaded Scanning Engine – Businesses seeking a balance between performance and security will appreciate Trend Micro’s kernel-level scanning, which minimizes its impact on systems. My favorite feature is that you can also adjust CPU utilization for optimized performance.
- Advanced Malware Protection – Trend Micro scans every file that passes through your network for malicious code, checks for application-specific macro viruses, and looks for infections in compressed files. This also enables real-time spyware detection, catching threats before they can do damage.
Pricing
Trend Micro ServerProtect for Linux doesn’t have a transparent pricing structure. Instead, the provider offers custom pricing for companies based on their size and needs.
There’s a 30-day free trial, though, that lets you test the central management platform, implement company-wide antivirus policies, and start scanning your Linux servers for malware. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee for businesses of all sizes.
Who It’s Best For
Trend Micro’s Linux antivirus software is ideal for Linux-based web and file servers that need enterprise-level protection. In addition, its centralized security management platform makes it a great choice for larger businesses.
For more information, check out our Trend Micro antivirus review.
Pros
- Enhanced spyware removal capabilities
- Tools to minimize system scanning impact
- Intuitive centralized management console
- Protects against document-based macro virus attacks
Cons
- Pricing not disclosed
- No home Linux support
5. ESET – Best Linux Antivirus for Enterprise
| Starting Price | $15.81/month |
|---|---|
| Key Features | Threat Detection, Server Security, Vulnerability & Patch Management |
| Linux Support | Business, Enterprise, Servers |
| Free Version / Trial | 30-day money-back guarantee, 30-day trial |
Why We Picked It
ESET is a Linux antivirus solution that offers extensive protection for endpoints and servers via its scalable plans, making it a great pick for large businesses and enterprise firms.
Features
- Threat Detection – ESET offers advanced endpoint security features that protect Linux devices from ransomware, fileless attacks, data breaches, and other types of attacks and malware. In my testing, I also noted that it offers brute force attack protection, which prevents hackers from accessing your network using password-guessing techniques.
- Data Protection – ESET server security features deliver high-performance malware protection with minimal system impact while scanning Linux file servers. I was also impressed with its inclusion of botnet protection, preventing threat actors from hijacking your Linux systems for malicious purposes.
- Vulnerability & Patch Management (VAPM) – ESET helps protect your machines from exploits for known vulnerabilities by continuously scanning and reporting on them. ESET assists you with a manual patching process, giving you control over scheduling and allowing you to prioritize vulnerabilities based on severity via the web console.
Pricing
ESET offers several plans with antivirus for Ubuntu, RedHat, and other Linux distros. The cheapest is ESET Protect Entry, which covers between five and 100 devices and costs $15.81/month with a three-year subscription.
For $21.58/month with a three-year plan for five devices, its Protect Complete plan adds Vulnerability & Patch Management to its feature list, making it a notably better choice for most businesses.
Each ESET plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can test the product with a 30-day trial.
Who It’s Best For
ESET is perfect for large businesses looking for scalable, high-performance Linux protection with robust malware, vulnerability, and patch management features.
Pros
- Excellent ransomware and botnet protection
- Vulnerability patch scheduler
- Scalable plans suitable for larger businesses
- Long free trial
Cons
- Home Linux support discontinued
- Slight learning curve
The Best Linux Virus Scanners Compared
Here’s a quick reference table so you can see how the leading Linux antivirus software solutions compare in terms of price, performance, and functionality:
| Starting Price | Linux Support | Free Version / Trial | Key Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitdefender | $1.26/month | Business, Enterprise, Servers | 30-day money-back guarantee, 30-day trial | Fileless Malware Protection, Network Defenses, Anti-Exploit Features |
| NordVPN Threat Protection | $2.99/month | Home | 30-day money-back guarantee | VPN, Web Protection, Ad Blocker |
| Avast | $13.33/month | Business, Servers | 30-day money-back guarantee | Real-Time Updates, Command-Line Scanner, File Server Shield |
| Trend Micro | Custom Quote | Servers, Enterprise | 30-day money-back guarantee, 30-day trial | Advanced Malware Protection, Apex Central, Multi-Threaded Scanning Engine |
| ESET | $15.81/month | Business, Enterprise, Servers | 30-day money-back guarantee, 30-day trial | Threat Detection, Server Security, Vulnerability & Patch Management |
How We Reviewed And Tested Antivirus Software for Linux
- 15 Antiviruses Tested
- 20 Datapoints Measured
- 300+ Hours Testing
- 500+ User Reviews Read
We base all our recommendations on first-hand experience and in-depth testing. All the Linux antivirus programs in this guide have been tested on the following criteria:
- Core Security Features I ensured that the Linux antivirus software I tested offered features like system and network scanning, firewalls, and reliable real-time protection.
- Malware Detection Rates We test malware detection rates ourselves by running both in-depth and quick scans. I also reviewed the results of independent lab tests for a comprehensive analysis of all Linux antivirus solutions in this guide.
- Performance Impact A good Linux antivirus shouldn’t have a noticeable impact on your system. I’ve assessed each product’s performance to measure its impact on resources and have factored this into my reviews.
- Compatibility I made sure that all antiviruses on my list were compatible with the Linux operating system. I also checked for differences in features and ease of use across Linux distros.
- Customer Experience Alongside my own experiences, I researched what cybersecurity professionals had to say about each piece of software in this guide. I’ve also scoured the web for feedback and user reviews.
- Value for Money I’ve considered how much each product offers for its cost. I’ve excluded expensive Linux antiviruses with limited feature sets from this list, ensuring that each product offers great value for money.
How to Choose the Best Antivirus Software for Linux
There are a number of factors to consider before purchasing an antivirus for Linux. Not every antivirus is compatible with Linux, for starters, and those that are may not work with your distro.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the key factors to consider when picking the best anti-malware for Linux:
Malware Detection Rates
The key factor when it comes to choosing an antivirus is how effective it is in detecting and eliminating malware and viruses. All the solutions on my list have high malware detection rates and offer protection against a range of cyber threats.
Real-Time Threat Protection
In addition to effective virus and malware scans, it’s important for your antivirus program to include network security, firewalls, and behavioral scanning to catch emerging threats and prevent malicious actors from gaining access to your systems.
Compatibility
You should carefully read through the official documentation on the vendor’s website before making a purchase to ensure that the antivirus solution will run smoothly on your Linux system and that it will support the devices you need to protect on your network, such as serving as an antivirus for Mac.
You may also want cross-compatibility for Windows user support.
Ease of Use
You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to deploy and enable an antivirus on your Linux desktop. That’s why I’ve given points to packages that make it easy to run regular scans and that require minimal maintenance.
Price
It’s important to understand the price-to-value ratio.
Pay attention to the features and functionality you’re getting for your money with different subscription tiers and different antivirus apps and how they apply to different use cases, whether you want to protect servers, a small business, or an enterprise firm.
How to Set Up NordVPN Threat Protection on Linux
Setting up NordVPN Threat Protection on Linux only takes a few steps. Here’s a simple how-to guide to help you get started.
Sign Up for NordVPN
Go to NordVPN and sign up for a subscription. Next, you’ll need to download NordVPN.
Download NordVPN
Open the terminal and enter the command seen in the image below.
Log in and Connect
Next, log into NordVPN and connect, using the commands “nordvpn login” and “nordvpn connect.”
Enable Threat Protection
You can now enable Threat Protection with the commands “nordvpn set threat protection lite on” and “nordvpn set threat protection lite off.”
If you have the app open, you can also select the shield in the left menu and then click the switch to turn Threat Protection on.
Other Linux Antivirus Software Products
While testing Linux antiviruses, several other options caught my attention. Although they didn’t make it to the final list, here’s what they offer:
- ClamAV – This open-source, free antivirus for Linux is designed for email scanning on mail gateways, and its scans are quick and lightweight. However, it isn’t suitable for protecting large networks, and its command-line interface isn’t ideal for beginners.
- Sophos – Known for its malware protection capabilities, Sophos can protect your Linux devices from malware, including ransomware. However, it lacks some advanced features found with more specialized Linux security solutions.
- Kaspersky – Although Kaspersky’s endpoint security for Linux scores fares well under testing, the provider is now banned in the US, making it unsuitable for Americans and a questionable product for many others.
- CrowdStrike – CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform offers great protection for Linux devices but at a much higher price than the providers on my shortlist, and it isn’t as performance-friendly as other products.
Some antivirus products, including Avira and Panda Security, have also discontinued their support for Linux in recent years.
Can You Get a Good Free Linux Antivirus?
Open-source antivirus solutions like ClamAV require a decent level of technical knowledge of the Linux operating system to install and run. Antivirus software Linux users can find for free also often lacks a graphical user interface, so you’ll have to rely on command line access, and you’ll have to manually update the antivirus at regular intervals.
These antivirus solutions also lack the advanced security features that you get with premium antivirus apps, which are particularly important for commercial use cases.
In addition, a free Linux virus scanner is just a virus scanning tool and won’t include a firewall or protection from phishing attacks and online scams. That’s why I recommend opting for a premium antivirus solution like Bitdefender and taking advantage of its generous 30-day free trial to secure your system rather than settling for the best free antivirus software for Linux.
Conclusion – What’s the Best Antivirus for Linux Systems?
Linux machines are by no means immune to viruses and malware, and getting Linux security software ensures you have protection in place for your device and data.
Bitdefender is an excellent business antivirus tool that can block ransomware and fileless malware attacks and can protect Linux devices and servers, as well as Windows and macOS systems.
NordVPN Threat Protection, meanwhile, is a good solution for web protection, and its plans offer a first-class VPN, substantial amounts of encrypted storage, and a password manager, putting it ahead of other products for protecting your privacy on a Linux system.
FAQs
Do all antiviruses work for Linux?
What’s the best antivirus for Linux?
What’s the best free Linux antivirus?
What’s a good Ubuntu antivirus?
Are there Linux antivirus tools for home users?
Is Linux Mint safe from viruses?
References
- Linux Distros (OSU Linux Users Group)
- Understanding Fileless Attacks on Linux-based IoT Devices with HoneyCloud (MobiSys ’19/UCI)
- Critical Boot Loader Vulnerability in Shim Impacts Nearly All Linux Distros (The Hacker News)
