# Is paid antivirus really worth it?

> By the early 2000s, free antivirus software started offering decent protection for casual users, leading countless people to wonder if paying for an AV was really necessary.

- **Source:** [TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/news/is-paid-antivirus-really-worth-it?utm_source=gearopen.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=feed&utm_content=687a6992e9bbd2188b51b7a1)
- **Published:** 2025-07-18
- **Category:** Computers & IT
- **Tags:** #microsoft #antivirus #defender #paid #windows #worth #afraid #already
- **Canonical:** http://localhost:4321/a/687a6992e9bbd2188b51b7a1

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_GearOpen's distilled summary. The full original article is published at TechRadar (source link above); GearOpen does not republish the source's full text._