Is your personal information at risk? To put it simply, yes. Every time you go online unprotected, cookies and tracking devices are installed on your computer. Spyware and malware can be used to track your internet behavior or can be employed for more threatening activities like recording your keystrokes to obtain passwords or pulling information from your personal files. So what can you do to help avoid spyware?
Here at TopTenREVIEWS you'll find unbiased reviews plus additional articles on anti spyware software. And of course, our industry-recognized side-by-side comparison to help you make an informed decision about which software is best for your security needs. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™
Below, we've highlighted the primary factors you should consider when selecting among the many best spyware blockers available to protect your system and personal information from spyware, adware and malware.
Ease of Setup/Use
Can you get it up and running without consulting a book or a tech support person? How easy is the product to use? Can you quickly find the features you are looking for? Are the descriptions easily understood or do they assume you know all the jargon and terminology?
Detection Effectiveness
How well does the application detect spyware, keyloggers, malware or anything bad-ware? Does the product provide real-time protection from spyware — preventing its installation—not just removing it afterward? Is the product effective at finding and removing the many different types of spyware and adware?
Removal Effectiveness
This gauges the spyware removal product's ability to actually remove spyware that it finds, and whether or not the harmful parts are removed.
System Performance
After installation, does the anti spyware slow the system to a crawl? If so, the product receives a lower rating here.
Scan Performance
How long do full or "quick" scans take? Is the computer still usable during the scan?
Support/Documentation
Is there a help section installed with the product? Is it easy to find answers to your questions? Is there someone you can call for support? How quickly does the support staff respond to your email questions? With the right solution for removing and detecting spyware in place, you can keep your privacy protected and your PC running smoothly.
If you want to cut to the chase and get the details on our number one pick for anti spyware software, read our review of Spy Sweeper, which received our Gold Award for outstanding features and performance when compared to other spyware removal products.
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Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor
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Webroot Secure Anywhere Antivirus | STOPzilla | Spyware Doctor | Ad-Aware Pro | PC Spyware Protection | Malwarebytes Anti Malware | SUPER Anti Spyware Professional | SpyHunter | ZeroSpyware | SpyZooka |
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Lowest Price |
$39.95 |
$39.95 |
$29.99 |
$29.95 |
$29.95 |
$24.95 |
$29.95 |
$39.99 |
$29.95 |
$29.95 |
| Overall Rating | ||||||||||
| Ratings | ||||||||||
| Ease of Setup/Use | ||||||||||
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| Removal Effectiveness | ||||||||||
| System Performance | ||||||||||
| Scan Performance | ||||||||||
| Support/Documentation | ||||||||||
| Proportion of people who buy the product | 96.54% | 2.78% | 0.23% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.15% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Detection and Removal | ||||||||||
| Active X Controls | ||||||||||
| Adware | ||||||||||
| Browser Hijackers | ||||||||||
| Data Mining | ||||||||||
| Dialers | ||||||||||
| Drive-By Download | ||||||||||
| Keyloggers | ||||||||||
| Malware | ||||||||||
| Real-Time Protection | ||||||||||
| Registry Entries | ||||||||||
| Rootkits | ||||||||||
| Spyware | ||||||||||
| Tracking Cookies | ||||||||||
| Trojans | ||||||||||
| Additional Features | ||||||||||
| Anti-Phishing | ||||||||||
| Auto Updates | ||||||||||
| Email Scanning | ||||||||||
| Reports/Logs | ||||||||||
| Restore Removed Items | ||||||||||
| Scans Removable Media | ||||||||||
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| Windows 7 | ||||||||||
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