Frequently asked questions about Kaspersky Free

The global launch of our Kaspersky Free antivirus has generated considerable public excitement and prompted many questions. It looks like it is time to sit down and take a look at what concerns people around the world and address everything with frank answers.

Here are the top six questions and myths about Kaspersky Free.

1. There is no such thing as a free lunch. What’s the catch?

“No free lunch” is one of our favorite adages; however, there’s also an exception to every rule. Kaspersky Free is a completely free security solution that does not show any third-party advertisements. Kaspersky Free also does not collect your personal data. We value your privacy.

Why would we release a free antivirus product? The answer is quite simple. More people using our security solutions means more people will be more secure; more computers will contribute to our cloud service, Kaspersky Security Network, and we will in turn be able to detect more previously unknown threats and react faster to their discovery. It’s the same as with services that show traffic jams — the more people who use the app, the more reliable the information is.

That’s from the commercial point of view. Leaving that standpoint aside, we have a mission that we wholeheartedly believe in: We are here to save the world. Right now, with market forces and stars aligned, we can afford to release a free antivirus utility, thus saving the world more efficiently.

2. There is no point installing a free product. The most important features are always missing.

Not this time. It is true that Kaspersky Free’s feature set is not identical to that of our premium solution, Kaspersky Internet Security; different versions do differentiate, of course. Nevertheless, Kaspersky Free includes the essentials, the basic security components — file antivirus, e-mail antivirus, and Web antivirus.

3. I recently purchased Kaspersky Internet Security, and now you tell me I could’ve had the free version?

You bought Kaspersky Internet Security? Congratulations! You have acquired a first-class security solution. It has the same antivirus engine as Kaspersky Free, but it also includes heaps of additional features, such as online-payment security (Safe Money), technical support, and additional security layers to fend off malware of all sorts.

Kaspersky Free provides basic protection, and Kaspersky Internet Security leaves, shall we say, a bit more room for user error. Ultimately, Kaspersky Internet Security’s System Watcher component makes the paid product better at combating encryptors and yet-unknown threats. Think of Kaspersky Free as something like a bulletproof vest; using Kaspersky Internet Security is more like being entrenched behind a stone wall — on a comfortable sofa.

4. I have been using another free antivirus for a long time without any problems. Why would I need a different AV?

Not all antiviruses are created equal. As we already mentioned, Kaspersky Free uses the same antivirus engine as Kaspersky Internet Security. Judging by the number of the awards it has received from different independent labs, we’d say no other antivirus product can take on our solutions.

Therefore, Kaspersky Free is not merely more of the kind of protection you’ve come to expect from free antivirus products but a guaranteed, high-quality, free antivirus utility. Also, as we mentioned before, it will not show you any third-party advertisements or collect your private data.

5. When will Kaspersky Free be available in my country?

You can find the roll-out schedule in this post. However, the global version in English is already available, so it’s up to you — either get it right now or wait for a local version.

6. Kaspersky Free is for Windows only! How about Android and Mac?

Indeed, Kaspersky Free has been released for Windows only. However, Kaspersky Internet Security for Android has been available for some time already, and the basic version is free.

For Mac users, we offer the paid Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac for the time being.

We hope that we have answered at least the majority of your questions and busted some of the most popular myths. Enjoy using top-notch security software free!