New research figures by software and IT solutions company OPSWAT suggest that Microsoft dominates the desktop and laptop anti-virus markets with its free Microsoft Security Essentials offering. Microsoft has an impressive 25.4% of the market with all its products combined, though this is mainly comprised of MSE and Windows Defender. Microsoft is followed closely behind by Avast who manage to rack up an impressive 23.6% mainly through their free anti-virus offering. AVG, Symantec, ESET, Avira and Kaspersky also made the list with market shares between 6.5 and 8.3%.
In terms of the single most popular programs well Avast lead the way with their free antivirus followed closely behind by MSE. Windows Defender, Avira and AVG come in third, fourth and fifth respectively meaning the entire top 5 is comprised of free anti-virus solutions – which is hardly surprising. The leading paid anti-virus solutions are produced by ESET, Kaspersky, Norton, Avast and AVG respectively.
For more details and in depth graphs on the current state of the PC anti-virus market, see here.
Image courtesy of OPSWAT
Why don’t I believe this?
It’s not that surprising considering they ask you to installing in all their products a bit like bing bar.
the antivirus is not bad for low impact but if you have a really dumb user the should be using norton or some other over the top hard drive abusive software
I see you Zet.
It’s not hard to imagine considering windows defender comes installed by default on every windows 8 install and microsoft has so many opportunities to try and push security essentials on users.
Expect over the next year for mcafee to gain a bigger share of this market as the dixons retail group (currys and PC world) have swapped from pushing norton onto customers to pushing mcafee. Probably not to a point in competing against Microsoft (if this is to be believed)
Remember though that these figures are global. I doubt PC World and Currys will have a global impact by changing their strategy.
ah didn’t notice that it was global
MSE might be popular, but its burned me several times on failing to catch malware. I used to consider it good free security. But I think its not all people think it is.