Webroot, founded in 1997 in Colorado, may be a name more associated with Anti-Spyware software. However, Webroot has made a name for itself in the security marketplace over the past decade, and now with its recent inclusion in top industry malware tests, Webroot is showing that it is a force to be reckoned with.


1) Installation:  ^4.5/₅

Webroot AntiVirus ranks alongside Norton AntiVirus as one of the easiest antivirus platforms to install. On our reference system*, the application installed in just 77 seconds. The installation procedure was painless. All that Webroot asked of us was our license key; after that, it installed the program without any further dialog prompts.

Webroot's focus is on making it easy for ordinary end users to keep their computers virus-free. After installation completes, the platform automatically launches an initial virus scan.

*Reference Computer: Windows 7 Home Premium running on a Toshiba Pentium Dual-Core T4200, with 3GB of RAM and a 210GB hard drive. 2) Features & Ease of Use:  8/10 Webroot AntiVirus is thin on features that are directly accessible to users. For the most part, the program is intended to run automatically, with little user involvement. The Dashboard displays the system's current security status, and sports a Scan Now button that initiates a full system scan. Initiating a custom scan (i.e., a scan of just memory, or of selected drives or removable media) isn't intuitive: it involves clicking Edit Settings, then selecting the Edit link next to the Use custom scan settings checkbox object on the subsequent page. Webroot 2011 Dashboard: Clicking the Shields tab on the Edit Settings window displays Webroot's real-time protection configuration options. By default, Webroot AntiVirus is set to Give me recommended protection, which provides a default (high) level of security against both known and unknown intrusions as they happen. Users can switch to Let me set my options to enable or disable protections as they see fit. On the bottom of the Dashboard is a button bar that provides access to Account information, Settings, Support options, and notifications pushed by Webroot. On the Settings tab, users can select the Scheduling tab to set their own virus scanning schedule, view a brief history of virus scanning activity, and configure how and when they receive application and virus definition updates. Right-clicking on the Webroot AntiVirus icon in the System Tray displays an option for activating Gamer Mode, which suspends anti-virus activity during processor-intensive tasks such as playing video games or watching movies. The Settings dialog contains an option for de-activating Gamer Mode after a set number of hours. 3) Virus Scanner:  2/5 At first glance, Webroot AntiVirus offers a more limited range of virus scanning options than other platforms. Clicking the Scan Now button on the Dashboard initiates a Full Scan by default. There is no option for launching a "Quick Scan," which other platforms typically define as a scan of memory and critical disk areas that are frequently targeted by malware. The Custom Scan option, however, is flexible enough that advanced users could configure a Quick Scan if they so chose. Webroot Virus Scanner: Speed: Unfortunately, Webroot's scan times aren't as slick as its interface: on our reference system (see above), the application processed only 16.1MB per second, placing it in the bottom third of all antivirus platforms we've reviewed in 2011. Webroot took 61.9 seconds to process our 1GB file test matrix. Updates: Webroot AntiVirus also fared very poorly in virus definition updates: on average, the platform only updates its virus database once every day, which puts it at the bottom of the pack. ( 4) Performance Testing:  5/10 A good antivirus program should not only protect your computer from viruses but also not slow down the Performance of your computer too much by using up your computer's resources. We run each antivirus program through a set of Performance Tests to see the impact it has on the computer. View the results below of our antivirus testing for Webroot 2011... • Memory Use: Webroot 2011 uses 29.2 MB of system memory. #10 rated of the 15 antivirus programs we tested. • Reboot Time: Webroot added 26.4 seconds to our test computer's reboot time. #14 rated program we tested this year. • Installation Size: Webroot AntiVirus with Spy Sweeper 2011 requires only 247 MB of hard-drive space for installation. #1 rated program we tested. • Initial Scan Speed: Webroot AntiVirus scans files the first time at a speed of 16.5 MB/s. #12 rated program we tested. • Subsequent Scan Speed: Webroot performs subsequent scans at a speed of 120.5 MB/s. #8 rated program we tested. • Initial Application Launch: Webroot 2011 added 1.239s to launch a web browser for the first time after a reboot. #14 rated program we tested. • Subsequent Application Launch: Webroot added 0.263s on average for subsequent web browser launches. This was the #7 rated program we tested. • File Conversion Time: Webroot added 0.27s on average to convert a MP3 file to four other file types. #3 rated program we tested. • System Impact Score: The "System Impact Score" is a comparative score tallied from the above 8 Antivirus tests. Webroot 2011 scored a total of 59 out of 120 points when compared to the other antivirus programs tested. This ranked Webroot 2011 as the #9 rated antivirus program we tested this year. Overall, Webroot was right in the middle of the pack in our Performance Testing - an Average score. 5) Effectiveness: (Virus/Malware Detection)  11/15 a) AV-Test is a major antivirus testing lab which is located in Germany. In their recent antivirus testing in 2010, Webroot received a 12 / 18 score on the Windows 7 platform. In the 2nd set of tests run on Windows XP, Webroot also received a 12 / 18 score. While on the 3rd test run on Windows Vista, Webroot received a 12.5 / 18 score. All 3 of these scores were good enough to receive AV-Test's Certification level, although Webroot barely made the Certification level in all three tests (12 points needed for Certification). Despite these tests being run on Webroot's Internet Security software, they are useful when evaluating Webroot's more basic antivirus program since they test the software's Protection and Repair capabilities against Viruses and Malware. Win 7: Win XP: Win Vista:         b) ICSA Labs Desktop Anti-Virus Certified. ICSA is an independent organization that sets standards for security products and certifies anti-virus software. c) Virus Bulletin's VB 100% Certified. Webroot passed the most recent VB100 test (Dec./10), and has passed the last 6 tests its been involved in dating back to August 2008. The VB 100% award is given to antivirus software that detects all viruses "in the wild." d) West Coast Labs' Checkmark Anti-Virus Desktop Certification. WCL specializes in functionality testing, performance validation and Checkmark Certification of security products. 6) Help & Support:  3/5 »Inline Assistance: Webroot provides informative help text throughout the application, along with hotlinks to relevant help topics in the online manual. »Help Manual: Clicking the Help icon in the lower-left corner of the Dashboard displays the Webroot AntiVirus online help manual, which is well-organized and well written. Webroot also offers a number of video tutorials. While these are helpful, several of them reference features only available in more expensive versions of the Webroot antivirus product suite. »Technical Support: Webroot provides direct technical support via telephone, live chat, and support ticket requests. Unlike many other anti-virus vendors, Webroot's phone support is limited to normal American business hours (many vendors offer 24-hour phone support). Webroot also provides a helper application, Webroot GoToAssist, that grants their technical support engineers remote access to your computer in order to speed problem resolution. »Quick Support Links:      • Help Manual      • Video Tutorials      • Webroot Home & Home Office Support Home      • Open a Support Ticket CONCLUSION: Webroot AntiVirus has several advantages over its competitors - namely, its easy install procedure, and largely intuitive and helpful user interface. Unfortunately, the application exhibits some of the worst virus scanning and virus definition update performance we've seen all year, that coupled with its average Performance brings its overall score down - but still a very worthwhile antivirus application nonetheless. Overall Rating: Good    (Total Score: 33.5 / 50 = 3.5 Stars)