Read just about any Zemana Antimalware review and you’ll find one point being focused on more than any other. That being, the super-low cost of Zemana Anti Malware tool. There’s no point in beating around the bush with this thing - Zemana Antimalware is exceptionally cheap. To such an extent that the Zemana Antimalware Free version might as well not even exist!
But what is Zemana Antimalware and what qualifies as ‘cheap’? More importantly, is it realistic to expect Zemana Anti-Malware to provide remotely sufficient coverage for just $25 per year? Or would you need to run Zemana Antivirus program alongside another more robust security suite to have the desired effect? Look into one of those in our Cylance review, or PlumBytes review.
That’s what I’ll be looking at in this Zemana Antimalware review, in which I’ll be focusing primarily on Zemana Antimalware Premium. In fact, if being perfectly honest, I wouldn’t personally advise anyone to download Zemana free in the first place. There’s nothing ‘wrong’ with it per se, but read on and you’ll see why stepping up to Zemana Antimalware Premium really is the only way to go. If you want to have more complete notion of your options, read our antimalware review, or if you are looking for another budget-friendly option, we reviewed Malwarebytes here.
Our recommendation: McAfee
With so many antivirus products in the market, there is none that’s like McAfee. With over 18.9 billion devices protected on a consistent basis, McAfee’s ability to deal with malware attacks come unmatched! McAfee has a dedicated database that is adept to deal with all sorts of virus attacks whether they may be online or offline. To browse their programs, check out their programs here!
Zemana Highlights
Zemana Antimalware hasn’t been around for particularly long, but has nonetheless gained a pretty strong following thus far. It’s a point I’ll keep repeating (and justifiably so), but a subscription fee of just $25.00 per year is enough to tempt just about anyone. There’s Zemana Antimalware Portable for mobile devices, though at the time of my review there was no iOS coverage as of yet.
We’ll take a more in-depth look at how it gets the job done shortly, but here’s a basic tools rundown of what Zemana Antimalware is and what Zemana offers:
- Cloud based device scanning on-demand
- Lightweight with minimal resource drain
- Real-time protection from various cyber threats
- Registry start-up scan and scheduled scans
- Decent antivirus protection
- Adware prevention
- Customer support available
- 30-day money back guarantee
- Compatible with Windows computer and Android device
- Remove malicious software
- Exceptional overall value for money
Cheap prices are all well and good, but only when they translate to something that is actually worth having. In which case, is Zemana Antimalware safe as an independent and comprehensive protection suite in its own right?
Features of Zemana Anti-Malware
The answer to the question above depends entirely on what you need and what you expect to get out of the deal. On one hand, you could argue that for a price of just $25.00 per year, Zemana Antimalware is a seriously impressive piece of software. For this tiny zemana antimalware price, you benefit from a desktop and mobile app (Android Zemana app) compatible security suite that includes all of the following features:
Realistically, you couldn’t expect a great deal more for this kind of cash. Admittedly, it doesn’t offer the protection of a firewall and nor is any kind of VPN included in the package. Not that you would expect it to be – some standalone VPNs cost more than $25 per month in their own right. There are other antivirus suites which include VPN.
It’s also an exceptionally lightweight and user-friendly piece of software, which puts almost no drain on system resources whatsoever.
As previously mentioned, the free version of the Zemana Antimalware isn’t really worth bothering with. The reason being that it lacks far too many features to be in any way safe or reliable – no background scanning, no real-time protection of any kind, no real support from the Zemana team and so on. In any case, you’d have to be pretty hard-up to justify not stumping up the $2(ish) per month for the Premium Windows version of Zemana Antimalware.
Reliability and Security
Zemana Antimalware detects malware and has been put through a fair few tests over the years and has come out (in most instances) with flying colors. Most tests performed on Zemana Antimalware involve the mobile version, but this nonetheless gives you a good idea of what it is capable of.
It recently received full AV-Test Certification by detecting 98% of new malware in real-time and 99.5% of malware that was at least four weeks old. This still then only adds up to an AV-Test overall score of 4.5 out of 6, but really isn’t bad for such an affordable piece of software.
AV-Comparatives also put Zemana Antimalware under the microscope as of late, though in this instance didn’t publish quite as fantastic findings. 78.8% of everyday Android Malware was detected by the software, meaning it fell somewhat behind its better-known competitors. Though admittedly, it’s also exponentially cheaper than most of those ahead of it in the rankings.
Zemana Antimalware is therefore reasonably reliable and secure, but not quite on the same level as a more premium software suite.
Anti-Malware vs Antivirus: What’s the Difference?
If thinking about picking up Zemana Antimalware, it’s important to consider the difference between antimalware and antivirus. Though often confused as one and the same, they actually serve very different purposes.
Anti-malware exists to find erroneous and potentially dangerous files and threats that are already on your system, in order to eliminate malware in a timely and effective manner. The purpose of antiviruses is to prevent harmful files and potential threats from finding their way onto your system in the first place.
It’s therefore generally advisable to tick both boxes, given the fact that neither can be counted on as flawless. Doing what you can to protect your device from potential threats and those that already exist on your system is the sensible approach.
What Else Does Zemana Antimalware Have to Offer?
Zemana Antimalware has been designed to examine your computer and mobile device, in order to identify anything that poses a threat to your machine or your security. Examples of which include malicious software, rootkits, bootkits, and browser hijackers.
By stepping up to the paid antivirus of Zemana Antimalware (which is something you really must do), you get additional features like real-time and zero-day malware protection and anti-ransomware tools. 24/7 technical support access is also exclusive to paying subscribers, but we’ll get to that a little later.
Zemana Antimalware isn’t the fastest system scanning tool available, nor does it feature a ‘quick scan’ option in the traditional antivirus products. This is because a detailed and intensive malware scan takes time and is something that cannot be rushed.
Better safe than sorry, even if it means hanging around a few extra minutes.
Zemana AntiLogger
Interestingly, Zemana provides the option of an AntiLogger functionality that costs significantly more than the standard package itself. Though it’s not exactly unaffordable, given the following costs for one to three years of coverage:
1-Year Protection: $40.95
2-Year Protection: $61.95
3-Year Protection: $82.95
Exceptionally effective and reassuring, Zemana’s AntiLogger effectively hides your online activities to prevent criminals accessing and stealing your passwords, logins, financial information, personal data and so on. Just as soon as you have signed up and activated your account, you don’t have to lift a finger - Zemana’s AntiLogger takes care of you automatically.
This includes protection against screen captures, keylogging, financial malware and the hijacking of computer cameras and microphones. A superb package of additional coverage that’s absolutely worth paying for, particularly when considering its exceptionally low price.
Ease of Use
It’s not uncommon to find that the lighter in weight a piece of software is, the easier it is to use. As one of the most lightweight solutions of its kind currently available, Zemana is just about as user friendly as it gets. Even if you’ve never seen or experienced a security software suite before, you’ll get to grips with the basics of Zemana in a matter of seconds.
The dashboard is delightfully intuitive, providing quick and easy access to a handful of buttons to activate the various scans and features available. You can choose from a Smart Scan or a Deep Scan, which in both instances are pretty intensive and take some time. Nevertheless, the whole thing takes place quietly in the background and isn’t going to put much of a strain on your system’s resources.
Zemana is therefore particularly useful where low-powered PCs and mobile devices are concerned, which may be slowed to a crawl by some comparable security suites. It’s a comprehensively intuitive and user-friendly experience, which is in no way confusing or daunting for those who lack relevant experience.
Support
Another reason to skip the Zemana free edition entirely is the fact that it doesn’t come with any kind of technical support. By contrast, step up to the paid version and you gain access to a pretty decent 24/7 customer service contingency. There’s no real-time voice or live chat facility available right now, but start a support ticket indicating what you need and they’ll usually get back to you within a couple of hours at the most.
It all depends on how busy they are at the time – contact Zemana off-peak and they’ll often be back to you in a matter of minutes. The lack of phone support isn’t exactly surprising, as you wouldn’t expect it when paying just $25.00 per year.
One area in which Zemana could do with being improved is its provision of online resources and guides for its customers. There’s very little by way of an FAQ or forum support – it’s a bare-bones affair that leaves much to be desired. There are also no video guides or tutorials as such, though admittedly it’s all so easy to use that you probably won’t need them, anyway.
Still, it would be good to see a few more articles and resources available online – a more comprehensive FAQ in particular.
Pricing
Did I mention Zemana was cheap? Seriously though, a rock-bottom price of just $25.00 per year would normally be enough to make you skeptical or suspicious. With Zemana, you get what you pay for – and a fair bit more besides.
Plus, it can actually be even cheaper than this. $25.00 is the price to cover one device, but step up to $70.00 per year and you can cover up to five devices. That equates to $14.00 per device per year, which is borderline remarkable.
Another reason not to bother with the free version is the fact that Zemana Premium can be tried on a no-risk 14-day free trial. No payment necessary and no risk, after which you’re covered by a further 60-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t think you’re getting decent value for money out of it, they’ll give you your money back within the first two months.
This is pretty impressive to say the least, given how some of the more top-shelf packages available offer 30-day or 14-day money-back guarantees at best.
Pros
Rounding things off, here’s a brief overview of the plus points I was most impressed with while checking out Zemana Preimum:
Cons
As for the downsides, there are a few inevitable disadvantages to take into account, which include the following:
Our recommendation: McAfee
Although the product we talked about are notable in the market, it doesn’t come close to McAfee. McAfee is a leading antivirus company in the cybersecurity industry due to its unique line-up of programs catered to dealing with malware and antivirus attacks. No wonder over 18.9 billion devices are protected using McAfee! Check out their security programs here!
FAQs
1. Is zemana AntiMalware good?
Zemana AntiMalware is a reputable malware scanner that is available on-demand and online. You can choose between the free version of the Zemana AntiMalware, which does not include real-time protection, and the paid version, which includes Ransomware Protection and other useful features.
2. Is zemana anti-malware free?
Yes, zemana anti-malware is free. It's a great program for keeping your computer safe from malware and viruses.
3. Is zemana AntiMalware safe?
Yes, zemana AntiMalware is safe. It is a powerful tool that can detect and remove malware from your computer.
4. Is zemana better than Malwarebytes?
Both security solutions received favorable responses. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a more expensive piece of software, but it is also more powerful and innovative. It includes more features than Zemana and is, therefore, more suited to advanced users and businesses.
5. What is Zemana?
Zemana Anti-Malware is a second opinion real time scanner designed to reclaim your computers from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, and so on) that has infected it despite your best security efforts (such as anti-virus software, firewalls, etc.)
