Have you been a victim of a rootkit attack? Rootkit attacks can be very dangerous as the attacker can gain access to your private information and files, steal them, and get control over them. You need the best rootkit remover to protect yourself from such a security breach.
Fortunately, we've prepared a list of the top anti-rootkit tools. We'll explain what anti-rootkit tools are and how to select the best one. You can consult our detailed reviews of the best rootkit scanners and pick the most suitable one.
In this article
What Is an Anti-rootkit Tool?
A rootkit is a software or a collection of software that hides malware by masking it as a safe program. Rootkits serve the purpose of enabling access to the victim's computer and private files. When the attacker gets access to their victim's computer, they can control it on a root or administrative level.
This type of malware allows hackers to access your computer, steal information, and delete files. Fortunately, you can use an anti-rootkit tool to detect rootkit software and remove it from your computer.
An anti-rootkit tool is software that scans your computer for rootkit viruses. Once it detects a rootkit, it marks and removes it from your computer. There are plenty of anti-rootkit tools available. You can select one and use it to protect your privacy and delete any possible rootkits on your computer.
Top Anti-rootkit Tools
While numerous anti-rootkit tools are available online, we've selected the top six. We've considered factors like key features, user ratings, pros and cons, etc., and created the list below. You can find them in the table below with their most outstanding characteristics and final scores.
| Anti-rootkit Tools | Outstanding characteristics | Final score (5 is the best) |
| Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit Scanner | Manual and automatic scheduled scans; Proactive protection from rootkit malware; Free trials before a plan upgrade; Intuitive, wizard-like interface; Windows and macOS support. | 4.3 |
| Avast One | Easy rootkit detection and removal; Prevention of rootkit installation; Disk cleaning features; VPN service included; Firewall feature; Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS support. | 4.0 |
| 🥇Sophos Scan & Clean | Access Anywhere feature, which allows remote rootkit detection; Category blocking that blocks selected websites and social media; Advanced anti-ransomware security technology; Unrivaled technical support; Windows and macOS support. | 4.5 |
| McAfee Rootkit Remover | Removal of complex rootkits; Quick and efficient scanning process; VPN services; Customized scan. | 4.0 |
| AVG AntiVirus | Quick scanning process; Lightweight software that puts no burden on the system; Regular updates that provide protection from the latest rootkits; Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS support; VPN services included; Phishing protection. | 4.3 |
| BitDefender Rootkit Remover | A wide array of rootkit families protection; VPN services; Webcam and microphone protection; Password manager; System optimization. | 3.7 |
Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit Scanner
Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit Scanner is a popular choice for many users. It's part of the Malwarebytes software package, including security from viruses and other malware, a browser guide, and a VPN. Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit Scanner provides active system protection from any security breach.
This powerful anti-rootkit tool uses advanced technology to detect even the deeply embedded rootkits in your system. Then, it removes them and performs a system checkup to test your computer's security.
Apart from its incredibly functional anti-rootkit functionalities, Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit Scanner offers a user-friendly interface and high-speed performance. The scan is quick and thorough, scanning sectors, drivers, and the system quickly and efficiently. It's a portable program that allows you to use it from a flash drive.
Key Features
As mentioned, Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit Scanner offers numerous features and functionalities. Some of its key features include:
- Manual and automatic scheduled scans;
- Proactive protection from rootkit malware;
- Free trials before a plan upgrade;
- Intuitive, wizard-like interface;
- Windows and macOS support.
Pros & Cons
User Ratings
Trustpilot has given Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit Scanner a 4.3-star rating. Many users say that Malwarebytes is fantastic and makes them feel safe. It's reported to remove not only rootkits but also viruses, trojans, ransomware, and other malware successfully. A few customers were unsatisfied with the customer support, which the Malwarebytes team addressed accordingly.
Pricing
Alternative heading: malwarebytes pricing page
- Standard: $5 per month for 3 devices
- Plus: $6.67 per month for 3 devices; $8.33 per month for 5 devices
Avast One
Avast One is one of the most experienced anti-rootkit tools there is. With its 30 years of experience, Avast One is highly efficient and powerful. This security solution is one of the most popular anti-rootkit tools worldwide. Its powerful features and esteemed anti-rootkit detection are why it has many satisfied customers.
Avast One offers a free version, Avast One Essential, with excellent rootkit protection. However, it lacks a few functions, such as webcam protection, web hijack guard, driver updater, etc. Besides that, the free Avast One version is incredibly easy to navigate, with an intuitive interface and powerful protection features.
Apart from the free version, Avast One offers the Premium version, which gives paying users access to advanced features like Sensitive Data Shiels, Web Hijack Guard, Disk Cleaner, and unlimited VPN. Avast One is an all-encompassing anti-rootkit and anti-virus software that can save you a lot of trouble.
Key Features
With decades-long experience, Avast One has perfected its features and offers highly advanced security protection. Some of the key features of Avast One include:
- Easy rootkit detection and removal;
- Prevention of rootkit installation;
- Disk cleaning features;
- VPN service included;
- Firewall feature;
- Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS support.
Pros & Cons
User Ratings
Avast One was rated 4.0 stars by TechRadar. User reviews report that Avast One has successfully cleared their computers of any rootkits and other malware with no difficulty. Some long-term users say they would never switch to a different anti-rootkit tool.
On the other hand, some users complain about the software's excessive advertisements for the premium version, which are constantly in the way while using the free version.
Pricing
- Essential: free
- Individual: $4.19 per month
Sophos Scan & Clean
Sophos Scan & Clean is perfect for individuals, home offices, and small businesses.
Sophos Scan & Clean tool mostly focuses on removing viruses, rootkits, and other malware. The scan is automatic and uncovers underlying rootkits from your system. Once this advanced anti-rootkit detects any rootkit, it uses removal features to eliminate the target. It supports Windows and macOS devices and provides a free version for rootkit removal. Besides being suitable for individuals and home offices, it's also a good choice for small businesses. Sophos Scan & Clean allows remote access, which is perfect for small business owners with one or more remote assistants.
However, in terms of downsides, we have to say that the scanning process can be lengthy, depending on the state of your system and present rootkits.
Key Features
Sophos Scan & Clean offers competitive features that are very useful and convenient. Some of its main features include:
- Access Anywhere feature, which allows remote rootkit detection;
- Category blocking that blocks selected websites and social media;
- Advanced anti-ransomware security technology;
- Unrivaled technical support;
- Windows and macOS support.
Pros & Cons
User Ratings
Trustpilot has given Sophos Scan & Clean an impressive 4.5 stars. Users praise the Sophos anti-rootkit tool for its effectiveness and impeccable results in removing rootkits. It has been described as outstanding and unobtrusive. Sophos Scan & Clean has proven successful in keeping satisfied customers and repeatedly meeting their needs easily.
Pricing
- Free plan: free forever
- Sophos Home Premium: $37.46 per year
McAfee Rootkit Remover
McAfee Rootkit Remover is a convenient anti-rootkit tool that detects and removes rootkits deeply hidden in your computer system. It can easily uncover complex rootkits like TDSS, Necurs, ZeroAccess, etc. McAfee Rootkit Remover successfully removes all kinds of rootkits, even the sophisticated ones.
McAfee Rootkit Remover is constantly updated, allowing it to keep up with all additional rootkit families. Moreover, it doesn't burden your system while removing rootkits and other malware. You just need to launch the application and start the scan.
This rootkit remover allows you to customize the scan to choose which rootkits, viruses, or malware to search for. However, it may take time to get used to McAfee Rootkit Remover due to its outdated interface compared to others.
Key Features
McAfee Rootkit Remover offers efficient and advanced rootkit removal features and many others. The key features of McAfee Rootkit Remover include:
- Removal of complex rootkits;
- Quick and efficient scanning process;
- VPN services;
- Customized scan.
Pros & Cons
User Ratings
TechRadar has rated McAfee Rootkit Remover with 4.0 stars. This rootkit remover is very popular and widely used. McAfee Rootkit Remover has been described as convenient and efficient in rootkit removal. On the other hand, some users have complained that customer support is lacking, as they have to wait several days to get an answer.
Pricing
- Essential: $39.99 per year
- Premium: $49.99 per year
- Advanced: $89.99 per year
AVG AntiVirus
AVG AntiVirus is placed among the top few security tools on the market. It has over 200 million active users and around 30 years of experience. As AVG AntiVirus helps users easily remove rootkits, this tool is also successful in uncovering any well-hidden rootkits in your system.
AVG AntiVirus is an all-embracing tool that provides several levels of security. Besides rootkits protection, this service also protects users from other threats, like email attachments, spyware, and unsafe internet downloads. More importantly, it has an intuitive interface that users find easy to navigate.
AVG AntiVirus offers a free version that uses the same threat database as the premium version. That allows it to detect and remove powerful and dangerous viruses and rootkits for free. Besides the free version, AVG AntiVirus offers a premium version that can protect up to 10 devices using AI-powered threat detection.
Key Features
The features that differentiate AVG AntiVirus from the competition and make it stand out include:
- Quick scanning process;
- Lightweight software that puts no burden on the system;
- Regular updates that provide protection from the latest rootkits;
- Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS support;
- VPN services included;
- Phishing protection.
Pros & Cons
User Ratings
AVG AntiVirus received a 4.3-star rating from Trustpilot. Users of AVG AntiVirus are mostly satisfied with the rootkit removal results. User reviews describe AVG AntiVirus as hassle-free, comprehensive protection. Users greatly appreciate its automatic rootkit removal, which runs in the background.
Pricing
- AVG AntiVirus FREE: free forever
- AVG Internet Security: $4.99 per month
- AVG Ultimate: $6.67 per month
BitDefender Rootkit Remover
BitDefender Rootkit Remover is a reliable malware removal software with excellent performance and protection. It allows you to remove rootkits without disturbing other system files. It's a free rootkit scanner that operates on both 32 and 64-bit systems.
One of the great advantages of BitDefender Rootkit Remover is that it's very fast while scanning. The fast scanning process can be attributed to its small size. BitDefender Rootkit Remover allows users to scan their computers in only one click and quickly finds any present rootkits and other malware.
One of its greatest features is that when BitDefender Rootkit Remover detects a rootkit that can't be removed, it notifies you to reboot in the Rescue Environment. BitDefender Rescue Environment allows users to clean up and restore their computer and regain its full functionality.
Overall, BitDefender is a well-rounded antivirus software. Still, when it comes to rootkit attacks, it lacks detection capabilities and doesn't have a good database of known threats, meaning that it can often miss threats and prevent them from getting into your device.
Key Features
The key features of BitDefender Rootkit Remover include:
- A wide array of rootkit families protection;
- VPN services;
- Webcam and microphone protection;
- Password manager;
- System optimization.
Pros & Cons
User Ratings
Trustpilot has given BitDefender Rootkit Remover 3.7 stars. BitDefender Rootkit Remover has kept numerous users for many years because of its advanced rootkit removal features. Users noted that BitDefender has incredible customer support and is very user-friendly.
However, many users also experience software performance issues because it can't effectively prevent rootkits from infecting your device. It offers no real-time protection and lacks configuration options, even with paid plans.
Pricing
- Bitdefender Internet Security: $44.99 per year
- Bitdefender Total Security: $59.99 per year
- Bitdefender Family Pack: $ 64.99 per year
Bonus: How to Recover Lost Data in Case of a Rootkit Attack
While many rootkit scanners and removers are available, you may still experience a rootkit attack. A rootkit attack can cause several issues on your system, such as unauthorized access to your private data, taking control of your computer, and deleting files.
If you experience data loss due to a rootkit virus attack, you can use data recovery software to restore your lost files. We suggest you use a reliable data recovery tool like Wondershare Recoverit. It's highly efficient as it can restore any type of file, like photos, videos, audio, files, emails, and others.
Follow these steps to recover lost data using Wondershare Recoverit:
- Install and open Wondershare Recoverit on your computer.
- Go to the Hard Drives and Locations section. Select the hard drive where you lost your files and click Start.
- The selected hard drive will automatically be scanned. You can monitor the scanning process at the bottom of the screen.
- Once the scanning process is finished, you can preview the files that were found on your hard drive. If you're satisfied with the results, click Recover and save your files to a safe, different location, preferably an external hard drive.
Conclusion
If you want to protect your computer from a rootkit, you need a reliable anti-rootkit tool. Plenty of rootkit removal tools are available online, so it can be hard to select one. Fortunately, we've prepared a detailed review of the six best rootkit scanners and removers.
Our top choices included Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit Scanner, Avast One, Sophos Scan & Clean, McAfee Rootkit Remover, AVG AntiVirus, and BitDefender Rootkit Remover. If you've already suffered a rootkit attack and lost your precious files, use Wondershare Recoverit to restore them.
FAQ
What is the best Rootkit removal tool for Windows 10?
All the anti-rootkit tools we mentioned are compatible with Windows 10. Thus, you can select any tool from the list above. Based on their star rating, we suggest you try Sophos Scan & Clean. On the other hand, Avast One and AVG AntiVirus have proven to be highly efficient, too.Can I install a rootkit removal tool for free?
The answer is yes, you can. All the rootkit removal tools we reviewed allow you to install them for free and use their free version. However, if you want advanced options, you must pay for a subscription plan.Rootkit deleted my files. What should I do?
Sometimes, rootkit viruses delete the victim's files. Fortunately, you can use data recovery tools to recover lost files. Wondershare Recoverit is a powerful data recovery tool that can easily restore lost files.
