Quick Heal Review: Is It the Right Antivirus for You in 2024?

#1 Quick Heal Review in 2024

Quick Heal, an Indian antivirus brand that's been around since 1993, has caught my attention. With so many options out there, I wanted to see how this particular software compares to the competition. That's why I decided to thoroughly test Quick Heal and see what it's really made of.

In this detailed Quick Heal review, I'll take you through Quick Heal's features, performance, and overall user experience. You'll learn:

• How effective Quick Heal is at stopping various types of malware
• What unique features set it apart from other antivirus solutions
• How user-friendly the interface is for both beginners and advanced users
• Whether Quick Heal's performance impact on your system is noticeable
• If the price point justifies the protection and features offered

So, let's examine and see what Quick Heal has to offer in 2024!

In a Hurry? Here's a Quick Summary

If you're short on time, here's a quick overview of what I discovered for this Quick Heal review:

What You'll Like:

• Wide range of security features
• User-friendly interface with customizable dashboard
• Below-average system resource usage during scans
• Effective ransomware protection
• Unique Safe Banking feature for secure online transactions

What You May Not Like:

• Some features are outdated or not functioning properly
• Web protection could be improved
• No VPN service included
• Limited customization options for the user interface
• Difficulty in obtaining a refund

What Makes This Quick Heal Review Different?

Many Quick Heal antivirus reviews you'll find online are often shallow, merely scratching the surface of what the software can do. They might just repeat information from the company's website without really putting the product through its paces.

That's not how I do things. For this Quick Heal review, I went all in. I purchased the software with my own money, installed it on my personal devices, and used it extensively for two weeks. I tested every feature, ran multiple scans, and even threw some simulated threats at it to see how it would perform.

I used Quick Heal on my main laptop, a Dell XPS, to get a feel for how it performs on a typical user's system. Throughout my testing, I captured over 20 screenshots to give you a visual tour of the software's interface and features.

What you're about to read is based on my firsthand experience with Quick Heal. I'll share both the good and the not-so-good, giving you an honest, unbiased look at what you can expect from this antivirus solution.

Buying Quick Heal

My journey with Quick Heal began on their website, where I was presented with a range of home products. Quick Heal offers six different solutions for home users: Antivirus Pro, Internet Security, Total Security, Total Security Multi-Device, Total Security for Android, and Total Security for Mac. Wanting to test the full suite of features, I opted for the most comprehensive package - Total Security Multi-Device.

The purchase process was surprisingly simple. After clicking the "Buy Now" button, a simple overlay appeared with the purchase details. I was impressed by how quickly I could complete the transaction - it was possibly the fastest antivirus purchase I've ever made. All I had to do was enter my email, name, card details, and click "Pay". There were no extra offers or additional steps to navigate through.

The payment was processed by FastSpring, and it went through without any issues. Once my payment was accepted, I was presented with a thank you page that included download links for Android, Mac, and PC versions of the software. I downloaded the PC installer for my tests.

Shortly after, I received an email containing the download links, a receipt, and my license key. The whole process was efficient, which I appreciated. However, I should mention that later, when I tried to get a refund, I encountered some difficulties. Despite sending multiple emails, I was unable to secure a refund. This is something to keep in mind if you're considering purchasing Quick Heal.

Installation

With the installer downloaded, I was ready to set up the software for this Quick Heal review. The installation process was quick, but I couldn't help noticing that the installer seemed a bit outdated. Apart from accepting the End User License Agreement (EULA), there weren't any other options to configure during the setup.

The Quick Heal installer looks a bit dated but gets the job done quickly

The entire installation took about 30 seconds, which is pretty fast. After that, I was prompted to enter my license key and register the product with some personal information like my name, email address, and country. The registration went smoothly, and just like that, I was ready to start using Quick Heal.

While the installation process was quick and straightforward, I couldn't help but feel that it lacked some of the customization options that more advanced users might appreciate. However, for the average user looking for an easy setup, Quick Heal delivers.

Interface

Upon launching Quick Heal for the first time, I was greeted by a clean and organized interface. The main window is divided into several sections, with the central area displaying your computer's security status. A large green checkmark instantly lets you know if your system is secure, which I found reassuring.

Quick Heal's main interface is clean and easy to navigate

Below the status indicator, you can see the total number of trackers blocked, access news from the Quick Heal blog, open the PCTuner app, and choose from various scan options. On the left side of the window, there's a sidebar with tabs for the main feature categories: Protection, Privacy, Performance, and Settings.

The upper bar of the interface includes a link to the user guide and a hamburger menu that provides access to Help documentation, reports, support, and information about the software. At the bottom of the window, you'll find quick access to your web account, an option to rate the app, a virtual keyboard, support options, and a link to Quick Heal's Facebook page.

While I appreciated the overall layout and organization of the interface, I did notice a few limitations. Quick Heal doesn't offer language options beyond English, which might be a drawback for some users. Additionally, the window isn't adjustable, and there are no alternative user interface themes available. These are minor issues, but they do limit the customization options for users who prefer a more personalized experience.

Despite these small drawbacks, I found the Quick Heal interface to be intuitive and easy to navigate. Even if you're new to antivirus software, you should have no trouble finding and using the various features Quick Heal offers.

Major Features

Next in this Quick Heal review, let's explore what makes Quick Heal antivirus special. We’ll focus on its primary offerings and analyze how they can enhance your system’s defense. 

Protection

The Protection section is where you'll find the core features that safeguard your system against various threats. Let's examine some of the key protection features Quick Heal offers.

Ransomware Protection

In today's digital world, ransomware is a significant threat, and Quick Heal takes it seriously. The Ransomware Protection feature backs up your data, allowing you to restore it if needed. Most commonly used document types are protected by default.

Quick Heal's Ransomware Protection settings allow you to customize your defense

To set up Ransomware Protection, you simply go to Protection > Ransomware Protection in the left pane. The feature is enabled by default, but you can adjust it to your needs.

One interesting aspect is the "Exclude Files & Folders" option. This allows you to specify which files and folders should be exempt from ransomware scanning. It's a useful feature if you have files you're certain are safe and want to avoid unnecessary scanning.

To test the effectiveness of the ransomware protection for this Quick Heal review, I used a ransomware simulator. The results were quite impressive - Quick Heal successfully stopped 13 out of 22 ransomware simulation scenarios. While not perfect, this is a good score, considering the average success rate is 15 out of 22.

Scan

Quick Heal offers a variety of scan options to suit different needs. From the main window, you can initiate scans of your entire system, specific drives, network drives, USB drives, folders, files, memory, and even perform a boot time scan.

Quick Heal provides a range of scan options to suit your needs

Let's break down the different types of scans available:

Quick Scan

The Quick Scan is designed to check the most vulnerable areas of your system rapidly. In my Quick Heal review tests, it took just 42 seconds to scan 3,787 files, detecting zero threats. This is impressively fast and could be useful for routine checks when you're short on time. As a comparison with other top antivirus programs, McAfee and Kaspersky's quick scans were a bit more deep, scanning more files.

Full Scan

For a more thorough check, the Full Scan examines all boot records, drives, folders, files, and vulnerabilities on your computer, excluding mapped network drives. My full scan took 42 minutes to check 377,226 files and detected two threats - malware files I had downloaded for the web protection test.

Quick Heal's Full Scan provides a comprehensive check of your system

Custom Scan

The Custom Scan option allows you to select specific drives and folders to scan. This is particularly useful when you want to check certain areas of your system without running a full scan.

Memory Scan

As the name suggests, this scan checks your computer's RAM for any threats.

Boot Time Scan

This feature is particularly useful for cleaning heavily infected systems. It scans your computer during the boot process, allowing it to detect and remove viruses that might be active when the system is running.

Vulnerability Scan

The Vulnerability Scan identifies flaws in your operating system settings and applications that could be exploited by hackers.

The Vulnerability Scan helps identify potential security weaknesses in your system

In my Quick Heal review test, this scan took about 15 minutes, which is quite long compared to other scans. It found 28 vulnerable system settings and 16 application vulnerabilities. Quick Heal provides "Fix It" links for some of these issues, allowing you to address them directly from the scan results.

Mobile Scan

An interesting feature is the PC2Mobile Scan, which allows you to scan a wide range of Android, iOS, and Windows mobile phones by connecting them to your PC via USB.

Scheduled Scan

If you prefer to automate your scans, Quick Heal allows you to set up scheduled scans. You can configure the frequency, priority, and location of these scans.

Quick Heal's Scheduled Scan feature allows you to automate your system checks

Scan Settings

Quick Heal provides a wide array of scan settings that you can customize according to your preferences. These include options like choosing between automatic or advanced scan modes, setting actions to take after a scan is completed, configuring DNAScan behavior detection, and excluding specific files or folders from scanning.

Quick Heal offers extensive customization options for its scan settings

Overall, I found Quick Heal's scanning capabilities to be comprehensive and flexible. While some scans took longer than I expected, the variety of options and the level of control provided are impressive.

Web Protection

In today's connected world, web protection is crucial, and Quick Heal doesn't disappoint in this area. The Browsing Protection feature ensures that malicious websites are blocked while you're surfing the internet.

To test Quick Heal's web protection capabilities, I visited several known malicious websites across multiple browsers. Here's what I found:

• Maliciouswebsitetest.com was successfully blocked
• WICAR test site was completely blocked
• On the AMTSO (Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization) site, Quick Heal blocked 14 out of 15 threats
• For the EICAR test, 3 out of 4 threats were blocked

When Quick Heal blocks a malicious website, it displays a warning message with additional details. A popup notification also appears in the lower right corner to alert you about the threat stoppage.

Quick Heal alerts you when it blocks a potentially dangerous website

Quick Heal also includes Phishing Protection, which aims to prevent users from accessing fraudulent websites. This feature scans websites for phishing behavior as soon as they're accessed.

You can easily enable or disable both the browsing protection and phishing protection from the Protection tab. While the web protection performed well in my tests for this Quick Heal review, there's still room for improvement, especially considering that some threats managed to slip through.

Safe Banking

One standout feature of Quick Heal is Safe Banking. This tool is designed to protect your online banking sessions from potential threats.

Quick Heal's Safe Banking feature provides an extra layer of security for online transactions

Safe Banking works by launching your banking session in a secure, isolated environment. This approach helps protect against various threats:

• It isolates your banking activity from potential internet threats
• All types of keystroke recording tools are blocked, safeguarding your confidential data
• It uses secure DNS to prevent hacking attacks
• It ensures you only visit verified and secured websites

You can configure various options for Safe Banking, such as protection from DNS-based attacks, clipboard sharing, and keyboard shortcuts. I found this feature to be particularly reassuring when conducting online transactions, providing an extra layer of security that many other antivirus solutions don't offer.

Secure Browser

Quick Heal provides a Secure Browser feature, accessible via a desktop shortcut. This opens your default browser in a secure environment, adding an extra layer of protection for your browsing sessions.

The browser sandbox keeps you safe from malicious attacks by applying strict security policies for all untrusted and unverified websites. If you open any downloaded files with Browser Sandbox turned on, they open in the sandboxed environment to isolate any possible infections.

You can configure the secure browser in the Protection > Browser Sandbox section. Here, you can select the browser sandbox security level, control browser access to personal data, and manage the sandbox cache.

Firewall

Quick Heal's firewall replaces the default Windows firewall, monitoring and filtering incoming and outgoing network traffic to shield your system from intruders and hackers.

The firewall settings in Quick Heal offer extensive customization options

You can manage both Program Rules and Advanced Settings for the firewall. Program Rules allow you to create rules for programs accessing the Internet, while Advanced Settings let you create rules for incoming and outgoing network traffic.

To test the firewall's effectiveness, I used a popular firewall testing tool. I'm happy to report that Quick Heal passed this test, indicating that its firewall provides solid protection against network-based threats.

Email Protection

Quick Heal's Email Protection feature allows you to set up protection rules for all incoming emails. These rules can block infected attachments, including malware, spam, and viruses.

Email Protection settings in Quick Heal offer thorough control over email security

The Email Security includes several components:

• Email Protection: This is turned on by default and provides optimal protection for your inbox.
• Trusted Email Clients Protection: This protects against threats that exploit vulnerabilities in popular email clients.
• Spam Protection: This feature helps differentiate between genuine emails and unwanted ones like spam, phishing, and adult content.

You can easily enable, disable, or configure these features in the Protection > Email Protection window. While I didn't encounter any issues with email-based threats during my Quick Heal review testing, it's reassuring to have these protections in place.

USB Drive Protection

In an age where USB drives are commonplace, protecting against autorun malware is crucial. Quick Heal's USB Drive Protection does just that.

USB Drive Protection helps safeguard against threats from external devices

To use this feature, you simply go to Protection > USB Drive Protection, select the removable drive you want to secure, and click the "Secure Removable Drive" button. This ensures the drive is protected against autorun malware when used on other systems.

External Drive Protection

Quick Heal also offers protection for other external devices like CDs, DVDs, and USB-based drives. This feature includes:

• Autorun Protection: This disables the autorun feature of external drives.
• Scan External Drives: This allows you to scan USB-based drives as soon as they're plugged in.
• Scan Windows Mobile: This sets notification rules for when a Windows Mobile phone is connected via USB for scanning.

External Drive Protection settings provide options for securing various types of external media

These features can be enabled or disabled in the Protection > Scan External Drives section. I found this particularly useful for maintaining security when using various external storage devices.

AntiMalware

Quick Heal AntiMalware is a separate utility accessible from Protection > AntiMalware. It's designed to check for threats that might be beyond the scope of traditional antivirus programs, such as spyware, adware, rogueware, and keyloggers.

The AntiMalware tool provides an extra layer of protection against various threats

When I ran the AntiMalware scan, it didn't find any threats on my system. However, it's good to know that this additional layer of protection is available if needed.

Privacy

The Privacy tab houses features designed to secure your personal information and maintain your privacy online. Let's examine some of these features.

Data Backup

Data Backup is crucial for protection against ransomware attacks. Quick Heal allows you to select the location you want to back up and choose the types of files to include in the backup.

Data Backup settings allow you to customize your backup strategy

You can manage your backups, changing the location if needed, and restore data in case of a ransomware attack. While I didn't need to use the restore feature during my testing for this Quick Heal review, it's comforting to know it's available if needed.

File Vault

File Vault is a feature that creates a virtual drive where you can store confidential and important data in an encrypted format.

File Vault provides a secure location for storing sensitive files

Creating a vault is uncomplicated - you name it, set a location, specify the size (minimum 100MB), and set a password. I created a test vault and found the process to be simple and user-friendly.

Parental Control

Quick Heal's Parental Control feature allows you to manage internet access, application access, and computer access for children and other users.

Parental Control main interface offers various options for managing user access

The feature offers several restriction options:

Detailed settings for Internet Browsing Control in Parental Control

• Internet Browsing Control: Restrict access to websites by categories or specific URLs, and schedule internet access times.
• Application Control: Limit access to certain application categories or specific applications.
• PC Access Control: Set time restrictions for computer access.

While I didn't have children to test this feature with, the options provided seem thorough and should give parents good control over their children's digital activities.

Webcam Protection

Webcam Protection is designed to detect malware that might try to access your webcam without your consent.

In the configuration for this feature, you can add applications that may try to access the webcam and allow or deny access to them. There's also an option to receive notifications when the webcam is accessed.

Anti-Tracker

Anti-Tracker is designed to protect your privacy by blocking trackers that collect your online activities.

Anti-Tracker settings allow you to control which types of trackers to block

To use Anti-Tracker, you need to install a web extension for your browsers. Unfortunately, I encountered some issues here. The Chrome extension was not available, and I couldn't activate the Edge extension as it kept asking for my license key.

However, I managed to install and use the Firefox extension successfully. It worked well, blocking trackers effectively.

Anti-Tracker extension showing blocked trackers

The Anti-Tracker settings allow you to choose which types of trackers to block (analytics, social media, advertising, or others), manage exclusions, and clear the browser cache.

Performance

Quick Heal offers several features designed to optimize your system's performance. Let's take a look at some of these tools.

PCTuner

PCTuner is an all-in-one program that helps clean up junk files and improve your computer's performance.

PCTuner offers various system optimization tools

PCTuner includes several features:

• Auto Tuneup: Performs Disk Cleanup, Registry Cleanup, Traces Cleanup, and Defragmenter.
• Disk Cleanup: Removes invalid and unwanted junk files from your hard drive.
• Registry Cleanup: Removes invalid and obsolete registry entries.
• Traces Cleanup: Removes traces from Internet history and recently used lists of various applications.
• Defragmenter: Defragments vital files to improve system performance.
• Scheduler: Allows you to schedule tuneup activities periodically.
• Duplicate File Finder: Removes duplicate files from user-specified locations.
• Secure Delete: Permanently deletes unwanted files or folders from your system.
• Startup Booster: Removes unwanted startup programs to enhance startup speed.
• Service Optimizer: Suggests services that can be safely disabled at startup.

While I didn't notice a dramatic improvement in my system's performance after using PCTuner, it did help clear up some disk space and enhance my startup process.

Auto Silent Mode

Auto Silent Mode is a feature that keeps Quick Heal running in the background without displaying notifications or pop-ups. It also defers scheduled scans when any application is running in full-screen mode.

This feature operates automatically and doesn't require any configuration. I found it particularly useful when I was watching videos or playing games, as it prevented any interruptions.

Track Cleaner

Track Cleaner helps remove the traces of recently used programs, protecting your privacy if your system is used by multiple users.

Track Cleaner allows you to choose which items to clear

You can access this tool via Performance > Track Cleaner, where you can select which items to check and clear. I found this feature uncomplicated to use and appreciate the control it gives over what gets cleared.

Hijack Restore

Hijack Restore allows you to restore the default settings of Internet Explorer if they've been modified by malware, spyware, or other applications.

Hijack Restore offers options to restore various system settings

You can choose to restore all themes, the default host file, or specific system settings. While I didn't need to use this feature during my testing, it could be valuable if your system settings are compromised.

System Explorer

System Explorer provides important information about your computer, such as running processes, installed BHOs, toolbars, ActiveX components, LSPs, startup programs, Internet Explorer settings, and active network connections.

System Explorer provides detailed information about your system

From the Explorer window, you can view processes, their descriptions, and even terminate or refresh them. This tool could be particularly useful for advanced users who want to investigate their system's operations.

Game Booster

Game Booster is designed to enhance your gaming experience by prioritizing game processes over other applications. There are no settings to configure - you simply enable or disable it as needed.

While I'm not much of a gamer, I did test this feature with a few games for this Quick Heal review. I noticed a slight improvement in performance, particularly in terms of reduced lag.

System Performance Impact

One concern many users have about antivirus software is its impact on system performance. I'm happy to report that Quick Heal's impact on system resources is below average.

During a full scan, Quick Heal consumed about 30% CPU power and 100 MB of RAM. While the CPU usage is slightly above the average of 25%, the RAM consumption is well below the average of 300 MB.

This means that you should be able to run Quick Heal without observing significant slowdowns in your day-to-day computer use, which is a definite plus.

Quick Heal Review: Conclusion

After spending considerable time for this Quick Heal review I can say it's a comprehensive antivirus solution with a wide range of features. Its strengths lie in its user-friendly interface, low system impact, and some unique features like Safe Banking and PC2Mobile Scan.

However, it's not without its drawbacks. Some features, like the Chrome extension for Anti-Tracker, need updates. The web protection, while good, could be improved to catch more threats. And the lack of a VPN service, which many competitors now offer, is noticeable.

In conclusion, Quick Heal delivers on its promise of comprehensive protection, but there's room for improvement in certain areas. It's worth considering if you value a wide feature set and low system impact, but do weigh it against other options in the market before making your final decision.

Seeking antivirus alternatives? Trusted brands like Norton, Bitdefender, and TotalAV are solid options. Check out our best antivirus list for 2024.

Octav Fedor (Cybersecurity Editor)

Octav is a cybersecurity researcher and writer at AntivirusGuide. When he’s not publishing his honest opinions about security software online, he likes to learn about programming, watch astronomy documentaries, and participate in general knowledge competitions.