Windows offers many interesting features and one of these features is the freedom to download any software. This is convenient but due to the lack of restrictions, it can also become a gateway for much malicious software. As the online industry is growing, the viruses and malware are also getting deadlier and more intense. However, this also means that there is no guarantee that the paid software is 100% safe. So, if you are here, you must be asking the question “Is Softonic safe?” So, let us see what Softonic is and whether it is malicious or legit.
Softonic review
So, let us try to understand what Softonic really is and what are its features.
What is Softonic
Softonic was founded in 1997 and is a Spanish website which is based in Calfornia. The main objective of this software is to provide online users with free games, apps, and other content. It has millions of users all over the world. However, due to its open-source nature, it raises the question among many users doubting its safety. So, to understand it better, let us dive in a bit deeper.
Is Softonic Safe?
Softonic is completely legit and legal. Most of the content available here is free and copyrighted third-party apps. However, in some cases, it was seen by the users that this software adds infected apps and malicious malware to the free apps and software on their site. But, this happens with very few of the apps, otherwise, most of the apps and software have great comments. These two facets of Softonic makes the users confused. So, to get the final answer, let us check out some of the advantages and disadvantages of Softonic.
Advantages of Softonic
So, let us see the advantages that Softonic provides:-
Web of Trust Authorized
Whether a website is secure, authentic, and reliable, it is tested by WOT. It performs various tests through its numerous security algorithms and tools. When the test was performed to see how much safe and trustworthy Softonic is, the result was amazing. It scored 85% in trustworthiness. This is actually quite a good score for a free website.
Google Safe Authorized
Google is the number one among all the search engines. And, it has developed a tool that will help to tell the users whether a website is vulnerable to threats or not. The test performed in this tool to find the answer to “is Softonic legit and safe?” the answer was not at all expected. The result showed 0% of unsafe content. This indicates that you can download any content from this site without fearing any malware.
Reviews of The Users
Regardless of the criticizing of Softonic, thousands of users download content from here. The same people who criticize it, also download contents from here daily. You will be able to see many positive comments for Softonic on various websites like Quora, HowtoGeek, etc.
Softonic claims its free downloads to be devoid of any malware
Softonic claims that the site is pre-scanned for any viruses or malware and is 100% safe. If it claims that it is safe, it will not jeopardize its reputation by not offering its files with any safety mechanism.
So, if you having questions like, “is Softonic safe?”, then from the advantages discussed above showed you that it is. However, there are also some disadvantages to it as well.
Disadvantages of Softonic
Apart from its amazing advantages, there are also a few disadvantages that cannot be ignored. So, let’s take a look at these disadvantages:
Even after Claiming Malware-Free Website, it Still Causes Malware to Enter The System
Many users have claimed that the installer of Softonic is itself a malware even if it guarantees malware free download. It is also been reported by users that it downloads other malware software without the permission of the users.
The downloads are Outdated
The files that it offers to the users are not of the latest version. They promise the latest version on the title of the download, but when the file is downloaded, the users find that it is not the latest version. This costs the users their data and valuable time.
Lots of Ads
Whenever you are downloading any free content form the internet, you have to come across many ads. So, when a user is going to download a file, they are faced with numerous download buttons. If they press the wrong button, they will end up downloading malware rather than the file they are there to download. A new user is more prone to do this mistake and get their computer affected more easily.
It Can Control your Devices
The apps from Softonic can take control of your computer. These apps have the downloading and installing process under their control. It was also reported that the software is taking up the entire disk space, which means that it controls the disk space as well. There are also times when the program becomes the device’s homepage. This happens due to the automatic download of the extension.
Final Verdict
I hope that from the above discussion you now know what Softonic is. So, as you have gathered from these discussions, Softonic offers many great features. But, besides these features, it also has some malware problems. If you are not aware while using Softonic, you are likely to get affected by viruses and malware.
However, if you use good antivirus software, then you might be protected against these viruses and malware. If you do not want to take any risk, then avoiding it will be a good option. But, if you are still willing to use it, then use robust antivirus software and you will not have to ask questions like “is Softonic safe and legit?”. The decision is yours.