Open-source software
$0
perpetual
ClamAV is available under the GNU GPLv2. No official paid plans or hosted subscription tiers are published.
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ClamAV
ClamAV is a GPLv2 open-source antivirus engine for email gateways, file scanning, malware detection, and security integrations.
Editorial overview
Aggregated Overview
ClamAV provides a mature scanning engine, command-line tools, a multi-threaded daemon, automatic signature updates, archive parsing, and integration interfaces. Its free GPLv2 model supports strong value, while deployment requires technical configuration and it is not a complete commercial endpoint
This profile combines documented product information and independent evidence where available. It is not a hands-on test unless TechZella explicitly identifies one.
ClamAV Decision Snapshot
A quick way to understand who this product may suit, where its limits matter, and which facts are most relevant before you compare alternatives.
Platforms
API, Docker, FreeBSD, GNU/Linux, macOS, UNIX
TechZella assessment
8.1/10
Overview
ClamAV is an open-source antivirus toolkit maintained by Cisco Systems, Inc. It was first publicly released on May 8, 2002, by creator Tomasz Kojm.
The project focuses on email gateway scanning, file inspection, and malware detection. It includes the libclamav scanning engine, the clamd multi-threaded daemon, the clamscan command-line scanner, and the freshclam signature updater.
ClamAV is not a full commercial endpoint security suite. Its Linux client supports on-access scanning, while Windows and macOS primarily provide on-demand scanning capabilities.
Security & Privacy
For security-sensitive software, TechZella focuses on documented architecture, authentication, data handling, deployment and privacy details that can affect a buying decision. This is product research, not an independent security audit.
Security posture at a glance
| Deployment model | Self-hosted, command-line, daemon, library, or containerized |
|---|---|
| Database updates | Automatic updates through freshclam |
Security claims are presented only when supported by documented sources. The presence of this section does not constitute a penetration test, certification or independent security audit.
ClamAV Features
Scanning Engine
- Command-line scanning with clamscan
- Persistent multi-threaded scanning with clamd
- On-access scanning through ClamOnAcc on modern Linux
- Detection of viruses, worms, trojans, and other malware
- Signed signature databases and bytecode signature support
File and Content Support
- Standard mail file formats
- ZIP, RAR, 7-Zip, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, DMG, ISO, XAR, XZ, and other archives
- Windows PE, ELF, and Mach-O executable formats
- Microsoft Office, OOXML, PDF, HTML, RTF, OneNote, and related document formats
- Archive-bomb protection
Updates and Administration
- Automatic signature updates with freshclam
- Digital signature verification for databases
- DNS-based database version queries
- Configuration through clamd.conf and freshclam.conf
- Signature analysis with sigtool and clambc
Integrations and API
- Sendmail integration through clamav-milter
- libclamav C API
- clamd Unix socket protocol
- clamd TCP socket protocol
- INSTREAM, FILDES, SCAN, CONTSCAN, MULTISCAN, and ALLMATCHSCAN commands
Alternatives
Linux Malware Detect is a comparable file-scanning tool for Linux servers. Sophos Protection for Linux and ESET Server Security provide commercial Linux malware protection with vendor support.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Bitdefender GravityZone are broader commercial endpoint security platforms. YARA is a complementary pattern-matching framework rather than a direct replacement for ClamAV’s antivirus engine.
ClamAV Specifications
| License | GNU GPLv2 |
|---|---|
| Deployment model | Self-hosted, command-line, daemon, library, or containerized |
| Platforms | GNU/Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, and Unix-like systems |
| Current stable release | 1.5.4 |
| API | libclamav C API and clamd socket protocol |
| Integrations | Sendmail milter and custom clamd clients |
| Database updates | Automatic updates through freshclam |
| On-access scanning | Supported on modern Linux through ClamOnAcc |
| Free trial | Not applicable; open-source software |
| Recommended memory | 3 GiB or more for standard signature database deployments |
| Recommended CPU | One 2.0 GHz or faster CPU |
| Recommended disk space | 5 GiB of available space |
ClamAV Pricing & Plans
Pricing may change. Verify current plans on the vendor's website.
Our evidence-based assessment
TechZella Score
A proprietary editorial score based on product capabilities, usability, value, performance, support and user sentiment evidence.
8.1/10Moderate confidence
ClamAV provides a mature scanning engine, command-line tools, a multi-threaded daemon, automatic signature updates, archive parsing, and integration interfaces. Its free GPLv2 model supports strong value, while deployment requires technical configuration and it is not a complete commercial endpoint security suite.
Methodology v1.0. The assessment weighs feature coverage (25%), ease of use (15%), value for money (20%), performance (15%), support (10%) and user sentiment (15%), using researched product evidence and verified review evidence where available. It is a TechZella editorial assessment, not a direct user-review average.
ClamAV Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free software license under GPLv2.
- Broad support for archives, documents, executables, and mail formats.
- Works with command-line workflows, daemons, libraries, and custom applications.
- Supports Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, and other Unix-like environments.
- Provides automatic signed signature database updates.
Cons
- Requires technical setup and operational maintenance.
- Built-in on-access scanning is documented for Linux rather than all supported platforms.
- Does not provide the centralized management features of commercial endpoint suites.
- clamd TCP connections lack built-in encryption and authentication.
- GPLv2 licensing may limit use of libclamav in closed-source applications.
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FAQ
Is ClamAV free?
Yes. ClamAV is distributed under GPLv2 without a published software license charge.
Does ClamAV provide an API?
Yes. Developers can use the libclamav C API or connect applications to clamd through its Unix or TCP socket protocol.
Which operating systems does ClamAV support?
Officially tested platforms include GNU/Linux distributions, FreeBSD, macOS, and Windows. Support varies by release and architecture.
Does ClamAV provide real-time protection?
ClamOnAcc provides on-access scanning through clamd on modern Linux systems. The official documentation does not describe equivalent built-in on-access support for Windows or macOS.
Can ClamAV scan email?
Yes. ClamAV supports mail formats and includes a milter interface for Sendmail-based email processing.
Does ClamAV disinfect infected files?
No. The official FAQ states that ClamAV does not disinfect files.