Rating 9.8/10

Features
Ease of Use
Effectiveness
Customer Support

List of Features

• Spyware Scanner
• Live Updates
• Real Time Monitoring
• Home Page Protection
• Schedule Automated Scans
• Block BHO's (toolbars)
• Delete Cookies
• Registry Backup Control Startup Programs
• File and Folder Encryption
• Log File Analysis
• Live Customer Support
• Backup Protection

Top Choice

1. Spyware Detector

Spyware Detector not only has one of the largest spyware detection database (based on the numbers publicly provided in each of the programs tested.) but it is also very effective and easy to use spyware remover.

Effective Spyware Remover

Spyware Detector was tested thoroughly on a number of PC's at a local cyber cafe and on the computers at my local library because spyware infections are more numerous and difficult to remove than that found on the

Many of the spyware infections found on these machines were removed using the automated scan engine in as little as 5 minutes.

A handful of the more troublesome spyware remained but were removed painlessly through the help of Spyware Detector's built-in support features which are discussed below.

When I did take Spyware Detector "in house" to home PC's of friends and family members, it performed extremely well.

It even eliminated a long standing problem with a "Best Mexico Vacations" toolbar on my mother-in-law's computer scoring me a few brownie points I might add :-)

Ease of Use and Accuracy of Detection

The spyware scanner is easy to use because only a simple click of a button is required to run the entire scan process.

The results of the scan are easy to understand because each infection is marked with a threat level so you can easily see the more problematic and harmful spyware infections.

Scans were accurate and did not report any ghost infections or false positives that I could pick out.

False positives are when a spyware remover reports a spyware infection that does not exist or reports a legitimate program as spyware. Because they are often used to push people into purchasing an application or even worse cause you to delete a legitimate software program or critical system files that make your PC run, false positives are a very serious problem

False positives were not a a problem I encountered with Spyware Detector.

They also have one of the largest spyware detection database which is updated 2-3 times each week (based on the raw numbers publicly provided in each of the programs tested).

Customer Support

As mentioned above, Spyware Detector removed "many" of the spyware problems I encountered but not every one.

This is to be expected because some Spyware problems are much too complex to be removed with an automated scan.

When such problems arise, you often must rely on the customer support provided by the vendor. In many cases, the support you do receive is inadequate and unfriendly.

Much to my surprise, when I contacted Spyware Detector support about the spyware problems not fixed with their scanner, the support team was extremely responsive and eager to help.

They asked to provide as many details as possible about the problem and worked until the problem was solved and even

Helps Prevent Future Spyware Infections

Spyware Detector comes equipped with numerous advanced features to help prevent spyware infections before they happen.

• 11 different real time protection modules constantly monitor all of the programs and processes running on your computer for strange behavior or unknown entries to help prevent future infections before they have a chance to infect your computer.
• Home page hi-jack protection keep spyware from changing your default home page Automatic Live Updates alert you of new updates to ensure that your database is up to date even if you forget to check.
• Schedule Automated Scans at set times to help keep your system spyware free.

It is accurate, up to date, and packed full of features that will help you finally eliminate your spyware frustrations.

Click Here to Download Spyware Detector

(Click here to visit Spyware Detector)

Rating 9.1/10

Features
Ease of Use
Effectiveness
Customer Support

2. XoftSpy

Very easy to use. Spyware scan results are easy to understand with very limited false positives and friendly responsive support. Monitors your computer to help prevent future infections before they have a chance to infect your computer.

Their database is updated and restructured often to maximize the effectiveness of spyware detection and removal and the ability to schedule scans to run at regular intervals automatically ensures that your PC stays Spyware free.

Also, included are a few advanced utilities such as Home Page Protection which helps to prevent your home page from being hijacked and getting the dreaded "About:blank" home page.

The built-in process monitor runs continuously in the background and actively analyzes all of the processes running on your computer for any suspicious activity and kills those processes before they have a chance to infect your PC.

An effective, fast, and easy to use Spyware remover.

List of Features

• Spyware Scanner
• Live Updates
• Home Page Protection
• Schedule Automated Scans
• Delete Cookies

Click Here to Download XoftSpy

(Click here to visit XoftSpy)

Rating 8.3/10

Features
Ease of Use
Effectiveness
Customer Support

3. StopZilla

StopZilla is an interesting anti spyware program with a simple and eye catching interface that allow for brain dead simplicity.

Interesting because there does not appear to be a way to run a spyware scan at all. Instead the program relies upon an excellent real time protection engine to remove spyware infections.

In testing of a small subset of spyware samples StopZilla was able to successfully block the installation of 7 out of 10 infections. Two of the programs that evaded detection were keylogger programs (software that records all the activity on your PC and then sends it out to third parties).

Still for a program that does not offer a spyware scan feature (there is a way to run a system scan that you can send to StopZilla support but this file can only be accessed by a support technician and is not viewable on your own PC) the real time protection capabilities outshined several of the other programs tested and frankly I'm impressed.

StopZilla also offers phishing protection that will analyze the content of web sites you visit and alert you of potential hazards or malicious file downloads that are designed to trick you into providing personal information like passwords and bank account info or even install keyloggers that record computer activity.

A solid anti spyware remover program all around but the lack of the ability to perform a traditional spyware scan may leave some feeling a little "unprotected" and after searching the program and event logs for a way to backup or restore changes to the system I came up empty handed and wishing I had a little bit more control over the operation of the program.

List of Features

• Spyware Scanner
• Live Updates
• Real time protection tools
• Home Page Protection
• Block BHO's (toolbars)
• Delete Cookies
• Run On Startup
• Log File Analysis
• Live Customer Support

Click Here to Download StopZilla

(Click here to visit StopZilla)

Rating 7.8/10

Features
Ease of Use
Effectiveness
Customer Support

4. Spyware Nuker

Spyware Nuker is a capable spyware removal application with the standard features of most removal apps.

Although, they don't state the exact size of their database, it seems to detect less infections and actually missed some of the spyware on the test machines. Spyware Nuker's real time protection capabilities performed well against the infections thrown at it but lagged behind that of StopZilla and Max Spyware Detector.

What it did detect was accurate and free of false positives. A tiny quirk of the interface though is that if the program window is sized small you can only see one or two scan entries at a time making it difficult to scroll through detected infections. To fix this, simple enlarge the program window.

An interesting feature called SpyShield allows you to submit scan results anonymously and securely to Spyware Nuker's threat research team so they can create fixes for the latest threats.

With the spyware threat growing worse every day this is a nice added bonus that helps ensure Spyware Nuker continues to protect PC's from infection.

List of Features

• Spyware Scanner
• Live Updates
• Home Page Protection
• Schedule Automated Scans
• Block BHO's (toolbars)
• Delete Cookies
• Run On Startup
• Backups
• Real Time Protection
• Startup Manager

Click Here to Download Spyware Nuker

(Click here to visit Spyware Nuker)

Rating 7/10

Features
Ease of Use
Effectiveness
Customer Support

5. NoAdware

It is a capable spyware remover with decent detection and removal capabilities.

Really the thing that hurts NoAdware is the lack of comprehensive real time protection capabilities like that of Max Spyware Detector. In testing of 10 different spyware samples NoAdware failed to prevent the installation of 9 out of 10 programs. It did stop 4 of these infections from being added to the startup programs list but otherwise they were allowed to be installed.

With so many new and malicious spyware infections spreading over the Internet on a daily basis it is very difficult to provide a comprehensive spyware defense with a threat detection database alone making strong real time protection capabilities a necessity.

All of this is not to say it cannot detect and remove existing spyware. For this is does a decent job eliminating the infections tested against it that were missed by real time protection and is updated often to provide protection from the latest threats.

NoAdware has been around for a long time and is a good program but the effectiveness of the real time protection takes its effectiveness down a notch.

List of Features

• Spyware Scanner
• Live Updates
• Home Page Protection
• Schedule Automated Scans
• Block BHO's (toolbars)
• Delete Cookies
• Run On Startup
• Real Time Protection

Click Here to Download NoAdware

(Click here to visit NoAdware)