While we believe that having an anti-virus installed in your system is mush more recommended, it doesn’t mean that their online based cousins are without their benefits.

Online anti-virus programs are perfect for scanning portable drives on the fly – which is especially useful in internet cafes and computer shops, and since flash drives are usually small, it only takes a short while for a virus scan to be completed. Online anti-virus databases are also usually updated, so you don’t have to worry about the virus definitions being out of date.

The major downside to using online scanners is that scanning speed is also dependent on the internet connection speed, unlike a dedicated scanner where the size of the drive is really the only main consideration. So unless you have fast internet speed, or if you’re the impatient type, then online anti-virus scanners may not be the best thing for you.