#3 StopZilla (IS3)

StopZilla is another one of the consistent award winners, and rightfully so. But it's still not quite as good as the others. Most importantly, it lacks database size. What do we mean by database size? We don't mean a database that enables detection of every petty little potential threat, however minor it can be. We mean the real threats that can actually do your computer harm, or even potentially steal private information from your computer. Not that removing all the petty threats like cookies isn't a good thing, but that's not why you really get protection in the first place - the protection is to avoid system damage, compromising of system stability, protection against data thieves and hackers, and the alike. This is where is counts, and StopZilla proved less effective than Spyware Doctor and Spy Sweeper.

The StopZilla interface is friendly, and probably the most attractive of all packages. We're not saying you can't get looks and performance, just that not all that glitters is gold. What counts ultimately is software's ability to stop threats getting to your computer in the first place, detecting them if they somehow manage to be installed, then safely removing them. The safe removal of some spyware is where StopZilla fell short. We found while it succeeded in detecting some of the more evasive malware and spyware, the removal left a few holes in the system that needed to be repaired.

VERDICT: StopZilla did not appear to compromise the functionality of major and very common software, although it did for some more obscure software, that although is not the kind of software you find in your local computer store, but is still widely used. It still performed better than Spyware Detector in the safe removal department, but ideally you'd be able to feel confident all your favourite programs wont be mistakenly harmed. Real-time protection is provided, but not against as many severe threats as competing packages.