HitmanPro.Alert Antivirus Review 2024: Is It Too Light for an Antivirus?

HitmanPro.Alert is a simple product but we're not sure how well it works. It failed all of our malware and phishing tests and there are no third-party test results to vouch for the software. It's also only available for Windows and the features are focused on malware detection and removal but little else. 

Learn how HitmanPro.Alert stands up next to the best antivirus software.

HitmanPro.Alert review at a glance

Price	$24.95–$54.95/yr
Free plan	No
# of devices protected	1 - 3
Malware scans	Manual
Real-time protection	Yes
EICAR test results	0/3
Firewall	No
Phishing protection	Yes
Compatibility	Windows
Extras	Keystroke encryption
24/7 support	No
Learn more	Get HitmanPro.Alert

Our HitmanPro.Alert experience

We were unimpressed by our experience with HitmanPro.Alert. We tested the product on our Windows 10 laptop. 

The installation was easy. Honestly, the most work we had was select our protection level, either maximum protection or protection against ransomware only. 

The initial scan ran in under two minutes. There were no detected threats, but it did flag a file as suspicious. 

However, once we researched the file name, it actually ended up being a false positive. It was the Lenovo Vantage Quick Setting Helper. 

We also downloaded malware test files during our antivirus testing but HitmanPro.Alert didn't block these files from downloading. We ran another scan just in case but the software continued to flag the Lenovo app rather than the malware test files. 

We did find a fun bonus while using the web. We knew HitmanPro.Alert encrypted our internet browsing, it’s a key difference between that and the HitmanPro product, but we didn’t know we’d see it in action. 

When we began typing in our Chrome browser, a small, somewhat transparent red bar appeared in the lower-right corner of our browser to show us how HitmanPro.Alert was encrypting our traffic. Since this feature is meant to help protect against keyloggers, we were excited to see it actually worked.

Who is HitmanPro.Alert best for?

• Recommended for Windows users wanting a simple anti-malware tool

HitmanPro.Alert, like HitmanPro, doesn’t come with a lot of features It’s light antivirus software that takes up almost no space on your hard drive and is always running in the background. 

It also adds additional encryption features not offered in HitmanPro. This means you can leave it by itself to protect your machine or stack it with additional security software for a more robust approach to security.

HitmanPro.Alert prices and subscriptions

HitmanPro and HitmanPro.Alert have plans that range from . HitmanPro is focused on only advanced malware removal, while HitmanPro.Alert adds real-time protection, ransomware protection, and web protection.

You can choose one or three devices for one year or three years. If you choose either the three-device or three-year option, you’ll be paying for only two, as the third PC or third year comes free. As far as the actual prices are concerned, the one or three-year prices are extremely reasonable.

If you’re looking for something lightweight that isn’t going to bog down your machine or become overly confusing with the amount of features available, this could be a great option for you. The real-time protection and anti-malware features usually aren’t offered in products as paired down as this one.

	HitmanPro	HitmanPro.Alert
Price for first year	Starts at $24.95/yr	Starts $34.95/yr
# devices supported	Up to 3	Up to 3
Compatible with	Windows	Windows
Manual and auto scan
Phishing protection
Firewall
Real-time protection
Ransomware protection
Parental controls
Performance optimization tools

HitmanPro.Alert features

HitmanPro.Alert and HitmanPro are no-frills cybersecurity products. HitmanPro.Alert does offer some additional encryption technology that protects you online, but that might be its only other defining feature.

Malware and antivirus scan

The malware and antivirus scanning features are extremely easy to use. Since HitmanPro.Alert is thorough, it boasts the ability to remove all types of malware like ransomware, adware, and spyware, as well as viruses and trojans. 

The removal tool is built-in, and the scanning button is directly on the dashboard. So far, the scanning features seem to be manual, but this is a real-time protection tool that’s running in the background to protect you from anything that may come up when you’re online.

Phishing protection

HitmanPro.Alert claims to advamced web protection against phishing attacks. However, we couldn't find any specific features for this on the dashboard. 

When we ran EICAR tests (results below), HitmanPro.Alert didn't block the phishing test page. Since HitmanPro.Alert can be stacked with other security products, you can fulfill this need elsewhere without interfering with your HitmanPro.Alert functionality.

Real-time protection

HitmanPro.Alert’s real-time protection is always running in the background. 

As far as specific real-time features, you can see a small, semi-opaque red bar in the bottom right corner of your browser that encrypts your data as you interact online. This is meant to protect you from keyloggers by hiding what you’re typing.

Ransomware protection

HitmanPro.Alert offers ransomware protection in the form of CryptoGuard. If you open the Advanced dashboard, you'll find the CryptoGuard icon under the Risk Reduction group.

This feature protects local and shared files against cryto-ransomware attacks. 

Anti-fraud protection

The only feature that could be categorized as anti-fraud is the encryption that comes standard with HitmanPro.Alert. By encrypting your traffic, it hides your personal information and shields you from data theft or keyloggers that could steal your credentials. 

This feature comes with HitmanPro.Alert and not HitmanPro. You can see it working in the lower-right corner of your browser.

HitmanPro.Alert test results

All antivirus programs go through three types of tests: timing for scan speeds, running in-house tests with EICAR files, and reviewing third-party test results. HitmanPro.Alert's scan was quick and didn't impact our device performance. 

HitmanPro.Alert doesn’t have any independent third-party testing information, which means it likely hasn’t submitted itself to AV-Comparatives or AV-TEST. This isn’t a huge red flag since the testing does cost money.

However, HitmanPro.Alert failed all three EICAR tests that we threw at it, so we're not sure if it can detect and protect against cyberthreats with no third-party testing information to back it up.

Scan speed

• Results: Fast

HitmanPro.Alert is a basic program, so we weren't surprised it only had one scan option. We aren't sure if it's a quick scan or a full scan, but it claimed to have reviewed over two million objects. 

Scan type	Time spent
Default scan	1 minute, 20 seconds

Despite having only one scan option, HitmanPro.Alert never took longer than five minutes to go through our device. It also didn't slow down our device speeds during the scans.

EICAR test results

• Results: 0/3

The European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research (EICAR) offers tools to help evaluate the effectiveness of cybersecurity products. The samples provided mimic each of these to really give your cybersecurity product a run for its money. 

This is a great way to get additional information about the effectiveness of your software when there isn’t independent third-party testing information available. We tested HitmanPro.Alert against the malware detection, drive-by malware downlods, and phishing detection tests.

Test	HitmanPro.Alert score
Malware detection	Fail
Drive-by malware downloads	Fail
Phishing detection	Fail

We were disappointed to find that HitmanPro.Alert failed all three tests. We downloaded the malware test files but it didn't block the downloads. Then, we ran a new scan to see if it would detect the test file in our downloads, but there were no threats found.

We were also able to open the phishing test webpage with no blockers. Considering how simple the program is, and the lack of third-party results, we're not confident in HitmanPro.Alert.

HitmanPro.Alert compatibility

HitmanPro.Alert is only available for Windows. Below are the supported versions:

• Windows 7 SP1
• Windows 8
• Windows 8.1
• Windows 10
• Windows 11 32-bit and 64-bit

HitmanPro.Alert customer support

There are really no customer support options other than guides. We weren’t really able to find forums in the Help Center either, so your best bet is the FAQs. 

Since the product is so lightweight, we don’t think you’ll have too much trouble with it, but if you do, the Help Center looks organized and is searchable.

Top alternatives

If HitmanPro or HitmanPro.Alert aren’t your thing, we have some of the best antivirus software options available listed below. Whether you’re looking for a product with more features or a free antivirus that won’t sell you out, we’ve got you covered:

FAQs

Bottom line: Is HitmanPro.Alert good?

No, HitmanPro.Alert isn't a good product. It claims to focus malware detection and removal, but it failed all three of our EICAR tests. With no third-party test results to prove its effectiveness, we don't feel like we can recommend this program.  

The best antivirus programs offer multiple scan options, are skilled at detecting cyberthreats, and offer additional features like identity theft protection or a virtual private network. If you want something a little more robust, consider Bitdefender, McAfee, or TotalAV.