AetherAV

What AetherAV is

AetherAV is a free, open-source antivirus engine written in Rust for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It combines ten independent detection engines, including hash matching, YARA-X rules, static machine learning, on-device AI, sandboxing, and threat-intelligence matching. Its Aegis-50M AI model runs on the user's CPU and does not require internet access or a GPU. The site describes on-access scanning, process and memory monitoring, ransomware rollback, firewall protection, and web or phishing blocking. AetherAV is offline by default; sample sharing is optional, anonymous, and send-only. Firewall rules are applied through the operating system firewall, and optional reputation lookups can use CIRCL. The engine also provides an HTTP/JSON API. Feeds, models, and releases are Ed25519-signed with a key kept offline, and clients reject updates they cannot verify. Installers are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, with Intel and ARM support across the listed platforms. The project is in active development and early beta. Its site says it is not a finished product or a drop-in Microsoft Defender replacement. Linux kernel-level real-time protection is available today; Windows and macOS kernel-level protection are planned.

Who it suits

AetherAV suits people looking for a free, open-source antivirus engine for Windows, macOS, or Linux who are comfortable with early beta software. Its offline-by-default design and CPU-based on-device AI may also suit users who want local detection without requiring internet or a GPU for that model.

Limits

The free plan is billed free forever and has no paid tier or upsells. The product is early beta; Linux kernel-level real-time protection is available, while Windows and macOS versions are planned.

Getting started

1. Visit the AetherAV website.
2. Choose the Windows, macOS, or Linux installer for your platform.
3. Install the engine and use its on-access scanning and protection features.
4. Use the HTTP/JSON API if you need to work with the engine programmatically.

Verdict

Pick AetherAV if you want a free, open-source antivirus engine with multiple detection methods and support for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Look elsewhere if you need finished software or kernel-level real-time protection on Windows or macOS today.