VirusTotal: Free Online Virus Scan with 70+ Antivirus Engines (2026)

Got a suspicious file or link and not sure if it is safe? VirusTotal is a free online service that scans files and URLs with dozens of antivirus engines at once and shows you the result from each. We first wrote about it in 2007, when it was run by Spain’s Hispasec Sistemas. Google bought VirusTotal in 2012, and it is now part of Google’s security tools, but it is still free for anyone. Here is how to use the VirusTotal free online scan in 2026.

Quick answer: Go to virustotal.com, drag a file onto the page or paste a URL, and click Search or Scan. VirusTotal checks it with 70+ antivirus engines and URL scanners and shows how many flagged it. One or two detections may be false alarms; many detections mean you should delete the file. Never upload private or confidential files, because uploads are shared with security researchers.

What can VirusTotal scan?

• Files: programs, documents, archives and more, up to 650 MB.
• URLs: paste a link from an email or message before you open it.
• Domains and IP addresses: see whether a site is linked to malware or phishing.
• File hashes: search by the file’s SHA-256 or MD5 hash without uploading it.

How to scan a file with VirusTotal

1. Open virustotal.com.
2. On the File tab, click “Choose file” or drag the file onto the page.
3. Wait while it uploads and is analysed. If the file was scanned before, you see the earlier result straight away and can click “Reanalyze”.
4. Read the detection ratio, such as “3/72 security vendors flagged this file as malicious”.

How to check a link before clicking

Copy the link (right-click and “Copy link address”), open the URL tab and paste it. VirusTotal checks it against many website blocklists. This is a great way to test links in emails that might be phishing.

How to read VirusTotal results

• 0 detections: no engine found a problem. Not a guarantee, but a good sign.
• 1 to 3 detections: often false positives from smaller engines, especially for new or rare programs. Check which engines flagged it and whether the major ones agree.
• Many detections: treat the file as malware and delete it.
• Details and Behavior tabs: show what the file does when run in a sandbox, such as network connections and files it creates.
• Community tab: comments from researchers and other users.

Important privacy warning

Files you upload to VirusTotal can be downloaded by paying security partners and researchers. Do not upload private documents, contracts, tax returns or anything containing passwords or personal data. For those, search the file hash instead of uploading.

VirusTotal is not an antivirus

VirusTotal checks single files and links on demand. It does not protect your computer in real time or remove infections. Keep Microsoft Defender or another antivirus running, and use a second-opinion scanner like McAfee Stinger if you suspect an infection.

VirusTotal apps and extensions

• VT4Browsers: an official browser extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox that lets you scan links and downloads with a right-click.
• API: developers can check files and URLs automatically with a free public API key (with rate limits).

FAQ

Is VirusTotal free?

Yes, the website and basic API are free. Google sells premium versions to companies.

Is VirusTotal safe to use?

Yes, but remember that uploaded files are shared with the security community.

Can I still email files to VirusTotal?

No. The old email scanning service has been retired. Use the website, browser extension or API.

Have you ever caught malware with VirusTotal? Tell us in the comments.