Softonic, a very popular name that you must have come across whenever you have searched something related to games, software, or, latest movies. But the question that keeps boggling people's minds is Softonic safe to use or not? Does it actually spread Malware and viruses to its users? Today, through this post we are going to answer all those questions that you have regarding Softonic in a very simple and understandable way. So, let's turn on the Sherlock mode, as it's time to investigate Softonic.
What Is Softonic?
The reason behind the huge 200 million user-base of Windows is that you get access to download free software very easily. There are plenty of platforms and websites present on the internet through which you can download free software, games, and movies, Softonic being one of them. Talking about the history of Softonic, it is a California-based Spanish organization and it is popular for providing games and software to its user without asking for any money from them.
According to some recent, Softonic has recently crossed the landmark of million users. And the reason behind this is that it has a huge collection of both free software and free games. Just try to search for any free software and games, and you will have Softonic present on the first web page, and it is proof of what popularity Softonic has gained so far.
After knowing all these pros of Softonic you might be wondering what's the reason that people are questioning the credibility of Softonic.
1. Reason Behind People Doubting Softonic
It's natural human behavior to doubt everything that is too good considering its value or even something that is available for free, and the same case with Softonic.
People have started to doubt the credibility of Softonic only because it is offering software's and games for free, i.e. not asking a single penny for downloading apps and software's present on its platform.
Looking at all the benefits that users get through Softonic, it's quite obvious to get questions like is Softonic safe or not? And if you are among those who are having the same question, then keep reading this post to get the answer.
Is Softonic Safe?
If you're looking for the shortest and a very straightforward answer, then our answer to the question is Softonic safe or not is "Yes". Softonic is completely a safe platform to download free software's in apps for your PC and Android device. Keep reading this post to find out why we are claiming that Softonic is completely a safe platform.
1. Google Official Report Regarding Softonic
Google transparency report is a program launched by Google to find out whether a program or software that you are using is completely safe or not. Not only a program or software but using Google transparency report you can also find about the credibility of a website present on the internet.
We personally used the Google transparency report to find out the Softonic is safe or not, according the Google report, Softonic is completely a safe platform to download freeware. But, the Google report also pointed out that you should always be aware of the content that you are downloading from Softonic.
2. Trustpilot Review
Trustpilot is a very impressive platform where you can find what users think about a particular software or a program. We personally used Trustpilot to find out what are the opinions of people regarding Softonic.
The result that we find on Trustpilot is completely opposing the Google transparency report. Out of 104 reviews, 64% of people have kept Softonic in the "Bad" category, and given Softonic 1.4 Star rating.
After going through the comments, we find out that people were unhappy with their experience with Softonic only because this platform keeps automatically installing unknown software and malware. The worst part is that people face issues while uninstalling all the software that automatically gets installed.
3. Web Of Trust (WOT)
Web of trust is a browser extension that you can use to check the credibility of a software or website. According to the Web Of Trust report, Softonic is completely a trustable platform. It has a user rating of 85, and it's safe for children too, as it has a child user-rating of 86.
Web of trust claims that Softonic doesn't have any issues that you should be concerned about and you can completely trust Softonic for downloading that has sense software for free.
Precaution You Should Take While Using Softonic
Softonic is one platform where all the apps and software are present for free. It doesn't claim the trustworthiness of any app for software present on its platform, so it's your duty to be careful while downloading any software through Softonic. There is a couple of measures that you should always take while downloading any freeware through Softonic.
First, you should always read all the reviews related to any app or software that you are looking to download. Not only positives read all the negative reviews about any app or software, and if you find out that the number of negative reviews is very less than positive ones then we recommend you to avoid downloading that particular app.
Second, whenever you have downloaded any app or software through Softonic or any other platform, we recommend you to run a virus and malware scan on that particular software through your antivirus.
Third, never click on any ads present on any website. As most of the ads lead to downloading a harmful virus and malware on your system.
Also Read: 16 Best Android Emulators for Windows 10 PC
Final Words
Getting questions like is Softonic safe or not is very common to get because nowadays most freeware platforms are not trustworthy. But when we talk about Softonic, the results are quite mixed, some credibility checkers considered it as the best platform to download free software, whereas some considered it not such a trustworthy platform.
If we ask ourselves what are our personal views regarding Softonic, then we will recommend you to try Softonic without any hesitation. As we personally didn't face any issues while using Softonic. Nevertheless, let us know your views regarding Softonic in the comment section.