Frequently asked questions

Virus Purge is a free online antivirus scanner that lets you upload any file and check it for viruses, malware, trojans, ransomware, and other malicious content. It runs in your browser — no software to install, no account required.

Yes. The core file scanning service — including archive deep-scanning (ZIP, RAR, 7z) and the image payload check — is free and does not require an account. We also offer an optional Premium plan that adds higher file size limits, scan history, email alerts on infection, and REST API access.

No. Guest users can scan files immediately. Creating a free account unlocks scan history and higher per-day quotas.

Virus Purge accepts any file type — executables (.exe, .dll, .msi), documents (.pdf, .docx, .xlsx, .pptx), scripts (.js, .vbs, .ps1, .py), images, archives (.zip, .rar, .7z, .tar, .gz), and arbitrary binaries. There is no restriction by extension.

Guests can upload files up to 5 MB, and free accounts up to 20 MB, including compressed archives. Premium users can upload files up to 256 MB.

No. Your file is uploaded over HTTPS directly to our servers, scanned by our own antivirus engine, and then deleted from memory. We do not forward file contents to third parties.

No. File contents are never persisted to disk for retention. The file is removed immediately after the scan completes. We keep a record of each scan — file name, size, a SHA-256 fingerprint, the verdict and the time — which is how your scan history works when you are signed in. See the Privacy Policy for details.

The scanner uses a signature-based antivirus engine with continuously updated threat definitions covering millions of known malware families. Like all signature-based scanners, it cannot guarantee detection of brand-new (zero-day) or highly targeted malware. Treat a clean result as a strong but not absolute signal.

An INFECTED verdict means the scanner matched the file against one or more known malware signatures, or found a payload hidden inside an image. The result includes the name(s) of the detected threats so you can research them. Do not open the file.

Delete the file immediately if you do not need it. If you received it from someone, alert them — their account may be compromised. If you opened the file on your computer before scanning, run a full local antivirus scan and consider changing any passwords entered since opening it.

Yes. Choose "Check by hash" on the scanner and drop the file: your browser computes its SHA-256 fingerprint on your device and sends only that. If the exact same file has been scanned on Virus Purge before, you get its verdict instantly — whether it was flagged, the threat names, the checks that ran and when it was last scanned. You can also paste a SHA-256 you already have. It is free, needs no account and does not count toward your daily scans. If the file has not been seen before, you can upload it for a full scan.

Currently the public interface accepts direct file uploads only. The Premium REST API also accepts file uploads via multipart/form-data — see the API docs.

Yes — archive deep-scanning is available to everyone, including free users. The scanner unpacks the archive (including nested archives up to a safe depth limit) and inspects every file inside. Premium simply raises the maximum file size to 256 MB.

Yes — on every plan, with no restrictions: it is part of every scan. Each JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, BMP and SVG is checked for anything hidden in it — an archive, executable or script appended after the picture ends, code tucked into its metadata (such as a PHP webshell in EXIF), a payload inside a deliberately malformed image, or an SVG that runs scripts. A file that merely pretends to be an image, like an .exe renamed to .jpg, is caught too. Any of these makes the verdict INFECTED.

Yes. Premium subscribers receive a personal API key that can be used to integrate file scanning into their own application. See the API documentation page for details, code examples (cURL, Python, Node.js), and rate limits.

All uploads are encrypted in transit (HTTPS), file contents are never sold or shared, and files are not retained after the scan. We respect cookie consent for analytics — no analytics scripts load until you accept the cookie banner. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Yes, anytime. Cancel from your account dashboard. Your Premium features remain active until the end of the current billing period, after which the account reverts to the free tier with no further charges.

Yes — see our Refund Policy page. We offer a refund window for newly created subscriptions if the service does not meet expectations.

Any modern browser released in the past two years works — Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Brave, Opera. There is no minimum specification beyond standard ES2020 JavaScript support.

No. Virus Purge scans individual files you upload. It is not a system-wide antivirus product and does not replace your local endpoint protection. Think of it as a quick second opinion on a specific file.

Yes. If you believe a file you trust has been incorrectly flagged, contact us through the support form on the Contact page with the file name and detected threat name. We can investigate and adjust signature handling.

Use the Contact form on our website. For security disclosures, write directly to [email protected]. We aim to respond within two business days.