VirusTotal vs. Jotti: Which website is better for scanning files and protecting my computer and phone?
We've often talked about the importance of installing and updating antivirus software, particularly on Windows. In fact, Microsoft's security solution is integrated into the operating system upon installation.
Meanwhile, many users choose third-party security solutions for these tasks. They still do not fully trust Windows Defender antivirus software and prefer to use more established programs created by experienced security software developers.
Regardless of our choice, we reiterate the importance of installing and regularly updating antivirus software. Most of these programs maintain effective background protection to prevent all types of malware from infiltrating our devices without our knowledge. It is also advisable to perform a thorough full system scan periodically, for example, monthly.
The truth is that modern antivirus programs offer many features that go beyond basic scanning. However, it's also true that in some cases, we can use other platforms to quickly and easily perform a specific analysis of one or more files.
Advantages and disadvantages of VirusTotal, the most popular website in the field of internet security.
Many of you have probably used the popular online service VirusTotal over the years, which you can access here. It's a service available from any web browser that analyzes all types of files, website addresses, and domains using a wide range of modern antivirus engines.
To give you an idea, the service currently uses over 70 antivirus programs to analyze the aforementioned items. All you have to do is upload the content, and within seconds, VirusTotal will provide you with detailed information about it, letting you know if it's free of malware.
At the same time, this site allows us to view previously used samples and, as expected, possesses a vast historical database of malware. Another key advantage is its active and extensive community, whose valuable feedback on the analyzed samples can be invaluable.
However, it should be noted that the free version of the web application is limited in terms of the size of files that can be analyzed, and not everyone may want to share these files with the VirusTotal community.
Jotti, the web application that protects your computer in seconds
We can also resort to a newer, though less common, option that is extremely useful for the same purposes. This option is called "Jotti," a platform for analyzing potentially dangerous content, which you can access via this link. Like the previously mentioned option, this is an online solution that allows us to quickly and easily analyze various types of content for malware.
From the outset, it's important to note that Jotti has some limitations compared to the previously mentioned alternative. For example, Jotti uses fewer antivirus programs than VirusTotal, typically between 15 and 20, and only allows the analysis of individual files; it doesn't allow the analysis of URLs or domains. However, it offers a simpler and more user-friendly interface for less experienced users.
At the same time, it should be noted that we will receive less detailed information about the analyzed content, although many will undoubtedly appreciate this.
At this stage, we can say that both options will be extremely useful for individual users. In other words, end users will find their security needs met by using either the VirusTotal web application or Jotti. However, businesses will likely need a paid subscription for the first option we discussed.
Furthermore, when comparing the two options, VirusTotal is particularly well-suited for advanced users who require detailed information about the analyzed content. For those who don't want to delve into complex details and simply need to know if a particular file contains a virus, Jotti is a more user-friendly and straightforward security platform for these tasks.
- VirusTotal and Jotti interface