Many people spend most of their time online. However, there are over 350,000 computer viruses, Trojans, Malware, adware, worms roaming the internet. They attack devices to retrieve sensitive data of individuals, alter the way a computer works, just to name a few.
There is no doubt you need to be careful online and this is where Avast antivirus comes in. It is designed to protect your devices against many malicious attacks.
In this article, I will give you a detailed Avast review, one of the most popular security brands out there. From features to pricing, to anti-malware protection, and system performance, I will cover all the important aspects in detail so you can make a smart decision. For starters, let's get one of the most frequent questions out of the way - is Avast good for Mac?
You can check out how Avast compares to Malwarebytes in this post and to other antivirus software here:
Our recommendation: McAfee
With so many antivirus products in the market, there is none that’s like McAfee. With over 18.9 billion devices protected on a consistent basis, McAfee’s ability to deal with malware attacks come unmatched! McAfee has a dedicated database that is adept to deal with all sorts of virus attacks whether they may be online or offline. To browse their programs, check out their programs here!
Avast Review - What to Expect From This Popular Antivirus Software
Internet security is more important than ever. This is due to the fact that there are many online attacks on computers and devices. So it is clear you need the best antivirus software like Avast to ensure the safety of you and your loved ones. We also covered Avast in our antivirus software for business reviews.
Expect the following from this software:
- Its packages comes with a VPN service
- You will get high-level protection
- It will secure your passwords
- It will automatically update drivers
- It offers solutions for a single user and for business enterprises
- It offers apps for android, mac, android and iOS devices
- Has a smart scan that detects all those loopholes that malware uses to slip in and affect your PC
- It is also designed to boost your computer’s speed and increase the life of a battery
- It will block offensive content for your kids and limit their time on the internet
- It is lightweight hence will not slow down the performance of a machine or device
- Can tell the location of your kids
- It has solutions for business and homeowners
- You will be able to know how many devices are connected to your home Wi-Fi network
- See risk on your home network Wi-Fi, smart devices in real-time, and be able to block them.
- It is easy to install and connect
- You will get a secure browser
- Avast antivirus comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee
- It is compatible with all windows such as Vista, XP, Win 7, 8, 10, SP3
- You can try it free for 30 days, download their free version, or get their Premium Security suite. Keep in mind that Avast premium security offers complete online protection unlike its free version
- Avast has a friendly and easy to use dashboard making it perfect for both beginners and pros
- You will always get the latest updates
- Its price of $59.88 per year for 1 PC and $83.88 per year for 10 devices will satisfy the needs of all possible users.
Avast Online Security
Avast premium or its free version is the world’s most trusted antivirus due to the high level of online security it offers to the PC and other devices. Currently, it has over 400 + million computers and devices under its protection.
It has online security that is tailored to fit all of your business and home needs. For comparison, checkout our ByteFence review. Since needs and budgets vary, we also reviewed WiperSoft, and for Mac users Mackeeper here. In addition, we reviewed Vipre Antivirus for even more objectivity when it comes to comparing various antivirus software.
It’s Headquarters
Its headquarters are in Prague, Czech Republic. It was founded in 1988 by Paves Baudis and Eduard Kucera. The 2 developed the antivirus to remove a Vienna virus that they discovered on a floppy disk in a Research Institute for Mathematical Machines that they were studying together.
Since then, Avast has been awarded multiple times increasing its popularity and has become now one of the largest security companies in the world.
Avast for Business
You need an antivirus to keep your business safe from online attack. You cannot afford to leave your important files and company networks unsecured. Cybercriminals are always producing sophisticated malware that targets businesses.
If you have a robust anti-malware solution in place such as Avast, your business will not be vulnerable to attack. It is always producing security updates to protect your company against online danger.
It will detect and remove viruses. It also checks all the sites that you visit and warns if you visit websites that are not safe.
I have this antivirus in my devices and I haven’t been infected since using it. I can do online banking safely plus I know my identity is safe online.
Keep Hostage takers off
Cybercriminals have been known to use ransomware to block you from accessing your own data. They always demand money from their victims in order to release their documents.
Use Avast to keep these hostage-takers off your sensitive documents.
Avast Antivirus for Home
It is worth noting that this antivirus comes with a parental control app for Android and iOS devices.
This app is designed to protect your kids from exposure to inappropriate content, limiting the time they spend on the internet, letting you know who they are talking to on the internet plus their whereabouts.
With this antivirus, the internet will be a safer place for you and your family. They will be protected from online attack such and on top of that, you can control how your kids use the internet.
You can block certain apps or websites etc.
Do You Need Online Security?
You definitely need online security and this Avast free antivirus review will continue to explain why. In today’s modern world, everybody is using the internet for shopping, banking, interacting with customers, etc.
Therefore, there is a need for online security to protect against attacks. Also, there has been an increase in the number of cybersecurity attack which sometimes are not undetected by browsers and operating systems.
With Avast antivirus, it is able to stop intruders from:
- Accessing your important customer data and manipulating it
- Accessing your emails
- Getting your online banking details
It is not only able to detect and block viruses but also other attack that can find their way into your PC such as;
Ransomware
Ransomware is a program that is designed to literally kidnap or lock a PC. A ransom has to be paid in order to be able to unlock your PC or your files.
Avast is excellent at preventing cybercriminals from taking hostage of your files with ransomware. It will make sure that no ransomware won’t get through.
Spam
The fact that most emails come with a spam folder, still spam emails get through and some of them contain malware. This antivirus is able to discover viruses in spam emails plus prevent malicious people from accessing your sensitive information.
Phishing
This is a form of fraudulent activity that takes forms of fake websites, official-looking emails with the aim of stealing credit card details, money, passwords, and other important user data.
In their official site, Avast has explained how they protect you from fake websites with their free browser. It checks all the sites that you visit and will warn you if there are sites infected with viruses.
It is also able to spot scam emails. You will get a notification if your emails have been infected with viruses.
Performance and system impact
Avast free antivirus and premium offers decent performance. If you are worried that Avast will slow your machines after installing it, do not because it does the opposite.
Instead, it will boost its performance by cleaning your Pc and removing any problems that are slowing your machine. When a computer slows down, many people just assume its antivirus and always remove it with the hope of restoring its performance.
Removing an antivirus just opens your PC to risk. If you are looking for an antivirus that will boost the performance of your machine instead of slowing it down, choose this one.
Revives your PC
With Avast cleanup Premium, this antivirus is able to revive or improve the performance of your PC by putting to sleep any program that you are not using and is running in the background.
It can identify long-forgotten apps such as trial versions. These might be used as a loophole for malware to get in plus can slow down your PC. Avast will get rid of them or can put them in quarantine if you do not want to uninstall them.
Update programs
Making sure your apps are updated will improve the performance of your system a lot. Also, outdated programs will leave your PC vulnerable to online attacks.
Avast will update all outdated programs for you with its automatic software updater.
Avast Driver Updater
With Avast driver updater, all your drivers will be updated. This is because Avast scans and automatically fixes outdated drivers so you can have few device problems, your machine can operate smoothly, have better graphics, and can have richer audio.
It fixes outdated drivers for printers and scanners, monitors and Wi-Fi routers, headphones and speakers, photo and video cameras, mouse and keyboards, and other external devices.
Prolongs the life of your Battery
Did you know that this antivirus can prolong the life of your battery? I bet you did not know that.
It has Avast battery saver for windows that will save the energy of your battery by stopping energy drainers, reducing CPU performance, adjusting your PC brightness, and turning off applications that are not in use.
Keep in mind that this feature costs $29.99 per year and its main purpose is to boost the life of your battery by regulating PC performance.
In general, Avast clean up features that will boost the performance of your machine include the following:
- Sleep Mode-Puts to sleep apps that are not in use
- Automatic Maintenance- Automatically tunes and cleans your computer, fixes bugs
- Registry Cleaner-removes junk files
- Browser Cleaner-Removes cookies and browsing traces from major browsers to increase the speed of your PC
- Automatic updates-All your outdated programs are updated automatically
- Disk Defrag-It defragment your hard disk to boost the performance of your machine
- Bloatware removal-It removes all ads, toolbars, and trials that you do not use.
Interface
I have tested Avast antivirus and I can tell that it has an intuitive, well-designed interface. I tested it on my Lenovo G50 laptop with a 4GB of RAM, Core i3-4005U CPU.
I was impressed with how it is easy to open and use its interface on my laptop and my other devices.
- After installing the software, you need to double click the Avast icon on your laptop in order to open its dashboard.
- The left panel of its dashboard has Avast features such as scans, settings, and virus chest.
The interface plays a big role for a user since it enables one to check the current status of protection which will be indicating “Secured”, to do a manual scan and adjust the settings of your antivirus.
You may not need your interface if you will not be performing any of these actions regularly. This is because Avast runs in the background protecting your machine and it does not require your input unless you want to do a manual scan.
Current status displayed on the Interface
- Secured; it means you are fully protected from online threats and everything is updated
- Attention means that some extra features of your antivirus are turned off and need to be fixed.
- Unsecured means you are not protected at all. This can be as a result of turning off your antivirus. If you see this message on your dashboard, click the FIX NOW button.
- Program version: You will get a message informing whether you are using the last version of Avast antivirus or not.
There are more navigational tabs on your dashboard that you can use to change program settings or view scan results or access antispam settings.
So as to be fully secured, ensure all real-time shields are turned on. On your dashboard, you will find the expiration date of your antivirus. Make sure it is updated so as to be able to identify the latest attack.
Installation and support
This Avast review will explain to you how to download Avast antivirus on your PC. Make sure to follow the instructions. The requirements of the antivirus include a laptop or PC with:
- Disk space of 1.5 GB free
- Operating system of Windows Vista, XP, 7/8/10
- RAM of 256 MB and above
- Processor; 1.5 GB
As you can see from this info, the requirements of Avast are not high in terms of PC specifications when you compare it with its competitors. Avast comes with 2 types of installation;
Regular installation that will come with everything such as Avast Cleanup, Avast browser, Secure Line VPN, software Updater, and Avast passwords.
Custom Installation; This installation lets you choose what additional features to install.
Free Avast antivirus Installation
First step: Visit their official site and “Click Download Free protection”
Then run the Avast Installer
Click yes to confirm the installation and the antivirus will start to install
Follow all the setup instructions and the program will install itself.
Avast premium Installation
This is more than just an antivirus. Like I have mentioned before in this Avast antivirus review, Avast premium offers complete online protection for all of your laptops and devices.
First step: Go to Avast official site and purchase the license. It costs $69.99 per year for 1 PC and $89.99 per year for 10 devices. It will work on your PC, android, and iOS devices.
You can also try it for 30 days free to test if it’s the right antivirus for your needs or not.
Click download now and run the installer
Follow the setup instructions. On the license part, click supply a license file and put the one you were supplied with after purchasing Avast. Click next and the program will install itself.
Secure Browser
Enjoy safer browsing with Avast antivirus. It blocks all online ads so you can browse faster and safer on the internet. With their secure browser, you will shop online, do online banking, and play games safely without worrying about cybercriminals.
In general, you will get the following with Avast secure browser:
- It will prevent malicious people from stealing your data
- It will block malicious websites
- It will mask your identity hence prevent cybercriminals from tracking you
- It will monitor your email address and information if your emails have been infected with malware
- Offers fake site alerts that will protect you from cybercriminals who steal credit card information, password, and money.
- It comes with useful extras such as webcam guard, ad blocker, anti-phishing features, and hack check feature, just to name a few.
Decent Malware Protection
Malware is malicious software such as viruses, Trojan, and spyware that get installed in your PC or mobile device without your knowledge when you visit a certain website built to distribute malicious software.
For instance, cybercriminals use malware to steal personal information from your bank accounts. Also, they use emails to ask for sensitive information. Most legitimate businesses will not ask for your bank account or social security number via email.
Protect yourself against these attacks with Avast premium security and make sure the virus definitions is up to date to offer the necessary defense.
Avast security settings are strong enough to save you from devastating malware attacks, plus uses a pop-up blocker to filter scammer messages meant to trick you into buying worthless software, or worse downloading malware.
Free stuff may sound appealing but free downloads can hide malware. Avast have their secured web browser that will flag suspicious links, email attachments and detect unauthorized downloads.
Excellent Phishing Protection
Phishing sites are a form of cyber-attack where deceptive emails and websites are used to gather personal data. The objective of phishing is to dupe a user into believing that the message is something they want or need so to get them to click a link or download an attachment.
The analogy is of a hacker throwing a baited hook out there (masquerading website or email) and dupes you, to bite. For instance, attackers may masquerade as staff from the bank or send a note from someone in the company.
All a phishing fraudster needs to do is create a convincing replica of a trusted site. The cybercriminals then send a warning email to users that someone has their password and they should change it immediately. Clicking on the link in the email will send you to the fake website login page. Any user who logs in not recognizing that the website is fake has given account access to the fraudsters.
Avast has different security measures that users and companies can take to prevent phishing attacks. It uses AI to detect threats quicker and assess important information such as:
- Check website lifespan, most spoofing sites have a short lifespan, too short for search engines to index them. This reflects in domain ratings. Avast will look into the site's history to indicate whether a page is safe or malicious.
- Checking website certificate, HTTPS, and suspicious URL to determine whether the site is legitimate or not.
- You don’t have to worry about spoofed emails or websites. Avast premium constantly scans websites to make sure they don’t pose a security risk on your CPU or phone.
- Moreover, Avast will automatically redirect you to secure sites, ensuring that you never land on a spoofed website.
- User vigilance is important as well considering cybercriminals masquerade as trusted entities to dupe victims into opening an email or login to a fake website.
Scan Choices
Scanning your laptops and other devices regularly with Avast helps to clean-up your CPU of malware that can harm your files. Avast offers a wide range of scans to protect your CPU from malware such as;
1. Full virus scan
Full system scan takes longer but it’s thorough compared to a quick scan. It checks all local drives, boot records, files, and also attached drives like a digital camera or USB drive.
Once the scan is complete, an alert will be displayed if any threats are found. The alert will display the number of threats or infections discovered and provide you with options for cleaning.
2. Smart scan
This is a comprehensive scan that removes malware and other threats such as out of date software, fixes performance issues, and identifies browser add-ons with poor reputations.
You can pause, resume, stop, or run the scan in the background by clicking its buttons.
3. Boot-Time Scan
Some viruses like to attach themselves to the startup program so as to infect when the operating system loads. The Avast boot-time scan runs before the operating system fully loads. This allows Avast to scan files from the infected computer before they are infected or used by another program or OS.
A boot-time scan is one of the most thorough scans because it scans any file which might be locked or in use. Therefore, blocking any malware or virus from launching.
You can select the boot-time scan by navigating the scans options of the antivirus interface.
4. Targeted Scan
It scans files or folders that you select when you initiate the full scan. Simply right-click the file, navigate to scan with Avast, and you are good to go!
If you want to scan more than one file at the same time, hold down the Ctrl key while you click each file you want to scan, then right-click and select to scan with Avast.
5. Explorer Scan
It scans specific disks, folders, and files for harmful files and unwanted applications directly from your desktop via file explorer.
6. Custom scan
Avast gives you the opportunity to scan your CPU according to the parameters that you specified in your antivirus. This enables you to perform instant scans or check a particular suspicious file or disk.
7. Quick scan
This takes little time to complete compared to a full system scan. It checks hard disks partitions, temporary internet files, and the OS directory.
Wi-Fi Inspector
Take control of your own internet with Avast’s Wi-Fi inspector. Cybercriminals will attempt to take control of your devices such as Wi-Fi router through default login information that have not been changed leading to disconnection of service or stealing of sensitive data.
Furthermore, attackers can manipulate your network to conduct further attacks and do illegal activities. You are liable if such attacks are traced back to your network.
Luckily, Avast Wi-Fi inspector is enabled by default and automatically scans all the devices connected on your network whether wireless or cable for vulnerabilities and potential security issues, then notifies you if you need to address any issues.
Moreover, Avast will alert you when your network connection is not properly secured. If your WI-FI is not protected, malicious people can intercept your internet traffic and eavesdrop on your wireless network.
External parties can see what’s in your internet traffic including login credentials, photos, and videos.
To avoid such occurrences, make use of Avast’s Wi-Fi inspector and configure your wireless router and all devices connected to it with a stronger password, which includes upper-case, numbers, special characters, and use WPA2 encryption to prevent hackers from intercepting your data.
Simple Password Manager
Password managers are apps that remember login information for you. Avast has a simple password manager that will store sensitive information for you such as credit card details, strong login information, just to mention a few.
Avast password manager is an additional tool in Avast antivirus. Not only does it store your login information but also helps to create a strong, unique password for every website you visit.
Attackers often create emails that appear as if they’re coming from a legit website. To trick you, they provide a link that redirects you to the attacker’s website. Luckily, having a password manager will protect users from these attacks because it will not autofill your password on these sites.
Avast simple Password manager setup
To launch a password manager, go to the privacy menu of Avast interface and click “passwords” then get started. You will be asked to add a browser extension to enable a password generator and autofill to work.
You are now ready to start storing login information and other details once you are done with the setup process.
The automatic password generator can suggest up to 30 characters long login information which are impossible for anyone to guess. This will allow users to have complex combinations.
Benefits of Avast password manager
Avast password manager has features that make it worth having it. Below are the reasons why Avast is one of the best free password managers.
- Generate secure login information for you
- Allows you to store your online accounts details so you can quickly fill in login forms
- Import your login information from your internet browser
- Auto-capture login information whenever you log in to a new site
- Additionally, you can configure a Master Password in Settings to protect the information you store in Avast Passwords.
- Avast Passwords is currently available for devices running Windows, Mac OS, Android devices, and iOS. You can sync login information for all supported devices or all the major platforms connected to the same Avast Account
Premium Features
As I have mentioned in this review, Avast has free and premium versions. Their difference is the protection coverage they offer.
The free Avast antivirus version is however not designed to protect you from advanced issues or attacks, and usually lacks key protection features that protect against advanced threats.
When it comes to digital security and privacy, you get what you pay for. We recommend investing in a full-blown security package for excellent security and complete peace of mind.
The feature and utilities offered by Avast premium include;
1. Malware protection
Malware protection is the heart and soul of antivirus software. The premium package has protection components to offer optimal protection against viruses, spyware, and cyber threats in real-time.
Its core shields include:
- File shield: Scans files for malicious code and blocks before they infect your CPU and devices
- Behavioral Shield: detects suspicious behavior that may be caused by malware.
- Web shield: prevents suspicious files being downloaded in your CPU and device when you browse the internet.
- Mail shield: Scans emails for malicious codes
Avast has demonstrated consistent malware protection capability and will protect your device against all sorts of cyber threats.
2. OS performance
Avast impressed me with its excellent performance. You will not see any slowdowns when it is running. Instead, it improves the performance of a machine by getting rid of malware that slows down a machine or putting it to sleep apps that are not in use.
3. Advanced firewall
It provides a firewall that monitors your network activity and instantly notifies you if there’s an issue. The firewall protects you from external attacks and keeps hackers away from accessing your CPU.
4. Sandbox
This is a premium feature of this antivirus. It allows you to open suspicious files in a safe mode so your CPU stays unharmed by the malicious content. This feature comes in handy when you want to run a suspicious file in a safe environment.
5. Password manager
This is a premium feature that saves, protect your login information, and login information from different websites. It also prevents hackers from viewing your saved login information in Google chrome.
6. Webcam shield
A webcam shield prevents malicious apps from making unauthorized changes to your webcam settings.
7. Ransomware shield
Enjoy ransomware shield protection with Avast premium. The program detects and blocks unauthorized access to protected files such as photos, files, and documents.
8. Data shredder
Data shredder permanently deletes junk files from your OS memory so that they can’t be recovered. It is a useful feature that you can use to erase important files to prevent hackers from restoring them.
9. Advanced Secureline VPN
The Avast premium has a Secureline VPN that lets you browse the internet anonymously and makes you untraceable by hackers. We also reviewed Avast VPN alongside other options.
10. Clean-up tool
Avast comes with a clean-up tool to cleanse your system of junk files and keep your device working well.
11. Real-time Automatic software updater
Avast automatically updates applications on your CPU to make sure you are completely protected online. This makes sure you have the current security updates for the best full protection.
All these premium features are compatible with windows, android, Macs, and iOS devices.
Is Avast Good for Windows?
Windows Defender is the free antivirus app built into Microsoft’s Windows 10 OS. Offering a fair amount of protection and security from malware and viruses in real time, it’s trusted by millions to protect their devices from harm.
But does this mean that Windows Defender from Microsoft alone provides enough local and Internet security to keep you safe from all possible malware threats? If not, is Avast Antivirus a good third-party antivirus software suite for protecting a Windows 10 computer? Is Avast antivirus safe?, I hear you ask. Check out how it fares against others in our best antivirus for Windows 10 review.
The Growing Threat Posed by Malware, Ransomware and Viruses
A recent study into CPU security and network protection found that in the average year, more than 10 billion malware attacks take place. Ransomware attacks are also increasing by more than 100% each year, while mobile devices are facing twice the risk of being infected with malware than they were just one year ago.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the biggest threats to internet security and the antivirus programs on your CPU would come from potentially unwanted files you didn’t even realize you had. In reality, hackers continue to exploit some of the most widely used anti-virus software on the planet to plant viruses and mount attacks.
Microsoft Office – used by countless people worldwide – is the single most common piece of software used by hackers to illegally access emails.
In any case, what’s clear is that what was considered robust security and protection just a short time ago is no longer enough. If you want to keep up with the latest threats, you need to protect your CPU and your devices with the best antivirus product available for your operating systems.
Windows Defender provides a certain level of coverage, but can and should be bolstered with third-party antivirus like Avast. If you need more cross-references, check out how it performs compared to Malwarebytes here, while this article explains how it fares against Windows Defender and last but not least, you can read about Avira and Avast in this detailed review.
The Benefits of Avast Over Using Windows Defender Alone
At this point, it’s worth highlighting the fact that free antivirus software in all instances is never as robust or effective as premium paid anti-virus. Avast Free Antivirus provides more protection than no virus coverage at all, but simply isn’t enough to provide the protection you want or need.
Is Avast Good for Windows?
It’s therefore highly recommended to step up to one of the best antivirus software available from Avast, of which there are several to choose from. Each of which bolstering Internet security and localized protection from malware, phishing attacks, ransomware, potentially unwanted app, and so on.
Moving on to the specifics, let’s take a look at what each product brings to the table by way of features, user-friendliness, protection, and so on.
1. Features
Windows Defender
First up, Windows Defender is baked into every CPU worldwide currently running Windows 10, along with most other versions of Windows. It’s automatically installed and activated – it also cannot be removed from your CPU. Though what’s interesting is how once you install a third-party antivirus product, Windows Defender shuts down and no longer safeguard your CPU.
Which is strange, as it would be far better for the two to run in unison.
The Windows Defender firewall is by far its most useful and impressive feature. It keeps a close eye on what’s happening (inbound and outbound) in real time, helping protect most users and safeguard their privacy while going about their business.
There’s also a useful scanner that watches for malware, viruses, potentially unwanted software and attempts to hack into your CPU. There’s also the supremely useful Find My Device function, which is fantastic for tracking your CPU or mobile device if they’re lost or stolen.
Parental controls and web time monitoring features also boost the appeal of Windows Defender, particularly for parents with young kids about the place.
Avast Antivirus
Meanwhile, Avast takes things to extremes with a really long list of features and functionalities. The actual set of features you get depends on which Avast package you choose – Avast Internet Security, Avast Premiere, Avast Ultimate or Avast Free Antivirus. Assuming you pick up the top-shelf package, System Security and virus protection really are just about as good as it gets.
Features included extend to a seriously capable firewall, comprehensive-malware protection, a Real Site feature that prevents fake DNS routing, a premium file shredder for getting rid of sensitive files and a feature that stops cybercriminals activating your webcam.
There’s also a useful password manager, an outstanding VPN with locations all over the world and a great CPU optimization tool that helps to speed up your system’s performance in general.
Across the board, therefore, there’s really nothing between the two. You get so much more with Avast and even if you don’t run every feature it provides, it’s still way more comprehensive than Windows Defender is ever likely to be.
2. Malware Protection
For this part of the comparison, we’ll be using the most recent data provided by AV-Test and AV-Comparatives – two of the most respected independent test labs where malware and virus protection are concerned.
Surprisingly – and entirely in a positive way – Windows Defender completely aced the Protection test carried out by AV-Test, coming out with a perfect score of 6. thus confirming that it really does offer excellent anti malware detection. By comparison, Avast came out with 5.5 out of 6, though the difference was so marginal as to not be of any real relevance.
Over with AV-Comparatives, both antivirus security suites came out with the same ADVANCED award, having demonstrated an equal capacity to safeguard computers from known malware and potential future threats.
In this case therefore, it’s a tie – both Avast and Windows Defender are equally capable of providing a decent amount of protection from malware. Which is a good thing, given that this is the main reason you install Avast antivirus software in the first place.
3. System Performance
Antivirus products that put a major strain on your system’s resources and slow things down to a crawl are not worth bothering with. Precisely why independent tests are also carried out on overall performance, alongside protection from viruses.
AV-Test’s most recent evaluation of Windows Defender resulted in a score of 5.5 out of 6, having deemed it to place minimal strain on system resources. However, Avast came out with a perfect score of six, putting almost no strain on system resources whatsoever.
Again, the difference was fairly negligible and not really enough to distinguish between the two. Nevertheless, anyone running an older Windows machine or a machine with particularly low specs would probably want to go with Avast, just to be safe.
4. User-Friendliness
This is a big deal with antivirus software, given how some software can be painfully difficult to install, run and use. Though given the fact that Windows Defender is automatically installed when you install Windows 10, we’ll skip the installation aspect in this instance.
Windows Defender
In terms of user-friendliness, Windows Defender has an extremely simple and minimalistic dashboard that’s very easy to use. Actually finding your way into the Windows Security Center can be a bit of a pain, as Microsoft seems to have hidden it away for some reason.
Nevertheless, find yourself faced with the Windows Defender dashboard and it’s in no way intimidating or difficult to get your head around. You can run different types of scans at the touch of a button, see what’s currently posing a threat to your system and so on.
However, there’s no option for scheduling scans for specific times, which is a major disadvantage and is hard to explain.
Avast Antivirus
With the sheer scope of the characteristics and functionalities Avast offers, you’d expect a seriously complex and foreboding dashboard. In reality, it’s exceptionally intuitive and simple to work with – even if you have no experience with any prior antivirus program.
Running scans, scheduling scans, and using all its various Privacy, Virus Protection, and Performance characteristics is an absolute breeze. There’s also plenty of scope for customization, along with access to helpful reports and advanced diagnostics for more experienced users.
Power users and new users alike should have no trouble getting to grips with the basics of Avast, which takes the lead in terms of user-friendliness. They’re both easy enough to use, but Avast somehow simplifies the process of using far more complex characteristics and functionalities than Windows Defender.
5. Pricing
Last up, it’s best not to read too much into price as Microsoft Windows Defender is free of charge. It’s part of the package when you install and use Windows, so you can’t realistically compare it to a paid version antivirus suite.
In any case, the paid Avast products start from as little as $59.99 per year for one CPU – often with major discounts available for the first year. Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device) subscriptions are particularly impressive, covering a multitude of devices for just $89.99 each year all-in. Considering the fact that this covers a full 10 devices (including most mobile devices), it’s an exceptionally low price for such robust real-time protection.
So while it’s true to say that Windows Defender is technically the cheapest of the two, you cannot put a price on the superior virus protection afforded by Avast.
Final Verdict for Windows Avast
To be frank, comparing any free antivirus suite to a paid program is borderline nonsensical. There isn’t a free antivirus software suite on the market worldwide that delivers close to the same adequate protection as a top-shelf paid solution. Avast Free Antivirus being no exception to the rule, either.
It’s not to take anything away from Microsoft Windows Defender, which in tests has proven more effective than most would have expected. It’s just that if you want to safeguard yourself from as many attack as possible, you need to think about upgrading to a paid package.
Our recommendation: McAfee
Although the product we talked about are notable in the market, it doesn’t come close to McAfee. McAfee is a leading antivirus company in the cybersecurity industry due to its unique line-up of programs catered to dealing with malware and antivirus attacks. No wonder over 18.9 billion devices are protected using McAfee! Check out their security programs here!
How McAfee Compares to Other Antiviruses
Avast vs Comodo
Avast is definitely the better known of the two protection software options - in fact, most people haven't even heard of Comodo. While Comodo is a decent software, we believe Avast is superior to Comodo and the better option of the two.
Avast vs ESET
Avast and ESET are pretty comparable as far as usefulness and features. However, Avast certainly has more brand value and a better reputation. While Avast certainly beat out ESET across a number of categories, it was overall fairly close.
Norton vs Avast
Norton is certainly one of the most well known renown antivirus software and its history certainly helps in this battle. Norton beats out Avast in a number of ways and is much more reliable than Avast.
FAQs
1. Is Avast a good antivirus?
Yes, on the whole. Avast is an excellent antivirus program that offers a reasonable level of security protection. The free version includes a slew of features but does not include ransomware protection.
2. Is Avast dangerous?
No. Avast is an excellent antivirus application. This is not a scam or malicious software. Personally, I use AVG Free, which was acquired by Avast a few years ago and is now essentially identical to Avast, except for the user interface.
3. Is it safe to download Avast?
As long as you download it from the official Avast website and not a copy site/down-loader site that will almost certainly also download a bunch of viruses, it is completely safe to use. While Avast is free, it does include optional premium subscription features such as firewalls, VPNs, and cleanup tools.
4. Is Avast Free Good Enough?
Avast Free Antivirus is a great option for people who are looking for an antivirus that will do the job. It has all of the features you would expect from a paid version and does not have many of the restrictions like some other free versions out there. I also love that it is easy to install, runs in your system tray, and doesn't slow down my computer.
5. Is McAfee better than Avast?
As you can see, both app performed admirably in terms of security, performance, and usability. Additionally, both Avast and McAfee avoided false positives and detected 100% of zero-day malware attacks, which is significantly more than the industry average. McAfee, on the other hand, is the performance leader.
