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Pros
Very good scores in multiple independent lab tests and our own hands-on tests.
Cons
Initial scan slower than average. No longer offers web protection browser extension.
Bottom Line
AVG AntiVirus Free offers precisely the same antivirus protection engine as Avast Free Antivirus, but lacks the impressive collection of bonus features that you get with Avast.

I hate Avast/AVG software. Even on the paid products they hype about features you don’t have, maybe there is a reason we don’t want the whole deal. Also there is a constant feeling your being watched, fengsui the whole colorful ui crap I don’t like that feel. Aug 13, 2008 In reply to: AVG Vs Avira Vs AVAST For some reason Avast is the only one that worked on my laptop in the latest version. The other two froze-up the system on their latest download.

Avast Free Mac Security 2018 Download – You like your Mac, and also rightfully so.Which is all the more need to safeguard it with the most preferred Mac protection offered. Macs need protection, too Mac OS X is thought about one of the most protected os offered. Avast Free Mac Security. When it comes to Avast Free Mac Security, Avast and AVG belong to the same Avast family. Avast is one of the largest security companies in the world and protects over 400 million customers in more than 150 countries worldwide.

AVG – Number of Downloads & Rating on CNET Download.com June 2017 Avast has higher editor’s rating – 4 stars (meaning excellent), while AVG has 3.5 stars (meaning very good). The user/community rating is also better for Avast – 4.5 stars, while AVG has 4 stars.

Everybody needs antivirus protection. You, me— everybody! And I don't mean the antivirus built into Windows—it just doesn't measure up. Fortunately, you can get that protection without spending a penny. AVG AntiVirus Free, for example, has millions of users worldwide. In our own tests and tests by the independent labs, it earned very good scores.

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In 2016, Avast acquired AVG. Both product lines continue their separate existence, but the underlying antivirus protection engine is identical, as evidenced by the results from my tests and independent lab tests. Why does the company keep them both? AVG and Avast Free Antivirus have huge followings, but globally each is strong in different areas. The combined company has a worldwide reach.

Of course, AVG only makes money if somebody purchases the for-pay security suite. There's a certain amount of upsell when you go to install the free antivirus, but it's much more laid back than that of, for example, Avira Antivirus. You can choose the free antivirus or start a 30-day free trial of the suite.

Last time I reviewed this product, it installed AVG Zen as a management and launching utility for AVG products. With the current product line, AVG Zen is defunct. You install an antivirus, you only get an antivirus, which I like. Also, there isn't a Pro edition of the basic antivirus. If you click one of the pro-only features in the free antivirus, it suggests you upgrade to the AVG Internet Security - Unlimited suite.

The product's user interface features green and white text on a slate-gray background. It clearly distinguishes free from premium features. It marks the panels for Computer and Web & Email protection as basic protection. Full protection includes panels for Hacker Attack protection, Privacy, and Payment protection. All three display a lock icon; clicking them invites you to upgrade to AVG's security suite.

Lab Scores: High and Plentiful

You might not realize this, but in most cases antivirus companies pay for the privilege of having products tested by the independent labs. The company does benefit; a high score gives it bragging rights, while if the score is poor, the lab helps the company work through what went wrong. With a free antivirus that doesn't bring in any income, a company might be tempted to avoid the expense of testing. Not AVG. I follow four independent testing labs that regularly release reports on their results; all four of them include both AVG and its cousin Avast.

The analysts at AV-Comparatives perform a variety of security tests, of which I follow four. Products that achieve the necessary minimum scores receive a Standard rating, while those that show advanced features and capabilities can rate Advanced or Advanced+.

Out of the four tests, AVG and Avast both received three Advanced+ ratings and one Advanced. That's quite good, but Bitdefender Antivirus Plus took Advanced+ in all four tests.

AV-Test Institute reports on antivirus capabilities in three areas: protection, performance, and usability. With six points possible in each category, the maximum score is 18 points. AVG took six points for usability, meaning it didn't erroneously flag valid programs or websites as malicious, and six more points for malware protection. It came close in performance, with 5.5 points. Avast precisely matched that score.

A total of 17.5 points is high enough for AV-Test to takn AVG a top product. Note, though, that Avira, Bitdefender, Kaspersky Free, and Vipre managed a perfect 18 points.

Trying to come as close as possible to real-world conditions, the experts at SE Labs capture drive-by downloads and other web-based attacks, using a replay system to hit each tested product with the exact same attack. The very best products receive AAA certification; others may be certified at the AA, A, B, or C level. Like Avast, AVG received AA certification.

Quite a few products managed AAA certification in the latest test from SE Labs. Among them are Norton, Trend Micro, and Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center.

MRG-Effitas reports its test results a bit differently from the other labs. Products that don't manage perfect or near-perfect protection simply fail. AVG achieved Level 2 certification in the all-types malware protection test, meaning that it let at least one attacker install, but remediated the problem within 24 hours. Avast also received Level 2 certification in this test, and it passed the banking Trojans test. The banking test didn't include AVG, but I assume it would have achieved the same success as Avast.

Of the products I track, 10 don't appear in results from any of the labs. AVG and Avast are among the elite 10 that show up in all four lab reports. I use an algorithm that normalizes all the results to a 10-point scale and produces an aggregate score from 0 to 10. The aggregate score of 9.4 points for these two free antivirus products is impressive; only a few have done better. Bitdefender is at the top, with 10 of 10 points, and Kaspersky runs close behind with 9.9 points. Avira made a decent showing, with an aggregate score of 9.1 points based on results from all four labs.

Very Good Malware Protection

Malicious software from the Internet must get past numerous defenses before it can infect your PC. For example, AVG could block all access to the malware-hosting URL, or wipe out the malware payload before the download finishes—I'll discuss those malware protection layers shortly.

Avg Vs Avast For Mac

If a file is already present on your computer, AVG assumes it must have gotten past the earlier protection layers. Like Avast, Emsisoft Anti-Malware, McAfee, and a few others, it gives those files a final scan before they execute.

To test AVG's malware-blocking abilities, I opened a folder containing my current collection of malware samples and tried to execute each one. AVG blocked about three quarters of them immediately, wiping them out so fast it left Windows displaying an error message stating that the file could not be found. It eliminated most of those that did manage to launch before they could fully install. I tested Avast simultaneously, with precisely the same results.

Both products detected 89 percent of the samples and scored 8.9 of 10 possible points. That's not bad, but Cylance, F-Secure, Symantec Norton AntiVirus Basic, and

Avg Versus Avast For Mac