Avast is one of the biggest names in the antivirus industry. Launched in 1988, the company has been mastering its security products for a couple of decades now. Avast just solidified its stronghold in the industry when it acquired its former-rival company AVG in 2016 for a whopping $1.3 billion and now uses malware protection technologies AVG was known for.
If you’re wondering if Avast antivirus is a good option, then this quick review should help you decide.
Features of Avast Antivirus that We Like
Both free and paid versions of Avast antivirus include these features:
- Malware Protection – The company has been updating its technology to detect and protect any devices even from the most sophisticated malware. The program is designed with 6-layer protection that detects and removes malware within seconds.
- Web Protection – A chunk of viruses and threats are found on third-party websites, but aside from the browser warning that a particular website is actually unsafe, some sites can still be accessed even with threats looming. The goal of an antivirus program like Avast is to secure your web surfing whether you’re shopping online and entering your credit card details, or blocking your activities online to keep your movements safe from data-tracking or adware.
- Password Manager: With this feature, you’ll be able to save your passwords within Avast and not in your browsers. The problem with saving passwords on your browsers like Chrome and Firefox is once these browsers face security issues, your passwords could be put at risk as well.
- Phishing Protection – A non-threatening email may just be the gateway to a headache-inducing malware or virus and if you unintentionally click it, you could be trapped. Avast’s phishing protection ensures you’ll be notified whenever phishing threats are present.
- Home Network Security – This feature scans in and outside your computer, so it will also detect if your webcam, router, printer, smart TV, and other devices connected to your router are protected against vulnerabilities.
- Wi-Fi Inspector – Have you ever gotten paranoid that someone is connecting to your Wi-Fi and making your internet a LOT slower? Did you know that this is possible? With Avast checking to see if the devices connected to your Wi-Fi are only the ones you gave access to, stolen bandwidth won’t happen to you again.
- Cloud CyberCapture Technology – This technology is useful in our ever-so-busy, click-forward world. It checks every URL or links you click and warns you if it is malicious or dangerous to your device.
- Ransomware shield – The premium version has more comprehensive ransomware protection, but even the free Avast antivirus is featured with decryption tools to help you keep your field safe from hackers, passwords safe from theft, webcams safe from prying eyes, and so on.
- Browser Cleaner – If you’re like me and you get obsessed with toolbars, extensions and add-ons for your browser of choice, you need Avast to clean these “baggage” for you once they become harmful. Sometimes these accessories begin as super-useful but abandoned and eventually suffer from threats, which will then be passed on to anyone who uses them. Avast’s browser cleaner takes care of them for you.
Pros and Cons of Avast Antivirus
Avast is one of the bigger names in antivirus and malware protection. There is a lot the program has to offer, even for its free version. Here are the things we like about it:
- Lightweight program (works on the background without making the device laggy)
- Provides effective malware detection and protection
- Up-to-date with viruses, malware, and all kinds of threats
- Stops spyware and adware with intelligent analytics.
- Scans your Home Network automatically
- Comes with a free password manager (especially now that LastPass isn’t fully free anymore and you have to choose just 1 device to use with it)
- Smartphone antivirus security features
- DND Mode is a cool do-not-disturb function that lets you play games and finish other tasks without any disruptions
- At only $69, Avast’s premium version is cheaper than other brands
- Compatible for Mac, PCs, smartphones (Android and iOs)
On the downside, the free version doesn’t have a firewall included. If you’re planning to use the free version for your business, the basic antivirus and malware protection is definitely not enough.
Also, like Google, Microsoft, and other companies that had shady decisions and sold their own users’ data in the past, Avast also did this, got into a long investigation, promised NOT to do it again by selling its data-harvesting arm, and is supposedly just sticking to device security and virus protection.
Avast antivirus probably is one of the programs in the market with the most security features and it has many freemium features you can use absolutely free of charge, and when it comes to your files and device, having one running in the background is always a better idea than without antivirus.