Antivirus software

Avast comes installed by default in a lot of new computers nowadays and has, therefore, become one of the most popular antivirus software in the world. It offers free protection to many users from all around the world, but it also has some paid plans which, although they might seem expensive, offer more features than most other programs out there.

In this article, we’ll be breaking down the features of the Avast Free Antivirus as well as some of the features you’ll get with the paid plans that Avast offers to their users.

The company has grown exponentially since its foundation over 30 years ago, and recently acquired competitor AVG, but decided against merging both products together. We’ll also take a look at the difference between both of these antivirus programs, so if you currently use either one of those, you might want to stay with us through this review.

Avast Antivirus Overview

Avast is a very peculiar antivirus. You would expect to get a ton of features and excellent protection from a paid product, but Avast is able to offer that and much more without having to break the bank for it. In fact, you don’t even need to purchase one of Avast’s paid plans to get a ton of features and content – the free version of the software gives you exactly that and much more.

Thanks to this, Avast is widely regarded as the best free antivirus in the world. Even though the company purchased AVG during the first half of the 2010s, their flagship product is still the Avast Antivirus.

This highly configurable antivirus software includes a ton of options that allow each owner to fully customize the antivirus protection that they receive. Although the paid version of the program is also very good, Avast Antivirus Free includes a ton of features already, which make it an ideal choice for those who are on a budget.

Avast Antivirus Pro

The Pro version of the free popular Antivirus does come at a cost, which is very expensive when compared to the average market standard. Regardless, it offers even more protection than the free product and comes with a few extra features that are sure to keep you safe from malware.

The main issue with Avast Antivirus Pro is that the best features of the program are already included in the free version, which discourages people from spending the extra money on the paid software. Regardless, if you can afford the extra cash (it does cost a lot of money – especially if you want to license more than 3 devices), we recommend choosing the Pro version of Avast.

Avast Pros & Cons

You’d expect to have a ton of negative things to say about a free program. After all, companies often leave some features out of the free versions to encourage people to buy their paid products. Surprisingly, this isn’t the case with Avast. Their paid versions offer almost the same protection as their popular Avast Free Antivirus.

However, there are still some things that could be improved in their products. Be aware of all of them before purchasing one of the paid versions of Avast, or even before downloading the free version.

Avast Pros

• The free version of Avast comes with a ton of useful features, and the paid versions include extra things that could also come in handy
• Avast detects when you start a game and adapts to protect you from any threats you might encounter while playing online
• The free version of Avast comes with a password manager, making it one of the best free antivirus software in the world
• Fully customizable interface

Avast Cons

• Affects your system’s performance heavily, which means you’ll need a powerful PC to run it properly (or at least use the Scan while not performing other tasks)
• Some features are fairly limited

Avast or AVG – Which Software to Choose?

As we’ve discussed before, Avast purchased AVG not too long ago. As such, some features of both programs are now being shared (particularly the database). Both programs are now running with the same engine as well, as the Avast engine was deemed superior to its AVG counterpart at the moment of purchase.

That still leads us to one question, though: now that both programs share certain similarities but still run independently, which of these powerful antivirus programs is better? Avast or AVG?

To sum it up, our analysis leads us to believe that Avast is superior to AVG, although AVG has improved massively since Avast’s acquisition. In fact, the performance scores of AVG are now higher than they were before, thanks to the use of the Avast engine.

Be that as it may, AVG offers special protection against data thieves, as well as the option to permanently delete data without traces. These features are lacking in Avast, but it’s still worth noting that the overall protection is superior in Avast.

Other than that, Avast offers a free password manager, which most free antiviruses are unable to provide. If we were to choose either of these two, we’d go for Avast. Regardless, both AVG and Avast are the two best free antiviruses that you can currently get.

Avast Antivirus Protection & Performance

Most labs that have tested the Avast software deliver similar results: the program is one of the most efficient antiviruses that exist, even when including paid options as a comparison. Avast and AVG are constantly being tested and the developers look to improve and polish the software to better the service offered to their users.

Avast does an incredible job at blocking malware before it accesses your computer. In fact, the way it blocks URL’s allows your antivirus to filter the malicious programs before your computer is able to download them.

Certain types of malware aren’t always included in the list of malicious software that Avast uses as a database. As such, the program can study new potential threats by using known viruses as references. At times, Avast might ask you to wait a few seconds whenever it encounters one of these new files – the program then studies it and evaluates whether it poses a threat to your PC or not.

Total URL Protection

Avast gives you the option to freely browse the internet without having to worry about the sites that you visit. If you access a dangerous site by any chance, a pop-up will show to tell you that the URL is malicious and you should stay away from it.

Some tests have even shown that Avast blocks more than 90% of all malicious URL’s that it encounters – even when facing some of the most difficult-to-detect threats.

Avast Strives to Better Their Software

An additional bonus that you get with Avast is that the antivirus sends malware information to the company’s headquarters to get them checked by their staff. That way, they’re able to improve and better their service by collecting malware information from all around the world thanks to their users.

Avast Antivirus Features

Some of the best free antiviruses come with a few extra features to enhance the protective potential that they give to your devices and personal information. This is the case with Avast as well, as it comes with a Wi-Fi network checker (which evaluates the state of your network) and a powerful password manager, which stores your browser-saved passwords and adds them to your antivirus instead.

As you might suspect, storing your personal information in a browser isn’t too much of a good idea. Although Chrome and Firefox come with this option activated as a default, you might want to store your sensitive info in a more secure location. This is exactly why having a password manager is so important.

Avast Antivirus Pricing, Costs & Plans

As we’ve said, Avast is often touted as the best free antivirus in the world. Their services are entirely free, and you can get your computer or mobile devices protected without having to pay an extra dime.

However, Avast offers some paid plans that come with bonus features and extra malware protection. These plans are incredibly pricey, and it’ll cost you well over $200 a year to protect more than three devices with their premium service.

If you want to learn more about every Avast plan and all the benefits that they offer, you can visit their website by following this link.

Our Final Verdict

Avast is the highest-scoring free antivirus in the world. It has passed countless protection tests and has thus earned a reputation that not many of its competitors are able to match. The features that you get with their base product are plentiful already, and you don’t really need to buy a paid plan to keep your computer safe.

Regardless, it’s still worth noting that the paid features of the antivirus software are very good and could keep your system even safer than before. We recommend you try the free version of Avast and take a better look at the paid features of the software. If you deem it appropiate paying extra money for it, go ahead and do it.

Panda Antivirus is the flagship product of Spanish company Panda Security, a technology specialist that has been known to manufacture IT security products for many years. Their services are specialized to be used by homeowners as well as large businesses, and this is reflected in the way their antivirus software has been developed and updated through the years.

Panda makes sure to offer users of all spending powers the ability to protect their computers and devices. Thus, it offers a free version as well as various paid plans that escalate in effectiveness as well as in price.

Panda is also highly regarded as one of the best beginner-friendly antiviruses in the world, as its features are very simple to access and none of the program’s actions are difficult to execute. Those who lack an ability to understand the technicalities of other complex software, such as McAfee, are better off getting Panda or another similar product like AVG.

Panda Antivirus Quick & In-Depth Overview

Although Panda is one of the main free antivirus software, alongside AVG and Avast, it also offers commercial plans for businesses which are way more affordable than some other programs. You could get a hold of their business plans for much less than what you’d pay for a household subscription of McAfee for a year.

Being a free antivirus, you’d expect the number of features offered by Panda to be quite limited. However, the reality isn’t even close to it. You’ll get a ton of extra features with the basic services of Panda, without having to pay any extra money, including an efficient VPN.

The program collects constant information from your computer to detect which new malware is menacing your files, and the developers take notes on the most dangerous and malicious programs to add them to the virus database. The system is very efficient and ensures users from all over the world to be constantly protected from any type of threat.

The paid plans of Panda can feel a bit expensive, but you might want to avoid them thanks to the effectiveness of their free service. This plays against the company’s intentions, but in favor of your own.

Panda Antivirus Pros & Cons

Regardless of how good of an antivirus Panda truly is, there are some detrimental features that are damaging to the reputation of the Spanish security company. We encourage you to weigh the drawbacks of owning a full subscription of Panda to the benefits of owning one, so you can determine if it’ll be worth for you paying for any plan, sticking to the free subscription, or finding a different antivirus.

We do want to point out that we didn’t find any categorically damaging features on this piece of software, but there are some disadvantages that come attached to it which should be considered nonetheless.

Panda Antivirus Pros

• Panda has a special malware shield made to protect users from all sorts of spyware and ransomware programs
• This is one of the few cheap antivirus programs that come with an integrated parental control service, a feature often lacking in some of the most popular antiviruses – including expensively priced ones
• The free services of Panda include a bunch of extra features that you won’t need to pay any money for
• It’s an equally effective program for all compatible OS’s, including Windows, Mac, Android, and mobile Apple products
• Offers great protection against every type of software. It has been proven to work as well, thanks to independent lab tests as well as tests ran by specialists

Panda Antivirus Cons

• It’s not too friendly on your system and can make things run slow when the program is working on a scan
• Panda can’t be freely configured in almost any way, which is a huge bummer considering other programs allow great levels of configuration (even in their menus)
• The prices aren’t easy to understand

Panda Antivirus Protection & Performance

As we mentioned above, running Panda means that your computer might not be able to do other things at the same time. This is mainly due to the fact that Panda uses a lot of system resources to run their scans and keep you protected from any virus at all times. Future updates might fix the heavy load that your system is subjected to during the protective process.

Protection-wise, Panda has nothing to envy from the industry’s finest products – even considering those you have to pay money for. The main issue with the software is that it doesn’t automatically move certain files to the quarantine list, meaning that you’ll have to do that yourself. It’s a bit annoying at times, but at least it does seem to detect most threats and neutralize them.

The Panda antivirus is also good at keeping your computer protected from malicious sites you visit while browsing the internet. In most cases, Panda will also prevent sites from automatically downloading malicious software to your computer. There’s a 3% margin of error in general tests for Panda, though, so it’s likely that some files might slip past its defenses.

It’s a shame that the free version of the antivirus doesn’t include ransomware protection, so you’ll have to pay for one of the special plans if you want to keep your computer safe from these programs. However, the free version does a good job against most threats.

Panda Antivirus Features

Panda comes packed with a ton of features, which of course scale up depending on the plan that you decide to purchase. We have decided to list some of the program’s most emblematic features so you can get a better idea of what services you’ll get with your purchase or download.

Custom Scans

Panda allows you to select the type of scan that you want to run on your computer. You don’t need to run a full scan if you feel like you know where your computer is housing a threat. In such cases, you can ask Panda to scan certain files or folders.

Network Protection

The paid Panda subscription comes with a special network defender that prevents hackers from getting into your WiFi network. With access to a wireless network, attackers can easily get a hold of your personal information even when your devices are protected. This feature is incredibly useful for vulnerable homeowners.

Full USB Protection

Panda comes with a built-in USB cleaner that prevents threats from entering your computer via external devices. There’s also a special kit included that can create an anti-malware bootable device in your USB unit, which will fully remove any threats that insist on staying put in your computer.

Panda Antivirus Pricing & Plans – How Affordable is Panda?

Panda isn’t exactly the most expensive and unaffordable antivirus on the planet, but the services of this protective program aren’t on the cheap side either. However, there are some good options that you might find attractive, like the inclusion of parental controls in one of their least expensive plans.

As a side note, all of these plans are often subjected to discounts and all are also able to be tried for free for 30 days.

• Panda Dome Essential: The Essentials plan includes protection when browsing, as well as the basic antivirus software and a custom firewall that can be tweaked as you see fit. It also protects your computer’s USB ports from malware. The yearly fee you have to pay for it is just below $45
• Panda Dome Advanced: The Panda Dome Advanced plan offers the same number of features that the Essential plan has, but it has an added cost that amounts to almost $54 per year. In addition to it, you’ll get access to special ransomware protection and parental controls. You’ll also get a call locker app for your phone
• Panda Dome Complete: Dome Complete offers much more protection than regular Dome Advanced, but it also includes a password manager and personal data protection. This plan costs $80 a year, making it the second most expensive Panda service
• Panda Dome Premium: Dome Premium is the most expensive service that Panda has to offer, standing at $125 a year. This version comes with a special premium VPN that allows you to browse the internet freely without any MB limit attached to it. Panda also offers 24/7 support for users that purchase this service.

Our Final Verdict on Panda Antivirus

The free version of the Panda antivirus is one of the best free antivirus programs in the world. Their reputation has been growing in recent years thanks to the implementation of new updates that have made this antivirus a viable option for companies of all shapes and sizes.

However, when it comes to the paid options of their plans, you might want to take a look at other products such as Kaspersky, Norton, or Bitdefender. We feel like their paid plans are a tad expensive – especially their Dome Premium plan. Although they are well worth it, you will find better value for money in other antivirus software.

McAfee was founded by a group of associates in 1987. Since the foundation of the company, they’ve grown to develop one of the most popular antivirus programs in the world, with McAfee taking a spot in most lists that mention the best antivirus software in the world. At the beginning of the 2010s, McAfee was purchased by technology leaders Intel, and the software belongs to them now.

Although McAfee’s protection is regarded as one of the most powerful in the market, the product is nonetheless a bit pricey. Premium antivirus software tends to be quite expensive, and not every product lives up to its expectations. However, McAfee seems to be a very solid choice that is almost sure to keep every type of device protected.

In this article, we’ll be exploring the best features of the antivirus as well as everything you need to know about one of the best antivirus software on the planet.

An In-Depth McAfee Overview

McAfee offers many different protection services, but they’re all often limited to a certain number of devices (which is determined by the amount of money you intend to pay for the service). One subscription of McAfee Total Security (their emblematic antivirus) is going to cost you around $100 a year if you intend to license 10 devices, which is the maximum offered by the company.

The program has a very cool interface, which feels modern and it’s incredibly simple to navigate. However, it’s not as intuitive as other antivirus programs, so you might want to opt for another software if you haven’t tried another antivirus before (or if you aren’t tech savvy). It’s also a matter of getting used to it as well – just give the software a couple of hours and you’ll be familiar with it.

They also offer a password manager called True Key and an extra protection program called Life Save, which add to the overall experience of the software.

McAfee usually passes most protection tests that it faces, with results nearing the 100% mark. It’s almost as good as it gets when it comes to antivirus programs, so the hefty price that you pay for it ends up being worth it.

McAfee Pros & Cons

McAfee is an amazing program, but it does have a few drawbacks that make some users absolutely hate it. In fact, you might’ve probably heard some complaints about this antivirus on the internet. Even the best programs have flaws, but are the flaws on McAfee enough to make you now want to purchase their services? Read up our list of pros and cons to find out.

McAfee Pros

• Their full protection allows the antivirus to check malicious social media accounts, making sure that you’re protected from malware even inside your social networks
• McAfee offers protection for every device, including iOS and Android phones
• It’s one of the best antiviruses when it comes to phishing protection – we haven’t come across too many programs that offer such an effective defense against all sorts of phishing programs
• McAfee comes with a ton of additional bonus features, which make it a complete piece of software overall
• The newer versions of the program have an added number of malware protective features, as well as performance-enhancing capabilities

McAfee Cons

• The Android, iOS, and Mac versions of the program are far more limited than the regular Windows version – there are more complete antivirus programs that could do wonders for your other devices
• McAfee isn’t as friendly as other pieces of antivirus software when it comes to performance. Some computers and devices really struggle to handle the scans, resulting in noticeable slowdowns

McAfee Protection & Performance

Although McAfee offers a very powerful protection service, the performance of the devices is severely hindered when the antivirus is running. This all depends on each computer’s capacity, of course particularly the quality of its processor. In general, though, most computers struggle with the antivirus and will not be able to handle the process efficiently.

However, when it comes to protection, the program does an incredible job at defending your devices against malicious websites, adware, malware, and phishing in particular.

McAfee does a great job at defending your devices from malicious downloads as well. For example, if you start downloading a program that the antivirus deems as malicious, it will instantly block the download and ask you whether you’d like to continue with it or not, but it’s also going to tag the file to warn you of the danger.

The reports are very complete as well – they include all the information you need to evaluate the severity of the risk (and where your computer got infected with it). The analysis also shows you which IP address sent the virus, so you could add exceptions to your browser to avoid sites from that particular address from then onwards.

McAfee Features

Apart from the great protective features that the software comes with, you’ll also enjoy a ton of bonus features that the developers of the company have added. In fact, McAfee includes more bonus things than ever after Intel acquired the company in 2011, as they have strived to improve the quality of the antivirus ever since.

Personal Firewall

As you might know, Windows comes with an integrated firewall that protects your computer from simple threats. This firewall is part of the basic Windows security software that does an okay-ish job at keeping you from threats. However, McAfee includes an integrated firewall that is way more efficient than whatever is installed on your computer by default.

This special McAfee firewall is able to keep track of all threats that try to access your network, and it will also notify you of any intruders trying to take advantage of your internet for free.

Identity Protection

McAfee protects the identities of its users by offering three main services, all of which work very well together. One of the programs is a special file shredder that destroys every bit of data that you ask. This is especially useful for getting rid of sensitive information that you’ve stored elsewhere or that you want completely scraped.

The second program isn’t as useful as the other two – the McAfee Web Advisor simply guides you through a safe path when browsing the internet, keeping you from downloading malicious programs.

The third program is one of the most useful security programs that the software comes with. It’s a powerful password defender that stores all of your passwords in a special database and encrypts them with a code that is very hard to decode. It basically scrambles your passwords and makes them almost undecipherable for hackers.

Integrated VPN

McAfee has a special VPN that works in the most popular browsers, and it can be set to be turned off every time you activate the services of an external VPN service. However, the McAfee option is very good and can be used to freely browse the internet safely.

Affordable Antivirus Plan – McAfee Pricing & Plans

As we’ve pointed out, McAfee offers many plans, but all of them are quite expensive in general standards. They offer hefty discounts on the purchase of their most expensive plan and just minor discounts on their other plans. However, considering they all offer the same security but just cover more devices, you’ll only need to hire their expensive plans if you own more than 1 device.

Being fair to McAfee, they don’t include differently priced plans with different benefits. They just have one type of service that they offer to all platforms, and the price is always the same. You can even try the services for free for 30 days, so you can get a better idea of what you’ll be paying for.

Their 1-device, 1-year subscription costs $70, but McAfee offers a special discount of $15 to get you started during the first year. The second plan is meant to be used by 5 devices and costs $90 with a discount of just $5. Their most expensive plan has a hefty discount and covers 10 devices for one year for the price of $110, discounted down to $45.

Our Final Verdict on McAfee Antivirus

McAfee is a solid antivirus option for anyone that can afford it. Given the price, though, we do encourage you to take a look at other programs before committing to McAfee. The program’s protection has been massively improving as well, and it’s now regarded as one of the best antiviruses in the world. This improvement deserves to be mentioned as it shows commitment from the developers.

McAfee is a good option to put into the equation if you intend to protect a single computer. However, considering the hefty cost of adding more devices to the protection service, you might be better off purchasing the services of another antivirus if you or multiple people own devices in the same household.

The lack of many features on iOS and Mac makes this program a weak choice for Apple fans, but the Windows and Android versions are very good pieces of protective software, which are sure to improve the defenses of any computer.