If youre looking for an effective malware-hunting companion, Avast Free Antivirus might not sound very promising.
Well, maybe not.
AV-Comparatives is an independent lab that regularly runs in-depth tests of all thebest antivirus software.
Avast Software Updater is a rare bonus feature.
Protection rates arent the only factor in choosing an antivirus, but theyre a very good start.
Avast Free doesnt have aVPNor apassword manager, for instance, unlike Avira Free Security.
Avast Free does have a few bonus tools.
Where Avast Free wins out, though, is with its core protection engines.
The Avast Free Antivirus app looks great.
Icons are large, and youre never left wondering what they mean because they all have a text caption.
There are neat usability touches everywhere.
Its another neat touch which avoids confusion and helps you feel at home right away.
That confidence seems fully justified, too.
The first time you click any option Avast displays a clear explanation of what it does.
(ESET, F-Secure and Norton are equal fourth, and Avira follows in seventh place.)
Lab results are important, but were always keen to run further tests of our own.
We began by attempting to access 50 of the latest phishing URLs, as collected by experts at OpenPhish.
Avast Free Antivirus delivers better protection than most paid products.
Avast did a good job, blocking 86% immediately.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free was relatively disappointing at 64%.
If youre looking for something more thorough, the Full System Scan checks your entire gear for threats.
Avast Free Antivirus automatically blocks access to dangerous websites.
This can take a very time, perhaps hours, but Avast Scans are faster the second time around.
Thats good, but its only the beginning.
A Boot-Time scan can remove stealthy threats by checking your system before Windows loads.
Scans are accurate, but are always trying to sell you an upgrade.
While everyone likes free extras, we much prefer the Avast Free focus on its core antivirus protection.
If youre looking for more functionality, though, dont rule out Avast One Essential.
It has the same excellent protection, and includes extras like a free VPN.
Quick scan not enough? Avast can even run from bootable USB keys.
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