Our computers are exposed to viruses and other threats every day. Thankfully, there are lots of great antivirus programs available on the market, some for free, some not. Naturally, the premium versions of the software will offer extra features. However, the free versions of the antivirus programs are also able to protect your computer efficiently. As a matter of fact, regular users don’t really need all the features premium antivirus programs have to offer. Of course, it’s nice to have them, but it’s not necessary. Right now, Avira Free Antivirus and AVG Antivirus Free are two of the best free antivirus programs available. Is either of them better than the other or do they offer the same protection? Let’s see.
Avira Free Antivirus
You can install Avira Free Antivirus on your computer if it’s running on Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10. That’s basically the majority of computers in use right now. Not many people still use older versions of Microsoft’s operating system. The software is extremely easy to download and install. It will only take up 21MB of space on your computer and it won’t use a lot of resources. Its interface is user- friendly, so no one should have difficulties in using the antivirus program. The full set of Avira Connect tools includes the antivirus itself, a password manager, a built- in VPN, and a sponsored search engine that will only display the results considered to be safe by Avira. Users can choose which tools they keep on their computers as all of them are optional. In case you don’t really want or need them it’s only extra clutter. The program also offers the Avira System Speedup free feature that provides a number of system optimization tools.
The Avira Free Antivirus is extremely efficient as it scored 5 out of 6 in AV-TEST protection. The malware- detection engine of the antivirus performs relly well. It scored 98.9% and 98.1% in real-world live malware-exposure trials, and 99.8% and 99.9% detection rates when scanning a reference set of recent malware in a test conducted earlier this year. Its performance score is 5.5 out of 6. Even though in the past the program often reported false positives, in the latest tests it performed a lot better in this section. The program is able to complete a full system scan in under 30 minutes. There is also a great news for gamers. The Avira Free Antivirus features a gaming mode which will allow users to mute notifications while playing games. Also, while a game is on, the antivirus won’t complete any checks, so it won’t use up any resources.
AVG Antivirus Free
AVG Antivirus Free is also a great option if you need a free software to protect your computer with. This antivirus is compatible with all the Windows versions the Avira Free Antivirus supports, plus the Windows XPSp3 and Windows Vista. It also works on smartphones, so users can monitor all of their devices through one online account. AVG Free Antivirus is larger than the Avira Free Antivirus and it also uses more resources than the Avira antivirus. This means it will slow your computer down a little more. Even so, it won’ have a huge impact on your computer’s performance, so this should not be a downside of the software. Unfortunately, the AVG Antivirus Free doesn’t offer a VPN. However, it has all the other feature users need in order to keep their devices safe and clear from threats.
In the same tests, the AVG Antivirus Free performed just as well as the Avira Free Antivirus. The software achieved detection scores of 98.9% and 98.1% in AV-TEST’s real-world live malware-exposure tests. When it came to detecting malware from a large reference set it scored 99.8% and 99.9%. This means it has an even higher, 5.5 out of 6, performance score than the one of the Avira Free Antivirus. This difference is not a really notable one so it’s quite difficult to choose between these programs based on the level of performance and protection they offer. They are really similar and equally efficient. In case you often rely on tech support, AVG offers a better user experience. While it performs scans as fast as the Avira, it does have a larger impact on your computer, slowing it down.
Bottom Line
Both AV solutions are really good and offer effective protection. However, if we are to take into consideration the opinions of users, which we should, Avira seems to get better reviews. It’s not the perfect antivirus, but it is one that offers a high- level of protection and uses fewer resources to do its job. It also offers the VPN which the AVG Antivirus Free lacks. They are both free, so the price of the software won’t have an impact on the decision. In case you were wondering on which one to install on your computer, now you have all the details and know that the majority of people would recommend the Avira Free Antivirus even though they have similar performance scores. Truth is, either of them is capable of doing a great job in protecting you.
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