Instead of just searching for viruses and malware, it also detects out-of-date software, malicious browser add-ons, network issues, unprotected sensitive documents, and weak passwords. Even the basic virus scan offers more functionality than most. SecurityĪs mentioned, Avast went above and beyond when it came time to design the free version of their antivirus product. With that said, the free tier of Avast offers a fantastic antivirus engine at its core (PLEASE NOTE THE ABOVE UPDATE).You’ll love the security of Avast, as well as the speed with which it reacts to detect and mitigate dangerous programs – just try not to get too frustrated by its incessant pleas for you to upgrade. Original Review: How secure is secure enough? Avast seems to be betting that you’ll want all the security bells and whistles that you can afford, but its paid tiers seem to be offering too little for the price. For a list of antivirus companies we do recommend, please see this list of the 10 best antiviruses of 2021. You can read more about the controversy and our decision here. In light of these unethical practices, we can no longer recommend them on our site. UPDATE: When Google and Mozilla removed Avast’s web extension from their stores, a scandal broke out which revealed that Avast (who also owns AVG) had allegedly been spying on their users’ browsing data and selling it to corporations for millions of dollars in profit.
