For the paid versions, you have the choice of how many different devices you want to protect: three, five, or six.
With a similarly tiered structure to Avast, TotalAV offers a free version of its antivirus software, along with three paid plans. Below, I have outlined the prices and packages of the plans that TotalAV and Avast offer. Affordability is also important when picking the right product, especially as you will probably come to use it for many years if you are happy with the results. However, if you want to reliably protect your data and privacy, you can expect a decent product to come at a cost.
Pricing and compatibilityĬhoosing a free antivirus software can be a tempting option, especially if you don’t know which product to choose. Currently protecting more than 25 million users around the world, TotalAV regularly conducts tests alongside other leading products, checking that they still provide the best protection possible. Despite being a relatively new piece of software on the antivirus market, TotalAV is still an award-winning product, and it attained a perfect score according to the Virus Bulletin. Owned by Group Limited, TotalAV is a registered company in the United Kingdom. In late 2020 it was acquired by NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec), the makers of Norton Antivirus. Of note was its acquisition of AVG in 2016, which allowed Avast and AVGs products to share the best features they each had to offer. Furthermore, it receives a constant stream of data from its users through a cloud-based machine-learning engine, helping the software stay up to date. Avast is dedicated to creating a safe and private world through the products it offers. As of April 2020, it was the second-largest antivirus software company in the world. BackgroundĪvast was developed in Prague and has over 435 million users worldwide. Avast handled day-to-day virus protection just fine, though there are a few other antivirus programs that fared a little better in lab tests.BEST DEAL FOR TOTALAV: Save $80 on a TotalAV subscription and protect up to 6 devices at the same time.īEST DEAL FOR AVAST: Up to 66% off an Avast Ultimate subscription which includes Avast SecureLine VPN and much more. The reward system and some of the interface quirks are on the awkward side, but far from deal-breaking.
Bottom lineĪvast Antivirus Pro has a few unique features, particularly for those that are away from their PC regularly, or need to help friends or family from afar. Again, this isn't particularly important information in the day-to-day dealings of PC security, but both features add an interesting angle to what is normally a drab affair. This can show you how many domains are infected on the web, how many virus attacks have been prevented, and number of virus definitions within the Avast database. Though these amount to little more than an odd leaderboard, global anononymized statistics are available for users to poke through. You also earn badges, and are ranked among the world's Avast users. As you conduct scans and use Avast software, your account earns points which progress through various ranks. The most interesting feature of Avast is its karma system. Tapping Alt in any given window will show a wealth of keyboard shortcuts for just about everything, which is overkill considering how few of them you'll use on a regular basis. The bigger issue is how Avast has some particularly annoying audio alerts on by default. The interface is a little jumpy, in that some functions pop open a new window while others stay in the main window. On the one hand, this feels pushy, especially for a paid product, but at least it's more straightforward than other antivirus apps that will harangue you with pop-ups or leave passive aggressive reminders throughout daily usage to upgrade. SafeZone, a section within the Avast software proper, can be activated for specific sites to keep payment information secure.Īn entire tab is dedicated as a store for other Avast products. The extension also peppers Google and Bing search results with annoying green checkmarks to confirm links have been scanned and deemed secure. A browser extension blocks traffic trackers, which are employed by less-than-scrupulous advertisers. Tools are included in Avast Antivirus 2015 for local secure browsing too.