Across the bottom, you find a banner offering you a welcome gift. A left-rail menu lets you switch from the main Status page to Protection, Privacy, or Performance. The biggest part of Avast's main window is a slate-gray rectangle with a bit of texture, decorated with a status icon and a big button titled Run Smart Scan. That seems to be gone, replaced by a Personal Privacy page in Settings. The previous version included a full page devoted to explaining how Avast uses your nonpersonal data, and how you can opt out if you wish. It also asks a few questions to personalize its settings, and then runs a personalized scan. By default, it also makes this your default browser. Not surprisingly, AVG follows the same model.ĭuring installation, Avast offers to install Avast Secure Browser, noting that it is private, secure, and fast. It's a simpler product line than most, just a free antivirus and a for-pay suite. If you want to use Avast in a business setting, you must upgrade to Avast Premium Security, which replaces both Avast Internet Security and the all-inclusive Avast Premier. This product is only free for personal use.

We’ve seen no sign of any inappropriate use of private user data since then, so we’re taking Avast out of the penalty box. Avast resolved the problem and terminated Jumpshot terminated Jumpshot shortly thereafter. Based on this privacy slip, we knocked this product's rating down one-half star and removed its Editors’ Choice designation. And the underlying antivirus engine is identical in Avast and AVG AntiVirus Free, as demonstrated in both our tests and independent lab tests.Įditors' Note: Last year we learned about a problem with sharing of user data between Avast a problem with sharing of user data between Avast and its subsidiary Jumpshot. Both have millions of users worldwide, but each is strong in geographical areas where the other is weak. Fans of both companies can rest easy years and years later, there's still no plan to merge them into a single product. It's an impressive collection of security tools-especially considering that it's free.Īvast acquired rival free antivirus company AVG in 2016. On top of excellent antivirus protection, it adds a network security scanner, browser protection, and more. Avast Free Antivirus gives you more than many competing commercial products.

But actually, many of the most popular free antivirus tools offer full-scale protection and a ton of extra features.

Getting the advanced bonus features would require becoming a paying customer. It might seem logical that antivirus companies would offer free antivirus protection as a kind of loss leader, with only the most basic protection.

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