Is AVG Any Good?
This is one of the finest free antiviruses, period. And while you may want to upgrade to the higher grade to ensure your device’s safety, even the basic package is well capable of defending the”main gate.” Many experts praise it to be user-friendly, intuitive, and easy to download. Additionally, it does not require nearly as many resources to run as a few of its more famous rivals.
Real-time upgrades and continuous PC scans will ensure no virus could ever get through. All this makes the AVG free version better than many entry-level packages; it’s available on Windows systems, Mac systems, and Android apparatus (iOS is not supported yet).
AVG Technologies — the company behind this product — has been around for 2+ years. Two decades ago — in 2016 — Avast Software, a large player in the industry, officially purchased it.
Today, AVG Antivirus is a much better offer than before.
Therefore, if you’re looking for basic, yet solid protection from hackers and viruses but aren’t really prepared to cover this, AVG Free Antivirus will be right up your alley. Clearly, you can always pick the commercial packages later.
Pros and Cons
Let us take a close look at the pros and cons of AVG and see whether it’s exactly what you’re searching for or just another good offer that you will have to decline. As you’ll learn from our AVG Antivirus review, it’s effective at protecting you from any external threat. The AVG Windows 10 customer, as an example, is one of the best ones on the market. However, there are some downsides to this antivirus as well, such as the steep price for the commercial packages and the lack of an iOS app.
AVG Pricing
In this section, we will take a look at all of the available packages so you can decide which one suits you best. AVG is not the cheapest product out there, but, again, given the quality-price balance, these are, indeed, quite generous provides:
AVG Antivirus Free. It’s also available for the Mac and has the same basic set of attributes.
AVG Internet Security. This package costs $69.99 per year, which is more than the market average. But, it does come with an impressive set of features (we will get back to them later in this review) and covers an infinite number of Windows-running apparatus. You can take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee along with the free trial.
AVG Ultimate. The most expensive package will cost you $119.99 for one full year of security. In a nutshell, the difference in price is a result of cross-platform compatibility and the TuneUp tool that’s included in this suit. Note, that there isn’t any money-back guarantee and no free trial.
Basic antivirus software for Mac and Android apparatus is available for free.
Reliability and Security
Security along with reliability would be the first priority for any antivirus, and while AVG is not the best deal on the marketplace, it will hold its own against many rivals.
Malware Protection
Before malicious applications can get to your device, it must get through several layers of defense. AVG gives the suspicious files that managed to cut through the line of defense a full scan before implementation.
We ran a real-world test by opening a folder with our malware samples and launch them. The antivirus blocked 3/4 of these samples within minutes, forcing Windows to display an error message –“File not found.”
Whenever this antivirus finds some unknown and questionable files/apps in your device, it blocks its”movements” and sends it to HQ for a fast evaluation (the same routine happens with Avast). Regrettably, sometimes, evaluation can take a lot more time than the 15 seconds that AVG claims it will take.
As for malware-hosting URLs, among the biggest threats for modern-day users, AVG blocked 91% of all of the sites we sent its way. In Phishing detection tests, this antivirus joined the elite with a detection rate of 98 percent (Kaspersky and McAfee blocked 100%; Bitdefender — 99 percent).
Scanning Options
In the middle of the main display, you will find a green button that lets you launch a quick scan with one single click. It’s quite good at running through the most exposed regions of your system.
But, if you would like something more thorough, compared to Deep Scan is exactly what you require. To get there, it takes three clicks rather than one, but, again, this check will go through the deepest and darkest corners of your OS (which is what you need a good scan to perform).
These aren’t the only available scans. The USB/DVD Scan does a great job of examining the removable drives; the Performance scan is for finding issues in your own system and fixing them. Furthermore, you can opt to scan specific folders and files and to schedule future scans (those include boot time clocks).
The fine-tuning options are truly impressive, and the lovers of management will be satisfied by what AVG has to offer. Schedule scans that check two documents, three folders, and five archives — it’s all possible with this antivirus engine.
More reviews and AV software with the best antivirus options
The quick scan (called the Computer Scan) can take a moment or two for the first time, however, the following checks usually take less than 30 seconds.
Phishing Protection
Phishing is one of the most popular modern ways of tricking people into disclosing personal information, give money, or fill the device. Most users of phishing scams use emails, messages through social media, phone calls. But some also create fake websites that resemble the official versions to make you either show the vulnerable financial data or send the money directly to them. Such situations are quite common today.
For example, AVG has a successful instrument for detecting dangerous files that are only downloading. AVG Internet Security and the Ultimate antivirus version also supply email protection and scanning of questionable links, which can be even a more significant step for preventing malware attacks. It also offers payment security features, immediately spotting the dangerous websites and blocking spam.
Real-time Protection
Nowadays, real-time protection is among the most necessary features of every fantastic antivirus. Even a small delay can lead to awful results. We compose this AVG review to address an essential point: every minute counts. Real-time protection continually checks every suspicious file and application when they are downloaded, installed, or opened.
AVG provides you with this choice in all its packages because this aspect of security cannot be ignored. Such security features also include the regular automatic updates and functionality in a background, which enables you not to interrupt your activities for such scans. AVG’s real-time protection is even cooler because it relies on the AI-based performance that learns about the new threats really quickly. Real-time protection with AVG allows you to not have a need to scan every file that you plan to use. It is already analyzed before your use or whenever you choose to utilize it.