Avast Free review

Avast Free Antivirus is a powerful tool that provides all essential antivirus features for Windows, Android, and Mac. Real-time detection detects known threats, and web filtering blocks access to dangerous links. Hidden files are analyzed in the cloud to catch the latest malware.

Avast Antivirus

Avast Antivirus has become an antivirus giant claiming to be number one in the consumer safety market with millions of active users worldwide every month. Even if all of this fails, Avast’s behavior monitoring detects the user and alerts the process of performing malware-like actions. 

The latest version aims to improve usability through a redesigned user interface. Behaviour Shield monitors the app for dangerous activity, changes the game mode to silent mode, and blocks pop-ups and other interruptions when using full-screen applications.

Any Restrictions?

Unlike some competitors, there are no significant hidden restrictions or limitations in the package to enable upgrades. There are no third-party ads. There are a few antivirus updates, and nothing else is done to compromise security. It comes as no surprise that Avast Free Antivirus, with all these features, has been well received by independent test labs.

This latest version does not add much to the mix, but it does offer a full-screen app that mutes notifications, and a new silent feature that lets you choose which apps to process like any other app. However, in terms of performance, Avast is rarely disappointed, and recent tests have confirmed that malware detection is still sufficient. 

The overall false positive rate is hard to beat as only Bitdefender and Kaspersky are superior. 

Besides, AV-Comparatives noted that packages were “fast” when they first installed and run a new application, and then “very fast” after that.

Is It New on The Market?

Avast Free Antivirus has been around for a long time, so you do not have to worry too much about how good your site is. You can scroll down a significant amount of information if you want, but the splash screen has only one caption and one download button. 

Most people download the setup file in a few clicks. If the bloated antivirus package stops installing useless extras, you will love the controls you get with Avast products. 

Installation

If you choose the custom installation option, you can browse 13 individual Avast modules and apps to decide what to install or not. For example, do you need the Safe Price browser extension (the Avast price comparison system)? If you clear the installer checkbox, it will disappear. 

It is a useful and user-oriented approach that we expect from other providers. Some antivirus installers require you to remove competing products, but Avast antivirus is more flexible. If another antivirus package is detected on the PC, it will automatically be installed in passive mode, permanently disabling real-time protection. 

However, you can also scan and use other program features. In our experience, this works well. So, if you are satisfied with the risk of antivirus conflicts, you can disable passive mode and see if antivirus apps work together.

After installing the original package, Avast asked to configure a secure browser, an improved version of Chromium. 

By default, all essential data (bookmarks, history, passwords, and settings) are imported from the default browser, and Secure Browser is set as the new default. However, you can use Avast to configure precisely how it works (for example, import). 

Is Avast Really Free?

There were no general installation costs, except the competitor’s software, and in particular, there was no need to follow the registration, the creation of accounts or other authoring practices that companies usually as an apology for the details. 

The closest element to the installer was to send a download link for an Android client if the email address was provided. However, this was an option and was easily ignored.

Additional Features

Avast Free Antivirus offers more features than some commercial products but does everything possible to get in the way. Start at least the application and click on Smart Scan to have your PC automatically scan for malware, missing software patches, suspicious browser extensions, and more. 

Despite all this work, the scan time was relatively short with 30-60 seconds. Previously, I could speed up scanning by customizing smart scans that require specific verifications, such as B. Scan. B. performance checks, disable. 

Performance analyzes cannot be changed by default with Avast Free (you will be asked to install Avast Clean-up Premium). Unfortunately, Smart Scan does not seem to be configurable.

Another option is to go to the Virus Scan dialogue box. Here, Avast offers the ability to scan a specific folder or drive or the entire system or scan it on the next boot before Windows starts. With another Rescue Disk option, you can create a bootable version of Avast on a CD or USB flash drive. 

Experts can also configure and schedule multiple types of custom analyzes that perform precise custom actions. You can select areas to scan and exclude, file types of scanning, file formats to implement, steps to complete, etc. That is a significant improvement over most antivirus packages

In many cases, only one custom scan is allowed, and you must manually configure the action at a time. You can also schedule these tasks to run automatically. Because of this, you can set up a full scan that runs every day, and you can perform a faster and easier scan every few hours. If you want to optimize security, you will appreciate the controls offered.

In a Nutshell

The enormous popularity of Avast Free Antivirus means that it is included by default in almost all test lab reports. That is very helpful in assessing accuracy. Avast Free Antivirus is even better at AV-Comparatives, receiving the “Package of the Year 2018” award. 

In all tests this year. We’ve also won gold for malware protection tests, silver for malware removal, and bronze for performance testing. “Every lab has its testing process, and the results are always different, but the overall picture is clear. 

Although Avast Free Antivirus does not fit perfectly with the market leaders, we believe it provides quality protection that far surpasses many commercial products. It is a powerful antivirus program that offers comprehensive protection. Experienced users will appreciate the long list of functions and the excellent control of the packet behavior.