i was looking at anti virus software is it better to pay for anti virus software or is the free stuff just as good? Some say the free advast is good some say avg and some say other things. what does everyone here use i really want a does it all program i don't care about parental controls just security and something that does not use a lot of memory. I saw what everyone likes but my main question is should i get it for free or pay.
is paying for an anti virus better than free?avast
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The basic antivirus and spyware protection is going to be essentially the same between all of the major programs, whether they are free or paid versions. Some will be a bit stronger than others, some will do a few points better or worse than their counterparts on the AV tests, some have a little higher or a little lower "detection rates" but the basic AV protection remains the same. They all do a fairly good job at blocking malware but no one AV program will block, catch or remove everything.
The difference between the free and paid versions is the free ones generally offer good antivirus and spyware protection but not much else in the way of extra features. Some others offer a few other benefits such as internet search safety scans or software update alerts. The paid programs usually offer other features that will "enhance your security" like Sandbox Browsers, super tough firewalls, spam filters, some claim to offer identity theft protection, child protection, there is a long list of what the paid programs offer.
A good free AV program will do fine unless you need or want all the extra bells and whistles. The extra features can slow down your computer though. The free and paid AV's all have their advantages and disadvantages. Some will try to install tool bars and change your search engine, some will install unwanted add- ons and extensions you may not want or need, some will update less often than you may like, there are a lot of differences between the programs.
Avast Free 2014 is a great program, it is always rated near the top in AV tests, both free and paid. It offers excellent protection, has continuous updates and alerts me when I need to update any of my major programs. It also has outstanding support either by email or in their users' forum if you ever have a problem or need help removing malware. It does not slow my computer down either. I like Avast but you will get many different opinions on which is best. I don't need or want any of the extra bells and whistles in paid programs. There are often legitimate freeware programs that will provide similar protection.
The difference between the free and paid versions is the free ones generally offer good antivirus and spyware protection but not much else in the way of extra features. Some others offer a few other benefits such as internet search safety scans or software update alerts. The paid programs usually offer other features that will "enhance your security" like Sandbox Browsers, super tough firewalls, spam filters, some claim to offer identity theft protection, child protection, there is a long list of what the paid programs offer.
A good free AV program will do fine unless you need or want all the extra bells and whistles. The extra features can slow down your computer though. The free and paid AV's all have their advantages and disadvantages. Some will try to install tool bars and change your search engine, some will install unwanted add- ons and extensions you may not want or need, some will update less often than you may like, there are a lot of differences between the programs.
Avast Free 2014 is a great program, it is always rated near the top in AV tests, both free and paid. It offers excellent protection, has continuous updates and alerts me when I need to update any of my major programs. It also has outstanding support either by email or in their users' forum if you ever have a problem or need help removing malware. It does not slow my computer down either. I like Avast but you will get many different opinions on which is best. I don't need or want any of the extra bells and whistles in paid programs. There are often legitimate freeware programs that will provide similar protection.
I had Norton 360 on several PCs-it slowed them down even more than some malware did! Have avast on everything now, virtually zero problems.
Triple_Se7en
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If you surf like the average Joe, it's best to have the pre-paid versions. They offer more protection than the free versions.
You just missed some great savings for Black Friday. The best online place to find the best deals (minus rebates) are at newegg-dot-com. When you click-on there, look for security software links. Should be more great deals coming for Cyber Monday.
In the past week, I purchased Webroot and ESET for a combined $22.... no rebates attached. I hate going thru the rebate process and would rather pay 9.99 and 12.00 for great one year protection on plans that normally cost around $55.
You just missed some great savings for Black Friday. The best online place to find the best deals (minus rebates) are at newegg-dot-com. When you click-on there, look for security software links. Should be more great deals coming for Cyber Monday.
In the past week, I purchased Webroot and ESET for a combined $22.... no rebates attached. I hate going thru the rebate process and would rather pay 9.99 and 12.00 for great one year protection on plans that normally cost around $55.
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There are still a few on sale for $4.99--Kaspersky, Trend Micro, and Panda are at the top of the list for being good AV packages.
NewEgg $4.99 Antivirus
NewEgg $4.99 Antivirus
How long are those downloadable AVs supported for updates?
I can't find that info anywahere on Newegg.
I can't find that info anywahere on Newegg.
For the last 18 months, I've used Microsoft Security Essentials + Windows Defender -- both free. I used them on my home and professional work PC. I've never had an issue. I've never paid for one. I had Kaspersky as a free trial. I hated it. It was a resource hog. I've used Avira in the past.
I have found Avast to be very low on resources. I run it on every Windows PC I own, from a brand new Ivy Bridge/Windows 8 machine to an old 15W AMD processor with XP. Besides the icon in the system tray, I can't tell it's installed on any of them.
My vote goes for Bitdefender.
They have a free version that I am using on my desktop with Windows 8.1
They have some different paid versions too depending on your needs. It gets rave reviews.
They have a free version that I am using on my desktop with Windows 8.1
They have some different paid versions too depending on your needs. It gets rave reviews.
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