If your looking for one Anti-virus softwarefor your computer or smartphone, then you've probably heard of AVG Antivirus. This antivirus is not only available as a paid antivirus, but also in a free version. AVG Antivirus has been part of the am, especially in recent years most downloaded antivirus programsthat are currently on the market. Especially in the free version, the provider promises very good protection in the best quality.
But what exactly is AVG Antivirus? What is the difference between the free and paid variant? How good is the virus protection? The most important question we'll be discussing in this article is how does AVG compare to other providers like Total AV? Let's find out together.
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What is AVG Antivirus?
AVG Antivirus was launched back in 1990 and is mostly due to bee free variant became popular. However, this popularity has decreased enormously in recent years, which is due to the low level of protection, the annoying advertising and, above all, the poor basic functions. However, AVG Antivirus claims that their free anti-virus software has been improved and any security vulnerabilities have been fixed. Furthermore, AVG now also offers several functions. But what exactly is included in the free version?
Free vs. Chargeable
The free Variant, AVG Antivirus is very poor. The virus protection has allegedly been improved, but the following features have also been standard for other free antiviruses for years:
- Real-time updates
- Malware scans
- Scans for performance issues
- Protection against harmful downloads
Furthermore, AVG wants to score points with its new design. But a design alone is by no means a statement of how good the virus protection actually is.
The Disadvantages of the free variant however, predominate by far:
- No protection for Mac, Android and iOS
- Limited functions which are visible in the user interface but cannot be clicked (and if you click on them, you get annoying advertisements)
- No complete protection against viruses (e.g. ransomware or rootkits)
- No protection against phishing Webseiten
- No firewall and no settings for the home network
- No extra features
So if you choose AVG, then you should fall back on the paid version. But first take a deep breath - in our test we tested AVG Antivirus Internet Security and came to a sober result with this antivirus.
AVG Internet Security 2020 - the ultimate test
In our test, we put the paid virus protection AVG Internet Security 2020 to the test and with Total Security 2020 from Total AV juxtaposed. In our test, however, we were able to clearly state that TotalAV is the clear winner in terms of virus protection, range of functions and prices. So if you are unsure about which antivirus you want for your devices, we'll have you covered Total AV to the heart.
Features of AVG Antivirus Internet Security 2020
The primary features in the paid version of AVG Antivirus are:
computer protection
computer protectionThe advanced virus protection scans for viruses, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, Trojans and other malware. This supposedly happens in real time. This should also stop phishing websites and dubious downloads. USB and DVD drives are also checked.
Internet protection
The web and e-mail protection promises that both phishing websites and fake e-mails no longer stand a chance. Even when downloading attachments, you no longer get infected with a virus. Thanks to online security, links and downloads are scanned in real time and WiFi hotspots are protected. Nevertheless you have to scan manually.
Protection from hackers
Protection from hackersYou can see the incoming and outgoing network traffic through the firewall. In addition, according to the AVG, you are well prepared for ransomware attacks. In this way, neither third parties nor hackers can get to your personal data. Unfortunately, that's not true: a simple firewall won't protect you from ransomware. Hackers also still have access to your IP address because you do not cover it up. This only works using a VPNs.
The Total AV a VPN is already pre-installed in Internet Security 2020.
AVG Antivirus also offers the following Premium features to:
- Webcam protection
- Antispam protection
- Mobile security (ONLY for Android devices)
Compatibility
- PC: From Windows 7
- Mac: Current version of macOS
- Android: From Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
- iPhone: iOS 10.3 or higher - but only VPN mobile!
AVG Antivirus cost
Like other antivirus programs, AVG offers different packages at different prices. As already mentioned, the absolutely necessary virus protection is free. However, this offers no additional functions at all. If you want to choose AVG, you should at least fall back on AVG Internet Security. The Prices look like this:
Additional packages from AVG are available at the following prices:
- AVG Ultimate: € 119,99 / year
- AVG TuneUp: € 49,99
- AVG Driver Update: from € 34,99 / year
- AVG VPN: from € 4,99 / year
- AVG Anti Track: € 44,99 / year
- AVG SecureBrowser: Free
As you can already see from the prices, these are very high scheduled. If you opt for total security and want to protect multiple devices and multiple operating systems, you have to fall back on the package with up to 10 devices. The normal package is only suitable for 1 PC that runs on Windows.
The big difference between AVG and TotalAV is that the device optimization, driver update, VPN and anti-track packages are only available separately. Unless you opt for the AVG Ultimate version, which costs a whopping 119,99 per year and is unfortunately not worth the price.
Performance
During our test, we tested AVG Internet Security 2020 and unfortunately have to say: It can't do anything. The user interface looks pretty nice and is easy to install, but no phishing websites were detected, nor were infected downloads stopped.
However, we have that as positive felt:
- user interface
The program is quite easy to install and use. You don't have to search long for further configuration settings. - Free version
The free version offers basic protection. However, you should not rely too much on the virus scanner.
We have that as negative felt:
- virus protection
The virus protection is as good as nonexistent. You are bombarded with annoying advertisements (even in the paid version) and you can still download dubious links and attachments. - Speed during a scan
The computer runs very slowly during a virus scan. Internet speed will also decrease. - Virus scanner speed
The virus scanner's performance is definitely bad. During one Rapid tests took AVG around 22 minutes, with other antivirus programs being significantly faster. For one It took us almost 2 hours to complete a full scan of our computer - that is not acceptable.
Customer Support
The AVG support is almost non-existent. In the free version, customer support is only available via a web form, but we never received an answer to our simple questions about configuration by email either.
Conclusion - hands off!
AVG in the free variant is practically useless. With the annoying advertisements, the impaired functions and the generally poor performance, you can't expect much here. But the paid version is not much better either. Although this promises better protection against viruses and more functions overall, it unfortunately could not detect any simple adware in our test and did not prevent us from looking at phishing websites. With AVG Antivirus and Internet Security, we still received advertisements for AVG Tune Up and AVG Ultimate, whose prices are not only overpriced, but also whose functions in other antivirus programs, such as Total AV, are already included.
