Overview
Avira free antivirus offers good, basic protection against malware, but for more comprehensive protection, Avira Pro is the better option. Both products can operate on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices, but only Pro includes anti-ransomware and anti-phishing software, device control, identity protection, safe banking and shopping, and data privacy. While Pro is a bit more pricey than its competitors, the price difference is not significant if you are looking for quality protection and accessible customer support. Users that also want to take advantage of speedup optimizations should check out Speedup Pro which, for a relatively small monthly fee, can help users ensure that their PC is running free of clutter across both the Registry and the filesystem.
Best For
- Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS users
- Individual users and businesses
- Owners of multiple devices
Why Choose Avira?
With 30 years experience in the industry, Avira has consistently won awards for its software from its inception. In 2016 alone, the German company won over 20 awards and its newest product, Antivirus Pro, was awarded Best Product of the Year by AV Comparatives.
Avira offers both a free and paid version of antivirus software, as well as individual products such as Avira System Speed-Up and Avira VPN. It also offers packages such as Avira Total Security Suite and Avira Prime. The many purchasing options allow consumers to build their own computer protection packages depending on their needs.
On Offer
- Avira free antivirus offers protection from malware, which includes worms, viruses, Trojans, and spyware
- Avira Pro includes protection from malware, along with anti-ransomware and anti-phishing software, device control, identity protection, safe banking and shopping, and data privacy. Updated protection is also applied in real time from the cloud.
- Various other products, such as PC optimization tools, parental controls and VPN
- Complete packages such as Avira Prime and Avira Internet Security Suite
Package Features and Highlights
- Features: Protection against malware
- Ease of Use: Easy installation
- Reliability: Good
- Value: Very good
- Free trial: 30 days
Avira free antivirus offers protection against malware for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. It can be downloaded free of charge from the company’s website.
Avira Pro is the paid version, and it comes with additional features and protections, such as anti-ransomware and anti-phishing software, device control, identity protection, safe banking and shopping, and data privacy. Users must input a license code in order to receive Avira Pro services, and paying customers have free access to Avira’s customer support team via phone and email. Avira Pro is priced according to the number of devices that users wish to protect and the coverage period. The monthly cost for 1 device is $3.99. The 3-year subscription costs $82.99.
Other products include:
- Avira Internet Security Suite, which offers antivirus protection and a Firewall manager. This sells for approximately $4.99 per month(1 device protected) or $46.99 per year.
- Avira Prime is Avira’s newest product, and it gives customers access to all of the company’s premium features, with the flexibility of paying per month and being able to stop payments at any time. Prime costs approximately $7.99 per month for up to 5 devices or $9.99 per month for unlimited devices.
- Avira System Speedup: Avira claims that this is the most comprehensive PC cleaner available. It includes 40 separate optimization tools and allows users to speed up their PC. It costs just $2.99/month for 1 device and $25.99 per year.
In terms of effectiveness, AV-Test, an independent testing company, has consistently found Avira software to be very successful at providing sufficient protection. Avira Pro, which was last tested in June, was found to be 98.8% effective against zero-day malware attacks (attacks from viruses that are previously unknown) and 100% effective against widespread malware that was discovered in the previous 4 weeks.
Features
Speedup Pro allows users to:
- Optimize startup processes to maximize system efficiency
- Monitor running processes and close down those draining system resources
- Fine tune disk optimization for performance, to maximize space, or both
Avira Antivirus Pro features:
- Real time anti ransomware detector to prevent threats even before they are logged by researchers (based on file pattern behavior)
- Light file repairer that doesn’t use up much system resources while applying fixes and changes
- Real time updates that are delivered via the cloud. Avira antivirus is kept constantly up to date through the updates which it receives remotely. These are applied in real time to make sure that the system is covered by the latest available protection
Is Avira Safe and Reliable?
How Avira Works
Avira free antivirus is easy to use - just download it and follow the prompts for installation. The dashboard is fairly straightforward and the antivirus settings are easy to tweak. The settings can also be adjusted to suit how often you would like your computer scanned.
While the free antivirus software is easy to use, some users report being unable to access certain websites unless they sign up for Avira’s paid version. While this is not the norm, and most users can access all sites, they will still be served ads for Avira’s paid version from time to time.
Avira Pro, the paid antivirus software, is also easy to use. Purchasers receive free tech support and a secure web browser. Pro scans email attachments, constantly updates its database of malware signatures, and blocks known malicious websites. All this is done automatically, but users can also adjust the settings to their own preferences - for example, turning on or off Real-Time Protection, Firewall, Web Protection, Mail Protection and Game Mode.
When something is not right, a red exclamation point will appear next to the issue on the dashboard, which alerts users that they should run a scan or adjust their settings. The software will usually prompt the user toward the correct course of action.
The main issue with Avira, however, is that it can slow down normal computer operation, especially when running the full computer scan. This may be the only downside, especially for people who need a fast-operating system.
User Experience
The free version of Avira antivirus is easy to install. Upon installation, you will also be offered a number of other free Avira products, such as a VPN, system speed-up, mobile security, password manager, software updates, and more. Installation takes a few minutes, and once installed, a little Avira icon will appear on the bottom right of your screen. You can then perform security scans and receive alerts when a suspicious website is blocked.
Avira Pro, the paid version, has a similarly easy installation. While some users have reported that it slows down their computer operations, independent testing has shown that Avira software scans internet files fairly quickly, and is on par with most of its competitors, including Norton and McAffee.
Speedup Pro is also a very straightforward product for users to come to grips with. The quick scanning functionality allows users to initiate a deep system scan for performance issues by clicking on just one button. After that it runs through the system registry, files, and folders in minutes automatically suggesting optimizations to free up space and speed up the computer.
Avira Customer Support
Users who download the free version of Avira antivirus have access to Avira’s Help pages, customer forum, a threat landscape, and security wordbook. Free consultations with tech experts are also available. However, to receive premium customer support via phone and email, users must provide a license number, which is only given to paying customers.
Help pages and customer support are offered in English, German, and Japanese.
Avira Pricing
Avira Pro antivirus. For one device:
Speedup Pro. For one device:
Value for Money
As far as a free antivirus goes, Avira is obviously great value for your money. Its anti-malware has consistently scored high results in tests run by independent companies. However, the protection is decidedly basic. This means that all of the features you receive with Avira Pro - anti-ransomware and anti-phishing software, device control, identity protection, safe banking and shopping, and data privacy - are missing from the free version.
At $35.99 per year (for 1 device), Avira Pro is a bit more expensive than its competitors, but the protection you get is top-quality. Avira Pro has consistently scored high on the tests run by AV-Test. In short, while it does cost a few extra dollars, you are receiving an excellent product.
Bottom Line
Avira free antivirus offers good, basic protection against malware, but for more comprehensive protection, Avira Pro is the better option. Both products can operate on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices, but only Pro includes anti-ransomware and anti-phishing software, device control, identity protection, safe banking and shopping, and data privacy. While Pro is a bit more pricey than its competitors, the price difference is not significant if you are looking for quality protection and accessible customer support. Users that also want to take advantage of speedup optimizations should check out Speedup Pro which, for a relatively small monthly fee, can help users ensure that their PC is running free of clutter across both the Registry and the filesystem.
