Written by Ria du Plessis - Web Developer Updated on August 12 , 2021 |
When AVG Antivirus was acquired by Avast in 2016, people were wondering whether there was much sense in keeping these products separate. There must be a reason why these products have not been merged. In this AVG vs Avast comparison, we will find out which one is better.
| Our verdict on overall best antivirus program is Avast Antivirus |
AVG Pros | Avast Pros |
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AVG Cons | Avast Cons |
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There are many tools that a good antivirus must have to be a great security solution; from detection and updates, antivirus programs should offer a variety of features that customers can utilize.
When we look at all the features compared below, Avast is the overall winner as it has more to offer.
Both companies are neck and neck in terms of malware protection and system performance, but Avast wins in terms of features and user interface.
| Overall Winner: Avast |
Let's compare the key features of AVG and Avast;
AVG | Avast | |
Virus Scanner | Yes | Yes |
Threat Protection | Yes | Yes |
Malware Removal | Yes | Yes |
Phishing Detection | Yes | Yes |
Spyware Protection | Yes | Yes |
Ransomware Protection | Yes | Yes |
Cloud Backup | Yes, AVG Online Backup Service is available for an additional fee | Yes, Avast Business offers cloud backup features |
Firewall | Yes | Yes |
VPN | Yes | Yes |
Browser Protection | Yes | Yes, Avast Online Security checks each website you visit and warns you if it's unsafe or if it simply has a bad reputation |
Webcam Protection | Yes | Yes, Webcam Shield, available in Avast Premium Security, Avast Omni, and Avast One, prevents applications and malware from accessing your PC's webcam without your consent |
Password Manager | Yes, you need to purchase an add-on named AVG Password Protection. This is only available for Windows devices | Yes |
Parental Control | No | Yes |
Safe Banking | Yes, AVG Internet Security offers Identity Protection for safe banking and shopping | Yes, Bank Mode is a feature in Avast Secure Browser that provides a virtual desktop, which acts as a clean, safe PC within your real PC. The Bank Mode virtual desktop protects you against the injection of malicious scripts, keystroke logging, and screenshot attempts by third-party apps |
Performance Optimization | Yes | Yes, you can optimize your device and get it running up to 20% faster with Avast Cleanup |
Cleaning Tools | Yes | Yes |
File Shredder | Yes | Yes |
Game Mode | Yes, by enabling the gaming mode on AVG you can get rid of pop up while playing a game on fullscreen | Yes |
Mobile App | Yes, AVG offers a mobile security app | Yes |
Identity Theft Protection | Yes, with AVG BreachGuard, you'll be protected against identity theft | Yes, Avast BreachGuard helps prevent identity theft |
Good antivirus software should not just defend you against malware but should come with a host of advanced features and extra utilities that enhance your device security.
The Avast Free Antivirus solution doesn’t offer much in terms of advanced features but will protect your device against a host of malware types.
Avast's paid suites offer excellent protection against digital threats, along with several advanced features and add-ons such as;
- A data shredder
- Identity Theft Protection
- Safe Banking
- A Performance Optimizer
- Parental Control
AVG also offers a freemium solution, called AVG AntiVirus Free, but there are no advanced features or tools included in the freeware.
AVG's paid suites offer protection against all kinds of malware, plus you get;
| Best for antivirus features: Avast |
Avast Features:
AVG Features:
Malware protection is an important feature that every good antivirus software should have. It should be your biggest priority when purchasing antivirus software.
Comparing the protection between the two antiviruses can be done by looking at third-party tests done by websites like AV-Test.
The results according to the AV-Test website was:
AVG Results;
AVG detected all the malware samples that were used in the test and scored a 6 out of 6.
Avast Results;
Avast also scored a 6 out of 6 and detected all the malware samples that were used in the test.
Now, this is where features come in to determine the winner; Avast definitely has the upper hand with this again.
| Best for malware protection: Avast |
The amount of influence an antivirus product has on a system also tells a lot about how good it is. Your device shouldn’t be lagging if you have an antivirus installed on it.
To determine the winner, we looked at AV-test results again.
AVG Results;
According to these results, you can see that AVG has more impact on systems while other websites are launched than it should have. It had a 22% impact on systems while the industry average is 16%.
Avast Results;
When looking at the results, Avast had less impact on systems than AVG, although they both scored an excellent 6 out of 6 in the tests.
| Best for system performance: Avast |
The pricing model of the antivirus you choose needs to be designed in a way that meets your requirements and has a decent pricing point. You should be able to get maximum benefits of what fits your needs.
Let’s take a look at the pricing offered by Avast and AVG
Avast | AVG | ||
Avast Free Antivirus | Free (Unlimited Devices) | AVG Free | Free |
Avast Premium Security | $89.99/year (10 Devices) | AVG Internet Security | $2.89/month - 1 Device $3.69 per month - 10 Devices |
Avast Ultimate Security | $119.99/year (10 Devices) | AVG Ultimate | $4.99/month - 10 Devices |
| Best price: AVG |
A security product should be simple and easy to use, even for those who are not very computer literate.
Avast’s interface is intuitive and straightforward, dominated by dark colors. There’s a left-hand bar with four main categories. The Status screen is the default view. When everything is working fine, you will see a green checkmark in the center, which means you are protected. You can begin a quick scan right from this screen at the click of a button.
AVG’s dark interface uses green and white as its primary colors. On the main screen, you will find a large circle at the top. The large circle will show a green checkmark if everything is working perfectly. At the bottom, there’s a prominent button that allows you to initiate a scan with just one click.
Overall, Avast’s interface is simpler, more straightforward than AVG’s.
| Most user-friendly provider: Avast |
Customer support plays a big role in people's choices these days. A bad customer experience can easily make or break a product or service.
When looking at client reviews, AVG's customer support is not the best there is. AVG doesn’t provide customer support if you use the free version of their product. AVG provides guides and FAQs, and also phone support to premium customers.
Avast offers customer support via email, online chat, and web forms, except it, adds a phone line that’s only available in English.
| Winner: It's a tie |
Comparing both Avast and AVG, we came to understand that Avast is a better choice than AVG.
With Avast, you will get more security-related features within a variety of suites to choose from. You can have peace of mind when choosing Avast as your security software.
