PC Protect Antivirus Expert Review

PC Protect Antivirus Overview

PC Protect has made a big mark on the cybersecurity industry since its 2019 start and seemingly offers the perfect blend of performance and affordability with its software. With advanced protection against major threats like malware, built-in browser management and a web shield, as well as real-time antivirus scanning, you can count on this provider when you need it most.

Features

As mentioned earlier, we believe PC Protect offers some of the best features at minimal prices. Ransomware protection, a real-time antivirus scanner, virus, Trojans, Adware, Spyware & Malware protection, phishing protection, a disk cleaner, PC optimization tools, remote firewall, web shield, browser manager and cleaner, and more.

General

Putting aside the quality security tools and the advanced protection against malware, PC Protect stands out not just for its free option, but also its money-back guarantee. Plus, it’s available for Apple, Windows, and Android devices.

Threat Protection

PC Protect keeps you safe from all the major threats on the web, from Trojans to phishing. You needn’t worry about annoying ads and tracking with this provider either. 

Scanning

This antivirus offers two types of scanning methods; quick scan and a full system scan. This allows you to scan quickly on a daily basis as well as giving you the option to scan more and more in-depth.

Unfortunately, the product hasn’t been tested by independent labs, hence there is no concrete data on how good the scanners are.

We tested the product on our systems and the real-time file scanner starts working as soon as the system boots.

By default, the tool scans every file that is downloaded but you can customize the scan as needed. Additionally, the Disk Cleaner is another added tool designed to scan and get rid of junk files.

Privacy and Security

Privacy and security are some of PC Protect’s strongpoints. With much-needed tools like the accompanying VPN, Safe Browsing, as well as the advanced Web Shield that protects from any and all kinds of malware, these key features alongside several others are what keep your identity under wraps and your devices safe. Read on to learn more about these features as well other essential components of the PC Protect antivirus suite.

Web Shield

Web Shield is there to keep you away from the websites that exist only to infect your devices with some kind of malware. It’s a free Chrome extension so you wouldn’t even need to be signed up for an antivirus subscription to use it. To get the most out of it, you’ll want to use the search engine feature as it’s not only privacy-focused but also defends you against threats like phishing and hackers. 

Safe Browsing VPN

PC Protect’s Safe Browsing VPN goes hand in hand with the antivirus to offer complete privacy and security. It’ll protect you when you’re connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots, make you virtually impossible to trace by hackers and governments, and you can access content in other countries that’s geo-restricted. There’s no mention on the site as to how many servers there are or the countries they’re based in, though. 

Ad Blocker

Targeted advertising and just downright spammy ads, as we all know, are a nuisance, but some are designed to infect your computer with dangerous malware, ransomware, and spyware, a threat that allows hackers to watch you through your own webcam. PC Protect is designed to prevent any of this from appearing on your screen as well as take the target off your head when it comes to personalizing ads to your browsing history - something basically no one wants. What’s more, you can choose which ads don’t get restricted should you want to support the website or you’re actually interested in what’s being offered.

Password Vault

The worst part about getting used to creating new passwords for everything is having to remember them all. With PC Protect’s Password Vault, though, you can store them all in one place and they’re kept under lock and key, meaning any site you try to log into, it’ll be PC Protect that grants the permission after it’s declared it safe. Plus, should you be away from your computer, you can access these passwords remotely, removing the inconvenience of keeping them all in one secure place.

Performance and Protection

We tested the software on a standard PC and the results are satisfactory. The system impact is minimal, and you’ll barely notice it in the background. It takes additional resources to run during a complete inspection, but again the impact is below average.

The program can be installed on older computers since it needs limited RAM and while the CPU takes the biggest hit, it will suffice even for a 2-core machine.

Malware Protection

One of our favorite things about PC Protect is that if it comes across any threats or suspicious files during the scans, it will jump on it right away and quarantine the malware in real-time. The real-time antivirus engine makes it almost impossible for users to download anything without it being thoroughly checked by the scanner.

Apart from staying protected from all types of malware across devices using this antivirus, add-on features like cleaner and optimizer make sure that no junk files are left behind to assure optimal protection.

Ransomware Detection

Links on emails are the most common form of ransomware. With the Safe Shield feature, the software automatically detects and blocks harmful websites that can put you at risk from viruses and hackers.

Although the product misses out on advanced features like keylogger protection or anti-spam and doesn’t match up to Panda Antivirus’ robust ransomware prevention, the browser extension effectively detects and redirects you from domains that could pose a risk to the device.

Phishing Detection

With this solution, you gain access to a Safe Site feature that blocks malicious and harmful URLs, allowing you to browse without worries. We valued the additional features like free domain categorization and security filters. Not only do these guarantee a secure browsing experience, but they also make sure that your device stays protected against deceptive destinations and phishing websites.

It doesn’t have banking protection or parental control options, hence, we think it does a moderate job of phishing protection in comparison to brands like F-Secure.

Spyware Detection

The company claims to protect your device from spyware. Sadly, it doesn’t have a Tracking Protection feature like the one you obtain from 360 Total Security. Yet, we tested the protection feature on our own and found that it can detect spyware easily. The best part is that the software takes immediate action to address detected threats.

The Avira engine does a near-perfect job of blocking spyware, but if you are looking for advanced spyware protection (AI and ML-driven), there is nothing better than Norton.

Firewall Protection

PC Protect has a simple firewall that can be used to monitor the Windows firewall (easily configured to turn it on or off). It has no additional features and is by no way a justification to choose this antivirus software over another. This company’s other product Total AV has more robust firewall protection.

You can get advanced firewall protection by subscribing to the VPN service, which is slightly disappointing given the additional cost.

PC Protect for Mobile

The need to stay safe online isn’t exclusive to your home network - you’re still going up against the same threats when you leave the house except you stand more of a chance of getting caught out. Connecting to public Wi-Fi zones like at bars, hotels, restaurants, and on trains is dangerous because they come with zero encryption, making them the perfect networks for hackers to steal bank details, account logins, and more. 

The PC Protect app is available on both iOS and Android, and it incorporates the same real-time threat management protocols as the desktop alternative. Along with routine virus scanning, the app on both platforms also features a safe browsing mode, threat quarantining, a system boost, and more.

Pricing Plan

PC Protect Money-Back Guarantee

If you’re considering making PC Protect your antivirus provider, you’ll be pleased to know that you can try the software out without having to commit long term. The 30-day money-back guarantee is there to see whether or not it ticks all the boxes; if it doesn’t, you can get a refund and pick one of the many other respected PC antivirus providers out there. Just make sure you file a claim within the 30 day window.

Lab Test Results

So far, this product hasn’t been a part of independent lab tests by AV-Test or AV-Comparatives. Although other software solutions offered by the company behind PC Protect (like TotalAV) are part of all tests, we couldn’t find PC Protect in any test results.

However, the software has been extensively tested by VB100. From January to February 2020, VB100 tested 40 products from 36 vendors on Windows 7 and 10 platforms.

The test included 2,948 samples of malicious codes for the WildList Detection Test and 981 samples for the Diversity Test. PC Protect received the VB100 certification with a WildList detection rate of 99.9%, a Diversity Test rate of 98.17%, and a False Positive rate of 0%. In the same test, ESET and AVG outshined all competitors with 100% rates and zero false positives.

PC Protect has been consistent in its VB100 tests and it scored almost the same numbers in WildList detection and false positives. The December 2019 Diversity Test score of 99.50% was even better than the current rate.

As the software doesn’t have many test results to confirm the protection and security level, a lot of buyers think it is not up to the mark. This is not the case as the antivirus has a strong security engine that can detect and eliminate threats almost instantly.

Ease of Use and Interface

The dashboard interface reminds us of the TotalAV interface. Given both these products belong to the same company, we couldn’t help but notice the uncanny similarities between both user experiences. Ease of use is one of the strongest suits of PC Protect.

Although the main screen might seem fancy, it is easy to navigate. The company has listed all essential features on the right side of the screen, and the sub-menus are arranged neatly under individual tabs.

The left side toolbar has everything you need; a VPN for Secure Browsing, Web Shield settings and much more. We felt that the interface looks great with the restrained dark background, and the touches of bright color help identify the buttons clearly.

One of the things that we didn’t like about the interface is that there is no easy way to switch between scan types. It took us more than 3 clicks to launch a quick scan (which is not good UX). We also found the adblocking module to be complicated. You can find additional settings under the gear icon.

Overall, PC Protect has a nice interface that might seem too crowded at the beginning, but it is actually extremely intuitive and not too difficult to navigate after a few tries.

Customer Support

We were overwhelmed with the customer support options available. The company has a huge knowledge base that is neatly categorized with step-by-step guides, FAQs, and tutorials. There’s a lot of information that you can use to troubleshoot errors on your own if comfortable seeking your own solutions.

Besides these resources, there is 24/7 live chat, email, and phone support for premium customers. Their chat support is great and after connecting to an agent within seconds, we received satisfactory responses. If you encounter any issue with the product's technical side or pricing, you can rest assured that the chat service is more than adequate to address it.

However, when compared to some of the best rivals like Kaspersky, AVG, and Avast, this company’s customer service is average at best.

How To Install and Uninstall PC Protect

Of all the software we have installed, PC Protect employs one of the easiest installation processes. Just follow the steps listed below:

1)      Download the file from the official website. Double-click to run the installation wizard.

2)      You might be recommended to download and install the V9 Network Adapters. If you have subscribed to the VPN service, download these as well. Otherwise, move on with the next step.

3)      The wizard will complete the installation. Once the product is installed, you will need to log in with the email and password. The app will also update the virus definitions so you will need to make sure that you are connected to the internet.

4)      Reboot the system, and the software will start working silently in the background.

The simplest way to uninstall the software from your Windows device is following the standard process.

1. Open Apps and Features
2. Select the program.
3. Click Uninstall.
4. Restart the device when prompted.

Our Verdict

Though PC Protect is fairly new to the antivirus market, having only established in 2016, PC Protect is the trusted choice for thousands of people around the world. Its name might suggest otherwise, but Android, iOS, and MacOS, alongside Windows devices, can all be covered here, and they get the same comprehensive security measures that PC Protect has become known for with its Windows solutions.

Alongside advanced security and state-of-the-art anti-malware measures, the knowledgebase that’s available is unrivaled. But should you need to contact the support team, you can get answers to your problems via live chat, phone, and email.

FAQ