Avast Free Antivirus is one of the world’s most beloved antivirus programs. Easily customizable, Avast offers comprehensive computer protection via firewalls, antivirus protections and heuristic engines – as well as its unique sandbox feature which isolates unfamiliar files to prevent infections by launching them in a safe environment. Furthermore, this powerful suite features anti-theft tools for finding lost devices and an integrated password manager to keep all personal information safe and secure.
Installing Avast includes running its Smart Scan to identify potential malware and threats to your system. You can schedule regular or targeted scans, customize what types of files or folders should be scanned and view statistics such as total attacks prevented, files scanned, threats quarantined and bootable rescue disks that can help repair infected systems.
Avast’s free version provides excellent protection from viruses, spyware, rootkits and other threats, with real-time protection focusing on suspicious files, emails and websites to keep your computer free from potential infections. Avast uses its advanced heuristics engine with machine learning technology to detect even obscure types of malware and viruses as well as blocking DNS activity that might compromise security; additionally it can detect and block malware in browser plugins and can detect potential issues in their DNS activity logs.
Premium versions of Avast offer more features, such as password manager and device locator services. However, given Avast’s data sharing practices – specifically its subsidiary Jumpshot selling consumer browsing habits for profit – we suggest opting out of paying for VPN.
Avast’s interface is sleek and streamlined, featuring blue tones with orange accents derived from their logo. Navigating is straightforward; choose options from the menu on the left of your screen or go directly into settings page’s Protection, Performance, or Privacy categories for the settings page – Avast makes changing scanning sensitivity simple while turning off or on major components easily and offering users the choice to opt out of data collection altogether.
Avast stands out among our testing in its malware detection rate and other security features, particularly its sandbox and heuristics engine, which offer strong defense against sophisticated threats. Scan times may take slightly longer when scanning large folders and archives; but the extra protection provided by Avast more than makes up for any delays in scanning these larger objects. Furthermore, their free version provides excellent PC protection, and their paid plans come at reasonable rates; Avast even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with all subscription plans offered!