Antivirus Software: McAfee vs. Avast

In the crowded market of antivirus software, trying to decide which software will provide the best protection against viruses, Trojans, worms and other nasty malware that can invade your computer can be exhausting. A relatively unknown antivirus software application, Avast!, is challenging McAfee, one of the best-known services in the industry! Avast, by its name alone, which includes its trademark exclamation point, seems to have high expectations. A comparison of McAfee vs. Avast indicates that those expectations might be warranted.

McAfee offers a very limited free version of its security software that does nothing but notify you that there may be a threat to your computer. The free version is basically an advertisement for the paid version, and you would be better off using the 30-day free trial instead of installing the free version of the McAfee software. Avast offers a free version that actually does a good job of protecting computers from viruses and other threats. The free version of Avast Antivirus provides spyware protection, but it does not offer a firewall or block spam. Those features are only available if you upgrade to the paid version of the software.

McAfee and Avast both use heuristic detection, and McAfee adds signature files as an additional malware-detection method. Both McAfee and Avast scored high marks by antivirus testing organizations for their ability to identify and remove malware. McAfee has taken some lumps for the number of false positives it finds, however. Another problem that has been identified with McAfee is that it works better on systems that are virus free and does not seem to do well on computers that are already infected.

Avast and McAfee have relatively simple user interfaces. Both programs make it simple for users to adjust settings and schedule scans and updates. Installation is easy and runs quickly for both Avast and McAfee.

One feature McAfee offers is an idle timer that performs scans when you are not working and stops running when you resume work. This feature keeps other applications from slowing down when McAfee is running in the background. Avast offers a gaming mode that turns off pop-up notices to prevent interruptions when you are playing a game or watching a movie.

McAfee has a price tag of $49.99 after the end of the 30-day trial period, and you must pay the annual fee to continue using the program. Avast does not require you to upgrade to the $39.95 full version, but the free version does not provide anywhere near the same protection that the full version of McAfee does.

Both McAfee and Avast are good antivirus applications and are comparable in terms of ease of use and the ability to protect computers from malware. The basic difference between the two is price, and Avast has a slight edge over McAfee in that department, even with their paid version. McAfee has the edge when it comes to idle-time scanning, which keeps programs from slowing down while scans are run. Overall, both antivirus software applications do an excellent job of protecting computers from the threat of malware.

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