Should I Upgrade My Anti-virus Software?

For consumers, the greatest distinction between types of software is paid software and free software, or freeware. Most of the big-name brands in anti-virus software offer a free download of a downgraded version of their products. These manufacturers maintain that their free anti-virus suites are quality software but encourage consumers to make the software upgrade for more complete protection. However, this leaves many consumers wondering what the differences are between these paid and free versions, and whether they should make the software upgrade.

How Effective is Free Anti-virus Software?

Most big-name brands make free versions of their anti-virus software packs, and some of this freeware is pretty impressive. Free software is not usually as thoroughly tested by as many independent labs as software that costs money, so it's hard to find exact figures on how well free anti-virus software protects computers. The consensus among exerts is that free anti-virus software protects you from approximately between 97 and 99 percent of future threats. These numbers are relatively high. Some paid versions of anti-virus software only protect against nearly or more than 99 percent of future threats. Freeware such as Panda Cloud Antivirus has been proven in independent tests to protect against 99 percent of future threats, meaning you get a great deal of protection at no cost.

However, one area where free software is weak is at eradicating pre-existing malware from your computer. Many paid versions struggle with this challenge too. Mediocre paid versions of anti-virus software can rid your computer of about half of its pre-existing infections, and freeware cannot usually eliminate even that much. However, the top-rated paid anti-virus software such as BitDefender and Kaspersky do a superb job of cleaning up computers and getting rid of nearly all pre-existing infections.

If your computer is riddled with viruses at the moment, you should definitely make the software upgrade to a top-rated paid version. However, if you have a brand-new computer or if you know your computer is clean, free anti-virus software may be sufficient for you.

Software Upgrade and Features

Normally, paid versions of upgraded software come chock full of more features and functionality than their free counterparts have. If you choose to make the software upgrade, you'll likely have access to many more tools and options. For instance, AVG's paid version of its anti-virus suite allows users to enable a social-networking-protection feature. This feature scans all links exchanged from any social networking site you are subscribed to. AVG also allows people who purchase its paid software to activate a movie or gaming mode, which means the software will never interrupt a movie or game with a pop-up alert message. The software will simply wait to alert the user until the movie is over or the game is finished.

Free software is usually not as easy to use as paid versions. Developers and manufacturers spend countless hours making their paid versions' user interfaces as intuitive as possible. You should probably choose to make a software upgrade if you're not the most tech-savvy individual. You'll also have full access to technical support if you're a paying customer.

Should I Make the Software Upgrade?

Many consumers find that making a software upgrade is well worth their money. Paid versions of top-rated anti-virus software offer more protection from future threats, can eradicate pre-existing infections more effectively, have enhanced features and functionality, and access to more complete technical support.

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