Interesting that you are using Avast as well on the mobile phone and if you ask me, I think mobile is even less safe than computers, so most likely they do need to be well protected. Good post up there @luisalex96 and you are quite right, those premium suites offer everything, but the most important for me would be parental control.
I think that sometimes antiviruses are overpriced, so I tend to use the free version. I know the premium version is better with better features, but the free can do just well if you are using the computer for something like browsing the web. You can save your money plus save the computer.
Windows Defender does the job well so I never tried any 3rd-part's software. Also I don't think we need to pay for an anti-virus software since the free version was already able to scan most viruses. The paid version just offer some more features that we rarely use. Also, either if you have the paid or free version, don't forget to update often..
Earlier today I was checking out Kaspersky out of curiosity and while trying to install a demo version, the installer asked for my permission to uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials! Talk about aggressive competition lol, these guys take it a little too far!
Yes I like parental control also, with it you can protect the children from bad and dangerous websites and programs!!
To be honest that's the only feature I would be interested in from those premium paid suites because in what concerns anti-virus I think I am perfectly fine with the free versions and responsible navigation. If we are in legal sites we are usually safe.
I had Avira antivirus installed in my laptop. Though it was good to provide a protection from malware, but the checking process was making my device insanely slow. Being an older version my was already low-paced. On that the antivirus made the situation terrible. One fine morning I deleted the software out of frustration. At present, there's no antivirus installed in my device and fortunately nothing uncanny has happened so far.
I work in IT helpdesk and many times students, researchers and teachers come to me with their laptops and they are unable to connect to our wifi. More often than not they have Avira, AVG or Kaspersky installed and it's that anti-virus that is blocking the access to the wifi. This is why I try to avoid these anti-virus.
I used free version for a long time however, I never have had any issue with the free version of anti virus. After using free antivirus for 5 years, I began using paid anti virus (I got on best deal offer). I did not find any antivirus. In my experience, as long as you update, a free antivirus works as good as paid antivirus.
I am not sure I understand your post @Binu. So you have used a free anti-virus and now you use a paid one, but you haven't found an antivirus or virus? There have to be differences as a paid anti-virus has to offer more solutions. My main issue with these paid versions is that many times they become too intrusive and I don't like that.
I don't think spending a lot on an anti-virus in necessary. For one thing, I think a lot of situations where viruses can come into play are highly preventable, one being illegal music downloading and the downloading unnecessary add-ons like strange browser toolbars and the like. Therefore, in conclusion, an anti-virus costing around 20 USD dollars a year is adequate for any computer owner who takes the safety precautions I mentioned. Note, I don't think 20 USD a year is a big deal in exchange for what you get, so I don't see the need in messing around with a free anti-virus.
So true, so true. How many times I am looking for "free" software and I end up in dubious sites? So nothing like legal and responsible navigation in order to avoid virus. We can pay those $20 per year, somewhat more or somewhat less and as you say, it's not a big expense. At the same time I still prefer the free versions.
I think that we'd all prefer the free versions of everything, haha. Sometimes though, like you say, we just have to pay in order to get the best and when you think about it, $20 or $30 a year isn't a lot to pay for that peace of mind that you can use your software with a lot less risk. A lot will depend on what you use the computer for as well, and if you don't shop online or use online banking, avoid the sites that require your financial details then you may not even have to have any anti-virus software installed at all.
I suppose using Linux should solve most of the angst regarding viruses. Its configuration as well as the fact that its less known makes it less vulnerable to hackers as opposed to windows which is attacked by thousands of bugs everyday. Linux also engenders affordability with respect to this. One doesn't have to bother with expensive anti-virus software.
LOL, true, we all prefer it for free. The thing is that I don't recall the last time I have paid for an anti-virus. Windows Defender (or Microsoft Security Essentials) seems to be working fine and I have the ESET online scanner extra-security, so I really don't see any need to be paying for a service I don't need.
I also can't really remember the last time I actually paid for security software either to be honest. I have used quite a few different programs and if I have to buy after a certain period of time I just move on to the next one. At the moment though I'm using 360 Security on all my computers and while that does have a premium version just like most anti-virus software does, the free version that I am using is more than good enough for now, so I'm more than happy to stick with it.
Yeah, I think many people just stick with the free versions. At the same time I think that many people buying new computers get advice in the store where they buy it to get a new paid anti-virus. Sure, sellers want to sell, but most of the times they are buying something they don't really need.
Also a lot of the new models of computer we buy now, already come bundled with anti-virus already installed so I think a lot of the time people just carry on using that version instead of changing. Even when a free trial runs out or a subscription after 12 months or however long it is, people are more inclined to carry on using that same one instead of shopping around for a better deal or product.
I'm currently using Malware bytes. We used to use a free version of it but now it's the paid one. It does work quite well and I do not have any virus problems since I used it.
I'm also using MalwareBytes on my computer and I guess it does the job well. I've been using the Free version for years now and I don't see any problem, perhaps as long as I scan for threats regularly. I tried the Premium version for 30 days and I didn't noticed any difference. I've also tried Avast, AVG and Avira but MalwareBytes is the best for me
