Avast Free Antivirus - The Pro's and Con's

[jackuars]

With respect to the Best Free Antivirus 2015 competition, I'm starting a thread series where users of the various products will be joining together to state the Pro's and Con's of each antivirus/internet security software and why they think it is a contender or not for the Best Free Antivirus.

The first post will be updated by me with what user's think is good and bad about the product, so an informed decision can be made for newcomers.

Related Threads:
Avira Free Antivirus - Pro's and Con's
Qihoo 360 Total Security - The Pro's and Con's
Comodo Internet Security Premium - The Pro's and Con's
Panda Free Antivirus - The Pro's and Con's

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THE PRO'S
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1. Really light on the system
2. Modern and neat UI
3. Fully customizable installer: can select features to install
4. Hardened mode to block all unknown programs
5. Lots of features and components to tweak
6. Good detection capability with supporting secondary components

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THE CON'S
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1. Many ad's and pop-up's
2. Default setup is bloated
3. Need an account to use the product after 1 month
4. Need an anti-ransom ware module
5. DeepScreen is not good enough and disabled by default
6. Unintuitive Settings UI, HIPS module needs to improve (remember option necessary)
7. Ads in web plugin and has a long way to go (not great at the moment)
8. Not great signatures for real-world protection
9. Cloud reputation needs improvement

 

[Secondmineboy]

Pro: Really light on the system

Bad: Many ads and popups (Can be disabled in the paid versions)

 

[jackuars]

Pro - Fully customizable installer, where user can select any feature that needs to be installed or not.

Pro: Really light on the system

This is true. I like how it flushes the RAM usage back to 5MB every 10 sec the last time I used it. Does it work the same way in 2016 version?

 

[RmG152]

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THE PRO'S
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Hardened mode on Aggressive
Modern main UI
Light on the system


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THE CON'S
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As default it's bloated
On my last test "DeepScreen" is useless
Hips module need to improve, need a remember option.
Web plugin have ads (in the past idk now)
Do you know we have premium product? you can pay, pay pls pay pay mm pay men
Not rly great signatures in a real scenario
You need an account
Settings UI

 

[59er]

The ads for Avast free are most prevalent right after signing up or or after re-registering each year. As time passes there are fewer and fewer ads. I re-registered in July and I'm seeing no more than two ads a week.
Anyone else see this?

Pros: Light, very configurable.

Cons: On my XP computer, sometimes I have to disable Avast when downloading new programs. The problem started last January or February. It's improved a little but problematic at times. For example, I've had to disable for every Flash Player download. Sometimes I just disable for 10 minutes when updating a bunch of programs. A friend, who wants out-of-sight out-of-mind security turned Avast off because of this.

 

[jamescv7]

Pros

1) A product that provides numerous of features/components to tweak on where usually you cannot have that on other restricted free AV version.

2) Detection capabilities are wise enough with supporting secondary components.

Cons:

1) Based on my view, the cloud reputation is mainly focus to highlight the possible premature files however still relies on traditional method where if bypass then none of other alerts should shown except Hardened Mode (tweak).

2) Deepscreen is disabled at default, however the effectiveness isn't much widely expected that suppose another backup case.

 

[Deleted Member 333v73x]

Our DeepScreen has been improved over the years and in every version it is improved, with all due respect it is not useless.

 

[Anupam]

Pros:
Same as what ever you mentioned

Cons: ( extra)
1. Some legitimate https connections are blocked. I faced this with few links.
2. Their Web Plugins is pathetic. ( Browser Addon)

 

[Tabeer]

Pros:
-Stops most viruses coming into your computer
-Keeps computer in safe working order
-Secures computer from other malware
-Certain ones are free

Cons:
-Most need to run in the background as a process (gives you 24 hour protection)
-Always behind the virus (Virus comes first, patch to virus comes second)
-Some cost money (does a similar job to the free ones)
-Some are difficult to use
-Can wrongly accuse files for being viruses (rarely)

 

[Raul90]

Very nice thread jackuars I'd like the "remember option" to the HIPS module. (the ads and pop-up are there to stay as it it's freeware) But for a free product it ain't that bad. I do not use DeepScreen. Really best way is to tweak it (Hardened mode) fr best protection, as jamecv7 mentioned it relies on traditional method of cloud verification/checking.

 

[tonibalas]

Avast free is a good program and from what i have seen offers solid protection.
The only thing i don't like Avast free is for my taste is overwhelmed with settings.
I believe that most of these settings should be in the paid version otherwise there is now meaning of buying the pro version
just for the sandbox and safe zone( you can get similar modules for free).