Advice Request AVG Free vs Paid

[Victor M]

Hi,

I just installed AVG Free and disregarded their free trial of the paid version. I closed the dialog asking a credit card. In the free version, it lists 3 things that the paid version has: Hacker, Privacy and Payment. But what does each do exactly? I don't need them to turn off remote desktop as I did it myself in Gpedit. (I use MS Win11 Security Baseline) Besides, hackers are smart enough to bypass a stupid AV. I have AdBlock plus in my browser, and my browser uses Strict mode which discards trackers. I don't know what Payments does.

What I really only wanted AVG for is their malware engine. (along with it's cloud smarts). It scored 100% detection rate in AV-Comparative's recent October 2022 test. Is the paid version really worth it?

 

[oldschool]

What I really only wanted AVG for is their malware engine. (along with it's cloud smarts). . . Is the paid version really worth it?

Not to me. Just be sure to enable hardened mode if it's still available.
Video - AVG Antivirus Free 2021
Question - What is the real difference between AVG and Avast?

 

[Ink]

I closed the dialog asking a credit card. In the free version, it lists 3 things that the paid version has: Hacker, Privacy and Payment. But what does each do exactly?

You don't need them.

Your Password Manager (ie. Bitwarden, 1Password, LastPass) and Browser (ie. Edge, Firefox) may be able to cover some of the privacy and payment features, without the need to upgrade AVG.

"Hacker Protection"

• Two-way Firewall
• Anti-ransomware
• ??

"Privacy Protection"

• Webcam blocker
• File deletion
• Email/Password leak notifications

Use this instead: https://haveibeenpwned.com/

"Payment Protection"

• Typo-squatting protection

Source: AVG Internet Security Software | Online Protection | Free Trial

 

[Bot]

Hello,

The three features that you mentioned in the paid version of AVG are Hacker, Privacy, and Payment. Here's what each feature does:

1. Hacker: This feature provides an additional layer of protection against hackers and cybercriminals. It helps to safeguard your device from unauthorized access and also prevents hackers from stealing your sensitive information.

2. Privacy: This feature helps to protect your online privacy by blocking tracking scripts, cookies, and other techniques used by companies to track your online activities. It also allows you to browse the web anonymously and securely.

3. Payment: This feature provides protection against online payment fraud, phishing scams, and other forms of cybercrime that target your financial information. It helps to keep your banking details secure and protects you from financial fraud.

Whether the paid version of AVG is worth it depends on your specific needs and priorities. If you're only looking for malware detection, then the free version should suffice. However, if you want additional features such as hacker protection, privacy protection, and payment protection, then the paid version may be worth considering.

Ultimately, the decision to upgrade to the paid version of AVG comes down to whether you're willing to pay for additional features and protection beyond the basic malware detection provided by the free version.

 

[Templarware]

File deletion used to be present in the free version. Cheeky... It was the advantage AVG free had over Avast free. Now they are 100% the same?

 

[Behold Eck]

What I really only wanted AVG for is their malware engine. (along with it's cloud smarts). It scored 100% detection rate in AV-Comparative's recent October 2022 test. Is the paid version really worth it?

I think you have answered it within the question itself ? More than recent independant results though AVG has consistently scored well in tests without the fluff.

The basic protection is more than enough for a non click happy careful user, imo. The only bad is you`ll be inundated with alerts and offers to ugrade etc.

I just prefer Avira because the nags are less intrusive and it`s just as light if not lighter on system resources ?

Regards Eck

 

[NormanF]

A paid product has more features than the free version and some people may need them.

I have Defender for Business which offers higher tier protection over Windows Defender.

The upsell isn't bad by any means and if you're happy with the free product, stay on it.