Avira Free Security Suite (2017) - PCMag Review

[Solarquest]

• Pros
  Includes password manager, software updater, and many other Avira tools. Excellent scores from antivirus labs. Very good score in malicious URL blocking test. Free.
  
  
• Cons
  Many components require payment for full functionality. Sluggish antivirus protection and scanning. Real-time protection missed some executable malware files.
  
  
• Bottom Line
  Avira Free Security Suite, introduced this year, packs a goodly collection of features beyond antivirus, but it doesn't come close to the power of a full-scale, paid security suite
  

 

[Thirio]

Av-Comparatives: "Product of the year"
Av-test: 16.5/18
PCMag: 3/5
Me:

 

[Winter Soldier]

First of all it is not more, for years now, the lightweight antivirus that once it was.
They called Suite one thing that Suite is not so much to make you believe they have managed to do something new. It is not a Suite because it lacks the firewall, it is antivirus only with a series of useless junk.
Perhaps I am a bit blunt but they have taken the wrong way, ruining one of the best AV, as it was: spartan but very effective.

 

[FrFc1908]

just for the heck of it , I downloaded it and installed it....to be short : a mediocre av crammed to the brim with useless / snakeoil product that occupy your ram needlessly.

 

[lab34]

First of all it is not more, for years now, the lightweight antivirus that once it was.
They called Suite one thing that Suite is not so much to make you believe they have managed to do something new. It is not a Suite because it lacks the firewall, it is antivirus only with a series of useless junk.
Perhaps I am a bit blunt but they have taken the wrong way, ruining one of the best AV, as it was: spartan but very effective.

Completely agree with that.
Years before, it was light and efficient. And when the signature based detection was the rule, it was one of the best. Now, it's disapointing.

 

[Xsjx]

Avira Antivirus (2017)
For some this is pro review `` as good as bitdefender``
Avira's aggregate score, 9.3 of 10 points, puts it in a tie with Bitdefender.

 

[Deleted member 178]

PC Mag tests serious (whatever the product)? hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaa people come on...gimme a break.

 

[inuyasha]

*laughs along with umbra

 

[Ink]

Avira Antivirus (2017)
For some this is pro review `` as good as bitdefender``
Avira's aggregate score, 9.3 of 10 points, puts it in a tie with Bitdefender.

They never said it wasn't, it just comes with a lot of crapware that no one actually wants.

Excellent scores from antivirus labs. Very good score in malicious URL blocking test. Free.

During the Beta, I was unable to get Avira to install on the VM because Avira Launcher / Connect was doing it's thing and stalling everything.

Bloatware is a no-no, that's why people use Qihoo 360 or Bitdefender Free Antivirus.

 

[lab34]

There was a time when the launcher didn't exist
Then, there was a time when you could use the offline installer and never install the launcher
Then, there was a time when you could uninstall the launcher after installing Avira
But now, the launcher is mandatory
It's their strategy: they want us to install this launcher...

 

[Xsjx]

They never said it wasn't, it just comes with a lot of crapware that no one actually wants.

During the Beta, I was unable to get Avira to install on the VM because Avira Launcher / Connect was doing it's thing and stalling everything.

Bloatware is a no-no, that's why people use Qihoo 360 or Bitdefender Free Antivirus.

You dont need to install the **premium** stuff

I actually like the launcher after some time

 

[Arequire]

Looks to me that this free security suite is nothing more than a blatant advertising attempt by Avira. I figured that the pop-ups generated by their free AV and their launcher being positioned as nothing more than a perpetual mandatory advertisement for their other products (even though they continue to argue it's existence is necessary) would be enough but I guess not.

 

[Deleted member 178]

Most Home user AV vendors loads lot of crap/bloat/adds to push sales, the only one i know who doesn't is...guess who? Emsisoft.

 

[Xsjx]

Most Home user AV vendors loads lot of crap/bloat/adds to push sales, the only one i know who doesn't is...guess who? Emsisoft.

But emsisoft has munch fps and they didnt fix it for me ( send email everything)
I had 1 year license but stopped after 96 days

Also Avira dont pushes it you can install it optionally unlike others.

 

[spaceoctopus]

Today, security suites, antivirus and anti-malware brands, do their best to make their product light on resources, more centralized and easier to use. Overall, combining effectiveness with user-friendliness as much as possible. And guess what, except one brand....AVIRA.

When you use AVIRA it's like the security products of the early 2000s. Lots of useless stuff coming with it. The antivirus is a product of it's own. The firewall manager is another seperated product of it's own and also that annoying Avira connect is also another seperated product which you cannot avoid to install. Added to that, if you take a look at the task manager, AVIRA has tons of processes. And it's very heavy on the system.

And how not to forget that damn Luke Filewalker popping up each time, taking pleasure at irritating you.
15 malwares detected = 15 Luke Filewalkers killing every single bit of resources on your Pc.

The only good point is that,it's true that it has an outstanding level of detection, and their cloud is particularly effective.

 

[Ana_Filiz]

Most Home user AV vendors loads lot of crap/bloat/adds to push sales, the only one i know who doesn't is...guess who? Emsisoft.

I`m using EAM right now as i feel they not only protect me but also respect me and doesn`t treat me like a sheep. Electronic sheep.

 

[Arequire]

not to forget that damn Luke Filewalker popping up each time

This annoys me too. I have no idea why they don't have a little pop-up asking you if you'd like to run a quick scan instead of forcing it on the user.

 

[spaceoctopus]

This annoys me too. I have no idea why they don't have a little pop-up asking you if you'd like to run a quick scan instead of forcing it on the user.

That would be the right thing to do, but the engineers at Avira seems to love the way it is.

 

[Pat MacKnife]

Avira is bloated with useless crap aka launcher/connect thats full of bugs .... no good experience with this AV.

 

[Xsjx]

That would be the right thing to do, but the engineers at Avira seems to love the way it is.

I like it too

Today, security suites, antivirus and anti-malware brands, do their best to make their product light on resources, more centralized and easier to use. Overall, combining effectiveness with user-friendliness as much as possible. And guess what, except one brand....AVIRA.

When you use AVIRA it's like the security products of the early 2000s. Lots of useless stuff coming with it. The antivirus is a product of it's own. The firewall manager is another seperated product of it's own and also that annoying Avira connect is also another seperated product which you cannot avoid to install. Added to that, if you take a look at the task manager, AVIRA has tons of processes. And it's very heavy on the system.

And how not to forget that damn Luke Filewalker popping up each time, taking pleasure at irritating you.
15 malwares detected = 15 Luke Filewalkers killing every single bit of resources on your Pc.

The only good point is that,it's true that it has an outstanding level of detection, and their cloud is particularly effective.

And 1 thing Avira is the most privacy friendly av