- May 26, 2014
- 1,149
I like both,but wonder if there is a strong case to use one over the other? I use to supplement my AV
VoodooShield or SecureAPlus
- Thread starter Dave Russo
- Start date
- Jan 27, 2018
- 1,430
Would chose voodooshield. SecureAPlus slowed my machine down quit abit. voodoo has no system impact at all. i use it with bitdefender antivirus and its a light and realy hard combo.
Was the slowdown still there after the required full scan?
- May 10, 2019
- 2,289
I am now using SecureAPlus on Lockdown mode and have MD disabled. They offer students a free three-year subscription of their Essential version.
- Jul 3, 2015
- 8,153
- May 10, 2019
- 2,289
Apex is the offline AI engine incorporated in SecureAPlus.
MD stands for Microsoft Defender.
I think they are both fantastic programs. I would put them about equal, but with different strengths and weaknesses. It also depends a bit on whether you're looking at the free or paid versions. Generally, SecureAPlus has more features while Voodoo Shield is leaner and more configurable.
They both take a whitelisting approach and have an option to use VirusTotal for a second look. From there, Voodoo Shield adds an online whitelist and the ability to run a questionable file in a sandbox, whereas SecureAPlus uses a multiple AV approach. This does result in SecureAPlus being a bit heavier due to the AV components, but not excessively so. The AV function also makes SecureAPlus better suited to run as a stand alone solution. SecureAPlus also adds the vulnerability scanner and memory injection protection in the pro version.
The SecureAPlus main program window and dialog boxes are larger with bigger buttons, making them easier to use on touchscreens. The layout of main program window is a bit confusing. It has a great look and feel, but it takes some getting used to. On the flip side, the Voodoo Shield interface is more traditional and simpler to use, while the Pro version adds a wide variety of configuration options.
Best advice is to try them both out for a month and see how you like them for yourself and how smoothy they integrate with your system and whatever existing security you have. Be aware that SecureAPlus does an initial system wide virus scan that you can't cancel. If you have a lot of data to scan, it might give the initial impression that its much heavier than it is. So don't evaluate its performance until that initial scan is complete.
They can also be run side by side. I have tried it and they do play very nicely together.
They both take a whitelisting approach and have an option to use VirusTotal for a second look. From there, Voodoo Shield adds an online whitelist and the ability to run a questionable file in a sandbox, whereas SecureAPlus uses a multiple AV approach. This does result in SecureAPlus being a bit heavier due to the AV components, but not excessively so. The AV function also makes SecureAPlus better suited to run as a stand alone solution. SecureAPlus also adds the vulnerability scanner and memory injection protection in the pro version.
The SecureAPlus main program window and dialog boxes are larger with bigger buttons, making them easier to use on touchscreens. The layout of main program window is a bit confusing. It has a great look and feel, but it takes some getting used to. On the flip side, the Voodoo Shield interface is more traditional and simpler to use, while the Pro version adds a wide variety of configuration options.
Best advice is to try them both out for a month and see how you like them for yourself and how smoothy they integrate with your system and whatever existing security you have. Be aware that SecureAPlus does an initial system wide virus scan that you can't cancel. If you have a lot of data to scan, it might give the initial impression that its much heavier than it is. So don't evaluate its performance until that initial scan is complete.
They can also be run side by side. I have tried it and they do play very nicely together.
Last edited:
- Oct 1, 2019
- 1,120
When I tried FREE SecureAplus (SA) it was based on whitelisting, AI and cloud AV ( (AVG, Avira, ClamWin, Emsisoft, ESET, F-Prot, F-Secure, IKARUS, McAfee, Microsoft Security Essentials, Sophos), while FREE VoodooShield (VS) I tried only uses AI (the cloud whitelist is for paid users only). So on paper (in theory) the free version of AP has an advantage over VS.
On the other hand I personally like the different AI-sensitivity levels of VS (and in free version you are even allowed to tweak the rules). So when you don't install a lot of new programs, I felt that by playing with the AI rules, I could tighten the rules for non-UAC protected folders. Without proof (no actual malware testing) I was happier with VS-settings than AP.
Take away: you should try them both
@danb - Any reason why you don't ask the user whether they rarely - occasionally -often install new software? With this knowledge you could apply different AI sensitivity levels for user folders (specifically AppData & ProgramData, because VS whitelist programs of vendors already installed on the system)?
As a marketeer I never understood why Security Vendors always develop programs for the 5% of the users who install a lot of new programs. The majority of the PC users hardly ever install any program. Whitelisting is ideal for that (considering the auto-whitelisting policy of VS), so why deliberately lowering standards (AI-sensitivity level) for the small 5% of the people who like to play with programs?
Simply tell on your website that VS is designed for average PC user (who only occasionally-rarely installs new programs). VS auto whitelisting with aggressive mode protection of AI for user folders (for non-whitelisted executables) in smart mode is ideal for 95% of the PC-users.
On the other hand I personally like the different AI-sensitivity levels of VS (and in free version you are even allowed to tweak the rules). So when you don't install a lot of new programs, I felt that by playing with the AI rules, I could tighten the rules for non-UAC protected folders. Without proof (no actual malware testing) I was happier with VS-settings than AP.
Take away: you should try them both
@danb - Any reason why you don't ask the user whether they rarely - occasionally -often install new software? With this knowledge you could apply different AI sensitivity levels for user folders (specifically AppData & ProgramData, because VS whitelist programs of vendors already installed on the system)?
As a marketeer I never understood why Security Vendors always develop programs for the 5% of the users who install a lot of new programs. The majority of the PC users hardly ever install any program. Whitelisting is ideal for that (considering the auto-whitelisting policy of VS), so why deliberately lowering standards (AI-sensitivity level) for the small 5% of the people who like to play with programs?
Simply tell on your website that VS is designed for average PC user (who only occasionally-rarely installs new programs). VS auto whitelisting with aggressive mode protection of AI for user folders (for non-whitelisted executables) in smart mode is ideal for 95% of the PC-users.
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Just a quick correction, Voodoo Shield does have a local whitelist, and the free version DOES check alerts against the whitelist cloud. In fact, the information in the two alert dialog boxes is almost identical. Voodoo Shield just offers Whitelist Cloud result in the slot where SecureAPlus offers the Universal AV scan results. However, real time usage of White List Cloud is only available in the Pro version of VS.
- May 10, 2019
- 2,289
And the option to not trust digitally signed applications.
Is that pro only? I assumed it was available in all versions.
- May 10, 2019
- 2,289
I am using the Essential version and it asked me to upgrade to Pro to use that feature.
- Oct 1, 2019
- 1,120
Thanks for the addition. Off course VS has a local whitelist, every anti-executable has one. What is special about the local white list of VS is that it allows NEW programs with same digital signature as already whitelisted programs. This local signature whitelist will allow already programs to update and install additional programs of the same signer. The beauty of a small local signature list, is that it is often a tiny whitelist, this reduces risk of signed malware to a fractional risk.
- May 31, 2017
- 1,742
Yes, one of the things that makes VS unique is its tiny, customized whitelist that is automatically (for the most part) built for the end user, so that only items that actually need to be whitelisted, are whitelisted. This drastically reduces the attack surface. And yes, VS does not blindly allow by digital signature alone... it only does so if an item on the whitelist matches the sig.
As far as sensitivity levels go, VS Pro has a feature known as Security Posture that can be adjusted to Aggressive, Moderate, Relaxed or Silent, thank you for the thought though!
- May 31, 2017
- 1,742
Yes, sophisticated features have bugs. In all software. You should know this.
We have not seen any reported bugs in several months, would you be so kind as to post the links to the bugs so we can fix them? Thank you!
RyuSCi6
Level 1
- Dec 31, 2019
- 16
SecureAPlus is an Full-featured antivirus with application whitelisting, but Voodoo Shield, on the other hand, has only application whitelisting capability so it's not a direct battle against this 2 programs.
If you doesn't have any AV installed or prefer WD then VoodooShield may be better because the whole component of SecureAPlus is quite heavy on resource (esp. RAM).
But if you want a fully loaded AV and has some spare resource then SecureAPlus may better suite your need.
Also, since VoodooShield has no antivirus component then how secure is it against the malwares is depends on
1. How you set VoodooShield
2. Complementary Antivirus (more like main AV)
3. User skill (whitelisting requires more skill than conventional blacklisting IMHO)
If you doesn't have any AV installed or prefer WD then VoodooShield may be better because the whole component of SecureAPlus is quite heavy on resource (esp. RAM).
But if you want a fully loaded AV and has some spare resource then SecureAPlus may better suite your need.
Also, since VoodooShield has no antivirus component then how secure is it against the malwares is depends on
1. How you set VoodooShield
2. Complementary Antivirus (more like main AV)
3. User skill (whitelisting requires more skill than conventional blacklisting IMHO)
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