
The comparison between Avast and Avira, presented in this article will help you make a choice between these two antivirus software programs. Read to know the difference between the two.
If your computer is connected with the Internet or over a network, you need a good antivirus software to protect your PC from malware programs. If you are sick of frequent system crashes and data back up exercises, brought on by computer viruses, followed by operating system reinstallations, it is time you spent some bucks on a decent antivirus software program. Two of the best antivirus programs available today are Avast and Avira.
While the best free antivirus programs offer basic protection, they do not provide the many security features provided by paid versions. In this article, I compare the free, as well as paid versions of Avast and Avira to make the differences clear.
Avast Vs. Avira Comparison
Of the many antivirus programs you could opt for, Avast and Avira are two of the best on offer. Let us analyze the features of the free and paid versions of these programs. Avast! Antivirus is created by Avast, which is a software firm based in Praha, Czech Republic. It has a user base of more than 130 million users worldwide. Avira Antivir is an antivirus program developed by Avira Gmbh, based in Germany. This software also enjoys the support of a world wide user base.
Comparison Between Free Versions
Avast! Free Antivirus and Avira Antivir personal are the respective free versions of the two programs. Both provide ant-virus, ant-spyware and rootkit scanner kits, real time protection and on demand scanning. Avast scores higher in this part of the comparison, as it offers P2P protection, chat protection, network shield, gaming mode facility, along with an intelligent scanner facility.
Avira scores higher on the antimalware detection results, as reported by many testing websites. While Avast has more features, Avira scores slightly higher on the malware detection rate. Both programs, listed among the best free antivirus software programs currently, have easy to use interfaces with regular updates. Neither program is heavy on the system resource usage, nor does any of the program slow down booting.
Paid Version Comparison
Let us now analyze the paid versions. Avast offers two separate paid programs which include Pro Antivirus and Internet Security. While the former Pro version offers antivirus and antivirus protection, along with web browsing protection, the latter (Internet security) version offers many more specialized features. This includes a special firewall which prevents data theft, an antispam filter and has special gaming mode protection too.
While the Pro version will cost you $34.95 for a one year subscription, the Internet security version will cost you $49.95 for a one year subscription. You can try out the trial version before buying the actual software.
Avira also offers two paid versions of its antivirus program. One is Avira Antivir Premium and the other is Avira Premium Security Suite. The first one is aimed at providing basic web browsing and email protection, while the second one provides this along with total Internet protection.
The premium version costs about $23.80, while the Premium security suite costs about $34.20. The premium version offers a range of web surfing protection related features along with antispyware software and also provides a facility to create a rescue CD. The second version is stronger, with much more intensive and extensive scanning features. You can try out the trial version before deciding to buy it. It is tough to find a winner among the paid version programs, as Avast and Avira both offer excellent overall protection.
It is hard to find a winner among the two, but I have personally used Avast and found it much superior to Avira in many respects. The free edition of Avast is one of the best free antivirus programs offered on the Internet. So my vote officially goes to Avast for better features overall compared to Avira. To make your own choice, I suggest that you give their respective trial versions a try!