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Free Versus Paid Antivirus – Guides for Noobs (Avast)

Hi there Noob Alliance!

We had some real-talk in a previous post about how important it is to have antivirus software installed on your rig to help keep all those nasties from hooking their gremlin claws into all you hold dear.

Have you taken action yet and covered your behind or are you still in the naughty noobcorner?! Let’s get you out of there, sailor!

Today you and I are going to look at Avast Antivirus (my personal favourite) and the different protection that is offered. Free versus paid antivirus comparison coming up! A noob-friendly translation 😛


About Avast – A Vast Defense Against Threats

Okay okay, I’ll stop being corny for a minute (I just can’t help myself :P)

But seriously, Avast does do an outstanding job of defending your computer and they’ve been defending computers since 1988 – that’s 30 years and 400 million users under their belt.

But enough of the boring stuff – let’s jump into the different versions they offer and what it all means!


Avast Free Antivirus

This is where it all begins, where you get awesome virus busting software for free!

Included is a program that:

  • Blocks viruses and other malware threats in “real-time” (which means it works in the background 24/7
  • Scans and monitors yours Wi-Fi, home & public network for weaknesses that could lead to bad things for you and your computer and helps you fix the issue if it finds a problem
  • Keeps your passwords secure in a virtual vault

Avast Internet Security

This paid-for package is the first and most budget-friendly of their premium offering and includes

  • All of the above
  • + A feature that detects and protects you from those fake poser sites we spoke about in the previous post
  • + A feature that allows you to run downloaded apps in a “safe zone” first in order to prevent all #@#@! from hitting the fan in case said app is a malicious virus from hell – they call this “Sandbox mode”
  • + A nifty spruced-up firewall of its own that takes over the job of the default Windows firewall
  • + A feature that blocks spam emails and those emails we spoke about that could lead to your ultimate doom
  • + An extra layer of security that defends against “Ransomware” and protects your files from being changed in any way or deleted.

(Ransomware is a type of malicious software that threatens to publish your data or block access to it unless a ransom is paid – very nasty- ***cringe***)

Avast Premier

Avis Premier is one up from Internet Security and includes

  • All of the above
  • + A feature that prevents hackers from spying on you through your webcam (Yikes!!)
  • + A tool that can help you delete files permanently and securely without the possibility of anyone recovering it
  • + A feature that searches keeps programs installed on your PC up to date to help prevent vulnerabilities

Avast Ultimate

This is their most premium offering and it includes:

  • All of the above
  • + A PC cleanup tool that can help clear out hidden junk files, free up disk space and speed up your PC
  • + A VPN service (Virtual Private Network) – It’s a tool that keeps your computer completely anonymous on the web – very handy
  • + A premium password manager that also warns if any of your passwords have been leaked

So What Should I Do, Nadia?

At the very least, I highly recommend that you download and install the free version! As much as us enthusiasts love a good challenge to fix things – viruses cause serious head-banging-against-desk syndrome for everyone involved. 🙂

If you have some moolah to invest into your safety and you really care about keeping yourself and your data safe, Avast Internet Security will offer very decent coverage. The feature that can detect fake sites and prevent you from stepping into that pile of doo-doo is priceless, especially for newbies – it can be difficult to identify a fake site yourself. Why take the risk?

They offer a trial period too, which can help you decide whether you like how Avast runs on your system!

For the gaming population:

There’s another benefit to Avast and that its intelligent gaming mode feature – for those of us who like our online-games, it automatically detects when you’re starting a game then adjusts its settings to offer optimum gaming performance, turns off distracting pop-up notifications and all while still protecting you.

No more excuses! 

So there you have it, Avast all nicely translated into English my noob fam! Visit Avast’s website to check out their awesomeness or to make your selection & download.

 

What’s your favourite Antivirus and why? Comment down below – because sharing is caring! And as always, if you have any questions I can help with, please leave them down below and I will run to the rescue <33