Compare McAfee vs. Avast. See pros and cons of McAfee vs. Avast and easily decide which antivirus software is right for you.
We’re back again with another round of antivirus and antivirus. This time we’re doing McAfee Vs. Avast. However, we’re going to use a slightly different approach. We’re going to first list out the benefits of each program separately, and then we’re going to look at the differences to give you a final verdict.
Sep 19, 2017 I am currently using Avast with Malwarebytes on top (both free editions cuz im broke) but i recently saw a post that ccleaner, who was obtained by Avast a while ago, was found to have malware in the software and now i am worried that Avast has been compromised. I searched up 'best free. Explore Avast products for your Mac Protect your Mac against all threats, enjoy total online privacy, and keep it running at its best with our security, privacy, and performance products for Mac. 435+ millions of. Let us see how Avast and AVG fare when compared according to these criteria. They are programs which you frequently stumble upon, while searching for free-to-download anti-spyware and antivirus software. A comparative review of the latest (2012) free versions of both programs, namely, avast! Avast is a popular antivirus software that offers free and premium versions to its users. With the Avast for Business Edition, users are provided with one of the best endpoint protection available in the market today. If you use a Mac user, there’s Avast Security for Mac. There are two different versions of this software: Free and Pro. There are two different versions of this software: Free and Pro. The free software is a lot like the Windows freemium option; it’s not worth much in terms of advanced features and only provides barebones security.
So, let’s stop wasting time and get ready for McAfee vs. Avast!
McAfee Vs. Avast Antivirus Software
Avast – Pros
We discussed a lot about Avast in our previous comparison. Though it didn’t exactly come out as a winner, it cannot be denied that this is quite a capable program. The best part about Avast is that it can be downloaded for free and the free version comes with a ton of goodies.
But, that’s not all. It’s also quite capable of providing a decent amount of protection from threats. To give you a better idea, let’s look at some of the program’s core features.
For starters, Avast has an anti-spyware feature and it’s considered as one of the best by West Coast Labs, which is one of the most trusted facilities when it comes to certifying such products. We all know how important it is for an antivirus program to offer anti-spyware capabilities and Avast boasts such a capability.
Avast manages to track spyware even after the infection has taken place and will work to cure your system of the infection. But, that doesn’t mean it won’t prevent infections. Avast does a fairly good job of that too. What we are just trying to say is that, even if an infection did occur, Avast would go the extra mile to deal with it.
The Avast scanning process is also quick. So, you won’t have to worry about a scan taking up hours and wait impatiently to know the status of your system. You’ll have your results soon enough and they’re likely to be good since Avast does a great job of protecting your system in the first place.
The scanning method used by Avast is called “stream scanning”. What happens in stream scanning is that the program scans files only in the operating memory. There is no need for caching. So, the biggest benefit here is that the scanning does not impact your performance. You can actually use other programs while the scan occurs in the background.
Other than that, Avast also boasts real-time shields. These shields monitor your network input and also your files. In other words, Avast is looking out for infections in real-time. If there’s something fishy that shows up, Avast will defend your system like a “shield” to prevent further damage. It won’t differentiate between open and closed files, thereby, ensuring that everything is looked at.
For instance, you have a specific shield for P2P sharing, where anything you download via a P2P file sharing program is scanned right away. The Network Shield, on the other hand, will make sure there are no intrusions. This means that anything that is received via programs such as messaging applications will be scanned.
You even have a Behavior Shield that monitors the way your programs behave. If there’s any odd behavior, Avast will look into it immediately and carry out the necessary actions.
But, is all this enough to beat McAfee. Well, let’s see.
McAfee – Pros
McAfee was formerly known as Intel Security. So, yes, as you might have realized, McAfee is an Intel product. Now, McAfee does not come as a standalone product. It is meant for corporate environments and therefore, you have packages.
Like all antivirus programs, McAfee offers protection from a range of online threats. There are, of course, a few key features that stand out. For example, McAfee blocks you from completely opening up certain websites it deems as being risky or harmful. You could turn the feature off, but it’s not recommended.
When sensitive or risky files are found, McAfee will go ahead and delete it right away. Avast usually quarantines the program so that you can review it.
McAfee also scans files as soon as you access them and like Avast, it also boasts anti-spyware capabilities.
Then, you also have firewall protection, both inbound and outbound.
That’s not the only similarity it shares with Avast. McAfee comes with System Guards, which are like the real-time shields you find on Avast. They protect you from any suspicious stuff like attempted intrusions or virus infections. There’s also a Site Advisor that provides you with safety ratings for each site according to categories such as spam, malware, and phishing.
The Differences
We’ve finally come to the juicy part of the McAfee vs. Avast battle. So, which one of the two comes out on top?
In tests, McAfee managed to outperform Avast in areas of protection and usability. It does a fantastic job of protecting data and your system as a whole from attacks. McAfee also offers parental controls, which are non-existent on Avast.
It also supports multiple user profiles and you can use a single license for multiple devices. Then, there’s chat support as well, which, again, is something you don’t get with Avast.
Avast, however, turned out to be easier to use. A big advantage with Avast is the highly-effective Network Shield. It’s great if you happen to be one of those people who have the habit of clicking on suspicious links. In fact, it even has social network protection to prevent attacks from social media sites.
But, Avast does not provide parental controls or support multiple user profiles. As for support, you have email support instead of chat support. In other words, no real-time support.
McAfee Vs. Avast Final Verdict
On the whole, we found Avast to be better in terms of overall protection because it goes so far as to provide even social network monitoring. However, if you’re a business, McAfee might make more practical sense because of the single license advantage.
But, when it comes to downright protection, Avast has a slight edge over McAfee.
So, yes, Avast wins the battle of McAfee vs. Avast.
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