Avast antivirus offers a fantastic range of features within an easy-to-use package. In my testing its malware engine, it earned an excellent score. Its web protection was also efficient in identifying fake websites which slipped through the default detection of Firefox and Chrome systems. Its performance scanner did a good job of keeping its impact on system speed to an absolute minimum. In fact Avast’s performance scanning proved more efficient in cutting down on CPU usage than any other program I tested.
Avast also offers a range of other tools. They include a password manager, a VPN (exclusive to Avast One), a photo vault as well as a breach monitoring feature. Its security toolkit is quite extensive, with an sandbox for running applications within and a security scanner to look for possible vulnerabilities.
Avast provides a comprehensive support website with a knowledge base should you have issues. Its search function allows you to locate answers to frequently asked questions. If you’re not able to find the answer then the Avast forum is a solid source for assistance from other users.
Although Avast claims that it no longer sells user data but its past history of doing this is still fresh in the minds of many users. In January 2020, PCMag and Motherboard revealed that Avast sold the location and other personal information of its users to third parties through its Jumpshot subsidiary. Avast has halted this practice, and now requires users to choose whether they want to participate when installing its desktop antivirus software. In its privacy policies Avast says that all personal information of customers is “stripped off and de-identified prior to being shared with a third party.”