AVG Free Antivirus Review

Summary

AVG Free Antivirus is free security software with an easy-to-use, touch-friendly interface. This software is suitable for users of all levels. Average users can easily access all basic functions, and power users can find customization options and threat detection information.

Setup

Setup is simple and straightforward. The only required decision is a choice of language for the user interface. More advanced users can choose which components to install and specify where to locate the installation folder.

Security Alerts

AVG pops up security alerts. There is no „do not disturb“ setting available for gaming, watching media or other immersive tasks. Alerts indicate whether the software has detected threats such as malware or viruses. The default settings do not detect potentially unwanted applications. Users can activate this option in the settings menu for download alerts that resemble malware alerts.

Other Points of Interest

• AVG Free Antivirus looks and feels like a rebranded version of Avast Free.
• Program initially prompts users to install AVG Antivirus for Android.
• Default installation adds the Chrome extension AVG Safeprice.
• Learn more on the AVG Website: https://www.avg.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download.

Usability Report

AVG Free Antivirus installs quickly and launches the main interface. This window is dark gray with bright green accents. A horizontal button layout is easy to use on desktops and tablets.

Two „Basic Protection“ buttons provide access to computer file system scans and „Web & Email“ protection. These functions are included in the free version of the software and are marked with green checkmarks. The main interface also displays three „Full Protection“ paid features: „Hacker Attacks,“ „Privacy“ and „Payments.“ All three are grayed out and marked with padlock icons.

This program makes it easy to access the most important functions while hiding unnecessary complexity. If a user chooses to disable a protection component, this choice is obvious in the main window with a red icon. A status indicator at the top of the window reports that „Protection is disabled“ and a „Fix Now“ button allows users to adjust settings.

When a user checks the status of definition updates, AVG Free Antivirus will display the date of the last update. Prompting an update does not change this setting. Recent updates are never fewer than 18 hours earlier. This unresponsiveness may frustrate users seeking to maintain the most current definitions and be too slow to allow for zero day and near-real-time protection.

Technical support is available 24/7 over the phone, a service promoted as being free. This software resembles Avast, but some settings are less ambiguous. A few bonus features are also available, such as protection against spying, data theft and the permanent deletion of sensitive data. AVG Free Antivirus works particularly well with Google platforms such as Android and Chrome.