Avira Review

Best For

• Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS users
• Individual users and businesses
• Owners of multiple devices

Pros

• Great scores from independent testing labs
• Free and paid versions
• Compatible with Windows,Mac, Android, and iOS

Cons

• A bit more expensive than competitors
• Can sometimes slow down computer operations

Visit Avira

Bottom Line

Avira’s free antivirus software can protect computers and mobile devices from malwarethreats, including worms, viruses, Trojans, and spyware. For free software, it is pretty good, but the paid version, Avira Pro, offers more comprehensive protection.

Watch our video review!

Why Choose Avira?

With 30 years experience in the industry, Avira has consistently won awards for its software from its inception. In 2016 alone, the German company won over 20 awards and its newest product, Antivirus Pro, was awarded Best Product of the Year by AV Comparatives.

Avira offers both a free and paid version of antivirus software, as well as individual products such as Avira System Speed-Up and Avira VPN. It also offers packages such as Avira Total Security Suite and Avira Prime. The many purchasing options allow consumers to build their own computer protection packages depending on their needs.

On Offer

• Avira free antivirus offers protection from malware, which includes worms, viruses, Trojans, and spyware
• Avira Pro includes offers protection from malware, along with anti-ransomware and anti-phishing software, device control, identity protection, safe banking and shopping, and data privacy
• Various other products, such as PC optimization tools, parental controls and VPN
• Complete packages such as Avira Prime and Avira Internet Security Suite

Package Features and Highlights

• Features: Protection against malware
• Ease of Use: Easy installation
• Reliability: Good
• Value: Very good
• Free trial: 30 days

Avira free antivirus offers protection against malware for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. It can be downloaded free of charge from the company’s website.

Avira Pro is the paid version, and it comes with additional features and protections, such as anti-ransomware and anti-phishing software, device control, identity protection, safe banking and shopping, and data privacy. Users must input a license code in order to receive Avira Pro services, and paying customers have free access to Avira’s customer support team via phone and email. The cost is approximately $45/year.

Other products include:

• Avira Internet Security Suite, which offers antivirus protection and a Firewall manager. This sells for approximately $52/year for one device.
• Avira Optimization Suite, which includes antivirus protection and PC speed and tune-up tools. This sells for approximately $58/year for one device.
• Avira Total Security Suite, which includes antivirus protection, a Firewall manager, PC speed and tune-up tools, and a VPN. This retails at approximately $110/year for one device.
• Avira Prime is Avira’s newest product, and it gives customers access to all of the company’s premium features, with the flexibility of paying per month and being able to stop payments at any time. Prime costs approximately $13/month for up to 5 devices or $17/month for unlimited devices.

In terms of effectiveness, AV-Test, an independent testing company, has consistently found Avira software to be very successful at providing sufficient protection. Avira Pro, which was last tested in April 2017, was found to be 98.8% effective against zero-day malware attacks (attacks from viruses that are previously unknown) and 99.9% effective against widespread malware that was discovered in the previous 4 weeks.

Ease of Use

Avira free antivirus is easy to use – just download it and follow the prompts for installation. The dashboard is fairly straightforward and the antivirus settings are easy to tweak. The settings can also be adjusted to suit how often you would like your computer scanned.

While the free antivirus software is easy to use, some users report being unable to access certain websites unless they sign up for Avira’s paid version. While this is not the norm, and most users can access all sites, they will still be served ads for Avira’s paid version from time to time.

Avira Pro, the paid antivirus software, is also easy to use. Purchasers receive free tech support and a secure web browser. Pro scans email attachments, constantly updates its database of malware signatures, and blocks known malicious websites. All this is done automatically, but users can also adjust the settings to their own preferences – for example, turning on or off Real-Time Protection, Firewall, Web Protection, Mail Protection and Game Mode.

When something is not right, a red exclamation point will appear next to the issue on the dashboard, which alerts users that they should run a scan or adjust their settings. The software will usually prompt the user toward the correct course of action.

The main issue with Avira, however, is that it can slow down normal computer operation, especially when running the full computer scan. This may be the only downside, especially for people who need a fast-operating system.

Value for Money

As far as a free antivirus goes, Avira is obviously great value for your money. Its anti-malware has consistently scored high results in tests run by independent companies. However, the protection is decidedly basic. This means that all of the features you receive with Avira Pro – anti-ransomware and anti-phishing software, device control, identity protection, safe banking and shopping, and data privacy – are missing from the free version.

At $45/year, Avira Pro is a bit more expensive than its competitors, but the protection you get is top-quality. Avira Pro won Best Product of the Year in 2016 and has consistently scored high on the tests run by AV-Test. In short, while it does cost a few extra dollars, you are receiving an excellent product.

Help & Support

Users who download the free version of Avira antivirus have access to Avira’s Help pages, customer forum, a threat landscape, and security wordbook. Free consultations with tech experts are also available. However, to receive premium customer support via phone and email, users must provide a license number, which is only given to paying customers.

Help pages and customer support are offered in English, German, and Japanese.