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Avast is an antivirus protection application developed in 1989. The newest program known as Avast Free antivirus 2014 underwent a complete interface makeover with a simplified Shield design that helps users to easily locate the status of PC security, as well as configuration settings for the Avast program.
Avast is a free antivirus program that has maintained quality ratings since its development 25 years ago. The previous interface offers eight different real-time Shields that made it somewhat bewildering to determine PC status and locate configurations.
Avast narrowed this down to three succinct Shields designed to be user-friendly. The Shields include Mail Shield, File System Shield, and Web Shield to simplify the interface and make it easier to locate different features. Below you will find the key features of Avast Antivirus.
In addition to the new Shield design, Avast is also redesigned with three large icons that provide access to key antivirus features. There is also a fourth option labeled Add to enable you to add frequently used and favorite features.
Avast offers a 3-tiered service option, each offering progressively more enhanced features. To help clear up the key differences, I’ve highlighted them in a table below:
| Avast Antivirus | Avast Internet Security | Avast Premier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antivirus + Malware Protection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Home Network Security Scan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser Cleanup | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Online Banking Protection | No | Yes | Yes |
| Firewall Protection | No | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-Spam Email Protection | No | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic Patching | No | No | Yes |
| Pricing | FREE (see here) | $39.99 (see here) | $49.99 (see here) |
Avast has received positive scores from independent testing sites such as AV-Comparatives. Here are a few pros and cons to provide you with more insight on Avast.
Avast Free Antivirus is of course, free. To take advantage of the premium features, it is necessary to upgrade to Avast Pro Antivirus for $39.99 to cover one PC for one year.
You can opt to sign up for different services options, each with various pros and cons (and pricing differences). They break down like this:
The bottom line is Avast Free Antivirus 2014 offers decent protection for your home PC with a simple user interface and a bundle of extra features. However, if you require stealthier protection, it is wise to choose Avast Pro Antivirus. See below for our Avast Antivirus rating.
Get Started with the FREE Version
