We get it — you’re looking for some antivirus software that isn’t going to break the bank. That said, you still need it to be powerful enough to protect you from modern digital threats and maintain your personal digital security.
Well, we’ve put AVG to the test to determine how well it works and its overall value, and we’re ready to tell you exactly what we found — starting off with the free version!
With so many options out there, it’s no surprise that AVG offers a free version of its services — many antivirus companies due. How does AVG’s free version rank, though? Pretty well, actually. So much so that it takes the number four spot on our list of the best free antivirus software providers on the market today.
They offer free antivirus software for iPhones, Macs and Androids, and although it doesn’t cover everything, i.e detection for ransomware, fake websites, and phishing, you can’t beat free!
If you’re thinking about upgrading to a paid antivirus subscription — and you should in order to enjoy the best protections — AVG is an affordable option. Is it the most affordable? Not entirely, as we found the three options below more affordable. Nonetheless, you’ll likely get your money’s worth with AVG.
You can either buy antivirus software on its own or combine it with other of AVG’s services. Let’s start with the antivirus software only package.
AVG offers three different versions of their software — for Mac, for Windows and for Mobile — and three different tiers for each version — Free, Internet Security, and Ultimate. We’ll break down the features of each below:
We’d specifically like to point out AVG’s secure VPN. A virtual private network helps you increase your privacy online by obfuscating your IP address and encrypting all of your traffic. If you take digital security seriously, this really is a service you should be using. To learn more, read our VPN buyers guide.
After extensive testing, we’ve determined that AVG’s antivirus software offers a good value compared to the rest of the antivirus industry. Here’s why:
Antivirus software isn’t the only thing AVG does. They offer a few different ways to up your digital security on Macs, Androids, Windows devices and iOS devices. However, some of the services are redundant, and we don’t think they’re all worth the money. Let’s go into more detail.
While we haven’t tested AVG’s Secure VPN ourselves, which is why it’s not on our list of the top VPNs, their prices are right at $4.99 a month for five devices, billed at once as $59.88 for the first year. We wish they had monthly options, but that doesn’t seem to be AVG’s style and is the case for all of their products.
FYI: VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, so when you connect to a VPN, all of your web activity and devices’ IP addresses will be hidden from your Internet Service Provider.
Another way to increase your privacy online is through AntiTrack, which deletes web trackers so companies can stop collecting your data as you bounce from site to site. However, it’s only available for PCs for around $50 a year, and AVG offers a free secure browser for PCs, which we think is a better deal for essentially the same web protection. Let us explain a little further…
Yet another way to stay safe online is by using AVG’s Secure Browser, which is free for PCs, Mac computers and Android phones. Basically, the Secure Browser does the exact same tasks as the VPN and AntiTrack, but it covers Macs and Androids in addition to PCs. But given that the Secure Browser is free and AntiTrack costs $50 a year, there’s really no point in getting AntiTrack; your best bet is to go with the VPN if you want coverage for apps and browsers, or Secure Browser if you’re okay with protecting browsers only.
Did you know that not every state requires companies to alert their customers when their data has been exposed in a data breach?3 That means that, in some states, your personal information may have been compromised without you knowing. AVG’s BreachGuard monitors data breaches for your information, removing it from the Internet when it’s found. That being said, most identity monitoring services cover security breaches and more, so we think it makes me sense to invest in a comprehensive identity theft protection subscription over BreachGuard. To learn more, read about the best identity theft protection.
Sick of slow speeds and little storage space on your PC, Mac or Android? TuneUp will help your device to perform better and clear out any junk it finds, according to AVG. For $39.99 a year covering 10 devices, this is a pretty good deal, although remember, this is something you could do for free, if you’re willing to spend a little time poking around your devices.
The Driver Updater is another product that doesn’t seem entirely necessary, updating PC’s drivers which is something any user can do for free, manually. Also, that annual $39.99 fee for the first year only covers one device. Our advice? Turn on automatic updates so that your software is always up to date, and save that money for something more fun.
We can’t all be digital security experts, which is why AVG offers installation for a one-time fee of $19.99 for any of their products. Again, we don’t think this is necessary, as AVG has a ton of setup guides in its support section. And you know what else is free? Calling your kids and asking for help!
So you’ve pressed “purchase” and now you want to rid yourself of AVG, for whatever reason. If you request a refund within 30 days of your purchase date, you may be able to get your money back, whether you bought the product on AVG’s website or through the Google Play store. However, it depends on the product; the money-back guarantee only covers:
As you can see, these are all business-specific products; AVG doesn’t make it clear exactly what consumer-facing products the money-back guarantee covers, so you’ll have to request a refund to find out. Sorry we couldn’t provide you with any more information!
That’s it for AVG’s products for personal use, but if you’re looking for an antivirus for business, it’s also a good option with a few different products to choose from.
AVG’s software aimed specifically at businesses covers multiple devices and starts at $46.99. This is a little less than the personal subscription pricing, but only slightly. The price increases based on the duration of your contract and the number of devices you want to protect.
If antivirus software isn’t cutting it and you want more protection for ransomware, phishing, spam and more, the Internet Security Business Edition, otherwise known as the Cloud Management Console, costs a minimum of $56.99 per year. That’s pretty steep, especially because AVG doesn’t make it clear exactly how many devices are covered; since we didn’t test these business-related products out ourselves, we highly recommend speaking to a sales rep at AVG so you can decide for yourself if they’re worth the money.
Rather than installing antivirus software on all of your employee’s devices, another option is to implement it on their file servers; that way, you’ll be able to perform updates from a single device, which should make things easier, especially if you’re overwhelmed with other tasks (read: constantly).
If your business uses Microsoft Exchange for emails, then AVG’s Email Server Business Edition can block viruses from your emails to make sure they’re secure. That being said, many email servers have these sorts of antivirus protections built-in, so again, we recommend doing a little more research before hitting purchase.
Last but not clear is Patch Management for Windows, which does any automatic software updates for patches. However, your Windows computer may have automatic updates for patches already set up, so be sure to check this out before buying Patch Management; nine times out of 10, it won’t be necessary, especially if you already have a dedicated IP staff.
Pricing isn’t the only factor we consider when choosing an antivirus software; we also look into the company itself to make sure it’s trustworthy. And while AVG is one of the better-known brands in the digital security industry, they have run into some scandals regarding their privacy policy. Its parent company, Avast (which you can read more about in our Avast review), used something called Jumpshot to collect user data and sell it to third party companies, although this information was anonymized according to Avast.4
However, when Vice’s Motherboard reported this, Avast quickly shut down Jumpshot, and since the information was anonymized, we don’t see it as a dealbreaker for AVG, necessarily. However, someone extremely concerned about privacy may want to avoid AVG even with its current privacy policy, which states that the company logs users IP addresses on Macs and Windows. One solution is to use a VPN with AVG in order to replace your IP address with a fake one, keeping your device’s real IP address a secret.
AVG offers a bunch of different digital security products, and finding the prices on their website isn’t the easiest thing to do, so we’re happy to lay out the prices here. To learn more about antivirus software in general, read our antivirus buyers guide, and don’t forget to be secure!
We’re not done talking about AVG. Here are the answers to the questions we get most often.
AVG is a very good antivirus that detects over 99 percent of all malware along with scanning for spyware, bots, and other malicious activity.
After testing both, we think that AVG is better than Norton for a few reasons. One, Norton has had several lawsuits against them for both vulnerabilities in their antivirus software along with scare tactics used to sell to consumers, neither of which AVG has experienced. Plus, while AVG has completely free antivirus apps for iOS, macOS and Android, Norton’s free trial only lasts seven days. AVG’s iOS app also has higher ratings, making it a better option for iPhone users.
No, AVG Antivirus free isn’t a virus, but a software meant to detect viruses. It’s available for free on one iOS, macOS or Android device.
We prefer AVG over Avast because it can detect more malware, 99.8 percent compared to 98.6 percent. Also, its iOS app is better rated in the Apple store.
AV Test. (2020). AV-TEST Product Review and Certification Report – Jul/2020.
av-test.org/en/antivirus/mobile-devices/android/july-2020/avg-antivirus-free-6.29-202903/
Pew Research. (2019). Mobile Fact Sheet.
pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. (2018). Data Breach Notification in the United States and Territories.
privacyrights.org/resources/data-breach-notification-united-states-and-territories
Law Street Media. (2020). Antivirus Software Accused of Selling User Data.
lawstreetmedia.com/tech/antivirus-software-accused-of-selling-user-data/
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