Any product that passes one of this lab’s many tests receives Standard certification. Along with AVG AntiVirus Free, Microsoft Defender, and several others, Avast earned a perfect 18 points.Īt AV-Comparatives, researchers don’t assign numeric scores. A product can earn up to six points in each area, for a maximum of 18. Testing experts at AV-Test Institute rate each antivirus in three areas: protection against malware attack, low performance impact, and minimal false positives. And Avast’s scores aren’t merely plentiful most are impressively high. More than half of them don’t show up in any of the reports or appear in just one. Only six of the antivirus products I follow appear in all the reports, among them Avira Free Security and Microsoft Defender. The mere fact that all four labs put it to the test shows that Avast is a significant product. However, despite all cosmetic changes and added features, it’s the same antivirus engine under the hood, and that engine gets excellent scores, for the most part. Avast One has just been released, so technically the published lab results don’t apply to it. I follow four testing labs that regularly release public reports on their findings, and Avast appears in results from all four labs. Just as many companies around the world create and sell antivirus software, other companies put those antivirus products through rigorous testing. This page, much like the home page in other security products, offers access to all the program’s features, divided into Device Protection, Online Privacy, and Smooth Performance. The menu item titled Explore at left brings up a completely different page. A curly-tailed arrow labeled “Scroll to explore” brings up a page of shortcuts, three of them launching different types of scans, one to open the VPN, and one to access PC Speedup features. For example, after a scan confirmed no malware present on my test system, it switched to reporting on programs that are potentially slowing down the PC. Rather, it focuses on what’s important right then. The Home page isn’t necessarily the spot to see all the features of the program.

There’s one other significant difference in the user interface.

The whole impression is less that of a fortress against malware and more like a partner to keep you, your devices, and your data safe and happy. Backgrounds are white with a very slight tint of color. Every page gets its own illustration, in an airy line-drawing style with dabs of pastel colors. The appearance of Avast One couldn’t be more different.įrom installation on, Avast One is light, bright, and almost cartoonish. Rectangular buttons served to launch scans, choose between protection areas, and so on. For years, Avast’s products have featured a dark gray slightly textured background with highlights of green and purple, plus the orange company logo.

What does avast online security do