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• Do I Need Avast Software

Avast offers several scans to improve your Mac's security. A full scan on the Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch that I use for testing took 14.5 minutes, just a hair over Intego's 14 minutes, and quicker. Avast Antivirus for Mac is a “free” software program that protects your Mac from viruses, malware, spyware, and ransomware. The free version doesn’t do much more than allow you to scan for malware that has already made its way into your system.

Since the testing of Mac antivirus (AV) applications began in April 2013, Sophos and Avast have been consistently taking up the number one and two places in a list of 35 applications. (NOTE: The AV field changes quick, check the latest test results PDF to see if the previous statement still applies) After updating the malware sample pool a few days ago and re-testing several applications I noticed that Avast overtook Sophos again, a battle for the best position that has been going on for a while now. I am asked which AV is the best and I will usually recommend the one with the best detection rate as this is the most important feature, detect malware and quarantine/remove it or at the very least notify of it’s detection. So which one is the best?
As of this moment Avast ranks number one in detection tests with a 97% score, Sophos follows very closely with a 96% score. This is by no means definitive as it may change again next time I add samples to the pool (currently 300 with over 250 still being analyzed and tested to make sure they are valid samples). With detection rate being pretty much the same for both products, we’ll have to start comparing other features.

Price:
Both Sophos and Avast are free. The AV is offered for free because both companies feel if their free product makes people happy they will (hopefully) spend money on other products and services they offer. Also because they are free there is no support in the form of an online or phone support service, user forums are available though where users just like you help eachother out.
Who? – Tie

Resource usage:
How an AV impacts system performance is very important. Norton and McAffee gave AV for Mac in general a bad reputation back in the day because they simply crippled even the most powerful Mac. This reputation is very hard to shake, not just for them but all those that offer AV products for Mac. (Norton’s current version (12 at the time of writing) is actually a very well written application that performs beautifully, McAffee is unfortunately still garbage.) Sophos has less of an impact on the system than Avast, possibly because Avast has more features or maybe because Sophos is written better, I don’t know. In the latest test Sophos impacted system performance by 8.86 – 12.53% on various Intel Macs and 18.25% on a PowerPC G5 when performing a full system scan. Avast had an impact of 5.16 – 20.39% on various Intel Macs, no PowerPC version available. Depending on what you use your Mac for these numbers may or may not be a big deal to you. If your system runs a scan at a set interval as some companies require, even while you are working, a few percent can matter.
Who? – Sophos

Scan time:
As scanning impacts performance you want it to be over as soon as possible unless you run your scans at night or while you are at lunch. In this aspect Avast outperforms Sophos but again the difference is small. Overall we’re just talking a few minutes faster but on an old Core 2 Duo Mac mini Avast beat Sophos by a good hour.
Who? – Avast

Compatibility:
Sophos offers both an Intel and a PowerPC version and supports OS X 10.4 – 10.8 (works on 10.9 Mavericks too). Avast offers only an Intel version and supports OS X 10.5 – 10.8 (works on 10.9 Mavericks too). While most won’t care about legacy support it is important to a lot of people out there still. PowerPC Macs may be old but are not obsolete (even thou Apple labels them as such). They are still used as servers, family computers and test machines. A few people I know still use G5’s with an old version of Photoshop as it simply does what they need it to do, they have no need for an Intel Mac or the latest Creative Suite.
Who? – Sophos

Update frequency:
Unless you have a truly advanced AV with proper heuristics, you need the AV company to push out frequent updates to it’s definitions database. More often is better. Sophos and Avast rely on these updates to protect you from malware as they do not have heuristics (actually none of the applications that are available for OS X use true heuristics). Let’s say a new piece of malware hits the internet on a large scale like MacDefender or FlashBack did, you want your AV to be able to detect these things asap. A few hours can mean the difference between becoming infected or blocking the threat. Sophos checks for updates every hour and the company releases a new database file every 6 hours so you’ll be sure to have the latest version at least within one hour after it becomes available. Avast checks for updates right after your Mac starts and every 6 hours after that, the company releases updated database files usually twice a day.
Who? – Sophos

Features:
While Avast has separate features for Mal and Web scanning Sophos’ on-access scanner does an equally fine job of detecting malware that tries to sneak in through email or web. They both offer quarantine but only Sophos offers the ability to schedule scans. Avast offers an account option that can come in handy if you want to check the status of multiple computers at a glance. The ability to schedule scans is more important though.
Who? – Sophos

Update [December 2013]: This article remains very popular so I want to point out that the AV industry is changing all the time and detection results along with it. While Avast and Sophos tested really well in August 2013, they are no longer in the top 3 or top 6 for that matter at the time of this update (December 19, 2013). Since this post was written I have learned not to srite posts like this again because the information can be outdated and inaccurate a week later. Avast and Sophos still perform well but always check the latest version of the Detection rate Results PDF for the most up-to-date information.

Is Avast for Mac free? Well, yes and no. There is a free version. There is also a paid version. What’s the difference? Most digital products today come with a free doppelganger to show customers the value in the paid-for product. Bloggers offer a free e-book to get people to subscribe to their email list. Subscription services offer a free week or month so people can try the services (if you’re a music lover, don’t try Spotify’s three-month free trial. You will be helpless to resist continuing your subscription afterward.)

The point is, these sales methods can be very effective. Free is hard to resist. But free can also be expensive. It all comes down to the simple question – “is it worth it?” Of course, the answer varies depending on your needs and wants. Avast for Mac is no different.

What is Avast for Mac?

Image: Public Domain, Avast Software, via Wikimedia

Avast Antivirus for Mac is a “free” software program that protects your Mac from viruses, malware, spyware, and ransomware. The free version doesn’t do much more than allow you to scan for malware that has already made its way into your system. And you can only scan so often – once a day is typical. Scanning more often than once a day can be cumbersome, especially if you are working on your Mac throughout the day. Malware scanning apps take a lot of processing power and so the rest of your computer will work much slower while a scan is taking place. More complex programs might even grind to a halt.

The paid-for version can do much more than just scan. One of the most significant differences between the free and paid-for versions of Avast for Mac is a feature called real-time protection.

Real-time protection is a proactive method of protecting your Mac. Instead of finding malware and removing it after the fact (which allows enough time for malware to make its way back to a third-party with your information or otherwise accomplish its malicious purpose), real-time protection scans for malicious software in real-time. This way, you’re constantly protected by most threats, so long as you keep the threat database of Avast for Mac updated.

Add-ons for Avast for Mac

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So, the free version doesn’t cut it for those who need around-the-clock protection and are constantly using their devices. Avast for Mac is not free if you’re looking for real-time protection. The paid version comes with this feature first and foremost. But it’s not the only option available once you upgrade.

There’s not just one paid-for version – there are multiple different kinds of add-ons. Each addon gives Avast for Mac additional functionality. Let’s see what some of these can do.

Avast Secure line VPN

A virtual-private-network (VPN) provides an encrypted tunnel for all of your web traffic to travel through. This gives you an additional layer of security and privacy.

A VPN can also mask your IP address, making it look like your device is located in another city, state, or country. The farther away the VPN server is from your general location, however, the slower the connection tends to be. All of your traffic has to first arrive at the server before going out to its final destination.

Obviously, Avast is not the only VPN provider in the world. There are dozens of VPNs available, and many reviews for them have been written. We’ll leave it up to you whether or not to choose the VPN offered by Avast for Mac.

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Avast File Shield

Avast File Shield is one of the simplest features of Avast for Mac. It simply allows you to permanently delete files forever. You may think simply hitting “delete” on something in the Trash accomplishes this, but it does not. There are ways for erased files to be recovered even years later. But Avast promises to get rid of any trace of sensitive data. Obviously, the average person doesn’t have much use for this.

Avast Wireless Defender

Image: CC0 Creative Commons, 3844328, via Pixabay

Scanning your wireless network for open ports is important. If there is an open port in your wireless access point (home router), this is like an open door for hackers. If you don’t know you have open ports, you could already have someone snooping around on your network without you knowing anything about it.

Avast Security Pro comes with a Wi-Fi scanner to let you know about open ports or any other potential problems. It scans all devices on your network in addition to the wireless access point. Like most everything else, there are free apps for this. But they’re not usually as comprehensive as Avast.

Avast Wireless Defender also lets you see when someone joins your network. This is great but can also get annoying. For example, every time someone walks into your home with a smartphone that is on, you will be notified.

The same thing will happen when someone turns on a tablet or laptop and connects to your Wi-Fi network. You can turn off these notifications for trusted devices, but then there’s not much point in having it in the first place. This feature is made for the most highly security-conscious individuals.

Avast Driver Updater

This software add-on will allow Avast for Mac to automatically update the drivers your computer needs as they become available. Drivers are files that tell your system how a particular piece of hardware should work. Without the proper drivers, you can’t use your video card, sound card, USB devices, or printer. Driver issues can be a source of much frustration for novice and veteran technology users alike.

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Although it is possible to download and install the drivers you need on your own, Avast promises to make the process easy and automated. Do you really need this service? Maybe. If you’re a professional in an office setting, it might be worth it just to make sure you never have a problem with printers or Internet of Things (IoT) devices. And if you’re a gamer, your video and sound cards need to always be up-to-date in order to keep video games running smoothly.

Then again, those in office settings probably have IT teams to take care of this. And the average gamer is likely to have the requisite tech know-how to do this on his or her own (interesting and irrelevant side note – at least 30% of all gamers are female!)

Avast Clean up

Avast for Mac can go through your system and help you delete unnecessary files and programs. After identifying anything that might be slowing down your system, it will give you options for dealing with them.

To a certain extent, you can do this yourself by clicking the Apple icon in the upper-left of your screen and choosing “About This Mac.” Select the “Storage” tab and click “Manage.” You will then be given options for reducing the amount of storage space used on your hard drive.

As you can see, many of these add-ons serve functions that can be accomplished by the individual user. Some people might see them as unnecessary. But if you’re less than tech-savvy, don’t want to learn how to do these things on your own, and have a little extra cash, then maybe these products are for you.

Another thing to note is that if you want to have all of these features bundled together in one convenient place, Avast for Mac accomplishes this purpose well. Instead of having a VPN provider, a wireless network scanning app, and updating your drivers by yourself, you can have all of that in one central location. Some things can even be automated, like the updates for your drivers.

Do I Need Avast Software

Avast for Mac is Both Free and Expensive

In the end, Avast for Mac is not really free. Yes, there is a free version, but all it does is scan for viruses.
For many users, the malware scanning feature of Avast for Mac might be all they really need. But for real-time protection and all the bells and whistles like file shield, driver updater, and more, you will have to pay a price.