• Avast Security For Mac Download
• Antivirus For Mac Avast Vs Avg
• Avast For Mac
• Avast For Mac Review

(Last updated on August 28th, 2019)

McAfee or Avast, which antivirus software is a better pick in 2019?

A Comparison of AVG vs Avast by the Spyshakers.com Team Editors A custom antivirus comparison of AVG vs Avast by the Spyshakers.com Team Editors (accurate as of November 20, 2018). Avast for Mac 2017 - Free Trial Avast Pro Antivirus 2017 - Free Trial Avast Internet Security 2017. AVG AntiVirus for Android guards your mobile phone against malware attacks and threats to your privacy. We give you on-the-go protection against unsafe apps, anti-theft locker & tracker, and plenty more security and performance features. Avast vs AVG Antivirus comparison for Mac, Windows and Android Devices Jul 3, 2014 By Reema C'verty Probably the best two antivirus softwares available for our devices are Avast and AVG. AVG – Number of Downloads & Rating on CNET Download.com June 2017 Avast has higher editor’s rating – 4 stars (meaning excellent), while AVG has 3.5 stars (meaning very good). The user/community rating is also better for Avast – 4.5 stars, while AVG has 4 stars.

Read this value='{'show_for_logged_in':'1','hide_on_device':'}'>

In this guide, we’ll go over McAfee and Avast and compare the two in a head-to-head competition to see which software is a better option.

In a rush? Look at the breakdown below. It’ll give you a quick summary of the winners in each category. You can scroll down to the individual categories for details.

A Quick Rundown of Winners in Each Category

1. Features
Winner: McAfee. McAfee offers all the advanced security-related features and utilities with its flagship premium product, while Avast reserves its important features and tools for its high-end products.

2. Malware Protection
Winner: McAfee. Overall, McAfee offers better anti-malware security than better than Avast, as evidenced by independent lab tests.

3. System Performance
Winner: Tie. Independent tests confirm that both McAfee and Avast are excellent in terms of the impact on system performance; both software put a very minimal (almost negligible) strain on systems.

4. User-Friendliness
Winner: Tie. Both McAfee and Avast offer a simple, easy-to-use user interface.

5. Pricing
Winner: McAfee. McAfee gives you more bang for your buck; you can get more licenses for less money through McAfee.

6. Customer Satisfaction
Winner: McAfee. McAfee has slightly better customer satisfaction ratings than Avast.

Short Verdict

Both Avast and McAfee offer several feature-rich antivirus suites to meet your protection needs. Independent tests prove that both software provide top-notch protection against all sorts of malware threats, but McAfee is slightly better than Avast in terms of the impact on system performance.

Now, let’s delve into the details.

1. Features

These days, almost all cybersecurity companies offer a slew of advanced security-enhancing features and tools as part of their security packages.

First, let’s see what McAfee brings to the table in terms of features.

McAfee Total Protection (works on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS) is the company’s flagship and most popular security offering. It has a unique purchasing model in that it can be bought in bundles of 1, 5, or 10 devices depending on your preferences. No matter which bundle you select, you will get top-drawer malware protection along with a full set of advanced features and utilities.

The package has a smart two-way firewall that monitors all incoming and outgoing network connections and blocks all sorts of sophisticated attacks. The Vulnerability Scanner is also part of the software; it checks for security flaws and holes that hackers can potentially exploit and use, such as outdated software.

The TrueKey Identity Manager (lets you store all your passwords and sensitive details for in a secure vault) and a file shredder (allows you securely delete confidential files) are also jammed into the suite, along with the Network Manager tool that protects your WiFi against intruders and hackers.

The file encryption utility is also there as well; it lets you encrypt your sensitive files so no one can have access to them without authentication. There’s also a full suite performance optimization features; these features help your computer run faster and more efficiently, so you can focus on doing things that matter to you.

Finally, the suite comes with a full suite of parental controls. These features allow you to monitor the browsing habits of your children and control which websites they can (and cannot) visit. You can also set daily time limits on their computer use, to prevent them from spending all day in front of the computer.

Another suite that the company offers is McAfee LiveSafe. There’s no difference between LiveSafe and Total Protection in terms of features offered, but the former allows you to protect unlimited devices with a single license. But the major downside of LiveSafe is that it comes at a slightly higher price point. (You’ll see prices later in this guide.)

Now, let’s see what Avast offers in terms of features.

Unlike McAfee, Avast offers separate products for Windows and macOS. We’ll cover the Windows-only products first.

Avast Free Antivirus is the company’s first antivirus software. As the name suggests, you can use it for free for as long as you want, but there aren’t any advanced features and utilities jammed into this package. However, the product does protect against different types of digital threats, including viruses, ransomware, worms, spyware.

Next up is Avast Internet Security, the company’s first premium antivirus offering. It offers top-notch protection against all sorts of malware threats, plus several useful advanced features and functions. There’s a smart firewall that protects your computer against unauthorized access and hacking attempts, an email filter that can keep junk mail from clogging up your inbox, and the WiFi Inspector tool that protects your network against hackers and intruders.

The Sandbox utility is also part of the suite; it lets you run suspicious files and software in a secured portion of your computer, so you don’t risk the rest of your computer when installing new software or opening new files. The Real Site utility is also incorporated into the suite; it protects your network and prevents fake DNS routing from taking place, which is a common tactic that hackers use these days to steal financial details and other sensitive information.

Another level up is Avast Premier. This suite includes everything that is found in the previous suites, plus a webcam protector that stops people from secretly spying on you through your webcam and an automatic software updater. The Data Shredder utility is also included; it allows you to securely erase your sensitive files so no one can recover them.

Finally, there’s Avast Ultimate – the company’s top-tier security package. This package has everything that comes with the Premier suite, plus there’s a VPN that you can use to anonymously browse the internet and access content that is restricted in your geographic location.

The Avast Cleanup utility is also jammed into the Ultimate suite; it cleans junk files and improves the performance of your computer.

For Mac users, there’s Avast Security for Mac. This suite comes in two versions, Free and Premium. The freeware is very barebones in terms of advanced features and utilities but does offer “essential malware protection.” The Premium offering comes with advanced ransomware protection and the WiFi Intruder Alert feature.

If you’re interested in Avast’s business-specific solutions, click here for more information.

Winner: McAfee. Overall, McAfee is the winner in this category as it offers all the advanced features and tools with its flagship product. Avast’s best features are only found in its high-end suites.

2. Malware Protection

Malware defense is one of the most important aspects you should consider when purchasing antivirus software.

But how to tell which software boasts better anti-malware defense? We can examine how both McAfee and Avast fared in the recent lab evaluations conducted by AV-Test and AV-Comparatives – two highly regarded independent organizations in the antivirus space.

In AV-Test’s April 2019 evaluations, all antivirus products were evaluated in three different areas: Protection, Performance, and Usability.

In the Protection test, McAfee received a perfect 6 out of 6, showing exceptional anti-malware capabilities.

Avast’s performance was slightly less appealing; it got a 5.5 out of 6, which is a good score but not a perfect one.

AV-Comparatives, another reputable independent organization, also conducts several thorough tests to evaluate the performance of various security software brands.

In their recent Real-World tests, both McAfee and Avast fared exceptionally well; both software received the highest ADVANCED+ award because of their impressive protection rates and low false positives’ count.

Winner: McAfee. It’s a close call, but McAfee is the winner in this category as it fared better than Avast in the AV-Test evaluations.

3. System Performance

There’s no doubt that malware defense is important, but if a security software becomes a burden on your system and slows down your routine tasks and activities, it’s not worth your money.

Let’s examine how much impact both McAfee and Avast on system performance.

In the Performance category of AV-Test evaluations, McAfee came up with another 6-star rating, an excellent system performance score.

Avast also got a full score in these evaluations, matching McAfee.

In the AV-Comparatives April 2019 performance test, both software secured the highest ADVANCED+ award because of their exceptional impact scores.

Winner: Tie. Both McAfee and Avira are neck and neck in terms of system performance.

4. User-Friendliness

All the factors we have discussed so far are important, but if a software has a clunky, outdated user interface, it’s likely that you won’t enjoy using it.

First, let’s examine McAfee’s user interface.

McAfee’s interface is simple, bright, and sleek – in colors of blue, gray, and white. There’s a horizontal menu at the top that allows you to access all the features and functions with just a few clicks. Links to Notifications, News, Help, Settings are also there on the right side of the menu.

On the main screen, you’ll find a large green checkmark in the top left corner if everything is okay. The checkmark will change into a red warning sign when there’s an issue.

At the bottom, there are blocks for running a scan, updating apps, removing browser cookies/trackers.

Now, let’s examine Avast’s interface.

Avast uses a dark, modern-styled interface that is both simple and intuitive.

There’s a vertical menu on the left with four different tabs: Status, Protection, Privacy, and Performance. The Status window is what you see when you open the interface. You will find your protection status in the center, as well as a button to run a quick scan. The other tabs have relevant features and options.

The link to Settings is available in the bottom-left corner.

Winner: Tie. Overall, it’s a tie in this category as both software offer a simple, easy-to-use interface.

5. Pricing

Now, let’s look at the prices of the security suites offered by both companies.

McAfee Total Protection, the flagship product from McAfee, comes at different price points; $24.99 per year for 1 device, $39.99 per year for 5 devices, and $44.99 per year for 10 devices.

McAfee LiveSafe protects unlimited devices for $99.99 per year.

Avast Free doesn’t cost anything, but it doesn’t offer much value. Avast Internet Security, the first worthwhile software from the company, costs $59.99 per year for 1 PC. Avast Premier comes at $69.99 per year for 1 PC.

Avast Ultimate, the full-blown antivirus solution, costs $119.95 per year for 1 PC.

Avast Security for Mac, the company’s only offering for macOS users, costs $59.99 per year for a single Mac.

Winner: McAfee. McAfee offers better value for money; you can get more licenses for less money through McAfee than through Avast.

6. Customer Satisfaction

One last aspect we will consider is customer satisfaction. Let’s see what the actual customers of both McAfee and Avast think of their products.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a well-known site that collects customer reviews for all companies and averages them out into an A to F letter grade rating. Both McAfee and Avast have an excellent A+ rating from the BBB, which indicates exceptional customer service and high levels of user satisfaction.

Winner: Tie. Both software have comparable customer satisfaction ratings.

Final Thoughts

Related Comparisons

Bitdefender vs Avast
Bitdefender vs Kaspersky
Windows Defender vs McAfee
Bitdefender vs Malwarebytes
Windows Defender vs Avast
Malwarebytes Vs Kaspersky
AVG Vs ESET
Norton Vs ESET
Norton Vs Avira
McAfee vs Norton
Kaspersky vs Norton
McAfee vs Kaspersky
Bitdefender vs McAfee
Bitdefender vs Norton

When it comes to free antivirus for Windows computer, your friends will mostly recommend you either Avast Free Antivirus 2019, AVG AntiVirus FREE 2019, or Avira Free Antivirus 2019. But which one of them is the best? All are completely for free and offers plenty of advanced features. We’ll take a look at details on Avast and AVG.

Two biggest competitors, Avast and AVG, are today a single company. In October 2016 Avast acquired AVG company for $1.3B. From the end-user point of view, there is no change, both brands continue to coexist together. However, they use the same engine and technology in the background – the one from Avast. Feature-wise there are small differences, let’s take a closer look.

Feature Comparison Table – Does AVG Offer More Than Avast?

Both Avast and AVG are offering solid protection against viruses, spyware, malware, rootkits and even ransomware which is a big topic now. Plus you will be secured while browsing online, chatting on Facebook, or watching videos on YouTube. Also, they will protect and scan your incoming and outgoing e-mails if you are using an e-mail client like Outlook or Thunderbird. If you’re a gamer, you can relax – both antivirus solutions offer smart gaming mode and keep themselves silent.

With Avast you will get some cool features like Wi-Fi Inspector (formerly called Home Network Security), which scans your home network, Wi-Fi connection, and routers. An easy-to-use tool called Browser Cleanup for removing unwanted toolbars from your browser. Software Updater for monitoring the up-to-date status of the other software like browser, Java, Adobe Reader, etc. And you can ask your IT friend to fix your computer via the secured remote connection.

However, there are some differences. AVG offers spying and data theft protection controlling what kind of data you are sharing with the other applications, and File Shredder which can permanently delete your sensitive information, so they can’t be restored. A similar feature called Data Shredder is available also in Avast, but only in the top-tier product Avast Premier, not in the free one.

Avast for mac ios update. • Type your administrator User Name with Password and click Install Software. If you would like to make changes to the default setup click Change Install Location or Customize. • Click Close.

A big plus for AVG is that you don’t need to register or give out any personal information. You can just download, install, and keep using it. With Avast you have to activate the product within the first 30 days, and then once a year.

Impact on the System Resources – Which Product is Lighter?

We have measured the impact on the system resources using two ways:

1. How long does the computer to boot into Windows desktop while the AVG or Avast is installed
2. How does the computer perform in various areas (CPU, Graphics, Memory and Disk operations) while the AVG or Avast is installed

In the boot time test where less is better, it took only 28 seconds (on average) to load Windows desktop when Avast Free Antivirus was installed. The same operation took 33 seconds (on average) when AVG AntiVirus FREE was installed. Default boot-time without any antivirus solution in place took 20 seconds. So according to our testing, Windows loads faster with Avast.

In the second area, we have tested computer performance in various areas and impact of the AVG or Avast on the results. Test results (higher is better) were practically the same for both products, 2,116 points for Avast and 2,115 points for AVG. The default performance without any antivirus installed was 2,150 points. So the overall impact on the system performance is really low for both products.

Final performance test results are highlighted in the chart below. You can clearly see the difference between no antivirus and Avast or AVG present. Please note the vertical axis ‘Performance Score‘ is not starting from 0, but from 2,110 to clearly show the small differences.

Avast vs. AVG – Performance Test Results

You can find more details about how we tested in the ‘Additional Notes‘ section at the end of the article.

User Interface – Is Avast Easier to use Than AVG?

Avast user interface is really nice and clear. There is only one main action leading to the Smart Scan, which runs all seven Avast scans: compatibility, viruses, outdated software, browser add-ons, router issues, performance, and weak passwords. The green button ‘UPGRADE‘ (or ‘ACTIVATE‘) leads to a comparison table of Avast Free Antivirus and Avast premium product (Avast Internet Security).

The status is also indicated by color when green obviously means ‘You are protected’ (note AVG is using the exact same term). Also, you are assured that ‘Everything is up-to-date‘. The top menu is easy to navigate and structured in fours groups – Scan, Tools, Passwords, and Store. What is pretty annoying is the top menu disappears every time you go from the home screen and you need to click on ‘Menu‘ to get it back.

Same as AVG, also Avast is using the bottom space for the up-sell offers.

AVG user interface is quite busy compared to Avast. When everything is fine, you will see green tick marks with the message ‘You are protected‘. The interface will go red if there will be some issue. What is nice is when some of the shields are disabled, you will see immediately which ones as they will also turn in red.

AVG AntiVirus FREE 2019 – User Interface

The main tiles show you the status of the specific shield protection. If you are looking for a scan, it’s the less visible button ‘Scan now‘. The ‘Fix performance’ button sounds pretty interesting, but you need to download other product (AVG PC TuneUp) to actually fix the performance. The last button is for checking if the program is up-to-date, of course, the virus definitions are updated automatically. ‘Join us on Facebook‘ link at the top bar is very visible and somehow distracting.

Bottom of the interface is used as an offer space to buy or try for free the paid-for version.

Localizations/Translations – Is The Product Available in my Language?

Both Avast and AVG are available in plenty of languages, of course for free. But Avast offers many more.

Avast languages (46): Arabic, Belorussian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (United States/United Kingdom), Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Norwegian, Persian, Pirate talk, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil/Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese

AVG languages (22): Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Turkish.

Popularity – Which is the Most Popular Free Antivirus? Avast or AVG?

The better product is, the most users it has. It’s simple as that. However, it’s not easy to say which is the most popular antivirus, if Avast or AVG. For expressing popularity we are using several, publicly accessible methods.

1. Official Sources

According to the official website, Avast is protecting more than 400 million users worldwide, but that probably includes also AVG users. The last publicly available number was 230 million users. AVG doesn’t state anymore how many users are using their products, however using simple math it’s around 170 million (400 – 230 = 170). Therefore we believe it’s safe to claim Avast has more users than AVG.

2. Antivirus Vendor Market Share by OPSWAT

OPSWAT is regularly releasing reports about the antivirus market share. Data are based on the OPSWAT GEARS software installed on the client machines. According to the latest report from November 2017, Avast is dominating the worldwide market with 18.48%. Followed by ESET with 13.97%. AVG is still reported as a separate company and didn’t make it into top 10 for June 2017, however, AVG’s share was around 4% in the last few months. It is also important to mention Microsoft for some reason is not included at all.

Avast vs. AVG – Market Share Report November 2017 by OPSWAT

3. CNET Download.com Ranking

Download.com by CNET is the World’s most popular download portal. According to its popularity rankings, AVG has more total downloads – almost 564 million, while Avast has ‘only’ 406 million. However, the recent trend shows Avast is slightly more popular, as it leads the last week downloads number.

Avast vs. AVG – Number of Downloads & Rating on CNET Download.com June 2017

Avast has higher editor’s rating– 4 stars (meaning excellent), while AVG has 3.5 stars (meaning very good). The user/community rating is also better for Avast – 4.5 stars, while AVG has 4 stars.

4. Number of Fans on Social Media Networks

Another way how to measure product/company popularity is the number of fans/followers on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter. Avast is leading on Facebook with 4.1 million fans vs. AVG’s 3.1 million. On Twitter, the leader is AVG with 216k followers vs. Avast’s 181k.

Avast Security For Mac Download

Avast vs. AVG – Number of Fans/Followers on Facebook and Twitter

Independent Labs Test Results – Will AVG Protect You Better Than Avast?

If you are looking for a more advanced comparison of antivirus protection, the best resources are the independent test labs. These labs are regularly performing various tests like how many viruses will get through the antivirus software, or which vendor offers better performance.

Selection of the most important and relevant test results is below:

• AV-Comparatives Real Word Protection Test Results (November 2017)
• AV-Comparatives Performance Test Results (October 2017)
• AV-TEST Avast Results (October 2017)
• AV-TEST AVG Results (October 2017)

As we mentioned the antivirus engine is the same for both products and that’s also visible in tests. In the latest AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection Test from May 2017, both Avast and AVG got 100% detection rate with 0 false-positives. Both products also scored the same score on the latest Performance Test.

Respected computer magazine PCMag gives both products the same rating of 4,5 stars in their comprehensive comparison of free antivirus solutions written by security expert Neil J. Rubenking. Actually, both Avast and AVG are their #1 recommendation for the free antivirus software.

Our current Editors’ Choice products for free antivirus utility are Avast Free Antivirus and AVG AntiVirus Free. Both get very good scores from the independent labs, and in our own tests as well. Both include some useful bonus features.

Neil J. Rubenking for PCMag

System Requirements & Compatibility – Will the Product Run on my Computer?

Both products will run on a majority of today’s computers as there are no special requirements. In fact, the system requirements are identical since the antivirus engine is the same. You just need to run a newer Windows than 2000, so at least Windows XP with Service Pack 3. Both Avast and AVG are also fully compatible with the latest Windows 10.

System Requirements for Avast Free Antivirus 2019

• Supported operating systems: Microsoft Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 SP1 or higher / Vista / XP SP3 or higher (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Pentium 4 / AMD Athlon 64 or above
• Memory: 256 MB RAM or above
• Space: 2 GB of free hard disk space
• Please note that Avast Free Antivirus 2019 won’t work on Microsoft Windows 95 / 98 / ME / 2000 / Server, or any other operating system which isn’t specified above

System Requirements for AVG AntiVirus FREE 2019

Antivirus For Mac Avast Vs Avg

• Supported operating systems: Microsoft Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP SP2 or higher (any Edition, 32-bit or 64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Pentium 4 / AMD Athlon 64 or above
• Memory: 256 MB RAM for Windows XP or 1024 MB RAM for Windows Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 / Vista
• Space: 2 GB of free hard disk space
• Please note that AVG AntiVirus FREE 2019 won’t work on Microsoft Windows 95 / 98 / ME / 2000 / Server, or any other operating system which isn’t specified above

Test Conclusion – Both Avast and AVG are Worth of Trying!

Both products have their pros and cons. We don’t want to recommend only one of them, instead, we would like to encourage you to try both, and see if Avast or AVG will suit you better. Even they are offered completely for free, the level of protection you will get is comparable with the paid-for antivirus solutions. The download links are below.

From official AVG website

If you are looking for premium protection, check out our Internet Security suites comparison including Avast, AVG, Avira, ESET, and Norton (Symantec).

Additional Notes

Avast For Mac

Information about the product features has been obtained from the official websites of each vendor. If you believe we have stated something not correct, please let us know, and we’ll fix it immediately. Our intention is to offer a fair and fact-based comparison of each product.

For measuring the boot time we have used a free tool called BootRacer. We have tested AVG AntiVirus FREE 2016 (2016.0.7163) and Avast Free Antivirus 2016 (2016.10.2.2215) released on March 23, 2015. Both tests were performed on a Windows 7 Professional x64 computer with CPU Intel Core i7 @ 2.70GHz and 8 GB RAM.

Avast For Mac Review

For measuring the overall PC performance we have used a free tool called PassMark PerformanceTest which tests various areas including CPU, graphics, disk, and memory.