Avast antivirus packs a powerful set of features in an easy-to-use package. In my testing, its malware engine received a perfect score. Its web protection was also effective in catching phishing websites that managed to get past the default detection of Firefox and Chrome systems. Its performance scanner did a great job of keeping its impact on the speed of your system to the minimum. In fact Avast’s performance scanning was more efficient in decreasing the CPU use than any other program I tried.
Avast also offers a range of other tools. Avast One is the only one to offer an VPN and photo vaults, as well as a data breach monitoring tool. The security toolkit also comes with the sandbox to run applications and a scanner for routers to check for weaknesses.
Avast has a comprehensive support site with a Recommended Site knowledge base if you have issues. The search function makes finding answers to frequently asked questions a breeze. If you can’t find the answer you can use the Avast forum is a solid source of help from other users.
While Avast claims that it no longer sells user data, its history of doing this is fresh in the minds of many users. In January of 2020, PCMag and Motherboard revealed that Avast sold the location and other details of its users to third party companies through its Jumpshot subsidiary. Avast has halted this practice and requires users to opt-in during the installation of its desktop antivirus software. The privacy policy of the company states that the data of consumers is “stripped and removed from identification” before being shared with third-party.
