AVG VS Avast (for MAC)

Many Mac users still think that their devices are protected and they do not need an antivirus product. However, Macs are also being targeted by various viruses and malware, phishing attempts, hacking, and other cyber attacks that can cause serious damage. As a result, a reliable antivirus software for your Mac is a must. So, if you want to keep your device safe and malware-free, protect against malicious websites, phishing attempts, and various other cyber attacks you need to use an antivirus and security product. In addition, if you do not want to spend any money to protect your Mac, AVG and Avast provide users with free reliable antivirus software. Check this article out to choose which one antivirus is the best for your Mac.

AVG AntiVirus for Mac

AVG AntiVirus for Mac is developed by AVG Technologies. AVG Technologies is a member of Avast family since 2016. Originally AVG was founded in the Czech Republic in 1991. Just after the foundation, the company launched its AVG Free Antivirus for Windows devices, in order to raise awareness of the AVG brand. Today AVG is one of the largest names in cybersecurity industry and protects businesses and individual users around the world. AVG provides security products for Windows, Macs, and Android devices.^[1]

AVG AntiVirus for Mac is a free application that provides free reliable antivirus protection. It supports Macs that run OS X Mountain 10.8 Lion or later operating systems.

Antivirus protection

AVG AntiVirus for Mac just like most of the other products uses a traditional scanning engine and heuristic monitoring. The first checks for suspicious code match to detect widespread known malware, while the monitoring, looks for suspicious behaviors in order to detect zero-day malware.

According to AV-Comparatives that tested AVG AntiVirus for Mac, the software provides nearly perfect protection. AVG caught 99.9% of malware samples.

Additional features

AVG AntiVirus for Mac is a free security application so we did not expect it to offer many special features and it does not. It also does not provide any secure browser extensions. If you want extra features, you should consider purchasing the full version of antivirus.

System-performance impact and scans

AVG AntiVirus for Mac has a comparatively high background impact. The passive system hit was by 2.6%, while Avast demonstrated way better score just 0.5%. When it comes to scanning speed, the full scan took an average of 40 minutes, while the average is 35:30.

User Interface

AVG has a very pleasant interface which looks modern and is very comprehensive. So even the beginners will have no problem using AVG Antivirus for Mac.

AVG AntiVirus for Mac offers one of the best malware detection rates on the market and has a very pleasant and straightforward interface. And does not cost anything! However, it has mediocre system impact and no additional features.

Avast Free Mac Security

When it comes to Avast Free Mac Security, Avast and AVG belong to the same Avast family. Avast is one of the largest security companies in the world and protects over 400 million customers in more than 150 countries worldwide. The company applies next-gen technologies in order to provide its customers with the best protection possible against malware, cyber attacks, and other threat in real time. Along with the security software, Avast also provides users with privacy and performance solutions for home users and businesses.^[2]

Avast also offers a 30-day money back guarantee.

Antivirus protection

Just like AVG AntiVirus for Mac, Avast Free Mac Security uses traditional signature-based detection and heuristic monitoring. The software identifies and quarantines not only malware targeting Macs but also Windows malware.

According to AV-TEST, Avast Free Mac Security stopped 99.17% of Mac OS X malware. In addition, AV-Comparatives noted that Avast detected 99.9% of malware samples installed in the test Mac.

Additional features

As a free antivirus solution, Avast Free Mac Security comes with great additional features including Online Security browser, which alerts users about suspicious and dangerous websites, a password manager. The application also blocks social network-based tracking and monitors not only network, hard-drive but also POP3 and IMAP emails. If you want more extra features, you would have to purchase the full version of the antivirus.

System-performance impact and scans

Avast Free Mac Security had only 0.5% impact while working in the background, which is very low. In addition, an average user would not even notice any performance slowdowns during active scans. Just like AVG, Avast offers users average speed system scans.

User interface

Avast Free Mac Security has a very informative interface with plenty of data and options. The interface also looks attractive and it is very easy to navigate.

The Final Verdict

Avast Free Mac Security offers users excellent malware detection and removal rates with almost none negative impact on a system.

To Summarize

AVG AntiVirus for Mac and Avast Free Mac Security both offer nearly perfect malware detection and scored similar rates. What is even better, these both antivirus products do not cost a penny! So both, AVG AntiVirus for Mac and Avast Free Mac Security would be a great solution for those who want to protect their Macs without spending anything. However, Avast Free Mac Security offers slightly more features and has almost none negative impact on a system. That is why, Avast Free Mac Security would be a better choice for those, who look for reliable, award-winning security software with extra features and almost zero negative performance hit.