AVG VS Sophos

Even though Mac users tend to think that their computers are way safer than Windows PCs and they do not need a security and antivirus application, it is not true. Macs are also targeted by various forms of cyber threats, including viruses and other malware, phishing attempts or hacking. So the bad news is that you need a security and antivirus application, and the good news is that you do not have to spend any money on it! So if you are looking for a reliable software to protect your Mac, check out this article and choose the right free application for you!

In order to provide recommendations, we will review antivirus protection rates, additional security and privacy features, system-performance-impact, scanning performance and user interface of AVG Free Antivirus for Mac and Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition.

AVG Free AntiVirus for Mac

AVG Antivirus for Mac is the product of AVG Technologies. The company specializes in developing security software and antivirus products for individual users and businesses. AVG Technologies became a subsidiary of Avast family in 2016. AVG is one of the largest names in cybersecurity market that protects customers worldwide. AVG provides security products for Windows, Macs, and Android devices.^[1]

AVG Free AntiVirus is a free application for Macs and supports OS X mountain 10.8 Lion or later versions.

Antivirus protection

AVG Free AntiVirus for Mac uses a traditional malware scanning engine in order to catch already known widespread malware, and heuristic monitoring to detect unknown, zero-day malware. According to AV-Comparatives AVG Antivirus for Mac provides nearly perfect malware detection rates and caught 99.9% of both zero-day and widespread malware samples on the test computer.

Additional features

AVG Free AntiVirus for Mac does not provide any special security or privacy features. It also does not include any browser extensions. So if you want extra security or privacy features, you should consider purchasing the Premium version of AVG AntiVirus for Mac.

System-performance impact and scanning performance

AVG Free Antivirus for Mac while working in a background demonstrated slowdowns by 2.6%, compared to system-performance without any antivirus installed. It is relatively high hit to the system, in comparison, Avast scored just 0.5%. When it comes to scanning performance, the full scan took about 40 minutes and had a mediocre impact. The market average for a full scan is about 35 minutes.

User Interface

AVG Free AntiVirus for Mac has a very pleasant user interface. The interface is very comprehensive and easy to use, it also looks modern and attractive.

The Final Verdict

According to researchers at Reviewed by Pro, AVG Free Antivirus is a great choice for those who look free and plain antivirus protection because AVG offers high detection rates and does not cost anything.

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.

Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition

When it comes to Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition, the product is developed by a British cybersecurity software and hardware provider Sophos Group Plc. The company is known for its security and privacy products and services, next-gen network protection, mobile security and management, endpoint protection for home and business users.^[2]

When it comes to Sophos Antivirus for Mac, the product is free and comes in a single bundle for Mac and Windows PCs. This free package offers remote management for up to three devices that also includes parental controls. Sounds great, right?

Antivirus protection

Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition, just like AVG uses a traditional signature-based identification and heuristic behavioral-based monitoring to detect malware. The antivirus software also checks computers and its connections.

According to AV-TEST labs, the antivirus protection and detection demonstrated by Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition is decent, however, the detection score is behind AVG AntiVirus for Mac.

Additional features

Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition offers a decent set of features, especially keeping in mind that the product is free. The antivirus package includes remote management, parental web filtering, real-time antivirus and web protection. If users want to try Premium feature, the 30-day free trial is also available.

System-performance impact and scanning performance

Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition has a lower performance hit while working in a background, compared to AVG AntiVirus. However, when it comes to the slowdowns during scans, users are likely to notice some. The full scan completed in approximately 40 minutes, same as AVG. In addition, Sophos users can control on-demand scans remotely

User Interface

Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition has a pretty simple interface which is bright and easy to navigate.

The Final Verdict

Researchers at Reviewed by Pro noticed that Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition provides many useful security features that are capable to protect the entire family.

Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition is a good choice for those who want to protect their family’s devices but do not want to spend money. The advantages of the application are easy to understand and simple interface, system scans that can be performed within a single click, additional features, including useful parental controls. However, malware detection is far from perfect.

If you are looking for protection for your entire family, we would say that Sophos Antivirus for Mac Home Edition would be a better choice.

However, if you are looking for an excellent antivirus protection and do not require any additional features, AVG Free Antivirus for Mac is a better choice, as it provides nearly perfect detection rates.