Our avast! Free Antivirus often outperforms our competitors´ paid products and is the minimum protection you should have — it provides great protection against viruses and spyware. But for best protection against the latest and constantly changing internet threats, upgrade to avast! Internet Security.
 FreeAntivirusFor ordinary internet use |
 ProAntivirusCustomizable security |
 InternetSecurityBest protection |
Antivirus with anti-spyware The minimum protection for every PC. |
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Enjoy worry-free web surfing Innovative Sandbox technology protects you from dangerous websites. |
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Safely shop or bank online Firewall prevents theft of your personal and financial data. |
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Stop bothersome SPAM Antispam keeps unwanted emails out of your inbox. |
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Protect up to 3 PCs in your home Best value offer – get your PCs fully protected only for £18 each! |
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| * avast! Free Antivirus is free only for personal and non-commercial use. ** avast! paid versions come with 100% money-back guarantee. |
"Both my wife and I really like the simplicity of AVAST and feel reassured when the AVAST voice notifies us when the updates have been completed rather than having to go through a sequence of button pushing to clear the screen. I have also noticed that our computers are allowed to do what they do best, without the irritating interruptions or slow downs. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK and grateful thanks for your free Home software."
C.W., United Kingdom – blog comment
"Over the past few years, recommending avast! has been good for my reputation, but maybe bad for short-term repeat business! Sometimes people will get back to me a week or two after installing avast! and say something like: 'With all those 'providers', I thought it would use a lot of my computers resources, but it's running so smoothly I barely notice it'. avast! seems to be better coded and compiled compared to other, apparently ‘smaller-footprint’ programs."
P.E., Australia – blog comment
Antivirus and anti-spyware engineState of the art scanning engine provides reliable protection against viruses, spyware and other forms of malicious software.
Unique "on access" technology checks all kernel-mode drivers that the operating system is loading for signs of rootkit behavior. This enables even unknown rootkits to be detected and stopped before they can do any damage.
Most samples we process come from sensors deployed throughout the avast! community in the Behavior shield and anti-rootkit modules. This is a unique source of data made possible only thanks to our huge user base. Most of the collected samples are analysed by a number of automated processes and only a small fraction of the samples need to be processed manually by our virus analysts.
Code emulatorWhen a suspicious executable is encountered (during both on-demand and on-access scanning), avast! is able to emulate the program’s code in an isolated environment. The code emulator is used for two purposes. First, it is used for generic unpacking. Secondly, it is used in the heuristics engine. Technically, this is done using dynamic translation, a method much faster than traditional emulation techniques.
Heuristics engineStarting with version 5.0, avast! features a new heuristics engine designed to proactively detect malware undetectable with normal definitions. The heuristics engine is able to cover both binary (executable) and script malware.
New in version 5.0, avast! now detects potentially unwanted programs, such as remote admin tools and commercial key loggers. Custom rules can be set for dealing with these types of programs.
Allows you to scan your computer for infections before the operating system has started and before a virus can be activated (32-bit operating systems only).
Microsoft Windows is woken from sleep or hibernation mode, performs a scheduled scan, then returns back to sleep mode.
Allows users to define the scan time and files to be scanned.
avast! Intelligent ScannerCan reduce the number of required file scans by up to 80% through a white list of proven safe applications. Files identified as safe are not rescanned unless they change.
Behavior ShieldMonitors activity on your computer using a number of sensors (file system, registry and network based) and reports/blocks any suspicious behavior.
avast! sensors identify and monitor suspicious file activity on selected computers, automatically submitting files to the Virus Lab for additional analysis.
Real-time scanning of opened/executed files.
Scans all incoming/outgoing e-mails for malware. For MS Outlook, a special plug-in is used. Other email clients are protected by a generic POP3/IMAP4/SMTP proxy. New in version 5, the proxy also supports scanning of SSL communication (gmail.com, sympatico.ca, ….)
Scans all visited web pages and checks all files, pages and java scripts downloaded from the internet. Thanks to the Intelligent Stream Scan feature, the Web shield doesn't slow down your web browsing.
Checks files downloaded using P2P programs. - ABC, Ares, Azureus, BearShare, Bit Torrent, BitComet, BitLord, BitPump, CZDC++, Direct Connect, eDonkey, eMule, iDC++, iMesh, Kazaa, Kceasy, LimeWire, Morpheus, Opera's DC++, Overnet, Qtrax, Shareaza, SoulSeek, StrongDC++, uTorrent, Vuze, WinMX, Winny2, Zultrax.
Checks files downloaded while using instant messaging or “chat” programs. - AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), Gadu-Gadu, gaim/Pidgin, Google Talk, ICQ, IM2 Messenger, Infium, Miranda, mIRC, MSN/Windows Messenger, Odigo, PalTalk Messenger, Psi Jabber Client, QIP, QQ, SIM, Skype, Tlen, Trillian, WengoPhone, XFire, Yahoo! Messenger.
Provides protection against network-based viruses. The module has two main components: a URL blocker, designed to block malicious URLs (as defined by the Virus Lab), and a lightweight intrusion-detection system.
Incremental updating system minimizes the size of regular update files.
Fast application of updatesNew format for the virus definition file speeds up application of updates into avast! 5.0 and reduces demand on CPU/memory, resulting in uninterrupted computer use.
New format for the virus definition file means faster updates and reduces demand on CPU/memory, resulting in uninterrupted computer use.
Silent/Gaming ModeNew Silent/Gaming Mode automatically detects full-screen applications and disables pop-ups and other on-screen notifications without degrading security.
Critical sections of the avast! scanning engine code have been optimized to deliver unrivaled performance on the latest Intel chips.
Multi-threaded scanning optimizationavast! runs faster on new multi-core CPUs. A new avast! feature allows the splitting of large individual files between cores, accelerating the scanning process.
Reduced demands on the disk drive result in lower energy consumption.
Real-time graphic scanning reports.
Graphical user interfaceEasy to navigate graphical interface.
Infected files are processed automatically without requiring user instructions.
The firewall enables you to control incoming and outgoing traffic from your computer. Protection is based on heuristic and behavioral analysis, and a white list of known safe applications. There are three network settings which can be changed depending on the type of connection.
New comprehensive SPAM and fraudulent message filter. It works as a plug-in to MS Outlook and a generic POP3/IMAP4 proxy for other email clients.
Enables potentially exploitable programs (such as web browsers) and/or suspicious executables to be run in a safe, virtual environment. The avast! Sandbox is unique as it runs on both 32 and 64bit platforms.
Detects malicious scripts hidden in internet web pages and prevents them from running and hijacking or potentially causing damage to your computer (Internet Explorer only, 32-bit only).
Enables you to run a scan directly from the command line.
For complete on-line protection, we recommend avast! Internet Security. Comprehensive features include firewall, antispam, avast! Sandbox and Script Shield. Click here to get avast! Internet Security.
avast! Free Antivirus is perfect for people who send e-mails and surf popular websites, but do not store any sensitive data on their computers. Check the following comparison table to see how you can increase your protection with avast! Internet Security - the recommended product for people that shop and bank on-line.
| avast! Free Antivirus For ordinary Internet use |
avast! Pro Antivirus Customizable security |
avast! Internet Security For shopping and banking |
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| Compare by features | |||
| Continuous protection against viruses and spyware |  |
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| Ensures all mails sent and received are clean | |
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| Keeps you protected from "chat" infections | |
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| Stops attacks from hijacked websites | |
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| Faster updates |  |
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| Lets you safely browse suspicious websites or applications | |
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| Blocks hacker attacks to protect your identity | |
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| Keeps your mailbox free from spam | |
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| Compare by usage | |||
| Sending e-mails | |
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| Chatting | |
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| Surfing popular websites | |
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| Surfing high-risk websites | |
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| Shopping and banking online | |
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| Storing sensitive or financial data | |
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| Compare by technologies | |||
| Antivirus and anti-spyware engine |
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| Real time anti-rootkit protection | |
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| File System / Mail Shield | |
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| Web Shield | |
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| IM / P2P Shield | |
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| Network Shield | |
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| Behavior Shield | |
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| Script Shield | |
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| avast! Sandbox |
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| Silent Firewall |
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| Antispam |
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Maximum security from avast! for everything you do.
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avast! antivirus software provides complete virus protection for your computer. Antivirus engine is complemented by anti-spyware, firewall and antispam modules to protect you against phishing schemes, identity theft and internet-distributed web viruses. Automatic updates for greater user convenience and safety. Top user ratings among free antivirus software. Download avast! antivirus software for a free 30-day trial period.
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