What is the differene or differences between Free Antivirus software and Antivirus software that must be paid for?

This is a pretty common question asked by lots of people. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages. Mostly it depends on you the user and how involved you want to be with your software and if you are comfortable handling some of the tasks like manually updating some of the software or running a scan once a month.

First off I would say that this article does not refer to Corporations or Companies. The free software described below is strictly for the Home User. Antivirus Security on the Corporate level is far different than the Residential level. Most companies use a Corporate Version of Antivirus software for which they pay licenses for. Their Security needs are far different from the average Home User. We are only focusing on the Home User/Residential PC owner. With that being said here is the advice for the Home User.

Quality wise, Free Anti-virus programs for the Home user, such as AVG Free or Avast are just as good as the Antivirus software you pay for. Most of the paid Antivirus software does usually come with additional Antispyware protection which is an important component. However there are also free Antispyware programs available as long as you don't mind doing a little updating or scanning yourself.

For example I use AVG Free anti-virus in conjunction with Spybot Search and Destroy and Spyware Blaster. All of these programs are free for the Residential user. As mentioned in an earlier blog, you do need more than just Antivirus software to properly protect your PC. The process for protecting my PC is pretty easy. The AVG updates automatically (daily) and will inform you of any infections it finds. The other Spyware programs are simply updated every two weeks to stay protected against the latest infections. Installation of these is pretty straight forward though there are few customizations i personally use.

Some people may prefer to have an all in one Security protection and not have to worry about multiple programs to deal with. If this is you then you are probably going to paying for Antivirus protection. Antivirus software that is not free usually costs around $50 dollars or so. It lasts you for a year and then prompts you to renew your subscription for usually another $50 dollars or maybe a little less. The most common paid Antivirus software manufactures are Norton and McAfee.

I find some of these programs prompt the user(ask for permission) a little too much. For example, Microsoft Windows updates should not need permission from the Firewall to connect to the Internet. McAfee and Norton are both infamous for this with their Firewalls and their software. It is a bit too overprotective in my opinion. One of things I really enjoy about the Security Software I use is it requires very little user interaction, so I do not have to constantly give approval to every thing I am doing. I don't have to waste time approving every decision I make when it comes to my PC.

Some ISP's (Internet Service Providers) such as Comcast give their customers McAfee for free so be sure to check with your ISP about what they offer before purchasing, you may be able to get it for free. Some people may not like the Security Software offered by their ISP or have a preference for something else. If you fall into this category then the free options that I have listed above are ideal for you. Be sure to uninstall your existing Antivirus before installing the new one.

Many new PC's come with Trial Version of Norton Security Software or perhaps other Antivirus software which is good for 60 days. Once your 60 days are up you have to pay to get the latest updates. Once the updates stop, you are NOT protected against the latest infections.
Be sure to do one of the following:

1. Get free Antivirus software and Free Antispyware protection
2. Renew the existing subscription for $
3. Purchase a different Antivirus software.

When switching out Antivirus software, it is best to remove the existing software first, reboot the machine (most AV software will prompt you to do this), and then install the new software.

In this economy money is a primary concern for a lot of people. Why should you pay for Antivirus software and Antispyware protection if you don't have too? Providing you can handle updating the Antispyware programs once a month, with no suffering in Quality or system performance the choice is Free Software. With the paid Antivirus software you are usually paying for convenience when it comes to updating but have the added aggravation of what I consider over protection and annoyances. For me the price of the maintenance is minimal and the savings well worth it $$$$ wise to go for the Free Software.

Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the week.

Steve
www.zolexpc.com