AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0
PrintProof you don't need to pay for protection
When AVG’s Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0 didn’t make the cut of our AV roundup in May, a football stadium full of readers let us know of the injustice. We’re not really surprised by this, considering that AVG was once the hands-down favorite among free virus scanners. At one time heralded for both its excellent detection rate and small footprint, AVG has since fallen out of favor somewhat, partly because of its perceived bloat, but also because competitors’ AV products have stepped up their game. So where does that leave AVG today?
Straight and to the point: AVG ranks somewhere between Avira AntiVir and Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), two other popular free AV scanners, both of which were included in our May antivirus roundup. Compared to MSE, AVG stood as its equal in terms of beating back malware like a prize fighter walloping on two-bit thugs. AVG wasn’t rattled by our synthetic spyware (www.spycar.org) and virus (www.eicar.org) testing, and during our real-world evaluation, AVG proved equally adept at warding off malware. AVG also swept through our files much faster than MSE. Whereas MSE doesn’t cache files that it deems safe to skip, AVG does, resulting in significantly faster sweeps, though still not as fast as Avira.
AVG's interface hasn't changed much from last year's version, but the redesigned scan engine now runs more efficiently and effectively than before.
On the performance front, AVG turned in the highest PCMark score of any antivirus software we’ve yet tested this year, but it also added 29 seconds to our boot time, which is 20 seconds more than MSE and 23 seconds more than Avira. Had that not been the case, AVG might have regained its position as our all-around favorite, but it will have to settle for simply being in the discussion.
The interface remains virtually unchanged from last year’s version, and for the most part that’s not a bad thing. It’s easy to load any of the various modules from the main menu, but if you really want to tinker with AVG’s inner workings, you’ll need to poke your head in the Advanced settings accessible through the Tools menu. It’s here you’ll discover far more to play with than in MSE, though not as much as any of the fully fledged Internet security suites that carry a price tag.
AVG’s update manager is also fairly gimped compared to paid security software. In the free version (AVG also sells a fleshed-out security package), the only thing you’re able to change is what time each day the software will ping AVG’s server for updates. To check for updated definitions more often, you’ll have to do it manually, and even then you won’t be protected in the same manner that Symantec, McAfee, and a few others offer through so-called pulse updates, which are small updates pushed out to your system throughout the day rather than one big one every 24 hours.
Overall, we’re much more impressed with this version of AVG than we were with last year’s version. Boot time notwithstanding, resource management has been improved, and you can tweak the scan engine accordingly by configuring it to run slow, normal, or fast. Combined with robust malware detection, AVG has earned the right to once again stand among the top free AV solutions.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0
2-1B
Fast scans; low system impact; free!
H1N1
Slows boot more than other free scanners.
8
Benchmarks
| AVG | Avira | MSE | Norton | ESET | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scan 1 (min:sec) | 12:48 | 6:37 | 16:56 | 16:18 | 7:45 |
| Scan 2 (min:sec) | 5:21 | 3:12 | 16:56 | 4:47 | 7:43 |
| PCMark | 6,170 | 6,093 | 5,622 | 5,760 | 6,067 |
| Boot (seconds added) | +29 | +6 | +9 | +18 | +12 |
Best scores are bolded. Our test bed is a Core 2 Quad Q9400, 8GB DDR2/800, a Seagate Barracuda 320GB 7200.10 (~60GB filled across two partitions), a Radeon HD 3650, and Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. The reviewed app is compared to the top-performing apps from our AV showdown.
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23
Comments
bissomitch
November 07, 2010 at 8:20am
AVG 2011 has been released.
It does have rootkit protection, though I can't say how well it works.
I've been using AVG free since, hmm, version 5 or 6, I think, and I've not had a single non-user-surfing-error infection the entire time.Hopefully we'll see an updated review in the nearish future.
Blues22475
July 12, 2010 at 6:12am
For a couple of reasons:
1. It was less effective than my current AV at the time.
2. After going to go back to AVG, I realized how much more a bloatware app it became.I used AVG in the past because it worked and it was lightweight. The lightweight aspect being one of the big factors for me. Now, that it has become bloated, I doubt I will go back to it.
-----------------------------------------
Ignorance is man's greatest enemy.
Techhead26
July 12, 2010 at 5:41am
I am a computer technician for a fairly large retail company. I see maybe about 9-15 virus removals come into our store a week. You've got the 3-4 that have no security at all. Then you get into the ones with AVG, Avira, MSE and yet they are free but still come in for a virus removal. Or the free ones from your internet provider. The one I see the least are Symantecs 360, and Internet Security. Its so rare that this year I have only seen one with a virus. Not saying that its perfect, Iam just saying that you get what you pay for. I am seeing a bigger trend of people using free out of date security software. Then when they do get infected that cant beleive the cost of the removal and then if they come in during a sale the price of the software can be as low as $29.99. Now for that cost it can out way the gamble of going with the free stuff. Plus if you have issues with the software you are aforded tech support. On average it can cost a customer $200-400 for a system repair after a virus infection. When you include the people that do not backup files to some type of media. And need there stuff backedup. And if $29.99 and help prevent this issue then why not go with it. Its a lot more reasureing then taking a craps shoot. Like in Vegas some times you win other times you can loose alot.
ferariman
September 04, 2010 at 1:55pm
i hat mse. i got windows 7 with that nag system actin center. i went to the link an found mse the only free one.itry it.runs perfect for like 3 months then just crashes. wont update. i get a bunch of viruses. wont uninstall so i can reinstall. im using avg free 90 and i love it. havent had a virus since
evilanimator
July 10, 2010 at 11:02pm
I've used Avast and AVG and they, at least for me, don't come close to the convenience and functionality of MSE. Very surprising considering that it's a free Microsoft utility, but I felt more hassled by AVG and Avast for their free versions. MSE doesn't bug me and runs far more discretely than AVG and Avast ever did. I don't mean to downplay AVG especially, it did its job and I was grateful for it since I could not bring myself to spend $50 on Norton or McAfee. AVG is a pretty good anti-virus utility and it certainly saved my butt a couple of times. Just prefer MSE now and I hope Microsoft continues improving it as well as they have since its release.
pastorbob
July 10, 2010 at 3:56am
what AV software one uses if they don't use common sense while on the internet. A friend asked me to take a look at his computer because it was running very slow and seemed "to have a virus" It had 48 differnet infections and it took me a couple of days to get it cleaned off. At one point I thought I was going to have to throw in the towel because one particualr bug kept reappearing and reinstalling itself. I finally was able to manually remove it. I installed the same AV software that I use (I have had one virus in 20 years of computing) and ran the system for another 24 hours without incident. About a month later he calls me again with the same complaint. Guess what? His system had 36 new infections. Of course he uses Limewire and frequents P2P sites on a regular basis so it didn't surprise me. I cleaned him up again but told him next time he is on his own.
Mayhemm
July 11, 2010 at 2:53am
Yeah. Aren't those just the BEST types of friends or, in my case, family?? :))
Mayhemm
July 10, 2010 at 3:04am
I know it's technically not an anti-virus anymore, but does anybody use it to supplement their AV?
I mostly use AVG now because it seems to have the fewest annoyances among the freeware. Although I am trying MSE on one PC and like it so far.
Avira may be a good AV but between the constant pop-ups, horrible UI, and limiting the number of exceptions you can specify...I just can't stand it.
wk
July 10, 2010 at 1:37am
for the second or third time. MPC totally ignore Avast in their free AV reviews.
in many way Avast 5 is really great free AV with many features that overcome all other free AV.
give it a try and u will not be dispointed.
MPC is my home page
mewarmo990
September 14, 2010 at 3:58pm
Sorry to break it to you, but MPC most certainly did review Avast. Look through the main article again - it's about halfway down, under MSE.
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/kill?page=0%2C1
The actual review: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/reviews/avast_internet_security
Vernak
July 09, 2010 at 7:19pm
AVG's heuristics leave a lot to be desired compared to numerous offerings. I suppose that the vast majority of AVG users dont have the option checked anyway or dont understand what the term even is.
K0BALT
July 09, 2010 at 6:23pm
I used to use AVG a few years ago. I since changed to Avast along with all the other pcs in the house. I love it and its gotten even better. I'm almost half-tempted to give this AVG a try just for the hell of it.... maybe.
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i7 920@4.4GHz,Heatkiller 3.0, EVGA GTX480, EVGA GT240(PhysX), EVGA X58 3X SLI, 6GB DDR3 OCZ Gold @ 1770MHz
winmaster
July 10, 2010 at 2:05pm
Um...
Windows Defender doesn't have Anti-virus. Its only Anti-spyware. Thats why Microsoft came out with Microsoft Security Essentials.
Anybody running Windows Defender as their only anti-malware program is a "dumbell.)
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SPAM filter?
thetechchild
July 09, 2010 at 7:47pm
Sorry to break this to you, fanboy, but Windows 7 is not perfect in security. Plus, you shouldn't be calling people dumbells if you can't even use proper grammar in your sentences. There are plenty of security vulnerabilities in any of the pieces of software of Windows 7, and Windows Defender is not only severely outdated, it was never too great to begin with.
Defender was generally for Windows Vista and was replaced by the newer Microsoft Security Essential, IN 2009!
IFLATLINEI
July 09, 2010 at 2:54pm
Thanks Paul for finally comparing AVG. Its nice to know my AV of choice is still among the best. Im running a mixed network of PC's running XP, Vista, and 7. Everyone boots up in less than a minute due to proper optimization so boot times are obviously not an issue for me. Scans happen in my absence so again not an issue. The only people these times would impact are people who try to scan while using or waiting for the PC to complete the scan and I still dont understand why anyone would do that but some do. The biggest reason for me to use AVG is because it just hasnt failed me yet. Ive had one virus in the last few years and it can be traced to my own stupidity. Doing axactly what I tell others in my household not to. Boy did I hear it about that one. I guess its funny when the Tech Guy fails to follow his own rules. LOL
With that being said those times posted are usefull and have me thinking maybe I might try running Avira on one of my spare machines for a bit. Seems like a step better than AVG.
Nice Job Paul
Paul_Lilly
July 09, 2010 at 4:40pm
Glad you found it useful. The toughest part about doing these roundups is deciding which ones to include and which ones to put off until a later date. We wanted to include as many new faces as possible, and since AVG received double coverage in last year's roundup (we reviewed both the free and paid versions), it got pushed to the side. FWIW, we received more requests for AVG than any other security program.
-Paul
Biceps
July 09, 2010 at 3:33pm
Thank you for reviewing!! I've been dying for this since the lineup came out a few months ago.
Ntldr
July 09, 2010 at 11:22am
I have never noticed slowed boot times after installing AVG. Now with Norton and other AV programs I have noticed some Norton and McAfee are the worse I have seen. AVG and Avira are the best about not slowing it down.
tri8gman
July 09, 2010 at 10:49am
"AVG" got cut off on the bottom there, so it just says "Anti-Virus 9" - I had to double take and then click it because it looked at if you guys were pushing some scareware. :P
rseding91
July 09, 2010 at 8:36am
I've been using AVG free from version 8. The only thing I don't like about 9 is the link scanner. Which can simply be not-installed during setup.
I never noticed slow boot times, but that could be the RAID 0.
rseding91
July 09, 2010 at 3:01pm
That may be true but I haven't had a virus in over 3 years.
It really comes down to the stupidity of the user. If the person is willing to install what ever he comes across it doesn't matter what antivirus software you have running, the computer is doomed.
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