Avira Free Security Review

by
Stacy Fisher
Stacy is a freelancer with over 18 years experience writing about technology and personal finance. She has published hundreds of articles and co-authored a book.
our editorial process
Stacy Fisher
Updated on February 26, 2020

Avira Free Security is one of best free antivirus software programs out there for various reasons, the least of which is just because it's free.

My favorite feature of Avira Free Security is the wide range of malware threats that it protects you from. I also like how simple the interface is.

What We Like

  • Protects from many types of malware, not just traditional viruses

  • Contains advanced heuristic tools

  • Works on Windows and Mac

  • Virus definition updates are automatic

What We Don't Like

  • Only home use allowed

  • Configuration wizard could be intimidating

  • The download portion of the installation process took longer than with other programs

Description

Avira Free Security in Windows 10
  • Avira Free Security protects you from viruses, adware, spyware, back-door programs, dialers, fraudulent software, phishing, and more
  • An ability to choose when to start the antivirus program during the boot process is a valuable addition that I haven't seen elsewhere
  • Avira Free Security has an advanced heuristic engine (detects malware that it's not already aware of) which is a feature not always seen in free antivirus tools
  • Mac and Windows (10, 8, 7) are all supported operating systems
  • Automatic updates keeps Avira Free Security updated with the latest threat information

Thoughts on Avira Free Security 

Avira Free Security is an excellent free antivirus choice. While not my favorite (I prefer AVG or avast!), it certainly has its pluses.

As I mentioned above, the best thing about Avira Free Security is the range of protection—everything from old fashioned modem dialers that used to rack up the phone bill to the most advanced Trojans.

While this might seem odd to mention, the configuration wizard, which I listed as a con, is actually quite handy as long as you know what you're selecting. For example, one option allows you to choose whether to start Avira Free Security early in the Windows boot process, giving you greater protection, or later in the process, providing a bit less protection but speeding up your boot. Options are always good, right?