Microsoft Security Essentials vs Avast Free Antivirus

Struggling to choose between Microsoft Security Essentials and Avast Free Antivirus? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a Security & Privacy solution with tags like antivirus, malware-protection, microsoft, free.

It boasts features such as Real-time protection against viruses, spyware, and other malware, Scheduled scanning for threats, Automatic updates to help keep definitions current, Lightweight impact on system resources, Integration with Windows Action Center for security alerts, Free for personal use on Windows PCs and pros including Free, Effective protection, Low system resource usage, Easy to use, Automatic updates, Backed by Microsoft.

On the other hand, Avast Free Antivirus is a Security & Privacy product tagged with antivirus, malware-protection, realtime-scanning, scheduled-scanning, behavioral-detection.

Its standout features include Real-time scanning, Scheduled scanning, Behavioral detection, Anti-phishing, Anti-spam, Firewall, Sandbox technology, Wi-Fi inspector, Software updater, Browser cleanup, and it shines with pros like Free, Lightweight, Effective malware protection, Extra security features like firewall and sandbox, Easy to use interface, Works on Windows, Mac, Android.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free anti-virus program developed by Microsoft. It provides real-time protection against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software for Windows-based PCs.

Categories:
antivirus malware-protection microsoft free

Microsoft Security Essentials Features

  1. Real-time protection against viruses, spyware, and other malware
  2. Scheduled scanning for threats
  3. Automatic updates to help keep definitions current
  4. Lightweight impact on system resources
  5. Integration with Windows Action Center for security alerts
  6. Free for personal use on Windows PCs

Pricing

  • Free

Pros

Free

Effective protection

Low system resource usage

Easy to use

Automatic updates

Backed by Microsoft

Cons

Limited configuration options

No advanced features like firewall

Only available for Windows

May miss some threats detected by paid antivirus


Avast Free Antivirus

Avast Free Antivirus

Avast Free Antivirus is a free antivirus program that provides essential protection against viruses, malware, spyware, and other threats. It includes real-time scanning, scheduled scanning, and behavioral detection to keep devices secure.

Categories:
antivirus malware-protection realtime-scanning scheduled-scanning behavioral-detection

Avast Free Antivirus Features

  1. Real-time scanning
  2. Scheduled scanning
  3. Behavioral detection
  4. Anti-phishing
  5. Anti-spam
  6. Firewall
  7. Sandbox technology
  8. Wi-Fi inspector
  9. Software updater
  10. Browser cleanup

Pricing

  • Freemium

Pros

Free

Lightweight

Effective malware protection

Extra security features like firewall and sandbox

Easy to use interface

Works on Windows, Mac, Android

Cons

Occasional false positives

Limited customization options

No parental controls

No VPN

Some features only in paid versions