Avast and Malwarebytes are both popular and reliable antiviruses. They both score high in testing and can be enough for the protection of your device. If you cannot choose one, here are the strengths each of them has, so you can decide based on the features that matter to you.
Avast
Avast offers 4 antivirus plans that detect viruses, spyware, malware, and phishing attacks (when hackers try to steal your personal information, such as passwords and credit card data) on websites and in emails. The antivirus protects your gear by checking everything that may be a threat. It constantly updates its information about new attacks, so you are always protected from the latest threats.
Ransomware protection
Ransomware blocks your device and threatens to delete or corrupt your files if you do not transfer money. Unfortunately, this virus is becoming increasingly widespread and allows hackers to get more money from their victims. A huge plus of Avast is how serious the developers are about extortion and that it offers a powerful tool to protect against it. When you install Avast, it does much more than constantly scanning and detecting all possible attacks. Avast Ransomware Shield allows you to store your favorite files in a safe environment. Ransomware Shield encrypts the files and protects even more folders. You also have the option of choosing a program to open files.
Testing results
Avast is known for its ability to detect attacks and protect against even new unforeseen threats. It is also vital that the constant background running of Avast does not affect the operations on your computer; it does not slow it down or stop at a certain point. Another big plus is that the antivirus does not produce many false positives, which is a good sign that Avast is doing its job perfectly.
Avast online privacy and security
When you open Avast, click on the Privacy tab to configure protection for Internet surfing. The first thing you can do is to keep your passwords in one place, which will simplify access to your favorite websites and keep your login information safe. Another great tool that is available to you is the Digital File Shredder. When a file is deleted from your computer, traces of it may remain on the hard disk, even if you do not see them. Digital File Shredder Avast deletes files and ensures that they disappear without a trace from your device. Another good feature is webcam protection, which helps protect you from prying eyes and hackers who can access your computer and spy on you. You can also choose which programs currently use your webcam and which do not. Finally, Data Shield analyzes all of your files, identifying important and sensitive ones, to provide them with even greater security to protect against any threats.
MalwareBytes antivirus
Malwarebytes is already known to many users. The main thing that emphasizes this antivirus, in addition to protection, is the ability to work with other antivirus products, enhancing the security of the system. Currently, there are two versions of the application. One of them is free and is designed for non-commercial use. The paid one has a large number of options and features. The paid Pro version will give you real-time protection, heuristics, and blocking the latest threats on the network. Also, the speed of instant scanning is higher than in the free version.
Testing results
During the test, the program used only 20% of the processor resource (maximum – 45%) and about 80MB of RAM. These results are completely satisfactory, given that the system used had a dual-core 2GHz processor and 3GB of RAM. As for the detection level, the result of the MBAM antivirus during scanning was small – only 64.7% (did not detect 120 of 340 malicious samples), but the heuristic engine increased this result to 78%, revealing another 46 threats. Notably, not a single virus was detected inside the archive, but after unzipping, it was noticed.
Interface and settings
Configuring MBAM antivirus is very simple. The critical part is in the “Scan Settings” section, where you can select the locations in which the program will look for viruses. The options are clear and contain settings for including memory objects, autorun, registry, and file system. You can also add an improved heuristic engine as an additional layer of protection. MBAM antivirus is not very effective by itself, but its scanning speed, low consumption of system resources, and proper detection of threats that other antiviruses do not make it a reliable companion for the security of your system. During testing, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware detected many threats that were missed by other reputable antiviruses.
Eventually, it is up to you to decide which of these antiviruses wins the Avast vs. Malwarebytes. The result will be different for mobile devices and corporate needs. Nonetheless, both of the programs show remarkable results in terms of keeping your device secure.
