Avast Free Antivirus vs AVG AntiVirus Free

Avast Free Antivirus: what it's good at

Avast Free Antivirus provides continuous real-time scanning against viruses, ransomware and malicious websites at no cost. It is one of the most widely installed consumer security products in the world, and the free tier covers the essentials most home users need.

• Real-time virus and ransomware shield
• Malicious and phishing website blocking
• Wi-Fi network security scanning
• Optional paid upgrade for firewall and VPN

AVG AntiVirus Free: what it's good at

AVG AntiVirus Free blocks viruses, spyware and other malware in real time, and scans links, downloads and email attachments before they can execute. It shares a detection engine with Avast, and is a solid no-cost baseline for a home Windows machine.

• Real-time malware detection
• Email attachment and download scanning
• Performance scan for junk files
• Free for personal use

Which should you choose?

Both are free, so the honest answer is that you can install either and decide for yourself — that is the advantage of free software over a paid trial.

Both run on Windows, macOS, Android. Only Avast Free Antivirus supports iOS.

We deliberately do not publish a star rating for either. We have no way to verify a rating that would be honest at scale, and an invented one would be worse than none — so we give you the facts and let you decide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Avast Free Antivirus better than AVG AntiVirus Free?

Neither is universally better. Avast Free Antivirus long-established free antivirus with real-time protection, while AVG AntiVirus Free lightweight free antivirus with web and email protection. The right pick depends on your platform and workflow.

Are both really free?

Avast Free Antivirus is free tier and AVG AntiVirus Free is free tier. Both can be downloaded without paying.

Can I install both?

Yes. Since neither costs anything, installing both and comparing them on your own files is usually the fastest way to decide.