Is Avast better then AVG or AntiVir? Leo Laporte says NO!

[TAP]

On my machine, the new avast! 4.7 beta is as light as AntiVir and AVG. About AntiVir, if its heuristics enabled (medium or high), I can feel some impact in real-time performance.

About overall detection rates, I know AntiVir Classic is a bit better than avast! Home but I can't really feel safe with AntiVir (or AVG) since it can be configured to checking for updates only once a day (while avast! Home can check for updates hourly) but the fact is that you can have outbreak several times a day and you don't know when, especially if using on a family computer that online almost 24 hours a day. I personally don't believe in its heuristics.

In my mind, avast! Home is far more reliable than both AntiVir Classic and AVG Free in this aspect since I know my avast! can be automatically updated as soon as it has the new VPS available.

[Lisandro]

You are absolutely right Arup, but detection rates count, dont they?

Arup is right but all advantages - email module and protection, boot time scanning, etc. - means nothing if the detection is not the best possible...

[hlecter]

My opinion is that it isn't an answer to the question in the thread.
What CAN be measured is detection rates in which Avast not outperforms the two others in any way.  :'(

I am happy with the webshield, but it too needs signatures. 

But I like Avast and I am still using it. 

Thanks to Alwil for a good product.

HL

[RejZoR]

Tech, i always use only 1 resident (except few experiments).
avast! is main at the moment since i'm beta testing it.
AntiVir 7 should work just fine with it i belive (On-Demand only of course).

[gate1975mlm]

So what do the makers of Avast need to do to get it neck and neck with AntiVir?

[RejZoR]

Heuristics and more regular updates imo. Everything else is already top notch.

[Lisandro]

AntiVir 7 should work just fine with it i belive (On-Demand only of course).

No, not with avast! as resident.
I've failed to make Antivir a backup scanner. avast! detects the Antivir drivers and disables its own providers (I don't remember which ones, WebShield, etc.).

Does anybody else tested this configuration?
1. avast as resident
2. Antivir 7 as non-resident

Thanks.

[RejZoR]

Ok, looks like Alwil started to use some more generics (Swizzor-gen). Thats good.
Hope we'll see them more.

[gate1975mlm]

Ok, looks like Alwil started to use some more generics (Swizzor-gen). Thats good.
Hope we'll see them more.

What does this mean?

[RejZoR]

It means it will detect more.

Btw, who's this Leo Laporte guy? Never heard of him till now...

[CharleyO]

***

I do not know much about him neither but here is a little about him.

http://www.madpenguin.org/cms/html/62/4791.html

http://www.callforhelptv.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Laporte


***

[Omar]

I`d never go near AVG!

Avast has the makings of a brilliant programme, it has more features than AVG or antivir.

The boot time scan is wonderful for dealing with windows protected files, which even the likes of Kaspersky does not have!

However, avast appears to have 3 weaknesses in my opinion

1) Not enough updates,looking at the antivir updates page it is updated upto 6 times, every day of the week! Avast tends to have 1 update, pehaps 4-5 times a week.

http://www.avira.com/en/threats/section/vdfhistory/index.html

2) detection rate, needs to be better!

3) Samples are not added quick enough! My Agent sample is still not detected 10 days after submission!

[TAP]

However, avast appears to have 3 weaknesses in my opinion

1) Not enough updates,looking at the antivir updates page it is updated upto 6 times, every day of the week! Avast tends to have 1 update, pehaps 4-5 times a week.

http://www.avira.com/en/threats/section/vdfhistory/index.html

2) detection rate, needs to be better!

3) Samples are not added quick enough! My Agent sample is still not detected 10 days after submission!

I think so.

If avast! doesn't concentrate enough to detection technique/detection rate (that's the most important aspect of an antivirus software) in any way, may be someday in the near future, avast! will be beaten by AVG!!!

I want people use/talk about avast! because of it has one of the best detection technique/detection rate in the market, not because of it's free, it has skins, it has lots of features, its fast update mechanism or it has Web Shiled.

[gate1975mlm]

It means it will detect more.

Btw, who's this Leo Laporte guy? Never heard of him till now...

You can also listen to Leo Laporte talk show on the weekends Saturday and Sunday 2-5 PM Eastern time at this site http://www.kfi640.com/interactive/streaming.html

Leo is a great guy but I don't always agree with him. You can also download all his podcasts on itunes

[RejZoR]

Yeah, could be a nice guy but he's very wrong on this one.
From what i've seen on the field and AV-Comapratives AVG isn't really a direct avast! competition even though it's "eating" the same segment (also free edition for home usage etc). AntiVir is on the other hand. Wasn't exactly in version 6 but now in version 7 it's a tough competition, certanly worth mentioning. Well see what avast! 4.8 will bring...