The saying “you get what you pay for” has always circulated the antivirus program market. But what exactly do you pay for when you choose a free antivirus program over a paid program? Let’s take a look!
The Basics
There are four different levels of antiviruses: free, paid, suites, and premium suites. When you choose to pay for this protection, you are typically getting more features that with a basic free antivirus. As you move from free to premium, you also get more firewalls, identity theft protection, parental controls, and system performance tools. The free software provides the bare minimum which includes scanning for malware and can perform automatic scans. The paid version of many software straddles between the free and the suites. This version often offers more comprehensive security tools like parental controls and identity theft protection as well as more flexibility than a free package.
Support
One of the main drawbacks of a free software is the lack of technical support. While most companies offer some phone support for paying customers, many free users are not offered that service. Free users are typically helped by trial and error or by user forums. These free services can be helpful as long as other users have experience the same issue.
Detection and Speed
Although you get more features with a paid or suite subscription, the free antiviruses actually give users nearly the same amount of detection as their paid counterparts. When opting for a free software, you do lose some of the effectiveness against malware but you do gain a little speed. The free products are not weighed down by the unnecessary features and offer a higher detection speed.
There are many benefits to purchasing a paid subscription for your computer but just as many for the free subscriptions. For more information on maintaining your computer and keeping it at peak performance, call Working Nets today!
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Working Nets is a Maryland-based IT Service and Security company that services small businesses nationwide. We’re always on top of emerging cybersecurity trends and threats so you don’t have to be.
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