Avira and Norton are both powerful antivirus programs, but there are several important differences between them.
For example, Norton’s web protection is much more comprehensive than Avira’s. However, Avira features a more powerful PC optimization tool that can remove browser cookies, duplicate files, and more.
Today, I’m going to take a closer look at Avira and Norton to help you decide which is better for you in 2023.
Avira vs. Norton: Final Verdict:
- 1st place:
- 2nd place:
Norton has better malware protection and more features at a better price. Norton is easily the best antivirus program in 2023. If you want the best malware protection, go for Norton.
Avira has better PC optimization tools and is easier to use. Avira features a comprehensive malware scanner and a powerful computer optimization tool. If you want to optimize your computer so it runs faster, go for Avira.
Avira vs. Norton: Malware Protection
Avira includes one of the most powerful malware scanners in the world. It uses both heuristic analysis and a large malware database to find and remove malware such as cryptojackers, trojans, rootkits, and worms. Avira’s malware scanner is so powerful that other antiviruses like TotalAV use it in their engines.
Unsurprisingly, the malware scanner works really well. To test it, I hid 1,000s of malware samples in different locations on my Windows 11 computer. I ran Avira’s full-system scan, which took 40 minutes to complete and found every malware sample on my device — which is pretty impressive!
The real-time protection is great, too. I switched it on and attempted to download the samples again. Avira stopped the download before I could save a single malicious file on my computer.
Norton features an excellent malware scanner that uses machine learning, heuristic analysis, and an extensive malware database to detect zero-day threats and known malware.
I was really impressed with Norton’s results when I ran a full system scan. To test it, I downloaded the same 1,000 malware samples I used to test Avira. The scanner went through every file and folder on my computer in 40 minutes (the same time as Avira’s scan took) and found 100% of the malware samples. While the scan was running, I could still use my computer normally — which I really appreciated.
Norton’s real-time protection worked really well, too. After finishing the malware scanner test, I turned on Norton’s real-time protection and tried to download the same malware sample archive. It stopped me from saving a single malicious file on my computer.
Avira vs. Norton: Web Security
Avira’s web extension — Browser Safety — stops you from visiting phishing websites that attempt to steal your data. It also blocks ads and trackers, so you maintain maximum privacy online. Browser Safety is compatible with all major web browsers, including Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Brave.
I was impressed with the results of Avira’s extension. To test it, I visited over 50 phishing websites on PhishTank. Avira was able to block most phishing websites, including sites that the default protections on Microsoft Edge, Chrome, and Firefox missed.
That being said, Avira wasn’t as good at blocking exploit attacks. When I ran simple simulated exploit attacks on my browser, many of them got through.
However, Avira’s ad blocker is really good. I visited Wired — a website that usually has a lot of ads on it — and counted how many ads Avira blocked. Avira successfully blocked 134 ads. Other ad blockers usually only block around 60 ads on the same website.
Norton’s web security is much more in-depth than Avira’s. Not only does it block access to dangerous phishing websites, but it also lets you see community reviews on suspicious web pages, so you can see whether you should visit them or not.
In my tests, Norton blocked every phishing website. I tried accessing the same ones I attempted to visit when testing Avira, including the websites that the default Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Chrome protections missed.
Norton also offers an ad blocker. However, it’s a separate download from the main antivirus suite. I tested it against the same website I used to test Avira and found Norton was able to block just as many ads.
Avira vs. Norton: Features
Avira Prime can protect 25 devices and includes:
- Malware scanner.
- Real-time protection.
- Device optimization tool.
- VPN (virtual private network).
- Password manager.
- File shredder.
- Driver updater.
- And more…
I particularly like Avira’s device optimization tool. It can clean up your system, application junk, and your downloads folder, and alert you to apps that make your device start more slowly. When I tested Avira on my Windows 11 computer, it was able to free up 1.3 GB of space.
I also like Avira’s password manager, which allows for secure password storage and uses 256-bit AES encryption. It features a clean, easy-to-navigate dashboard, and it’s compatible with Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Chrome, and Opera. It also includes key features you don’t usually see in an antivirus-bundled password manager, such as password vault auditing and data breach monitoring.
Norton 360 Deluxe can also protect up to 5 devices and includes:
- Malware scanner.
- Real-time protection.
- Firewall.
- VPN.
- Password manager.
- Dark web monitoring.
- Identity theft protection (US only)
- Webcam protection (Windows only).
- 50 GB cloud storage.
- And more…
All of these features work well, but I really like Norton’s VPN, which is one of our top antivirus-bundled VPNs of 2023. It uses 256-bit AES encryption to keep your data safe, has a strict no-logs policy, allows unlimited data, and comes with an ad tracker blocker. Honestly, my only complaint about Norton’s VPN is it only supports torrents on dedicated servers.
I really like Norton’s password manager too. Like Avira, it uses 256-bit AES encryption to secure your passwords and contains a password vault auditing feature — a rare inclusion in an antivirus-packaged password manager.
Avira vs. Norton: Ease of Use
Avira is one of the easiest antiviruses to use in 2023. Downloading and installing it on my Windows 11 PC only took 10 minutes and was done with just a couple of clicks.
I really like Avira’s user interface. It’s super straightforward to navigate and features large buttons allowing you to easily access every feature. Most features, such as scanning for malware, scheduling a scan, and cleaning junk files, only takes a couple of clicks to set up and initiate.
Avira’s mobile app for Android and iOS is also great. Its user interface is easy on the eye, with a lot of space between each element and large buttons you can’t miss. Again, most features only take a couple of taps to set up and initiate, so even beginner users will get on nicely with the mobile app.
Norton includes tons of features, so its user interface does have a little bit of a learning curve. However, navigating Norton becomes pretty straightforward once you get over that curve.
Norton includes three views: modern, classic, and a web-based dashboard. Honestly, I found the online dashboard to be the most comprehensive and intuitive. It shows everything on one screen, and you can access most of Norton’s features with one click.
I also really like Norton’s mobile app for Android and iOS. It’s easy to navigate, and like Avira, you can access most features with just one tap. My only gripe with Norton is that there are several different apps you need to download to get every feature — so it’s easy to clutter your phone’s home screen.
Avira vs. Norton: Customer Support
Avira has a comprehensive online knowledge base, phone, and email support. Unfortunately, there’s no live chat — which many competitors, including Norton, include.
Avira’s phone support team consistently delivered a friendly and helpful experience, and I never encountered any difficulties in reaching out to them. Nonetheless, it is disappointing to note that Avira restricts phone support exclusively to premium users, especially considering that several competitors extend phone support to users on their free plans.
That said, I really like Avira’s email support — the agents were always friendly and helpful. When I sent Avira’s support team an email asking for help with the app, they took about 24 hours to reply and sent me some resources on the knowledge base, as well as instructions on what I needed to do to solve my problem.
Norton’s customer support options are better than Avira’s. Norton offers phone support and a live chat. You can also contact Norton’s customer support in multiple languages, including English, Mandarin, Turkish, and German.
I quickly got through to an agent when I contacted Norton’s phone support. Like with Avira, the agents were friendly and helpful. However, I prefer how Norton offers phone support to anyone, not just premium users.
I then tested Norton’s live chat. Honestly, it wasn’t the best. Sometimes Norton took a long time to respond, and other times, the live chat wouldn’t open on my computer. That said, at least Norton offers live chat as an option — something Avira doesn’t offer.
Finally, Norton has an in-depth knowledge base that offers tons of information on how to use the software. The knowledge base is so helpful that I often found answers without contacting Norton’s support team.
