Felicity Kay
Cybersecurity Expert
Strong antivirus software needs to protect from known and unknown cyber threats. Avira and Total AV both use the latest virus scanning techniques to detect all types of infection, but that’s where the similarity ends.
Total AV includes a huge range of extra features. It has a remote firewall, which you can customize even when not on the computer. There’s a VPN to keep you safe on public WiFi, and the password manager and Adblock are great for staying secure online. There’s even a Web Shield extension (it’s worth noting that it’s only 90% accurate). This many extra features can cause speed problems, so Total AV provides a PC optimization feature and disk cleaner to delete unnecessary or outdated files.
While Avira doesn’t offer as many additional features, it works hard to optimize the protection your computer already offers. There’s no firewall, but the app will upgrade the built-in Windows version. You also get notifications whenever your software needs updating. Similarly, the virus lab help-service walks you through all types of threats and how to resolve them. Avira is particularly useful for online shoppers as it includes payment protection and a price comparison Chrome extension. The PC tune-up feature helps optimize your computer’s speed.
