Avast AntiVirus is used around the globe by more than 100 million users. Last year's version scored quite well, however its user-interface was in need of a major overhaul . We're pleased to report that Avast did indeed receive a major makeover this year - now we can concentrate on the good aspects of Avast and not be so preoccupied with how bad its user-interface is.


1) Installation:  ⁴/₅

Avast AntiVirus Pro 5 installs in 56 seconds and requires no system reboots. This is an improvement over last year's version which took a little longer - requiring a reboot after the install. Avast also forces an AutoUpdate at the end of the installation, which is a nice feature to make sure you're up-to-date and secure. Overall a nice, clean installation process, and one of the quickest installing programs this year.

2) Features & Ease of Use:  8/10 What a difference a year can make. Last year's version of Avast looked outdated and was difficult to use. This year Avast couples both good performance and a much improved user-interface in its new Version 5. Avast v5 Dashboard: Avast Antivirus Pro Version 5.0 has a good assortment of features such as its Real-Time Shields, which protect you while you surf the web, receive email, use Instant Messaging, and more. Avast's "Shield" protection has 9 components including the all-new Avast Sandbox. Avast Sandbox lets you run potentially harmful programs in a safe, virtual environment - this is especially useful for surfing the web to protect you against malicious websites. A great new feature to add to Avast's growing toolkit of features. Avast Real-Time Shields: New Features:     • Avast! Sandbox - provides a safe, virtual environment for potentially harmful programs (such as Web Browsers)     • Silent/Gaming Mode - automatically detects full-screen applications and disables any obtrusive notifications Features Checklist: Anti-Spyware Anti-Rootkit Bot Protection Email Scanning IM Protection Trojan Protection Worm Protection Anti-Phishing 3) Virus Scanner:  3/5 Avast has 4 scanning options: Quick Scan, Full System Scan, Removable Media Scan, and a Custom Scan (referred to as "Select folder to scan"). Our testing found Avast's Virus Scanner scanned at a pace of 22.2 MB/s - making it the fastest Virus Scanner we tested. Avast's scan speed translates into scanning 50GB of used hard-drive space in just over 38 minutes. On the other hand, the Quick Scan feature scanned our test computer in 10 minutes and 47 seconds which is fairly slow for a "Quick" Scan.  Avast Virus Scanner: New scanning features in Avast 5.0 include Intelligent Scanner which uses White Listing to identify safe files, thereby able to reduce scan times on subsequent scans by up to 80%. A nice addition to Avast 5.0, but one that many other popular Antivirus programs added a couple years ago. Updates: Avast only has 2 updates per day on average, making it one of the least updated Antivirus programs on the market that we've reviewed. In comparison Norton Antivirus has over 200 updates per day. One other thing we didn't like about Avast's update feature is that after an update is downloaded it gives a Voice confirmation which can be quite unnerving. It's probably fine to have this as an option, but to have it as part of the default settings will just annoy many users who won't be able to disable it/or know they can disable it.  4) Performance Testing:  6/10 A good Antivirus program should not only protect your computer from Viruses but also not slow down the Performance of your computer too much by using up your computer's resources. We run each Antivirus program through a set of Performance Tests to see the impact it has on the computer. View the results of our Antivirus testing for Avast 5.0 below... • Memory Use: Avast Version 5.0 uses 5.4 MB of system memory. Top rated of the 10 Antivirus programs we tested, and a great improvement over last year's 20.1 MB of memory. • Reboot Time: Avast added 9.1 seconds to our test computer's reboot time. #4 rated of the 10 Antivirus programs we tested. • Installation Size: Avast AntiVirus Pro 5 takes 280 MB of hard-drive space for installation. This was the #7 rated program we tested. • Application Launch Time: Avast added 0.145s on average to launch a web browser. #4 rated program we tested. • File Conversion Time: Avast added 0.85s on average to convert a MP3 file to four other file types. #9 rated program we tested, and Avast's worst result in our testing. • System Impact Score: The "System Impact Score" is a comparative score tallied from the above 5 Antivirus tests. Avast Version 5.0 scored a total of 30 out of 50 points when compared to the other Antivirus programs. This placed Avast 4th best in our Performance testing, behind Norton 2011, NOD32 4.2, and Avira. 5) Effectiveness: (Virus/Malware Detection)  13/15 The most important function of an Antivirus program is to keep your computer free from Viruses and other Malware. Below we'll take a look at some of the industry's top Virus/Malware Detection testing and certification. a) AV Comparatives has 2 major Virus/Malware tests each year. In the most recent test in May, the Proactive Test, Avast received 2 out of 3 Stars. In the 2nd test, the On Demand Detection Test, Avast performed better - receiving a 3-Star rating. Overall, Avast performed quite well, and much better than it did in similar tests last year. (*AV Comparatives is an independent Antivirus testing lab in Austria providing some of the most trusted Virus detection tests in the industry.) b) ICSA Labs Certified. ICSA is an independent organization that sets standards for security products and certifies anti-virus software. c) Virus Bulletin's VB 100% Certified. Avast passed the most recent VB100 test (April, 2010), and has passed all tests in 2009 and 2010 so far. The VB 100% award is given to antivirus software that detects all viruses "in the wild." d) West Coast Labs' Checkmark Anti-Virus Desktop Certification. WCL specializes in functionality testing, performance validation and Checkmark Certification of security products. 6) Help & Support:  3/5 Avast support includes the all the basics of a good support system except for a Chat system. New this year Avast has Toll-free Phone Support in the US & Canada, as well as other support options such as its Forum with over 500,000 posts, Email support, Knowledgebase (although not very extensive), and a step-by-step Troubleshooter. Definitely better overall this year, but it could still use further improvement in several areas. »Quick Support Links:      • Knowledgebase      • Support Forum      • Email Support (requires registration) CONCLUSION: Avast AntiVirus Pro 5 is a much better program than its predecessor of a year ago. Not only did Avast get a much-needed makeover of its user-interface, but its Effectiveness against viruses & malware in leading industry tests also showed improvement from a year ago. This coupled with another solid year in our Performance Tests and a great feature set - including the new Avast Sandbox - leads us to conclude that Avast is now ready to be ranked near the top of our Antivirus Reviews with the big names in the industry. Definitely a great overall improvement this year for Avast. Overall Rating: Good    (Total Score: 37 / 50 = 3.5 Stars)