Whether it’s for you or anyone else in the family, protection while browsing your favorite websites is essential. Having a solid antivirus installed on all the devices you use is a must, but you’ll need more than that. Enter AVG Ultimate, a bundle of four programs, all of which, when installed, will let you sit back and browse the internet without ever worrying about security. Each software is responsible for protecting your device in different ways. Among them is the renamed and revamped AVG Internet Security, practically the same user-friendly and easy-to-manage antivirus software launched just a few years after the internet came into our homes. But modern systems require more than just an antivirus, and combined with the other programs, AVG Ultimate provides a solid defense on all fronts. All this at a reasonable price and with happy-to-help customer service.
AVG Ultimate is more than just its powerful antivirus software – which can be scheduled or set to start manually – it’s also a group of real-time protectors. AVG Internet Security‘s basic protection plan provides four tools for computer protection and four more for web and email. The full protection plan adds even more features, including hacking protection, privacy security, and scam prevention. But where AVG Internet Security’s protection ends, the company’s extra apps take over. While AVG TuneUp significantly boosts your device’s performance with its various tools designed for regular clean-ups, AVG AntiTrack is a hacker’s worst nightmare. With its regularly renewed digital fingerprint and various other antihacking tools, your privacy has never been safer. AVG Secure VPN takes this one step further by encrypting your data end-to-end.
All these features would hang in the air if AVG Internet Security failed to deliver on its main purpose. But the antivirus walks the walk, having a simple set of options available in the main menu. The Smart Scan is every user’s best friend. Unlike traditional quick scans, it goes over browser threats before looking for other nasty surprises on your device. It isn’t entirely automatic, as it requires user interaction after the first step to continue the process. This is a potential downside, as it makes it complex to do other tasks while the antivirus is scanning. Granted, scanning only takes a few minutes, and a brief yet heartwarming congratulation pops up if no malware is found.
But there’s more – Deep Scan checks your system thoroughly and not even the smallest malware can escape. This process is slower, especially when it’s set to scan everything, but it doesn’t take too long and wraps things up in about an hour.
Choosing to scan only specific files or folders is an option too, and Boot-time Scan will have the software perform a scan while the device is booting up. Using USBs and DVDs nowadays may seem a bit old-fashioned, but they’re up for scanning too. You can also use the scheduler to set up recurring scans. The icing on the cake is that scans can also be created from scratch, with each parameter customizable.
You should never have more than one antivirus installed on your device, as this creates various compatibility issues. That’s why AVG will automatically switch off real-time protection and keep passive mode on while there’s another antivirus lurking on your computer. Still, running manual scans is still an option.
With all four programs aboard, the bundle offers protection on all fronts, ranging from the comprehensive virus and malware scans to defenses against hacker attacks and annoyances like constant popups.
AVG Internet Security and AVG TuneUp are linked, since choosing a performance scan in the former redirects to the latter. AVG TuneUp speeds the device up by getting rid of broken shortcuts, system junk, browser cache, and more. The device’s performance is always there to see in plain sight. When disks are cluttered, the program clears them, freeing up large amounts of space, which would be a nightmare otherwise.
AVG AntiTrack’s greatest asset is that it offers almost complete invisibility, as it creates and regularly randomizes the user’s digital fingerprint. It’s also packed with the handy anti-tracker tool, which monitors websites in real-time, and sends a brief desktop message whenever it blocks a tracker. Say the word and the app even blocks entire websites. Finally, regular browser cleanups can be initiated too, whether manually or scheduled.
You’ll definitely find it useful to have a safe and trustworthy VPN. AVG Secure VPN encrypts your online presence and is also the simplest software in the bunch, as you can only turn it on or off. Locations can be set as well, with it offering up a considerable number of countries and major cities. If using AVG Internet Security is easy, then managing AVG Secure VPN is a cakewalk.
All the programs included in AVG Ultimate are available on PCs, running smoothly on every operating system since Windows XP. Additionally, Macs get in on the action too, working with everything from macOS 10.10 onwards. Android 5.0 and iOS 10.0 and later needn’t lose out on the bundle’s benefits either. We tested the software on an Android 11 phone, which showed that AVG AntiVirus & Security runs just as smoothly on mobile as on its computer sibling and can finish a deep scan in mere seconds. The license is for personal and family use only, and the bundle supports up to ten devices simultaneously.
AVG Ultimate includes only one pricing option: $59.88 the first year with $119.99 per year after. This translates to $4.99 and $9.99 per month, respectively, based on annual billing. This is generous considering that the bundle contains four apps for the price of one. In comparison, if you choose a license for only Internet Security with the same parameters (1 year, 10 devices), the price is exactly the same.
AVG offers a 30-day money-back guarantee too. With all this in mind, the offer is a great deal, even when the price switches to the larger amount. But if you still haven’t made up your mind, you can try out each program in a free trial. On a side note, AVG Antivirus FREE shouldn’t be confused with the 30-day trial of AVG Internet Security, as the two provide a significantly different experience. Paying is safe and simple – the company accepts Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover, and PayPal.
It can’t be emphasized enough that all the applications in AVG Ultimate are almost primitively easy to use. Still, there may be situations where help is needed. To this end, almost all channels are available, as you can email or call customer service, as well as contact the company through live chat or on Facebook. Customer support is available 24/7 and they don’t take their time either – on a regular business day, they answer within the hour.
While only good things can be said about the company’s customer service, this is not the same for the website’s support page. It’s incredibly cluttered and finding even the FAQ section requires some patience. Several links forward you unnecessarily to the Avast Business Support website – AVG being an Avast subsidiary. A cold comfort, but at least there’s a related Q&A section at the bottom.
AVG Ultimate is a reliable solution that offers a solid defense on all sides. With real-time protection mixed with regular scans, privacy settings, antitracking technology, a performance booster, and even a VPN, it is the definitive antivirus package for any family. AVG Ultimate earns its name with its overall high-quality functionality. While the company’s support page could be clearer, it’s likely you won’t ever need any help, as the user interfaces are easy-to-use. Getting four programs for the price of one makes saying yes to this offer a no-brainer, especially when the starting price isn’t particularly high either. You aren’t going to be disappointed, but if for some reason you are, you can get your money back within the first 30 days.
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