I will record if the antivirus detects and blocks the Eicar files, and how they do so. Each file represents a different malware threat for the program to identify and delete. To test the two products, I will first examine how each performs against four separate malware test files from the European Institute for Computer Anti-Virus Research (Eicar). To do this I will run a number of tests that record how quickly and effectively AVG and Sophos block virus samples. The higher the protection rate, the better. In this section, I will be looking at protection against malware, viruses, worms, and trojans. I want to establish how well the antivirus products protect the average home user against the growing number of cybersecurity threats. This is a good way to ensure you are satisfied with the product.
Sophos antivirus mac software#
Sophos offers a free trial you can download to your PC in addition to an online simulation so you can test it out without downloading anything.ĪVG’s policies include a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can download and run the software without risk. If you are considering one of the longer-term deals, it’s probably worth trying out the software first. There is a 53% discount available, reducing the cost of the first year from $127.99 to $59.88. A three-year deal is down from $39.99 to $104.99, which equates to 25% off.Īt the time of writing, AVG only offers a discount on the Ultimate version of its software. A two-year plan, normally $99, is reduced to $74.99, saving you 25 percent. If you’re happy to go ahead and commit to a two- or three-year deal, then you can save even more. Sophos offers its premium AV package for $44.99 during the first year, a 25% saving. It’s typical in the antivirus industry to offer a first-year discount to new customers, and both Sophos and AVG follow this convention to some extent. It costs $59.99 / year at the time of writing. Sophos’ top tier product, Sophos Home Premium comes in at half the price. AVG displays this as $10.67 / month on the product page, but it is billed in one annual installment. Of AVG’s three tiers, the most expensive is the top-of-the-range AVG Ultimate.
Sophos antivirus mac android#
Both brands offer versions that work with PC, Mac, and Android phones. AVG has more bundles to choose from while Sophos makes it simple with just two home products – a free antivirus and a premium version with more features. Sophos and AVG offer a few different tiers so it’s likely you can find a product that best suits your protection needs and your budget. One factor to consider when choosing your antivirus is the price of the annual subscription, any introductory offers for new customers, and the value for money on offer. Despite this, Sophos does offer a good home security product and claims it protects 100 million users in 150 countries. This illustrates its main focus which has predominantly been the enterprise market, where today it protects 400,000 organizations worldwide. Sophos’ website puts the focus on business users first with a secondary section for home antivirus products. AVG was bought by Avast for $1.3bn in 2016 but remains a separate brand from Avast software. It creates products for families and businesses and aims to protect all internet-enabled devices. Summary: AVG v Sophos AVGĪVG does not list details of the number of users on the company website, though a blog it published in 2015 claims 200 million active users with 100 million of those on mobile devices.
Sophos antivirus mac full#
If you would like to make up your own mind, read on through the full comparison below. It comes out on top thanks to strong virus detection rates, good performance, and a number of useful additional features. If you don’t have enough time to read the full comparison, and want to see the verdict, my winner is AVG. The short version: who wins between AVG and Sophos? I will capture some numbers on performance to analyze how much each program slows down my PC. To add to my research I will also compare my own in house tests to those performed by leading independent testing sites to get a better all-round picture of each program’s effectiveness against malware.Ī good antivirus needs to protect your PC but it should also have a minimal impact on the performance of your computer and the tasks you want to perform. I will run my own tests to capture data on how each program performs against a range of threats. I’ll consider which is most effective at blocking malware, find out if AVG or Sophos has the most impact on PC performance, and look at other important issues such as pricing, customer service, interface design, and customer support. In this comparison, I will delve deeper into each program and its suite of additional security tools to find out which offers the best all-round value. AVG and Sophos may not have the wide recognition of antivirus brands like Norton and McAfee, but both companies offer effective protection for users.