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Best for Integrated ID Theft Protection
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Anti-ransomware, spyware, adware, worms, trojan, and rootkits protection
Real-time protection scans, phishing and scam site prevention, and ability to quickly isolate dangerous files
Choice between 3 plans, all of which include a VPN, Safe Browsing, and 24/7 customer support
Best for Free Antivirus Protection
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Award-winning antivirus, malware, and ransomware protection for up to 10 devices
Includes webcam protection, safe browsing and email, automatic updates, and 24/7 protection
Suite of protection benefits including a secure VPN, anti-tracking capabilities, safeguards against phishing sites, and more
Aura and AVG both offer strong antivirus protection, but in this head-to-head, we scored AVG slightly ahead. Depending on your needs, you may like the identity theft protection that comes with Aura or the budget-friendly security provided by AVG.
Both have a good number of features and functionality, but you’ll have to look at them side by side to figure out which is the best antivirus software for you.
Antivirus software protects you by stopping malicious files from infecting your device. Aura integrates its identity theft protection knowledge into its antivirus, which makes it a powerful tool for anyone wanting to combine those two services.
AVG offers free antivirus software as its baseline service, with upgrades available if you want more protection. Both services have a variety of features and upgrade options that may be exactly what you’re looking for in an antivirus.
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| Star rating | ||
| Starting price | $35.99/first yr | Free to $46.68/yr (first year only) |
| Max number of protected devices | 10 | 10 |
| Malware scans | Manual | Manual and scheduled |
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Compatibility | Android, Windows, macOS | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS |
| Learn more | Get Aura Antivirus | Get AVG |
We use our proprietary grading rubric in all of our testing, which considers ease-of-use, third-party testing scores, internal testing scores, price, compatibility, and features offered, among other metrics.
This means that our testing process is designed to ensure that the product isn't too confusing, protects as it claims, and offers you a lot for a reasonable price. We download and run each program on our own computers on home networks, just like you would. Our ratings reflect the real-world performance of the antivirus product. This ensures that we can recreate a similar experience for you and give our best advice on whether or not it's worthwhile.
To learn more about how we test, check out our full antivirus testing methodology here.
Aura is easy to download and its interface is pretty simplistic. It is pretty good at picking up ransomware and bundles extra features like its identity theft protection.
AVG scored well during third-party testing and offers automatic and manual malware scans. Its plans are reasonably priced, and even the free version offers real-time protection and is pretty good against phishing attempts.
While both have reliable features at a reasonable cost, AVG has a free plan.
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Our Pick | |
| Price range | $35.99-$59.99/first yr | Free–$34.99/first yr |
| Best value plan | Antivirus Plus plan for $47.99/first yr | AVG Internet Security plan for $59.88/yr (first year only) |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 60 days | Yes — 30 days |
| Learn more | Get Aura Antivirus | Get AVG |
Because identity theft protection features can take some time to show results, Aura offers a 60-day refund window if you don’t like its services. It shouldn’t take this long to figure out if its antivirus works for you, so we appreciate the generosity in extending its money-back guarantee on this product.
AVG offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, but it also offers a free tier of its antivirus software. You can download and use the free version for as long as you like. If you decide to upgrade, the 30-day refund window begins.
Both platforms offer affordable monthly subscription prices across all tiers. The additional features that come with the higher-priced plans, like identity theft insurance with Aura or anti-phishing protection from AVG, are worth the upgrade.
Our Pick |
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| Manual and scheduled scans | ||
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Firewall | ||
| Parental controls | ||
| Password manager | ||
| VPN | ||
| Ad blocker | ||
| Device optimization tools | ||
| Learn more | Get Aura Antivirus | Get AVG |
Aura offers a few more features than AVG. Even though AVG touts a firewall, Aura counters that with a password manager and an ad blocker, both of which are necessary pieces in your security stack.
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While Aura does have a separate set of parental controls, they aren’t included as features in the antivirus packages. If you want them, you’ll need to purchase them separately. AVG doesn’t offer any additional software that includes parental control features.
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While both services offer strong and useful features, the inclusion of a virtual private network (VPN), password manager, and identity theft protection means that Aura can help you save money by bundling several services into one.
Third-party testing is important with cybersecurity products to make sure that the antivirus scans work. Independent third-party sites like AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives run antivirus products through the gambit to verify that nothing is getting through. These tests are voluntary, and cybersecurity companies can choose to submit products to these sites for testing. The lack of results doesn’t mean the product isn’t effective, it just means it hasn’t been submitted for a test.
We also do some independent testing with EICAR, a series of malware and phishing simulations that mimic the real thing. Using EICAR in our testing gives us firsthand experience with each of these products, allowing us to see if we get the same results as the large third-party test sites. The more you throw at antivirus programs, the more certain you can be of their security.
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Our Pick | |
| AV-TEST Windows score | N/A | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | N/A | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST Android score | N/A | 18/18 |
| EICAR score | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| Learn more | Get Aura Antivirus | Get AVG |
Unfortunately, Aura has yet to submit itself to testing with either of the two major sites. So our only evaluation of its effectiveness is our own EICAR testing. Our results revealed that one of the categories, compressed malware, didn’t register either a pass or a fail. We did find that Aura failed to block a sophisticated phishing attempt, though. All in all, these EICAR testing scores aren't bad for Aura.
AVG, on the other hand, has been around a long time and is no stranger to testing. AVG received three perfect scores for three different operating systems: Windows, macOS, and Android, in addition to doing well in EICAR testing. The only place it faltered in the EICAR tests was with its ability to block sophisticated phishing attempts. Otherwise, it had fantastic scores.
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extensions | Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Phone, live chat, Help Center, online guides | Email, forums, online guides |
| Learn more | Get Aura Antivirus | Get AVG |
Both programs are easy to use and have decent compatibility. We were surprised that Aura doesn’t support iOS. Neither service supports a Safari browser, which is strange because it’s pretty popular. This means iPhone users will be left out if they choose Aura and won’t have the browser protection feature if they choose AVG.
Another lackluster discovery was AVG's support options. Aura offers phone and chat support, while AVG only offers email as the avenue to connect with an agent. Hopefully, you won’t run into an issue that you need resolved immediately because you may have to wait for that assistance.
Yes, Aura Antivirus is good. It’s under the reputable Aura product umbrella and has great reviews. We wish it submitted itself to independent third-party testing. Since it’s a fairly new product, we hope it will be submitted to AV-TEST or AV-Comparatives soon.
If an antivirus program is better than AVG, it’s because the features suit you better. AVG antivirus has top protection scores across the board. Products like Norton 360 offer better customer support and more features but cost a lot more.
Aura’s pros and cons are based on its features. We’re confident that its usability and protection are sound. If you’re looking for a firewall or included parental control software, then another service like Norton 360 might suit you better.
Yes, Aura has the ability to remove malware threats. It will either automatically quarantine and delete the files or offer you the ability to delete quarantined files after they’re found.
AVG edged ahead a little bit in price and testing scores, which means it won more categories in this comparison. It offers a free version and has high third-party testing scores, making it an affordable, trustworthy option for antivirus software.
Award-winning antivirus, malware, and ransomware protection for up to 10 devices
Includes webcam protection, safe browsing and email, automatic updates, and 24/7 protection
Suite of protection benefits including a secure VPN, anti-tracking capabilities, safeguards against phishing sites, and more
But that doesn’t mean Aura Antivirus isn’t also a fantastic choice. Depending on your needs, Aura’s additional security features may make it a more cost-effective option if you want to bundle your online security suites.
Anti-ransomware, spyware, adware, worms, trojan, and rootkits protection
Real-time protection scans, phishing and scam site prevention, and ability to quickly isolate dangerous files
Choice between 3 plans, all of which include a VPN, Safe Browsing, and 24/7 customer support
Whatever you decide, you need antivirus protection on your computer. The internet is full of cyber threats like malware, viruses, trojans, and other unpleasant things. Keeping yourself protected is so much easier than trying to clean up an attack after it happens.
If you’re looking for the best antivirus software and aren’t interested in Aura or AVG, we have some additional suggestions below. Whether you’re looking for all the bells and whistles or another reputable free antivirus program, the suggestions below have a lot of options.
Real-time protection from viruses, malware, and online threats
Blocks tracking cookies and ads, proactively monitors for data breaches, and option to schedule smart scans
100% compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS operating systems on up to 3 devices
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