Hello Everyone!
A couple of years ago, if I'm not mistaken, TechSpot used to post AVG free as one of their preferred virus protection apps. I saw the malware forum thread had been updated and it now lists avira and avast.

Is AVG free still worth it? is avira/avast significantly better?

I'd appreciate any thoughts on it... all my PC's have AVG free currently.

THANKS!
AegisRose

AVG 8 was removed from the Malware removal guide as many users reported that AVG had caused Network issues (when infected) and also Avira/Avast! at the time, was much less resourced and usually detected more Virus/Malware than AVG
Plus AVG required the AVG Remover (and still does) to confirm that all AVG files were removed (when or if uninstalling)

AVG 9 was developed, with much less system resource and better detection of Malwares
But, still does not seem as good as the light Avira (IMO) that always scans without issue, and finds all known Viruses

Since many debates over "should I use AVG", has been posted (even support themselves) debating over what to use. It has been concluded that whatever the User decides to install, or has install (as long as reasonably common) Support will not say uninstall AVG or any others, unless some possible issue is evident (ie no network/Internet)

It is User preference, we all seem to have our best personal decision. Obviously, mine is free Avira, of which I have been using for years without issue

Thanks for the insight~ I haven't had any concerns with AVG, but I may install Avira on my new laptop and check it out.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition topped a survey of over 24k respondents on lifehacker.com as the preferred free product It scans up to 50% faster than version 8.5 and its LinkScanner component provides real-time safe surf capabilities. PC Magazine reviewed the product favorably in October, preferring it to MSE. To see the lifehacker article, go to their website and use a backslash 5401255

Oh, I forgot to mention I don't like MSE either, as it requires all Automatic updates on (I like manually updating)
And it sends data to MS

Avira

Avira came in 5th in the lifehacker survey with about 10% of the vote.

No it didn't
It came 3rd here: Five Best Antivirus Applications from "lifehacker survey"

And it was above AVG as per normal

Avira was just above other in the survey

Enter the lifehacker site and put this after the com 5399564/five-best-antivirus-applications. This is the article with the results.

http://lifehacker.com/5399564/five-best-antivirus-applications

I did, and Avira is above AVG
What was your point?

Edit: Oh by the user votes?
That's because AVG has so well advertised, but not everyone knows about Avira
I had lots of these online reports somewhere, safe to say that Avira is always above AVG on indepenadant reports (not user votes)

Avira came in last for the named products

Scroll to the bottom third of the article. The "graphics" aren't in the order of the survey results. The bottom third shows the count and the percentages. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition received 23% and Avira 10%.

I edited above, as you were typing in

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

Just showing the latest survey results. AVG as a company has a lot of 3rd party certifications for their software, as well.

All I can say is this:

I do note that my preference extends from viewing thousands of computers

just a second for Avira, i switched from AVG....(oddly enough from Kims endless rantings about it) and its been flawless, and found three items that apparently AVG had been missing for a while.