PC Matic is an American-based antivirus solution that uses its unique whitelisting technology to protect you from viruses and ransomware at affordable prices. It may not be one of the most popular names out there, but it has its own set of advantages that are definitely worth considering. Avast antivirus, on the other hand, is a far more popular family of cross-platform cybersecurity programs. It boasts of great free software and premium packages with attractive features.
In this article, we will take an in-depth look at both PC Matic and Avast and compare the two antivirus programs based on multiple factors, and try to figure out which of the two is the better solution for the modern computer user.
Highlights Of Pc Matic And Avast
In this section we will examine the various important aspects of both PC Matic and Avast, and compare their malware protection, reliability, user-friendliness, pricing etc. to find out how they stack up against each other.
Interface
While PC Matic is not one of the most conventional antivirus solutions, it is still one of the most user-friendly ones. There are a ton of options available on the main screen, but the interface is organized enough so that you don’t feel intimidated. It also doesn’t barrage you with tons of pop-up messages all the time.
Avast also sports a very clean interface that is good at keeping most complexities out of your way. With eight buttons within the Protection panel alone, it can appear complicated initially but since most of these are on/off switches, one gets used to the suite in no time. It is also highly configurable but suffers from Avast’s frequent up-selling attempts.
Reliability And Security
PC Matic has managed to get fairly great scores and detection ratings in tests by agencies like Virus Bulletin and AV-Comparatives. However, it suffers from plenty of false positives as well. For example, PC Matic blocked 800+ legit programs in AV-Comparatives’ test which is an extremely high number compared to all other antiviruses.
Avast has also proved its reliability time and again through various independent tests. It isn’t the very best, as it never manages to get perfect scores but it eliminated 99% of threats in the August 2018 AV-Test and got a 99.5% score in AV-Comparatives’ test. But it does not suffer from PC Matic’s problem of false positives so, for the average user, Avast seems to be the clear winner between the two despite its shortcomings.
Malware Protection
PC Matic creates a whitelist of known safe files and whenever it encounters any file, not on the list, they are sent to the company’s research team for analysis and quick tests. Since it takes almost a full day for the team to determine if these files are dangerous, this is a significant disadvantage as you always have to manually “tell” the antivirus which specific files and programs must not be blocked.
Avast is a far superior tool when it comes to removing sophisticated malware, quickly and efficiently. It uses 6-layers deep protection to detect and block malware in a matter of seconds. It also doesn’t end up blocking a ton of safe programs, unlike PC Matic.
Antivirus Performance
The great thing about PC Matic’s antivirus engine is that it is compatible even with a lot of older computers and has a low-performance impact. With an informative results page, PC optimization tools and built-in AdBlocker, it seems like a solid choice especially for people with outdated systems. However, despite its efficiency in detecting viruses, its higher possibility of false positives is still a significant drawback.
Avast’s first layer of defence is classic signature-based scanning that compares files to known virus definitions. The second layer monitors activity and code snippets for indications of an attack. Its engine does a decent but unspectacular job when compared to the best antivirus programs out there, but again it might be a slightly better option than PC Matic because it does not suffer from annoying false positives.
Scanning Options
PC Matic is a bit different from other products as it doesn’t let you run small scale customizable scans to target specific areas. Instead, you must run a full scan that includes complete disc fragmentation, performance tweaks and malware detection. But first, the software will launch a quick diagnostic scan to check and fix OS issues.
Avast is far more customizable and allows you to do a full scan, a scan of specific files and folders, run a boot-up or custom scan. You can even scan a single item by right-clicking it in Explorer. You can also schedule scans on a regular basis, be it daily, weekly or monthly.
Pricing Details
PC Matic offers two kinds of options with plans. You can get an annual subscription priced at $50 for 5 devices or a lifetime subscription for $150 for 5 devices. These prices are highly affordable compared to most other options. Especially the Lifetime subscription allows you to save a lot of money with no other antivirus product offering a similar deal.
Meanwhile, Avast is one of the most costly antivirus software available, even if it offers a greater range in its plans. For 5 devices, the Internet Security plan costs $104.99 and the Premier package costs $134.99. Both of these are a great deal more expensive than PC Matic. With Avast, you can also choose their Ultimate package which costs $99 for a single device.
Conclusion: Pc Matic Vs Avast – Which Is Better?
It is not very easy to argue that Avast is the more advanced and competent option in being a modern antivirus solution, especially without top-notch test scores. For the most part, it deals perfectly well with malware and offers a wide range of customizable features for a safe online experience. PC Matic does mostly the same and is impressive with its test scores, yet its annoying habit of blocking perfectly safe programs can be a real headache in daily use.
PC Matic balances functionality and price, offering some of the most affordable options available which are great considering how costly Avast is. Both programs sport smart, clean and easy-to-use user interfaces so there’s nothing to choose between them there. Ultimately it comes down to whether you own a previous generation computer and need an affordable, low-impact solution like PC Matic or a more modern, more comprehensive option like Avast even if that means paying a greater amount.