Both antivirus software companies are extremely well known and are favorites for many. Having so many security features as well as a loyal fan base, it’s tough to choose between Avira vs Kaspersky and our BGT readers wanted to know which security suite would fare better in a comparison battle.
There are so many factors that go into consideration when deciding the best antivirus program to buy – and one important part of that is how good the antivirus program is at detecting malware. Malware is malicious software that is created by hackers whose main aim is to gain access to your systems and all the confidential data stored within.
We also look at how those programs impact the performance of your computers, their security features and of course, the price tag they come with.
Winner of this Battle between Avira vs Kaspersky
After running various tests, our firsthand accounts on the programs’ performance as well as relying on scores from independent testing labs reveal that Kaspersky is the winner of the battle.
Why? With an attractive price tag of only $39.99/ year with the cost covering a package offering protection to three devices, it was definitely the most budget friendly, while having a very comprehensive security package that would definitely keep your systems safe and secure.
Avira vs Kaspersky: Test Results
Kaspersky Pros
- Minimal impact on system performance
- Excellent Firewall
- Great results from independent testing labs
- Parental Control
- Simple UI, unchanged from previous versions
Kaspersky Cons
- It’s not free
Avira Pros
- Good scores in malware detection tests
- Many useful features
- Good results from independent testing labs
- Can download other Avira related products
Avira Cons
- Slow scanning process
- Browser protection available on only a few browsers and not all
Avira: Knowing More
A German security software company, Avira has a vast array of performance tools as well as antivirus and antimalware tools for mobile devices, computers and servers and it holds nearly 10% of the global market share. Headquartered in Tettnang, Germany, Avira was founded by Tjark Auerbach in 1986, and was considered to be the sixth largest antivirus provider globally just a few years back.
Kaspersky Lab: Knowing More
Founded in 1997, Kaspersky is a Russian antivirus and computer security provider and is based in Moscow. It has been named time and again a leader in various global cyber security platforms and has also taken charge to be one of the top favorites for European users. Kaspersky continues to improve its products under its brand and continues to do extensive research on cyber espionage.
Which Independent Testing Labs Does The BlueGadgetTooth team Trust
The BlueGadgetTooth team looks to two independent testing labs for their accurate and real world tests that show us just how well various antivirus programs perform in various categories.
These two labs are AV-TEST, a lab based in Germany, and Av-Comparatives, a lab based in Austria. They regularly test various systems running on various Windows 32 and 64 bit version to get an accurate understanding of just how well the security suites perform.
They have their own series of tests. Av-Comparatives bombards the systems with over 20,000 malware, some being the most popular and some being the most recently discovered malware in order to check which ones get through the defences of the antivirus programs.
Can you believe that over a quarter of a million NEW malware are registered every single day?
This is why we trust their findings, because they test the programs on a scale that we cannot possibly do. We use the results of their latest tests, and if the results are updated, those results reflect in the next comparison guide we write.
Let’s move on to the battle rounds.
Round One: Malware Detection
Avira actually did pretty well, scoring a pretty good result with both independent testing labs, scoring a perfect 6.0/6.0 at AV-Test (results shared below).
From the results given below (scores taken from Av-Comparatives.org), we could see that Avira detected 97% of all malware while offline, with that percentage increasing to 99.4% when online. The online Protection rate climbed even higher to 99.97% - which is very close to being perfect, with the program generating only 12 alarms.
Kaspersky did pretty well as an antivirus program as well, detecting 94.1% of the malware, with the results rising to 97.8%. The Online Protection score was 99.86%, just about the same as Avira, and generating only 10 false alarms. With Av-test.org, Kaspersky scored a perfect 100% on protection. (Screenshot included above for reference.)
For us, false alarms are not the be all and end all of things, because it’s always better to be safe rather than sorry.
Winner of Round One: With Av-Test, Kaspersky was the clear winner, but with AV-Comparatives’ results, Avira had the edge. So this brought us to our own tests and findings which should that Kaspersky performed a shade better than Avira, which means Kaspersky was the winner of this round.
Round Two: Installation & User Interface
Avira had a simple step by step process that just involved more clicking ‘CONTINUE rather than anything else. If we could remove that unnecessary step, then this would be perfect. There were no complicated actions to be taken, no hunting for the activation key, which we appreciate.
Simply click on the ‘Accept and Install’ button and a quick download, installation process and we were good to go!
It shows all the mentioned features on this page one by one – so you have to keep clicking CONTINUE – that’s the only step that was not required.
The cute little umbrella icon seems more at home at a store for monsoons, but we’re not going to bicker on that point. The scan was quick and painless, and we like that.
But do watch out – you will have pop-up windows that will advertise Avira products.
Kaspersky was also a simple thing to download and install. The whole process was actually quite straightforward, with each step of the way being easily navigable – from the point of choosing the language of preference, to choosing settings to reaching the final window – everything was well laid out.
We like how you get to know just how much time has passed and how much of the file has been downloaded – so you’re always well informed each step of the way.
The program may come across other files that are incompatible with it, and you may need to restart your computer – but that is a good thing, because if there is another antivirus program, Kaspersky may be tricked into thinking it is a malware and act accordingly.
It will also let you know if there are any pending updates – so you know your protection is always as up-to-date as it can be.
Winner of Round Two: Both Avira vs Kaspersky are great to install, with no issues faced along the way – but we lean towards the simple installation process as well as scanning process of Kaspersky, so we declare Kaspersky as the winner.
Round Three: System Performance Impact
We ran a series of program on our systems with both antivirus programs running in the background to check just how much they affected our system’s performance.
Kaspersky has built a solid reputation for its low impact on system’s performance, with this reputation being backed up by steady minimal impact through the years.
Our own tests as well as results from independent testing labs revealed what we already knew – that Kaspersky was the antivirus program with least impact.
Kaspersky System Performance
Scoring a perfect 6.0/ 6.0 in tests from AV-Test, Kaspersky did pretty well.
Avira System Performance
Avira scored a marginally lower score of 5.5/ 6.0 in performance.
We opened a few commonly used applications like Word, Excel and Chrome as we browsed through multiple websites to check just how much the system was impacted, and we noticed a slight lag and slowing down when Avira was running.
The scans themselves were completed quickly with both Avira vs Kaspersky. When we upped the game and ran a power hungry application, things became even slower with Avira. Not enough to make us throw our hands up in the air in frustration, but enough to down vote Avira by a shade.
Winner of Round Three: Kaspersky was the winner of this round.
Round Four: Security Features
Avira
Kaspersky
- Rescue CD for recovery
- Excellent Phishing Protection
- Privacy Cleaner
- Vulnerability Scan
- Secure VPN connection
- System Watcher
- Browser Config
- Anti-Spam feature
- Spyware Protection
- Updates software automatically
- Safe Money Browser – opens a separate protected browser when it detects that you are opening a financial or payment gateway site
- Parental Controls
- Trusted application Mode
Winner of Round Four: Both Avira vs Kaspersky have great security features, but Kaspersky has built quite the reputation for hunting down malware and successfully eliminating them. This round’s winner is Kaspersky.
Round Five: Price
The price tag of any product should be taken into consideration when choosing a product. You don’t want to shell out a lot only to find out that you could have gotten something similar at a better deal.
Avira Prime is available at a price tag of 99.95€/ year for five devices. Kaspersky offers protection for three devices at a price tag of $39.99. You do the math – it’s quite clear which security suite is more affordable.
Winner of Round Five: Kaspersky wins this battle with its pocket friendly price tag.
Why is it so important to have Antivirus Software?
Malware are created with the specific purpose to cause havoc and to disrupt the lives of some people. This could be anyone – even you.
They are created with the intent of getting information and access to confidential data that could be stored on your computer. This could lead to unknown persons gaining access to sensitive information like your banking details or passwords to your social media accounts.
Once someone who is not you has control and access to this information, they can proceed to drain your funds from your banking accounts, steal your identity or have malicious intent with the contents of your social media accounts.
None of these options are good and all end in tears, worry, heart break, stress and simple chaos.
A simple reputable antivirus program can prevent any of this from happening.
With many people constantly conducting more activities online, it is imperative that you protect you and your family from cyber threats that constantly try to worm their way in.
You do need a protective barrier between you and the hundreds and thousands of malware that seek to gain entry to your computers.
Final Verdict: Avira vs Kaspersky
Kaspersky has proven time and again to be a top favorite and the attractive price tag is definitely something that is the icing on the cake.
The comprehensive list of security features helps to understand the level of security that Kaspersky offers, and by looking at the test results from the two independent testing labs, it’s clear to see that even though Avira is a good antivirus program, there can be only one winner – and that winner is Kaspersky.