Can a free tool really beat a premium security suite?
Cost: $29/year
Best For: Complete peace of mind.
Cost: $0
Best For: Basic scanning on a budget.
Avast is a fantastic tool for free users, but it comes with annoyances. You will see pop-ups asking you to upgrade when you try to use advanced features like the "Driver Updater" or "Tracker Blocker."
TotalShield is a paid product, which means you are the customer, not the product. It runs silently, has no ads, and includes premium features like Ransomware Rollback—if a virus locks your files, TotalShield can reverse the damage. Avast Free cannot do this.
If you have $0 budget, Avast is safe to use. But for just $2.50/month, TotalShield offers significantly better protection against modern threats like crypto-lockers and identity theft.