A question has continually been running through my mind. Why do people pay for Antivirus protection? I firmly believe that the average home user has no need to fork out cash for antivirus software. There are reliable and effective antivirus programs out there that when combined with some common sense and some knowledge of safe surfing will be absolutely sufficient at keeping you free of malware. I take myself as a perfect example as I’ve been using AVG Free on my home system for over six years with not a single serious problem. The biggest ‘minor’ issues I’ve had to deal with include tracking cookies.
Best Selling Antivirus in the World
I stumbled across a Norton advertisement the other day in which they describe themselves as the “Best selling antivirus software in the world”. Why is that do you think? I would suspect that because they have successfully marketed their product so well, and pre-loaded ‘free-trial’ versions onto virtually every machine on the planet, that many computer users assume this is their only option for protection. In fact I asked a few people why they are paying for antivirus protection. One individual told me directly “I didn’t know there were other options out there”. Another person let me know that it seemed easier to pay for a product they already had on their computer than to take the time to look for an alternative. WOW! Not just picking on Norton here but running with my primary example, it is an expensive product. That’s a lot of extra cash to just fork out, when a free product such as AVG, Avast or Avira will be relatively just as effective (Read my post on top free antivirus picks for 2010)
Is a Free product an Inferior Product?
I wonder if people feel naturally safer by paying for something? Perhaps there is the subconscious assumption that a free product is an inferior product. This is something I can understand, and it certainly wouldn’t surprise me. But in the case of Antivirus products it just isn’t true. Sure some pay products offer you features you simple won’t find in a free product (they have to give some incentive), but ultimately as I mention above safe browsing and common sense will protect you from the majority of threats anyway.
Clearly effective marketing is driving the economy for antivirus vendors. And those that offer free products obviously don’t have the resources to market their product in the same way. It is therefore up to us, to promote and assist individuals by helping them find and install free, effective, solid antivirus solutions.
So the question provokes thought. How can I motivate my friends and others to stop wasting valuable dollars on software they don’t need. Now I’m not advocating to say paid antivirus protection is wrong, simply promoting my own opinion which states that it is unnecessary. Corporations and other businesses would be unwise to stick with a free antivirus solution. But you at home, if you’re paying for antivirus software there are free alternatives which can save you money.
Maybe you have some of your own thoughts regarding why people are paying for antivirus software. Please let me know with a comment here, I’d be interested in what you have to say.
22 comments
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Jul 19, 2010
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Jul 19, 2010
Why do people Pay for Antivirus protection? « Information Carnivore…
I stumbled across a Norton advertisement the other day in which they describe themselves as the “Best selling antivirus software in the world”. Why is that do you think? I would suspect that because they have successfully marketed their product so well…
Thiru says:
Jul 20, 2010
You proved that you are a PC technician by writing wonderful blog like this. Nice one Dani. When you back from Holidays. ? Hope you enjoyed yr holidays. Thx for the nice post dani.
danielsnyder says:
Jul 20, 2010
Hey Thiru, just back this past couple days. Trying to get in the groove again, slow moving! Ha.
Brian says:
Jul 20, 2010
I've also been using AVG for the last three years and have never had a virus. I must admit however if you do get a virus there's a good chance it would happen with Norton or avg.
We just have to be careful on where we go and what we click.
Zolex PC says:
Jul 20, 2010
For some people, I think that it is because they feel if they are paying for something it must be better. Many people also do not know that there are free Antivirus software available. AVG doesn't promote their free AV on their website. You will see the paid version of AVG Internet Security there.
Also most Free AV usually doesn't come with Antispyware protection as well. MS Security Essentials does do this and is free. I use AVG with Spybot and Spyware Blaster for protection on my Home PC.
danielsnyder says:
Jul 21, 2010
Yeah exactly. I understand that mentality, if it's free it must suck. However is not the case with antivirus. Malwarebytes does the trick for me and most of my spyware issues.
danielsnyder says:
Jul 21, 2010
So how do we educate people to understand what 'be careful where we go and what we click' means. Sure I get it, and so do you. But my mom? now that's a toughie! 😉
@n00bznet says:
Jul 21, 2010
McAfee and Norton are 16.5 B dollars in market cap for products that don't work. AVG at least saves you money.
Top Blog Engage Upcoming Articles for Wednesday Just 21st | Blog Engage says:
Jul 21, 2010
[…] #11. Why do people Pay for Antivirus protection? […]
danielsnyder says:
Jul 21, 2010
I do find however that McAfee's labs are active and doing good research. Hopefully Norton can improve their software one day. In the mean time lets convince some people to save some money and go FREE.
Sourav says:
Jul 22, 2010
I think you are right about the assumption. It's just that people think they are safer if they buy are product, rather than using a free one.
Daniel Snyder says:
Jul 21, 2010
You got it Sourav. Why is that, we are so pre-conditioned to needing to spend, we can’t accept something for free… nothing’s really free, right?
Trevor Sullivan says:
Oct 6, 2010
AVG was good at a point in time, and I’m sure it still does well. I’d like to point out that Microsoft has a free tool called Microsoft Security Essentials. It’s fast, and I’ve never had a problem with it. Microsoft works better with Microsoft 🙂
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/
Daniel Snyder says:
Oct 6, 2010
I’m still a HUGE fan of AVG. But you’re right MSE is a fantastic product. I’ve written posts and a review on it here… http://bit.ly/d8Wgit
Get Cocoon says:
Oct 18, 2010
This is great. I like how you explain why Norton is the “Best selling antivirus software in the world”. it’s true that they marketed themselves well, but charging so much for a mediocre product is ridiculous.While I agree with you that free antivirus software works well, users must still follow safe browsing guidelines or else they can really mess up their machines. We are working on a solution for all levels of internet users.At my work we are creating a cloud-based web browsing service called Cocoon that protects users from malware while they browse. Cocoon also increases online privacy amongst many other features and is in beta right now so it’s free.If you want to learn more please visit us here:https://getcocoon.com/Thanks,Alex Argy
Daniel Snyder says:
Oct 18, 2010
Thanks Alex. I`ve looked into Cocoon and it is a fantastic service. I would definitely recommend it to my readers.
David Washburn says:
Oct 23, 2010
Hi Daniel, Thanks for the kind words about Cocoon. I think in general people take the path of least resistance. If their machine came with Norton they stay with it. If a friend sets them up with McAffee that’s what they use. Someone that’s unsure what is the best solution is going to be nervous about trying a free service.
Another issue that is working against good free antivirus software like AVG is the fake “scareware” that is out there. I think this drives people to the safe “big name” AV companies and that’s a shame. Size doesn’t always equal quality – I’ll take my local hardware store over a Home Depot any day!
Great thought provoking article.
Daniel Snyder says:
Oct 24, 2010
You are so right about the path of least resistance. That is the general sense I get when talking to users about their computer security. Since Norton came with the machine it is certainly the most easy to use… when the free version expires, it’s also easier to fork out cash then it is to seek a free alternative. Also as you mention people seem to have that sense that free = inferior. I have struggled with trying to figure out how to educate people on this… any ideas?
Most People Think There Are No Other Options « Top Rated AntiMalware says:
Nov 25, 2010
[…] every new laptop and desktop sold and has been for years running. He's right. You can see his post here. Some deeper research found that most people worldwide use free antivirus software. What alarmed me […]
Thomas says:
Jan 29, 2012
Sorry about coming in so late to the article, but wanted to add my two cents.
Another thing that I think is working against free antivirus programs is just the fact that Norton and McAffee have been around for so much longer. Norton itself, I remember, has been around since the days of DOS, and McAffee roughly just as long. They have their once well-deserved reputation that they’re able to rest on, with more years of experiene between the two of them than the best free ones combined.
When you look at it like that, it makes sense to choose the older, more well-established companies than the young new upstart, but it also means that they’re more able (and likely) to just rest on their laurels than actually improve.
Robert Kramar says:
Jan 30, 2012
How long you have been in a business doesn’t tend hold much weight to it in the technology industry. Under the same circumstances, would you say that Yahoo is a superior search engine to Google? Or that Myspace is better social medium than Facebook? Or Maybe the AOL browser is better than Firefox or Chrome?
Of course they aren’t. Not even close.
The benchmark testing that has been done suggests that not only are some of the freeware antivirus packages more secure, they also use far less resources.
In one such test, Norton was reported to use up to 35% of a systems resources at idle, where McAfee used up to 70%. In relative comparison to the 5-10% that Avast and MSE were reported at. While Norton had a fairly competitive catch-rate, McAfee’s failure rate was alarmingly bad.
Remember, McAfee and Norton were part of the PC Boom back in the days when dell and gateway made it possible for virtually anybody to own a PC. Nearly every New PC came with Norton or McAfee, and almost overnight they became a household name in security.
Seasoned computer technicians will tell you that they have only been surviving off of that reputation, and that their security algorithms haven’t changed much over the years. In my own testing, I tend to agree.