AVG AntiVirus vs Sophos Home

AVG AntiVirus is a consumer security product from AVG Technologies (a Gen Digital brand alongside Avast and Norton) that protects PCs, Macs, Android, and iOS devices against malware, ransomware, spyware, and phishing scams. The free tier covers core real-time threat detection, while the paid Internet Security and Ultimate tiers add an enhanced firewall, scam-website blocking, webcam protection, and password leak alerts. The Ultimate plan bundles Internet Security with AVG Secure VPN and AVG TuneUp for performance optimization, positioning it as an all-in-one subscription for users who want protection, privacy, and PC cleanup in one package. All paid plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 customer support.

Sophos Home brings the same predictive AI threat detection and SophosLabs-powered malware engine used in Sophos's business endpoint products to home users. It covers ransomware rollback protection, real-time scanning, web/phishing filtering, banking protection, and remote management so a household can monitor security across all its computers from one online dashboard, plus parental web filtering for family use.

• Free tier provides genuinely usable real-time malware protection with no cost
• Backed by Gen Digital's large threat-detection network shared with Avast
• Ultimate tier bundles VPN and PC cleanup tools, reducing the need for separate subscriptions
• Available across Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS from one account

• Uses the same detection engine as Sophos's enterprise endpoint products, which perform well in independent lab tests
• Ransomware rollback can restore encrypted files rather than just blocking the attack
• Single license covers unlimited iOS and Android devices alongside up to 3 PCs/Macs
• Central web dashboard makes it easy to manage security for a whole family remotely

• Renewal pricing jumps substantially after the discounted first year (e.g. Internet Security renews at $77.99 vs a $46.68 intro price)
• Free tier lacks firewall, webcam protection, and other features reserved for paid plans
• Bundled extras like TuneUp add background processes that some users may find unnecessary if they only want antivirus

• The permanent free tier has been discontinued and replaced with only a 30-day trial, so ongoing protection now requires payment
• Device limit for computers is capped at 3 per license even on the top subscription tier, low compared to some competitors
• No Linux support for the consumer product