(Last updated on January 9th, 2023)
Avast or Comodo, which antivirus software is a better pick in 2023?
Our experts have put this detailed Avast versus Comodo comparison to make a smart decision.
In today’s world, we are putting more data online than ever. Also, there are more malicious software(or malware) on the internet than ever.
In 2018, for instance, over 10 billion malware attacks were recorded. In the U.S. alone, those malware attacks led to over 8 million devices being compromised. These numbers are alarming, and they will go even higher in the coming years.
Even big companies aren’t safe from the wrath of hackers. For instance, in 2016, over 3 billion Yahoo accounts were hacked in one of the biggest corporate breaches of all time. Uber also lost data of over 57 million customers to hackers a few years ago.
The statistics convey a clear message: you cannot take your security and privacy for granted.
You definitely need antivirus protection, but free antivirus software isn’t the best option to counter advanced malware threats that are emerging these days. You need a premium antivirus suite that usually includes a comprehensive firewall that protects you in real-time and databases that are updated frequently. Plus, premium suites offer a slew of additional functions and features to deal with a whole host of malware concerns.
Editor's Note
Best Antivirus Suite for 2021
Editor's Choice
Overall Score: 9.9/10
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Right now, we think that Norton is the best antivirus software your money can buy. It regularly earns perfect or near-perfect scores from independent labs and has the least impact on system performance compared to rival products. Its products combine top-notch security with an array of excellent security features and, best of all, offer exceptional value for money.
Overall, Norton 360 Deluxe (currently at 70% off) is our pick for the best antivirus suite in 2021. It is competitively priced and comes with almost everything you could possibly ask for, such as a firewall, a fully integrated VPN, dark web monitoring, cloud backup storage (50GB), a password manager, and parental controls. You can cover up to 5 PCs, Macs, smartphones or tablets with this suite.
If you want full-on identity protection and don’t mind paying more, Norton 360 with LifeLock Select (currently at 35% off) gives those in the US a full range of identity protection features, more backup space (100GB), as well as all the above.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take an in-depth look at two major antivirus companies: Avast and Comodo.
In a rush? Take a look at the quick summary below to see which software is ahead in each category and for what reason.
A Quick Rundown of Winners in Each Category
1. Features
Winner: Avast. In comparison to Comodo, Avast includes a more comprehensive set of features and utilities in its security products.
2. Malware Protection
Winner: Avast. Avast did exceptionally well in both independent tests we considered, while Comodo only took one test and abstained from the other.
3. System Performance
Winner: Avast. Overall, independent tests confirm that Avast is better than Comodo in terms of the impact on system performance.
4. User-Friendliness
Winner: Both. Both Avast and Comodo offer a simple, intuitive user interface.
5. Pricing
Winner: Comodo. You’ll get more licenses for less money from Comodo, whereas Avast costs a lot more.
6. Customer Satisfaction
Winner: Avast. According to an independent source, Avast scores higher than Comodo in terms of customer satisfaction.
The Bottom Line
While Comodo has some strong points, Avast is by far the superior option. Avast scored better than Comodo in terms of both malware detection and system performance. However, Comodo is slightly cheaper than Avast.
Best Antivirus for 2023
#1 (Excellent)
- Robust feature-set
- Excellent anti-malware security
- Minimal system impact
- Easy-to-use interface
- Automatic updates
- Trusted by 50 million users
- 100% virus protection promise
- 60-day money-back guarantee
70% off
#2 (Very Good)
- Exceptional malware protection
- Little impact on performance
- Trusted by millions of users
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- User-friendly interface
50% off
#3 (Very Good)
- Good malware protection
- Trusted by big corporations
- Minimal impact on performance
- Good value for money
- 30-day risk-free guarantee
40% off
1. Features
One of the best ways to pick between two competing antivirus companies is to see which offers better or more useful features as part of each software package.
First, let’s see what Avast offers.
Avast offers separate products for Windows and macOS users. We’ll cover the Windows-only products first.
Avast Free Antivirus is the company’s freeware that’s handy in a pinch but doesn’t offer a lot of when it comes advanced features and utilities. You get some basic malware defenses and a useful password manager that stores all your passwords in a secure vault, but it clearly falls short when you compare it to the premium offerings.
Next, there’s Avast Internet Security, the first paid antivirus suite from the company. This suite offers complete protection against a host of digital threats, along with a comprehensive firewall that monitors network traffic, a junk email filter that can help you clean out your inbox, and the Real Site feature that guards fake DNS routing.
The Sandbox feature is also part of this suite. This interesting innovation allows you to open files or run programs in a secure environment, without risking the overall security of your computer.
Another level up is Avast Premier. This suite includes everything that you get with Internet Security suite, plus a webcam protector that prevents someone from spying on you by hacking into your webcam and a file shredder tool that makes it impossible for hackers to recover sensitive files that have been deleted.
Avast Ultimate is the highest tier of protection offered by this company. It offers everything that comes with the Premier suite, plus a few extra tools and features. These additions include a secure VPN tool that lets you anonymously browse the internet without being tracked, a comprehensive clean-up tool that ensures your computer runs at high-performance levels, and a full-blown password manager and protector.
For Macs, Avast offers a specific program called Avast Security for Mac. There’s a free version and a pro version. The free version doesn’t provide much value besides some basic anti-malware protection, but the Pro version adds a few advanced features and utilities such as the Vulnerability Scanner, a comprehensive firewall, and multi-layered ransomware protection.
If you’re interested in Avast’s business products, click here to find out more about the business solutions.
Let’s see what Comodo brings to the table.
Like Avast, Comodo offers a limited free security solution for people who want basic anti-malware security. The freeware provides protection against different types of malware, but there aren’t many advanced features and tools jammed into the product. The Comodo’s paid packages are much more comprehensive in terms of features and utilities.
Comodo Advanced Antivirus, which only works on PCs, is the first paid antivirus suite offered by this company. It provides everything included in the free software, along with the Game Mode utility that suspends updates and notifications that might bother you while you’re busy. This suite also comes with additional security to protect your sensitive financial information while your shop or bank online.
The next tier of coverage is Comodo Internet Security Pro, another Windows-only product. In addition to everything that’s included in the previous suite, this suite offers a comprehensive firewall that blocks malware attacks in real-time, advanced web filtering to guard against malicious sites, and premium customer support.
This suite also comes with a $500 virus-free guarantee; if you get any damage as a result of a virus while covered by Comodo, the company will cover losses of up to $500.
Finally, there’s Comodo Internet Security Complete, which is the company’s all-inclusive security offering. This suite offers everything jammed into the Internet Security Pro suite, as well as 500 GB of online storage space. You’ll get access to 10 GB of TrustConnect Wi-Fi security; this allows you to secure a Wi-Fi network when you use a public Wi-Fi, for example.
For Macs, there’s Comodo Antivirus for Mac, which provides limited anti-malware security. In addition to a robust firewall, you can eliminate any viruses that make it onto your computer and have access to a one-click scanning feature for fast malware detection. There’s also a scheduler that lets you run any scans at a time that is convenient for you. Other these useful options, there aren’t many advanced features or tools incorporated into the package.
Winner: Avast. While Comodo’s products come with a decent feature-set, Avast clearly offers a more comprehensive set of features and utilities with its products.
2. Malware Protection
The ability to protect against malware threats is the most critical aspect of a security product.
But how can we tell which software is superior when both companies tell us that they are better? Fortunately, there are unbiased, independent testing organizations that routinely test and rank different antivirus software.
AV-test.org is one such organization. They regularly conduct a Protection test that uses a scoring metric of 1 to 6, with 6 being the highest possible score. In their recent examinations, Avast earned a perfect 6/6 rating.
Comodo also got a 6 out of 6 in these evaluations.
AV-Comparatives is another reputable testing organization we can turn to in order to determine which of the two software has better anti-malware capabilities. In their recent Real-World Protection Test report, Avast received the ADVANCED+ Award, which is the highest award offered by the company, because of its impressive malware detection rate and low false positives’ count.
Comodo, for some reason, hasn’t had any tests administered by AV-Comparatives since 2012.
Winner: Avast. Comodo abstained from participating in one of our key tests, so Avast is the overall winner in this category.
3. System Performance
A security product that provides top-of-the-line anti-malware security but significantly slows down your system is no good.
Let’s see how much impact both Avast and Comodo put on system performance when they run in the background.
Again, we’ll examine the recent independent performance tests to see which software is better in this category.
In the recent AV-Test evaluations, Avast scored 5.5 out of 6 in the Performance category, which is not a perfect score but still pretty good.
Comodo was slightly behind Avast in this test, scoring 5 out of 6.
AV-Comparatives also has a comprehensive Performance Test that measures the impact different antivirus software put on system speed (or system performance). Once again, Avast was among the few products that received the exemplary ADVANCED+ award. Comodo, as mentioned earlier, didn’t take part in any tests administered by AV-Comparatives in the recent past. (See this link for detailed results.)
Winner: Avast. Overall, it’s clear that Avast is better than Comodo in terms of the impact on system performance.
4. User-Friendliness
Another important consideration is how the user interface of a security software antivirus feels to an average user.
So let’s check out the interfaces of both Avast and Comodo.
Avast uses a primary control panel that you can use to access all of the options and operations. There’s a left-hand side rail that groups all of the operations into a general menu that can be expanded if you want to delve into specific tasks. Everything is well-organized organized, and the buttons are large and easy to see. You’ll appreciate the user-friendliness of the interface, even if you only have basic computer skills.
If you’re using the free version, which we don’t recommend, you’ll see annoying advertisements that can quickly become frustrating.
Now let’s take a look at Comodo’s interface.
Comodo’s user interface uses large, squarish blocks that dominate most of the screen. There’s one big block on the left side of the screen that tells you whether your computer is secure or vulnerable. This box will turn yellow or red if there’s a problem, as well as clearly indicating what you need to do to fix it.
Because of the large buttons and the simplistic design, it’s great for people who aren’t computer literate, although finding some of the more technical options will prove a little complicated. Overall, there’s not too much to complain about with Comodo’s interface, although the lack of fine control won’t be appealing for people who like to customize their antivirus experience.
Winner: Both. Overall, both Avast and Comodo offer a simple, user-friendly interface.
5. Pricing
Now, let’s take a look at how much each security suite costs, and how many licenses you get for your purchase.
Avast Internet Security, the company’s first paid software, costs $59.99 per year for a single PC. Avast Premier costs $69.99 per year for one device. Avast Ultimate, the company’s full-blown offering, costs $119.98 per year for just one device. Finally, the company’s flagship macOS product, Avast Security for Mac, costs $59.99 for one Mac.
| Avast Products | Regular Price | Discounted Price |
|---|---|---|
| Avast Internet Security | $47.99/year | Check here |
| Avast Premium Security (1 Device) | $69.99/year | Check here |
| Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device) | $89.99/year | Check here |
| Avast Ultimate | $99.99/year | Check here |
| Avast Business Antivirus | Varies | Check here |
Comodo Advanced Antivirus is the company’s first premium security coverage, it costs $34.99 for three PCs. The next tier of coverage, Comodo Internet Security Pro, also provides you with three licenses for $39.99 per year. The full-blown Comodo Internet Security Complete costs $89.99 per year and covers up to 3 PCs, with the option to add more.
| Comodo Products | Regular Price |
|---|---|
| Comodo Advanced Antivirus | $34.99/year |
| Comodo Internet Security Pro | $39.99/year |
| Comodo Internet Security Complete | $89.99/year |
| Comodo Business Products | Varies |
Winner: Comodo. Compared to Avast, Comodo offers more licenses of less money at almost every tier of coverage.
6. Customer Satisfaction
Finally, let’s see what the actual customers of both companies think of their products and services. This might come into play if you ever need their assistance in activating the software or working through a technical problem.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a popular website that collects customer feedback and reviews of each company. It uses a grading scale of A to F, with A being the best possible rating. Avast gets an amazing A+ rating from the company, while Comodo managed a mediocre D-.
Winner: Avast. Avast ranks higher than Comodo in terms of customer satisfaction.
Final Thoughts
While Comodo has some strong points, Avast is by far the superior option. Avast scored better than Comodo in terms of both malware detection and system performance. However, Comodo is slightly cheaper than Avast.
Our recommendations: If you want to get the highest level of security and performance, there's no better choice than Norton, which protects over 50 million users worldwide.
After reviewing dozens of antivirus products from some of the biggest names in the cybersecurity realm, we believe that Norton 360 Deluxe is the best antivirus suite available on the market. It provides flawless anti-malware protection without slowing you down. Plus, you get almost all the advanced features you could ever want.
If you're willing to pay more for advanced identity protection features, we recommend Norton 360 with LifeLock select (only available in the US). It's a bit pricey but worth the price.
70% Off
Anas Baig is a consumer privacy advocate and cybersecurity journalist by profession. Has has more than 7 years of professional experience under his belt. Anas has been featured on numerous media publications including The Guardian, Lifehacker, The Next Web, Infosecurity Magazine, Security Boulevard, Hacker Noon, CMS Wire, IAPP, SC Magazine, and many others. His interest includes Digital Privacy Rights, Information Security, Networking, Privacy, and Data Protection.
My Contributions:
Hacker Noon | TheNextWeb | DevOps.com | GlobalSign | CMS Wire | CSO | Tech.co | Security Boulevard | ITProPortal | MuckRack | Crunchbase
