Do you use FREE or Paid Antivirus / Internet Security?

[Amit]

Originally Posted by jo3blac1

That's exactly how MBAM should get into business. Release more features with subscription only, etc.. Offer different levels of the same product. I mean I 100% agree with you guys, they other party has to make money. But on the other hand there are several ways to make it as well. Few of them provided by the example above.

Right. MBAM offers only free and lifetime subscriptions. Free and yearly subscriptions would support the whole mbam team to continue the amazing work against malware for a long time.

[gerardwil]

Originally Posted by Amit

Right. MBAM offers only free and lifetime subscriptions. Free and yearly subscriptions would support the whole mbam team to continue the amazing work against malware for a long time.

MBAM has ( a lot of) yearly subscriptions as well (Business Licences)

[Amit]

Originally Posted by gerardwil

MBAM has ( a lot of) yearly subscriptions as well (Business Licences)

Oh! I didn't know that. Thanks. Then it's okay for Malwarebytes team to give us free and lifetime licenses. And hopefully they would continue without any worries.

[Snowden]

I feel secure w/ avast! free but I've been reading great reviews about the new version of AVG 2013

[chrisretusn]

Yes, why not? I dont wanna pay I use two free products, one of them is a free version of a paid for product.

No, I would rather pay and get more security Paying for does not always mean more security. The main reason I paid for what I use is, I like it, not because I think it's more secure.

I don't use any antivirus / Internet Security This is were I placed my vote. With the exception of one laptop and a couple of virtual machines none of my systems run Windows.

[nikanthpromod]

mix of free and paid apps

[Niels]

I always pay for Internet Security software. The main reason why I choose for Internet Security software is that all components/modules are compatible which each others. Why I not choose for free protection is because less frequent updates, no support or only user support.

[moontan]

i haven't used real-time AV suites for 2-3 years now.

i'm the only one using this machine so i don't need to turn my computer into the Pentagon.

of course, things might be different if i had teenagers.

[Solarlynx]

I havn't any reason to use paidee yet.

[Pilate]

I'm prefer to use the free software. Therefore I use Comodo Firewall and Microsoft Security Essentials.

[narenbisht]

Free - Comodo Internet Security Premium

[jo3blac1]

Originally Posted by Niels

I always pay for Internet Security software. The main reason why I choose for Internet Security software is that all components/modules are compatible which each others. Why I not choose for free protection is because less frequent updates, no support or only user support.

if I have to use support to solve problems then I drop the software in favor of another one that caues less issues.

[Mman79]

Originally Posted by jo3blac1

if I have to use support to solve problems then I drop the software in favor of another one that caues less issues.

Why? What is support there for then? It could be an incredibly simple bug or issue that you just don't know how to tackle or can't be fixed on your end, but in the right hands is a 5 minute deal.

On-topic, both free and paid for me.

[Fuzzfas]

Voted free! I 'd like to use paid (Twister), but i have to use free. How lame is that...

My problem in general with paid AVs, is that they are heavy or have performance hits. For example, i don't want http scanners, they will cut somewhat browsing speed. So, i end up prefering free versions over paid that have "extra features", that i actually don't want.

AVs are overrated anyway, with other type of programs installed, an AV is good as "confirmation". If i had to visit 100 infected websites, i 'd rather take free Comodo with D+, rather than any of the "99,99999999999% detection rate" paid AVs.

[Notok]

Originally Posted by jo3blac1

My point is that while I will NEVER pay to rent software, the AV companies could still get some money out of me if they offered extra features for one lifetime fee.

You don't actually own any of the software that you use; you are granted permission to use the developer's intellectual property, and within agreed upon limitations (outlined in the EULA). If you owned it, you could modify it, sell it, etc. It may seem like a semantic distinction, but it's an important one.

When it comes to yearly renewal fees, it's worth considering that antivirus companies are actively working 24/7 on updates; that's not true of any other kind of software (that I can think of). Not only that but the research and development required to keep the software updated (both in terms of definitions and the software, such as the proactive and scanning functionality) involves a level of skill, expertise, and time efficiency that is beyond that of any other software (that I can think of). They have to constantly strategize, investigate, research, and so on, in areas that there are no handbooks for; they have to do a lot of reverse engineering of not only malware but the OS. On top of even that, the stakes are much higher, both in terms of protection and bugs (since bugs can impact the entire system), and they have to work as quickly as possible without the room to push out deadlines; this requires that employees at all levels be more capable and reliable than other companies, so they can't skimp in areas that other software companies can. If any type of software deserves yearly fees, it's security software.

Many companies offer a yearly fee for continual software updates that's quite fair, as opposed to a higher fee for major version updates. Security software companies offer you much more for prices that are often quite comparable. When you consider the above, it's really more than reasonable.

Yes, it would be great if we didn't have to pay, but those people become the experts that they are, and keep up-to-date on bleeding edge information like they do, by dedicating at least half of their waking lives to it (and probably significantly more), and that only happens if they can pay their bills while doing it. If you don't pay, then either they have to get the money from someone or somewhere else, and/or you sacrifice something or things from the above.

[jo3blac1]

Originally Posted by Mman79

Why? What is support there for then? It could be an incredibly simple bug or issue that you just don't know how to tackle or can't be fixed on your end, but in the right hands is a 5 minute deal.

On-topic, both free and paid for me.

If there is something I can't solve, it is usually a buggy software. If it is not a bug then the software is already too complicated for me to bother in the first place.
There is a lot alternatives out there usually, whether free, lifetime or rentware. I never do the last. I don't mind paying premium for lifetime license as long as it is a reputible company such as outpost, mbam, sandboxie, etc... As for support, I look more towards customer service side. But each to their own. If I was managing a company for several hundred computers then I can see how technical support would have been important to me.

[Noob]

Originally Posted by Notok

You don't actually own any of the software that you use; you are granted permission to use the developer's intellectual property, and within agreed upon limitations (outlined in the EULA). If you owned it, you could modify it, sell it, etc. It may seem like a semantic distinction, but it's an important one.

When it comes to yearly renewal fees, it's worth considering that antivirus companies are actively working 24/7 on updates; that's not true of any other kind of software (that I can think of). Not only that but the research and development required to keep the software updated (both in terms of definitions and the software, such as the proactive and scanning functionality) involves a level of skill, expertise, and time efficiency that is beyond that of any other software (that I can think of). They have to constantly strategize, investigate, research, and so on, in areas that there are no handbooks for; they have to do a lot of reverse engineering of not only malware but the OS. On top of even that, the stakes are much higher, both in terms of protection and bugs (since bugs can impact the entire system), and they have to work as quickly as possible without the room to push out deadlines; this requires that employees at all levels be more capable and reliable than other companies, so they can't skimp in areas that other software companies can. If any type of software deserves yearly fees, it's security software.

Many companies offer a yearly fee for continual software updates that's quite fair, as opposed to a higher fee for major version updates. Security software companies offer you much more for prices that are often quite comparable. When you consider the above, it's really more than reasonable.

Yes, it would be great if we didn't have to pay, but those people become the experts that they are, and keep up-to-date on bleeding edge information like they do, by dedicating at least half of their waking lives to it (and probably significantly more), and that only happens if they can pay their bills while doing it. If you don't pay, then either they have to get the money from someone or somewhere else, and/or you sacrifice something or things from the above.

+1
The voice of the reasoning.
I'm not into paid software but if it's cheap enough for my budget and they offer a great product . . WHY NOT!

[Krysis]

I use a mix of free and paid!

[Notok]

Originally Posted by Noob

I'm not into paid software but if it's cheap enough for my budget and they offer a great product . . WHY NOT!

Yup; personal budgets are another matter altogether (or depending on your budget ) I tend toward paid software, but generally wait to find good deals. I do also use free software. I didn't vote because I don't judge an app's trustworthiness by its price tag.

I do try to avoid software that only has support by something like forums, though (unfortunately paid software can do this as well). All software has bugs, so sometimes you have to get in touch with them to fix and/or work around any issues. No matter how knowledgeable you are you can miss things -- often because there's things about the software that you can't know. A company with good support will also often fix true bugs.

[AMIGA500]

Originally Posted by Niels

I always pay for Internet Security software. The main reason why I choose for Internet Security software is that all components/modules are compatible which each others. Why I not choose for free protection is because less frequent updates, no support or only user support.

Does microsoft not support and update MSE then.

[Notok]

Originally Posted by Beethoven1770

Does microsoft not support and update MSE then.

I was unaware that there was an email and phone number for [responsive and personal] support for MSE. They help remove malware that MSE missed?

[Mman79]

Originally Posted by Notok

I was unaware that there was an email and phone number for [responsive and personal] support for MSE. They help remove malware that MSE missed?

Not that I'm aware of. About all they'd do is recommend you download a second opinion like MBAM free. Really that's all they can do, and they aren't likely to help with issues not involving their products. And let's not forget that usually MS phone support costs a good bit of change.