Should I upgrade to FULL version of ZA?

Hey guys.

I'm using the free version of Zone Alarm right now. I'm also using the latest build as well, which is 5.5. Everything has been running categorically flawless.

The free version seems to offer great protection and I'm really hesitant to plunk down 40 bucks or however much it is for the full version. Should I do it? Is the protection that much better to warrant this amount of dough?

Thanks.



Spray-on Dust

 

No. I would not do that. Stick with the free if it is working good for you. I do not know what else security wise you are running but if you have no Trojan Horse or other such malware protection spend your $$ there. (I do assume you have AV).

I have had both ZA Free and ZAP in the past. I now have Out Post on one machine and Norton on the other when Norton expires I may just keep it with out renewal or go back to ZA Free earlier versions > I am just not sure yet, there you have it from someone who has used the Zone Labs products for years.

 

I would say stick with the free version also, especially if it's working well for you and that's all you need. The Pro version of 5.5 has a lot of extra stuff that is mostly useless in my opinion. Unless you need those "features" then I'd just stick with the free version.

You can always try out the Pro version for a few weeks and see if it has anything more that you need. If not, then uninstall it and go back to the free version. Pretty simple...

 

Thanks for the replies.

To make it easier for you to decide, here is a list of my other security products:

Process Guard (Free)
Prevx Home
TDS-3
SpySweeper
NOD32 (Trial) - Was previously using McAfee 9.0
SafeXP
Spyware Blaster
Spybot Search and Destroy
Adaware SE (free)
Firefox with "Spoofstick"
Microsoft AntiSpyware
Ewido (free)
CrapCleaner



Spray-on Dust

 

There's nothing in the paid version of ZA that's worth the money:

- you don't need ZAs antivirus tool, there are plenty of free antivirus programs out there

- ZAs adblocking feature is leaky, the free version of webwasher does a better job, if you want your firewall to block ads, use Kerio 4 instead

- web site filtering is useless for most people, your kids will find a way to bypass your filters anyway

- email protection is done better by your email app itself

so stick with the free version of ZA or whatever firewall you use.

 

My understanding here is that the free version of ZA does not allow you to set rules for applications (you have to either allow or block all traffic). Now there are a number of applications where it is desireable to permit some, but not all, traffic (e.g. block port 80 access for email clients to counter embedded web bugs, restrict DNS access to ISP servers only to limit malware/leaktest exploitation).

ZA Pro may therefore be worth considering for this feature - but it would be wise to check other rules-based firewalls (e.g. Kerio, Look'n'Stop, Outpost) first which can offer this capability in their free/trial versions.

 

Hi Spray-on Dust. The free version of zonealarm offers as good of protection as the pro version. Is the pro version worth $40.00? In my opinion ....No

 

I agree with Paranoid2000 here. If you want a firewall capable of making rules. Zonealarm free doesn't give you this option. However, I wouldn't pay $40.00 for the zonealarm pro. Kerio 2.1.5 free would be my choice. If your looking for just basic protection. Zonealarm free is as good a firewall as any...Just not as configurable..