Produced by cybersecurity company Lavasoft (formerly also known as Ad-Aware), adaware aims to tackle the types of rogue apps and privacy invasions that many users aren’t even aware. This includes programs that track your browsing habits, courses that hijack your browser’s start page and applications that display annoying advertising at the most inconvenient times. The program is free and comes with many extra features to increase security and keep your device working efficiently.
In our tests, adaware was able to recognize the majority of the malware we tossed at it. However, it had trouble removing certain malware. The program does include many useful features such as a privacy monitor a registry avast scanner, file shredder, and advanced monitoring of networks. It’s worth noting, however, that Adaware doesn’t offer as much security as some of the industry’s leading antivirus tools.
Adaware’s last participation in AV Test tests in the lab resulted in the blocking of just 95. The threat rate was 4% for 0-day threats and 97% of known risks. These aren’t terrible scores, but they certainly aren’t as good as the top security suites accomplish.
Adaware users looking for better performance should consider alternatives. We suggest Kaspersky, Bitdefender and others due to their reliability in real-world tests. Also only Pro and Total plan users get access to online technical and customer support. This can be a bit disappointing to certain users. The company does provide various information and frequently asked questions on its website, however.