Avast acquired AVG in 2016, and since then, both antivirus products have been developed under the same parent company. But are they essentially the same product, or do meaningful differences remain? We compare them in 2025.

Key Similarities

• Same malware detection engine
• Similar free feature sets
• Both have privacy controversy concerns
• Both owned by Gen (formerly Avast)

Key Differences

• Avast: Includes a Wi-Fi inspector, game mode, and more advanced features
• AVG: Cleaner, simpler interface, slightly better on system resources

Verdict

Both are good free options. Choose AVG for simplicity and lower resource usage. Choose Avast for more advanced features.