Key Difference: The main difference between the free and paid versions of antivirus is that the free version offers the most basic features, whereas the paid versions tend to have more advanced features that provide a more comprehensive protection for the device. The actual list of included features on both version differ company to company, but for the regular user, the free version should be enough.

An antivirus is a type of software that protects the computer from malicious software. Malicious software includes threats like virus, Trojan, worm, malware, spyware, root kit infections, spyware, keyloggers, ransomware, adware, etc. Originally, antivirus scanned for only viruses in a computer; however, since then there has been a rapid increase in different types of viruses, as well as other malicious software such as Trojans, malware, spyware, etc.

In addition, some antivirus may also protect from other computer threats, such as infected and malicious URLs, spam, scam and phishing attacks, online identity (privacy), online banking attacks, social engineering techniques, Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), botnets, and DDoS attacks.

The main purpose of an antivirus is to prevent, detect and remove malicious software. In order to do this, the antivirus must scan the computer for any malicious software, notify the user in case of breach and remove the malware and patch the breach. However, depending on the software and whether it is the free version or paid version, it may do all of these things, or only some of these things.

There are four basic levels of antivirus products exist: free, paid antivirus, suites, and "premium" suites. The free antivirus typically gives the most basic features, and as you move up to paid antivirus, to suites, and premium suites, the amount of features included increase. The highest version of the antivirus can include features, such as identity theft protection, firewalls, parental controls, and system performance tools.

The main difference between the free and paid versions of antivirus is that the free version offers the most basic features, whereas the paid versions tend to have more advanced features that provide a more comprehensive protection for the device. The actual list of included features on both version differ company to company, but for the regular user, the free version should be enough. Unless they have critical or sensitive data that they need to protect, in which case, it is best to invest in a paid version of the antivirus, to be on the safer side. According to Avast, one of the leading antivirus companies, its free product is intended for average users, while its paid antivirus is for more advanced users. Still, either way, the most important thing is that there should be at least some type of protection in place, either free or paid.

Comparison between Free and Paid Antivirus:

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