Scanguard – 75% off — Simple & Reliable Antivirus Solution

While doing research online, I noticed that not many people had reviewed Scanguard. So I decided to give Scanguard a try and see if it can compete with McAfee and Norton.

Scanguard scored 100 percent in my antivirus testing. detected malware, ransomware and spyware on my test computer. The virtual private network (VPN) was also a favorite of mine. It allowed me to connect quickly and securely to 36 servers around world.

However, Scanguard presented some serious problems for me.

The customer service team was not very helpful particularly the live chat team . Some of the add-ons are too expensive, like the password manager or ad blocker.

After testing 49 antiviruses, I found Scanguard to be the most user-friendly and reliable. It also has some useful features that PC users will appreciate.

Here are my findings.

• Scanguard Antivirus Software Review

Scanguard Security Features

Scanguard has many security features. It includes a very easy-to-use malware scanner that detects viruses quickly. Many of these features can only be purchased separately (and are very expensive). Norton and other security companies bundle their features at one price. It’s frustrating that Scanguard does not do this. Parents like mine will be disappointed to learn that Scanguard does not offer parental controls.

The online marketplace for Scanguard is quite overwhelming.

Malware Protection

Scanguard’s antimalware engine is poweredAvira,

Scanguard is one of the most popular antivirus programs available today. Scanguard detected and removed all the malware files on my computer. It even discovered a trojan that my previous antivirus program had missed.

Scanguard offers a variety of scans.

• Quick scan. Checks for viruses in temporary files, downloads and registries.
• Smart scan. Quick scan. Performs system cleanup to delete cached browser files, speed up boot sequence and remove junk files.
• Scan your system with a custom scan. Scans any folder or file on the system.
• Malware scan. Scan all items on your hard drive.

The malware scanner found 100% malware files on my hard drive when it ran.

Although the malware scan was thorough, it took around 3.5 hours to complete on my computer. McAfee and Norton can typically perform these scans within an hour.

Scanguard was very effective in blocking ransomwareon mine system — interrupting the sophisticated “Locker” ransomware before it could encrypt any file.

Many antivirus programs provide protection against rootkits and ransomware, but they fail to block spyware and other malware. Scanguard found and removed malicious browser extensions and toolbars in my browser. It also eliminated pop-up advertisements from my desktop.

Scanguard’s online protections are continuously scanning to prevent malware from reaching your computer. I tested the scanner using a variety test malware, including the EICAR file.

Scanguard detected the malicious file and blocked it almost immediately.

Scanguard’s anti-malware protections stopped all ransomware, trojans and spyware from running on the system. Surprised to find that Scanguard’s anti-virus protections were as strong as those of big-name competitors such as McAfee Total Protection or Norton 360.

System Cleaning

Scanguard offers a variety of system cleanup tools that cover many functions such as:

• Junk cleaner. Cleans your PCs of any cached, temporary, or Windows error files. You can sort them or delete them.
• Find duplicate files. Finds duplicate files and removes them.
• Application uninstaller. This will remove all apps and programs from your system.
• Startup manager. Allows you to list all programs that start at startup, and allow you to disable them.
• Cleanse your browser. Clears history, cookies, cached files, and other data to speed up your browsers.

The Junk Cleaner identified and deleted over 470MB of junk files from my system.But my favorite tool is Startup Manager. This made it easy to find and disable programs that were slowing my computer’s startup sequence.

The Startup Manager reduced the time it took to boot my computer from a few minutes down to about 30 seconds!

Scanguard’s system cleaning tools are good, but Avira has more advanced features such as file shredder, gaming mode and file encryption at a comparable price. Scanguard has decent system cleanup tools, but Avira offers more advanced features like a file shredder, gaming mode, and file encryption for a similar price.

Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Scanguard’s VPN is quite effective.

It allows you to browse anonymously and block geo-restricted content such as Netflix and Hulu.

To analyze the impact of Scanguard VPN on my internet connection, I used Ookla’s Speedtest tool.

Here are my ping, download and upload speeds while connected to my local network without a VPN:

This is my connection speed when my VPN is turned on and connected with a local server:

You can see that my connection speed was not slowed down when I was connected to a VPN server.

Many VPN users want a fast connection to servers all over the world . I found Scanguard very impressive in this area. This is the connection speed I experienced when connected with a Spanish server (I’m in America):

It’s obvious that there is a slight drop in bandwidth but it’s still quite fast considering the distance between me (and the Spanish server).

This server was in Spain and I was able access Netflix and content that is usually blocked in the US. It also offers the same HD video quality as my local US server.

Scanguard VPN is as fast as standalone NordVPN products, but costs half the price for a year subscription. You can purchase it online from Scanguard’s marketplace , although it’s not included in their antivirus packages.

Identity Protection

Scanguard provides identity theft protection through an additional purchase via their online marketplace. This powerful tool was developed by Experian, an international credit monitoring conglomerate.

Their vast network allows them to scan credit checks and sales receipts to ensure your privacy.

The Identity Protection Portal by Scanguard allows users to monitor passports and credit cards as well as passwords.

Online identity theft is a serious problem. I was pleased to find that none of my financial information had been compromised. Although BullGuard offers similar tools to combat identity theft, Scanguard’s Identity Protection remains a valuable feature.

Password Manager

The Scanguard Password Vault can only be purchased on the Scanguard Online Marketplace.

This is a poor value considering that Avira and Norton include password managers in their free antivirus software.

Functionality was a problem for me with the Password Vault. It is not possible to import passwords from a previous password manager into Scanguard’s Password Vault. This is an inconvenience for anyone who uses their browser’s password management or a third party password manager.

Auto-filling also didn’t work well. Password Vaul failed to recognize the login field on multiple saved sites, so I had to copy and paste my passwords into that field.

Scanguard’s Password Vault is extra and quite bad. There are many standalone password managers that offer better functionality at a lower price.

Protection for the Web

WebShield, a browser security tool from Scanguard, is called WebShield. All Scanguard antivirus products include this feature. This feature is supposed to prevent phishing websites and suspicious websites from showing up in your browser, and steal your data. But it’s not very useful.

WebShield was tested against more than 100 known malicious websites and phishing websites. WebShield prevented me from accessing some dangerous sites, but it blocked a lot more phishing websites than Chrome had blocked. This could have potentially exposed me to malicious web scripts or deceptive sites.

My testing showed that web protections from Kaspersky and Norton blocked more phishing websites than Chrome’s built in protections. So, I don’t think Scanguard WebShield is a reliable or effective web security feature.

Ad Block Pro

Scanguard’s ad blocking feature can be purchased separately on their online marketplace. However, it is not cheap.

Avira and Norton both offer free browser extensions that block ads. They filter out pop-up and banner ads, trackers and prevent ads from playing on YouTube.

Scanguard’s ad blocking software does the same as Norton and Avira’s, but Scanguard is trying to charge users a high annual fee.

Scanguard’s ad blocking service is charging customers. This has left me confused. Upgrade to Scanguard’s Ad Blocker if you don’t mind paying a little extra and hate browser extensions. It’s not worth it.

Pricing and Scanguard Plans

After I purchased my Scanguard package, I was sent to Scanguard’s online marketplace where I was asked to spend over $100 on additional features! After I purchased my Scanguard package I was directed to Scanguard’s online market where I was asked for more features.

This annoying pay-per-feature arrangement is frustrating — rivals likeNortoninclude all these add-ons into their antivirus packages at a lower price.

Essential Antivirus — Best for Users with a Limited Budget

Scanguard Essential Antivirus protects one device with a scanner and real-time antivirus protections. It also includes some system cleanup tools. This is a great low-budget choice for anyone who’s only looking for antivirus coverage. However, it lacks some additional features.

Scanguard Essential Antivirus does not include parental controls, a VPN and protection across multiple devices. Kaspersky Internet Security is a lower-cost alternative that Scanguard and offers all these features at a much lower price.

You can give it a shot by taking 50% off the Scanguard site right now. There’s also a 30-day guarantee if you aren’t satisfied.

Pro Antivirus — The Best Value for Multiple Devices

ScanguardMy favorite package from Scanguard.

It includes Scanguard’s powerful antimalware scanner as well as system cleanup tools.

The VPN was added to my package. It was slightly less expensive than Norton 360 but Norton 360includes parental controls and password management .

Scanguard Pro Antivirus is a good choice if you are looking for an antivirus program that’s minimal. It also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, so you can test it risk-free.

Ultimate Antivirus — 6 Devices Covered, but No Parental Controls

Upgrade to Scanguard Ultimate Antivirus and get the same features as Pro Antivirus plus coverage for 3 additional devices, and… an e-book on malware?

This confusing security add-on does not add much value to the Scanguard product. There are many free resources available online that can help users improve their cybersecurity knowledge, including some excellent blog posts.

Anyone looking to protect 6 devices can upgrade to Ultimate Antivirus. However, lacks parental controls and is not recommended for families.

Scanguard is easy to use and set up

Scanguard is an easy product if you know how to use it. I was locked out of my online dashboard for more than a week after upgrading from Essential Antivirus to Ultimate Antivirus. It was impossible for me to access any other features, such as the Password Vault and Ad Block Pro.

Once I had created my account, it was easy to navigate Scanguard’s intuitive user interface.

Scanguard’s features can be accessed from a collapsible sidebar – malware scanning, VPN and system cleanup are just a few of the many options available.

The settings are accessible by clicking on the gear icon at the bottom left. They are clearly labeled and labeled for each feature. To schedule my software for a weekly scan, I used the Antivirus Scans settings.

Scanguard is quite easy to use. The intuitive and colorful interface is much more user-friendly than other competitors such as McAfee or Bitdefender.

Scanguard Mobile App

Scanguard does not offer support for iOS users. However, their antivirus for Android is quite good. These are the key features of Scanguard’s mobile application:

• Malware protection. It detects and removes Android-specific malware. It caught 100% of the malware I tested and performed well.
• VPN. VPN keeps browsing private and secure. Scanguard’s VPN is fast and covers all of the world. It is an excellent tool to keep you safe when using public Wi-Fi networks.
• Performance booster. Analyses all processes and provides a report on the ones that are using the most power and memory.
• Storage optimization. Storage optimization.
• App locking. This allows users to lock certain apps behind a passcode.
• Uninstaller. It lists all installed apps and allows you to uninstall them within the Scanguard App.

Scanguard’s mobile app isn’t terrible, but it doesn’t have the parental controls or anti-theft features

Products such as Norton Mobile Security for Android or McAfee Mobile Security make iPhone mobile antivirus apps more effective.

Support for Scanguard customers

It was difficult to get support from Scanguard.

My first question was about the upgrade to Scanguard Ultimate Antivirus. I wanted to know if it would unlock features such as the VPN, ad blocking, and password manager. I was assured by my customer service representative that these features were inUltimateAntivirus, before they proceeded with the charge for an upgrade.

After I paid for my upgrade, however, I discovered that none these items were in ScanguardUltimate Antivirus – they are all separate purchases! My help desk person was flustered and offered to provide the VPN free of charge, but I then encountered a new problem. My account had been locked out.

Yes, I tried clearing cookies and logging in with different browsers. I also tried Safari on my iPhone to access my account. The customer service representative toldthat I would need to contact tech support to fix this issue.

Scanguard provides phone support for billing questions, but does not cover tech support via email.

I was informed by their first response to my request for customer service that my browser was likely hijacked.

My browser wasn’t hijacked, so I tried calling the billing support team once again. The first representative I spoke to told me to contact tech support, and then hung up. I was told by the second representative that my issue would be taken care of by the Operations Team within an hour. It didn’t take an hour to fix it.

8 days passed before I finally got a resolution to my issue with the website. I tried calling them three more times before finally getting a hold of someone who would actually forward my case to tech support. They finally resolved my issue.

The customer service was not great. Norton’s team responds almost immediately and Kaspersky’s chat support can provide immediate assistance. I hope Scanguard improves their customer service experience.

Is Scanguard really effective?

Scanguard works better than I thought.

All features of Scanguard’s malware protection, VPN, system cleanup and identity protection are strong. Scanguard’s interface is simple to use and well-designed.

The pricing was the only thing that bothered me about this product.

Many antivirus suites clearly state which features are included with their various antivirus packages. Scanguard’s website boasts a huge list of internet security tools. However, almost all of these tools are not included in their packages.

These features are not available online by Scanguard. The price for this product is doubled if you get the VPN, cloud scanner, password manager and ad-blocker.

Scanguard is an antivirus that’s powerful and has a few great features. However, other premium antivirus suites such as McAfee or Norton offer better security features at a lower price.

Scanguard is a great choice if you are looking for anti-malware protection, as well as additional features like identity theft protection and VPN. Scanguard offers a generous discount to first-time customers and a 30-day guarantee that will cover your risk.

Is Scanguard’s VPN effective?

Yes. Yes. It connects to 36 server locations, most of which are in North America and Europe, but also Australia and New Zealand.

This powerful VPN is not included in any Scanguard antivirus package. You will need to buy it separately. This VPN is a great value at half the price of standalone alternatives.

Can Scanguard be used on Windows, macOS and iOS?

Scanguard provides antivirus solutions for all major platforms with the exception of iOS.

Scanguard’s macOS suite provides protection against Mac-specific malware. You can also purchase Scanguard’s VPN to secure your browsing. Although it’s a good Mac antivirus, I believe there are better options for Mac users.

The Scanguard Android app offers a lot of useful features such as real-time antivirus protection and junk file cleanup. This antivirus is a decent one for Android. However, it does not have anti-theft features such as McAfee’s Capture Cam or Avira’s remote alarm.

Scanguard’s website states that they have an iOS security product in the works, but it is not available at the time this review was written. There are many good options if you want to provide security protections for your iPhone or iPad.

Is Scanguard equipped with a lot of security features?

Scanguard has all the same features that other internet security suites such as Norton and Avira. These features are not included in the software; instead, they can be purchased as add-ons on the Scanguard online marketplace. These are just a few of the features available on Scanguard’s dashboard.

• VPN. VPN protects your browsing and allows you to stream geo-restricted content.
• Password manager. Secure logins: Stores and generates passwords
• Protection against identity theft. Experian’s vast credit network alerts users whenever credit information is being exploited or altered.
• Ad blocker. Blocks advertisements on websites and videos players such as YouTube.

Although I did not think the password manager and ad blocker were worthwhile, the VPN and identity protections are very useful.

Is there a free version?

No. Scanguard offers the cheapest antivirus product, Scanguard . It has real-time virus scanning and system cleanup tools. However, it lacks the same features as McAfee or Norton.

There are very few good free antivirus programs. Avira is my favorite free antivirus. It includes all the same features of Scanguard EssentialAntivirus, as well as a limited free VPN.