Ad-Aware by Lavasoft

Ad-Aware by Lavasoft is one of the oldest ant-spyware programs available. This program has always had a free version and Ad-Aware 2007 is no exception. If you are looking for a basic and effective anti-spyware for your home computer or network, Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware is for you.

Ad-Aware is available in 3 home versions and 1 commercial version. They are Ad-Aware 2007 free, Ad-Aware 2007 Plus, and Ad-Aware 2007 Pro. There is also an Ad-Aware Enterprise 2.0 for large commercial applications.

Ad-Aware 2007 free is the basic anti-spyware offered by Lavasoft. If you are looking for just a basic anti-spyware program, this is for you. Ad-Aware 2007 free will prevent browser hijacking. It offers the user an easy to use interface, the ability to determine which threats should be removed, full feature quarantine, and a powerful redesigned engine. There are tabs included in this version that you cannot use. Those are tabs for the paid versions. This is a great choice for a basic stand alone PC or laptop. If you are interested in Ad-Aware, this would be the way to try it out. Commercial use of this free program is prohibited.

Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware 2007 Plus is a little more robust than the free version. It costs $26.95 and it adds a few features not available in the free version. If you have removable drives, want free customer service, and are looking for automatic updates and customizable searches, then this is the product you should go with. You can find a comparison chart at Lavasoft’s website. It explains the differences in their free, plus and pro versions quite well.

Ad-Aware 2007 Pro further embellishes the program. The price jumps to $39.95, however it offers a tremendous amount of features that includes all of the features listed above plus the ability to scan network drives and several ways to constantly monitor your computer for risks. This is the product that you should choose if you are running a home network or small business network.

CNET.com editors have given Lavasoft Ad-Aware programs a 4 star rating. The users rating is slightly lower at 3.5 stars. They feel that Lavasoft has earned their reputation of having a quality anti-spyware program but also found that the free version tends to be slow and sluggish to respond. There update feature is always running with no way to shut it off. Perhaps this is why it is sluggish at times.

It is interesting to see what others are saying about Ad-Aware. Once, this was the anti-spyware program to have. Nothing could beat it. However, now it seems that there may be other choices that run faster and are more efficient. It seems like programs such as Ad-Aware and its counterpart SpyBot SD, are slowing losing market share to other more robust programs that do more and require less computer resources. Even so, if you want a basic free anti-spyware solution for your desktop computer or laptop, then Ad-Aware is something you should consider. What do you have to lose for free?