Avast Home Edition for Windows is available free of charge for a yearly license, while we Mac users have to pay ! This doesn’t make any sense ??? since, as we all know, Windows is just plagued with viruses and malware while, as of yet, there are NONE that are active in the wild for Macs.
Can anyone justify /explain this egregious, discriminatory policy? :o
Just to be clear, the free availability of Avast Home for Windows is not limited to a 12 month period.
Yeah, licenses for Windows can renewed free of charge each year(unless the company changes its policy).
I downloaded and have been trying out Avast for Mac, and Avast found no “cooties” on my hard drive since, of course, there are NONE…zero, zilch, out there for Mac, currently.
True, one day something nasty will likely come along and blindside unaware Mac users, but right now there’s no reason for us Mac users to be paranoid. Meanwhile, I’ll just keep using the FREE and excellent ClamXav (it’s for Mac’s OS X only) software program to check for viruses, lest something evil this way comes.
There have been no active viruses for Macs, so far, for two reasons. One, Mac’s operating system is superior to Windows ;), it’s much more efficient and its architecture is more difficult to penetrate with a virus, and, two…since Macs account for no more than 5% of the computer market, those miscreants who devise computer viruses would rather spend their time bugging the 95% market share, which is Windows.
I don’t dispute that Avast is a fine program, but if Windows users get a free ride with Avast and Mac users don’t, then to hell with Avast; I can live happily and virus protected without it! >:(
Heironymus , the problem is, development of the Mac version wasn’t for free (in fact, it was quite costly) and the product simply needs to pay for itself (at least). We’re able to provide the free version for Windows only because certain percentage of the free version users actually upgrade to the payed-for version. However, since the AV market on the Mac platform is so small, this would not work here.
I’m sorry, but that’s reality. 30 bucks can buy you a fine steak - or an avast for Mac license. 
Hope this helps,
Vlk
Vlk’s reply has a point Actually, I’m thinking about upgrade to Pro too just because I want to “donate” ;D I’ve just found reseller in my city
Heironymus,
If you don’t want to pay for an av for Mac you can use ClamXav, it’s not real-time protection. It is an on-demand only scanner.
Ok, Vlk, I have to admit that you gave some very valid reasons for charging Mac users for Avast; I can now understand Avast’s policy. Thanks! I’m no longer pissed.
Let’s see now, a three year license amounts to $25 per year…that’s not so bad. (Hmm, the way things look now, after three years, the greenback will likely have gone the way of the German mark of the 1920s so we in the States will have to shell out
maybe $2500 by then for another three year license : ;))
Actually, ClamXav now has a feature called “Folder Watch” in which the user can specify which folders one wants ClamX to watch for viruses, so ClamX does provide real-time protection if one wants.
I donated last night and bought a 2 year license of PRO . The 20% discount was very attractive. Now I’m a PRO.