Following Avast's big scandal last month, many have moved on to other free Antivirus programs which thankfully, there are a good amount of. Avast was hit hard with reports of not only harvesting data, but selling that information to various companies. The extension was then dropped by most browsers after that, perhaps even forcing some who wanted to stay with Avast through the scandal to drop it.
Free Antivirus software isn't a rare thing today. Various others programs are free or offer a free, stripped-down version of the main product. An example of the latter would be Bitdefender, which has the free edition alongside it's main product that costs $26 per year. Bitdefender is downloadable, not an extension, and works on both PC and Mac, as well as Android phones. It doesn't offer any flashy add-ons, but has all the essential features of an Antivirus.
Kaspersky is one of the more respected free services, drawing praise for its ease-of-use as well as its performance. Upon download, Kapersky installs an add-on to your browser, marking sites as safe or unsafe on Google search results and in the URL bar. The free service offers more than enough features, but you can also try one of their premium products with a 30-day free trial.
Other Free Alternatives to Avast
AVG is a tricky one. While it's already very popular, they're owned by Avast. Because of AVG's established user base, they've kept the two products separate, but they are owned by the same company that's currently under fire. That could provide some justified hesitation from former Avast users. Still, AVG is globally popular for a reason, as it provides fast performance and a simpler approach to antivirus protection than Avast.
Panda Antivirus is a cloud-based system that comes with a VPN at no additional cost, which is certainly a nice feature for a free product. It prides itself on both internet and malware protection, and could be e a top choice if you use a lot of public Wi-Fi. Lastly, there's Sophos Home, which is the best option if you have children. They have deep parental controls that you'd usually find in a more premium package, and can be used on up to three devices.
Avast was one of the best, if not the best free Antivirus systems out there. While it's a shame to see it go down like it did, there is a good amount of replacements that can come at the same price. That price makes it easy to download and experiment a few of the above until you find the one that works best for you.