Choosing an Internet Security Software: Why Should You Try It Before You Buy?

Downloading and installing a good antivirus utility on your computer is one of the essential components of using the World Wide Web safely.
It can protect your machine from unauthorized access, potential infections and a variety of other destructive cyber-crime threats.

There are many competing product options on the market, and every package has its unique mix of technological features, functionalities, and capabilities coupled with their own set of pros and cons.

Features like a firewall, on-demand, and on-access malware scans, malicious URL blocking, target website rating, phishing protection, and behavior-based detection are very common.
Advanced capabilities like vulnerability scans, file encryption, password managers, secure browser and others are also available with some premium security suites.

So how can you determine which antivirus solution is ideal for your specific cyber-security requirements?
As there are so many alternatives available online, the best thing you can do is try some of them out for yourself and obtain independent insights on which tool deserves your hard-earned money.

The no-obligation testing period allows you to review all of the components hands-on for a given system (without needing to download or install the software) and get a feel for how it works.
It helps to form an independent opinion about the software, discover its strengths and weaknesses, and reach a research-based conclusion, whether buying the full version is worth it or not.

How to Make the Most of an Antivirus Trial Period?

When you use the initial trial period, it allows you to try out a premium internet security tool for free before committing to an annual or multi-year subscription and without spending a penny.

It’s a great way to verify that the software package you consider delivers on everything you’re looking for before actually putting money down.
Research, reviews, and customer recommendations are extremely useful, but it’s not the same as actually taking a product for a test drive.

Unlike a demo version or a freemium, free trials come with significantly fewer limitations or restrictions, and in many cases, none at all.
In such cases, users get complete access to the entire software for a certain period and enjoy the same benefits and privileges of a paying user.

This time window enables you to fully explore the virus protection software’s features, evaluate its ease of use, assess its value for money, and experience the provider’s customer service and support departments – all of this without paying anything at all and with no obligation to join the service as a paying subscriber.

After downloading the program and starting your free trial, play a little bit with the software: test the malware-detection engine, run a comprehensive system scan and see if anything fishy was found on your PC.
In case malware was found on your computer or device, try to remove it to clean up your system and evaluate the result.

Ask yourself: do you like using this AV software? Does it have any negative impact on your computer’s performance? Do you feel safer with it?
If you’re happy with what you saw and experienced, feel free to purchase a paid subscription.
However, if the software did not meet your expectations or needs or if it slowed your PC down, simply cancel the trial and look for better alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Trying out and comparing a number of potential antivirus product options is a vital step before choosing and buying one.
Here’s a list of common questions (and answers) that often come up during this process.

• Why Should You Sign Up? Benefits of Using Free Trials before Choosing Any Paid Service
  
• “Credit Card Required”: Why Do Some Free Trial Offers Require Users to Enter-In Their Credit Card Information?
  
• Risk-Free Offer Models: What’s the Difference Between Free Trials, Freemium and Money-Back Guarantee?
  
• Common Free Trial Scams: How Do They Work and What Can You Do To Avoid Them?
  
• Tips: How Do You Cancel a Free Trial You Signed Up For?