PROS
Fast scan
Free tech support
Poor real-time protection
Poor spyware filter
Bad rootkit prevention
STOPzilla Antispyware 2009 hasn't updated there software in a few years…and it shows. While STOPzilla Antispyware still provides an average level of spyware protection, it's not nearly enough in today's heavily infected world.
On the plus side, STOPzilla Antispyware 2009 scan quickly, installs easily, and has good support. But on the negative side, the majority of spyware, Trojans and other malware easily broke through STOPzilla's barriers. This lack of antispyware protection is simply unacceptable.
$29.95
Editor's Overview
- Easy install
- Nice interface
- Fast scanning
- Poor antispyware protection
- Poor anti-phishing
- Good support
At 10-15 minutes for a scan, STOPzilla Antispyware is on the fast side. But perhaps they should have slowed down to make sure they caught all spyware.
The install is easy, and the interface is easy to use. Right after install, STOPzilla Antispyware launched into a full system scan without prompting.
STOPzilla Antispyware comes with a few bells and whistles: a decent pop-up blocker, cookie and history cleaner, good toolbar remover, and rollback. However, the majority of these functions are already handled by Internet Explorer and Firefox. So, was it really necessary for STOPzilla to include them? Not really.
STOPzilla Antispyware Freatures
- On-demand and automatic scanning
- Automatic updates
- Pop-up protection
- Rootkit and botnet security
- Anti-phishing
- Cookie cleaner
- History cleaner
- Toolbar remover
- Rollback feature
STOPzilla Antispyware does fairly well with average spyware. But when it comes to the more nasty, entrenched spyware, STOPzilla Antispyware doesn't do so well. Independent testing showed that almost 30% of spyware attacks weren't stopped by STOPzilla Antispyware. And almost half of Trojans, keyloggers, and rootkits completely got past STOPzilla. That's far too many misses for our liking.
The anti-phishing feature is mostly a joke. Independent tests showed known phishing sites were easily accessed and not blocked by STOPzilla at all. Internet Explorer and Firefox do better with their default settings.
If there's one good thing to say about STOPzilla Antispyware is their customer support. They offer e-mail, phone, or live chat support even for trial users. Not bad, but not good enough when their overall product performance is so lacking.
Support
- Free tech support for registered users
- Email support
- Live chat
Conclusion
STOPzilla Antispyware 2009 is not up to modern standards of antispyware protection. While the interface looks nice, is easy to use, and installs quickly, the overall performance is highly lacking. Spyware, malware, Trojans, rootkits, and keyloggers all got by STOPzilla Antispyware far too easily. Try something else this year for your antispyware needs.
$29.95
