Aura Antivirus Review: Is It Worth Using in 2024?

#1 Aura Antivirus Review in 2024

Aura Antivirus is a relatively new player in the cybersecurity market, but it's quickly making a name for itself. As someone who's been reviewing antivirus software for years, I was curious to see how Aura stacks up against more established competitors. That's why I decided to put it through rigorous testing and see what it's really capable of.

In this thorough Aura antivirus review, you'll discover:

• How effective Aura is at stopping malware and online threats
• The strengths and weaknesses of its VPN service
• How well its parental controls protect children online
• Whether it will slow down your computer
• If Aura is worth the investment for your digital security

So, let's examine and see what Aura Antivirus has to offer!

In a Hurry? Here's a Quick Summary

If you're short on time, here's a quick overview of my findings for this Aura antivirus review:

What You'll Like:

• Simple, intuitive user interface
• Effective real-time protection
• Integrated VPN service
• Robust parental controls
• Minimal system impact

What You May Not Like:

• Limited customization options
• No choice of VPN server locations
• Web protection missed some threats in testing
• Only available in English

What Makes This Aura Antivirus Review Different?

Many antivirus reviews you'll find online are based on second-hand information or brief interactions with the software. That's not my style. For this Aura Antivirus review, I went all in.

I purchased a full subscription, installed the software on my personal devices, and used it extensively for over two weeks. I ran multiple scans, tested its web protection against real threats, and even used a ransomware simulator to see how it would perform under pressure.

Throughout my testing, I captured numerous screenshots to document every aspect of Aura's performance and features. You'll find many of these screenshots throughout this review, giving you a real, unfiltered look at what it's like to use Aura Antivirus.

My goal is to provide you with the most honest, thorough, and practical Aura antivirus review possible. I've tested Aura rigorously so you can make an informed decision about whether it's the right choice for your digital security needs.

Buying Aura Antivirus

My experience with Aura Antivirus began on their website, where I compared their different product offerings. They have three main plans: Family, Couple, and Individual. I opted for the Family plan, as it offers the most comprehensive set of features, including parental controls and identity theft protection.

One thing that surprised me was that Aura doesn't let you purchase a subscription outright. Instead, you start with a 14-day free trial. You'll need to enter your billing information upfront, which will be charged at the end of the trial period if you decide to continue with the service.

After entering my payment details (I used a debit card), I was prompted to create a strong password for my Aura account. The account creation process was uncomplicated and quick.

Once my account was set up, I received an email confirming the trial period end date and the amount I would be charged if I decided to keep the subscription. Interestingly, there was no immediate download link for the software. I had to log into my online dashboard and navigate to Me > Antivirus to find the installer.

Overall, the purchasing process was simple, though I would have preferred a more direct path to downloading the software after signup.

Installation

Installing Aura Antivirus was a breeze. After downloading the installer from my online dashboard, the process was incredibly simple. I just had to click the "Install" button, and the software took care of the rest.

Aura's installation screen showing security tips during the process

During the installation, Aura displayed a slider with various security tips, which I found informative. The whole process took less than a minute, which is impressively quick compared to some other antivirus solutions I've tested.

One thing to note is that there were no options to configure during the installation process. While this makes for a simpler setup, power users might miss the ability to customize their installation.

After the installation was complete, I had to sign into my Aura account to start using the antivirus. This extra step ensures that only authorized users can access the software's features.

Interface

Aura Antivirus boasts a sleek and minimalist user interface that's a pleasure to use. The design features black icons against a light background, creating a clean and modern look.

The  main user interface is very clean, sleek and easy to navigate.

The main screen is divided into two main sections. On the right side, you'll find a menu with tabs for different features:

• Home
• Antivirus
• Online security
• Safe Gaming
• Preferences

The central area of the interface changes based on which tab you've selected, displaying relevant information and controls.

Aura's interface showing various security features

On the Home tab, you can quickly enable or disable the Scan and VPN features. It also shows at a glance whether your computer is protected (antivirus module status) and if your network is secure (VPN status).

The Antivirus tab is where you can initiate quick or full scans and view scan progress. It also displays detected issues and threats, categorized into outdated apps, viruses and malware, and other issues.

One limitation I noticed is that the UI is not adjustable, and there's no option to choose a different theme – you're stuck with the light mode. Additionally, English is the only available language for the interface, which might be an issue for non-English speakers.

Despite these minor drawbacks, I found the interface to be intuitive and easy to navigate, making it accessible even for less tech-savvy users.

Major Features

We’ll now look into the primary features of Aura antivirus. We’ll analyze its main advantages and why it might be the right choice for you.

Web Protection

Aura's web protection is a crucial feature that aims to keep you safe while browsing the internet. It works by blocking dangerous websites and preventing your personal information from being stolen through scams or phishing attempts.

Aura's web protection blocking a malicious website

One thing I appreciated is that Aura doesn't require you to install a separate browser extension for this feature to work. During my Aura antivirus review tests, Aura did a decent job of protecting my computer from threats I intentionally tried to open or download. When I attempted to navigate to a known malicious website, a popup warning appeared in my browser, alerting me to the potential risk.

To thoroughly test Aura's web protection capabilities, I accessed several test links using multiple browsers on my laptop. Here are the results:

• Malicious website test - blocked
• WICAR - blocked 12 out of 13 threats
• AMTSO - blocked 13 out of 15 threats
• EICAR - blocked 2 out of 4 threats

While these results are generally good, they do indicate that Aura's web protection isn't perfect. It missed a few threats in my tests, which is something to keep in mind. However, for most everyday browsing scenarios, Aura should provide adequate protection against common web-based threats. Kasperksy and TotalAV scored a little bit better in this department.

Scan

Aura Antivirus comes equipped with a real-time scanner that checks every file you download or open for potential malware, such as trojans, spyware, keyloggers, or adware. This feature can be easily enabled or disabled from the Antivirus tab.

The scan options and real-time protection settings

Below the real-time scan slider, you'll find useful information about quarantined threats, scan options, virus signature updates, and the number of files Aura has checked.

The Quarantine window is particularly useful, displaying all quarantined files and when the last update was made. You have the option to delete, ignore, or view more details about each quarantined file. There's also an option to add files to an Exclusions list, though it's important to be cautious with this feature and only exclude files you absolutely trust.

Aura's quarantine window showing detected threats

Aura offers three types of scans: quick, full, and custom. Let's take a closer look at each:

Quick Scan

The quick scan searches folders where threats are commonly found. It's designed to be run regularly when auto-scan is disabled. In my tests for this Aura review, the quick scan took 57 seconds to complete, scanned 1151 files, and detected no threats.

Results of Aura's quick scan: 1151 files canned in 47 seconds.

Full Scan

The full scan is more comprehensive, searching all files and folders on your hard disk. Aura recommends running a full scan when you first join Aura and periodically when Auto-Scan is disabled.

Progress of Aura's full system scan

In my Aura review tests, the full scan took exactly 3 hours to finish, scanned 237,000 files, and detected 2 threats. These threats were leftovers from a previous web protection test, which shows that the full scan is thorough in finding potential issues.

Custom Scan

The custom scan allows you to detect threats only in the files and locations you select. It's useful for scanning specific folders or external drives like USB flash drives. The only option you have with custom scans is to choose the location of the items you want to scan.

Aura's scan options include quick, full, and custom scans.

Overall, I found Aura's scanning capabilities to be robust and efficient. The quick scan is perfect for routine checks, while the full scan provides a comprehensive analysis of your system. The custom scan option adds flexibility for more targeted scans when needed.

Ransomware Protection

Ransomware is one of the most dangerous types of malware out there, so I was particularly interested in testing Aura's ransomware protection capabilities. To do this, I used a ransomware simulator to see how effectively Aura could stop various ransomware scenarios.

The results were impressive: Aura successfully stopped 16 out of 22 ransomware simulation scenarios. This is a good performance, considering that the average success rate for antivirus solutions in this test is about the same.

While it's not perfect protection, it does show that Aura is capable of defending against a majority of ransomware threats. This should give users a good level of confidence in Aura's ability to protect their files from this particularly nasty form of malware.

VPN

Aura includes a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service as part of its security package. The VPN is accessible from the Online Security tab and is very uncomplicated to use – you can enable or disable the VPN connection with a simple slider.

The VPN interface showing connection status

One thing I noticed is that you can't select a VPN server location yourself. In my tests for my Aura antivirus review, I was always connected to a server in New York, USA. While this lack of choice is very limiting, it does keep things simple for those who just want basic VPN protection without having to worry about server selection.

The VPN interface shows you useful information such as how much data the VPN has secured and your VPN connection history. There's also a tooltip that explains why masking your real IP address is important for online privacy.

Detailed view of Aura's web protection settings

To test the speed of Aura's VPN, I used fast.com. Here are my results:

• Without VPN (Romania): 650 Mbps download, 310 Mbps upload, and 13 ms latency
• With Aura VPN (New York server): 350 Mbps download, 34 Mbps upload, and 125 ms latency

While there is a noticeable drop in speed when using the VPN, especially in upload speeds, the download speed is still quite good for most online activities.

For privacy testing, I used ipleak.net and perfect-privacy.com. I'm happy to report that Aura's VPN passed these tests, successfully masking my IP address and DNS information.

Overall, while Aura's VPN might not have all the bells and whistles of dedicated VPN services, it provides solid performance and privacy protection for everyday use.

Parental Control

Aura's parental control features are found in the Safe Gaming tab and are powered by ProtectMe, a privacy and protection software designed for families. This integration adds a robust layer of protection for children's online activities, especially in gaming environments.

Aura's parental control interface powered by ProtectMe

Setting up parental controls involves adding a child to your account online, installing ProtectMe on your PC, and then configuring the child account settings from the online dashboard (Me > Child).

Setting up a child account in Aura's online dashboard

Once set up, ProtectMe scans all gaming-related communications in the background and sends alerts to your email if it detects potential cyberbullying or online predators. You'll receive weekly reports about your child's gaming activity, covering over 200 popular online games and apps.

Aura's parental control monitoring dashboard

I was impressed by the depth of protection offered here. The ability to monitor gaming activities, which are often overlooked in standard parental control software, is a standout feature. It provides peace of mind for parents concerned about their children's online interactions in gaming environments.

System Performance Impact

To evaluate Aura's impact on system performance, I ran tests on my Dell XPS laptop with an Intel i 7-1065G7 CPU @ 1.30GHz and 16 GB of RAM running on Windows 11.

During a full system scan, I observed that Aura Antivirus consumes about 15% CPU power and 350MB of RAM. This CPU usage is below the industry average of 25%, which is a positive finding. However, the RAM consumption is slightly above the average of 300 MB.

These results suggest that Aura Antivirus is relatively light on system resources, especially when it comes to CPU usage. You should be able to run scans without noticing significant delays in your computer's performance.

Aura Antivirus Review: Conclusion

After thorough testing and daily use the software, here are my final thoughts for this Aura antivirus review:

• Aura is a polished and modern cybersecurity solution that's particularly well-suited for families who want extensive protection without dealing with overly complex software.
• The antivirus engine provides solid basic protection, effectively stopping most threats in my tests. However, the web protection isn't perfect, and a few threats managed to pass through undetected.
• The included VPN service is a nice addition, offering good speeds and privacy protection. While the lack of server selection might be limiting for some users, it keeps things simple for those who just want basic VPN functionality.
• One of Aura's notable features is its parental controls. The collaboration with ProtectMe by Kidas is a welcome addition, providing effective online protection for kids, especially in gaming environments.
• The user interface is clean and user-friendly, making it accessible for users of all technical levels. However, more advanced users might find the lack of customization options limiting.

Overall, Aura Antivirus offers a good balance of protection and usability. While it may not be the most feature-rich antivirus on the market, it provides solid security basics with some notable features like its parental controls. It offers good all-round protection without inundating you with complex settings and options.

If you're looking for alternative, effective security solutions for your family, Norton, Bitdefender, and McAfee are trusted choices. Plus, review our top antivirus picks for 2024.

Octav Fedor (Cybersecurity Editor)

Octav is a cybersecurity researcher and writer at AntivirusGuide. When he’s not publishing his honest opinions about security software online, he likes to learn about programming, watch astronomy documentaries, and participate in general knowledge competitions.