PC Matic Review: Should You Consider This Antivirus Solution in 2024?

#1 PC Matic Review in 2024

PC Matic, a name that's been around in the antivirus world for quite some time, has always been a bit of an unusual case in the cybersecurity landscape. With its unique approach to malware protection and system optimization, it's aroused my curiosity more than once. That's why I decided to test the USA-made software thoroughly and see how it really performs.

In this detailed PC Matic review, I'll be examining PC Matic's features, performance, and overall value. You'll learn:

• How well PC Matic protects against various types of malware
• The effectiveness of its real-time protection
• How it impacts your system's performance
• The usefulness of its additional features like VPN and ad blocker
• Whether it's user-friendly for both tech-savvy and casual users

So, get ready and let's begin this examination into the world of PC Matic!

In a Hurry? Here's a Quick Summary

If you're short on time, here's a quick overview of what I found out in this PC Matic review:

What You'll Like:

• Low system impact during scans
• Comprehensive scan options including performance optimization
• Included VPN with good speeds
• Ransomware protection
• Ad blocker extension for browsers

What You May Not Like:

• User interface can be confusing for some users
• Real-time protection (SuperShield) not installed by default
• Limited language options
• Below average performance in ransomware simulation tests
• VPN is a separate application

What Makes This PC Matic Review Different?

Many antivirus reviews you'll find online are often just recycled information from the product's website. They lack the depth and personal experience that comes from actually using the software day-to-day. That's not what you'll get here.

For this review, I spent two weeks thoroughly testing PC Matic on my personal devices. I used a Dell XPS laptop as my primary test machine, but also tried it out on a MacBook Pro and a Samsung Galaxy S20 FE to get a feel for its cross-platform performance.

I've captured 13 screenshots to give you a visual tour of the software, showing you exactly what you can expect when using PC Matic. From the installation process to the specifics of each feature, I've examined every aspect.

My goal is to provide you with an honest, hands-on account of what it's like to use PC Matic. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or just looking for reliable protection for your devices, I hope this review will help you make an informed decision.

Buying PC Matic

When I decided to write a PC Matic review, my first step was to visit their website and compare the different Home products they offer. They have three main versions: Standard, Complete, and Ultimate. All of these cover 5 devices and support multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.

After some consideration, I opted for the Complete version. It seemed to strike a good balance between features and price. It includes all the standard features like malware protection, dark web monitoring, and PC optimization, plus it adds a VPN and cloud storage. I didn't feel the need for the Ultimate version's extra features like VIP support and a password manager.

The purchasing process was uncomplicated. After selecting the Complete plan, I was asked if I wanted to buy some add-ons like ID theft protection and unlimited support. I decided to skip these. At checkout, I created my account by entering my email address and a password, then entered my payment details. The whole process was quick and effortless.

Once the purchase was complete, I received an order confirmation email. It included my receipt and a link to a page where I could download the installer and read the instructions. This made the next steps clear and easy to follow.

Installation

Installing PC Matic was a breeze. I used the installer I downloaded from the link in my confirmation email, and the whole process took less than a minute. It was refreshingly quick compared to some other antivirus solutions I've tried.

I also had to install the PC Matic VPN separately. This was also available from the same download page, and the installation was equally swift. It's worth noting that the VPN is a standalone application, so you can install or remove it independently from the main antivirus program.

To activate both the antivirus and VPN programs, all I had to do was log in with my PC Matic account on the screen that pops up when you first launch the applications. This unified login made the setup process feel smooth and user-friendly.

Interface

When I first opened PC Matic for this analysis, I was greeted with a user interface that has a distinct grey-green theme. It's modular in design, which means different components are clearly separated.

At the top of the interface, there's a device status indicator. It's either green (meaning SuperShield is installed and actively protecting your device) or blue (indicating SuperShield is not installed, paused, or turned off). This color-coding makes it easy to see at a glance whether your device is protected.

PC Matic features a gray-green UI with a protection status at the top.

The main part of the interface is divided into several sections:

• Dashboard: This gives you an overview of your computer's security and performance status. You can also run an on-demand scan from here.
• SuperShield: Here you can view logs of process activity on your computer.
• Scheduler: This allows you to set up scheduled scans for your entire account or just a single device.
• Devices: You can view other devices on your account from this section.
• Reports: All scan reports are stored here for easy access and review.
• Options: This is where you can customize scan settings, restore changes, and more.

At the bottom of the interface, you can see your computer's scan status and access scan history, performance trends, and maintenance statistics. There's also a footer with shortcuts to your account settings, adding devices, support resources, the PC Matic shop, and logout option.

One thing I found a bit limiting is that you can't resize or change the UI. Also, there are only four languages to choose from: English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin. This might be an issue for users who prefer other languages.

Major Features

In the following section, we’ll dig into PC Matic's standout functionalities. We’ll look at what makes it a noteworthy option for your security setup.

Real-Time Protection (SuperShield)

PC Matic's real-time protection is called SuperShield. It's a proprietary technology that uses cloud computing to protect your PC from online threats in real time. One thing that surprised me is that SuperShield doesn't come installed by default. You need to install it as an add-on when you first run PC Matic, and you can disable it from the Settings if you want.

The SuperShield tab in the main interface shows you the SuperShield activity. You can see details like the process name that was stopped, the vendor, product name, date, and time. I found this level of detail quite useful for understanding what the software is doing to protect my system.

The SuperShield activity log shows you the scan history and web protection activity.

There's also a scan history tab within the SuperShield screen. This shows you scan records organized chronologically, which is handy for keeping track of past scans and their results.

One important thing to note: PC Matic recommends removing all previous real-time antivirus products before installing SuperShield. This is because running two protection products simultaneously can cause conflicts and potentially leave you unprotected.

Scan

PC Matic's scanning capabilities are quite comprehensive. The scan feature not only looks for threats but also checks for vulnerable applications, junk files, and even suggests performance adjustments.

PC Matic scan options: you can enable malware fixing, scan benchmarks, updating drivers, and more.

To start a new scan, you simply go to the main Dashboard and click the Scan button. By default, it performs a quick scan, but you can configure these settings in the Scan Options.

The scan components include:

• On Demand Malware Scan (Quick, Full, Selective)
• Benchmarks for processor speed, memory speed, and disk speed
• Driver updates
• Vulnerable app updates
• Junk file cleanup
• Performance adjustments
• Scheduled tasks management

I ran both quick and full scans during my testing. The quick scan took about 7 minutes and found 1 malware (of unknown type, but most commonly spyware, trojans, and adware) and several vulnerabilities.

The Quick scan results show you performance, security, stability, and removed browser addons.

The full scan was more thorough, lasting about an hour and 2 minutes. It made a few changes to my computer and found one security recommendation.

In Full scan results, you can see the scan summary and the actions taken.

After each scan, you get a detailed report with color-coded rectangles for each item. You can click on these for more information and to review changes. During my PC Matic review tests, I particularly liked the ability to whitelist anything you don't want to be changed or quarantined in future scans.

The scan results dashboard features scan results icon legend, details about the icons, and how to get the most from scan results.

Scheduler

PC Matic's scheduler feature is useful if you want to automate your scans. You can access it from the Scheduler tab in the main interface.

The Scheduler interface allows you to create individual schedules and master schedules.

Setting up a scheduled scan is pretty easy. You can configure parameters like frequency (one time, daily, weekly, or monthly), start date, time of day, location/drive to be scanned, type of scan, type of malware cleaning, and whether to fix malware, update vulnerable apps, update drivers, scan benchmarks, or scan system event log. There's even an option to email results once the scan is complete.

Scheduling a new scan: set frequency, time of day, malware scan, and more.

For users with multiple computers, there's a Master Scheduler. This lets you schedule scans for all the computers on your license to run at the same time, using the same settings. It's a real time-saver if you're managing security for a household or small office. At first, I was a bit confused as to what this type of scheduled scan does, but I elucidated the mystery pretty fast. There's also a button to Select All, but it's not clear what the selection is about when you don't have any scan scheduled.

The Scheduler settings lets you stop or reinstall the scheduler module.

Ransomware Protection

To test PC Matic's ransomware protection, I used a ransomware simulation app. The results were a bit disappointing - PC Matic blocked 12 out of 22 ransomware attacks. This is below average compared to other antivirus solutions I've tested, such as McAfee and TotalAV.

Ad Blocker

PC Matic includes an ad blocker tool that installs as a browser extension. This is a nice addition as it helps protect against malware that can be hidden in web advertising.

Th Ad blocker extension shows you requests blocked and domains connected.

You can easily disable the ad blocker on specific web pages if needed. Just click the green SuperShield icon in your browser and click the large blue power button. This will keep the ad blocker disabled on that page until you turn it back on.

Remote Desktop Security

PC Matic has implemented automatic safeguards for Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). This is crucial in preventing brute force attacks, which are a common tactic used by cybercriminals to spread ransomware or other malware.

The software automatically adjusts the Windows Lockout threshold to 10 incorrect login attempts within 5 minutes. If there are 10 failed attempts during this period, no more login attempts will be allowed for several minutes. This adds an extra layer of security for those who use remote desktop features.

VPN

PC Matic Complete includes a VPN, which is a separate application from the main antivirus. The VPN interface is simple, with a main window where you can choose the VPN server and see the connection status.

In VPN main interface, you can connect to a location quickly by searching for it or browsing the list.

I tested the VPN's speed using fast.com, connecting to several different servers. Here are the results:

• No VPN (Romania): 5.9 Mbps download, 15 Mbps upload, 6 ms latency
• Athens, Greece: 31 Mbps download, 21 Mbps upload, 104 ms latency
• Cincinnati, USA: 32 Mbps download, 1.5 Mbps upload, 155 ms latency
• Johannesburg, South Africa: 22 Mbps download, 22 Mbps upload, 216 ms latency

When connected to a server, you will see your IP associated with that server.

I also ran privacy tests using ipleak.net and perfect-privacy.com for this PC Matic review. The VPN passed these tests successfully, showing that it effectively hides your IP and prevents DNS leaks.

The VPN settings allow you to change the language, choose the VPN protocol, enable features like kill switch and DNS leak protection, and more. Overall, I found the VPN to be a solid addition to the PC Matic package, offering decent speeds and good privacy protection.

The VPN settings include changing the language, starting the app at system startup, and automatically connecting to server at app startup.

System Performance Impact

One area where PC Matic really shines is its low impact on system resources. During a full scan, it consumes an average of 15% CPU power and 100 MB of RAM. This is below the industry average of 25% CPU usage and 300 MB RAM consumption.

This low resource usage means you can run scans without significantly slowing down your computer, which is a big plus in my book.

PC Matic Review: Conclusion

After thoroughly testing PC Matic, I have mixed feelings about the software. On one hand, it offers some unique features and has a low system impact. On the other hand, there are some aspects that left me wanting more.

The antimalware program isn't the most user-friendly I've encountered. The user interface can be confusing to navigate, especially for less tech-savvy users. The scanner, while comprehensive, shows a lot of results that might overwhelm some users.

However, the VPN included in the Complete version is pretty good. It offers average download and upload speeds, and passed the IP leak tests. Also, the CPU and RAM consumption of PC Matic were better than average, which is a definite plus.

In conclusion, PC Matic might be a good choice if you're looking for a low-impact antivirus with some extra features like a VPN. However, if you prioritize user-friendliness or need top-tier ransomware protection, you might want to consider other options. As always, the best antivirus for you depends on your specific needs and technical comfort level. 

If you're exploring alternatives for antivirus security, Norton and Bitdefender are trusted names. Additionally, be sure to check out our list of the best antivirus software 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.