Avast Antivirus Review 2025: Will It Keep You Safe?

Avast provides all the essential protections you need to stay safe from malware. Its scanner and real-time protection caught all the malware I tested, and its web protections outperformed Chrome’s, Firefox’s, and Edge’s built-in tools.

It also has an excellent free plan and is very beginner-friendly. That said, the premium plans come with more comprehensive extra features that include:

• A VPN.
• System optimization tools.
• Webcam and mic protection.
• Anti-tracking features.
• Identity theft insurance (up to $2 million).
• Remote Access Shield.
• Dark web monitoring.

Avast’s breach monitoring is decent but limited. You can’t monitor things like gamer tags or multiple IDs and addresses — top antiviruses like Norton can. Avast also lacks a password manager and parental controls, and its VPN is underwhelming with limited features and a small server network.

Still, Avast is one of the better antivirus options. It offers great malware protection, is easy to use, and has useful extras. Every plan includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, there’s a 30-day free trial with no credit card needed, and it’s even expandable to 60 days.

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Avast Antivirus Full Review — 2 Easy-To-Use Apps (Great Security, Good Customization & More)

Avast offers 2 distinct security apps: Avast Premium Security and Avast One. While Premium Security is highly customizable, Avast One has more features and is easier to use (but it’s only available in a limited number of countries). Though the features, settings, and user interface vary between the apps, the fundamental anti-malware engine is the same across both.

Both apps are easy to use, provide great security, and come bundled with lots of extra features. The anti-malware engine scored a 100% malware detection rate in both apps during my tests. Avast also provides strong web protection, a firewall, breach alerts, a secure browser, advanced anti-tracking protection, and decent system optimization tools.

Both apps have a free version and include the core security features you need to protect your devices. However, by upgrading to the Premium Security plan or one of the premium One plans, you get access to a lot more features.

There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of Avast’s plans. You can also take advantage of the 60-day free trial of Premium Security (no card required!). It’s just a shame there’s no free trial for Avast One.

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Avast Antivirus Plans & Pricing — Good Free & Decent Premium Option

Avast offers an annual premium plan, Premium Security, and a free version called Free Antivirus. It also has a newer range of plans called Avast One, which you can read about below.

The Premium Security plan lets you protect 1 or 10 devices and includes lots of customization options for more technical users.

Here’s a quick overview of Avast’s Free Antivirus and Premium Security plans:

Avast Plans & Pricing (Avast One Plans) — Good-Value Plans for All Budgets

There are 4 Avast One plans: Basic (free), Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Basic, Silver, and Gold are available in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, but sadly, Platinum is only available for those in the US.

That said, the One plans offer far better value than Premium Security. The app looks cleaner and is easier to use, and the plans include several helpful extra tools. However, they come with fewer customization options, which is good for those who prefer a simpler approach without excessive options.

Here’s a quick overview of all of Avast’s One plans:

Avast Antivirus Security Features — Tons of Features to Keep You Protected in 2025

Anti-Malware Engine — Perfect Detection Rates, Fast Scans & No Performance Impact

Avast’s malware scanner is among the best for detecting and removing malware. Despite having different user interfaces, both of Avast’s apps use the same scanner. I tested it by downloading 1,000+ malware samples onto my device, including viruses, worms, trojans, keyloggers, rootkits, ransomware, spyware, and more. Both apps scored a perfect detection rate, comparable to other top antiviruses like Norton, Bitdefender, and McAfee.

The full system scans took just under an hour on both apps, too. This is a pretty good speed — on par with Bitdefender and McAfee, but slower than Norton (which takes approximately 40 minutes). The difference is largely negligible, though, as I noticed no significant performance drops during the scan and could use my PC as normal throughout.

I like the large number of scan options Avast provides. This allows you to target specific areas where you suspect there might be a problem in order to save time. Avast includes the following scans on both apps:

• Smart Scan. Scans areas on your device where malware is usually found.
• Full Virus Scan. Scans your entire system for malware (called Deep Scan in the Avast One app).
• Targeted Scan. Scans specific folders or drives (including external drives).
• Boot-Time Scan. Scans files before your operating system is fully loaded.
• Explorer Scan. Scans specific files or folders directly from your desktop (just right-click on the file you want to scan and choose the option to scan with Avast).
• Custom Scan. Create your own scans to suit your needs.

Whether you use Avast One or Avast Premium Security, the real-time protection is very good. When I turned it on and attempted to download the malware samples I had previously used for testing, it prevented all of the downloads. It was also able to catch the samples when they were zipped and encrypted.

Web Protection — Better Than Most Web Browsers’ Default Protections

Avast’s anti-phishing protections are decent. Both apps detected and blocked almost all of the malicious websites I attempted to visit, and I ran into very few false positives. They’re significantly better than the default protections on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

Additionally, Avast’s Web Shield protects you from web-based threats by preventing unsafe downloads, scanning encrypted websites, and blocking web attacks executed through botnets and malicious scripts. Both of Avast’s apps include the same fundamental web protection tools, but One is far less customizable.

Avast also offers a free browser extension that detects phishing sites and other threats. It blocks trackers, opts you out of ads where possible, and directs you to pages where you can manage your settings on Google and social media sites to better protect your privacy. You can also automatically accept pop-ups that ask you to enable necessary cookies and turn on a feature that color-codes search results based on potential risk.

That said, while excellent, there are some things I don’t like about Avast’s web protections. I had trouble figuring out how to add incorrectly flagged websites to a list of exceptions on Premium Security — I finally gave up and had to use the search function in the settings (Avast One’s interface makes this more intuitive). Competitors like Bitdefender let you whitelist a site with a single click, which is much more convenient. A smaller issue, but still frustrating, is that when you revisit a phishing site, Avast stops showing a warning and just blocks the page without any notification.

Overall though, Avast’s web protection is great and will keep you safe from a wide range of web-based threats, including phishing sites, virus-infected websites and attachments, botnets, malicious scripts, and more.

Secure Browser — Comes With Good Protections + Excellent for Privacy

Avast Secure Browser is another useful tool for staying safe online. In my tests, it blocked about 2/3 of ads, which is decent, though not as effective as the best ad blockers. It also blocks trackers and doesn’t log your activity. For added privacy, it integrates with Avast’s VPN if your plan includes VPN access. The browser also blocks access to unencrypted websites.

Bank Mode is another great advanced feature. It opens the browser in a virtual desktop, an isolated ecosystem that’s ideal for entering personal details like passwords and credit card details.

There’s a lot to like about the browser, but it isn’t my favorite. Like most secure browsers, it only supports a very limited set of extensions. You can download any extension from the Chrome store, but you’ll need to change the settings and click through a few warning boxes. Unlike Bitdefender’s Safepay browser, it doesn’t block screenshots (which is great protection while you’re banking online). It also doesn’t grade search results with color-coded safety ratings. This is a pretty basic feature that’s flawlessly implemented into Norton’s Private Browser.

Overall, Avast’s secure browser is pretty good — but there are better competitors out there. I wouldn’t recommend it on its own, but as an extra feature in Avast’s already large feature-set, it’s a pretty neat inclusion.

Firewall — Proactive Firewall to Stop Web-Based Attacks (Highly Customizable in Premium Security)

Avast’s apps come with a firewall that monitors all network interactions, protecting you against unauthorized intrusions with minimal input. It worked really well in my tests, successfully blocking untrustworthy connections and sample exploit attacks. Both apps use the same fundamental firewall technology, but the presentation is different.

Whenever Premium Security’s firewall detects a new application trying to connect to the internet, it responds to it in one of 4 ways (depending on your settings):

• Smart Mode: Decides whether to allow the application to connect to the internet based on its reputation score.
• Allow: Automatically allows the application to connect to the internet.
• Block: Blocks the application.
• Ask Me Mode: Issues a notification asking you whether you should allow the application to connect to the internet.

Most users will just want to leave the firewall on Smart Mode — the default setting. I found having the firewall on Allow is risky, but Block and Ask Me Mode quickly get annoying.

Beyond the 4 modes, the firewall has a wealth of other customization options. It provides rich details for advanced users who want to change the parameters under which it works. It’s also easy to create your own rules for apps and networks. Most users won’t need to play with any of these settings, but I like that they’re available.

On the other hand, Avast One’s firewall is much simpler. Rather than providing you with 4 options, it always operates in the equivalent of Smart Mode. It provides details about any actions it takes, but there aren’t any meaningful customization options beyond the ability to block or allow specific apps.

Customization differences aside, both versions of the firewall are similar in terms of security features. They both provide leak protection, which is particularly useful on public networks. It prevents your sensitive information, like usernames and emails, from being exposed. This is an especially great bonus feature when you consider competitors like PC Matic don’t even include a firewall.

In addition, you get Port Scan Alerts and ARP Spoofing Alerts on both apps. Port Scan Alerts notify you when there are attempts to scan your PC’s open ports, while ARP Spoofing Alerts warn you about potential ARP spoofing attacks — a technique hackers use to intercept network traffic and steal private data.

On the whole, Avast’s firewalls provide reliable protection against various threats. Its proactive features aim to prevent unauthorized access, and the user interface makes it relatively straightforward to manage your protections.

Device Optimization Tools — Good Way to Speed Up Your Device

Avast’s system optimization tools are pretty good — they’re super intuitive to use and can free up a lot of space to improve your computer’s performance. The tools are integrated into the One app. Premium Security only integrates a software updater and Do Not Disturb Mode. For everything else, you’ll need to purchase a separate app called Avast Cleanup.

Avast One’s optimization tools on Windows include:

• Junk cleaner.
• PC Speedup.
• Driver updater.
• Software updater.
• Do Not Disturb mode.
• Browser cleaner.
• PC Speedup.
• Duplicate file finder.

The junk cleaner finds and removes unused files and folders from your browsers, disks, and registry. During my tests, it found over 1.2 GB of files I wanted to remove. I also like that it gives you a clear breakdown of all of the files it’s flagged as junk.

PC Speedup finds unnecessary background apps that are using up system resources and puts them to sleep. This can, in theory, improve your device’s performance, but I didn’t notice much of a difference myself. I found Norton’s Real-Time Boost and game booster features to be much more effective at speeding up my device for CPU-intensive programs or games.

The driver and software updater scans for and notifies you of new updates for your drivers and the apps on your computer. Outdated drivers and software can create security vulnerabilities, and keeping track of updates can be a hassle, so this is a pretty convenient feature.

The apps included in the Mac version of Avast One are different and include:

• Disk Cleaner.
• App Uninstaller.
• Photo Cleaner.
• Duplicate File Finder.

There’s also Browser Cleaner, the only optimization tool available on Windows and Mac (and the only one included with the free version of Avast One).

Overall, I like Avast’s device optimization tools. They’re available as a standalone purchase, but it’s much better value to get them bundled with one of Avast’s antiviruses.

Hack Alerts — Monitor up to 5 Email Addresses (30 on the Family Plans)

All of Avast’s premium plans come with useful data breach alerts (called Hack Alerts). You can add up to 5 email addresses to your account (or 30 on the family plans), and Avast will let you know if any of them have been involved in data breaches. It worked well in my tests, alerting me that several accounts have been involved in data breaches. In each instance, Avast gave me clear instructions on what I needed to do to resolve the issue (it usually involved changing my passwords).

However, the Hack Alert feature could certainly be improved. For one, there are free tools that do the exact same thing. Unlike many other premium antiviruses, Avast won’t check to see if your physical address, gamertags, birthdate, or other bits of personal information have been leaked. Norton’s Privacy Monitoring feature checks for all this and more, providing useful information about what you should do while alerting you to the leak.

Identity Theft Protections — Strong Identity Theft Protections for US Users

Avast provides strong identity theft protections with its Avast One Platinum plan. These are only available to customers in the US. If you do opt for Platinum, you’ll get access to powerful tools that you can use to monitor several aspects of your life, including your finances, social media, and personal details.

Avast will actively monitor your credit cards, bank accounts, physical address, name, email, social security number, and more. If any of these are involved in a leak or posted on the dark web, Avast will notify you and provide advice. It’s a decent feature, but Norton can monitor a wider range of personal details (and they use live human agents, which is a big plus).

In addition to scouring the dark web and known breaches for your personal information, Avast provides:

• Identity theft insurance up to $2 million.
• Credit monitoring.
• Social media monitoring.
• Financial transaction monitoring.
• Lost wallet assistance.
• 24/7 remote tech support.

I like this selection of features, especially the inclusion of transaction monitoring, which alerts users to suspicious financial activity in their bank accounts. I’m less positive about the social media monitoring. If enabled, Avast will constantly snoop on your social media use, looking for signs that you’ve been hacked or are violating the platform’s policies, which is too intrusive for my taste.

Overall, Avast One Platinum identity theft protections are most suitable for families needing complete coverage across multiple individuals and devices (up to 30 devices across 6 accounts, to be precise).

Rescue Disk (Premium Security Only) — Easily Recover a Computer That No Longer Starts

Avast’s Rescue Disk is useful when a malware infection prevents your device from booting. It lets you create a bootable USB drive that runs Avast independently of your system, allowing you to scan your hard drive for viruses without starting the operating system. This is a strong second line of defense if malware has damaged your system files so severely that your device won’t function normally, and Avast can’t run.

It’s easy to create a rescue disk. If you need it, Avast’s website has a detailed guide complete with pictures showing you how to utilize it properly to restore an infected PC.

I’m a big fan of Avast’s Rescue Disk, but it’s a shame it’s not available on the One plans. However, it’s great that it’s included in the Free Antivirus plan. Other top antiviruses that offer this feature include Kaspersky and Panda.

Avast VPN — Good Speeds but Lacking Advanced Features

Avast also offers a decent VPN (integrated into the One app and available as a separate download otherwise). It has good speeds, a kill switch, and a large network, but it lacks features like split-tunneling (on desktop) and torrenting support.

I was disappointed when I tried downloading a torrent while connected to the VPN. I tested servers in several countries, but none of them allowed the download to go through. This is a major letdown compared to Private Internet Access, which supports P2P file sharing on all servers and even includes port forwarding to boost torrenting speeds.

When it comes to streaming, Avast’s VPN works with Amazon Prime and Paramount+. However, it has mixed success working with Netflix and didn’t work with Hulu. If you’re looking for a VPN that can access Netflix 100% of the time, I recommend ExpressVPN.

That said, I was happy to see that Avast’s VPN has good speeds since I didn’t notice it was on while browsing normally. On the other hand, high-bandwidth activities like streaming were slightly affected, with a bit of buffering.

The server network is also pretty good. There are 12 different locations in the US alone, so there’s a good chance you’ll find a server close enough to you to maintain fast speeds. If you’re using the free version of Avast One, it’ll automatically connect you to the nearest server. However, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan if you want to choose a different server location.

Additionally, there’s a 5 GB per week data cap, which is more generous than what many free VPNs offer but still very limited. With browsing, streaming, downloading, automatic updates, and cloud services consuming more data than ever, 5 GB per week simply isn’t enough for most people.

Avast includes strong encryption and follows a strict no-logs policy to enhance privacy, but it stores service data from its servers and clients for 35 days to 2 years. This raises potential risks in a data breach, and I’d prefer an independent audit to confirm its no-logs commitment.

In short, while it isn’t the best antivirus-bundled VPN, Avast’s VPN is a nice addition to the One app. Avast also has a standalone VPN app, which has the same features (and issues) as the one included in the One app.

Additional Features — Secure Data Shredder, Tracker Prevention, Mail Shield & More

Avast has a lot more features besides the ones I highlighted above. Here are some of its other notable features:

• Mail shield. Scans incoming and outgoing emails for viruses and malicious links but may conflict with Microsoft Exchange on a server OS.
• Tracker Prevention. Helps maintain your privacy, protecting you from advanced tracking techniques by constantly changing your browser’s fingerprint.
• Sandbox (Premium Security only). Lets you run apps and open suspicious files in a secure, isolated environment.
• Data Shredder. Overwrites sensitive files before deleting them so that they can’t be recovered.
• Webcam Shield. Stops third parties from accessing your webcam without your consent, protecting you from webcam spyware.
• Password Protection. Blocks apps from accessing any browser-based password managers you’re using (not a fully fledged password manager).

All of these tools have their uses, but it’s a shame that Avast doesn’t include a password manager or parental controls on any of its plans.

Avast Antivirus Ease of Use & Setup — Easy to Set Up (But the Choice Between Apps Can Get Confusing)

Downloading and installing Avast is a breeze. Still, I question the wisdom of providing 2 apps with basically the same security features. I would much prefer to see the customization options of Premium Security incorporated into the One app’s intuitive design.

Still, Avast is very easy to set up. Whether you opt for Avast One or Premium Security, the website automatically detects your operating system and ensures that you’re downloading the correct app. The whole downloading and installation process took me less than 5 minutes.

Avast Premium Security — Includes More Customization Options (Better for Advanced Users)

The classic Avast app comes with the Free Antivirus and Premium Security plans. It’s the more complicated of Avast’s programs, but that doesn’t mean it’s hard to use. After extensive tests, I can say that it provides a good mix of customization and accessibility.

The app provides brief explanations attached to all of its basic features, so you’re never left wondering what something does. I’m also a huge fan of how each individual tool’s page includes a shortcut (the little gear icon in the top right) that takes you directly to the advanced settings for it. Finally, if you still can’t find the setting you’re looking for, Avast offers a convenient search function that will take you directly to it and even highlights it in green so you can’t miss it. A lot of antiviruses lack this basic feature, which is a shame.

That said, it’s a shame that the app doesn’t include the VPN as well as many of the optimization tools. Depending on your subscription, you may be entitled to these features, so it’s a shame you need to download additional apps to use them.

Avast One — More Modern, Streamlined Interface (Better for Everyday Users)

On the whole, Avast One is much more streamlined than Premium Security. It trades the older app’s dark theme for bright, friendly colors, and the Home tab gives you access to all key features, including the VPN, scanner, and optimization tools. The scanner button only links to the most recent scan type you ran, so if you want to run something different, like a deep scan after a smart scan, you’ll need to go to the Scan Center via the Explore tab.

I think it’s a great layout for non-technical users, but it does come with some trade-offs. The Explore tab is essentially a long list of features, each with a short description. These blurbs don’t offer much detail, but they’re helpful for less tech-savvy users who want to understand what each tool does. Clicking Open usually brings you to a page where you can adjust basic settings for that feature.

Most tools only offer a couple of customization options, so there’s not much room for tweaking. There’s also a general settings menu under the Account tab, but it’s mostly limited to managing updates and adding files or folders to the scan exceptions list.

I like the Avast One app. It’s very intuitive, and I never had any trouble finding or using any features. That said, I still would have loved to be able to adjust the settings as much as I could with Premium Security. It’s also missing the search function, but even with all that in mind, I still recommend it for non-technical users looking for an antivirus that provides easy access to features.

Avast Antivirus Mobile App — Good Security + Extra Features (Once Again Split Into 2 Apps)

Avast has mobile apps for both Android and iOS. Just like with the desktop version, there are 2 separate apps — one for Avast One subscribers and another for users on the classic plans (pictured above). The Android apps include far more features than the iOS version, which is typical thanks to Apple’s platform restrictions.

That said, iOS devices are already well-protected against traditional malware, so a malware scanner isn’t necessary.

Here’s what mobile users can expect from Avast:

• Malware scanner (Android only).
• Web Shield.
• App lock (Android only).
• Wi-Fi speed test (Android only, unavailable on Avast One).
• Network inspector.
• Data breach monitoring.
• Photo Vault.
• VPN (Premium plans or Avast One only).
• App Insights.
• Junk Cleaner.
• Privacy Permissions.
• Ad blocker.
• Email protection.
• Phishing protection.
• Avast Direct Support.

I love that Avast One’s free plan for both Android and iOS brings the VPN to the table. It still comes with that same 5 GB weekly data cap, which is enough for regular browsing — I just wish it came with more data for those who want to stream. Honestly, I don’t know why anybody would choose anything other than Avast One for mobile devices since it still comes with Avast’s same excellent malware and real-time protections. Since it also comes with data breach monitoring, it’s an obvious choice.

Both mobile apps have an intuitive interface. Some of the tools can be found on its main screen, and others can be easily accessed from the menu in the top left corner. Given how similar the apps are, I struggle to understand why Avast chooses to support both.

That said, Avast’s mobile security tools are very good. It was able to detect all of the malicious apps on my device during my tests. Additionally, its Web Shield correctly identified and blocked every phishing website I tried to visit.

Overall, Avast’s mobile app provides strong security, but it’s not quite as feature-rich as top competitors like Norton and Bitdefender.

Avast Antivirus Customer Support — Decent Customer Support (Limited by Your Region)

Avast provides support via phone, live chat, and email, plus an extensive online knowledge base along with a community forum. While I didn’t find the forums to be all that helpful, the knowledge base is fairly thorough and well-organized. I found it capable of addressing my most common questions. Keep in mind that you can’t receive support via phone, live chat, or email if you’re a free user — you can only access the knowledge base and support forums.

That said, since I tested a fully paid plan, I generally had a good experience with Avast’s 1-on-1 support. I was connected to a live agent immediately, and they were able to answer my technical and product-related questions clearly and professionally. However, as my questions got more complex, the response times grew noticeably longer. I had a similar experience with phone support, though I had to first provide proof that I was a paying customer — kind of annoying!

Unfortunately, Avast’s support options aren’t consistent across all countries. I tested the support page from various locations and found that live chat and phone support are only available in English-speaking countries. Customers in Japan and many European countries can use a contact form in their native language to access email support. However, if you’re in China, Turkey, or several other regions, English is the only available support option.

By and large, I found Avast’s customer support to be decent. Most of your questions can probably be answered by consulting the online knowledge base or by asking users on the community forum. The agents who cover English-speaking countries are also knowledgeable and efficient. But if you have a particularly thorny question or concern and live in one of the many regions where phone support isn’t available, you don’t have any good options.

Is Avast a Good Internet Security Suite for 2025?

Avast is a pretty good antivirus, though it doesn’t quite make the cut for our top 5 picks. Its malware engine detected 100% of the threats in my tests, including advanced malware like ransomware, cryptojackers, and rootkits. Its web protection also performed well, blocking multiple phishing sites that Chrome and Firefox missed.

It also offers a wide range of extra features. Notable features include a Rescue Disk, a secure browser for banking and shopping, anti-tracking tools, and DNS hijacking protection.

Avast is one of the most user-friendly antivirus programs, especially with the Avast One app. The interface is clean and intuitive, with most features just a few clicks away. In the Premium Security app, each major feature includes a short description, and the built-in search tool makes it easy to locate specific settings.

That said, there are some drawbacks. Several of Avast’s bonus features fall short compared to what other antiviruses’s offer at similar prices. I couldn’t use the VPN to torrent and was further disappointed to see that the desktop version doesn’t support split-tunneling. Avast also lacks parental controls and a password manager. The split between the 2 apps — Avast One and Premium Security — can also be confusing, and it would be better if all users had access to a single, unified app.

That said, Avast is a solid internet security suite that provides high-quality protection for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. It has great free plans, too. You can try Avast’s paid plans risk-free by taking advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee.

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