Avast Antivirus Review 2026 – Is It a Good Choice? - Cybernews

Avast antivirus is a recognizable name in the cybersecurity industry, offering robust protection for both personal and business users. Known for its user-friendly interface, Avast delivers comprehensive security features, including real-time malware detection, ransomware protection, and a built-in password manager. The service consistently demonstrates excellent results in independent lab evaluations. However, our in-house Avast performance evaluations showed mixed results. While it is not without drawbacks, Avast is still a good option for some users. In this Avast review, I will go into more detail about its performance and pros and cons. ⭐ Rating: 4.1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 🥇 Overall rank: #13 out of #30 💵 Price: From $31.20/year ✂️ Free version: Yes 🖥️ Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS 🔥 Coupons: Avast coupon 60% OFF Why You Can Trust Cybernews Our team of researchers thoroughly tests antivirus software following a well-established testing process. In unison, our experts combine in-house and independent testing lab findings with first-hand experience to help you make informed decisions about each product. Learn how we test antivirus software. 35+ Antivirus Software Tested 1,300+ Malware Samples Tested 4,050+ Hours of Extensive Testing Recent update In October 2025, I included new data from our latest antivirus performance tests. I also reviewed the article to remove any outdated or irrelevant information. Getting started with Avast: choosing the right plan For this Avast review, I chose the Avast antivirus free plan to evaluate its security. Besides the free plan, Avast offers a Premium Security plan and an Ultimate plan, which is more feature-packed than Premium Security. I found the Avast free plan sufficient to test its security performance before considering the premium options. Plan Price Features Free Antivirus Free 5 virus scans, 4 core shields, network inspector, limited ransomware and firewall protection, hack alerts, software updater Premium Security From $31.20/year Includes all of the above, adds bank mode, email guardian, remote access shield, phishing protection, sandbox mode, improved browser safety, webcam and sensitive data shields, and data shredder Ultimate From $55.99/year Includes all of the above, adds SecureLine VPN, Cleanup Premium, AntiTrack, and Driver Updater View packages Avast offers a lot, considering its moderate starting price of $31.20/year and the free version, which is sufficient for basic malware protection. Still, it’s not as cheap as Bitdefender (starts at $12.99/year) or TotalAV (starts at $19.00/year), two of the best antivirus services available. In any case, I recommend choosing the Premium Security 10-device option, which costs $39.99/year, since people often use several gadgets that require cyber protection. Moreover, the Premium Security upgrade unlocks valuable advanced protection features. On the other hand, the Ultimate plan costs $55.99/year, which adds four additional security tools at a reasonable price hike. Pro tip You can use an Avast coupon code to get an even better deal on a premium subscription than what’s available by default. Is Avast free antivirus good? Because the Avast free version does not require an account, you can use it on as many devices as needed. During the testing and writing process, I also used the free version of Avast on my personal laptop. It scanned my device without interfering with casual browsing and alerted me to suspicious browser redirects. Avast also outperformed another free antivirus I have tested – Malwarebytes. It detected fewer false positives, while some threats that Malwarebytes detected required upgrading to the paid version to resolve. In fact, Avast is one of the best free antivirus services available since it performs very well for an unpaid service. The primary difference between Avast's free and paid versions lies in the availability of additional features. Although the free version is sufficient for malware detection and removal, I recommend a paid version for active internet users. Advanced phishing, banking credentials, and browser safety protect against numerous cybercrime methods that could result in significant financial loss. I am more skeptical regarding its Ultimate bundle. Compared to the best VPNs, Avast's SecureLine VPN is more limited, with servers in only 34 countries. As such, I suggest a dedicated VPN service like NordVPN if you want excellent results in this area. Avast installation process and interface overview The research team and I evaluated Avast’s installation process to determine whether setting up the antivirus is a straightforward process that anyone can accomplish. Next, we used the service for various tasks to gauge whether its user interface is usable. Setup I found Avast antivirus software particularly easy to install, with one minor shortcoming. The Cybernews research team and I installed it on a Windows 10 VM with four allocated CPU cores from Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3945WX and 16GB of RAM. I was pleasantly surprised that you don't need to create an account to start using this antivirus software. Simply go to Avast's website and click the Free download button on the first page. Avast antivirus download page It will open a pop-up to download a file, which launches the installer when executed. The installer is straightforward, and I recommend using the Customize option on the very first window to deselect elements you do not require. Avast Customize installation lets you select or deselect desired elements But before you proceed, take a look at the very bottom left, where Avast suggests installing its Secure Browser. Turn off both settings if you don't want it or don't want it to be your default browser. I can't say I like this layout, and would instead include the option in the customization tab because now it is too easy to miss. Otherwise, the installation was speedy and took me only a few minutes. It is also available in 44 languages and does not require any payment details upfront unless you subscribe to a paid version or want to use the 60-day free trial. Interface The Avast Antivirus interface is simple and intuitive, which suits casual and tech-savvy antivirus users alike. It also comes with elaborate customization options, allowing anyone to adjust the software to their specific needs. Avast protection features offered in the free version The Windows and Mac versions are identical in terms of looks, which is excellent because the desktop interface is easy to use. Avast’s features are logically laid out, and you can easily find relevant options in their respective tabs. However, it’s somewhat disappointing that the free version appears identical to the premium version, despite having fewer features. That means that clicking on some of those features will just prompt you to subscribe. Besides that, I was generally pleased with Avast’s interface. Avast security features Avast automatically launches once installed and prompts you to perform a Smart Scan before proceeding. Don't be alarmed, as it took only over a minute for me to get access to other features. Avast greets you with a neatly organized front screen, featuring five feature tabs on the left and the menu and notifications on the upper right, as shown in the picture below. Avast app interface after installation The Protection, Privacy, and Performance tabs store their numerous features, with paid ones displaying a lock sign on the free Avast version. The last More apps tab opens a pop-up where you can purchase additional Avast services: SecureLine VPN, Cleanup Premium, AntiTrack, Driver Updater, and BreachGuard. I have summarized Avast's features in the table below. Feature What does it do? Virus Scans Checks the entire device for malware, identifies threats that activate on startup, scans the most popular malware locations Core Shields Scans added and opened files for malware, warns of suspicious apps, provides real-time protection, blocks malicious email attachments Quarantine Isolates harmful files in a safe environment Network Inspector Scans the network for vulnerabilities, reveals all connected devices Ransomware Shield Protects selected files and folders from ransomware encryption Firewall Inspects incoming and outgoing traffic for malicious elements, alerts of port scanning and ARP spoofing, provides data leak protection Bank Mode Safeguards your banking credentials from theft Email Guard Alerts of phishing and scam emails As you can see, Avast Premium Security goes beyond standard malware protection. For example, it includes additional security features like Browser Shield and Webcam Shield to protect you in specific circumstances. There are also tools like Software Updater, Data Shredder, and Do No Disturb Mode if you want to customize the service further. So, it’s safe to say that Avast includes plenty of tools for users to take advantage of. However, I think it would also greatly benefit from features like Dark Web Monitoring or Parental Controls, which are available with antiviruses like Norton 360. Overall, the effectiveness of Avast antivirus in dealing with real threats can be seen in our in-house test results further below. Network Inspector The Network Inspector is useful for identifying network vulnerabilities and detecting unauthorized connections. During the tests, the scan ran for barely 2 minutes and revealed that my network was safe and sound. Avast Network Inspector scan results Is Avast antivirus safe? Avast antivirus is considered safe and effective at protecting against malware and phishing threats, consistently ranking well in independent tests. However, users should be aware of past privacy concerns. The provider claims to have remedied its ways, but it’s difficult to know for sure whether that’s the case. As such, it’s a matter of personal preference whether you decide to trust this provider. For now, let’s focus on its technical protection capabilities. Regarding past Avast issues, selling user data raises concerns about privacy and overall security. However, the data is usually sold to marketing agencies to target users with ads. To do this, Avast used a special algorithm to remove identifying details before selling the data to its clients. However, this method wasn’t enough to fully anonymize people’s browsing information. The service was fined nearly $15M for GDPR violations because of this. Nevertheless, Avast has since expressed its commitment to safeguarding people’s digital data. Review of lab test results Avast antivirus has shown consistently outstanding results in independent labs like AV-TEST and AV Comparatives. Naturally, the scores have changed since the last update to this review, so let’s quickly go over those. The latest Avast antivirus evaluation from AV-TEST Institute was conducted in August 2025 and gives the service near-perfect scores in all categories. The only loss of points is in the protection category, where Avast lost half a point. In contrast, Avast Antivirus had perfect scores across all categories in many previous tests. Avast evaluation results on AV-TEST Meanwhile, the most recent AV-Comparatives evaluation with Avast is the September 2025 malware protection test. Here, Avast had an offline detection rate of 97.4%, an online detection rate of 98.9%, and an online protection rate of 99.98%. The provider showed 8 false positives during this evaluation. Compared to the previous period, Avast shows lower percentages in online and offline detection rates, but scores have increased in terms of online protection and false positives. The change wasn’t particularly significant, meaning Avast retained its position as one of the best antivirus software according to AV-Comparatives. Avast took one of the top places in the latest AV-Comparatives evaluation Overall, Avast’s rankings haven’t changed significantly compared to the last time we reviewed its independent lab test results. That means you can expect consistently good results from it when it comes to malware protection. Our in-house testing results We conducted new malware protection tests with Avast Antivirus to see whether it holds up. Malware samples were gathered from bazaar.abuse.ch, while phishing websites were selected from phishtank.org. Note The research team did the tests on a Windows 10 virtual machine with 4 allocated CPU cores from Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3945WX, and 16GB of RAM. Malware protection The Cybernews research team tested Avast’s malware detection capabilities in three areas – using the quick scan, full scan, and through real-time protection. The team used 150 malware samples each time to see whether the antivirus service can tackle a wide variety of cyber threats. Overall, the provider showed the best results with its real-time protection feature, but it was still outperformed by higher-ranking providers like Bitdefender and Norton. The quick scan detected 86 malware samples in total, which is a 57% detection rate. This isn’t very great, although I usually don’t expect great results from quick scans anyway. After all, some providers fail to detect any malware samples with their quick scans. Avast real-time protection testing Avast fared better with its full scan, which found 98 out of 150 samples on the test device. This equates to a 65% detection rate, which is average. Still, providers like Bitdefender and Norton fared better in this area. Lastly, Avast’s real-time protection detected 95 malware samples, which is a 63% success rate. This is similar to the provider’s full scan protection rate. Once again, the results are average and not as impressive as with other antivirus providers. Pro tip If you rely on Avast, don’t assume its quick scan catches all threats. For better protection, consider running full scans regularly. Overall, Avast’s detection rates are decent but not outstanding compared to top competitors. Phishing protection For phishing tests, we tried accessing 20 malicious websites while Avast’s Web Shield feature was enabled. The software blocked all malicious websites, which is the same result compared to our previous Avast tests in June. This shows that the provider’s phishing protection is highly effective when it comes to web protection. Many antivirus providers, including Bitdefender, TotalAV, and Norton, perform very well in this area. Avast antivirus phishing testing Impact on PC performance It was crucial to evaluate Avast’s impact on PC performance while we were conducting our tests. It’s natural for antivirus software to have a noticeable impact on your device while it is working. However, it can be a pleasant surprise when an antivirus allows you to continue using your device while it’s being scanned. Avast’s impact on performance during a full scan During Avast’s malware scans, CPU usage fluctuated from 5% to 84% utilization, while RAM usage remained at approximately 4.2GB. That means there’s a chance that you could do other tasks while Avast is running, but not always. Customer support Avast customer support requires significant improvement. Firstly, thorough support options are available only to paid users, and I wasn't impressed by their quality. Here are currently available Avast customer support options: Live chat ✅ Yes (24/7 with paid plan only) Phone ✅ Yes (24/7, US number) Email ✅ Yes (24/7, with paid plan only) Knowledge database ✅ Yes As you can see, users of the free version cannot contact Avast regarding issues and must rely on its online self-help database. While it makes sense regarding live chat to avoid overcrowding and long queues, I would reserve the email support option for everyone. To provide you with first-hand live chat support service quality, I have contacted Avast specialists. I was the 17th person in line and had to wait over 18 minutes for the agent to connect, which is not ideal. Avast online chat queue My question was regarding Avast data collection and the possibility of opting out. Unfortunately, I did not receive an informative response, and the agent promoted a different Avast paid service instead. Avast online chat with an agent After receiving the Breach Guard recommendation, I explained that I was looking for a way to opt out of Avast's user data gathering. However, the agent was slow to respond, and after 50 minutes of passive chatting, I called it a day. To summarize, Avast customer support has plenty of room for improvement. Avast video review 2026 If you’d rather watch a video review than read, here’s a short Cybernews video of Avast antivirus. Past concerns about Avast collecting user data After it was disclosed that Avast was selling user data to third parties, the antivirus provider assured it would change the dubious policy and closed the subsidiary responsible for this operation. Furthermore, in 2021, it merged with NortonLifeLock (currently Gen Digital Inc.), which has a transparent user data policy. Here's the information that the current Avast version collects: Billing data like name, email, phone number, and payment information Account data like name, email, username, and subscription details Device information, service data, and usage statistics Communication information like name, contact information, and message contents Avast also discloses the information it shares with third parties. Here's a breakdown: Device and service information, product usage statistics, and error reports Anonymized threat detection information Consensual and anonymized user data sharing for targeted advertising Non-personally identifiable data for statistical and research purposes This is a standard data collection policy for most software providers. Although the data-gathering scandal has significantly impacted Avast's reputation, the current policies outline a much more transparent situation. Bottom line: is Avast a good antivirus solution? Yes, Avast is a solid antivirus that provides a decent level of security. I tested the free version and found it adequate for basic malware detection, and it doesn’t put much strain on PC performance. However, its real-time protection only achieved a 63% success rate in in-house tests, so you shouldn’t rely on it for complete security. Moreover, the research team wasn’t confident in testing the free version’s ransomware protection capabilities. Still, the provider’s free version is a worthwhile alternative to default security software like Windows Defender. If you need stronger protection, upgrading to Avast Premium Security is worth considering. It offers advanced cybersecurity features at an affordable price. For even more tools and coverage, the Avast Ultimate bundle provides additional utilities, though it comes at a higher cost. How I tested Avast antivirus I used the standard Cybernews antivirus testing method and cooperated with the Cybernews research team and cybersecurity professionals for in-house analysis. During this time, I used Avast on my personal device to provide a genuine first-hand experience. I also overviewed online reviews, user opinions, and professional independent antivirus testing reports. We carried out our tests on a Windows 10 virtual machine with 4 allocated CPU cores from a Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3945WX and 16GB RAM. We placed 150 malware examples to test Avast smart and full system scans. Afterward, we put another 150 malware samples in an isolated environment and downloaded them one by one to test Avast's real-time protection. FAQ Who is Avast owned by? Avast Antivirus is owned by Gen Digital – an international software company based in the Czech Republic and the USA. The company also owns a number of other antivirus services, including Norton, LifeLock, Avira, and AVG. What are the downsides of Avast? One of the disadvantages of Avast is that it’s somewhat pricier than competitors like Bitdefender or TotalAV. Other Avast disadvantages include high system resource usage and below-average customer support. Is Avast good at removing viruses? Yes, Avast is very good at removing viruses. Independent labs consistently give Avast high scores, and it showed solid performance in our in-house tests as well. How much does Avast cost per month? Avast’s monthly cost depends on your chosen subscription plan and how many devices you want to protect. Prices start at around $2.60/month if you choose the Premium Security plan. Meanwhile, the Ultimate plan starts at $3.67/month.