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AVG Antivirus Review (2026): Is it the right choice?
By Tibor Moes / Updated: November 2025
AVG Antivirus Review 2026
AVG Antivirus is one of the best antivirus programs. It has perfect anti-malware protection, no impact on the speed of your PC, many security features, and a great design.
Buy it if you want excellent protection and intuitive design. You will get anti-malware, anti-phishing, a firewall, and a VPN. However, it does not include a password manager.
Alternatively, you could consider Norton 360 Deluxe. For about the same price as AVG Ultimate, it includes several extra features like a password manager, parental controls, and a dark web monitor.
- Malware protection: 100%. AVG detected and removed all of the 1,200 malware samples in our test.
- Speed impact: 100%. AVG’s anti-malware engine is lightweight and did not slow down our test PC.
- Features: 80%. AVG includes anti-malware, anti-phishing, a firewall, and a VPN, but it misses a password manager.
- Price: 90%. AVG has a great price. But with Norton, you’ll get a few more features for the same amount of money.
Thanks to the 30-day return policy, you can try it risk-free.
| Ranking | #10 of 28 |
| Anti-malware | ✅ |
| Anti-phishing | ✅ |
| Firewall | ✅ |
| Password Manager | – |
| Unlimited VPN | ✅ |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| 🔥 Discount | Save 60% on AVG 🔥 |
Full Review
AVG is ranked #10 of the 28 best antivirus of 2026.
AVG offers excellent malware detection and a variety of features, including one of the best firewalls we’ve tested, a powerful web and email scanner, and device optimization tools.
However, some features seem added primarily to compete with top-tier antiviruses, and it lacks parental controls and strong ransomware protection.
There are multiple plans: a free version with basic protection, a standard plan with extra security, and a premium plan offering device optimization, a VPN, and anti-tracking. While slightly pricier than competitors like Bitdefender and McAfee, AVG provides a 30-day free trial and a money-back guarantee.
Anti-malware
AVG’s malware protection system delivers exceptional performance, employing machine learning and heuristic analysis to detect a wide range of threats including trojans, worms, and cryptojackers. Its deep scan inspects every file and even system memory, successfully detecting 100% of test samples. The smart scan, however, trades speed for accuracy, missing several malware instances despite completing within two minutes.
AVG offers several scan types — Smart, Deep, File/Folder, Boot-Time, and USB/DVD — providing flexibility depending on the user’s needs. The Boot-Time scan is particularly effective for persistent threats that activate before the OS loads, while the USB/DVD scan identifies and removes threats on external media.
Real-time protection is another strong point, automatically blocking and quarantining newly downloaded malware. However, its ransomware protection is limited, covering only specific folders rather than system-wide protection. Despite this limitation, AVG’s combination of precise scanning options and robust real-time defenses makes it a dependable solution for comprehensive malware protection.
Anti-phishing
AVG’s web and email protection provide a solid defense against phishing attacks and online scams. Its Web Shield blocks malicious websites, while Email Shield quarantines harmful attachments across major email clients like Outlook and Thunderbird. The system effectively prevented access to all phishing sites tested, matching top performers like Norton.
AVG’s browser extension, Online Security, visually classifies search results using color codes to indicate website safety. Although the categorization feature was inconsistent in testing, the underlying blocking mechanisms remained effective, reliably stopping access to unsafe sites. Users can adjust numerous security parameters, including botnet detection and HTTPS scanning, to fine-tune protection levels.
This high degree of customization appeals to advanced users seeking greater control over security settings. Overall, AVG’s phishing protection successfully defends against fraudulent websites and infected emails, though its browser extension could be improved for accuracy and usability.
Firewall
AVG’s enhanced firewall provides exceptional control and visibility over network activity. It monitors all inbound and outbound traffic, detects intrusions, and includes features like ARP spoofing detection, leak protection, and a built-in port scanner. In testing, it consistently identified and blocked suspicious connections without hindering regular network operations.
Users can select among four operation modes: Smart, Block, Allow, and Ask. The Smart mode is the optimal balance of automation and security, intelligently determining whether an app should access the internet. The Ask mode provides manual control, displaying detailed app information such as digital signatures and enabling temporary permissions — a capability many rivals lack.
The firewall’s detailed app management dashboard lets users review network activity, block untrusted applications, and view connection logs. Combined with its advanced customization options, AVG’s firewall stands as one of the most powerful and user-friendly network protection tools available in 2026.
VPN
AVG’s VPN service provides reliable, encrypted internet access with reasonable performance. Using 256-bit AES encryption and support for protocols like WireGuard, Mimic, and OpenVPN, it ensures data privacy and secure browsing. The VPN operates across 59 servers in 37 countries, offering stable speeds suitable for streaming and torrenting, though not as extensive as larger competitors.
Performance tests showed minor reductions in download and upload speeds, with some latency spikes on distant servers. Nevertheless, DNS leak tests confirmed full anonymity, and the VPN’s kill switch successfully prevented data exposure during connection drops. Servers are categorized by use case — for example, streaming or P2P — making it easier for users to select optimal connections.
However, AVG’s logging policy raises concerns. It records timestamps and data transfer amounts, which may deter privacy-focused users. While the VPN is solid for secure browsing, those seeking stricter anonymity should consider services with stricter no-log policies.
Other security features
AVG offers a comprehensive array of supplementary features designed to enhance system protection and usability. Its Network Inspector scans home networks for vulnerabilities, quickly identifying unsecured connections and providing educational resources for mitigation. The Rescue Disk feature enables malware recovery via bootable media, although setup requires a separate, clean device.
Additional protections include Remote Access Shield to block unauthorized desktop connections, Behavior Shield to detect suspicious program activity, and Fake Website Shield to prevent DNS hijacking. Sensitive Data Shield restricts access to confidential files, while Anti-Track and Data Shredder safeguard online privacy and permanently erase sensitive files.
AVG also offers TuneUp tools for system optimization, capable of cleaning junk files, managing startup apps, and recovering deleted data. These tools significantly enhance system performance but are available only through the Ultimate plan. AVG’s Secure Browser integrates ad blocking, fingerprint masking, and VPN support, though many features underperform compared to competitors.
While AVG’s feature set is extensive, many tools overlap or exist as upsell incentives rather than core protections. Nonetheless, the suite remains a robust all-around security platform combining malware defense, privacy safeguards, and system optimization utilities for modern users.
Plans and pricing
In the table below are the core products with their features and prices.
The prices shown are from the USA. However, most brands have different prices (and currencies) in other regions. So visit the brand’s website to see the price in our country.
Plan description
AVG offers one free plan and two premium plans. All come with a standard download but differ in feature accessibility.
AVG AntiVirus Free
The free plan covers one device and includes features like a malware scanner, real-time protection, and ransomware safeguards. While decent, it misses key features like web protection and a firewall. Compared to competitors like Avira that offer more in their free versions, AVG’s free plan is a bit lacking.
AVG Internet Security
Priced at $39.99/year for one device, this plan provides a robust set of features including a firewall and web protection. You can extend the coverage to up to 10 devices for a small extra fee. We found this to be AVG’s best-value plan, covering most security needs effectively.
AVG Ultimate
At $51.99/year, this plan extends coverage to 10 devices and includes AVG AntiTrack, AVG TuneUp, and AVG VPN. While feature-rich, the plan isn’t the best bang for your buck, especially when similar features are available at lower prices from competitors like Avira Prime.
What We Didn’t Like
We’re not fans of AVG’s upselling tactics. Even the premium plans tease features that aren’t included, urging you to pay more. This includes AVG Driver Updater and BreachGuard which are shown but not accessible unless you pay extra.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for comprehensive protection, AVG Internet Security is your best bet. But if you want value, competitors offer more features for less. AVG’s upselling can be annoying, but the good news is that there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied. Overall, AVG is good but leaves room for improvement in both feature offerings and pricing tactics.
Test score comparison
We conduct in-house anti-malware tests and review the results from AV-Test, a German lab renowned for its objective evaluations. Below is the average of the last 10 AV-Test results for Windows. Their scoring criteria are:
- Protection (1-6): Effectiveness in blocking malware.
- Performance (1-6): Impact on system speed.
- Usability (1-6): Frequency of errors like false alarms.
We calculate a final score using this formula:
Final Score = 60% Protection + 20% Performance + 20% Usability.
While these results influence our choice of the best antivirus for Windows 11, other factors like privacy and identity protection also play a key role. For a similar analysis for Android or macOS, visit our other comparisons:
Note: Brands not listed in the table either do not participate in AV-Test trials or are tested too infrequently, such as Surfshark Antivirus.
Source: AV-Test (Last updated: November 2025).
Price comparison
We’ve compared the prices of the top antivirus products for Windows. To make it a fair comparison, we looked at what it would cost us, to protect a single Windows PC with the most essential features:
- Anti-malware
- Anti-phishing (web protection)
- Firewall
- Password manager
- Unlimited VPN (no data limit)
A few notes:
- Some brands are missing features, lowering their value for money.
- Prices are second-year prices in the USA, without first-year discounts.
- Prices are rounded up for readability (e.g., $99.99 becomes $100).
Brands have different prices outside the USA. See those on their website.
User reviews
We’ve compared the user reviews of all antivirus brands. We’ve used the scores and review count of TrustPilot, a leading user review platform.
We consider scores above 4.0 very good. Lower scores indicate that the brand might have a poor product or customer service. McAfee’s scores, for instance, are worrying.
Source: TrustPilot. Last Update: November 2025.
Company Profile
AVG is owned by Gen (NASDAQ: GEN).
Norton is part of the Gen Digital family (NASDAQ: GEN), a global leader in Cyber Safety with a mission to make the digital world safer and more private for everyone.
Gen is a collection of renowned cybersecurity brands that serve over 500 million users in 150 countries. Its portfolio includes Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, and AVG.
Operating from dual headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, and Prague, Czech Republic, Gen brings together cutting-edge AI technology and data analytics to tackle today’s most pressing cybersecurity challenges.
By consolidating these brands, Gen combines expertise and innovation to address both current and future cybersecurity threats.
How we test antivirus software
At SoftwareLab, we provide thorough and unbiased antivirus reviews to help you make informed cybersecurity decisions. Our comprehensive testing covers all critical aspects of antivirus performance. We assess each product in six key categories, weighted by importance:
For even more details, visit our blog posts on how we test antivirus software.
Anti-Malware Protection (30%)
We evaluate how well the antivirus detects and removes various malware types like viruses, trojans, ransomware, and spyware.
In-House Testing: Using 1,200 diverse malware samples, we conduct real-time attack simulations to assess detection and neutralization of known and emerging threats through signature-based and heuristic analysis.
Independent Lab Results: We incorporate findings from respected institutes like AV-Test, SE Labs, and AV-Comparatives to validate our results.
Security and Privacy Features (30%)
We assess additional tools that enhance cybersecurity:
Web Protection: Testing the software’s ability to block phishing sites and web-based threats by accessing known malicious websites.
Firewall: Evaluating effectiveness using intrusion simulations and the ShieldsUP! test to secure network ports and monitor traffic.
Password Manager: Assessing capabilities to generate, store, and auto-fill complex passwords, plus features like two-factor authentication and biometric login.
VPN: Evaluating security protocols, encryption, speed, server locations, data limits, and support for streaming and peer-to-peer sharing while hiding IP addresses.
Parental Controls: Testing screen time management, content filtering, location tracking, and resistance to bypass attempts to protect children.
Identity Theft Protection: Assessing monitoring of personal info and responsiveness to potential identity theft alerts.
Secure Cloud Storage: Evaluating capacity, security, usability, and features like file encryption and secure sharing.
Anti-Ransomware: Simulating attacks to test detection and blocking of unauthorized encryption via behavioral detection and exploit prevention.
Dark Web Monitoring: Checking effectiveness in scanning the dark web for personal info and providing timely alerts.
System Performance Impact (10%)
We measure how the antivirus affects device performance during everyday tasks:
Resource Usage: Monitoring CPU and memory during scans and real-time protection.
Performance Tests: Evaluating impact on launching apps, downloading files, browsing websites, and copying data, aligned with AV-Test criteria.
False Positives (10%)
Accuracy is crucial to avoid interruptions:
False Positive Detection: Assessing how often legitimate applications or files are incorrectly flagged.
Usability Tests: Referencing AV-Test evaluations to gauge false positive frequency for effectiveness and user-friendliness.
Price and Value (10%)
We analyze overall value by comparing features to cost:
Cost Analysis: Considering subscription prices, device coverage, and multi-year plans.
Feature Evaluation: Assessing if included features justify the price compared to competitors.
Ownership and Reputation (10%)
Trust is essential in cybersecurity providers:
Company Background: Researching history, industry track record, mergers, or acquisitions.
Privacy Policies: Examining data handling, privacy commitment, and compliance with regulations.
Ethical Conduct: Investigating past unethical behavior, data breaches, or controversies.
Sources and tools
- Apple Platform Security
- AV-Comparatives Consumer
- AV-Test Android
- AV-Test macOS
- AV-Test Windows
- GRC Firewall Test
- Microsoft Defender
- SpeedTest VPN
- Trustpilot Security Software
Author: Tibor Moes
Founder & Chief Editor at SoftwareLab
Tibor has tested 28 antivirus programs and 25 VPN services, and holds a Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate from Stanford University.
He uses Norton to protect his devices, NordVPN for his privacy, and Proton for his passwords and email.
