Avast Antivirus One Review (2024 Update): The Pros & Cons

Avast Antivirus One 2024: Full Review

Avast is ranked #7 of the 28 best antivirus of 2024.

We’ve put Avast One through its paces and can confirm it’s a top-notch antivirus solution. It excels in malware detection, as proven by our own in-house tests and those of AV-Test.

One strong point is the rich set of advanced tools that come with paid plans, such as the unlimited VPN and system cleanup feature. Plus, it’s versatile—working across Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, while letting you safeguard multiple devices.

In short, Avast One offers robust, multi-platform protection with lots of extras, making it a top choice for comprehensive security.

Anti-malware

We tested Avast’s malware scanner with over 1,200 different types of malware. It caught everything, matching top names like Norton and Bitdefender. A full system scan took just under 54 minutes, a bit slower than Norton but not by much. During the scan, our computer ran smoothly with no hiccups.

Avast does more than look for malware. It checks your system settings, junk files, outdated drivers, and even warns you about data breaches. When we turned on Avast’s real-time protection, it stopped all malware downloads, even those that were zipped and encrypted.

The downside? If you’re using the free version, get ready for constant upsell attempts.

In summary, Avast offers excellent malware detection, quick scans, and useful extra features. It’s a strong pick, even if the free version is a bit naggy.

Anti-phishing

We also put Avast One to the test for its anti-phishing features. Compared to its past performance, Avast has clearly improved. We pitted it against Bitdefender using fresh phishing URLs and found that Avast blocked 81% of threats, outperforming Bitdefender’s 76%.

However, Avast has removed browser extensions from its package. These extensions used to highlight malicious links in search results. While some may miss this feature, you can still add Avast Online Security separately if you want it. We generally find browser add-ons can be intrusive, so we didn’t mind this change.

Good news: you don’t need to pay for these web protection features. They come free in Avast One Essentials.

To sum up, Avast’s web protection is strong and effective, especially for a free package. It’s a significant step up from its past performance.

Firewall

We looked into Avast One’s firewall as well. It lets you monitor network traffic and even shows you which apps are using your internet connection. You can manually block these apps if needed. If you opt for the paid version, you’ll get extra features like alerts for port scans and ARP spoofing attacks.

However, we didn’t find Avast’s firewall as user-friendly as Norton and Bitdefender’s, which manage your network intelligently without the need for manual tweaks.

One thing we missed was the Wi-Fi Inspector tool on the Windows app, which helped identify vulnerable connected devices. This feature still exists on the Android app, but it’s no longer available for Windows users.

In summary, Avast’s firewall is decent but not groundbreaking. It gives you basic protection and some control, but it lacks the automated intelligence of some competitors.

VPN

We checked out Avast One Essential’s VPN, which is powered by HideMyAss! SecureLine. The free version is fairly limited; you can’t choose your server location, which means you can’t unblock international streaming services. However, it does offer a decent 5GB of data per week, beating many competitors like Avira and Bitdefender’s free plans.

In terms of speed, it clocked in at 52Mbps, not the fastest but good enough for general use. The VPN has a reliable kill switch that blocked our internet access if the connection dropped, keeping us secure.

One standout feature is the VPN’s ability to prompt you to connect when visiting certain types of websites like banks or online stores. This can be a real boon if you often forget to turn on your VPN. Upgrading to the paid version gives you unlimited data and more server options, but speeds were still below average in our tests.

In summary, the VPN included in Avast One Essentials is robust for a free offering, outshining most of its competitors. However, when it comes to paid versions, rivals like Bitdefender offer faster speeds and better unblocking capabilities.

Other security features

We took Avast One for a spin and here’s what we found:

Clear Browsing Data

Avast One has a tool to clear your browser’s history, cookies, and more. We tested it on various browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. It worked well, clearing data quickly across all.

Software Updater

This feature scans your apps and lists missing updates. We found it convenient but a bit limited. In the free version, you have to manually click “Update” for each app. We upgraded to the paid version and loved the auto-update feature—it found and installed six updates in seconds. However, it only supports 50 apps, unlike competitors like Avira, which supports 150.

Password Protection

Avast One offers some unique features like scanning for data breaches. We used this and found it handy. But, it doesn’t replace a dedicated password manager. The paid version adds features like browser protection, which worked as advertised in our tests. However, the added features aren’t game-changers.

Ransomware Shield

This feature protects folders with essential files. Avast added main user folders to its protected list, but missed some, which was concerning. We had to manually add those. Once set up, it successfully blocked our test ransomware from modifying files.

Online Safety Score

Avast One’s Online Safety Score is a neat feature that nudges you to improve your security practices. Found on the dashboard, it gives you a score from 0% to 100% based on your security setup. We liked how it not only shows the score but also provides tips to improve it. For instance, it recommended upgrading to Windows 11 to boost our score. It’s a smart, gamified way to get users focused on security.

Email Guardian

This feature provides email security, filtering malicious attachments. The paid version goes a step further, working cloud-based for webmail accounts. We attempted to test it with a Yahoo account but found that Yahoo isn’t supported. Eventually, we used another email service but were hesitant to grant Avast full access to our email, a requirement for this feature. After setup, Avast scanned incoming emails effectively, although the extensive permissions could be a deal-breaker for some.

Tracking Prevention

Avast One offers a premium feature to block browser fingerprinting. It alters the data your browser sends to websites, making you harder to track. We enabled this feature and found it fuss-free; there are no settings to adjust. While it focuses only on desktop devices, it adds an extra layer of privacy.

Performance Features

Avast One bundles four tools to boost your device’s speed and health: PC Speedup, Software Updater, Disk Cleaner, and Driver Updater. We found PC Speedup useful for stopping idle apps from draining resources. Software Updater can auto-update apps for paid users, and Driver Updater identifies old drivers but warns you might face disruptions during the update process. Disk Cleaner freed up 1.9GB on our test machine. We appreciate the undo option in the Rescue Center, although it’s a bit hidden.

macOS Features

On Mac, Avast offers unlimited VPN bandwidth and enhanced tracker prevention in its premium version. We also found premium-only disk cleanup tools like App Uninstaller and Duplicate Finder handy. Email Guardian and Network Inspector get a boost for paying users. Overall, Mac users gain several valuable features.

Android Features

On Android, a paid subscription allows scheduled scans and junk cleanup. Real-time monitoring for email breaches is another plus. App Lock is useful to secure specific apps with a PIN. We also liked the new Scam Protection feature, which checks links before you click, though it does require setting Avast as your default browser.

iOS Features

iOS users get fewer features, but the paid version still provides useful tools like unlimited VPN and Data Breach Monitoring. The Photo Vault feature allows for more than 40 photos in the paid version. Email Guardian works on this platform as well.

Customer Support

Avast offers multiple support channels: phone, live chat, email, a detailed online knowledge base, and a community forum. Navigating to these options was cumbersome, requiring many clicks. We noticed that free users are guided to self-help options rather than immediate support like phone or chat.

Global support is uneven. Countries like France and Spain have only live chat, while many places lack phone support. There’s no support page for China at all.

Our experience with live chat was mixed. The agent was friendly and answered basic questions but struggled with complex issues. Email support was good but slow, taking nearly a day for a response. Phone support was the most efficient but may incur international charges and is not available in all regions.

In summary, Avast’s customer support is adequate for general queries but may fall short for complex issues or for users in certain countries.

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 your country.

A lot is on going at Avast Software. The company has recently merged with Norton and it is overhauling its product lines. Currently, the old products (Avast Antivirus Free, Avast Premium, and Avast Ultimate) are still on the site, next to the new products of the Avast One group.

We suspect that all security products will soon be consolidated into the One group, including the free version. From that moment, we think that only the privacy products will remain as standalone offers (Avast SecureLine VPN, Secure Browser, Secure Identity, BreachGuard, and Anti-Track). 

Plan description

Avast offers various plans for both home users and businesses. There are six home security plans, while businesses get three options. Avast One is currently only available in certain countries.

Home Plans:

• Avast One Essential: The new free option combines antivirus protection with a VPN limited to 5GB / week, which is pretty generous for a free VPN.
• Avast Free Antivirus: The old free option offers antivirus protection but no VPN.
• Avast One Individual: The new premium option combines all protection and privacy features and protects up to 5 devices.
• Avast One Platinum: The new premium option combines all protection, privacy, and identity features. It protects up to 30 devices.
• Avast Premium Security: The old premium option offers many security features but no VPN. Avast One is slowly replacing it.
• Avast Ultimate: The old premium option offers security features and the VPN. Avast One is slowly replacing it.

Business Plans:

• Essential Business Security: Basic features tailored for businesses, supporting multiple operating systems.
• Premium Business Security: Adds unlimited VPN and USB protection.
• Ultimate Business Security: The most comprehensive, including patch management for software vulnerabilities.

Business plans offer more flexibility regarding device coverage, ranging from 1 to 999 devices.

Test score comparison

Next to our own anti-malware tests, we analyze those by AV-Test. We’ve compared the results of the 10 most recent tests for Windows 10. The tests were performed by AV-Test, the German anti-malware test lab. They use three factors:

• Protection (1-6): Antivirus protection against malware attacks.
• Performance (1-6): System slowdown caused by the antivirus.
• Usability (1-6): Frequency of false alarms and disruptions.

We used their results, and this formula, to calculate the final score:

Final Score = 60% Protection + 20% Performance + 20% Usability.

Brands not listed in the table haven’t participated in the analysis by AV-Test. This is usually not a good sign. Because most reputable brands, except Panda, ESET, and Sophos, partake in the test.

Source: AV-Test.

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. However, take these results with a grain of salt, as some brands actively attempt to increase their ratings.

Personally, we are wary of exceptionally high scores. Especially those by brands such as TotalAV, known for aggressive marketing and sales tactics.

We consider scores between 4.0 and 4.5 good and realistic. Higher scores are dubious, and lower scores indicate that the brand might have a poor product or customer service. McAfee’s scores, for instance, are worrying.

Source: TrustPilot.

Company Profile

Avast is owned by Gen (NASDAQ: GEN).

Gen is a global technology company specializing in Cyber Safety. With a mission to enable people to navigate the digital world securely and privately, the company serves as an umbrella for several respected brands in the cybersecurity industry. These brands leverage cutting-edge AI technology and in-depth data analytics to safeguard over 500 million users across 150 countries.

The company operates dual headquarters, one in Tempe, Arizona, United States, and the other in Prague, Czech Republic. Gen’s portfolio includes:

• Norton, a leading Cyber Safety brand offering award-winning device protection and online privacy solutions.
• Avast, recognized for its advanced threat detection network, which employs machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide top-notch digital security and privacy.
• LifeLock, a pioneer in identity theft protection in the U.S., equipped with dedicated Identity Restoration Specialists.
• Avira, known for providing free security tools and has received accolades from various industry experts.
• AVG, focusing on a wide array of software security needs including internet security, performance optimization, and data control.
• ReputationDefender, specializing in online reputation management to ensure fair and accurate online representation.
• CCleaner, a leader in system optimization software, widely used for both individual and corporate needs.

By uniting these brands, Gen aims to address the critical cybersecurity challenges that society faces today and anticipates for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most frequently asked questions.