Software
Avast, Avira Free Antivirus for Mac, ClamXAV, and several others include the option to define a scan schedule. AVG, like Sophos, Malwarebytes, and a few others, eschews the scheduled scan.
Editor Rating: Fair (2.5)
Pros
Certified by one antivirus testing lab. Good detection of Windows malware. Clear, simple user interface. Free.Cons
Very poor score in hands-on phishing protection test. Lacks scheduled scanning, website rating, and other features found in competing free apps.Bottom Line
The free AVG AntiVirus protects against Mac, Windows, and mobile malware, but that's about all, and its antiphishing component tanked in our hands-on testing.
'Ok, ok,' you say, 'you've convinced me. I'll install an antivirus app on my Mac. But I'll be goldarned if I'm gonna pay for it!' That's actually quite a reasonable attitude. Sure, you get more and better protection from the best commercial products, but while Mac-centered malware totally exists, it doesn't come close to the wild and woolly jungle of Windows malware. AVG AntiVirus for Mac is one of several totally free antivirus solutions to protect your Macs. It takes care of basic antivirus protection, but its protection against malicious and fraudulent URLs currently leaves much to be desired.
Since Avast's acquisition of AVG a couple years ago, this product and Avast Security (for Mac) are now, if not siblings, at least cousins. On the PC side, the two free antivirus products are extremely similar under the hood, and my company contacts assure me that the same is true of the Mac products. Note, though, that Avast offers Mac users a lot more than AVG does. In addition to basic antivirus protection, it includes site rating, active Do Not Track functionality, a network security scanner, and even a basic password manager.
SEE ALSO: The Best Free Antivirus Protection for 2019
AVG's main window is spacious and simple. A large dark grey expanse holds three icons penned in by a darker rectangle: Mac Shield, Web Shield, and Email Shield. Mac Shield refers to real-time protection, scanning new files as they arrive. Web Shield works to divert your browsing away from malicious or fraudulent pages. The third icon, Email Shield, will eventually scan incoming email attachments for malware, but the feature is not yet ready. Don't worry; the moment you attempt to save or launch an attachment, the Mac Shield scans it.
You can use the Scan Mac button at center bottom to launch various types of antivirus scans. Links to view quarantined items and log in to your AVG account round out the window. Choosing File Preferences from the menu lets you tweak a few minor settings. For most users the defaults are fine, with one exception. Like Avast, AVG can scan your Time Machine backups for malware. Out of the box, this feature is disabled; turning it on seems like a good idea.
Pricing and OS Support
Like Sophos and McAfee, AVG requires macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) or higher. Avira and Norton want 10.11 (El Capitan) or higher. If you're a prudent user who always accepts operating system upgrades, this shouldn't be a problem. However, if for some reason you're stuck using an old macOS version, consider ClamXAV, ProtectWorks, or ESET Cyber Security (for Mac). These three can handle versions all the way back to 10.6 (Snow Leopard).
As noted, AVG is completely free. Sophos Home Free (for Mac), Avast, and Avira are among the other vendors offering free antivirus for macOS. However, like Avast, AVG is only free for noncommercial use. If you want to use AVG in a business setting, you must pony up for the business edition.
Commercial Mac antivirus pricing centers on just under $40 per year for a single license. Half of the current products fit that model, and most of those give you three licenses for $59.99 per year. With McAfee, that $59.99 subscription price gets you unlimited licenses, not just three. You can install McAfee AntiVirus Plus (for Mac) on all the macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS devices in your household.
Good Malware Protection Scores
When reviewing Windows antivirus utilities, I look at test results from four independent labs, and I also perform my own hand-on testing with live malware. That's not as dangerous as it sounds. I use virtual machines, so if malware wreaks havoc, I just revert to an earlier snapshot. I don't perform that level of testing on macOS, so results from the two labs that test Mac antivirus become very important.
As I mentioned, Avast now owns AVG, so I wasn't surprised to see that the two earned precisely the same scores from AV-Comparatives. Both protected against 99.90 percent of the lab's Mac malware samples, detected 100 percent of the Windows malware samples, and earned this lab's certification.
AV-Test Institute also included Avast in its latest report, but not AVG. Avast detected all the Mac malware and PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications) and most of the Windows malware. We can hope that AVG would have scored the same, but the labs are very clear: results apply only to the precise product tested.
Bitdefender and Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac are the big winners, as far as lab results go. They received certification from both labs, earning 100 percent protection against Mac malware in both cases.
Scan Choices
If you just click the big Scan Mac button, AVG scans the most likely places for malware traces. On the Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch I use for testing, this scan finished in less than four minutes. Clicking the gear icon next to Scan Mac lets you choose a Deep Scan of the entire system, or a File Scan looking just at certain files or folders. Even the Deep Scan only took 15 minutes, just a hair longer than Avast, and well below the current average of 24 minutes.
Avast, Avira Free Antivirus for Mac, ClamXAV, and several others include the option to define a scan schedule. AVG, like Sophos, Malwarebytes, and a few others, eschews the scheduled scan, figuring that real-time protection should handle any new threats. I suggest that you run a Deep Scan immediately after installing AVG, to root out any hidden nasties.
Almost all the Mac antivirus utilities I've reviewed include the ability to detect Windows malware as well. True, malware designed for Windows can't run on a Mac, but eliminating it means there's no chance of it somehow leapfrogging to a Windows system on your network. AVG promises to detect and remove Windows and mobile malware, in addition to malware aimed at macOS.
To test AVG's skills against Windows malware, I copied my current malware collection from a thumb drive to the desktop. AVG immediately started wiping out the samples, leaving just a handful. A File Scan on the folder eliminated a few more, for a total of 86 percent. Interestingly, I tested Avast with my previous malware collection and it weighed in at 85 percent, almost the same. Sophos has the best score this test, with 100 percent of Windows malware eliminated.
Poor Phishing Protection
While viruses, Trojans, and other typical types of malware necessarily target a specific operating system, phishing attacks are totally platform-agnostic. If you log in to a fraudulent site, thereby giving the fraudsters your credentials for the actual site, it doesn't matter if you did it on a PC, a Mac, or a browser-equipped refrigerator. Whatever the platform, you've lost control of that account.
My phishing test starts with hundreds of suspected phishing URLs, scraped from websites that specialize in tracking and reporting on them. To test a Windows-based product, I set up five browsers, one protected by the product under test, one by phishing champ Symantec Norton AntiVirus Basic, and one each by the protection built into Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. I wrote a simple program to launch each URL simultaneously in all five, and record with one click whether it blocked or missed a fraud, or whether the URL turned out not to be a phishing fraud after all. Alas, my handy program runs strictly on Windows, so my antiphish testing on macOS is a manual cut and paste affair.
In my testing, I've learned that while phishing frauds themselves are platform-independent, defense against phishing is not. Symantec Norton Security Deluxe (for Mac) scored quite a bit lower in this test than the comparable Windows edition.
Many phishing protection systems replace the fraudulent page with a warning message in the browser, explaining that proceeding to the site would be dangerous, but allowing the user to override the warning. AVG's Web Shield works quite differently. It pops up a window reporting that it secured a threat, leaving the browser to display a simple error message.
When I finished the test and ran the numbers for AVG, I was a bit shocked. AVG's detection rate was 39 percent lower than Norton's, and all three browsers beat it handily using their built-in protection. Among Mac antivirus products, only Avira has done worse, running 47 percent below Norton's detection rate. On the plus side, this is significantly better than the score earned by AVG AntiVirus Free.
Then I remembered that I had a similar experience with Avast. Initially it scored 32 percentage points behind Norton, which is in the same ballpark as AVG's 39 points. At that time, my Avast contact explained that Safari gets protection only from the Web Shield component, while browser extensions offer enhanced protection in Chrome and Firefox. When I repeated the test using Chrome, Avast tied with Norton and beat all three browsers. Only Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac has done better, outscoring Norton by 5 percentage points. Bitdefender on Windows did even better, 12 points above Norton.
Alas, browser extensions for AVG's Mac antivirus aren't yet ready, so phishing protection totally relies on the less-effective Web Shield component. I'll revisit this review when the browser extensions come out.
What's Not Here
AVG covers the basics, with protection against Mac, Windows, and mobile malware. It offers a modicum of protection against phishing frauds, though this component isn't very effective. And that's about all. Other free Mac antivirus utilities bring quite a bit more to the party.
With Sophos, you get full remote management of up to three installations, so you can fix Uncle Ernie's antivirus without driving across town. It also includes a simple content filter for parental control.
Avira rates links in search results, so you don't accidentally visit a dangerous page. By default, it runs a scheduled scan every week. It brings along a raft of other security-related components, some free, others free trial.
AVG's cousin Avast also rates the safety of search result links. Its active Do Not Track component prevents advertisers and other trackers from building a profile of your online activity. The network security scan lists all the devices on your network and flags any that have security problems. It even includes a basic password manager.
You Can Do Better
As you can see, AVG Antivirus for Mac suffers by comparison with other free Mac antivirus utilities. Lab tests show that it does its essential job, protecting against malware, but it's not effective at blocking malicious or fraudulent URLs. Its biggest virtue lies in its extremely simple, streamlined user interface.
Those willing to pay for Mac antivirus protection can get significantly better protection. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac and Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac both cost $59.99 for three licenses, and both earn top ratings from the independent labs. Bitdefender took the top score in our antiphishing test, and its ransomware protection feature prevents unauthorized apps from modifying your important files. Kaspersky goes beyond the basics with an effective parental control system, protection against webcam spyware, a network attack blocker, and more. As in the Windows realm, free antivirus tools for Mac handle the basics, but commercial ones do much more.
AVG AntiVirus for Mac
Bottom Line: The free AVG AntiVirus protects against Mac, Windows, and mobile malware, but that's about all, and its antiphishing component tanked in our hands-on testing.
Avast VPN has 256-bit encryption and is best suited for P2P, Kodi, and hiding your browsing history. For the price of $6.66/month, it is a touch expensive but manages to secure 3.5 stars.
Based in | Czech Republic |
Price | $6.66/mo |
Servers | 55 (34 Countries) |
Logs | No Logs |
Multi Login | Upto 10 Devices |
Refund | 30 Days Money Back |
Recommended | Yes |
Website | Avast.com |
Avast Secureline VPN uses a military-grade encryption and supports all good protocols (OpenVPN, IPSec, & IKEv2). It offers a 7-days free trial and connects up to 10 VPN devices.
It has 8 P2P torrenting servers out of 55 servers in total.
Their server speed is just about average, but it isn’t the cheapest VPN around like Surfshark or NordVPN.
But that depends a lot on the features they are offering. Is Avast VPN good? Is it really the most expensive VPN available?
Let’s check it out in this Avast Secureline VPN review.
For a similar VPN, have a look at our VPN Reviews 2019.
Rating Criteria
To review Avast Secureline VPN, I had to test and give my verdict based on these 8 factors. Let’s have a look at them:
- Pricing – How much does Avast VPN cost?
- Security – Encryption & features
- Jurisdiction –Is it located in a 5-eyes country?
- Speed – How fast is Avast Secureline VPN?
- Streaming –Does it work with Netflix?
- Leaks – Does it leak IP, DNS & WebRTC?
- Trustworthiness – Logs, Transparency, Customer Support
- Compatibility – App Interface and Supported Devices
Pricing – How much does Avast VPN cost?
Avast VPN is an expensive brand in the industry. The good thing is, it has a different pricing for PC, Android, and iOS devices.
Let’s have a look at these pricing:
- $79.99 a year for All VPN devices (up to 5 devices)
- $59.99 a year for PC/Mac
- $19.99 a year for Android/iOS
But that’s not it, these prices are extended to 3 years plan, which might be a touch cheaper than its 1 year plan.
For example, Avast VPN 3 year plan costs at $159.99. That means $4.44/month.
The reason why I say its expensive because when you compare these prices with Surfshark which is the best cheap VPN, or with PureVPN’s 1-2 year pricing plans, you will get to know why.
Avast VPN prices also vary with the increase of multi-logins (10 Max multi-logins).
For example, if connected to 1 PC it will charge $59.99/year as previously discussed. But if connected to 10 PCs it will charge $99.99.
See the difference?
That is why, Avast in not a cool choice for users who happen to use it on multiple devices.
Payment Methods
Here is a list of payments options accepted by Avast Secureline VPN:
- PayPal
- Wire Transfer
- VISA
- MasterCard
- Discover
- American Express
NO Bitcoins accepted. After all, the crypto currency is the favorite for any online privacy advocate.
Hopefully, the provider will add this option in the near future.
Refund Policy
While writing this review, I learned that the VPN offers 30 days money back guarantee. Through this amazing benefit, you can use and experience the impacts of true online anonymity without any hassle.
If you are not satisfied with the level of service, you can claim for the refund within 30 working days from anywhere.
A good refund policy refund window in addition to the free trial, make this VPN more accessible to the people on the internet.
7-Days Free Trial
Avast Secureline VPN offers a 7-days free trial.
With this trial, you can test the VPN for 7 Days without any restrictions on servers or sessions.
It gets better.
The free trial requires absolutely no credit card information or anything else. Just download the VPN and start its trial straightaway from the client.
Security – Encryption & features
In our Avast VPN review 2019, I learnt that Avast VPN uses a military-grade encryption. This protocol is reinforced with a 256-bit military grade encryption, which is the work of NSA’s engineers.
It is used by everyone from giant corporations to small banks to secure confidential information.
This VPN has multiple protocol options. However, you won’t need to look further than Avast’s OpenVPN UDP and IKEv2 with AES 256-bit encryption for guaranteed privacy.
OpenVPN is the best tunneling protocol in the market. Its Open Source nature allows for constant upgrades, making it more advanced than any of its alternatives.
Meanwhile, Mac users can also use IPsec protocol. A less powerful but still capable cousin of OpenVPN.
Kill Switch
It is quite often the most ignored feature of a VPN. Some even consider it an overkill. However, an efficient kill switch can do your online privacy a world of good.
When I checked for Kill Switch feature in our review of Avast VPN, I found that it does have this feature.
Quite simply, kill switch protects your IP address in an unlikely scenario where your VPN connection drops. Now, a few seconds of exposed IP address may not be enough for cyber thugs to latch onto your connection. But you can never be too careful.
Hence, I have put kill switch in the pros section.
Servers
As of July 2019, Avast has 55 servers in 34 countries. This include servers in China and Russia, but does not include any Middle East countries except for Israel.
The server count isn’t something close to impressive. PureVPN has a server count in thousands.
Have a look at the VPNs that has obfuscated servers that tends to work in countries with strict internet regulations.
Jurisdiction –Is it located in a 5-eyes country?
Avast Secureline VPN operates from Czech Republic that does NOT fall under 5-eyes country.
Czech Republic may not be considered as a member of a five eyes VPN alliance, but it does collaborate with them.
This fact would raise a few eyebrows. But it is not something that would make me turn away from this VPN.
Many people asking me ‘is Avast VPN good to use?’ I always say them, if it doesn’t fall under these countries then it’s perfectly safe to use.
Still, I like my VPNs outside the dirty claws of the American and British intelligence agencies.
Speed – How fast is Avast Secureline VPN?
Avast VPN speed performance was average in my speed test. The download speed was recorded 17.65 Mbps and upload speed of 14.25 Mbps.
The speed test was performed with a base connection of 30 Mbps.
Here are the test results when I checked for Avast Secureline VPN speed for US server:
Speed declined by: 41%
Now we tested Avast VPN speed in UK server:
Download Speed: 15.95 Mbps
Upload Speed: 13.69 Mbps
Speed decline by: 47%
Streaming –Does it work with Netflix?
Avast Secureline VPN does NOT unblock US Netflix. Although it does offer streaming servers, but when we tested, it did not unblock.
This could be due to less number of streaming servers. Avast lists down its best servers when comes to streaming.
Netflix can easily identifies when a massive number of users try the same server to unblock its website.
It easily blacklists those IP address and you are never going to access any Netflix website with it.
Avast VPN does offer P2P server for Torrenting. Here is a list of servers you need to connect when downloading torrents:
Other than P2P server,users now can access tons of Live TV channels on Kodi, a free media player. Avast and Kodi compliments each other very well.
Apart from that, there’s a complete list of VPNs that works well with Kodi. Learn how to install a VPN on Kodi and stream channels from around the world.
Leaks – Does it leak IP, DNS & WebRTC?
Avast VPN did NOT leaked IP and DNS. It passed the WebRTC test as well.
I connected to an Israel server of Avast VPN and visited IPLeak website to check for any leaks.
Here is the screenshot:
If you see the IP address in the leak test, it is the same Virtual IP given to me by Avast VPN as you can see in the picture below:
The Virtual IP and the IP mentioned in the leak test website must be same. Otherwise, it may be leaking.
You can have a look at our IP Leak Test guide to see which VPNs passes leak test.
Trustworthiness – Logs, Transparency, Customer Support
After a thorough review of Avast VPN, I learnt that it does NOT keep usage logs, but it does keeps connection logs.
Other than that, they collect personal information for the purpose of making their security product better.
Here is a list of personal information they collect:
- IP address
- Name
- City/Country
- Billing Data
They know your original IP address for the first 60 days. After that, they replace it with your City or Country, or they hash it.
Here is their statement:
“We collect your IP Address to provision your product or service. We also use the IP Address with mobile products to serve ads.”
Avast VPN clearly mentions that whenever you visit its website, it collects some server logs.
These server logs information include:
- Your region
- Length of visit
- Webpages you request
- Websites you visited prior to visiting on their website
- IP address
- Cookies
Avast uses this information to:
“We use this information to fulfil our legitimate interests, which are to analyse overall trends, administer our webpages, track users’ use of the webpages, help us improve our website(s)”
Have a look at the VPN logging policies of the entire VPN brands.
Virus Test
In this Avast Secure line VPN review, I checked for any viruses in its download file. It did NOT contain any viruses.
This test was performed using VirusTotal that alert users if there’s a virus in a file.
Here are the results:
There were NO engines detected in this file.
Customer Support
The provider’s website maintains a comprehensive knowledge base filled with step-by-step guides and FAQs.
In our Avast Secure VPN review, I found out that it gets better.
Avast Secureline also helps the users with a ticketing system and a live call option.
Unfortunately, there is NO Live Chat option available but the call line is the next best option available. Some would even categorize it as better than live chat as chats are a less personal experience.
Thankfully, the call option really is 24/7 and the service agents are well-informed about the product.
You can also reach Avast via Facebook and Twitter. They are extremely active on Twitter in particular.
Compatibility – App Interface and Supported Devices
Secureline is only accessible on four operating systems, which are Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.
As I have mentioned before, the Windows client is user-friendliness personified. However, the mac does not lag far behind. It is also armed with some nifty features to thwart online bandits.
Meanwhile, the apps for Android and iOS provide incredible online privacy with just a single tap. These two apps are optimized for user-experience and come with the server library of the VPN.
In case, if you’re not interested in Avast then you should read our detailed guide on best Android VPNs 2019 to disclose more VPNs.
App Experience
To check for the friendliness of the app, I managed to review Avast VPN with first-hand experience.
Using Secureline’s Windows client is a pleasant experience. At first glance, the app has an attractive design and an intuitive interface.
It is familiar to the famous Anti-virus software, sporting the typical Avast purple design.
You can change the location with a single click and get an IP from a comprehensive list of servers.
Here, the P2P and streaming servers are segregated quite clearly. This eases the process of selecting servers for a particular task.
Moreover, the burger menu on the top right of the clients navigates you towards ‘Settings’. This is where you can toggle options such as Auto-start.
Avast VPN Review Reddit
However, you should have a look at some of the recent reviews of Avast Secureline VPN Reddit:
A user was complaining on Reddit that he uninstalled Avast app due to endless pop-ups with DLC missing
However, in the same thread, the same user re-installed the app and it started working.
There’s another Avast Secureline VPN review Reddit where he says that the bottom pop-up annoys him so much:
That is indeed a problem. You cannot mute the pop-ups.
Here you can have a look at the best VPN service by Reddit users.
Avast Secureline VPN Reviews on Play Store
Here are the 5 recent reviews on Avast VPN:
Users keep suggesting Avast to stop with the popups that keeps begging them to rate the app.
Once user mentions that it is easier to setup and use.
Comparison between PureVPN & Avast VPN
Have a look at the comparison between PureVPN and Avast Secureline VPN and check out their key difference.
Features | PureVPN | Avast VPN |
---|---|---|
Price | $2.95/mo | $6.66/mo |
Servers | 2000+ in 140 Countries | 55 in 34 Countries |
Compatibility | All Devices | Windows, Mac, Android, & iOS |
Jurisdiction | Hong Kong | Czech Republic |
Logging Policy | Zero Log | Zero Log |
Customer Support | Live Chat & Email Support | Live Call & Ticket |
Trust Pilot Score | 9.5 | 4.9 |
Website | PUREVPN | AVAST VPN |
Alternatives
Looking for an alternative to Avast VPN? I have a list combined just for you. Here is a list that you need to consider:
FAQs
Avast Secureline VPN is another online privacy service striving hard to become one of the major players in the industry. It uses 256-bit military grade encryption level to secure users’ crucial data. However, it stores some kind of connection logs.
Avast SecureLine is an app that enables users to connect to the internet through secure servers. These servers use encrypted tunnels that safeguard your online tasks to another level.
Avast SecureLine offers different pricing plans to its users. You can avail Avast VPN pricing plan at the cost of $ 59.99 per year. Similarly, you can get the Mac plan at the same price of PC pricing plan. You can pay $19.99 for both Android and iOS on yearly basis.
To cancel subscription, go to Menu option on its app and select My Licenses. Click on Cancel Subscription. If you need to uninstall Avast Secureline VPN, simply go to Control Panel, then select Uninstall a Program. Find Avast VPN from the list and press Uninstall.
Yes, you can get Avast mobile security free for only 7 days. After that you will need to pay for its subscription.
Yes, Avast VPN is definitely worth buying because of its strong encryption and its dedicated P2P servers. It is also works best with Kodi media player.
Do I Recommend Avast Secureline VPN?
Yes, I do recommend Avast Secureline VPN.
It’s particularly a good VPN when it comes to encryption and protocols. But its price is too much when compared to Surfshark or PureVPN.
The speed performance is average, but it does not leak IP or DNS. It has a simple-to-use app interface, compatible with major operating systems, and does not keep usage logs.
Avast Pro For Mac Review
But when it comes to unblocking Netflix or looking towards a larger server network, then Avast VPN isn’t for you.
Lastly, it is a good choice to buy this VPN, but it not the best one.
Avast For Mac Review 2017
I strongly recommend Avast secure line due to its great security feature.