While Avast’s free antivirus solution is surprisingly loaded, paid features like predictive behavioral scanning, anti-ransomware and phishing technologies and CyberCapture cloud analysis of suspicious files have made Avast a very reliable antivirus product.

Even if you’re unfamiliar with antivirus, you can still appreciate Avast’s Do Not Disturb mode, which keeps notifications from popping up while you’re playing a game on your device, and the Sandbox feature, which enables you to test unknown files in a contained environment to make sure they’re not malicious.

Platform and Devices Accessibility

Unlike some antivirus solutions, Avast is fairly accommodating when it comes to devices. Android and iOS are free downloads, though add-ons like VPN for these plans can get pricey. Whatever plan you end up getting, Avast warns you in advance which OS are compatible.

User Experience

As with any free antivirus product, the fear is that the product will be so inundated with upselling triggers that it will be incredibly annoying to use. While Avast was guilty of upsell overkill in the past, it seems to be trying to tone it down these days. Instead of constant upselling in the free antivirus product, certain features in the interface are marked with an orange lock symbol, signaling that you need to pay for these features in order to unlock them.

Whether you’re using the paid or free versions, though, the Avast interface is very easy to maneuver. Each function is clearly marked and comes with a designated icon, and even in the free version, you can choose between 46 different languages to make your experience with Avast that much smoother.

Plans and Rates

• To a large extent, Avast can thank its free plan for its ongoing popularity. For zero dollars a month, you still get virus and ransomware protection, network scanning, Do Not Disturb mode and Avast’s password manager. If you want even more features, the next plan up is Internet Security. Starting at $59.99 per year, Avast’s Internet Security packs a significant punch – file encryption against ransomware, webmail protection, and a personal firewall.
• The most expensive Avast antivirus plan, Premier, really gives you a lot of value for the price you’re paying. Starting at $219.99 a year for 10 devices, Premier comes with webcam protection, automatic app updates to prevent vulnerabilities, and a data shredder for info you want to delete permanently.
• You can opt-in for multiple-year plans for a substantial discount, or give it a try before you commit thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Payment Methods

Avast offers the standard antivirus payment options of credit card or PayPal.

Customer Service

The good news is that Avast’s response and resolution times are fast by industry standards, and that its knowledge base is a treasure trove of detailed instructions on Avast and affiliated products. Even so, support options are somewhat limited: the free antivirus product directs you the knowledge base or community forum for answers, while tech support for a paid Avast product gets you live chat and email options, no phone calls.

If you do want the option of unlimited phone calls 24/7 to the (admittedly pleasant and knowledgeable) Avast support team, you’ll have to shell out $199 per year. That said, Avast’s community forum is a bustling hub of useful technical information, and from our experience you can usually get a quick response from an experienced community member or from an older post.

Conclusion

Avast starts strong with an effective free product and works its way up to extraordinary with its paid plans. As it consistently tests well in antivirus labs and since Avast’s free plan is stellar as a standalone product, Avast is a great introduction to antivirus for new users and a solid choice for the experienced user as well.

We recommend getting a feel for Avast’s interface and efficacy with its free product and adding on paid security functionality as needed. An effective, intuitive antivirus solution, Avast rates high on our list of recommended antivirus products.