Avast One Review: Is It Worth Your Money?
Written by
Jeanine Skowronski
Edited by
Melanie Grafil
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Protect your devices with Avast One's all-in-one antivirus software.
Consider Avast One a top choice if you're looking for free antivirus tools. Its $0 intro tier includes malware monitoring and a generous weekly VPN connection. Plus, its app is sleek, fast and easy to navigate.
Avast One is an all-in-one antivirus service that protects your devices and data against ransomware, spyware, phishing attacks and other online threats. Launched by cybersecurity giant Avast back in 2021, it offers several free features — including a VPN connection — somewhat limited — and advanced privacy tools, like data breach monitoring and automatic scans, for a relatively affordable price point.
Learn more about this product and whether it’s the right digital protection service for you in this Avast One review.
How Avast One Works
Avast One offers two service tiers. Its free subscription comes with basic, but comparatively generous antivirus tools — most notably, it scans your devices for malware apps, malicious files, or other system vulnerabilities. It also includes a VPN connection, though your usage is limited to 5 GB of data per week and your default location.
If you want more advanced privacy and security features, you can upgrade to Avast One Premium, which costs up to $99.99 per year, depending on the number and type of devices you’re protecting. This subscription includes:
- Wi-Fi network security verification
- Data breach monitoring
- Automatic scans
- Real-time security alerts
- Unlimited VPN connection
- Junk file deletion and other device optimization tools
- Protection for up to five devices
Notably, Avast One Premium’s price point is slightly higher than some of its competitors, and it lacks commonplace digital security features, such as password management, parental controls and deepfake protections. These features are available in paid plans from Norton 360, for instance.
Avast One also doesn’t offer the full-throttle identity theft protection you’d get with a solution like IdentityForce. So, if you’re in the market for these services, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Safeguard Your Data With Feature-Rich Antivirus Software
Avast One helps protect against hacks by scanning for malware, ransomware, and other threats. Its paid Premium subscription also cleans up devices by deleting junk files, pausing apps, and clearing browsing data.
Cost
$0 to $99.99 a year
Malware Detection Features
Yes
Privacy Features
Yes
Pros
- Generous free tools
- User-friendly mobile app
- Good customer service scores
Cons
- Frequent in-app upsells
- No option for monthly payments
- Premium price jumps by around 40% at renewal
Why We Like It
Avast One combines robust online security features with standout device optimization tools and a good user reputation. It also offers some of the most generous free antivirus tools on the market.
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Antivirus Protection Features
Avast One’s standout features include a VPN connection, with a 5GB data limit per week in its free version. and unlimited access with a Premium subscription, which you can test-drive with a lengthy 60-day free trial.
Avast One specializes in scanning your protected devices for hidden threats — such as infected files, scam websites, or phishing links in emails — and either automatically deletes them or advises you to delete or avoid them.
Avast Premium also now includes AI-enabled security features that flag and ensure you can safely bank online. Other top Avast One features include:
- Real-time “shield” protection against malicious actors
- Dark web monitoring
- System clean-up tools, like deleted cookies or dead shortcut removals
- Targeted ad blocking
- Unwanted remote access prevention
Optimize Your Devices With All-in-One Antivirus Protection
Avast One is a top choice if you want help identifying and removing malware, as it offers several deep scanning features and valuable device cleanup tools, such as temporary app disablement and automatic software updates.
Malware Detection Features
Yes
System Optimization
Yes
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS
Pros
- Paid subscription comes with robust security features
- Positive app reviews
- Real-time protection with Premium subscription
Cons
- No credit monitoring, password manager, or parental controls
- Limited customer support, particularly for unpaid users
- Subscription price is high relative to some competitors
Why We Like It
Avast One offers good value, combining basic and advanced security features, such as malware detection and deletion, with a user-friendly interface.
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User Experience
Avast One is available on Windows PCs, Mac, Android and iOS devices. After tests on a Mac, the desktop application was somewhat buggy.
But the Android mobile app is also easy to download and use. The setup occurred in seconds, and the first malware scan began just a few minutes later.
Having said that, the app’s design heavily encourages upgrades. Running a Smart Scan, for instance, identifies “core issues,” like malware files or apps, but also flags “advanced issues,” like exposure to malicious websites, that you can only “resolve” upon purchasing Premium.
The software is, however, well-rated on the Google Play and Apple App Stores, with commenters frequently praising its speed and reliability. Some users, though, have called out bugs following product updates.
“Avast Antivirus keeps releasing broken program updates,” one user commented on Reddit. “Even in beta versions, known bugs remain unresolved, yet they release the final versions with these problems still present.”
Overall, its parent company, Avast, outclasses several competitors, including McAfee and Bitdefender, on the popular third-party review platform Trustpilot.
Avast One vs. Competitor Options
See how Avast One compares to prominent digital monitoring companies.
Avast One vs. Norton 360
Norton 360 is pricier than Avast One, with its products priced between $41.88 and $101.88 for your first year and $94.99 to $189.99 thereafter. Its highest-tier plan comes with identity protection. Here’s how to learn how to report identity theft.
However, Norton offers antivirus-specific software for individuals that’s less expensive than Avast One Premium, at $29.88 for the first year and $59.99 thereafter.
Still, Norton’s antivirus subscription lacks some of Avast One’s features, like a free VPN connection and dark web monitoring. Both brands have comparable customer service ratings and app ratings.
Avast One vs. McAfee Total Protection
There’s no free version of McAfee Total Protection, now branded as McAfee+, but its paid plans are feature-rich and comparable or slightly lower in price to Avast One Premium, particularly in your first year, where promotions are commonplace.
McAfee’s higher-tier plans also pair antivirus features with credit monitoring and identity theft protection. If you don’t have credit monitoring and are worried about fraud, there are many resources to check your credit score for free.
Still, McAfee itself has a significantly lower customer satisfaction rating, with reviewers criticizing non-transparent autobilling practices, lengthy support wait times and slow load times.
Avast One vs. Bitdefender
Bitdefender stands out as Avast One’s most direct competitor, as it also offers free antivirus software with comparable features, including malware scans. You’ll get more mileage out of Avast One’s free VPN connection, though, as it offers 5 GB per week, while Bitdefender offers 200 MB per day or 6 GB per month.
Bitdefender’s paid plans, on the other hand, have a lower starting price point. It costs $19.99 for the first year, and increases to $49.99 thereafter.
Final Take
Avast One is ideal for individuals and families looking for free, yet effective, antivirus software for their mobile or desktop devices. Its paid plan is a good option for people looking for a mix of security and device optimization tools, as Avast One Premium identifies threats and also helps remove them. Finally, Avast is known for its user-friendly, unobtrusive and reliable software. While it might not offer the least expensive paid antivirus solution, it does provide good value.
FAQs on Avast One
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Avast One.- How does Avast One work?
- Avast One is available for download on most popular devices, including Windows PCs, Macs. Androids, i-Phones, and i-Pads. You can use its free tools or upgrade to a Premium subscription, starting at $39.99 a year, for more advanced privacy and security tools.
- Is Avast One safe to use?
- Avast One is designed to protect your devices from malicious actors, including phishing attempts and other digital scams. Its parent company, Avast, was fined by the Federal Trade Commission for selling user information collected through a subsidiary Jumpshot, but it has since deleted the data and amended its holistic data-sharing policies.
- Does Avast One include a VPN?
- Avast One offers a VPN, but it's limited to 5 GB of data per week, and you can't change your default location. Avast One Premium offers unlimited VPN access with its paid subscription. You can also purchase an unlimited VPN connection as an add-on that costs between $4.39 and $4.59 per month, depending on the structure of your subscription.
- What features are included in Avast One plans?
- Avast One includes basic antivirus tools, such as malware scans and a limited weekly VPN data allowance. Avast One Premium includes advanced security features, such as data breach monitoring, and device optimization tools, including automatic scans and file deletion, along with an unlimited VPN connection.
- Is Avast One worth the cost?
- Avast One offers a free version with limited, yet effective features, and its paid Premium plan is reasonably priced, considering its scope, competitor pricing, strong user reviews, and high customer service ratings.
- How quickly does Avast One detect and remove threats?
- Avast One's scan and removal times vary, depending on the device and scan type. During our tests, most scans were completed within minutes.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.
