My aggregate lab score algorithm gives Avast 9.5 of 10 possible points. A separate page reached by clicking Explore in the menu at left gives you access to all the program’s features, divided into Device Protection, Online Privacy, and Smooth Performance.Īll four of the independent antivirus testing labs I follow include Avast in their testing, and its scores are almost all top-notch. For example, immediately after installation it nudges you to run a Smart Scan. With Avast One, the home page focuses on whatever security element most needs your attention. Most security suites use the home page to display security status, typically with buttons for important actions like launching a scan or turning on VPN protection. It’s quite a change from the previous stark, stoic appearance. When space allows, the drawings include happy people. Buttons have rounded ends, and cheerful line-drawing images abound, with daubs of pastel colors. Instead of a dark background, it’s light and airy. The Avast One product line has a completely different look from Avast’s existing products. Please read my review of that product for full details. When you purchase an Avast One subscription you naturally get access to all the features of the free Avast One Essential. For most households, though, there’s probably no appreciable difference between 30 licenses and unlimited. With a $159.99 subscription to McAfee Total Protection you get licenses for every device in your household. Both Norton and Avast also give you five no-limits VPN licenses, but Norton goes farther with 50GB of hosted storage for your online backups and a more comprehensive security suite on your desktops. You pay just a bit more for five Norton 360 Deluxe licenses, $104.99 per year. The Avast One product line is clearly the wave of the future. With the old suite, quite a few features, most notably the VPN, require a separate payment, where Avast One is all-inclusive. It’s true that Premium Security costs less than Avast One, but it also gives you less. All of Avast’s existing products remain available for download or purchase, including the Avast Premium Security suite. The Avast One product line releases initially in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia. Aside from lifting limits on the VPN component, though, it doesn’t add a lot to what you can get for free. Like its free edition, Avast One Essential, it offers protection for your devices running Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS. It’s the top product in Avast’s latest pantheon. The new Avast One suite includes antivirus, privacy protection, performance tuning, and a no-limits VPN. For most users, a full-scale security suite is a better choice. Antivirus protection is a must for any PC, but security choices don’t stop there.

Avast webshield slows browsing