Avast SecureLine VPN Review: Quick Expert Summary
Avast SecureLine VPN is secure, includes useful extra features, and is easy to use. In addition to having industry-standard VPN security features, like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and a strict no-logs policy, you get extras like Wi-Fi Threat Shield, Local Network Bypass, and split-tunneling (only on Android).
However, Avast VPN has some drawbacks. It only offers servers in 34 countries, has noticeable slowdowns on nearby and distant servers, and doesn’t work with most streaming platforms. Additionally, it’s missing WebRTC and IPv6 leak protection and RAM-only servers, its no-logs policy hasn’t been independently audited and confirmed, and the VPN customer support representatives confirmed it doesn’t always work in censor-heavy countries like China.
Honestly, there are better VPNs on the market (like ExpressVPN), which have a large server network, faster speeds, excellent streaming and torrenting support, and strong security features.
Avast SecureLine VPN offers affordable standalone subscription plans, which all have a 30-day money-back guarantee. Also, the VPN is bundled with Avast’s One and Ultimate security packages.
| 🏅 Overall Rank | #58 out of 82 VPNs |
| 🌍 Number of Servers | 700 |
| 📱 Number of Devices | 10 |
| 💸 Starting Price | $4.39 / month |
| 🎁 Free Plan | 60-day free trial on PC 7-day free trial for mobile and Mac users |
| 💰 Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days |
Avast SecureLine VPN Full Review — Strong Security & Intuitive Apps, but It’s Not Great for Streaming
I spent a couple of weeks researching and testing Avast SecureLine VPN to see how it compares to the top VPNs on the market. I found that it has strong security features, apps that are easy to navigate, and some extra features for Android devices. It’s based in the Czech Republic, which is a privacy-friendly country. Plus, it has great customer support and affordable plans.
However, Avast’s VPN doesn’t have good streaming support and is slow. Also, I don’t like how P2P traffic is only allowed on servers in 5+ countries, it’s inconsistent working in restrictive countries, and it’s missing some advanced security features I expect from a VPN.
Avast SecureLine VPN Plans & Pricing — Reasonable Prices & Good Free Trial
Avast SecureLine VPN offers multiple long-term plans, with prices starting at $4.39 / month. Even though Avast VPN’s plans are reasonably priced, top VPNs like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access provide better value, as they have larger server networks, faster speeds, and better security features.
I like that the VPN offers a free trial — there’s a 60-day free trial for PCs and a 7-day free trial for mobile and Mac users. However, to start the free trial, you’ll need to enter your credit card details.
In addition to buying the standalone VPN, it’s included in Avast’s security bundles. That said, if you’re in the market for antivirus protection that includes a VPN, check out our top picks here.
Avast SecureLine VPN accepts multiple payment options. You can purchase a subscription using a credit/debit card, PayPal, Wire Transfer, PaySafeCard, and PayU. The VPN allows up to 10 simultaneous connections, and all plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Avast SecureLine VPN Features — All the Essentials & Many Protocols to Choose From
Avast SecureLine VPN comes with the following industry-standard security features:
- 256-bit AES encryption — Avast VPN secures your data with the same encryption that’s used by governments and banks.
- No-logs policy — Avast VPN doesn’t store your IP address, browsing history, and the files you download.
- Kill switch — This security feature disables your internet access when the VPN connection drops to prevent data leaks.
It offers many protocols, including WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, and Mimic. I really like the Mimic protocol since it provides obfuscation on all servers to hide your VPN traffic.
The provider has advanced security features like perfect forward secrecy, which changes your encryption key for each session and minimizes the amount of data hackers could access. You also get DNS leak protection, so all of your DNS requests are secure.
However, it lacks WebRTC and IPv6 leak protection, it’s missing RAM-only servers (they write data to the RAM instead of the hard drive), and its no-logs policy hasn’t passed an independent audit. Top VPNs like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access have all of these security features.
Avast SecureLine VPN also has extra features:
- Split-tunneling. This feature allows you to choose which apps use the VPN and which apps use your local network. Unfortunately, the split-tunneling feature is only available on Android devices. In my tests, I routed only my streaming traffic through the VPN and had better speeds for watching Netflix. That said, I prefer Private Internet Access’s split-tunneling feature, as it’s one of the few VPNs that allow you to exclude and include apps as well as IP addresses, and it’s available on Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux.
- Wi-Fi Threat Shield. When the VPN is turned off, Avast SecureLine VPN performs a quick scan to check if your Wi-Fi network is safe. If it detects a threat and the Wi-Fi Threat Shield feature is enabled, the VPN will automatically turn on to protect your privacy. I tested it with multiple known and public networks, and it always informed me if my Wi-Fi network was safe or not. However, this feature is only available on Android.
- Local Network Bypass. When using the VPN, your actual IP address becomes hidden, preventing you from connecting with other devices that are part of your shared network, like printers or Chromecast. By activating the Local Network Bypass feature on your Android device, you can connect to these devices when the VPN is active, which is pretty convenient.
Avast SecureLine VPN Privacy & Security — Strict No-Logs Policy & Privacy-Friendly Location
Avast SecureLine VPN has a strict no-logs policy — it doesn’t store your browsing history, IP address, or what files you download. However, Avast VPN states that it stores connection logs that show when you connected and disconnected from a server, the duration of the connection, and how much bandwidth was used (most VPNs don’t collect this information). It also collects your IP address and subscription renewal data upon registration.
Also, Avast VPN’s no-logs policy hasn’t been independently audited (like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access). I hope Avast conducts an audit in the future to prove that it fully abides by its privacy policy.
Avast VPN is headquartered in the Czech Republic, which is a privacy-friendly country. This is good news as the Czech Republic isn’t a part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances, which is a group of countries that share surveillance data.
Overall, Avast VPN protects your privacy fairly well. It has a strict no-logs policy (but hasn’t been audited), it only stores connection logs, and it’s not located in a 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances country.
Avast SecureLine VPN Speed & Performance — Slowdowns on Nearby & Distant Servers
I ran speed tests on my Windows PC on servers in all 34 countries. I had decent speeds with minor slowdowns when connected to a server near my location (North Macedonia), but my speeds significantly slowed down when I connected to distant servers in Australia, Taiwan, and South Africa.
First I ran a speed test without a VPN connection to determine my baseline speeds:
Then, I chose the optimal location feature, which connected me to the fastest server near my location (North Macedonia).
Finally, I connected to a distant server in Australia:
Overall, Avast SecureLine causes slowdowns on nearby and distant servers. On nearby servers, my speeds decreased by 64%: websites loaded in 6–7 seconds and HD videos loaded in 8 seconds and played with interruptions. Plus, I downloaded a 5 GB file in 45 minutes, which isn’t that fast.
On distant servers, I experienced even more slowdowns, as my speeds decreased by 80%. Websites loaded in 10 seconds, and HD videos played in 10–12 seconds with buffering. This VPN fails to match the speeds of the fastest VPNs on the market.
Avast SecureLine VPN Servers & IP Addresses — Small Server Network, but All Servers Offer Obfuscation
Avast SecureLine VPN has servers in 34 countries. It has servers in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America, so they’re spread out well across the globe. That said, other top vendors have bigger server networks — ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN both have servers in 100+ countries.
The VPN has dedicated servers for streaming and torrenting. It has dedicated servers for streaming in the US, the UK, and Germany, and there are 8 P2P-optimized servers in 5+ countries.
I like that the VPN allows obfuscation on all of its servers using the Mimic protocol. However, the obfuscation feature isn’t guaranteed to work in restrictive countries, like China or Iran.
Overall, Avast SecureLine VPN’s server network is pretty small, but most users shouldn’t have trouble finding a nearby server. It also has dedicated servers for streaming and torrenting and allows obfuscation on all servers. That said, the VPN lacks dedicated IP addresses, and it doesn’t display speed metrics that help you choose the fastest servers.
Avast SecureLine VPN Streaming & Torrenting — Not Great for Either
Avast SecureLine VPN isn’t great for streaming — although it has dedicated servers for streaming, it only reliably works with Netflix. It doesn’t work with Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, or Disney+. If you love to stream, I recommend getting ExpressVPN, which works with 100+ streaming sites and is the best VPN for streaming.
This VPN has P2P-optimized servers in a handful of locations, such as the Czech Republic, Germany, France, the UK, the US, and the Netherlands. The provider also works with top torrenting clients. I ran leak tests on P2P servers in 10+ countries before downloading any torrents, and I saw no leaks. However, there are much better VPNs out there for torrenting.
Overall, Avast SecureLine VPN isn’t great for streaming and torrenting. It doesn’t work with most streaming sites and only supports P2P traffic in a few countries.
Avast SecureLine VPN Ease of Use: Mobile & Desktop Apps — Great Apps for All Major OS
Avast SecureLine VPN has user-friendly apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Android TV. It also has browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
The mobile apps are easy to navigate. The Android and iOS apps have intuitive designs with a large power button, which makes it easy to connect to a server. Moreover, there are quick explanations for all of the features.
The Android app has more features, like split-tunneling, Wi-Fi Threat Shield, and Local Network Bypass. It also offers the WireGuard protocol, while iOS devices have IKEv2/IPSec protocol.
The VPN also makes it really easy to find the server you want. On mobile devices, the servers that are optimized for streaming are marked with an icon in the servers list. On desktop devices, it has separate lists for its torrenting and streaming servers, so you can quickly choose the best location.
The desktop apps are very intuitive too. There’s the quick connect feature, which connected me to the fastest server in my area. I like that the Windows app comes with a Smart VPN feature that lets you set smart rules on when to launch the VPN. You can also choose which websites can turn on a Smart VPN connection.
I really like the Pair Devices feature, which allows you to set up the VPN on another device using a code. The setup process on the new device doesn’t require a username and password, so it’s faster. You will just need to enter a 6-digit code that’s generated by the newly installed Avast VPN app onto the device where the VPN is already active.
Overall, Avast SecureLine VPN has great apps for most major devices. They have an intuitive design, though the Android app is the most feature-rich.
Avast SecureLine VPN Customer Support — A Mixed Bag (Good Phone Support, but Email Help Is Average)
Avast SecureLine VPN offers various channels for customer support. It has 24/7 live chat, email support, troubleshooting guides, FAQs, tutorials, and phone support.
I tested the VPN’s email support and wasn’t impressed. I sent emails at different time periods, and it took less than 24 hours to receive a response. The responses I got were sometimes vague, and I had to send a follow-up email. In comparison, ExpressVPN’s response time is 8 hours, and the VPN’s customer support provides detailed responses.
I didn’t like the VPN’s 24/7 live chat. The platform is handled by an AI chatbot, which is able to answer basic questions about the VPN’s features. But for some questions, it redirected me to additional links to learn more. Competitors like ExpressVPN offer 24/7 live chat with humans that can fully answer your questions.
The VPN also has FAQs, setup tutorials, and general troubleshooting topics. It lists information on how to install the VPN on different devices and explanations about its features, which was pretty helpful.
I like that Avast VPN offers phone support. I only waited for a couple of minutes before a helpful representative answered. Moreover, they were able to solve my issue quickly.
Overall, Avast SecureLine has mediocre customer support. It offers very good phone support, basic 24/7 live chat via a bot, decent email support, and good set-up guides, troubleshooting issues, and FAQs.
Is Avast SecureLine VPN Worth It?
Avast SecureLine VPN is a decent VPN. It comes with strong security features, user-friendly apps, and affordable plans. It also has decent extra features for Android devices and different channels of customer support.
However, it can’t match the best VPNs on the market. It doesn’t work with many streaming sites (though it does work with Netflix), it’s slow, and it’s missing some advanced security features, like RAM-only servers and full leak protection. Plus, its no-logs policy hasn’t been audited, its server network is small (34 countries), and it doesn’t consistently work in restrictive countries.
Avast SecureLine VPN offers several long-term plans and free trials — a 60-day trial for PCs and a 7-day trial for mobile and Mac users. It allows up to 10 connected devices, and all plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Avast SecureLine VPN safe?
Yes, Avast SecureLine VPN has strong security features, like 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, a strict no-logs policy, and a kill switch that disables your internet connection if your VPN connection drops to prevent data leaks.
However, the VPN lacks some advanced security features, such as full leak protection and RAM-only servers (unlike many of the best VPNs on the market).
Does Avast SecureLine VPN work with Netflix?
Yes, Avast SecureLine VPN reliably works with Netflix. However, it doesn’t work with other streaming sites, like Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video. If you’re looking for the best VPN for streaming, check out ExpressVPN, as it works with 100+ streaming sites.
Does Avast SecureLine VPN allow torrenting?
Yes, Avast SecureLine VPN has 8 P2P-dedicated servers. They are located in the Czech Republic, Germany, France, the UK, the US, and the Netherlands. It also works with top torrenting clients. That said, I prefer Private Internet Access for torrenting because it allows torrenting on all of its servers in 91 countries, has fast speeds, and other P2P-related features like port forwarding.
Is Avast SecureLine VPN free?
No, Avast SecureLine VPN doesn’t have a free plan. However, it offers a 60-day free trial for PC users and a 7-day trial for mobile and Mac users. It also has affordable premium plans, which all have a 30-day money-back guarantee. That said, I don’t recommend using free VPNs — they lack advanced security features, have slow speeds, have data caps, and log your data.
