Avast SecureLine VPN ranks as an excellent introductory VPN and gets popularity and hype from its brand name. But, it lacks several advanced features that drove it away from being the best choice for internet users.
To stand out in a competitive market, a VPN should offer exceptional services and features. Unfortunately, Avast offers limited security and privacy features as compared to its competitors. But, there’s a lot more than a VPN provides to its users.
The best possible way to check what Avast VPN offers were to test the VPN myself and dig out the answers. This Avast VPN review provides you with detailed insight into everything that Avast VPN provides. So, let’s begin with this.
Who Owns Avast SecureLine VPN?
Avast SecureLine VPN was launched back in 2013 by the famous cybersecurity company Avast. It primarily deals with computer security and offers several cybersecurity products like the Avast Antivirus and anti-spam solution. The company has emerged as the largest consumer cybersecurity vendor across the globe.
The VPN has its headquarter in the Czech Republic, which falls outside the jurisdiction of the five eyes, nine eyes, and 14 eyes. But since the country is a member of the European Union, the mandatory data retention laws of the EU are applicable in the Czech Republic, which is a bit concerning from a privacy perspective.
Moreover, Avast’s reputation was damaged when it was caught violating user privacy. In January 2020, a report exposed how Avast Antivirus and AVG AntiVirus programs collected user data and transferred it to the Avast subsidiary Jumpspot to sell it to third parties. Though the company soon announced that it would discontinue this practice, it is still hard to believe that such a big name in the security industry can risk users’ online privacy.
Quick Overview
A VPN’s popularity is mainly because of the security and privacy features it offers. Avast VPN comes with limited features, making it relatively less to compete with other top VPNs in the industry. Below is a quick overview of the features offered by Avast. So, have a look.
| Features | Explanation |
| Encryption | Uses AES-256 bit encryption (standard) |
| VPN protocol | OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec |
| Servers | 700 servers in 34 countries |
| P2P support | Dedicated servers with no bandwidth limit. |
| Device support | Ten simultaneous connections on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. |
| Browser Extensions | Chrome |
| Kill Switch | It has an active working kill switch protection called a Network lock |
| Jurisdiction | Czech Republic |
| Log policy | Keeps log policy |
| Log audit | Do not have a log audit report |
| Website | www.avast.com |
The features mentioned above give a mixed impression about Avast VPN’s reliability. Before concluding, it is better to delve deep into each of its features to check if Avast is true of its claims of being a secure and reliable VPN provider.
Security Features
Most VPNs come with big claims of protecting against VPN leaks, and Avast VPN is no exception. But to prove their words, it is essential to test Avast VPN for VPN leaks.
– IP Leak Protection
Avast VPN hides your IP address by replacing it with the IP address of the VPN server. You can also check Avast VPN for IP leak tests by using this tool.
– IPv6 Leak Protection
Avast VPN also protects against IPv6 leaks and makes you wholly anonymous over the web. The service provider wasn’t leaking the IPv6 address while we performed an IP leak test.
– DNS Leak Protection
Another crucial function of using a VPN is to prevent DNS leaks. Avast VPN uses its own internal DNS servers to ensure your online security. There was no DNS leak found while the DNS leak test was conducted.
– Encryption
VPNs secure your data via encryption. Avast VPN uses military-grade AES-256 bit encryption to safeguard your data from all snooping eyes. The VPN also claims to provide the most secure encryption protocols, i.e., the OpenVPN, and when tested, they proved their stance.
The VPN uses OpenSSL libraries through UDP ports to protect your data, so without any doubt, Avast VPN is living up to its claims. The protocol keeps a balance between fast speed and security and by no way compromises your online security. Besides OpenVPN, Avast also uses the IKEv2 protocol known for providing fast speed on macOS and iOS platforms.
Privacy Features
Avast VPN promises to provide maximum online protection and anonymity to the users. But it comes with quite limited privacy features. Below are the privacy features offered by Avast VPN.
– Logging Policy
A VPN that exhibits a no-log policy vouch for your online privacy and anonymity. According to their website claim, Avast VPN follows a zero-logging policy. It doesn’t collect any activity logs that can expose your IP address and other browsing details.
Sadly, Avast VPN does not become fully compliant with its privacy policy. The VPN collects connection logs that include the amount of data transmitted and connection timestamp for 35 days. This is quite alarming because the VPN might sell your data.
Regardless of having a shady no-log policy, Avast hasn’t undergone the log audit that can prove the zero-logging policy and help users build trust again.
– Kill Switch
A kill switch is a highly vital feature to have in a VPN. It protects against IP leaks when the VPN connection drops. With Avast VPN, I found the kill switch working fine, which is quite impressive.
– Trusted Network
With the trusted network feature, Avast VPN provides extra protection to your home or work Wi-Fi. By creating a trusted network list, you can exclude the trusted networks from your VPN auto-connect settings. It means that the VPN automatically connects you to a Wi-Fi network except when you are connected to your trusted networks.
Here is some more information about Avast VPN.
How Many Servers Does Avast VPN Have?
Avast VPN comes with a minimal server network, and to improve the performance, they need to expand their server network. At the moment, Avast consists of 700 servers across 34 countries. It is not very satisfying as many top VPNs offer more servers and locations. NordVPN has more than 5200 servers in 60 locations, and ExpressVPN has 3200 servers in 94 countries.
Is Avast VPN Free?
Yes, Avast offers a 7-day free trial period. You don’t need to sign up for an account or enter your credit card details to avail of the free trial. Besides this, the VPN also offers three different premium subscription packages. And the company also offers a 30-days money-back guarantee offer.
Does Avast VPN Work in China?
Unfortunately, Avast VPN doesn’t work in China. It simply uses OpenVPN protocols, and the firewall imposed by the authorities can detect and block the VPN. It doesn’t offer servers in China or neighboring countries, making it difficult to access the internet.
Moreover, the VPN lacks several advanced privacy-focused features like obfuscated servers or double VPN, making it a poor choice to use in China.
Is Avast Good for Netflix?
If you are looking for a VPN that helps access the geo-blocked content, then Avast proves to be a good choice for the users. When connected to Avast VPN, you can stream on Netflix, and the credit goes too fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth. It worked perfectly well with American Netflix and other Netflix catalogs. It shows high-definition video without any buffering or connection lags.
Does Avast Support Torrenting
Yes, the VPN supports Torrenting. Avast VPN comes with eight P2P-optimized servers that allow downloading torrents. Although it offers a kill-switch and IP leak protection but lack of torrent-focused features like a split tunneling feature, and SOCKS5 makes it not an ideal VPN for torrenting. Moreover, the VPN stores connection logs for 35 days, making you less safe and private while torrenting.
How Many Users Can Use Avast VPN?
Avast VPN allows you to connect up to ten devices with a single subscription. It isn’t something impressive because VPN can maintain a fast speed maximum of six device connections. You can install Avast VPN on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.
Does Avast VPN have an Ad-Blocker?
No, Avast VPN doesn’t come with a built-in ad-blocker. It means that the intrusive pop-up ads can interrupt your browsing experience.
How to Uninstall Avast VPN?
Here are the steps for uninstalling Avast VPN on Windows:
- Tap on the Start menu and select Apps and Features from the menu
- Click on Avast VPN and then select to uninstall.
- If prompted for permission by the User Account Control dialog and tap on Yes.
- Avast VPN uninstaller will appear on your screen, click on Uninstall.
- Wait for a few seconds and let the uninstaller remove the Avast VPN from your device.
- Now Restart your computer and reboot it to complete the uninstallation process.
You can follow the steps on other supported devices as well.
Final Verdict
Avast gained immense popularity and acceptance for its antivirus software. It offers a secure VPN service that uses military-grade encryption and VPN protocols. It provides quite a basic service, and if you are a beginner willing to use a VPN for online security, it is a good choice.
It claims to provide competitive security and privacy features that you can benefit from. But, despite being hyped up, it lacks several advanced and supportive features that ensure better online protection and user experience. If you value your online security and safety, then there are other alternatives like NordVPN or ExpressVPN that you can consider using.
