Avira vs Avast: which antivirus to choose?

Both Avast and Avira are industry leaders in terms of protection against malicious software. After all, both services have been combating cyberthreats for almost 30 years and boast millions of active users worldwide. It’s no surprise that these antiviruses have well-developed features after nearly 3 decades of constant development.

Our recent tests, as well as analyses conducted by other independent sources, indicate that Avast outmatches Avira in terms of performance and overall PC resource use. Continue reading to learn more about the features, performance, and pricing.

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Avira vs Avast at a glance

Our testing showed that the results of full system scanning were similar for both solutions, but Avast gained a noticeable edge in real-time protection testing, detecting 64 out of 100 malware samples, compared to Avira’s 55/100. Avast also achieved better results in terms of performance, with a lesser impact on processor and memory usage. On the other hand, Avira is slightly cheaper and offers a 60-day money-back guarantee, compared to its competitor's 30-day money-back guarantee. Paid versions offer rich features in both cases.

	Avast Antivirus	Avira
⭐ Rating:	4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
🥇 Overall rank:	#6 out of #30	#11 out of #30
🔥 Coupons:	Avast coupon 60% OFF	Avira coupon 65% OFF
💵 Price:	From $31.20/year	From $22.99/year
✂️ Free version:	Yes	Yes
🖥️ Platforms:	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS

Avira vs Avast security: which offers better protection?

	Avast	Avira
AV-TEST	Top product	Top product
AV-Comparatives	Advanced+	Standard
SE Labs	AAA	AA

The most recent testing results from 2 out of 3 independent sources are in favor of Avast. Only AV-TEST has labeled both services as a top product, with the same AV-TEST results for protection, performance, and usability.

The analysis of AV-Comparatives shows very similar results for Avast and Avira, highlighting the high detection effectiveness of both products. However, Avira had a significantly higher number of false alarms compared to Avast – 45 vs 8. SE Labs testing results favor Avast, with a significantly higher rating for protection – 97% accuracy vs 78% accuracy. However, it’s worth highlighting in this case that there is a 2-year gap in time between the SE Labs tests.

Real-time protection

Both services feature a comprehensive list of features that should be sufficient for removing malware. Whichever you choose, you'll have to initiate a full scan immediately after an install. It sets a baseline for all your further usage. Both Avira and Avast now use AI for malware detection.

Our tests showed a clear advantage of Avast in terms of real-time protection. The software was able to detect 64 out of 100 planted malware samples, a noticeable contrast to Avira’s 55.

Scanning

The difference between Avast and Avira was smaller in our full system scanning tests – 68 vs 66 malware samples, respectively. However, Avira put a heavy load on our system. More on that in the performance section.

It's possible to set up custom scans for particular directories. It's handy for when you suspect where the malware is hiding. Otherwise, a quick scan goes through your main system files and resources that could compromise your system if disrupted. It's also available on both Avast and Avira, so you'll be able to take advantage of it whichever you ultimately decide to pick.

Firewall protection

Avira has one of the least impressive firewall modules that I've seen in antiviruses. For example, the free version lets you manage the default Windows Firewall from within the app. It makes little sense to have their API wrapped around regular Windows settings, so it's a non-feature. On premium versions, the situation is a lot better. You can customize the strictness of protection by changing the computer's visibility on the network, blocking connections from the outside, and preventing flooding and port scans.

Avast offers whitelists in its free version. The Premium version also adds leak protection, port scan alerts, and ARP Spoofing Alerts, resulting in a more complete experience.

Impact on PC performance

In terms of performance, both Avast and Avira achieved the same, highest score when tested by AV-TEST. However, the gap between the two is evident in the analysis by AV-Comparatives. For performance, Avast was ranked Advanced+ with 3 stars, whereas Avira got the Standard Award and 1 star.

Avast has also recently achieved several certifications from AV Lab – Product of the year 2025, the TOP Remediation Time award for 2025, and Advanced In-the-Wild Malware Test 2025. It also got other awards from different, independent testers.

Our experience with full system scanning also favors Avast in terms of performance. Our system included a Windows 11 VM, with 6 allocated CPU cores from a Ryzen 5 5600G, supported by 8GB of RAM.

For Avast, CPU usage was between 13% and 60%, with about 3.8GB of RAM. Avira used a whopping 80-100% of CPU power and about 4.4GB of RAM.

Historically, Avira used to win in performance testing, but the recent results are in favor of Avast. This makes the latter a more interesting choice for less powerful PCs.

Pricing

Because both Avira and Avast have a free version, it makes for an equal comparison.

The prices for Avast Premium and Ultimate listed in the table are for one device. For a minor price increase, you can protect 10 devices. Similarly, you can also select a higher number of devices for Avira Pro at a higher price. With Avira Prime, you get protection for 5 devices at no extra cost.

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Plan	Avast	Avira
Free	$0.00	$0.00
Premium/Pro	$31.20/year	$22.99/year
Internet Security		$34.99/year
Ultimate/Prime	$43.99/year	$59.99/year
	Check pricing	Check pricing

Avast offers 2 paid plans. Avast Premium starts at $31.20/month, while the feature-complete Ultimate version is priced at $43.99/month. For 10 devices, the prices change to $39.99/month and $55.99/month, respectively. These are all first-year discounts. Expect higher prices when renewing the subscription.

Avira offers 3 subscription tiers. The Pro version starts at $22.99/month. Avira Internet Security costs $34.99/month, while the subscription for Avira Prime starts at $59.99/month. These prices also go up as you increase the number of devices you want to protect and are much higher when compared to the 10 devices of the competitor. You should also expect higher prices on renewal.

Overall, Avira offers better prices at tier 1, while the highest tier pricing favors Avast. Ultimately, the choice comes down to the features you need and the number of devices you want to protect.

Feature overview

Below, you can find the table with all of the features compared. Keep in mind that some of them might be exclusive to more expensive versions. I marked those with an *.

	Avast	Avira
Real-time protection	✅	✅
Ransomware protection	✅	✅
Web filters	✅	✅
Registry cleaner	✅*	✅*
VPN	✅*	✅
Firewall	✅	✅*
Wi-Fi protection	✅	✅*
Sandbox mode	✅*	❌
Webcam protection	✅	❌
File encryption	❌	✅

Both Avira and Avast have free versions and have several pricing tiers. So, it's possible to compare them on equal terms. The free version is the best example, as the bar of entry is non-existent, and everyone can test the service.

Yet, when looking at what you get with a paid version, Avast has subscription benefits worth considering, like Sandbox mode. Not a lot of antivirus providers can match what Avast offers.

Feature comparison: Avira and Avast

In the free version, both Avast and Avira offer real-time protection. It may not sound like much, but it's designed to stop malicious processes once they are accessed or started. Both services also include ransomware protection, web filters, AI-powered malware detection, a password manager, and a software updater. Avira adds a free VPN with a transfer limit and file encryption, while Avast features webcam protection, a dedicated firewall, and Wi-Fi protection.

The paid plans continue down the same path, with Avast staying ahead by a small margin. Both services include a registry cleaner. Avira adds file encryption and a few services already included in the free version of Avast. The latter gets an edge with the addition of sandbox mode and webcam protection. The paid version of Avast also provides a VPN. In General, Avast offers more features in both the free and paid versions.

You can find more detailed information in our Avira Antivirus review and Avast Antivirus review.

Apps and interface

Most free antiviruses are guilty of sneaking in other products. For example, on the Avast installer, its Secure Browser addon is checked by default. It's significant because it was revealed that the addon collects as much data as possible about the user. A new article about Avast Secure Browser shows that despite the controversy, paying fines, and backing down on some of the functionalities, it continues to be a serious privacy hazard. Most users don't adjust the default install settings, which makes privacy suffer.

Avira, on the other hand, isn't forcing your hand as much. You may use the free version and encounter reminders that you should upgrade, but they won't be drastic. Avira is user-friendly by virtue of respecting your choices and being more mindful of your data.

Desktop app

Even at the installation phase, both apps are similar. Both first use smaller executables that download the remaining files during setup, for example. However, Avast has the browser privacy issue, whereas Avira seems to be more professional in this sense. The client is clean and only installs the necessary files. If you're using the free version, both apps will remind you about the paid options at random intervals.

In terms of the UI, both clients are easy to use. They should be intuitive for most users, and if you're transitioning between Avast and Avira, it won't be painful. The general layout is very similar, so you'll quickly find what you're looking for.

In both cases, you will be navigating between menus with individual icons. If you're on the free version, some of them will be disabled when you click on them, asking you to upgrade.

Mobile app

Although it would seem that their mobile apps are extensions of their antivirus services for desktop, this isn't the case. There's less reason to offer a feature-packed antivirus for iOS because of fewer associated malware risks, as the tight control of Apple's App Store eliminates most of the threats. Android protection, in this sense, remains more important.

Both Avira and Avast mobile apps look and perform well, even on non-flagship Android devices. Both are feature-rich and, aside from scanning, grant access to other paid and non-paid functionalities. However, most of the unpaid features have very limited functionality. Overall, Avast offers more options on mobile without the need to pay.

Avast has a secure photo vault to store your most important (or embarrassing) photos. Your passcode will protect them, and it's not uploaded anywhere. If you delete the app, the photos will be deleted as well, so keep that in mind. If you want to block dangerous websites, you'll have to buy Avast’s paid plans.

Customer support

There are a few different ways you can receive customer support from both Avast and Avira. The table below provides an overview of the available options.

	Avast	Avira
Email	❌	✅
Live chat	✅ For paid customers	✅ For paid customers
Remote assistant	✅	❌
Phone line	✅	✅
Twitter and Facebook	❌	❌
Knowledgebase	✅	✅

Both Avast and Avira offer support for customers using the paid versions of their apps. If you’re on the free version, you can only refer to the FAQ page or seek community help through their forums and platforms, such as Reddit. However, while Avast has a lively community on Reddit, currently at about 11,000 monthly visits, Avira only has about 155 visitors/month.

When we look at the paid option, naturally, there's a customer service option. You can contact Avira via email and phone. Both services offer live chat support, and in certain cases, you can also seek help from Avast by phone.

Final verdict

On their own, both services seem solid enough. However, when stacked against each other, they highlight their differences. With its improved protection results, high performance, and better pricing for multiple devices and highest-tier plans, Avast outmatches Avira and is the clear winner of our comparative analysis.

Category	Avast	Avira
Features	✅	❌
Protection	✅	❌
PC performance	✅	❌
Pricing	✅	✅
User interface	✅	✅
Support	✅	✅

FAQ