Avast SecureLine VPN review
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Learn moreAvast SecureLine VPN is a simple VPN solution from the well-known antivirus provider Avast. While it can unblock popular streaming platforms like Netflix and Peacock TV, its inconsistent performance and lack of advanced security features make it less competitive than other premium VPNs.
Price: | From $4.39/month |
Servers count: | 700 + servers in 36 countries |
No logs policy: | No logs |
Simultaneous connections: | 10 |
Streaming services: | Netflix, YouTube |
Coupon: | Cybernews VPN Coupons |
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Intuitive and easy-to-use user interface
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Unblocks Netflix, YouTube TV, Peacock TV
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Impressive 60-day free trial
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Limited server network
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Few additional security features
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No monthly subscription available
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Few specialized streaming and torrenting servers
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No-logs policy is not independently audited
Avast SecureLine VPN offers a sleek, intuitive app that's easy to use. However, it lacks important security features like anti-malware tools, independent audits, and double VPN. The brand's recent controversies also raise concerns regarding its security.
With just over 700 servers across 36 countries, its server network is limited, and its speed performance falls short compared to other VPNs at similar or lower prices. Many competitors provide faster speeds and broader coverage, making Avast VPN a less attractive option for users seeking top-tier performance.
But is Avast SecureLine VPN safe? In this article, I will answer this question and cover every aspect of Avast SecureLine VPN, starting from security, features, speed, and performance to subscription plans and pricing. Let’s dive in.
While Avast SecureLine VPN is a decent option, it doesn’t offer much value for the price. Top competitors like NordVPN or Surfshark offer larger server networks, faster speeds, and better streaming capabilities at a more affordable cost.




We spare no effort to test the products & their features. All information is gathered by our in-house research team & fact-checked by our team of experts. Discover the ins and outs of our testing procedures.
Is Avast SecureLine VPN safe?
After in-depth testing, I can conclude that Avast SecureLine VPN is relatively safe as it employs the industry-standard AES-256 encryption algorithm and does not log your browsing activity. Nonetheless, its’ no-logs policy could use some work – Avast collects some data and has not been independently audited. This means users have to trust Avast without any proof backing its claims.
Moreover, Avast Limited has been fined $16.5 million and banned from selling browsing data for advertising purposes over allegedly unfairly collecting and selling user data. While the Avast SecureLine VPN does not seem to be connected to it, it’s still under the same company, and users should be aware of their previous practices.
Here are the main security aspects of Avast SecureLine VPN.
Tunneling protocols
Avast’s selection of tunneling protocols is a little smaller than that of other VPN providers, such as NordVPN or Surfshark. Depending on what kind of device you use, you’ll either get to choose from two or three protocols. You can also let Avast choose the VPN protocol for you automatically.
Here are the protocols that are available on the applications of Avast SecureLine VPN:
- OpenVPN. While there are two versions of OpenVPN, Avast uses its faster variation - OpenVPN UDP. It’s not as stable as OpenVPN TCP, but it offers pretty good speeds.
- Avast Mimic. This is a proprietary protocol created from scratch by the Avast developers. Mimic hides that you’re connected to a VPN and can be useful in countries with strict VPN laws. Other VPNs offer this feature as well, under the name of obfuscated servers. Unfortunately, it’s not available on iOS devices.
- IPSec. Available only on the macOS and iOS applications, this protocol works best with Apple devices.
- WireGuard. This protocol is available on Windows and Android apps and offers faster speeds.

Privacy policy overview
The no-logs policy of Avast SecureLine VPN is pretty straightforward. The provider doesn’t collect private data, including your original IP address, DNS queries, browsing history, and transferred data, meaning no one will be able to discover your browsing activities.
However, it does keep logs of your connection timestamps and the amount of data transmitted, which could technically be used to identify you. This data is collected and stored for 35 days. It also logs connection events, application events, and crash reports to improve the Avast SecureLine VPN apps. This data is stored for 2 years.
What’s more, our team and I noticed that Avast removed this sentence from its VPN Policy: You can see all of this data by logging into our Privacy Preference portal. This implies that users can no longer check what personal data is collected by Avast. I believe it’s a step back in terms of transparency.
As for the country of origin, Avast VPN is based in the Czech Republic. It is a privacy-friendly country that doesn’t belong to the 14-Eyes intelligence alliance.
Kill switch
Our research team put Avast’s Kill Switch to the test and found it worked perfectly. The kill switch blocked our internet traffic once the VPN connection was lost and protected our IP address from leaking.
What’s more, it disables the internet while changing from one server to another. It also notifies you that your connection may be interrupted for a moment, giving you time to pause your online activities.

One thing I noticed is that this feature is not enabled by default. This is a common practice among most VPNs and can be easily solved. To enable the kill switch, go to settings and check the box Activate Kill Switch.


A kill switch is an important feature that should be provided with all VPN services. It blocks your internet in case you’re disconnected from the VPN. I find it disappointing that Avast SecureLine VPN doesn’t include the kill switch in all of its apps, as the feature is crucial to maintaining your privacy no matter what device you’re using. In this case, I recommend opting for a VPN that offers the same features in all of its apps. My personal favorite is NordVPN.
How much does Avast SecureLine VPN cost?
Avast SecureLine VPN is a little bit more expensive than other VPN providers but is still relatively affordable. There are three subscription plans to choose from:
Subscription plan | Price/month |
12-month | $4.59/month |
24-month | $4.39/month |
36-month | $4.39/month |
One of the biggest turn-offs of Avats VPN is that there’s no way of buying the service for only one month, which isn’t the case with the vast majority of other VPN services. This is a problem if you don’t want to commit to a long-term plan.
You can either get a 12-month ($55.08/year), 24-month ($105.36), or a 36-month subscription ($158.04/three years). Purchasing the longer plan is cheaper, as you’ll pay $4.39 per month instead of $4.59 per month. Please note that you will be charged for the entire subscription period at once.
Both Avast VPN plans offer a 30-day money-back guarantee that will give you enough time to make up your mind about the service.
It's important to note that it has auto-renewal enabled by default. This means that your subscription will be automatically renewed at the end of the current subscription period and you will be charged at a new, higher rate.
Avast can charge you up to 35 days before the end of your current subscription, so I recommend disabling auto-renewal or canceling your subscription at least a month before it expires if you don’t want to be charged again.
Moreover, renewal rates are usually more than double the price you paid as a new user. Avast will notify you about the upcoming charge; however, it doesn’t specify when it will do so.
If your subscription was automatically renewed when you didn’t want it to, you can request a full refund within 30 days.
When it comes to payment methods, you can use a credit card, a debit card, or PayPal. Avast doesn’t accept cryptocurrency, so if you’d like to make anonymous payments, I recommend NordVPN as it’s one of the best VPNs to buy with Bitcoin.
Avast SecureLine VPN subscription covers 10 simultaneous devices, which is alright; however, more and more VPN providers are starting to implement unlimited simultaneous connections, so 10 simultaneous devices is not that impressive. Keep in mind that simultaneous devices don’t equal simultaneous connections – you can have Avast installed only on 10 devices.
Avast SecureLine VPN offers a 60-day free trial
There are a few ways to try out Avast SecureLine VPN without paying for it. The company offers a 60-day free trial which is the longest free trial I’ve seen for any VPN provider.
Please note that you must provide your payment details to redeem the 60-day free trial. You won’t be charged until the free trial period ends – just make sure to cancel the subscription before the 60 days are up.
There’s also the 7-day free trial on mobile devices; however, it just doesn’t compare.
Avast SecureLine VPN features
Compared to most of the standalone VPN clients, Avast SecureLine VPN is pretty basic. It only offers the standard kill switch, local device access, smart rules, and split tunneling on Android. If you're looking for advanced features like Onion Over VPN, you might want to look into other VPNs such as NordVPN.
Smart VPN mode
There are two VPN modes: manual and smart. Manual VPN mode lets you choose whether you want to automatically connect to a VPN or whether you want the VPN to ask permission first. You can also exclude private networks that you don’t want to use a VPN with.

Smart VPN mode allows you to set up smart rules for how the app should behave depending on your activities.
For example, you can set the VPN to turn on automatically once you connect to a public network, use torrenting clients and websites, visit banking sites, or stream videos.

I tested the smart rules myself and was less than impressed as the smart rules seemed to work only on the Firefox browser. Moreover, the smart rules don’t work if you are already connected to a VPN server.

You can also set up a list of trusted sites that don’t require a VPN tunnel. These can be enabled/disabled at any time.
Split tunneling
Like many other VPN services, Avast SecureLine VPN offers the split tunneling feature. It allows you to choose which applications will run through the VPN connection and which ones will use your normal internet connection. Unfortunately, split tunneling is exclusive to Android devices.

You may want to use split tunneling to access local network devices, such as your printer, or improve your internet speed and overall performance.
Local device access
A nifty feature that allows access to local devices even while connected to a VPN server. This is useful when you need to use a local device but don’t want to disconnect from the VPN.

Important features that are not included in Avast VPN
Avast SmartLine VPN is relatively simple and is missing some advanced features, including:
- Split tunneling on all devices. While it’s great that this feature is available on Android, it doesn’t make sense why it hasn’t been incorporated into other devices.
- Double VPN. A feature that encrypts your internet traffic through two VPN servers. It adds another layer of security but can significantly slow down your internet speed.
- Onion/Tor Over VPN. It's a rather uncommon feature available at a select few VPN services, such as NordVPN and ProtonVPN.
- Anti-malware add-ons or any other add-ons. Considering that Avast started out as an antivirus, it’s strange that it doesn’t offer any anti-malware add-ons while other VPN providers do. NordVPN and Surfshark subscriptions come with Threat Protection and CleanWeb, protecting your device from malicious actors and even blocking ads, at no extra cost, no less.
Speed performance: how fast is Avast SecureLine VPN?
Avast SecureLine VPN has a relatively small server network, which could be a problem when it comes to internet speed and overall performance.
Our research team tested Avast SecureLine VPN using WireGuard, Mimic, and OpenVPN protocols. Our goal was to assess its performance in maintaining good internet speed.The baseline without a VPN for downloads (DL) was 400.72 Mbps, and for uploads (UP), 300.07 Mbps. These were the results:
Location | WireGuard | Mimic | OpenVPN |
US (NY) | 246.73 DL, 157.72 UP | 178.55 DL, 198.65 UP | 52.64 DL, 45.23 UP |
UK | 54.43 DL, 38.16 UP | 247.19 DL, 217 UP | 40.16 DL, 32.13 UP |
Germany | 147.89 DL, 145.15 UP | 189.46 DL, 21.49 UP | 63.96 DL, 44.56 UP |
Japan | 176.37 DL, 20.00 UP | 81.08 DL, 81.76 UP | 77.93 DL, 76.24 UP |
Australia | 54.17 DL, 32.05 UP | 52.95 DL, 6.46 UP | 40.55 DL, 49.60 UP |
The download and upload speeds were inconsistent no matter which VPN protocol I used; however, OpenVPN performed the worst. It slowed the internet by over 50%, sometimes even 90%, depending on the server.
I got the best results with the Mimic protocol for both downloads and uploads – it retained around 60% of the original download speeds and 54% of the original upload speeds.
Comparing these results with our previous tests, I noticed that the speeds have always been inconsistent. Previously, OpenVPN would retain anywhere between 24% to 1.6% of our original upload speeds. Mimic, on the other hand, performed better – it retained up to 80% of the original upload speeds but also experienced severe drops of up to 90%.
The drops in speed could be due to several different reasons. For example, internet speed with a VPN generally depends on physical location – the farther away you are from a server, the slower the internet connection becomes. Considering that Avast SecureLine VPN has a relatively small server network, users could run into this issue by not finding servers near them.
Here’s how Avast SecureLine VPN speeds compared to other providers:
Provider | Average download speed |
NordVPN | 95% 🏆 |
Avast SecureLine VPN | 87% |
IPVanish | 52% |
Servers and locations
Avast SecureLine VPN has around 700 servers in 36 countries. This is a relatively scarce selection compared to the leading VPN providers, such as NordVPN, which offers 7200+ servers in over 118 countries, or Surfshark with 3200+ in more than 100 countries.
Nonetheless, it covers the most popular server locations in every continent, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Australia, and Brazil.
Regions | Number of countries |
Americas | 4 |
Europe | 22 |
Asia Pacific | 7 |
Middle East and Africa | 3 |
The servers are conveniently categorized into continents. However, this doesn’t make it easier to find servers you need, as there is no search bar. To find a server in a specific country, you have to select the continent and search for it manually by scrolling through all of the servers. I find it time-consuming and a little annoying.
Unlike Proton VPN, there’s no way to check the server load. Considering that there are only 700 servers, the load can technically be high, which may result in slow speeds and poor performance. On the other hand, Avast SecureLine VPN is not as popular as other VPNs, so the load may be low.
Another thing to note is that Avast SecureLine VPN doesn’t have many unique functionalities regarding servers. Users can enable auto-connect to ensure that their connection is always encrypted, but this is a standard VPN feature.
There’s also an Optimal Location feature that connects you to a server with the best performance based on your location – I think it’s great for VPN newbies who don’t know what server is the best for them.

Aside from continents, servers are also categorized into specialties: streaming and and torrenting. While it’s great that there are specialized servers, there are very few of them. For instance, if you want to stream Japanese Netflix, you’ll have to connect to normal Japanese servers.
Specialization | Countries |
Streaming | US, UK, and Germany |
Torrenting | The US, UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic |
Does Avast VPN work with Netflix and other streaming platforms?
Avast SecureLine VPN covers most of the key locations for streaming and has streaming-optimized servers. Considering that, it should be a good option for bypassing geo-restrictions and unblocking video libraries. This is what our research team and I found.
Platform | Does it work? |
Netflix | ✅ (US, UK, Canada, Japan, and Australia) |
BBC iPlayer | ❌ |
YouTube | ✅ |
Peacock TV | ✅ |
In our previous tests, I had difficulties accessing Netflix US – it was inconsistent, and I never knew whether I would be able to unblock it or not. This time, I noticed a huge difference.

Avast SecureLine VPN unblocked Netflix libraries in the US, UK, Australia, and Japan on the first try. I had to reconnect a few times to unblock Netflix Canada but the streaming quality was good and I experienced no buffering on all servers. Australian Netflix, on the other hand, had more issues and would load significantly slower than others.

Unfortunately, after numerous tries with both regular and streaming-optimized UK servers, Avast SecureLine VPN is still unable to bypass BBC iPlayer. However, it did unblock Peacock TV on the first try.
Alternatives for unblocking streaming services
While Avast SecureLine VPN performed okay, there are other VPN providers that provide a seamless streaming experience. These are some of our top VPN picks for streaming:
- NordVPN is the leading VPN on the market. NordVPN is a well-known VPN provider in the industry, and for good reason. Fast speeds, excellent performance, and strong security – NordVPN unblocks the most popular streaming platforms within seconds.
- Surfshark VPN – fast and affordable, Surfshark is a great VPN for those on a budget. It easily unblocks Netflix and allows unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can stream on as many devices as you want.
Avast VPN torrenting capabilities
It’s impressive that Avast SecureLine VPN has servers for torrenting, as some popular VPNs don’t offer this feature. Nonetheless, the country selection is limited as it only has torrenting servers in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US. This is a problem for those who don’t live near any of these servers as it takes more time for the data to travel back and forth, thus slowing down your internet connection.

Either way, the research team and I put the torrenting servers to the test once more. Our previous tests were less than impressive, as the torrenting servers had some stability issues.
This time, I tested by connecting to a torrenting server in Germany using the WireGuard protocol. The average download speed was 19 Mb/s and peaked at 25 Mb/s. This is a better result than before, and the file was downloaded in less than 5 minutes.
Keep in mind that there are no extra features for torrenting, like Surfshark’s Tor over VPN servers or NordVPN’s integrated SOCKS5 proxy.
App interface and ease of use
Avast SecureLine VPN offers applications for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. I like that the apps are easy to install and use, this makes them great for first-time users.
However, Avast SecureLine VPN still has a long way to go when it comes to app functionalities. Aside from lacking some key features, Avast VPN is not compatible with Linux, doesn’t have Smart DNS, nor does it facilitate router setup. This is a problem if you want to use a VPN on your smart TV or gaming console. On the bright side, Android TV owners can download and install the app directly through the app store.
Avast SecureLine VPN apps compared
Device | Rating | Installation | Protocols | Split tunneling | Kill switch | Good for |
Windows | 4.5 | Through the official website | WireGuard, OpenVPN, and Mimic | No | Yes | All activities including browsing, streaming, and torrenting |
Mac | 4 | Through the official website | Mimic and IPSec | No | Yes | All activities including browsing, streaming, and torrenting |
Android | 4.7 | Through the app store | WireGuard, OpenVPN, and Mimic | Yes | Yes | All activities including browsing, streaming, and torrenting |
iPhone | 3.5 | Through the app store | IPSec and Mimic | No | No | Just browsing |
Windows
The research team and I tested the Avast SecureLine VPN Windows app on a Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 laptop running Windows 11 Pro.
The Windows interface of Avast SecureLine VPN is pretty solid. Everything looks sleek and the client is responsive. However, the app seems to be designed for looks over function.

For example, there is no way to quickly search for a region you want to connect to and no way to select a specific server/IP. Also, the settings menu is hidden behind another menu filled with separate buttons for Avast’s other tools.
In fact, I accidentally clicked on one of these buttons while trying to exit the menu, and the app immediately installed another application onto my computer without asking for any additional confirmation.
macOS
The research team and I tested the macOS app on Virtual Machine Apple M2 Pro, 8 GB RAM, Ventura, 268 GB of Storage setup on Apple M2 Pro, 10 Cores, 16 GB RAM running 14 Sonoma.

The macOS application of Avast SecureLine VPN is almost identical to its Windows counterpart: there are no new or missing features, and the user interface looks the same. There’s just one difference – users can choose from only two VPN protocols, IPSec and Mimic.
Android
The research team and I tested the Android app on Nokia 6.2 (model TA-1198), Android version 11, 64GB internal storage, 4GB RAM, CPU Octa-Core (4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4x1.6 GHz Kryo 260 Silver).

The Android application of Avast VPN looks and feels just great. It’s also the only version that offers the split tunneling feature, which can be quite useful when you want only certain apps to use the VPN connection. Other than that, it’s very similar to the Windows version of Avast SecureLine VPN.
iOS
The research team and I tested the iOS app on an iPhone 7 (model MN8X2), iOS version 15.7.1., 32GB internal storage, 2GB RAM, CPU Quad-core 2.34 GHz (2x Hurricane + 2x Zephyr).
In terms of design, the iOS app is nearly identical to that of Android – it’s aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. I wish I could say the same about its functionality.
Unfortunately, when it comes to additional features, Avast SecureLine VPN iOS app is the worst of the bunch as you can only alter your auto-connect settings. Furthermore, there are only two VPN protocols available: IPSec and Mimic. Whereas the Android app users have three protocols to choose from.
Customer support
Unfortunately, only paying users can reach Avast customer support. Fill in a questionnaire and you will be directed to a customer support agent either via a live chat or a phone call.
I contacted customer support via live chat and received an instant response. This was a pleasant change as my last attempts at contacting customer support left me waiting for more than 20 minutes. The live chat agent was polite and answered my questions thoroughly. Nevertheless, they took a while to respond to every message.

If you’re using the free version of any Avast product, you can search for answers in its knowledge base, FAQs section, or by scouring the Avast forum. The forums seem like a decent place to try to get answers to specific questions directly from the Avast team and serve as a sort of alternative to customer support for free users.
Final thoughts: Is Avast VPN worth it?
Avast SecureLine VPN is a decent VPN solution with a sleek and easy-to-use app. It’s good for anyone who wants to start using VPNs and doesn’t require any additional features.
Avast SecureLine VPN offers good speeds on nearby servers and can unblock Netflix and Peacock TV. It also offers the longest free trial (of 60 days!), so it’s a great option to try a VPN without spending a penny.
Nonetheless, I still recommend opting for NordVPN or Surfshark as they are not only cheaper but also provide an added layer of security as well as additional features such as an anti-malware and ad-blocking tool Threat Protection and CleanWeb, respectively. They have also undergone third-party audits.
FAQ
Who owns Avast SecureLine VPN?
Avast SecureLine VPN was acquired by NortonLifeLock in 2021.
Can Avast VPN be trusted?
Yes, Avast SecureLine VPN is a trustworthy app. It uses military-grade encryption, doesn’t collect any personal info, and comes from a company with years of experience in cybersecurity.
How many servers does Avast VPN have?
Avast VPN has 700+ servers located in 36 different countries, including the US, the UK, and Canada.
Can I share my Avast VPN subscription?
Yes, you can share your Avast VPN subscription, as the VPN offers 10 simultaneous connections. You can use those on different desktop and mobile devices.
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