Avast SecureLine is a simple but good choice for smaller usage. In this Avast VPN review, I’ll be revealing whether it’s still worth investing in, in 2021.
Avast SecureLine VPN claims to provide top-notch security, support to torrenting, supersonic speeds with unlimited bandwidth supporting up to 2 Gbits/s. It also claims to have the ability to tackle down geo-restricted platforms all at $3.99/mo.; backed by a leading Anti-Virus company called Avast.
Let’s find out in my in-depth Avast VPN review if it still stands worthy of its price in 2021.
Avast VPN review at a glance
| Base | Czech Republic |
| Price | $3.99/mo. |
| Servers | 55 locations in 34 Countries |
| Logs | No Logs |
| Multi-Logins | 10 Devices |
| Refund | 30-Days guarantee |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Website | Avast |
Avast VPN review according to my rating criteria
How would you usually rate a VPN?
In general, every reliable VPN should be able to possess strong security, affordable prices, and be able to unblock geo-restricted streaming platforms from anywhere in the world, etc.
Just believing every positive comment on the internet without checking the VPN out for yourself, will not do you any favors. I’ll be giving an honest opinion on Avast SecureLine VPN towards the end of this review; based on the following:
- Pricing
- Location
- Security
- Invisibility
- Streaming
- Speed
- Compatibility
- Reliability
Pricing – How affordable is it?
Before tabbing into any VPN, well; the Avast SecureLine VPN, let’s talk about how much it costs.
I believe that any VPN should deliver exceptional features, fulfilling our money’s worth. As for Avast SecureLine, it happens to divide its pricing plan according to how many devices you need for VPN protection.
It breaks into 3 packages, all of which allow up to 10 multi-device connections. Here’s what Avast costs:
The prices are quite affordable, especially the monthly plan. However, if you’re still looking for other more reliable options, there are other affordable VPN services you can look into.
7-Days Free Trial
One of the good things about Avast SecureLine VPN is the 7-day free trial for Windows and mobile. But it does, however, require credit card information for only the mobile trials.
Not only does it offer you the chance to test out the entire VPN, but it also doesn’t require any credit card or payment details; letting you directly download the app and put it to the test.
Payment Methods
The payment methods, however, are restricted to:
- PayPal
- Visa
- MasterCard
- American Express
There is no option for payment through cryptocurrency.
Its Refund Policy
There are two sides to the Avast SecureLine VPN refund policy. For one, yes it does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, but there’s a catch, so before buying into the VPN, make sure to check out its refund terms and conditions tab that could hold back on your refund.
Location – Is it safe to use Avast SecureLine VPN?
In terms of location, yes, Avast SecureLine VPN is safe to use.
The location of a VPN is one of the main aspects which shows whether the VPN is safe to use or not. There are some providers that are located within the 14-eyes alliance; deemed as untrustworthy.
However, Avast SecureLine is not part of that allegiance.
Before moving to its locality, let’s go through a little background check of origination. Avast is known for being the multinational giant of the cybersecurity realm in the Czech Republic.
After having acquired one of the biggest VPN co-operations called HideMyAss!, it decided to birth a VPN service product of its own called Avast SecureLine VPN, known to be powered by technologies involved in (HMA) systems.
Avast SecureLine network coverage – What’s served?
Most of you might be wondering what locality has to do with feeling safe, or with the VPN adding security towards your surfing experience.
Let me tell you that it makes a huge difference. Avast SecureLine VPN has based its roots in the Czech Republic, where data retention laws aren’t practiced.
If you’ve checked out the specification list towards the beginning, you can also see that Avast SecureLine VPN doesn’t offer a wide list of options when it comes down to servers. It has around 55 servers in 34 countries.
Putting a dent into things
The Czech Republic isn’t a part of the global surveillance entity of the “Eyes” but does actually cooperates with the Five Eyes agreement.
What the Reddit community had to say about Avast SecureLine:
Not all are in a negative view, keeping in mind of its locality being outside the practice of data retention, and providing solid AES-256 encryption to its users.
This point simply remains debatable in terms of whether Avast would really sell out its users’ identities to the authoritative 5 eyes alliance. But for now, let’s stay a little hopeful.
Security – (Avast SecureLine encryption, protocols & other features)
Anyone who understands the sole purpose of any VPN knows that one of the main reasons why we buy on is also because of needed online security.
Taking a look at Avast SecureLine VPN with emphasis on the word “SecureLine”, let’s see if its security tab ticks all the right boxes in the points below:
- Speaking about protocols, Avast SecureLine VPN offers two; Open VPN on UDP (for Windows and Android) and IPsec (for macOS and iOS)
- It runs on military-grade encryption; the AES 256-bit encryption; which is the best form of security out there. Banks and the military use it; which is extremely unbreakable.
- Besides the above, it comes with a Kill Switch.
The Kill Switch
There are many VPN’s that come without a Kill Switch, all of which puts a big red flag on the reliability of the VPN itself.
Avast SecureLine VPN however, comes with a Kill Switch, which does cut off the internet connection when or if your VPN gets interrupted in between usage. It’ll secure your IP or identity.
This is a big plus point; giving SecureLine my vote. But not to jump too quickly into conclusions, let’s move on to the next phase of security; the leak test.
What the Editor of Cnet had to say:
Invisibility – Avast SecureLine VPN leak test review
Adding to the list of pros, Avast SecureLine VPN did not leak my IP, DNS, and WebRTC; passing the test successfully.
If you look below, you’ll find out the results I rendered from the testing I conducted; while connected to US servers; since that’s the most sought after.
For my IP leak test, I went to ipleak.org; connecting to a US server, and the result was:
For my DNS leak test, I went to http://dnsleak.com/ connecting to a US server. The results were:
For my WebRTC leak test, I went to https://browserleaks.com/webrtc connecting to a US server. The results were:
They’re leak-free!
Besides these, I also took a virus test with the Windows version, via virustotal.com and ran the Avast SecureLine VPN download file through it.
The results came back positive. All-in-all the results were more than fruitful; making sure that none of my personal data or physical location leaked out.
Streaming – Does Avast SecureLine VPN work with Netflix & more?
It worked for me, but the answer overall is still not verifiable.
This is the first question that crosses everyone’s mind when we hear the word streaming. Some of the more difficult platforms to get into are Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, Amazon Video, Hotstar, and a few more.
However, I did manage to unblock the US Netflix library; connected to a US server. There are, however, still some concerns from other user-reviews; regarding connectivity to Netflix.
On the other hand, Avast VPN does support P2P and streaming. It even highlights separate servers for streaming and P2P. These include:
- Servers that support streaming
Besides the above, Avast VPN is the only provider that introduced the Gotham city server since 2018 for video streaming.
- Servers that support P2P
While on the topic of streaming, Avast SecureLine VPN has a new feature added to its books. It supports streaming all your favorites shows directly on your Android smart TV, Nvidia Shield TV, or Mi Box.
But it still depends on how accurate it really is, considering it has a limited number of servers for streaming.
It all depends on your choices!
If streaming and downloading are your major concerns, you could always opt for a better VPN, like Surfshark, where you wouldn’t have any Netflix problems. Here’s a link for a detailed Surfshark review.
Speed – Is Avast SecureLine VPN fast?
Avast SecureLine lacks in providing good speed, which you’ll see towards the end of the testing.
Judging by the lack of a server list for streaming and P2P, with vague compatibility towards Netflix, we’re bound to put most of our faith towards its speed. For that, I’ve conducted a number of tests based on US, UK, and AUS servers; mentioned below:
The result before connecting to the VPN was:
Speed test after connecting to a US server:
Results of speed test after connecting to a UK server:
Speed test after connecting to an AUS server:
In all honesty, the speed tests were extremely unsatisfactory.
To see the contrast, take a look and compare the speed tests done before connecting to the VPN and after connecting to it; especially the Australian server.
But regardless of the servers, the results were completely disappointing. Now, keep in mind that speed results always vary between users. It might be slow for me but fast for some, depending on where you’re located physically.
Compatibility – Does the VPN support multiple devices?
Besides having good security, privacy, but terrible speed; balancing out the pros and cons, you can’t help but wonder if Avast SecureLine VPN is as compatible with the most famous platforms as it claims it is.
On a lighter note, Avast SecureLine VPN does support its main platforms which include:
- Windows
- macOS
- Android
- Android TV
- iOS (iPhone or iPad)
The downside –
Even though it supports the most basic platforms, Avast SecureLine VPN however, doesn’t support routers nor gaming consoles.
This puts a bit of dab into things since routers are required for access to Smart TVs. On the other hand, it does work with Android TV, which is mentioned in the list above.
Are browser extensions inclusive?
Yes, it is!
Besides its proprietary browser, it includes two browser extensions; allocated to Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.
User-friendly interface – Can even the most non-technical person use this VPN?
That’s one of the perks of Avast SecureLine VPN. It has a user-friendly interface or design, perfect for every kind of customer. It’s easy for navigation, right down to the last touch.
Reliability – Is Avast SecureLine Trustworthy?
Even though Avast SecureLine VPN does provide good all-round security, there still lies the question as to whether it can be trusted or not.
Remember the part where I mentioned above about Avast not being a part of but has connections with the 5 eyes agreement? That’s what most customers are not so sure about.
It all comes down to the data they collect, which are:
- Billing data
- Device data
- Personal data
- Account data
- Service data
Besides the fact of having collected a tad bit of your personal data for security reasons, they do, however, keep a good hold on GDPR, regarding data protection laws.
They can, however, make changes to the privacy policy at any given time.
Let’s talk about customer support
Unfortunately, there isn’t any live option for a 24/7 helpline.
Besides this Avast does provide an FAQ, general knowledge base section, a ticketing system, and a phone number you can call for help (for free). It also has a community forum for extra questions, experiences, or help, and can contact them through direct messages on their social media platforms.
Even though there are other ways to contact them, we do hope for a live chat option in the future.
What you could also do if you’re experiencing connection problems
There are a couple of times you don’t have access or means of getting in contact the helpline, so you could try an approach of your own by:
- Checking on your internet without connecting to the VPN. Just making sure there aren’t any problems.
- Test different server locations, just in case one isn’t available for the moment.
- Turn off Windows Defender Firewall, which may secure Avast’s connection.
- Check and turn off other Antivirus software, if any. This can also hamper the VPN’s connections.
- If using other VPN services, make sure those aren’t running in the background; resulting in interference.
- Check to see if you’re still a subscribed user; in case it’s expired or invalid.
- You could always reinstall the software to make sure you have a hold of the latest version.
A Bird’s eye view (Do I recommend Avast SecureLine VPN?)
Now that we’ve come to the end of this review, let’s go step by step to see why I recommend Avast SecureLine VPN.
Even though it lacks in speed, compatibility with routers or gaming consoles, shifty towards running Netflix, and doesn’t really provide a large platform for servers, it does, however, put a great deal of effort towards keeping its security on top. It’s compatible with the most basic and important operating systems and doesn’t leak IP, DNS, or WebRTC. It doesn’t cater towards a 24/7 live support chat but does however render other means of support; through ticketing, FAQ, and social media.
To Conclude – (Is Avast SecureLine VPN the one to go for?)
Let’s review our options, shall we?
Now I know for a fact there are many of us who don’t like going through the specifications in detail and love skipping straight to the conclusion and comment section, but I’ve decided to give you an abridged version of my Avast VPN review.
Avast is like a corporate giant that has been around for a while. It created its own product, launched in 2014, in Prague, Czech Republic.
It may not be the best VPN around in terms of speed, lack of servers, and compatibility with routers but it does, however, make up for it in terms of all-round security with strong encryption, and protocols, suitable for the price it sets up, but still over-budgeted as compared to Surfshark.
The decision all comes down to choosing the right VPN for you. It depends if you’re more into security or decent streaming then I recommend Avast SecureLine.
But again, if you’re looking for one with a cheaper price and staunch security, I recommend an all-rounder VPN like Surfshark; that will make 2024 a lot safer. The choice is yours!
