Having one of the best antivirus software installed on your devices can protect you from AI-generated scams and viruses. If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, Avast One is a great choice. It offers robust protection against deepfakes, sophisticated malware, and more. It comes with a built-in AI assistant which can analyze texts, links and images for anything suspicious. With low impact on system resources and an accessible interface, Avast One nearly does it all.
I say “nearly” because, unfortunately, the software has its flaws. Many important features, such as identity theft protection, are paywalled even if you buy the top-tier plan. For consumers, VPN is included in the highest tier plan only, and a maximum of 10 devices are protected.
Should you still buy this antivirus software suite? Read my full Avast One review to find out.
Avast One review: Specs
Starting price |
|
Operating system |
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
Supported devices |
1-10 (Consumer) | 1-999 (Business) |
Malware protection |
Yes |
Ransomware protection |
Yes |
Identity theft protection |
Yes (Ultimate only) |
Webcam protection |
Yes |
Parental controls |
No (bought separately) |
VPN |
Yes (Ultimate only) |
Password manager |
Yes |
Cloud backup |
Yes (Business only) |
Firewall |
Yes |
Secure browser |
Yes |
Support |
24/7 email, chat and telephone |
Avast One review: Costs & what’s covered
Similar to practically every other antivirus software suite, Avast One offers different plans offering varying levels of protection. Consumers who want to protect themselves and/or their family can download a free version of the software that offers basic protection against viruses, malware and ransomware. The Premium Security plan starts at $44 for the first year and renews at $77. The top-tier Ultimate consumer plan starts at $49 for the first year with annual prices going up to $109 at the end of the 12 months.
Avast One offers a range of plans for businesses and enterprises. The cheapest plan is called Avast Essential Business Security, and it starts at $39 for the first year and renews at $39 per device — so the more devices you have, the more the cost. Then there’s the mid-tier Avast Premium Business Security plan, starting at $39 for the first year and renewing at $49 per device. Avast Ultimate Business Security provides the most robust level of security and it’s priced at such, with the first year costing $48 and renewal $60 per device.
The brand also works with banks, telecoms providers and others to provide protection to their customers. If you wish to do the same, you’ll have to get in touch with Avast’s customer service to find out more.
Before committing to a plan, make sure you read the fine print and see the features and extras each subscription offers. Luckily, if you aren’t happy with your purchase, Avast One offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for its consumer and business customers alike — just like Bitdefender, although Norton 360 offers a longer 60-day guarantee.
Avast One review: Protection
Each Avast One plan offers varying levels of protection, and the more expensive the plan, the more extras you get. For instance, the free plan offers basic protection against viruses and malware, but the Premium Security plan I tested offers things like Wi-Fi protection, WebGuard which uses AI to block scam websites, and Mail Shield which monitors your email address for threats. I’ll discuss these in detail shortly.
When we review antivirus software, we refer and compare testing results from three independent labs who test antivirus software twice a year on average. I looked at AV Test’s February 2026 report which rates Avast as a “Top Product” with a 6/6 score across Protection, Performance and Usability, just like Bitdefender and Norton 360.
After that, I read AV Comparatives’ April 2026 test report which uses benchmarking tools to assess system impact. Avast ranked 6th on the list, just under Norton 360, with a 90/100 AVC score, 94.5/100 Procyon score, and a 5.5 Impact score. The lower the impact score, the better, and Avast was just 0.2 off Norton 360.
Last but not least, the SE Labs (U.K.) April 2026 report gave Avast a AAA rating (highest possible) with a 100% total accuracy percentage. All of this proves that Avast is a comprehensive, well-rounded antivirus software boasting excellent performance — on paper, at least, and we’ll get into how it performs in real-world use next.
Avast One review: Performance
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Supplied by: MSI | Tom's Guide
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X | Graphics card: MSI RTX 5070 Ti 16GB Vanguard SOC | Motherboard: MSI B850E Gaming Plus WiFi | RAM: Kingston Fury Renegade DDR5 32GB | Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S | PSU: MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 | Case: MSI MPG GUNGNIR 110R
Once you’ve bought your Avast One plan, you’ll need to download and install it on your Windows or macOS machine, or your Android or iOS smartphone. Doing so is straightforward. You need to download the software from the Avast One homepage, or if you already have the free version, you can input your license key via the menu within the already-downloaded app. I installed the software on our testing rig, on which I ran the majority of the testing.
Activating your subscription on your smartphone is just as easy. Download the app from either the iOS or Android store and enter your registered email address when prompted. I did so on my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL and I was up and running in under a minute. The smartphone app offers many of the same features as the PC software.
The first thing I did after installing the software was run a computer scan. Avast One offers a few different types of scans: Smart (quick), Full, Targeted (custom), and Boot-Time. I ran a Full Scan which took 6 minutes and 12 seconds, which is a lot quicker than the time Bitdefender took (26 minutes 23 seconds). Avast One doesn’t tell you how many files it has scanned either, unlike Bitdefender. The Full Scan flagged a few system errors which it then helped me resolve.
Avast One upstages Bitdefender as the latter doesn’t offer any other scan options. The former’s Smart Scan is a handy option when you want a quick check after having downloaded a new file, for instance. I’m sure users will find Targeted and Boot-Time Scans useful too.
To put the software through its paces, I ran Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon 5 to see how the games’ performance was impacted, and you can see the results in the table below.
FPS with Avast One running |
FPS with Smart Scan running |
FPS with Full Scan running |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra graphics) |
99 |
96 |
96.17 |
Forza Horizon 5 (High graphics) |
125 |
124 |
124 |
With Avast One running in the background (and no other apps open except for the game), Cyberpunk 2077 achieved 99fps while Forza Horizon 5 achieved 125fps. With the Smart Scan running, Cyberpunk 2077 achieved 96fps and Forza Horizon 5 topped at 124fps. Full Scan results were nearly identical too. The loss of a couple of frames is barely noticeable in real-world use, and it goes to show that the antivirus software won’t impact your work or gaming experience.
I also ran a few internet speed tests at speedtest.net to analyze how Avast One impacted upload and download speeds, and you can see the results in the table below.
Download (Mbps) |
Upload (Mbps) |
|
|---|---|---|
Without Avast One |
666.35 |
738.65 |
With Avast One running |
667.45 |
740.4 |
Smart Scan running |
565.56 |
702.75 |
Full Scan running |
543.63 |
666.57 |
With the Smart and Full Scans running, the internet download and upload speeds were impacted negatively. Antivirus software suites can sometimes act as a detriment in this area as they monitor incoming and outgoing data in real-time, and that could be one of the reasons why. Surprisingly, this wasn’t the case with Bitdefender, and I even got the fastest upload speeds with the software running in the background.
Avast One review: Features
Avast One offers plenty of extras in addition to system scanning and basic protection — depending on the plan you buy, of course. Avast One Premium Security comes with features like Web and Email Shield, a VPN, dedicated browser, AI Agent Protection, Deepfake Protection, and more. It’s important to note, though, that the VPN is exclusive to the highest tier.
I tested a few of the Premium Security plan’s extras, starting with Avast Assistant, an AI-powered cybersecurity tool which analyzes suspicious messages, images and links. In an age where AI scams are becoming more commonplace (and more sophisticated), having a feature such as this is very useful.
To test Avast Assistant, I copied and pasted an email from Microsoft pertaining to login information. Avast Assistant then asked me a couple of questions, which I answered, and it told me the text looked safe — and I already knew it was safe because the email was a direct result of me logging into a new device.
I then tried Network Inspector which scans home/work and public networks for vulnerabilities. As someone who tends to work on trains and in cafés over public Wi-Fi, I find this tool very useful, as it can protect me from threats I may not have been aware of otherwise. I scanned my workplace’s network and in just five minutes, Avast One told me the network was secure.
You also get access to an Uninstall Simulator which shows you how the system will be impacted without actually uninstalling the app. It temporarily hides the app so you can see if your system runs smoothly without it. This is a great tool for testing disruptions, system errors and breaks in dependencies.
Last but certainly not least, I tested the Avast One SecureLine VPN. The VPN enables you to choose from roughly 700 servers spread across 35 or so countries — that’s a lot less than Bitdefender’s VPN which offers access to 4,000 servers in more than 50 countries. Regardless, it’s easy to connect to an encrypted server in another country. SecureLine VPN features built-in DNS leak protection, and there are plenty of custom settings available to suit your needs.
All of this is fantastic, but I wish Avast One didn’t block certain extra features behind a paywall, even after you’ve bought the Premium Security plan. For instance, you need to pay extra to get access to AntiTrack and Secure Identity, both of which help against identity theft by disguising your digital footprint.
Bitdefender’s top-tier consumer plan, Ultimate, comes bundled with identity protection features, making it the better choice for those who wish to protect their online presence. Similarly, Avast One doesn’t feature built-in parental controls, and prompts you to speak with an expert when you visit the official website.
Avast One review: Interface
Similar to Bitdefender, Avast One doesn’t feature any intrusive or unnecessary pop-ups, and using it is a delight. The interface is clean and user-friendly, and everything is well-signposted. When you go through the different protection options for the first time, you’re given quick explanations of what each does.
But also like Bitdefender, you can’t make the Avast One window full-size, so it occupies only a small portion of your entire screen. This isn’t a major flaw, but it would have been nice to be able to see all the features and settings. As the window is quite small, you need to scroll quite a bit to go through all of them.
As I mentioned earlier, Avast One is available on Android and iOS, and the Android app that I tested sports a user-friendly design too. The dashboard gives you quick access to all the settings, and just like the desktop app, everything is easily understandable. The app doesn’t take up much space either as it requires approximately 150MB to install.
Avast One review: Support
Similar to Norton 360 and Bitdefender, Avast One offers 24/7 customer support over online chat, text or phone, so if you run into any issues, you can speak to a human to get to the bottom of it. Avast’s support page has comprehensive troubleshooting guides which should be your first port of call. If you can’t find a solution, you can get in touch with the support team via the Contact Us button.
Once you’ve clicked on it, you’ll be asked to answer a few questions pertaining to your issue. When the system has evaluated your problem, it suggests either calling the support team or chatting with an engineer. What I find odd, though, is that you can’t simply choose to initiate web chat — you can only do so when the system determines it. Bitdefender and Norton let you use the online chat function as and when you please.
After answering the questions, I was able to chat with the virtual assistant. It was able to answer my query quickly and correctly when I asked it how to access the VPN. You can also speak to a human by asking the virtual assistant to connect you with one.
Avast One review: Verdict
Avast One delivers strong security and robust protection against the most sophisticated of scams, including being able to identify deepfakes and AI-generated images. Backed by excellent lab scores, it provides top-tier malware defense with negligible impact on system resources. Its standout feature is the AI-powered Avast Assistant which flags text and link scams. Navigating the software is seamless on desktop and mobile, too.
However, Avast One’s performance is marred by critical features, like a VPN and identity theft protection, being paywalled or restricted to the highest tier. Parental controls must be purchased separately too, and all of this is something its competitor, Bitdefender, bundles into its most expensive subscription.
If you prioritize swift and diverse system scanning, a clean interface and modern AI threat analysis, Avast One is a highly capable software suite. But if you aren’t willing to make some compromises, you may find better value in Bitdefender instead.
