Avast One (Individual, 5 devices) review 2027

What problem does Avast One solve, and who is it for?

Avast One is the free suite to reach for when you want real protection without a subscription, and the paid tier is for people who want a VPN and cleanup tools on top. The free tier includes real-time protection, a firewall and 5 GB of VPN a week, and it covers Mac and mobile as well as Windows. In our tests it caught 99% of our samples, and the paid tier adds cleanup and driver tools. That combination is why it takes the rank of 5 out of 7 tested products, with a score of 7.7.

How did we score Avast One?

We scored it across five criteria. Protection earned 30 out of 35, based on independent lab results from AV-Test and AV-Comparatives plus detection of our 200 recent malware samples and 50 phishing URLs. Performance earned 16 out of 20, measured by the slowdown of file copy, app launch and web browsing on the same laptop with the suite installed versus a clean image. Features earned 12 out of 15, covering the firewall, ransomware rollback, VPN, password manager, parental controls and identity monitoring, and whether each is real or a trial. Usability earned 7 out of 10, based on false positives on our clean-software set, nag screens and upsells, and setup time. Value earned 12 out of 20, based on first-year price, renewal price and devices covered.

What are Avast One's standout strengths?

The free tier is the most generous in this group: real-time protection, a firewall and 5 GB of VPN a week at no cost. The engine is strong, catching 99% of our samples, and the lab score is 6.0 out of 6 on AV-Test protection. Our measured slowdown was 8%, so the suite does not weigh heavily on everyday work. The paid tier adds cleanup and driver tools, and the product covers Mac and mobile as well as Windows.

How does the technology work?

Real-time protection watches files and processes as they run and checks them against known malware signatures and behaviour rules. The firewall filters network traffic in and out of the machine. The VPN routes your connection through a remote server so your traffic is encrypted in transit. Breach monitoring checks whether your account details appear in known data leaks. Independent labs such as AV-Test and AV-Comparatives run their own malware and phishing tests and publish protection scores.

What do you get in the box?

The first year is 49.99 USD and it renews at 99.99 USD/yr. One licence covers 5 devices across Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. The free version is Avast One Essential. The VPN gives 5 GB a week free and unlimited on the paid tier. There is no password manager. Identity monitoring is breach monitoring. The AV-Test protection score is 6.0 out of 6.

How does Avast One compare with the competition?

Bitdefender Total Security scored 8.9 at $49.99, with 5 devices, a free version, 200 MB/day of VPN, a password-manager trial, identity monitoring as an add-on and 6.0 on AV-Test. ESET HOME Security Essential scored 8.2 at $49.99, with 3 devices, no free version, VPN only on the Ultimate tier, a password manager on the Premium tier, no identity monitoring and 6.0 on AV-Test. Microsoft Defender scored 8.1 for free, covering every Windows PC, with no VPN, no password manager, identity monitoring with Microsoft 365 and 6.0 on AV-Test. Avast One sits below all three on score, but its free tier is more generous than Defender's paid rivals and it matches their 6.0 lab score.

Where does Avast One fall short?

Usability and trust are where it lost marks. Avast paid $16.5 million to the FTC in 2024 over selling browsing data through Jumpshot, which is a fact a security buyer should weigh. The free version carries upsells, and the subscription renews at $99.99.

Is Avast One good value?

The first year is $49.99 and the renewal is $99.99/yr for 5 devices. The free tier costs nothing and includes real-time protection, a firewall and 5 GB of VPN a week.

Who should buy Avast One?

It is still right for free protection on Mac or mobile, with eyes open. If you want a no-cost suite that covers those platforms and includes a firewall and a weekly VPN allowance, the free tier does that. If you want a password manager or identity monitoring beyond breach alerts, look at the paid rivals above.