Avast BreachGuard Review 2026: Benefits and Drawbacks Explained

Avast BreachGuard is a solid data removal product that may be perfect for you if you want a low-cost, low-maintenance service.

Avast BreachGuard is a low-maintenance tool for reducing your online footprint but it's not a robust data removal service. Avast only covers 14 data brokers, while other data removal services cover over 100 brokers.

Its included browser extension helps you avoid personalized ads online while its data removal service advocates on your behalf to data brokers. BreachGuard even has a dark web scanner to check for your data.

If you want to see a reduction in spam and scam emails, calls, and texts, a data broker removal service like Avast BreachGuard can help. The best data removal services offer you protection for a low price, and Avast delivers with an affordable monthly cost.

Read on to see what we loved, what we thought could use improvement, and ultimately, if we’d buy Avast BreachGuard ourselves.

Pros
  • Low maintenance data removal tool
  • 24/7 data breach monitoring
  • Helpful guides to improve privacy and security of online accounts
Cons
  • Limited data broker coverage
  • Identity and credit monitoring features cost extra

In this article
At a glance
Methodology
Our experience
Prices and plans
Features
Does Avast BreachGuard keep your data safe?
Customer support
Top alternatives
Bottom line: Is Avast BreachGuard good?
FAQs

At a glance

Price Starts at $3.67/mo (billed annually)
Money-back guarantee Yes — 30 days
# of people covered 1
# of site removals 14
Recurring removals No
Custom removal requests No
Privacy reports Yes
Supported countries U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and many more — available on all continents
Extras Dark web scanning, risk monitor, Privacy Advisor
Learn more Get Avast BreachGuard

How we test and rate data removal services

Our team has conducted hands-on testing on 10+ data removal services using a consistent process. We sign up one to four weeks before our formal testing begins, giving each service time to scan for our personal information and contact data brokers to remove our data. 

Then, we evaluate each product across five areas:

  • Core features (50%): We record the maximum number of data broker sites each service scans and whether it offers custom removals for sites outside its standard coverage.
  • Editor's score (25%): We use each service ourselves, evaluating security practices, company reputation, and the ease of use of the interface.
  • Extras (10%): We check whether each service also includes privacy reports, dark web monitoring, identity monitoring, and the option for family plans, awarding one point per included feature.
  • Customer service (10%): We evaluate the support options available, especially if there are multiple ways to get in touch, such as live chat, email, and phone.
  • Value (5%): We compare each service's lowest viable price on the plan that actually delivers automated removals.

We test all data removal services at least once a year. To learn more about how we test, read our full data removal testing methodology here.

Star rating summary

Avast BreachGuard received 2.9 because of it's limited data broker coverage and the lack of an easy process for manual removals. But Avast BreachGuard offers an easy-to-use design that’s low-cost and low-maintenance.

Decision factor Weight Verdict
Our experience 25% 3.5
Value 5% 5.0
Features60% 2.7
Customer service 10% 5.0

We last tested Avast BreachGuard in Q3 2025.

Set and Forget Data Removal From Hundreds of Data Brokers
5.0
Editorial Rating
Get Deal
On Incogni's website
2026 Editors’ Choice
Best Overall Data Removal Service
Privacy Protection
Incogni
EXCLUSIVE: Save 55% with code COOKIE
  • Top-rated data removal service that scrubs your info from 420+ data broker sites automatically
  • Independently verified by Deloitte, meaning removals are actually sent, confirmed, and not just claimed
  • The Unlimited plan extends coverage to 2,000+ additional sites with human-assisted custom removals

Our experience

We purchased our Avast subscription before downloading it, so activating the key a few days after purchase gave us a little trouble. Support was helpful and got us started. Installing the browser extension on Chrome was a breeze.

Avast DataBreach download tool
Download Avast BreachGuard to your Mac

The features were easy to use, and the data broker removal feature didn’t require too much information. We had to input our birthday, name, phone number, email, and address into Avast so it could begin removing us from data broker sites.

If you’re concerned about entering your Social Security number (SSN), you won’t have to unless you sign up for the extra Secure Identity monitoring.

Within a few hours, Avast had already processed several data broker removal requests. It also scanned our email and let us know where we needed to update weak or reused passwords.

The Privacy Advisor shares multiple guides on how to increase our privacy depending on what operating system and platform we were using. Since everything is listed on the main dashboard, we didn’t need to hunt for features.

The main dashboard of BreachGuard
Avast BreachGuard Main Dashboard

If you’re looking for a data broker removal service, Avast BreachGuard offers an easy-to-use design that’s low-cost and low-maintenance.

Verdict: 3.5/5. Avast BreachGuard is a data broker removal service with optional identity theft protection as a premium add-on. However, it provides limited data removal coverage and is best as an all-around privacy tool.

Avast BreachGuard prices and plans

There is only one price for Avast BreachGuard: $43.99/yr. You can purchase a Windows PC or a Mac subscription annually, with the option to add the Secure Identity feature for an additional fee.

Avast BreachGuard covers almost every major country in the world and can be installed on your Windows or Mac computer, but not on your mobile device. Since BreachGuard is fairly low maintenance, not having mobile access isn’t that big of a deal.

The Secure Identity premium feature may be worth it if you’re looking for identity theft protection, but it’s not necessary to use BreachGuard’s other features, including Scam Assist.

Plan Windows Mac Premium Add-On: Secure Identity*
Annual plan $43.99/yr $43.99/yr $7.49/mo (first year only)
Monthly plan N/A N/A $9.99/mo
Max # of people covered 1 1 1
Data broker opt-out Automatic Automatic N/A
# of site removals 14 14 N/A
Privacy reports
Real-time alerts
Recurring removals N/A
Custom removal requests N/A
Identity monitoring
Learn more View plan View plan View plan
*In addition to the Avast BreachGuard subscription fee

Avast BreachGuard offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free.

Verdict: 5/5. Although Avast BreachGuard has a limited feature set, it's also available for an affordable cost.

Avast BreachGuard features

BreachGuard offers two features we were impressed with outside of the data broker removal feature. The Privacy Advisor and Identity Assist features teach you about scams, spam, and how to increase your security across the internet.

Verdict: 2.7/5. Avast BreachGuard only scans for 14 data brokers, which is severely limited for a data removal service. However, you do receive privacy reports and dark web monitoring.

Types of data removed

Avast BreachGuard requests that your data be removed from 14 sites it monitors across its dashboard. It went to work sending requests and finished them within 48 hours.

For the companies it couldn’t make successful contact with, it gave us the option to request removal directly from the broker’s site.

You don’t have to input your SSN into this service, which is good because that can be nerve-wracking. We input our name, birthday, email, phone number, and home address.

Data brokers and people-search sites covered

  • # of sites covered: 14 data brokers

Avast BreachGuard covers the lowest number of brokers out of the 10 data removal services we've covered. Most services cover at least 100 data brokers, like Incogni (420+) and DeleteMe (85-262). Just note that those options are more expensive.

Avast BreachGuard processes removal requests from sites like America Phone Book, Lexis Nexis, and PhoneBooks. There can be thousands of data broker sites at any given time, and the industry is always in flux. To keep your digital footprint low, you’ll want to send requests every few months.

Personal information removal BreachGuard
Avast BreachGuard personal information removal screen

Reports

Other than the immediate reports you get on the screen in your app, there isn’t any other data that’s aggregated and sent to you on a regular basis. You’ll need to check the dashboard for action items.

BreachGuard removal screen
Avast BreachGuard personal info removal screen in progress

Alerts

There aren’t alerts that pop up in real time (unless you add Secure Identity) to let you know if there’s something you need to take action on immediately. Rather, you’ll see the data on the dashboard and can take action from there.

Privacy alerts from BreachGuard
Avast BreachGuard privacy alerts

Recurring and custom removals

There isn’t an option for custom removals, but if Avast BreachGuard isn’t able to contact the data broker to request your information be deleted, it will navigate you to the site and help you request it there.

BreachGuard will remind you every two months to run another set of removal requests so you can stay on top of your digital footprint.

Bonus features

Privacy Advisor, Identity Assist, and the BreachGuard Chrome extension are extra features that help increase your overall security.

  • Privacy Advisor: This function gives you helpful, operating system-based guides on configuring popular sites like Amazon and Facebook to increase your security.
  • Identity Assist: You’ll get a number to call to ask about anything from phone calls to texts to emails to see if they’re scams (Scam Assist) or if you think your identity has been stolen (Identity Resolution).
  • BreachGuard Chrome extension: This feature helps shield your online activities from trackers to reduce the information available about you that data brokers harvest for their sites. It can also help remove your data from Google search results.

ScamAssist and Identity Resolution BreachGuard
Avast BreachGuard ScamAssist and Identity Resolution

Does Avast BreachGuard keep your data safe?

Avast recently settled a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding potentially leaked customer data. As part of that settlement, Avast is not allowed to sell or divulge any of your information for the purpose of advertising.[1]

As a result, Avast’s privacy policy is now very clear on what data is collected, how it’s used, and what permissions you have to give. We’re privacy policy nerds, and we liked what we read. We feel comfortable recommending Avast to anyone.

Avast BreachGuard customer support

Support type DeleteMe
Email or live chat
Phone Yes — 1-855-746-4118
Online guides or forums

We had a decent experience with customer support. We purchased BreachGuard before installing it, then had some trouble with the activation key when installing it a few days after purchase.

The initial support member in chat took a long time to answer questions, which can get frustrating when you’re just sitting and waiting.

Once we were transferred over to a remote session, the specialist there got everything working for us quickly. Our product activation still wasn’t showing in our online portal, so the remote session specialist escalated the issue. Twenty-four hours later, we were still waiting for an email.

Overall, though, support was friendly and helpful, and it fixed our issue, so BreachGuard was working. It was definitely a better experience than we’ve had with competitor support representatives.

Avast BreachGuard Support 1

Verdict: 5/5. If you're in need of troubleshooting or have questions, Avast BreachGuard offers both phone and live chat support.

Avast BreachGuard reputation

  • Trustpilot rating: 4.3/5

Avast BreachGuard is exclusively a desktop app, so we only reviewed Trustpilot for insight into Avast's reputation. Avast is rated as excellent by Trustpilot, with 67% of reviewers gave it five stars.

According to Trustpilot reviews, Avast's strengths include its ease of use and effective software, as well as its regular updates. Avast's drawbacks include its performance impact on devices and excessive demands for renewal.

Top alternatives

If BreachGuard doesn’t tick all your boxes, you could check out one of the other data removal services we’ve tested. Data removal helps reduce your online footprint and gives you more protection against scams, spam, and phishing attacks.


Incogni

Aura

DeleteMe
Starting price From $7.99/mo From $7.00/mo From $8.60/mo
Max # of people covered 5 5 4
# of data brokers automatically checked 420+ 200+ 85-262
Automatic data broker opt-out
Custom removals
Real-time alerts
Privacy reports
Learn more Get Incogni Get Aura Get DeleteMe

Bottom line: Is Avast BreachGuard good?

We like Avast BreachGuard, even if it isn’t the most robust product. The best data removal services make the process effortless. Avast doesn’t include all the features you might wish for, like custom data removal requests or automatic recurring removals, but it’s an affordable way to increase your privacy and security.

Despite requiring some effort, it remains relatively low-maintenance.

Data removal services can be done manually, but you may spend a lot of free time trying to keep up. Avast BreachGuard can give your free time back while also helping you stay secure. We like that kind of multitasking.

Avast BreachGuard FAQs

Is Avast BreachGuard worth it?

Avast BreachGuard’s price-to-quality ratio might be worth it. The service has an inexpensive annual fee and helps remove your info from the most prominent data broker sites online. It also monitors the dark web, provides security guides for apps and sites specific to your operating system, and gives you a helpline to identify scams. 

However, it's certainly not the best data removal tool we'd recommend since BreachGuard only requests removals from 14 sites. Premium data removal services like Incogni request removals from 420+ data brokers.

What is the Avast privacy scandal?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused Avast of misrepresenting the sharing of browsing information with a third-party company named Jumpshot. The FTC accused Jumpshot of selling that data to over 100 companies.

Further allegations note that the data wasn’t fully anonymized or de-identified, allowing companies to link back to customer browsing data.

Avast shut Jumpshot down in 2020 and settled the lawsuit with the FTC in June of 2024. As part of the settlement, Avast has narrowed who it shares data with, and all of the Jumpshot data has been deleted.

The settlement also ensures that Avast cannot share or sell your data with third parties for the purpose of advertising.

Is Avast a Russian company?

No, Avast was originally founded in Czechoslovakia in 1988. In response to the Russian assault on Ukraine, Avast suspended operations in Russia and Belarus. 

Avast has been active in providing resources to humanitarian aid foundations and furthering global cybersecurity in the wake of Russia’s aggression.[2]

Can I trust Avast?

Yes, you can trust Avast. We test all our security products ourselves and input our own personal information into the software when testing. If we’re comfortable using it, we hope that empowers you to feel comfortable using it.


2.9
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Avast BreachGuard's website
Privacy Protection
Avast BreachGuard
  • Low maintenance data removal tool
  • 24/7 data breach monitoring
  • Limited data broker coverage
Author Details
Mary James is a cybersecurity writer and hands-on product tester at All About Cookies, specializing in VPNs, antivirus software, password managers, and ad blockers. She has written over 340 articles and has personally tested more than 75 products. Before writing about consumer security, she worked at PC Matic, a U.S. antivirus company, giving her firsthand insight into how security software is built, marketed, and tested. Her work has been featured in MSN and CNBC.

Citations

[1] Information Regarding Avast’s Settlement with the FTC

[2] Avast's response to the war in Ukraine