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Best for Multiple Devices
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Award-winning antivirus, malware, and ransomware protection for up to 10 devices
Includes webcam protection, safe browsing and email, automatic updates, and 24/7 protection
Suite of protection benefits including a secure VPN, anti-tracking capabilities, safeguards against phishing sites, and more
Best for Complete Online Security
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Perfect third-party test results, verifying comprehensive antivirus, ransomware, and malware protection
Includes advanced security features like a VPN, firewall, data breach alerts, privacy tools, device optimization, and more
AVG Internet Security and Avast Antivirus protect you from online threats, including malware, but which should you choose? Antivirus programs scan your computer or phone for viruses and alert you of malicious websites or suspicious files. Even free antivirus programs can offer solid essential protection. We compared Avast and AVG’s antivirus features, and both solutions effectively keep your devices safe.
If AVG and Avast products seem unusually similar, Avast likely acquired AVG in 2016. Based on our testing, both AVG and Avast are reliable free antivirus solutions. The tried-and-true freemium AVG offers more expansive device coverage. The award-winning Avast provides additional online safety features, including credit monitoring, identity theft reimbursement, and social media monitoring.
Check out how Avast and AVG compare.
If you’re comparing AVG Internet Security and Avast Antivirus, you’ll find many similarities. The free plan for both solutions can help you minimize malware and ransomware risks, and as you go into the paid plans, you’ll see many additional features to help protect you even more online.
One notable difference is that Avast provides a VPN solution with its free plan. Whether you’re looking for a paid or free solution, you should use antivirus software to help protect your information.
We recommend Avast for those looking for a complete online security solution. The Avast One Platinum plan offers access to additional features like identity theft protection and up to $2 million in reimbursement.
When it comes to AVG, you get many of the same benefits that Avast offers. However, with its internet security plan, AVG allows you to use the service on up to 10 devices. And if you only need protection on one device, you can get an even better price.
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| Starting price | $46.68/yr (first year only) | $35.88/first yr |
| Free version | ||
| Max number of protected devices | 10 devices | 5 devices |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Compatibility | Mac, PC, Android, iPhone | Mac, PC, Android, iPhone |
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Learn more | Get AVG | Get Avast |
We use our proprietary grading rubric in all of our testing, which considers ease-of-use, third-party testing scores, internal testing scores, price, compatibility, and features offered, among other metrics.
This means that our testing process is designed to ensure that the product isn't too confusing, protects as it claims, and offers you a lot for a reasonable price. We download and run each program on our own computers on home networks, just like you would. Our ratings reflect the real-world performance of the antivirus product. This ensures that we can recreate a similar experience for you and give our best advice on whether or not it's worthwhile.
To learn more about how we test, check out our full antivirus testing methodology here.
In addition to Avast Antivirus Free, Avast offers a comprehensive suite of products for individuals and families, from free to platinum coverage. The five plans under the Avast One umbrella include Avast One Essential (free), Avast One Premium Security, Avast One Individual, Avast One Family, and Avast One Premium.
AVG Antivirus offers three plans: AVG Antivirus Free, AVG Internet Security, and AVG Ultimate. The mid-tier Avast One Individual and AVG Internet Security are very similar.
However, AVG stands out because it offers a more significant discount for its AVG Ultimate plan, which boasts additional features, including AVG Tuneup, AVG Secure VPN, and AVG AntiTrack. We picked the AVG Ultimate plan as the best value for year one.
Premium Avast One plans give you access to additional features like data breach monitoring and more robust VPN functionality. Avast One Individual offers full coverage at the most affordable rate. If you’re looking for total protection, the higher-tier Avast One Platinum plan gives you access to identity theft protection, a feature that AVG does not offer on any plan.
Our Pick |
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| Price range | Free–$59.88/first yr | Free-$119.88/yr (first year only) |
| Best value plan | AVG Ultimate plan for $34.99/first yr | Avast One Individual for $49.99/first yr |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 30 days | Yes — 30 days |
| Learn more | Get AVG | Get Avast |
AVG Is the winner regarding plans and pricing. The heavily discounted Ultimate plan gives you access to all of its features
You won’t find much of a difference between the two solutions when it comes to features. They’re both equally robust, though neither service offers parental controls. Avast and AVG also discontinued their password managers, so you won’t find that feature for new subscribers either. Still, AVG and Avast are some of the best antivirus software available.
Avast and AVG’s free plans both offer malware and ransomware protection. However, Avast’s free plan will also scan and monitor your email inbox for dangerous attachments. You can minimize what behavior advertisers can track with Avast, and you can also scan data breaches for one of your email addresses to see if you’ve been a victim of a breach.
When you move up to one of Avast’s paid plans, you gain access to a few more features to help you keep your device operating at its best. Avast will scan your computer for unused apps, browser caches, and junk files and remove them from your device for more storage.
AVG offers similar features as part of its AVG Ultimate plan but doesn’t describe them well like Avast does.
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| Manual and scheduled scans | ||
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Firewall | ||
| Parental controls | ||
| Password manager | ||
| VPN | ||
| Ad blocker | ||
| Device optimization tools | ||
| Learn more | Get AVG | Get Avast |
Overall, both AVG and Avast offer the features you want in an antivirus. It is definitely a tie between the two.
When evaluating antivirus solutions, one way to compare them is through third-party testing, which can give you additional information on how well the antivirus software performs. We looked at testing on both AVG and Avast through AV-Test, an independent IT security company.
AV-Test scores each antivirus solution in three categories: protection, performance, and usability. Test results are available for macOS, Windows, and Android. Avast and AVG had recent test results from October (Windows), November (Android), and December (macOS) 2023.
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Our Pick
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| AV-Test Windows score | 17.5/18 | 18/18 |
| AV-Test macOS score | 18/18 | 18/18 |
| AV-Test Android score | 18/18 | 18/18 |
| Learn more | Get AVG | Get Avast |
*Test results as of October through December 2023.
Based on the AV-Test results, both solutions are highly rated. AVG scored slightly lower when it came to performance on Windows devices. This means that the AVG solution may affect internet speeds. AVG slowed down the launch of popular websites. The industry standard was 21%, while AVG had a 34% slowdown rate.
Avast and AVG have very similar interfaces and are easy to set up on your device. From a customer support perspective, they offer similar ways to connect, but overall, Avast’s options were easier to navigate. The Avast chat widget is also on the homepage, but it takes some effort to find AVG’s support options.
Avast also offers a few more options for browser extensions, while AVG limits this capability to only Chrome.
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Our Pick |
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extensions | Yes — Chrome | Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Chat, support community, FAQs, web form | Chat, online guides, phone, forums, email |
| Learn more | Get AVG | Get Avast |
If you’re still looking for better alternatives to freemiums, we’ve also tested and evaluated these antivirus products:
Yes, Avast purchased a major stake in AVG in October 2016. However, each antivirus is its own entity, with different features and pricing structures.
You can’t use two antivirus solutions at the same time. Two enabled programs running simultaneously can overload your system and potentially cause your operating system to crash. AVG and Avast both offer similar protection and functionality, so be sure to disable your current antivirus software before installing a new one.
Some of AVG’s disadvantages are that the solution offers only a Chrome browser extension and asks users to use its secure browser instead. AVG also does not offer parental control options. If you're using AVG Antivirus Free but want to switch antivirus software, be sure to disable AVG first.
One disadvantage of Avast is that the antivirus software does not offer any parental controls.
Yes, the free version of AVG is good. With AVG Antivirus Free, you can scan for viruses, malware, and ransomware. In real time, you can block unsafe links, downloads, and email attachments and scan your system for performance issues.
Yes, Avast does have a free version. With Avast Antivirus Free, you can scan your device for viruses and reduce malware and phishing attempts. You could also check for network security weaknesses, though you’d need a premium subscription to lock out hackers with advanced firewall protection.
If you’re looking for a solid free antivirus solution, we’d recommend Avast. Avast Antivirus offers more robust features on the free plan than AVG Internet Security. Regarding paid plans, both AVG and Avast offer comprehensive security features.
However, we’d recommend the Avast One Platinum plan overall. For only a few additional dollars per month, you get access to identity theft monitoring and up to $2 million in reimbursement. Plus, Avast offers better customer support access.
Both AVG and Avast offer a 30-day free trial with no money down and a 30-day money-back guarantee on select plans. This means you can try both free antivirus programs risk-free for up to 60 days.
Perfect third-party test results, verifying comprehensive antivirus, ransomware, and malware protection
Includes advanced security features like a VPN, firewall, data breach alerts, privacy tools, device optimization, and more
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