Avast is a well known brand in the world of antivirusthanks mostly to his free suitevery popular with PC users of all the world. Recently, the company carried out a rebrandingcreating Avast Onea full paid suite, packed with features, including one VPN and a tool of online identity protection. In Italy, however, the naming has remained unchangedtherefore we have Avast Ultimatewhich essentially offers the same features and functionality as Avast One, unlike Premium Securitya package more focused on basic antivirus features, without the various extras offered by the other paid suite.
Avast Free Antivirus is one of the most loved free antivirus by users, Avast will be able to convince them to upgrade to Ultimate with all additional features included? Let’s find out now!
Avast Antivirus – Plans and Pricing
- Premium Security: € 59.99 per year for the first year | 10 devices. From the second year onwards € 89.99 (the 1 device version costs € 44.99 per year)
- Avast Ultimate: € 59.99 per year for the first year | 10 devices. From the second year onwards € 119.99 (the 1-device version costs € 49.99 per year)
It must be said immediately that Avast’s prices are among the highest on the marketalthough the plan Ultimate from € 59.99 include well 10 devices that can be activated. The 1 PC version costs € 49.90 instead. Norton AntiVirus costs 10 € less (360 Premium from 10 devices), to make a comparison.
The price for the first year is the same for both Premium Security and Avast Ultimate, probably because the company wants to entice users to try the most complete package. Both include theexcellent antivirus engine of the Free versionbut while the latter is limited to basic protection against viruses, malware and ransomware, the other two include protection from phishingthe blocking of malicious websites and checking the security of Wi-Fi networks and a few other extras. The Ultimate package, on the other hand, inserts SecureLine VPN, Premium Cleanup for PC cleaning and optimization e AntiTrackfor online identity protection.
An interesting aspect is that Avast merged with AVGhowever the two antiviruses remained independent And separated. In any case, the exchange of information and data between the two companies has resulted in greater efficiency in protecting against threats, as both databases have been enriched thanks to the 400 million users around the world.
Avast Antivirus Free
As we said, Avast’s free package has gained quite a reputation over time. AV-TEST scores are positive, so Avast’s antivirus engine can block the unknown virus attacks.
Unlike Avast One Essentialsthe free version of the package Avast One still not available in Italy, Antivirus Free offers only basic protection from viruses, malware and ransomware, relegating anti-phishing tools, malicious URL blocking and other security features to paid packages. In any case, the protection system does its duty very well, although the excess of pop-up which invite you to switch to the subscription versions and performance may not always be optimal spoil the user experience a little.
This package is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android And iOS.
Avast Premium Security
Avast Premium Security is Avast’s “intermediate” package, available for 1 Windows or Mac PC onlyor for 10 devices (Windows, Mac, Android and iOS). In addition to the basic features guaranteed by Avast Antivirus Free, Premium Security includes protection of online banking, blocking malicious websites and protecting against phishing and remote attacks aimed at taking control of the device. The price difference between the 10-device package and the purchase for a single Mac or Windows PC is very minimal, with the advantage of being able to install Premium Security on different devices, for example on your Windows laptop and on an iPhone.
There are no other extras, and given that the price for the first year is identical to the more comprehensive plan, perhaps it makes sense to upgrade directly to Ultimate.
Avast Ultimate
Avast Ultimate and the most complete package proposed by Avast. It includes everything offered by Avast Antivirus Free and Premium Security, adding three extra tools: one virtual private network known as SecureLine VPN, Premium Cleanup which allows you to have your PC serviced in terms of cleaning and performance optimization And AntiTrackan online identity protection tool that blocks advertisers, targeted advertisements and makes browsing more anonymous thanks to anti-fingerprinting technology.
The cost, as we said, is identical to the previous package, at least for the first year, or € 59.99 for 10 devices, so you can install it on Windows PC, Mac and Android and iOS devices. Where the antivirus engine and protection systems are the same as in the previous packages, the included extras make for interesting additions.
SecureLine VPN
SecureLine VPN, included in the Ultimate package, is based on HideMyAss!, a provider with a good reputation. Unfortunately, SecureLine turns out to be quite lacking in terms of speed, so much so as to make this VPN more suitable for occasional uses, for example during business trips or when connecting to public networks at the airport, at shopping centers or in other locations that offer a free access point, so forget about using it for streaming platforms like Netflixalthough technically it can unlock them, unless you can endure slow loads and constant interruptions for buffering.
On the other hand, on Windows the kill switch is effective, given that always blocks Internet access in the event of a VPN connection failure. Also, the tool does connects automatically in case of unsecured connections and warns the user to use the VPN when accessing sites such as those of home banking, to increase safety. Furthermore, you can choose between 54 locations, without data traffic limits.
With all its speed limits, this is an interesting addition, which could help you ensure security and anonymity when connecting from unsecured networks. While VPNs from other security suites do better, like Bitdefender, SecureLine VPN has potential. Too bad the speeds are far below average.
Premium Cleanup
Premium Cleanup it’s a cleaning tool which allows you to free up disk space, delete junk files, optimize system speed going to correct any registry problems and so on. A tool is included defragmentationas well as one for analyzing unnecessary programs installed on the system, which are also classified according to theirs reputation. It is quite a tool basicwhich doesn’t go much further than other well-known software, such as Ccleaner. This is also an all in all interesting addition, but that alone does not justify switching to Avast Ultimate at all.
AntiTrack
This tool is perhaps the most interesting of the three. By combining various anti-tracking technologies, it promises to guarantee maximum anonymity in browsing, going beyond what is offered by VPN and anonymous modes. In fact, it acts by masking the “fingerprint”, that is the unique details that advertisers use to identify the user. It is also able to detect and remove tracking cookies, to prevent access to the user’s online searches. It is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Internet Explorer and Opera.
Conclusion
The Avast’s antivirus engine is effectivethe package Free it is highly regarded and popular, although it may turn out heavy and intrusive on the target system. Avast hasn’t brought it yet Avast One in Italy, and it’s a shame because the package turns out more complete and interestingespecially if we consider that the app interface has been lightened and optimized.
But basically, the virus protection and the extras are the same, albeit with some shortcomings compared to One.
Of course, the extras offered by Avast Ultimate can hardly justify the paid upgrade, especially when we consider that other suites like Bitdefender offer many more extras. And although € 59.99 for 10 devices can be considered all in all reasonable, if you can do without a VPN that is not excellent in terms of speed and a cleaning tool that finds fierce competition even among free software, you we recommend staying on Avast Free Antivirus, perhaps waiting to be able to install a trial version of Avast One. If you want to try the packages for yourself, both Premium Security and Ultimate are covered by one 30 day money back guarantee.
