Avast SecureLine VPN: Logs Too Much Data, Weak Streaming, Mixed Speeds, and Basic Security

Avast’s VPN privacy policy is clearly written and transparent, but the service logs more data than we’re comfortable with.

Avast’s servers store your connection data for 35 days, and any client data (account information) for up to two years. There’s no convincing justification for this practice.

At least Avast SecureLine doesn’t store your original IP address, DNS queries, or browsing history. This is the most sensitive information that no VPN should keep.

It’s also a positive that Avast has a dedicated privacy policy for its VPN (and another for its browser extension), rather than a vague, catch-all policy for all Avast products.

The problem is the content of the privacy policy. Avast makes it clear it will hand over user data to government agencies, which is a serious concern.

Avast VPN Operates Under EU Jurisdiction

Avast RSO is a Czech cybersecurity company founded in 1988. It’s best known for its antivirus software, but now sells a range of cybersecurity products. It also owns the HideMyAss! (HMA) and AVG VPN services.

Avast is headquartered in Prague, Czechia, and is therefore subject to EU data retention laws and intelligence-sharing agreements with privacy-unfriendly nations like the United States.

In its transparency report, Avast admitted to providing data to law enforcement in response to legal requests.

In 2017, Avast handed over information concerning 41 users, representing 31% of all legal requests that year.

Its cooperation with law enforcement dropped to 0% in 2021 (which could be due to a decline in users willing to share data, however).

Regardless, it shows Avast has data to hand over, and that its legal jurisdiction is not ideal for a VPN.

Warrant Canary Has Not Been Updated

Avast used to publish a quarterly warrant canary to warn users of gag orders. However, it has not updated the warrant canary since July 2023 (here’s an archived version of that final update) and the URL is now inactive. It’s possible the company received a gag order and cannot disclose it.

Avast Has a Privacy-Unfriendly History

Beyond logging too much connection data and being based in a less privacy-friendly jurisdiction, Avast has also been caught harvesting user browsing data.

In December 2019, Mozilla removed Avast’s antivirus browser extensions for violating its privacy rules.

The extensions were harvesting and sending data back to Avast. This data included websites visited, search terms, videos watched, links clicked, and unique device IDs.

In January 2020, it was reported that personal data harvested by free Avast add-ons was being monetized and sold to tech companies like Google.

While Avast has since abandoned this practice—and it does not apply to the VPN service—no privacy company should have engaged in this activity in the first place.

Avast SecureLine has several servers labeled as optimized for video streaming, though it doesn’t specify which platforms they’re meant to unblock.

We tested all of these servers with major services like Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer.

We found Avast SecureLine works with Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and All 4.

The UK streaming server bypassed Channel 4’s geo-blocks and accessed BBC iPlayer, but it didn’t work with UK Netflix.

Amazon Prime Video worked on the US Miami server, but not on the Gotham City (New York) or Seattle servers.

The Germany streaming server worked with German Netflix.

Avast VPN Doesn’t Unblock US Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max

None of Avast’s four US streaming servers could access US Netflix.

None of the streaming-optimized servers worked with Disney+, either. Both HBO Max and Hulu detected our Avast VPN connections and blocked them.

Based on our latest findings, there are far more effective streaming VPNs than Avast VPN.

Avast VPN Uses a Proprietary VPN Protocol

Avast VPN includes an experimental in-house protocol called Avast Mimic. While it delivers fast speeds, Avast provided an unsatisfactory explanation of how the protocol works when we asked.

We would like a transparent, detailed explanation of how the protocol protects your data. With VPNs, data protection should be reliable, not experimental.

OpenVPN is now available as an alternative on all desktop and mobile devices. Avast VPN also supports WireGuard on Windows and Android, though we’d like to see this across all apps.

Safe Practices, but Too Basic

Avast SecureLine uses industry-standard AES-256 encryption and includes a kill switch across all apps. The kill switch is off by default, so you’ll need to enable it manually. These are solid security fundamentals.

However, Avast is basic compared to many leading VPNs, which are moving to RAM-only servers and open-source apps. Avast VPN would benefit from advanced, customizable protections like an ad and malware blocker, double VPN (multi-hop), Onion over VPN, and more granular DNS controls.

One impressive addition is a free password leak detector that checks whether passwords linked to your email have been exposed in data breaches. You simply enter an email address to scan.

Avast Passed or IPv6, DNS & WebRTC Leak Tests

We ran Avast SecureLine through IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leak tests. The VPN passed all tests, with no traffic leaks and all personal information hidden.

Avast SecureLine’s 700 servers across 37 countries represent a disappointing range.

Top VPNs cover many more locations, like ExpressVPN’s 109 countries and CyberGhost’s 100.

Avast’s network is heavily concentrated in Europe and the US. There are relatively few servers in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

City-level selection is also limited. You can choose different cities only in:

• Australia
• Canada
• Germany
• Russia
• Spain
• UK
• US

It’s not a lot of choice, but at least there are city options in large countries like the US, Canada, and Australia.

Avast’s Server Network Is Part-Owned Part-Rented

Avast stated it both owns and rents servers but refused to disclose details for “security reasons.”

We don’t know which servers are owned and which are rented.

While renting servers is common to increase coverage, it does add risk if third parties mishandle data.

This isn’t necessarily a problem if the VPN carefully vets providers. However, even reputable VPNs have suffered from poor third-party server management, including NordVPN and Windscribe.

For maximum control, some VPNs operate fully self-owned infrastructure, such as IPVanish.

Avast SecureLine is straightforward and easy to understand. The apps are minimal: a home screen with a large connect button, plus a small set of settings and advanced options.

The apps look and function almost identically across devices, which is rare. Avast SecureLine is user-friendly and a viable option for VPN newcomers.

Avast VPN’s Desktop Apps: Windows & macOS

Avast SecureLine is identical on Windows and macOS, with clean, easy-to-navigate interfaces. Avast’s Smart Mode is available on both, which is notable since split tunneling is rarely offered on Mac.

However, Windows supports the OpenVPN protocol while Mac does not. On macOS, the default is IPSec, and you can switch to Avast Mimic via the menu: Preferences > Experimental.

Avast VPN’s Mobile Apps: Android & iOS

Avast SecureLine’s Android app includes a kill switch, split tunneling, and auto-connect, and uses OpenVPN by default.

You can disable the automatic sharing of app-usage data with third parties—though it shouldn’t be enabled by default. Ideally, it would be opt-in.

The iOS app, by contrast, is minimal. None of its servers are labeled as P2P, and there are no customizable settings at all—not even auto-connect.

Both mobile apps include a basic Help FAQ, a link to the Avast Forum, and contact support.

The mobile apps have the same number of servers as desktop, but you cannot change your protocol on either mobile platform. This is a major drawback.

Overall, Avast SecureLine is more advanced and customizable on desktop than on mobile, which is common among VPNs.

Avast lists eight servers optimized for P2P activity:

• Czech Republic
• France
• Frankfurt, Germany
• London, UK
• Miami, US
• Netherlands
• New York, US
• Seattle, US

Testing torrent speeds on these P2P servers, we recorded an average download bitrate of 9.29MiB/s, comparable to leading torrenting VPNs. For example, PIA VPN averages 9.6MiB/s.

The VPN also has a kill switch to prevent accidental exposure while torrenting.

Despite the fast speeds, Avast VPN logs too much data. Its timestamp logs, past data-harvesting scandal, and cooperation with government agencies mean Avast SecureLine is not ideal for safe torrenting.

It also lacks torrent-specific features like a SOCKS5 proxy and port forwarding.

Outside the major platforms above, Avast VPN offers limited device compatibility.

There are no native apps for Fire TV Stick, no router configuration, and no Smart DNS. In practice, using the VPN on your TV is difficult.

Avast even directs users to its partner VPN, HideMyAss, for TV use. This is unacceptable for existing Avast subscribers—Avast needs to improve its device support.

Avast Supports 10 Simultaneous Connections

If you purchase an Avast SecureLine Multi-Device plan, you can use Avast VPN on up to 10 devices at once. This is generous, though some VPNs like Surfshark allow unlimited connections.

Browser Extensions

Smart Mode Is a Useful Split Tunneling Tool

Not Reliable in China

Good 24/7 Live Chat Support