Download Avast SecureLine VPN for macOS 10.12 or later and enjoy it on your Mac. Avast SecureLine hides your online presence, so no one except you can see where you go, or what you do. -Work from anywhere At the cafe, or a friends house? Avast SecureLine VPN Proxy is the fastest and simplest VPN for iPhone to stay safe and completely private when accessing your favorite apps and websites, wherever you are. 100% unlimited! Avast protects 400 million people worldwide, making it number one on the market.
Avast SecureLine is a simple from the popular security vendor Avast Software, but powered underneath by the HideMyAss! Network ( is now a part of the Avast group).
SecureLine's specs are relatively ordinary. There's an average-sized network of 55 locations (P2P is supported on just 8) in 34 countries. You get clients for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, but nothing more – not even downloadable OpenVPN configuration files which might let you manually set up other software and devices. And there's no zero-knowledge DNS system, no custom protocol to bypass VPN blocking, no sign of anything even faintly advanced. SecureLine isn't bad, but it's not outstanding, either. It's more focused on being 'just good enough'. Want to try Avast SecureLine?
Pricing is, well, complicated, as Avast does things very differently to most of the competition. You can opt to buy a one-year license covering a single device, for instance. Covering one Android or iOS device is relatively cheap at £15 ($19.50), but Windows and Mac licenses are more expensive at an annual £50 ($65), or the equivalent of £4.17 ($5.42) a month. Private Internet Access currently charges $3.33 (£2.56) a month on its annual plan, and that gets you coverage for any five devices, not just one. Alternatively, paying an annual £65 ($8.40) – equivalent to a monthly £5.42, or $7 – gets you coverage for up to five devices. That's still more expensive than Private Internet Access, but it's cheaper than many others, and there's another important advantage.
Most VPN accounts only cover you for devices owned and used by the account owner. SecureLine's five devices can be owned and used by anyone. A single license could cover the whole family.
The service seems reasonably priced, then. And if you're tempted to try it out, a no-strings-attached seven-day trial makes it easy, no payment details required.
Privacy and logging Avast's support for the highly secure OpenVPN protocol using AES-256-CBC gets it off to a good start in the privacy stakes, but there's little else to say about the service. There's no control over protocol settings, no support for other protocols, no kill switch, no custom leak protection technologies or other privacy-related extras.
This isn't quite as bad as it seems. SecureLine more than covered the basics during our tests, preventing DNS and WebRTC leaks which might give away clues about our identity and online activities. Understanding Avast's logging policy was more difficult, mostly because the company has so many other services and applications to explain.
We fought our way through the mammoth 20,000-word, though, and eventually uncovered some useful information. The company explains that it doesn't record your browsing history, stating 'we do not store details of, or monitor, the websites you connect to when using our VPN service.'
Sounds good, until you read about all SecureLine's session logging: 'We will store a time stamp and IP address when you connect and disconnect to our VPN service, the amount of data transmitted (up- and download) during your session together with the IP address of the individual VPN server used by you.' This may not matter very much if you're just using the VPN to watch US YouTube clips, or as a more secure way to access your emails over public Wi-Fi. But if you're downloading torrents or doing anything else where someone might record and investigate your IP address, it could allow them to connect those actions back to your Avast account. We’ve rounded up the Apps Avast knows what it's doing with security software, and the Windows client was one of the most polished and professional we've tried. Installation was quick and hassle-free (apart from being presented with a 10,000+ word license agreement, anyway), it was supremely easy-to-use, and everything worked just as we expected. We weren't asked for payment details, and the client didn't even ask us to register with an email address.
You're able to set up and use the service for a full seven days without providing any personal information. The Windows client interface has clearly been designed with the VPN novice in mind. An arrow draws your attention to the Connect button, and simple captions explain what each function does, for example: 'Turn on your VPN to encrypt what you do online', or 'When your VPN is on, your location will appear to others as.' The client displays notifications so you can tell when it's connecting, connected or disconnected. We like to see that, as users need to know when they're protected or not, but there's one annoying issue.
The client uses its own notification system rather than the native Windows desktop method, and its pop-ups grab the window focus. If you're typing something in Notepad, and a notification appears, your typing is interrupted and you must click or Alt+Tab back to the Notepad window before you can carry on. There's an option to turn the notifications off, but we would prefer it if Avast implemented them properly in the first place.
The feature list is okay in overall terms, but there are issues here. For example, the location picker allows filtering servers by continent, and to display P2P and streaming-optimized locations – but there's no indication of server load or ping time to help you make the best choice. Neither is there any favorites system to speed up the process of reconnecting to commonly-used servers. It's a similar story with settings. We like the ability to connect to SecureLine automatically when you access unsecured Wi-Fi networks, but there's almost nothing else here.
No ability to change or tweak the protocol (it's strictly OpenVPN-only), no kill switch, no DNS options, little more than the ability to connect when your system starts. Even SecureLine's system tray icon has only a very minimal right-click interface. Many clients will allow you to choose a location direct from the right-click menu, but here, if you don't want to choose the default server, you must open the full client and click, click, click your way to whatever location you need. We checked out SecureLine's Android app to see if it might hold some surprises, but for the most part, it worked much like the desktop edition. Connect and disconnect with a tap, and choose your location from a long list (even longer here, as it's just a single list with no option to filter by continent). There’s still no favorites system or recent servers list to speed up reconnections. There's just one small but welcome bonus with a more powerful auto-connect system.
Instead of just having the app connect when you access an insecure Wi-Fi network, you can have the service connect whenever it accesses anything other than specific trusted networks, or when you're using a cellular connection. That's good news, and apart from the lack of a kill switch (and maybe the notifications), the apps do nothing obviously wrong. But they don't excel at anything, either, and we saw nothing which would persuade us to pick SecureLine over any of the big-name competition. Performance Avast SecureLine doesn't provide OpenVPN configuration files, which meant we weren't able to run our usual automated performance tests. Instead, we switched back to our manual approach, connecting to various servers via the apps and using SpeedTest.net, Fast.com and other websites to check their speed. UK download speeds were consistently high at 50-60Mbps on our 75Mbps test line.
Switching to nearby European countries where we would expect high performance – France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden – gave us much the same results. Heading a little further afield showed one or two issues, with for example Poland returning anything from 12 to 31Mbps. That's slower and less consistent than we expected, although still usable for most tasks. US speeds were very reasonable at an average of 54Mbps on the east coast, to 35Mbps on the west.
Going long distance gave us a mixed bag of results, with Australia giving us a solid 25-40Mbps, while Malaysia struggled to a lethargic 1.8-3.6 Mbps. Overall, Avast SecureLine offers above average speeds from most servers, with just a few exceptions. If you only need to use a couple of servers in some very common locations (London, New York) then you'll probably be fine; if you're looking further afield, run your own speed tests before you buy. Netflix Avast SecureLine's Windows client offers only four servers it says are 'optimized for streaming': one in the UK, and three in the US (New York, Miami, and, apparently, Gotham City – which is maybe the very definition of a virtual server). Would that be enough to allow us access to geoblocked content?
We began by trying to access US-only YouTube content, and the results were a surprise. We don't recall the last time we saw YouTube block anything, but we weren't able to get in via Miami or 'Gotham City'.
Fortunately, New York worked just fine, and we were able to view and stream YouTube clips. We moved on to try accessing BBC iPlayer via SecureLine's 'Wonderland, UK' server, but without success. The site detected the VPN and displayed its standard 'content is not available in your location' warning message. So far, so not-very-great, but the picture improved when we logged back into the New York server and were able to view Netflix content without difficulty.
Netflix blocks new IPs all the time and this can change at any moment, but right now, at least, Avast SecureLine makes it easy to stream content, wherever you are. Support The Avast is a huge resource, absolutely crammed with setup, usage and troubleshooting guides. Unfortunately, the vast majority are for Avast's other products. The SecureLine is probably the most basic VPN knowledgebase we've ever seen. No, forget that – 'basic' is too kind. The main page lists just 15 articles organized into three categories (Basic Usage, Subscription and Purchase, Technical Issues), and many of those are on something other than core VPN issues (creating an Avast Account, GDPR Compliance, two articles on activating the product, two more on cancelling automatic renewal – you get the idea). We dug a little deeper and found a SecureLine.
This does have more relevant topics, but there's little detail, and nothing that compares with specialist VPN providers such as ExpressVPN. If you can't find any immediate help online, you can try posting a question in the SecureLine section of the Avast. This isn't particularly busy, but it does get some use – the Windows section of the forum alone had nine threads created in October 2018, for instance, and most of these had a helpful response in less than an hour.
If you're still in trouble, you can always contact Avast support directly. There's no live chat, just a web form, and a disclaimer that 'Avast Support usually responds within two business days' didn't fill us with confidence, but it's available if you need it.
Final verdict Easy-to-use and with above average performance, Avast SecureLine could be a smart VPN choice for a single computer, especially with a cheap mobile device license. But beware – there are barely any features, the inflexible licensing system won't work for everyone, and you can't set up SecureLine on your router as a shortcut.
Check out our Mike Williams.
Avast Secureline offers both free (7-day trial) and paid versions. They use strong 256-bit AES encryption and you can choose from OpenVPN, IPSec & IKEv2 protocols. Their server speeds are top of the line, they even landed in the top 10 of our fastest reviewed VPNs, but still fall behind the top providers like Express and NordVPN. Is this a decent provider? Let’s find out in this Avast Secureline VPN review.
General Info & Features OVERALL RANK: #16th out of 74 VPNs USABILITY 4/5 LOG FILES: No Logging LOCATIONS: 34 countries SUPPORT: Phone, knowledge base TORRENTING: Allowed NETFLIX: Not working ENCRYPTION: AES 256 JURISDICTION: Czech Republic COST: $6.66 OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.Avast.com Avast Secureline was launched in 2014 in Prague, Czech Republic. Although the company, Avast, has been around for a while – since 1988. The VPN service supports the following devices and operating systems:. PC. Mac. iPhone.
iPad. Android Avast SecureLine works on up to five devices and features no bandwidth limits.
It’s worth mentioning that Avast provides ONLY 55 servers in 34 countries. That’s a really low number of total servers compared to other VPN providers, like and, that both have over 1500 servers. The only countries that Avast has more than one server location are Canada (two cities), Russia (two cities), and the United States (seven cities). Avast SecureLine does offer a kill switch, which is perfect for protecting your privacy if your connection is ever lost. Kill switches are a critical safeguard or backup plan.
When they detect your network connection is about to terminate, they’ll automatically kill your current session, too. That helps to keep whatever you were doing private and away from prying eyes. Avast Secureline Pros 1. Top 10 Download Speed Avast brags on their homepage about how fast their VPN service is. So now it’s time to put them to the test – literally! I ran speed tests of their service on servers in the US and the Netherlands to see how they stack up against the competition. Here are my results without VPN: Here are our results with Avast VPN: US Server.
Ping: 113 ms. Download: 67.94 Mbps.
Upload: 13.67 Mbps Netherlands Server. Ping: 34 ms. Download: 65.97 Mbps. Upload: 39.44 Mbps These are pretty fast speeds in comparison to some other VPNs. They’re not the fastest, but not the slowest, either.
Well Encrypted and Secure. AES-256 encryption. Kill-Switch. DNS leak protection Avast SecureLine offers two protocols, IPSec and OpenVPN on UDP with AES 256-bit encryption. This is military-grade encryption. The “256” number refers to the encryption strength.
The short story is that 256-bit is the best in the business right now. It’s considered virtually ‘’ by many of the top government agencies and security professionals around the world. Avast SecureLine also offers DNS leak protection. This handy little feature makes sure that none of your personal data might ‘leak’ outside the VPN connection without you realizing it, divulging your browsing activity or true physical location. Torrenting Is Allowed It appears that torrent downloads and P2P are allowed with this VPN. According to the: SecureLine VPN allows peer-to-peer connections through our data center locations listed below. Prague, Czech Republic.
Frankfurt, Germany. Amsterdam, Netherlands. New York City, New York. Miami, Florida. Seattle, Washington. London, United Kingdom. Paris, France 4.
No Logs Policy Avast SecureLine claims that they keep no data logs of your online activity. However, they do store connection logs, which show the time you connect or disconnect to a server, how long you are connected, and how much bandwidth you use. Avast claims that this information is only collected for “diagnostic purposes and to prevent abuse of the VPN connection.” But, when you read, you’ll find that they offer links to third-party sites such as Twitter or Facebook. Overall, I’m a fan of Avast’s security. Just be aware that some logging, like most other VPN services, is happening in the background. Fast Customer Support through Call Center Avast Secureline uses a ticketing system and has a number you can call for a free diagnosis. They also offer a knowledge base full of help articles, tons of support pages, and a forum.
Since the knowledge base is searchable, users can easily find what they need by typing in a few basic keywords. That being said, Avast doesn’t offer a live chat support option and I wasn’t able to find a customer support email for the company. Both developments had me a little bummed. They do, however, have where users can send in direct messages.
I sent one in to test out how responsive their social support is. More than three hours later, I still hadn’t heard back. The good news is that if you need support fast, Avast’s phone support is available 24/7. The question, of course, is how truly fast was it? I called in to see if it was an automated service or if I would actually receive help from an actual human. Initially, there is an automated message that directs to select a number so that Avast can direct your call to the right person.
This is a huge step above live chat, in my opinion, because you have the option of hearing a live person’s voice for assistance. I’ve tested “live” chats on numerous VPNs and sometimes it took them hours to get back to me (hint: ). No live chat or email options were disappointing.
The Twitter alternative was interesting, but so far has proved to be too slow. However, they saved it in the end with a quick, responsive call center.
Great Usability on Both Desktop and Mobile Avast’s VPN software is surprisingly sleek and simple. All it takes to connect to one of Avast’s servers to hide your IP address is the click of a button.
And changing your location is as easy as selecting a country off of the server list inside of the user interface. There’s even a “Preferences” menu where you can customize Avast to better suit your needs. For example, you can set it to automatically connect every time your computer starts up.
That way, you’re always protected. Avast also offers that is available for both iPhone and Android. The usability of the mobile app is just as sophisticated and simple as using the service on a PC or Mac. Much like the desktop interface, all it takes to connect to a server is just one tap. And changing server locations takes little to no time at all. However, the free mobile trial requires users to hand over their credit card information to get started, unlike the desktop version.
So if you’re only looking for an initial test drive of the service, you might want to do it on your good old fashioned desktop instead of mobile. We Found No DNS, IP or WebRTC Leaks VPN’s create a secure tunnel around your internet connection.
This encrypts your traffic so no one can bust inside. But more importantly, it creates a seal around your IP address and hides your true location.
That way, no government agency can get you in trouble for looking at what you’re looking at while sitting where you’re sitting. Unfortunately, these connections aren’t always as secure as they seem to be. For example, a DNS or WebRTC leak can cause your IP to be revealed without you even realizing it. The good news is that we found the Avast Secureline connection to be leak-free. (none found). (none found). (none found).
(none found). (none found). (none found) DNS leak test: IP leak test: That’s the good news, though. Which means there’s also a little bad news we found when running these security tests. But we’ll tell you about those down below in the next section. Avast SecureLine Cons 1.
Potential AdWare Found A VPN might protect you from inadvertently downloading malicious files. But what happens when the very VPN you’re using to protect you does their own malicious injection? For example, before firing up the VPN client, we ran their installation files through VirusTotal.com. And we’re glad we did. Because one of their tests found potential adware lying buried deep in the files. As soon as you install this file, and start running it on your computer, they’ll start collecting data to retarget you with ads. No Router Support It’s also important to note that Avast SecureLine can’t be set up on routers to provide additional protection.
This VPN appears to be basic protection for PC and mobile devices only. While this won’t be a big deal for most users, it’s something to keep in mind. Is a great way to protect all of the devices in your house without having to remember to sign in every time you log on.
It’s especially useful if you want to protect gaming consoles, IoT devices, smart TVs, and lots of phones and tablets. This isn’t a deal breaker, but we’d prefer the possibility of using Avast with a router. Does Not Work With Netflix There’s always an ongoing battle between VPNs and Netflix—and Avast is losing the battle at the moment.
Netflix knows when you’re using an Avast connection, and won’t let you stream movies or shows. Of course, it’s possible that this could change. VPNs are always working to stay ahead of Netflix’s blocking capabilities. Netflix VPN streaming error But for the moment, you’ll need to use a different VPN if you want to watch Netflix.
Czech Republic (Bad Jurisdiction) Avast is based in the Czech Republic. While the country isn’t part of any of the major intelligence-sharing agreements that we discuss on a regular basis, it does cooperate with the Five Eyes agreement countries. This doesn’t mean that Avast will be sharing your data with intelligence agencies in the US and the UK. But the fact that the Czech Republic is friendly with these countries and willing to cooperate on intelligence sharing makes some people nervous. We don’t have any evidence that Avast has been sharing data with Five Eyes countries. But we aren’t especially comforted by the Czech Republic’s cooperation with them.
Avast SecureLine Pricing Options and Plans Rather than offering the standard one-month, three-month, six-month, or year package like almost every other, Avast’s pricing is based on the device you want to use it on. Each package is the same as far as access to features go, though. Access to 5 devices is $79.99 per year. This comes out to $6.67 per month or about $16 per year for each device. This plan appears to be the best value. Access to Avast SecureLine for your PC or Mac is $59.99 per year. This comes out to about $5 per month for access to only one device.
Access to this VPN for Android, iPhone, or iPad is $19.99 per year. This plan comes out to be $1.67 per month for access to one mobile device. One of the great things about Avast SecureLine is that they offer a free 7-day trial with no strings attached. You don’t have to enter your payment information to have full access to Avast SecureLine to decide if you want to use it. The payment options, much like the pricing, are a bit lacking in comparison to other competitors who offer other payment methods such as Bitcoin, Perfect Money, etc. Avast’s reveals a standard 30-day money-back guarantee if you purchase through their “online retail stores” or through Google Play.
If you go through a reseller or iTunes, for example, you’ll have to go back to them for refunds (and the terms might differ). The only potential catch with this refund comes down to your VPN usage during the thirty-day period. If you upload/download over 10GB of data, or if you connect over 100 times, you will not be eligible for a refund. So make sure you don’t over-use the service during that initial month. Do We Recommend Avast Secureline? After reviewing all of the evidence, I don’t recommend using Avast’s VPN service. The company provides a reasonably good free antivirus solution.
Their VPN is incredibly easy to use. And the call-in customer service option was great! But in the end, there are just too many issues to overlook. The fact that it doesn’t work with Netflix is a big one. Not everyone wants to stream over a VPN, but it’s a very common use for private networks. Czech jurisdiction, the lack of router support, and pricing that’s easy to beat all combine to make this a VPN that’s not at the top of my list. Plus, don’t forget about that potential AdWare lying low, getting ready for you to let down your guard and install the files so it can go to work collecting your personal data.
It’s certainly not a bad VPN. It’s very fast, supports torrenting, and only keeps connection logs.
And we found that the connection was leak free for the most part. But you can get those features without paying as much, and it’s easy to find a VPN that supports Netflix. All in all, Avast isn’t a bad choice, but it’s certainly not the best one. For me, there are.
Add your own review. I mainly decided to use this VPN because it comes from a company that I already knew from it’s excellent computer security software. I started using the VPN and it’s simple and friendly. It’s quite useful when I want to surf safely on the network, only when I start it sometimes it takes a while to open the program but it doesn’t slow down the internet.
In particular I like the service, one of the features that I liked the most is that I can use one license on several devices of the same type at the same time. I sincerely recommend it as well as the antivirus of the same company (Avira).