In 2024, it’s essential to have better antivirus protection than what your operating system offers for free. While you don’t need to pay exorbitant fees or commit to lengthy subscriptions, the best antivirus software should be affordable and offer reliable protection along with excellent customer service. I recently investigated Avira’s antivirus solutions and reviewed Avira Prime to see how user-friendly it is and whether it provides good value for the money.
Tiers and Pricing
Avira offers a monthly subscription plan, which is uncommon for antivirus software. Most require annual subscriptions. As expected, a one-year plan is more cost-effective. Avira Internet Security for one computer starts at $7 per month, $35 for the first year (renewing at $71), or $126 for two years. The cost increases to $10, $97, and $172, respectively, for protecting five Windows PCs or Mac computers. You get real-time malware prevention and protection, a free password manager, a VPN with a 500MB per month cap, and a software and driver update manager. The free version includes many of the same features but lacks browser protection and customer support. This means you won’t receive alerts about infected file downloads. Preventing a virus is undeniably better than cleaning it up after your computer has already been compromised. There are better free antivirus apps if your budget doesn’t allow for malware protection.
Avira Prime: Premium Protection
I tested Avira Prime, the premium version that supports mobile devices, includes an unlimited VPN, and features device optimization utilities. The price starts at $10 monthly for five devices, $60 for the first year (renewing at $110), or $205 for a two-year subscription. Families can opt for a 25-device plan for $13 per month, $135 annually, or $260 for two years. Avira provides a generous 60-day money-back guarantee for all paid plans, allowing you to try any plan risk-free to see if it meets your needs.
Design and Features
Avira’s Windows app installed in less than a minute and immediately offered a complete system scan. It quickly checked for privacy concerns, performance issues, and viruses. After Avira began scanning for outdated apps, progress slowed and stopped for about a minute at 78%. I was initially concerned that something went wrong, but it continued to 79 and 80%, finally finishing with a network check in a few seconds. Avira identified two outdated apps, 22 privacy settings needing updates, and flagged 520 registry entries in the performance review. I had recently installed Windows 11 on this test computer, so I was surprised to see so many issues. Nonetheless, I clicked the large blue “Fix issues” button. Windows updates accounted for the outdated apps, and most of the other issues were related to default Microsoft settings. With my computer secure, I explored the app. The default status tab displays a green checkmark indicating my computer is protected. The security tab allows you to start a virus scan, change protection options, view quarantined files, and check the firewall, all of which were in good shape. The privacy tab proved more interesting, containing settings for the bundled VPN, password manager, and more. The performance tab provides PC cleanup and optimization utilities, but the initial system scan already addressed those.
The app is simple and setup is fast, so I moved on to testing the features. The primary function of antivirus software is to protect your computer from malware. Third-party cybersecurity labs continuously evaluate leading antivirus solutions, enabling us to assess how well Avira performs. According to AV-Test results, Avira has a good track record, but it doesn’t reach the level of many other antivirus solutions. While Norton has achieved a perfect protection score since 2015, Avira missed some zero-day threats in tests conducted in July and August 2023 and faced ongoing issues from 2016 to 2021. Avira’s malware protection has been more reliable recently, so I decided to spot-check it myself. I visited Wicar.org, a website that hosts harmless files used for testing antivirus software. Avira’s Safe Shopping browser extension successfully identified the threats and blocked downloads.
VPN Performance
I also tested the VPN by selecting a server in London and accessing the BBC’s iPlayer website. Unfortunately, I was told I needed to be in the U.K. to use iPlayer, suggesting the VPN wasn’t working. Avira Phantom VPN Pro also has a server in Manchester, so I tried that one, and it worked. Occasionally, you need to adjust settings in a VPN to find a connection that bypasses geo-blocking. However, the best VPNs excel at handling streaming.
Password Manager
Similar to Norton and Bitdefender, Avira Prime includes a password manager. I tested it, and autofill worked as expected. I also created a secure note that syncs across devices.
Support and Privacy
Avira’s support center offers a chat option. I tried it late in the evening, and an AI assistant named Mark responded immediately. It suggested a few support documents, but none addressed my question. Mark offered to create a support ticket since no live agents were online, mentioning that a response might take longer than usual due to a high volume of requests. I tried again the next day during regular business hours. AI Mark answered, but when I needed further assistance, a human agent took over and quickly resolved the issue. Overall, Avira’s support is good, but many other antivirus solutions offer 24/7 support, which can be crucial when facing a serious computer problem.
Avira states that it won’t sell or share your personal data. I didn’t even need to delve into the privacy policy to find that information because it’s prominently displayed on the Avira Free homepage. It’s also included in the privacy policy. I couldn’t find any records of Avira security breaches or privacy concerns. The company was founded in 1986, so it has a long history of treating customers with care.
Is Avira Antivirus Right for You?
Avira Internet Security and Avira Prime offer good malware protection but can’t compete with the best antivirus software in terms of pricing or performance. McAfee and Norton have cheaper annual plans and better antivirus records. While the monthly plans are unique, they are expensive. If you require extra protection for a short period, a month or two of Avira might make sense. However, AVG Antivirus Free might be all you need. There’s nothing inherently wrong with Avira Internet Security or Avira Prime, but better and more affordable options exist.
