Review: Is Avast VPN Good?

Choosing a reliable VPN that has the features you want is important if you’re purchasing a licence that lasts more than a month. Your personal assessment of if a VPN is good or not will vary, depending on what you want it for and what features it has. Avast SecureLine VPN has a lot of positive points that could make it a good VPN for many – but not for all. Below are some of the things you need to know before you commit to this service.

Encryption Security

Avast uses the top-of-the-line 256-bit AES encryption algorithm to encrypt your connection to their VPN servers. Encryption is a process of scrambling data using an encryption cipher and encryption key. “256-bit” refers to how many possible encryption keys there are, it translates to 2^256, or 2 multiplied by itself 256 times. The total number of possible encryption keys is so large, that there are fewer atoms in the universe than possible keys. With the dedicated processing power of a super-computer for centuries, you still wouldn’t be able to guess the correct encryption key. 256-bit AES is the best available encryption algorithm to protect your communications.

Torrenting and Streaming

Avast supports torrenting, a type of P2P or Peer-to-Peer file sharing, on its servers in the following locations, according to their FAQ page.

Streaming sites such as Netflix are not supported though. You’ll get the standard Netflix error message instructing you not to use a VPN when connected to most servers. Your experience with other streaming sites may vary, but you should look to another VPN if you’re wanting to use it to reliably stream content.

VPN Kill Switch

Avast SecureLine VPN offers a VPN kill switch that can block all network communication from your device if it disconnects from your VPN. This is designed to protect your data from being leaked if the VPN unexpectedly disconnects.

Logging policy

Avast advertises that it doesn’t log “websites visited or app usage”, and its privacy policy backs this up. It does however log some IP address details, timestamps, and bandwidth usage statistics. It has historically both submitted this data to government agencies when requested and has sold it to advertising agencies. If privacy is a core reason you want to use a VPN, your money is better spent on services that don’t log any usage data at all.

Data Leaks

DNS or Domain Name System is a protocol used to translate URLs into IP addresses. A poorly configured VPN can leak DNS requests to your ISP which can allow them to monitor what websites you are browsing to, although not what specific pages. Avast SecureLine VPN is configured to ensure that your DNS traffic is routed through the VPN, protecting you from ISP monitoring.

Price

Licences are offered on a one-, two-, or three-year basis for one or five devices. The cheapest package costs $47.88 for the first year and $59.99 upon annual renewal. A 3 year licence for 5 devices costs $143.64 for the first three years, then costs $269.99 to renew every three years.