Avast VPN vs NordVPN
You’ve likely heard of Avast before; they’re a cybersecurity software company that offers one of the best anti-malware applications on the market. However they have also released a standalone VPN product (also known as Avast Secureline VPN) which we got to spend some time with.
And what better way to test Avast VPN’s capabilities than to put it against one of the best VPN services available: NordVPN. Stick around to witness the tussle.
Last updated 7th October 2024
NordVPN is comfortably the better offering in pretty much every category. That’s not to say that Avast is a poor VPN, it speaks more to the quality of NordVPN.
Avast Secureline is a popular choice – well priced, 7 day free trial and produced by one of internet securities legendary names. B
ut stood up next to NordVPN, Avast struggles to match up from a technical point of view. While winning on price, NordVPN’s generous 1 month free trial even makes 7 days look like a paltry offering (when it really isn’t). NordVPN on top, Avast with a solid showing.
Features Comparison
NordVPN |
Avast VPN
|
|
| Servers | 5600+ | 500+ |
| Encryption | AES-256 with 4096-bit DH key |
AES-256 with 4096-bit RSA key
|
| Devices | 6 | 10 |
|
Average Server Speed
|
115 Mbps | 57 Mbps |
| Netflix Support | Yes | Yes |
|
Torrenting Support
|
Yes | Yes |
|
Customer Service
|
24/7 live chat and email |
24/7 phone and email
|
| Free Trial | No | 7 days |
| Pricing | Starts at $3.71/month |
Starts at $4.99/month
|
|
Money Back Guarantee
|
30 days | 30 days |
Avast VPN vs NordVPN - Full Comparison
Stuck for choice on a VPN? So many people are. If you’ve got it down to these two Avast VPN (also known as Avast Secureline VPN but from here on we’re refer to it as Avast VPN) and NordVPN then well done – you’ve made progress. The next step is splitting these two, very competent, VPNs apart so you can make a decision.
The first thing you should know is that these are two of the best offerings on the market, so you won’t go far wrong. But what you want to know is who comes out on top, right? We tested both of these extensively with hours of browsing, streaming, gaming, torrenting and switching server locations to be able to pen this review. Let’s get to it.
Speed
To test the performance of Avast VPN and NordVPN, we connected to a local US server and an international UK server (full disclosure; we connected to multiple other countries during testing but for consistency in our review we’ll discuss the US and UK connections). In our local US test, NordVPN scored an average of 67 Mbps, whereas Avast VPN scored an average of 57 Mbps, so it’s safe to say that NordVPN is the superior of the two when it comes to US connections.
Internationally, NordVPN scored an average of 55 Mbps, which is a significant reduction from the U.S average, but that’s to be expected since international connections tend to carry higher latency. Meanwhile Avast also scored an average of 55 Mbps which is highly respectable and obvously matches the speeds we were able to achieve with Nord.
Although both services perform well in terms of speed, NordVPN comes out narrowly on top.
Servers
One area in which NordVPN has a significant advantage over AvastVPN is server range. This is not necessarily a deal breaker – a wide range of servers is important if you want to access region-specific content, but may not otherwise be necessary.
However, if you do require a VPN with servers across the globe, NordVPN is the superior choice.
NordVPN currently provides 5579 servers across 59 countries, compared to AvastVPN’s 55 servers across 34 countries. With popular streaming services such as Netflix limiting much of its content to certain countries, NordVPN’s wider coverage opens up a great deal more content to you – and if you travel abroad frequently, it can even allow you to access content that is only available in your home country.
If you only require a VPN for security purposes, then the number of available servers may not be a consideration; however if you do require a VPN with servers around the world, then NordVPN is the clear winner.
Features
Both AvastVPN and NordVPN offer an array of features to make using a VPN a more efficient experience.
Each of the services uses AES-256 encryption to ensure your connections are secure and kill switch protection, a key feature that automatically stops your internet connection if you are disconnected from the VPN server – ensuring your activity remains private.
Similarly, both VPNs provide a no-logs policy to maintain the security of your online activity. Without a VPN, your internet service provider (ISP) can keep a log of all your online activity, and these logs can be made available to external bodies including government officials and advertisers.
The no-logs policy of NordVPN and AvastVPN prevents your ISP from monitoring your activity using encryption.
One area in which the two services diverge is the ability to offer simultaneous connections. While NordVPN offers six connections as standard, AvastVPN’s basic package limits you to one connection at a time – you have to pay an additional fee to increase this to five simultaneous connections.
Streaming
The content of streaming services tend to vary from one country to another due to content contracts, and so in order to gain access to certain content, you need a liable VPN solution. Keep in mind that there are streaming services that are available only in certain countries, including Hulu. So what can you expect from Avast VPN and NordVPN when it comes to streaming?
Avast VPN boasts servers that are specifically optimized for streaming (located in the US, UK, and Germany). In our tests, these servers have successfully unblocked Netflix however, when we tried servers located in other countries, we weren’t able to access Netflix, so we can’t say that Avast is completely reliable for streaming. They also weren’t able to access Hulu or Fubo.
NordVPN, on the other hand, was able to unlock a wide range of streaming services both locally (US) and internationally. The services you’re probably most interested in that the tests were able to access include Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO, Showtime, BBC iPlayer, Fubo and Hulu.
Torrenting
Torrenting remains one of the most popular ways of downloading content, and many that use torrents will enable a VPN to ensure their downloads are secure and private.
If you engage in P2P file-sharing activity on a regular basis, it’s important to have a VPN service that’s able to cover your internet connection with impenetrable encryption so that your ISP can’t detect your activity. A reliable VPN service will also mark your real IP address so that your activities can’t be traced.
Avast VPN supports P2P activity on 8 servers that are limited to 6 countries. The servers are labeled “P2P” servers. NordVPN, on the contrary, allows P2P activity on numerous servers that are available in 46 countries, so it’s clearly the winner of this round.
NordVPN’s network of over 5,800 servers dwarfs that of AvastVPN, who boast just nine, while NordVPN also uses obfuscation technology when browsing torrent websites, ensuring your activity cannot be tracked.
With faster torrent speeds also available through NordVPN, it is the superior product when it comes to torrenting.
Gaming
Speed and security are the two most important factors to consider when selecting a VPN as a gamer. The faster the connection, the lower the latency and the smoother the gaming experience. If you’re playing on US servers, NordVPN is the way to go since it scored higher on local US servers. For international servers, however, Avast VPN is more suitable.
Security-wise, NordVPN utilizes world-class AES-256 encryption. The service offers OpenVPN with L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, TC/UDP, and SSTP protocols. Furthermore, it prevents DNS leaks and has a kill switch. To add, it helps you get rid of ads and malware.
Avast VPN also flaunts AES-256 encryption, kill switch protection, DNS leak protection, and IPv6 leak protection. Moreover, it utilizes OpenSSL libraries for OpenVPN and IPSec. It looks like a tie between the two services when it comes to gaming.
For us it invariably comes down to speed and reach, which mean NordVPN’s high speeds and wide range of servers make it the ideal choice here, although AvastVPN is a satisfactory alternative.
Free Trial
NordVPN’s month-long trial is the shining star of their pricing policy. A month is long enough to test it extensively and goes a long way to helping customers feel secure in their decision. Other leading VPNs would do well to take note.
Avast offer a slightly less generous 7 day trial. It’s actually a good offering and plenty of time to get to grips with how the product works. Unfortunately when you put it up next to NordVPN’s trial, it’s naturally going to come up a little short. But Avast gets a thumbs up from me, one week should be enough to make your decision.
Subscription Plans
Previously, Avast VPN offered subscription plans that are device-based. Now, they have three different pricing plans. Their 1-year plan costs $4.99/m, whereas their 2-year and 3-year plans cost $3.99/m. All three plans can be utilized on 5 different devices simultaneously.
NordVPN also offers three pricing plans. Their monthly plan costs $11.95/m, which is pretty costly, but then again, NordVPN is one of the best VPN services today. The 6-month plan and 2-year plan cost $9.99/m and $3.71/m, respectively. The lack of a monthly plan with Avast VPN is the reason why we’re opting for NordVPN. Not to mention that NordVPN offers more value for the money.
Support
Both AvastVPN and NordVPN have dedicated customer support teams who are able to help with everything from installation to billing and cancellation queries.
Both are known to be responsive and helpful so nothing to flag here in terms of customer service doubts.
Pros & Cons of Avast VPN
Pros
- Reliable security measures
- Great international speed & connections
- Decent distribution of servers
- Very user-friendly interface
- Transparent privacy policies
Cons
- Limited server locations
- Limited pricing plans
- Limited P2P support
Pros & Cons of NordVPN
Pros
- Huge emphasis on privacy
- World-class security measures
- Stable and fast connections
- Better support for torrenting
- Accepts cryptocurrency payments
Cons
- OpenVPN configuration can be complex
Verdict
Truly, Avast has a strong VPN product in their Secureline offering – it ticks a lot of boxes that most VPN users will be looking for. That said, while Avast VPN might offer strong international connection speeds, but that’s really the only area that it competes at the same level as NordVPN.
NordVPN continually outshines its opposition in many corners and I have trouble finding many flaws. NordVPN is a more rounded and capable VPN service than Avast VPN.
Avast would be the option for the price conscious. They come in notably under NordVPN but for everything else you’d have to say that NordVPN provides the all round package. We have a clear winner folks.
