# Avast > Free antivirus for PC, Mac and phones, with paid Premium and Ultimate Avast is a Gen Digital brand best known for Avast Free Antivirus, which gives real-time malware, ransomware and web protection at no cost. Avast Premium Security adds email scanning, a sandbox, Bank Mode and webcam protection, and Avast Ultimate bundles it with Avast's VPN, cleanup and anti-tracking apps. Everything is managed through the Avast One app. - **Category:** Antivirus & Malware Protection - **Made by:** Gen Digital Inc. - **Website:** https://www.avast.com - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Browser extension - **Facts last checked:** Oct 17, 2026 ## Pricing Avast's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site. ## Key features - **Core Shields:** File, Behavior and Web shields scan files, watch running programs and block harmful sites in real time, on the free version as well as the paid one. - **Ransomware Shield and firewall:** The free antivirus includes a Ransomware Shield, a firewall, Network Inspector for home network checks, and Hack Alerts when your logins leak online. - **Bank Mode and Real Site:** Premium Security opens banking and payment sites in an isolated virtual desktop and guards against DNS hijacking that swaps a real site for a fake one. - **Email Guard and Deepfake Guard:** Premium Security scans web-based email for phishing and uses AI to flag synthetic voices and videos used in scams. - **Sandbox and webcam protection:** Premium Security can run suspicious programs in a sandbox, blocks apps from using the webcam, and shreds files beyond recovery. - **Avast Ultimate bundle:** Ultimate unlocks Premium Security together with Avast VPN, Cleanup Premium and AntiTrack. Bought alone, the VPN and Cleanup need their own subscriptions. ## Good for - Windows users who want real-time antivirus without paying - Households protecting up to 10 devices on mixed platforms - People who want antivirus, VPN and PC cleanup from one vendor ## Worth knowing - Avast's website refused automated reads on 2026-10-17, so its plan prices are not listed here; check avast.com before buying. - Premium Security does not include the VPN or Cleanup Premium; each needs its own subscription unless you buy Avast Ultimate. - Premium Security is sold for one device or as Multi-Device for up to 10 across Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. - Paid subscriptions renew automatically, and some trials ask for a payment method before they start. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Oct 17, 2026. Avast Free Antivirus is the most generous free plan in this category: real-time shields, ransomware protection and a firewall on Windows, with free apps for Mac, Android and iPhone. The paid side is murkier. Our listing has no prices because Avast's site turned our reader away, and the VPN and cleanup tools cost extra unless you buy Ultimate. - **Value for money: C.** No prices on record: avast.com turned our reader away, so there's no two-year figure for a household, and C is the grade for no stated price. Note that Premium Security leaves out the VPN and Cleanup Premium, which cost extra unless you buy Ultimate. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Avast Free Antivirus gives real-time file, behavior and web shields, ransomware protection, a firewall and network scans, and there are free apps for Mac, Android and iPhone too. Most people won't hit a wall. - **Features: B.** Real-time shields, ransomware protection and a firewall even when free, then Bank Mode, Email Guard, Deepfake Guard, a sandbox and webcam blocking on Premium. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core protection. - **Ease of use: B.** No store rating on record. You install it and the shields start working, and everything sits in the one Avast One app. - **Platforms and integrations: B.** Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone and a browser extension, with Multi-Device covering up to 10. No web app or API on record, so it stops at B. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Avast's own support pages on 17 October 2026. avast.com turned our reader away again when we went back to check it, so no price could be checked. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among antivirus apps - Avast's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 14 of the 14 other antivirus apps we grade. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 14 of 14) and worst on value for money (C, above 3). The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/antivirus ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** To replace Avast you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 14 of the 14 other antivirus apps we grade. - You could not: An engine that recognises new malware as it appears. - You could not: Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other. - You could not: The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Malware protection, VPN ## Alternatives - [AVG](https://toolgpa.com/tools/avg): Free antivirus for Windows, with paid Internet Security and Ultimate. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/avast-vs-avg) - [Avira](https://toolgpa.com/tools/avira): Free antivirus suite with a VPN, PC cleaner and password manager. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/avast-vs-avira) - [Bitdefender](https://toolgpa.com/tools/bitdefender): Antivirus suites for computers and phones, with a free Windows tier. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/avast-vs-bitdefender) - [Norton 360](https://toolgpa.com/tools/norton-360): Antivirus suite with VPN, password manager and PC cloud backup. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/avast-vs-norton-360) - [Malwarebytes](https://toolgpa.com/tools/malwarebytes): Malware scanner and real-time protection, with VPN and ID plans. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/avast-vs-malwarebytes) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026: - https://support.avast.com/en-us/article/antivirus-faq/ - https://support.avast.com/en-us/article/4610/ - https://support.avast.com/en-us/article/one-silver-faqs/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/avast Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).