# Alternatives to Avast Big free tier with upsells. Avast ranks #2 of 9 in Antivirus software, with an Alt Score of 82. It is proprietary, freemium from $49.99/year and available on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. 9 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/avast/ Category: Antivirus software ## Overview - **Who it's for**: Individual consumers who want antivirus and privacy protection for their Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS devices, from casual home users to anyone browsing public Wi-Fi. - **What you get**: Real-time malware and virus scanning, ransomware and phishing protection, a firewall, and webcam protection. Paid tiers add a VPN (SecureLine), performance/cleanup tools, and identity monitoring. Free and paid plans (Avast One, Premium Security) scale the feature set. - **How it works**: You install the Avast app on each device, and it runs continuous background scanning to detect and block threats automatically, with periodic full-system scans and update checks you can also trigger manually. ## Profile - **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-10) - **Pricing model**: Freemium (verified 2026-07-10) - **Starts at**: $49.99/year (verified 2026-07-10) - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS - **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-10) ## Ranked alternatives | # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms | |---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------| | 1 | [Bitdefender](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/bitdefender.md) | 91 | ? | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | | 2 | [ESET](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/eset.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android | | 3 | [Malwarebytes](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/malwarebytes.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | | 4 | [Microsoft Defender](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/microsoft-defender.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | | 5 | [Norton](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/norton.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | | 6 | [AVG](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/avg.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | | 7 | [Avira](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/avira.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | | 8 | [ClamAV](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/clamav.md) | 46 | GPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/ ## Feature comparison Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified). | Antivirus software checklist | Avast | Bitdefender | ESET | Malwarebytes | Microsoft Defender | Norton | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Subscription | Freemium | Free | Subscription | | Starts at | $49.99/year | $24.99/year | ? | $59.99/year | ? | $94.99 first year (Norton 360 Standard) | | License | Proprietary | ? | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | | Platforms | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | | Independent lab scores (AV-TEST) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Real-time protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Ransomware protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Performance impact | ? | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes | | Free tier | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | | No data selling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Web protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Cross-platform | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | | Firewall included | Partial | Partial | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | | Ad-free experience | Partial | Partial | ? | Partial | ? | ? | ## Sources Sources for Avast. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **Pricing model**: Freemium — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Start with essential protection for free, then unlock advanced device security, privacy and performance features when you're ready.” - **Starts at**: $49.99/year — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “$49.99” - **License**: Proprietary — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “The structure, organization and computer code of any Software and firmware are valuable trade secrets and proprietary confidential information of Vendor.” - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Also available for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Any new installation of Avast One will install the new version of the app.” - **Independent lab scores (AV-TEST)**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “100% real-world threat samples detected and blocked” - **Real-time protection**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Block digital threats in real-time” - **Ransomware protection**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Ransomware Shield” - **Free tier**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “You can use our free antivirus for as long as you want once you activate it.” - **No data selling**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Avast does not sell consumer data and the operational provisions of the settlement are consistent with the company's current privacy and security programs.” - **Web protection**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Web Guard - Use intelligent AI to help block hidden scam websites and phishing links in emails” - **Cross-platform**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Also available for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS” - **Firewall included**: Partial — (verified 2026-07-10) - Note: Firewall in paid Premium Security, not the free tier. - Quote: “Block hackers out with our advanced firewall” - **Ad-free experience**: Partial — (verified 2026-07-10) - Note: Free tier shows upgrade/upsell prompts. - Quote: “Share app-usage data with Avast so we may offer you upgrades or our other products.” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/