Avast One for Mac review: a free antivirus is all you need

Avast is an antivirus package developer that supports macOS, and nan Avast One package includes other cybersecurity features that spell beyond elemental malware scans. Antivirus, ransomware protection, malware blocking, and much are disposable successful free and paid subscription plans.

A fewer months ago, I reviewed Avast One for Windows and recovered it to beryllium a bully solution. However, nan Mac is simply a very different machine pinch unsocial hardware and software, truthful I tested Avast One for Mac to find retired if it’s a bully fresh for Apple’s strategy and one of nan champion antivirus apps for your Mac.

Specs

Tiers and pricing

Avast One has a free scheme and respective paid subscription options. Avast

Avast One’s website describes its free tier arsenic Basic, but nan archiving refers to it arsenic Avast One Essential. Either way, it’s powerful antivirus package that protects your Mac for free. You get a malware scanner and browser protection to artifact malicious downloads. A free VPN is included but nan monthly information is restricted to 5GB. Avast One offers 1 of the champion free Mac antivirus apps available.

If you subscribe, much features are unlocked, and you tin prime from 3 value tiers and a fewer variations. Avast One Silver starts astatine $36 annually pinch a prime of much protection, privacy, aliases capacity features. Renewal costs are importantly higher than nan first year, jumping to $80 successful twelvemonth 2 and beyond. You tin get each 3 characteristic packs astatine erstwhile pinch nan $60 Avast One Gold ($130 renewal).

Avast One comes successful family plans arsenic well. For $84/$180, Avast One Silver Family increases nan number of supported devices from nan modular 5 to a generous 30, capable for everyone to bask protection. Avast One Gold Family costs $114/$280 to screen 30 devices.

The apical tier is Avast One Platinum for $120/$300, a comparatively insignificant summation from Avast One Gold Family that adds personality protection, acheronian web monitoring, and $2 cardinal successful personality theft insurance.

Design

Avast One’s free app shows locked tabs for paid services. Digital Trends

Installing Avast One was simple, and overmuch easier than my acquisition pinch McAfee’s antivirus for Mac. After downloading nan installer, a Finder model opened pinch a connection to double-click it. After agreeing to nan position of usage and allowing nan required permissions, nan installer placed itself successful nan trash and launched Avast One for setup.

I started pinch nan free version, Avast One Essential, initially skipping nan sign-in option. The app guided maine to alteration Avast entree successful System Settings, opening nan due tabs on nan way. After a fewer clicks, everything was fresh successful astir a minute.

I sewage a friends connection saying “Everything looks good,” but lacking capable specifications to person me. I scrolled down to nan shortcuts and recovered an action to tally a strategy scan. The app updated its microorganism data, checked my browser caches, and scanned for malware. In nan last step, it suggested record cleanup, giving maine an action to upgrade to usage this feature. I declined and moved to nan adjacent shortcut, nan VPN.

After allowing a pop-up support petition from macOS, nan free VPN was switched on. It’s capped astatine 5GB per month, which isn’t capable for regular use, but could beryllium useful for occasional checks aliases picnic planning.

Avast One’s free Smart Scan checked my MacBook Air strategy for malware. Digital Trends

The free app shows each nan features successful nan research tab, but immoderate are locked until I subscribe. Still, plentifulness are disposable successful Avast One Essential. The strategy scan checks for malware and includes a VPN, which is capped astatine 5GB per month.

The relationship tab shows my subscription level — presently nary — and has subsections to group preferences, browse thief documents, cheque nan organization forums, get support, aliases uninstall nan app. It’s refreshing to spot an easy measurement to uninstall since removing antivirus package is sometimes difficult.

Features

Avast One performed good successful AV-Test’s malware protection evaluations successful nan past 5 years. AV-Test

Avast for Mac enjoys a near-perfect malware protection grounds successful ongoing evaluations from nan independent information investigation laboratory AV-Test. In fact, location were only 2 instances erstwhile Avast fell beneath a cleanable six retired of six.

In September 2020, a insignificant miss dropped AV-Test’s standing to 5.5. The much notable flaw was from six years agone erstwhile Avast for Mac grounded successful 3.7% of nan 241 malware tests performed successful December 2018.

Every different quarterly trial since December 2017 has been perfect. That’s an awesome protection grounds that‘s almost arsenic bully arsenic market leaders Bitdefender and Norton.

Avast One Essential each trial successful Wicar’s malware suite. Digital Trends

While I spot AV-Test’s results, I still wanted to spot-check for myself. I visited Wicar’s malware trial website to spot really bully nan free web blocker was. Avast One Essential recognized each 13 browser exploits and malware downloads, blocking nan threat astatine each turn.

I tried again pinch nan VPN switched off, and each threat was blocked without utilizing immoderate monthly information to safeguard my browsing. The free app is very good, a generous gift to nan often overlooked Mac community.

Switching nan VPN backmost on, I loaded BrowserLeaks website to cheque if my IP reside was visible. The IP reside and location shown were different from mine, truthful Avast’s free VPN did its job.

Avast One Gold’s disk cleaner inferior helped clear 4GB of abstraction connected my MacBook’s SSD. Digital Trends

With my Avast One Essential testing complete, I upgraded to Avast One Gold to proceed pinch nan subscriber version. That removed each locks connected nan research tab, truthful I utilized nan disk cleaner to free up complete 4GB of app caches, trash, and log files.

There are plentifulness of extras that thief pinch privacy, protection, and cleaning my Mac. The astir important paid features are nan uncapped VPN pinch an action to take a server successful different state to debar geoblocking and unrecorded chat support.

Support

Avast’s unrecorded support was initially frustrating but improved greatly aft a fewer minutes. Digital Trends

As an Avast One Gold subscriber, I requested privilege support connected nan website via unrecorded chat. At first, I sewage a chatbot that misunderstood my mobility astir really Avast One works. A multiple-choice action fto maine move to a unrecorded supplier who instantly took over. After being speedy astatine first, nan 2nd consequence was overmuch slower, and I had to repetition what I told nan chatbot.

It was a spot frustrating, arsenic if nan supplier didn’t understand my question. I asked for different supplier but they tried again to answer. After my 2nd petition to transfer, I was told to hold.

Unfortunately, nary 1 other was available, truthful I tried simplifying my question. That worked, and I sewage nan reply I expected — Avast One protects my browser from malware and besides scans my computer. I besides asked immoderate VPN questions and received punctual and meticulous replies.

After 15 minutes, abruptly nan answers came quickly and pinch higher quality. I fishy nan misunderstanding was a broadside effect of trying to thief excessively galore customers astatine once. That’s nan quality of unrecorded support, and it will ever vary.

Overall, I was satisfied pinch Avast’s support via unrecorded chat.

Privacy and security

According to Avast’s privateness policy, Avast One’s free app mightiness show targeted ads. In my little test, I didn’t spot any, but I quickly switched to a paid scheme to complete nan review.

The end-user licence statement allows Avast to nonstop you promotional offers to upgrade to a higher-priced subscription. After 3 months connected Avast’s mailing list, I haven’t noticed galore emails, truthful I don’t deliberation it’s thing to beryllium concerned about.

However, Avast has had immoderate privateness issues successful nan past. Google removed nan Avast browser hold successful 2019 for spying connected Chrome users.

After 5 years of behaving kindly, Avast has well-rated information extensions successful nan Chrome Web Store. I deliberation it’s safe to fto those worries slice away.

Avast One protects your Mac and MacBook

If you for illustration nan sound of Avast One’s subscription plans but want to prevention money, check our guideline to nan champion antivirus deals. Sometimes Avast has income that trim first-year costs moreover lower. Still, nan costs will skyrocket to much than double nan first twelvemonth erstwhile it’s clip to renew.

Avast’s genitor company, Gen Digital, besides owns Norton Security. Norton 360 for Mac has a amended subscription package astatine little prices, truthful that’s a amended prime if you’re paying for protection.

Avast One Basic (Essential) is simply a nice, free antivirus that could supply everything you need. It includes prevention and protection conscionable arsenic powerful arsenic what’s successful nan paid version. If you want more, our guideline to nan champion antivirus package breaks down features and costs to thief you make an informed purchase.