Avira Review 2026: Decent Antivirus and Excellent Device Optimization, but Privacy Is Lacking

7.6 / 10

Score

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Avira Antivirus

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Score Breakdown

Performance 8/10Security 7/10Customer Support 5/10Usability 8/10Value 7/10Features 8/10

Pros

• Excellent device optimization tools
• Higher-tier suites include privacy and dark web monitoring

Cons

• Uses enormous resources during active scans
• Customer support representatives can be difficult to communicate with
• Less consistent performance in third-party lab testing than other top antivirus companies
• Tragically slow VPN

Avira offers freemium antivirus and device optimization software, with several advanced features that make it one of the best free antivirus programs on the market. I spent a few days testing Avira Prime, the highest-tier cybersecurity suite offered by Avira, to determine how effective the paid software is.

My results were mixed. Avira’s antivirus performs well when running in the background, but its scans use an enormous amount of CPU power. The safe browser works well enough, but the safe browsing extension wasn’t very effective during my tests. The dark web monitoring and privacy monitoring through the password manager are great, but Avira lacks the more advanced identity monitoring features offered by other antivirus companies like Bitdefender and Malwarebytes.

The one thing Avira does really well is device optimization. Its System Speedup Pro offers numerous easy-to-use tools for fixing problems like the buildup of junk files and broken registries. This can make Avira a good choice for anyone who’s looking to simplify device cleanup and improve their protection while they’re at it, but most people will benefit more from choosing one of our top antivirus tools, Bitdefender or Malwarebytes.

Avira antivirus features, plans and pricing

Avira’s plans offer solid protection for the average person, emphasizing antivirus protection, safe browsing tools and device optimization. These features can protect you from various threats while also helping you keep your devices in top shape. Additionally, Avira Prime can extend protection to 25 devices, more than the five devices protected by Bitdefender or the three covered by default Malwarebytes plans — or even the 10 devices protected by Norton and AVG.

What you can’t get through Avira’s antivirus packages is the identity theft protection or advanced privacy monitoring tools offered in high-level security suites from companies such as Bitdefender and Malwarebytes. Avira doesn’t have separate identity security tools — something you can get from AVG — making it a less-than-ideal choice for people with significant assets. Accordingly, you’ll need to consider one of the best identity protection services, and won’t be able to bundle your cybersecurity toolkit if you go with Avira.

Avira Free Antivirus

Designed for security-conscious people who don’t want to pay for yet another subscription, Avira’s free antivirus features the basics, including real-time protection, various manual scanning options and scan scheduling. You’ll also get the safe browsing extension and basic optimization tools for Windows, including a software updater and Windows settings customization.

VPN access on the free version of Avira is limited to 500MB per month. For context, streaming a standard-definition video on Netflix can use up to 1GB, so if you need a free VPN, check out Proton VPN. Additionally, Avira VPN lacks key privacy features like split tunneling and is horrifically slow, so we don’t recommend it for anything but the most casual uses.

Avira’s free antivirus is available for Windows and MacOS, though most of its optimization features are incompatible with MacOS. There are also free Avira apps for Android and iOS. Officially, you’re only supposed to use Avira Free Antivirus on one of these devices, but you don’t need to create an account, so you could theoretically use it on multiple devices.

Avira Internet Security

Created for users seeking more protection from online threats, Avira Internet Security adds Web Shield to block suspicious websites and an advanced firewall. Some carryover features from the free tier gain more functionality with the entry-level paid plan. Specifically, the password manager gains a data breach checker and unsafe website checker to tell you if websites you visit have been involved in data breaches. You’ll also get more device optimization tools and unlimited access to the VPN, but I still recommend using one of our top-rated VPNs instead.

The default Avira Internet Security plan covers one device for $35 in the first year and $71 a year afterward. Three-device coverage costs $84 a year, and five-device coverage costs $97 a year; there are no introductory discounts on these plans.

Avira Prime

Avira Prime is built for people who want to secure several devices, with plans available for five or 25 devices and full access to Avira’s Android and iOS apps. Prime also includes Email Shield and advanced versions of Avira’s device cleanup tools, plus a specialized Cookies Cleaner for MacOS. You’ll even get dark web monitoring that alerts you when your data has been compromised.

Avira Prime’s five-device plan starts at $60 for the first year and renews at $110 a year. The 25-device plan costs $135 a year, with no introductory discount.

Avira antivirus usability

I signed up for Avira Prime and was pleased with how streamlined and effective the account dashboard was. I especially appreciated the easily accessible billing area where I could control (and cancel) my subscription — something companies like Bitdefender and Malwarebytes make frustratingly difficult. The antivirus was simple to set up and use, even for folks who aren’t familiar with antivirus tech.

Account management

Creating an Avira account is much the same as creating an account for any paid software: Connect an email address, password (or social login through Google, Facebook or Apple ID) and payment method. From there, you’re directed to your subscriptions page, where you can view billing information, update your payment info and cancel a subscription. You can also install your products on this page. I appreciated being sent here first, as other tools like Bitdefender, Malwarebytes and Norton made billing information difficult to access.

You can then navigate to the account dashboard, where you’ll see the latest device connected to your account and the status of dark web management, plus links for activating these tools. You’ll find prominent links to your account settings area (where you can access the subscription info I mentioned earlier) and customer support in the dashboard. The sidebar has links for viewing your devices, products and tools like the password manager. This is pretty similar — aesthetically and functionally — to account dashboards for most antivirus tools I’ve tested.

Installation and setup

Avira automatically downloaded the antivirus software onto my computer when I finished creating my account. The installer told me it would take 5 minutes to set up, but it actually only took 2 minutes and one click. This is technically easier than setting up tools like Bitdefender or Malwarebytes, though the difference of a few clicks isn’t significant enough to be a major point in Avira’s favor.

Unfortunately, there were no clear options for installing other tools during this process. I later learned that Avira had installed most of its tools — the VPN is built into the antivirus and System Speedup Pro, which houses most of Avira’s performance features, was automatically downloaded with the antivirus. But I would have preferred the option to control what was installed on my device.

The main screen of the antivirus is a status page where you can see when the most recent scan was and if your antivirus protection is on. There’s a helpfully large and bright button for running a smart scan for checking on performance, privacy and security issues.

What you won’t see is the status of, or direct links to, other Avira tools like the VPN. You can’t even access other scan types here. This is a stark contrast from other antivirus suites like Bitdefender and Malwarebytes, which provide stats and links for most of their cybersecurity tools in the main area of their antivirus programs. It’s especially disappointing when compared to Norton, which has a control panel with extensive information about recent scans and detected threats.

The antivirus does feature a sidebar with clearly labeled links to security, privacy and performance tools, so while you won’t see things on the homepage, you can access them with minimum difficulty. This includes scan scheduling, which you can do by selecting Security > Virus Scans > Manage Scans. Most people — including those who struggle to learn new software — should be able to figure out Avira’s antivirus pretty quickly.

Avira’s Android app offers a near-identical user experience. The app downloads in seconds, asks for the permissions it needs to protect your device and sends you to a login page so you can connect it to your account. The dashboard features a prominent smart scan button plus security, privacy and performance links along the bottom. Regardless of how tech-savvy you are, you should be able to use this app without issue.

Avira antivirus performance: Resource-light background performance, resource-heavy scans

I spent three days running Avira in the background while I performed various tasks on my computer and was pleased by Avira’s minimal resource usage. I also ran several active scans to determine their speed and the percentage of my computer’s resources they used. Unfortunately, these scans used massive amounts of CPU power and memory; of all of the antiviruses I’ve tested, only McAfee had similarly resource-heavy scans.

Note: I conducted these tests on a Lenovo ThinkPad with an Intel i5 processor with just 50GB of data stored on the hard drive. Your own experience may vary, especially if your machine is older or stores significantly more data. Conversely, my Android tests were conducted on a roughly five-year-old Motorola G Stylus; your experience with the Android app may be more pleasant if you’re working on a newer device.

Background performance

I let Avira run in the background for two days while I did a variety of everyday activities like scrolling the web, watching YouTube videos and editing images. Like most of the antivirus tools I’ve tested, Avira had no notable impact on my computer or internet speed during those two days.

I also checked Task Manager a few times throughout my test and was pleased to see that Avira only used around 0.6% of my CPU power and 40 to 50MB of memory when running in the background. This puts it on equal footing with top antivirus tools like Bitdefender and Malwarebytes and shows that Avira shouldn’t interfere with your ability to do high-resource tasks like video editing or gaming while it’s idling.

Active scan performance

I ran a mix of smart scans and full scans with Avira over the course of two days. The smart scans search for more than just viruses — finding things like junk files and poorly optimized settings — without using more resources or time than quick scans from other companies, making them a great option for people who want to fully understand device security. Full scans were also decently fast — ranging from 14 to 15 minutes — but used an enormous 80% to 90% of my CPU power, numbers I’ve only encountered when testing McAfee.

Avira prompted me to run a smart scan on installation, so I did. Like smart scans from Norton and AVG, this scan searched for privacy issues (browser cookies, poorly optimized settings) and performance issues (junk data, applications slowing startup) as well as malware. The first scan took 2 minutes and 3% to 30% of CPU power, hovering at the high end for about 5 seconds, along with 150 to 200MB of memory. Avira discovered two outdated apps and a bunch of browser cookies. I clicked Fix It and Avira completed the fixes in four minutes, using 5% to 10% of my CPU power in the process.

Further smart scans used the same amount of resources but were even faster, taking roughly one minute each. While my quick scans were technically faster — taking just 30 seconds — the added benefit of searching for junk files and other device issues makes the smart scan a superior choice. Smart scans also provide tools to resolve the issues they find without an upsell, making them better than Norton’s smart scan. And they do all of this in similar timeframes — and with similarly low resource use — as quick scans from companies like Bitdefender and Malwarebytes, which only find malware.

The full scan is where Avira really stands out from the pack — and not in a good way. I started my first full scan, and my CPU usage shot up to 90%. Task Manager showed Avira using just 5% of my CPU power, but I soon found a process called “Endpoint Protection Service” using a full 80%. Some Googling confirmed my suspicion that this was an Avira process, and I watched it bounce between 80% and 90% CPU usage throughout the rest of the 14-minute scan.

These alarming results weren’t a one-off, either. While tools like Bitdefender and Malwarebytes used fewer resources and less time on follow-up deep scans, Avira used the same 80% to 90% of CPU power and 14 to 15 minutes. These results were shocking when compared to the efficiency of programs like Bitdefender, Malwarebytes or even Norton — a tool owned by the same company as Avira. Only McAfee had higher system resource consumption.

With my desktop testing complete, I moved on to running scans with Avira’s Android app. The first scan took just one minute, with subsequent scans taking even less time. This is in line with what I’ve experienced with other mobile antivirus apps and demonstrates that Avira can be a decent option for protecting your phone.

Usability and performance of additional tools: Mostly mediocre

I spent several days testing Avira’s additional cybersecurity tools, from the safe browser to System Speedup Pro and the VPN. Most of these tools are intuitive and reasonably effective, but they’re fairly average when compared to similar offerings from other antivirus companies. The main standout is System Speedup Pro, which provides more robust device optimization tools than other antivirus companies’ cybersecurity suites. The VPN, meanwhile, sits on the other end of the spectrum, lacking in privacy features and causing extreme speed loss.

Safe browsing tools

Avira offers a safe browser and a browser safety extension for more popular browsers like Firefox, Opera and Edge. The safe browser is functionally identical to AVG’s secure browser, with all of the functionality you’d expect from a regular browser and a collapsible side panel featuring:

• Search: Accessed via the Home icon, this is a Bing search function built to help you find information without leaving the page you’re on. While I generally prefer searching in the main area of my browser, I could see this being useful for things like looking up unfamiliar words you encounter when reading an article.
• Smart Chat: An AI-powered chatbot you can ask questions of any sort. You can also ask the bot to analyze the page you’re viewing for common signs of phishing or other scams.
• News: An aggregated news feed featuring stories from newspapers in your country.
• Notes: A tool for quickly taking notes and creating lists.
• Games: A collection of simple free-to-play games featuring a mix of card battle games, racing games, matching games and old standbys like solitaire.
• Utilities: Practical tools including a calculator, world clock, and currency converter.
• Customization: An area where you can add social media platforms and websites you visit often to the side panel.

Avira’s safe browser has a security and privacy center where you can enable features like Privacy Guard (which blocks ads and trackers), Web Shield (which blocks suspicious websites) and Email Shield (which blocks suspicious email attachments). You can also view statistics for content scanned and blocked by the browser, choose a browser mode and near-instantly clear your browsing data using the privacy cleaner.

Privacy Guard runs in the background while you browse and has three settings: Basic for blocking the most common trackers and the most annoying ads, balanced for more aggressively blocking trackers and most ads and strict for blocking almost all trackers and ads, even if that might interfere with some websites’ functionality. The Privacy Guard icon in your browser’s toolbar will display the number of trackers blocked on each page you visit.

Avira’s safe browsing extension can be installed on Microsoft Edge, Opera, Chrome or Firefox in a couple of clicks. This extension theoretically blocks unsafe websites, ads and trackers. However, every website I visited was declared safe, and the extension did not block trackers or ads on any of them.

While the sites I visited were most likely safe, there were visible ads and I find it difficult to believe that none of them used ad trackers, which are pretty ubiquitous in the internet world. I attempted to enable blocking for these sites multiple times, but nothing happened when I clicked the appropriate button. In my experience, the extension didn’t work very well.

I recommend using the browser extensions from Bitdefender or Malwarebytes for more effective protection. Both of those extensions actively blocked trackers during my tests and allowed me to see what was being blocked in real time.

Password manager

Avira’s password manager consists of two tools: The Password Manager Pro website, where you can manage your passwords, and the browser extension used to autofill logins on the websites you use. Creating your account directs you to the Password Manager Pro welcome page, where you’ll find several tips for using the program effectively. There’s also a separate Get Started page, where you’ll find a link to the password import tool so you can move any passwords stored in your browser (or another password manager) into Avira’s password manager.

Along with password protection, Password Manager Pro includes encrypted wallet storage for saving information about your credit cards to autofill when checking out. This can be convenient if you’re already using Avira’s password manager. Generally, saving your credit card information in a digital wallet like Google Pay and Apple Pay, using a virtual card or saving info in a password manager is more secure than saving your details in a browser.

Avira’s password manager also connects to HaveIBeenPwned to help you find data breaches connected to your email account. While this can be helpful, it’s worth noting that you can use HaveIBeenPwned on its own for free. Moreover, this monitoring isn’t nearly as comprehensive as the identity monitoring and protection tools offered by Bitdefender and Malwarebytes.

The browser extension is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Microsoft Edge. You can install it in a couple of clicks, connect it to your account, then start using it to autofill passwords and payment information as you surf the web. Avira’s password manager can also generate passwords when you create accounts on new sites. Essentially, it’s like any other password manager. You can get the same functionality in Bitdefender’s password manager, plus access to better privacy and identity monitoring features.

Dark web monitoring

Avira’s dark web monitoring is accessed through something labelled «Identity Assistant» in the website’s user dashboard. I connected my email address and logged out for the day, returning the next morning to find a report of historical data breaches. This included 31 breaches dating back to 2015; Avira’s documentation states that it scans the dark web as far back as 2019.

Individual breach reports tell you when each data breach occurred and what information — such as a username or password — was found on the dark web. Some reports also include where the data was stolen from, so you can secure (or delete) your accounts on those sites. You can even view some of the specific passwords breached if you re-verify your email. This can tell you if the information found is current. You’ll also get suggestions for dealing with the data breaches, such as changing passwords associated with the accounts connected to the breach.

This functionality is similar to the dark web monitoring tools from Bitdefender and Malwarebytes. Like the password manager, it’s a helpful tool, but it doesn’t stand out enough for me to recommend Avira Prime over other cybersecurity bundles — you can get the same functionality, plus additional tools for identity monitoring and data removal, from Bitdefender or Malwarebytes.

Device optimization tools

Avira Prime’s optimizer tool is built into the antivirus. My optimizer scan took less than one minute and found almost 1GB of data to clean up. The cleanup took less than one minute, making this one of Avira’s most efficient tools.

Avira’s other performance tools are linked to in the antivirus software, but those links open a separate program called System SpeedUp Pro. Being forced to switch to another program is cumbersome, and, while the program itself is helpful, it’s disappointing that Avira installed the software without asking me. System SpeedUp Pro features:

• Quick optimizer for finding junk files, storage issues, registry entities and startup apps that might be slowing your computer down. You can then optimize these factors with a couple of clicks. The whole process — including the scan and the optimization — took around 2 minutes on my computer.
• Power cleaner for finding unused files, cache files and browser files to clean up. Like the Quick Optimizer, the entire process — from starting the scan to finishing the cleanup — took around two minutes on my computer.
• Startup optimizer analysis for identifying all of the applications that boot up when your computer does and flagging applications that might be slowing things down. Startup Optimizer then provides a list of these applications and lets you set them to start running after the computer boots up, or only when manually activated. You can also use this tool to permanently disable or delete apps.
• Additional tools for creating and restoring backups, shredding files, encrypting and decrypting files, disk defragmentation and general device cleanup, plus finding and eliminating duplicate files

These tools are comprehensive and effective, forming the most robust device-optimization package of any cybersecurity suite I’ve tested. Only AVG, with its TuneUp program, currently offers anything close to the same level of device optimization.

VPN

Most VPNs from antivirus-first companies fall short of their dedicated VPN counterparts, and Avira’s VPN is the worst one I’ve tested. It lacks privacy features like split tunneling (which lets you use the VPN for some apps and not for others) and obfuscation (which aims to hide that you’re using a VPN). While there’s a no-logs policy, Avira hasn’t undergone a third-party audit conducted by a reputable company to back up its claims, so you can (and should) be skeptical. Moreover, it caused a whopping 91.7% speed loss, the worst speed loss I’ve encountered. While I’d recommend a VPN-first company for anything even modestly privacy-related anyway, this proves why I recommend using one of our vetted VPNs instead.

The one good thing about Avira’s VPN is that it’s easy to use. You can go to Privacy > VPN, click Turn on VPN, and it will automatically route your internet through the “optimal server” (the one closest to your location. However, my experience with the “optimal server” wasn’t very optimal, with an 85.2% internet download speed loss. While that’s better than the 91.74% overall speed loss I clocked across all servers I tested, it’s abysmal compared with the fastest VPNs. Ookla speed tests showed my default download speed as 596.5Mbps, which dropped to 88.14Mbps when I turned the VPN on.

Things got progressively worse as I switched the VPN to servers further away, slowing all the way down to 24.13Mbps in Singapore:

VPNs generally slow your internet down, and you’ll typically experience slower speeds when connected to geographically distant servers, but Avira’s drag on my internet speed was frankly astonishing. The 91.7% speed loss is much higher than our recommended maximum of 25% and is much worse than even the 46% speed loss I experienced when testing McAfee’s VPN. For minimal speed loss and maximum protection, I recommend purchasing a separate VPN like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Proton VPN, Surfshark or Mullvad.

Avira antivirus security: Less than ideal

With a firm grasp of Avira’s surface-level functionality, I moved on to evaluating Avira’s security test results from AV-Test and AV-Comparatives, the top third-party testing labs in the industry, then analyzed Avira’s privacy policies. The antivirus performed well in most lab tests but wasn’t as consistent as other tools, like Bitdefender and Malwarebytes.

Additionally, the lack of third-party audits or transparency reports for Avira’s VPN makes Avira a poor choice for privacy-focused users. So if you do use Avira — whether free or paid — consider it just for security protection. If you need a VPN, Proton VPN is a great free option with a good value paid tier, or Surfshark is a solid budget-friendly VPN.

Antivirus security

Avira has received a 6-out-of-6 security ranking from AV-Test in most tests since fall 2023, but only received a 5.5 (out of six) protection score in June 2025. This is disappointing when compared to companies like Bitdefender, which has perfect protection scores going all the way back to 2019. Even Windows Defender had more consistent performance in 2025, earning a perfect protection score in all 2025 AV-Tests.

However, Avira did better when tested by AV-Comparatives in fall 2025, earning a 98.9% online detection rate and a 99.99% online protection rate. This puts it on roughly equal footing with Bitdefender, which had a 98.8% online detection rate and a 99.98% online protection rate. Malwarebytes, our other top antivirus recommendation, had similar results, with rates of 98.8% for online detection and 99.88% for online protection.

The offline protection rate — how well it protects you from viruses on things like USB keys — is slightly lower, at 97.8%. Most antivirus tools I’ve tested have a comparable drop in offline detection testing, with Malwarebytes’ offline detection rate coming in at just 94.7%. The exception is Bitdefender, which has the same 98.8% success rate for offline detection as for online detection.

These mixed results suggest that Avira is usually as effective as other top antivirus solutions, but may not be as consistent. This may be concerning, considering how rapidly cybersecurity needs can change — viruses and other malware continue to pose a threat to both consumers and businesses alike.

Security of additional tools

Avira’s password manager uses AES-256, an industry-standard encryption protocol, to keep your passwords safe. Like many other password managers, the only way to access it is with your master password, so only you — or someone with your master password — can access your account. You can also enable two-factor authentication for further security. These are the security protocols you should expect from any secure password manager.

Things are shakier on the VPN front. While Avira’s VPN has a no-logs policy, which an Avira representative reaffirmed over email, there are no transparency reports or third-party audits. When you use a VPN, you’re trusting the VPN company with your internet activity, like the websites you visit and apps you use. A VPN company can say it doesn’t record your browsing sessions, but audits conducted by reputable parties, while limited in scope, are crucial trust signals. Avira’s lack of them makes me hesitant to recommend its VPN for even modest privacy applications.

Privacy policies

If you’re signing up for security or privacy software, you’ll want to know what you’re signing up for. On the whole, Avira’s privacy policy is largely standard fare for an antivirus company — but that doesn’t mean it’s great. I’d like to see more transparency (both from Avira and from antivirus companies generally) around the data collected and how this information is processed and protected.

Avira maintains a general privacy statement and privacy policies for individual products. I liked that the company states that much of the personal data it collects from you is pseudoanonymized or anonymized, but I’d like more details about how that process works, even if it’s at a high level. Most other antivirus companies I reviewed didn’t provide much more insight. But for a sector that hinges on trust — protect your security and privacy — I’d like to see companies offer more transparency into how customer data is or isn’t used.

Avira, like many other antivirus companies, sends your data to third parties, like payment processors or for marketing and communications purposes. The company gives some examples of companies it shares your data with, although it’s not as comprehensive as the list of some competitors, like Norton. It was unclear to me whether Avira sends your data to fewer places than Norton, or sends your data to more spots but doesn’t provide the full list.

The Personal Data We Collect Automatically made me raise my eyebrows. It states, “If you install our products, we collect information about you, including product license information, usage data, and/or preference information, browser activity, and URLs accessed. This data may include diagnostic data such as crash dumps, system logs, error reports, product and internet usage time, network connection activity, interactions with our websites and extensions, or blocked websites.”

It was unclear to me whether the URLs collected are limited to Avira’s website — such as the plans and prices or checkout page — or third-party URLs as well. It’s also unclear whether every Avira product collects all of this data, or if some of this information (like browser activity) is only collected by tools like the safe browsing plugin, which likely requires it to function. I’d like clarification on which programs collect various types of data and how the company protects this data. I’ve reached out to Avira for more details.

Avira antivirus customer service: Mediocrity at its finest

Avira offers self-serve customer service through a knowledge base and phone, email and live chat support. However, the quality of these support channels varies widely. The knowledge base is great and the live chat is both fast and human-led. Phone support, meanwhile, is for Prime subscribers and limited to certain hours, with agents who can be difficult to communicate with. Worse, I never received a response to my email support request at all. I recommend Bitdefender for better support via email or phone and Malwarebytes for better live chat support.

Knowledge base

Avira’s Customer Service Center uses the same layout as most knowledge bases: a search function near the top of the page, followed by buttons leading to tutorials for specific devices and products. There are also quick links to pages where you can learn more about Avira, modify your account or billing settings and submit suspicious files for analysis.

The categories contain tutorials for everything from basic installation processes to advanced questions about specific messages the antivirus might display. These articles provide step-by-step processes for completing the tasks they describe, but the language is sometimes difficult to follow and there aren’t many images or videos. I recommend Bitdefender or Norton if you prefer visual learning — or even if you just think you’ll need to frequently lean on your antivirus software’s knowledge base and you want something easy to understand.

Direct communication

The best thing about Avira’s customer support is that it’s 100% human-focused; both live chat and phone support connected me to a person without prompting. Unfortunately, the quality of service I received from those people was inconsistent, and in the case of email support, nonexistent.

Avira’s live chat put me into a queue, where I waited for 1 minute before being connected to a person. The representative took another two minutes to gather my account information, then answered my questions in a methodical, helpful manner. Some answers took a bit longer than I’ve come to expect from other live chat services, but this maxed out at around two minutes. The conversation took 10 minutes — longer than my live chat conversation with Bitdefender, but roughly the same as Malwarebytes’ live chat and well within reasonable expectations.

Things got messy when I tried to access phone support. Avira only provides phone support to users subscribed to Prime, and that support is also only available from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. CET — a far cry from the 24/7 phone service available from companies like Bitdefender. Moreover, when I first visited Avira’s phone support page, a pop-up told me that there were unusually high queues for phone support and directed me to live chat. This appears to be a permanent message, as I encountered the exact same thing during my 2025 tests of Avira.

I didn’t want to deal with a long wait, so I checked back the next day. Again, I received the message about high queues, but when I called, I was only on hold for one minute. Unfortunately, the representative I spoke to misheard me several times. So despite my problem being simple — and resolved quickly once we got on the same page — the call took 10 minutes. While this does fall within my expectations for phone support, it was both slower and less pleasant than my calls with Bitdefender and McAfee.

My last step was to submit a support ticket. The submission process was straightforward, asking me to select the category of my problem so it could direct my query to the correct team. However, the good news ended there. I hadn’t gotten a response when I logged into my account the following morning, and I still haven’t received a response as of writing this article. Like my disappointing phone support experience, this mirrors my tests of Avira’s customer service in 2025, and suggests that Avira’s email support is highly unreliable.

Avira antivirus value: Solid, budget-friendly protection for the average person

If you’re primarily seeking free or budget-friendly antivirus protection and don’t need privacy or identity protection, Avira could be a good pick. I still recommend a comprehensive cybersecurity toolkit, including a VPN, but you’ll want to buy a separate VPN even if you choose a more robust cybersecurity suite from an antivirus-first company like Bitdefender or Malwarebytes.

Avira’s entry-level Internet Security plans are generally a bit expensive for what they offer, although you do get a password manager and browser safety. Bitdefender’s Premium Security and Ultimate Security individual plans cost less up front, and the price hikes — while significant for some people — are small enough that they’re worth paying for the additional features.

On its top-shelf Avira Prime plan, you get a slightly better deal for five-device coverage than with Malwarebytes’ Plus plan or Bitdefender’s Premium Security individual plan. Both Bitdefender Ultimate Security and McAfee Plus plans offer some sort of identity/data monitoring, which Avira lacks aside from HaveIBeenPwned connectivity. However, for a family plan of more than five devices, Avira is generally more expensive than competitors, and less value-packed. A 25-device plan of Avira Prime costs $125, whereas you can pay $120 for the first year with Bitdefender’s Ultimate Security Family plan or $90 for the first year with McAfee’s McAfee Plus Advanced.

Overall, Avira’s free option is compelling, but its prices fall short to what you get for the same money — or less — with many rivals.

Avira: Is it right for you?

Avira provides decent budget-friendly protection suitable for the average user, including a free plan. The device optimization tools included with Avira Prime are great for anyone who wants simple ways to improve their computer’s performance, especially those who don’t understand their devices very well. However, Avira’s lack of identity-monitoring tools make it a poor choice for people who want to protect their personal information along with their devices.

If you’re concerned about protecting your privacy or identity, I recommend Bitdefender or Malwarebytes. These companies offer excellent antivirus tools, more robust privacy monitoring and identity theft protection — including identity theft insurance — on their highest-tier plans.