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AVG Secure VPN Review

Updated Dec 7, 2023

Simon Migliano is a recognized world expert in VPNs. He's tested hundreds of VPN services and his research has featured on the BBC, The New York Times and more.

Fact-checked by Callum TennentAdditional Testing by Luke Williams

Our Verdict

Overall Rating:

5.8/10

Overall, we don’t recommend AVG Secure VPN and rate it only 5.8/10. It logs and shares connection data, has a small server network, and fails to unblock most streaming services. It’s also expensive and lacks advanced features like split tunneling. Despite its reasonably fast speeds, we don’t think AVG Secure VPN is worth using unless you already use AVG's antivirus software.

Ranked #33 out of 65 VPNs

AVG Secure VPN Pros & Cons

Fast VPN connection speeds
Unblocks US Netflix & BBC iPlayer
Successfully encrypts your connection
Simple apps that are easy to use
16 US server locations

Logs sensitive data & shares it
Small server network
Unaudited security protocol
No anti-censorship capabilities
No short-term subscriptions
Poor customer support

Why Trust Us?

We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our ratings are based on our own testing results and are unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.

AVG Technologies has been a big name in online security since the 1990s. It released its VPN service, AVG Secure VPN, in 2019.

We’ve been regularly testing AVG Secure VPN since its release. Unfortunately, despite some positives, it’s consistently proven to be a disappointing VPN.

As you’ll see in this review, AVG Secure VPN does very little to protect your privacy thanks to its invasive logging policy.

While it does have reasonably fast speeds and a generous simultaneous connection limit, it struggles to unblock streaming services and lacks many of the features we’ve come to expect from top VPNs, especially on macOS and iOS.

Ultimately, unless you’re an existing AVG antivirus customer, you shouldn’t use AVG Secure VPN. There are far better VPNs available with better streaming capabilities, safe logging policies, responsive customer support, and larger server networks.

AVG Secure VPN Key Data

Add to compare

Data Cap	Unlimited
Download Speed	93Mbps
Logging Policy	Some User Logs
Data Leaks	No
Jurisdiction	Czech Republic (EU Member)
Servers	Not disclosed
IP Addresses	Not disclosed
Countries with Servers	36
US Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Partially
Simultaneous Connections	10
Works In China	No
Support	Email & Online Resources Only
Cheapest Price	$4.39/mo over 36 Months
Free Trial	60 Days (No Payment Info Required)
Money-Back Guarantee	30-day Money-Back Guarantee
Official Website	Avg.com

Privacy & Logging Policy

AVG Secure VPN Logs & Shares Your Connection Data

Privacy & Logging Policy Rating

3.0/10

AVG VPN’s logging policy has improved in recent years, but it still has a long way to go. It achieved a privacy rating of 3.0/10 in our tests. Though it no longer logs your IP address, it does collect information about when you connect to a VPN server and how much data you use. Furthermore, there has been no independent audit and its transparency reports reveal frequent sharing of user data.

Ranked #45 out of 65 VPNs for Privacy & Logging Policy

AVG logs sensitive data. Here is a full breakdown of what is and what is not logged:

Data Type	Logged by AVG Secure VPN
Account Information	Yes
Browsing Activity	No
Date of Last Connection	No
Device Information	No
DNS Queries	No
Individual Bandwidth Usage	Yes
Individual Connection Timestamps	Yes
ISP	No
Number of Simultaneous Connections	No
Originating IP Address	No
VPN Server IP	No
VPN Server Location	No

Although this data is only stored for 35 days, we cannot recommend a VPN that logs individual bandwidth use or connection timestamps for any amount of time.

To improve its privacy rating, AVG would need to stop storing this data and invest in a diskless server network. It should also commission an independent audit that assesses its privacy protection claims.

Subject to EU Data Retention Laws

AVG is based in Czechia, a country subject to EU data retention laws and intelligence-sharing agreements.

In other words, Czech authorities can demand user data that AVG would be legally obligated to hand over. We’ve already established that AVG logs identifiable data, so this is a serious problem.

AVG openly admits to sharing user data via the transparency reports released by its parent company, Avast.

In 2023, Avast received 51 requests from the government for information. It handed over the data of five users. In 2017, it shared information for over 30% of requests.

Can AVG VPN Be Trusted?

We examined AVG’s corporate structure and history to assess its trustworthiness. Simply put: we advise caution when using AVG Secure VPN.

In July 2016, Avast — an even bigger cybersecurity company — bought AVG. We have also reviewed Avast SecureLine, its flagship VPN, which we only rated 6.2/10 due to its intrusive logging practices.

In December 2020, NortonLifeLock Inc. bought Avast, taking control of AVG in the process. In our review of Norton Secure VPN, we gave it an even worse rating of 5.0/10, partly because it logs your IP address.

NortonLifeLock (and therefore Avast and AVG) is part of the US multinational conglomerate Gen Digital, which also bought the VPN HMA (HideMyAss). This VPN also logs your data.

We’re concerned that all of Gen Digital’s VPN products, including AVG Secure VPN, have a history of logging user data.

Streaming

Unblocks US Netflix & BBC iPlayer

Streaming Rating

5.0/10

We found that AVG Secure VPN unblocks US Netflix and BBC iPlayer via its listed streaming servers, but no other streaming sites. While this enables you to access some international content, the best VPNs also work with Hulu, Max, Prime Video, and other international streaming services.

Ranked #30 out of 65 VPNs for Streaming

Here is a list showing which popular streaming sites AVG Secure VPN unblocks:

Streaming Platform	Works with AVG Secure VPN
Amazon Prime Video	No
BBC iPlayer	Yes
Channel 4	No
Disney+	No
Hotstar India	No
Hulu	No
ITVX	No
Max	No
Netflix US	Yes

We found that the US server ‘Gotham City’ unblocks US Netflix and the UK server ‘Wonderland’ unblocks BBC iPlayer.

AVG Secure VPN unblocks US Netflix.

However, AVG Secure VPN did not work with other major US services like Hulu, Max, or US Prime Video. Similarly, it’s not a good choice for accessing local streaming services in these countries:

Australia (SBS On Demand)
Canada (CBC Gem)
France (France.tv)
Italy (RaiPlay)
Korea (Kakao TV)
Singapore (MeWatch)

We know this because we’ve tested 65 VPNs with up to 97 international streaming services, and AVG performed worse than the majority of VPNs.

Below, you can see a snippet of the streaming data we maintain:

An insight into the streaming data that we maintain on every major VPN.

Speed

Fast Speeds on Every Server

Speed Rating

9.3/10

AVG Secure VPN’s chief strength is its connection speed. Testing its default protocol called ‘Mimic’, our local download speeds averaged 93Mbps, which is only 7% less than our internet speed without a VPN. This gives it a speed rating of 9.3/10.

Ranked #17 out of 65 VPNs for Speed

Here are the full results of our AVG Secure VPN speed tests:

AVG Secure VPN delivers fast speeds wherever you connect to. We calculated its global average speed to be 91Mbps, which is more than fast enough for any online activity.

Ping times are also consistently low across the board. Connecting to Los Angeles from the East Coast, we recorded a latency of only 86ms.

Despite its impressive speed performance, AVG cannot compete with the fastest VPNs. Hotspot Shield is the number one, reaching 98Mbps on local connections.

Server Locations

Small Server Network of 36 Countries

Server Locations Rating

7.2/10

AVG Secure VPN’s server list is small and undiverse compared to leading VPNs, with only 36 countries available on its network. City-level choices are restricted to Europe and North America only, and all other continents are poorly represented.

Ranked #33 out of 65 VPNs for Server Locations

36 Countries

59 Cities

Undisclosed number of IP Addresses

Using AVG Secure VPN, you can connect to servers the following regions:

Continent	Countries with Servers
Europe	23
Asia	7
North America	3
South America	1
Africa	1
Oceania	2

As you can see, AVG Secure VPN’s server network is heavily focused on Europe, with servers available in 23 countries on the continent — 62% of AVG’s server locations.

Asia is relatively well served through seven server locations. However, in general, AVG Secure VPN’s server network is small compared to top providers that offer up to 100 countries, such as Surfshark and Private Internet Access.

AVG’s server list is Euro-centric and small compared to leading VPNs.

Less-developed regions are also poorly served by AVG, including South America and Africa, which only have one server location each for the whole continent.

City-level servers are only available in Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, the UK and the US. The US has the most city locations, with servers in 16 cities. This is great if you’re based in the US.

Unfortunately, AVG does not disclose the exact quantity of individual servers it maintains, or whether they are owned or rented from third-party providers.

Security & Technical Features

Secure, but No Advanced Features

Security & Technical Features Rating

6.5/10

AVG Secure VPN has all the basic technical features we’d expect from a modern VPN. It encrypts your data via AES-256 and does not leak any identifying data. However, its protocols are different across apps, the kill switch isn't available in macOS or iOS, and WireGuard is only available on Windows and Android, and there are no advanced features, like double VPN.

Ranked #38 out of 65 VPNs for Security & Technical Features

Here’s an overview of the connection protocols, encryption strength, and security features on offer in AVG’s apps:

Protocols	Available in AVG Secure VPN
IKEv2/IPSec	Yes
L2TP/IPSec	Yes
OpenVPN (TCP/UDP)	Yes
Proprietary	Yes
WireGuard	Yes

Encryption	Available in AVG Secure VPN
AES-128	No
AES-192	No
AES-256	Yes
Blowfish	No
ChaCha20	No

Security	Available in AVG Secure VPN
Diskless Servers	No
DNS Leak Blocking	No
First-party DNS	No
IPv6 Leak Blocking	No
Supports TCP Port 443	No
VPN Kill Switch	Yes
WebRTC Leak Blocking	No

Advanced Features	Available in AVG Secure VPN
Ad Blocker	No
Dedicated IP	No
Double VPN	No
SOCKS	No
Split Tunneling	No
Static IP	No
Tor over VPN Server	No
Tracker Blocker	No

Does AVG’s Mimic Protocol Encrypt Your Data?

AVG Secure VPN’s default encryption protocol is called Mimic, a proprietary technology developed by AVG’s parent company, Avast.

We’ve certified Mimic’s fast speeds, but we are uncertain about its security credentials. Avast is not transparent about how Mimic works and there has been no independent audit. In contrast, ExpressVPN also uses a proprietary protocol but it is open-source, so anyone can examine it.

We ran AVG Secure VPN through a packet-inspection tool to see if it actually encrypts your data. We are pleased to report that it concealed our internet activity successfully.

Mimic is on all of AVG Secure VPN’s apps, but there are a number of alternative protocols depending on the device and operating system you’re using. These are:

Device or Platform	Available Connection Protocols
Windows	WireGuard, OpenVPN
Android	WireGuard, OpenVPN
macOS	LT2P/IPSec
iOS	IKEv2/IPSec

We recommend that you stick to WireGuard or OpenVPN, and avoid LT2P if possible, which is an older and less secure protocol.

Unfortunately, the WireGuard protocol is only available on Windows and Android. This means the AVG apps for macOS and iOS are significantly less secure and we advise against using them.

We’d like to see AVG follow the rest of the industry and add WireGuard across the board. Furthermore, protocol options should be made consistent across all apps.

No Advanced Technical Features

While AVG Secure VPN achieves the basics of VPN security, its security offering is nowhere near the level of industry-leading VPNs and it offers no customization options.

VPNs like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark are offering packages that include working VPN ad blockers, multi-hop servers, open-source apps, and even GPS spoofers.

In contrast, AVG doesn’t have split tunneling and there are hardly any options to manually configure your VPN experience.

AVG VPN’s sparse security settings as they appear on the Windows app.

Torrenting

Fast Bitrate, but Unsafe for Torrenting

Torrenting Rating

5.7/10

AVG Secure VPN allows you to torrent on its P2P-optimized servers. Its average bitrate speed also allows for fast downloads. However, it’s only rated 5.7 in our torrenting assessment because its logging policy doesn’t protect your anonymity, it has a history of sharing user information with authorities, and it doesn’t include a port forwarding feature.

Ranked #35 out of 65 VPNs for Torrenting

AVG is a bad choice for torrenters due to its invasive privacy policy, which doesn’t guarantee your anonymity. It’s also got a history of handing over user data following legal requests.

Due to these privacy issues, we simply cannot recommend using AVG VPN for torrenting, even despite its fast average bitrate of 8.8MiB/s and its P2P-optimized servers, which are available in these five countries:

France
Germany
Netherlands
UK
US

While AVG VPN does have a kill switch to protect against the accidental exposure of your real IP address, other data that can actively identify you is already logged regardless.

Device & OS Compatibility

Desktop & Mobile Apps Only

Device Compatibility

AVG Secure VPN is only available on the most mainstream devices, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. There are no manual workarounds, so you cannot use AVG VPN on Fire TV, Android TV, games consoles, or routers. On the plus side, it has a generous 10-device simultaneous connection limit.

Apps

AVG Secure VPN is available on these devices only:

Windows
Mac
iOS
Android

AVG VPN has no manual installation workarounds, so you won’t be able to use it on a device that’s not listed above. This is highly restrictive compared to most top VPNs.

We’d like to see AVG develop more apps for its VPN, making it compatible with Fire TV Stick, Android TV, and Apple TV.

Furthermore, it should make a VPN app for routers so that gamers can use it on Xbox and PlayStation.

Although AVG VPN is similar on each app, there are some important differences. You can use the table below to compare the features on each app:

App	WireGuard	Kill Switch	Split Tunneling	Wi-Fi Threat Shield	Local Network Bypass	Language Options
Windows	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Android	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
macOS	No	No	No	No	No	No
iOS	No	No	No	No	No	No

No Browser Extensions

Adding to its limited compatibility, AVG Secure VPN does not offer any browser extensions.

This is disappointing, as you can’t quickly change VPN location within your browser, instead having to switch between windows each time.

Ease of Use

Simple Enough Apps

Ease of Use Rating

6.8/10

AVG Secure VPN’s apps are simple to understand and use. However, what it gains in simplicity it loses in additional features and customization options, with a very basic settings menu. We also found the website difficult to navigate and have had experienced technical issues and bugs installing and using the service.

Ranked #41 out of 65 VPNs for Ease of Use

AVG’s VPN apps are simple to download and install. They’re laid out in a user-friendly and colorful way, and they’re not unpleasant to look at.

However, there simply aren’t enough customization options, and the Windows and Android versions are a lot more advanced than the macOS and iOS apps. Furthermore, we encountered bugs when installing and using the apps.

Here’s a more detailed look at AVG on different apps:

Desktop & Laptop (macOS & Windows)

AVG’s VPN app for Windows is far advanced and customizable than macOS. It has WireGuard included in its protocol selection, which is the best protocol. There’s a Startup option, so that the VPN turns on in tandem with your computer, alongside the ability to enable prompts to turn on the VPN when connected to the internet.

On both apps, AVG lists servers that are specifically designated for streaming and torrenting. We’d prefer it if all servers worked for these purposes, but, theoretically, optimized servers are a useful way to avoid trying lots of servers.

However, as our tests have shown, these servers do not work for most streaming sites except US Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

Most of AVG’s streaming servers don’t actually work.

Furthermore, we encountered random app crashes and bugs throughout our testing. We couldn’t install the AVG VPN free trial on macOS, and after using the app for a while encountered problems such as in the image below:

We encountered an occassional ‘Connection Error’ when using AVG VPN.

On the positive side, AVG has also helpfully included 20 language options on Windows that translate the app instantly, making it more accessible.

Mobile (iOS & Android)

AVG’s iOS and Android apps look identical, but there are some important differences.

Android consists of three windows: a home screen with the main connect button, a server list, and a settings menu. Helpfully, each settings feature includes an explainer of its function.

AVG Secure VPN on Android consists of three windows.

Android is the most customizable AVG VPN app. It is the only app with split tunneling, it has WireGuard protocol, and there’s a manual kill switch. It’s also the only app with a feature called Wi-Fi Threat Shield, which turns on your VPN when connecting to ‘suspicious’ public Wi-Fi networks.

AVG Secure VPN on iOS has fewer settings options than Android.

In contrast, on iOS the only thing you can customize is your security protocol and an Auto Connect toggle. There is no WireGuard option and we also noticed that the listed torrenting servers are not present on iOS. It’s a lot more stripped back, and it hasn’t got a lot to offer.

Bypassing Web Censorship

Does Not Bypass Internet Censorship

Bypassing Censorship Rating

2.5/10

AVG Secure VPN does not work to get around web censorship in China, Russia, or other censoring countries. It simply doesn’t have the necessary obfuscation tools, making it easy to identify and block.

Ranked #48 out of 65 VPNs for Bypassing Web Censorship

If you live inside a restrictive country, AVG Secure VPN is not a good solution for getting around web blocks.

We tested it on our Shanghai server in China to see if it worked to bypass tough internet restrictions. Unfortunately, it was repeatedly detected and blocked.

AVG is open about this limitation. We advise you to choose Astrill VPN instead, which, according to our VPN testing in China, has a 100% success rate getting around the Great Firewall of China.

Customer Support

Poor Live Chat and Slow Email Responses

Customer Support Rating

8.6/10

AVG has an FAQ page, an online form for technical support, and a support community on its website. There’s also a well-hidden live chat option, but the agents are slow and often lack in-depth knowledge. Considering AVG’s resources, we expect more attentive support.

Ranked #11 out of 65 VPNs for Customer Support

Customer Support	Available in AVG Secure VPN
24/7 Email Support	No
24/7 Live Chat Support	Yes
Chatbot	No
Email	No
Email Support via Online Form	Yes
Online Resources	Yes
Tutorial Videos	No

AVG Secure VPN offers basic customer support, including an FAQ page and an online form to send technical support requests.

When we used the form, we were presented with a selection of pages to read, none of which were applicable to our enquiry.

It then encouraged us to visit the AVG Support Community if we couldn’t find an answer. Responses to user questions occur the same day, but often read as impersonal and vague.

We often find that when VPNs get absorbed into larger corporate structures they risk losing the human touch when it comes to customer support. It’s harder to reach a human being, especially as VPN support can be hard to find amid all of AVG’s other products.

Unfortunately, that’s the case with AVG Secure VPN, which hides its live chat option on a hard-to-find URL and it can take a while before an agent comes to respond to your query.

When we asked AVG’s live chat about its flagship Mimic protocol, we were given the response: “What do you mean by Mimic?” It became clear that customer support agents were not familiar with their products. They also only wanted to help if we were active subscribers.

AVG customer support wasn’t very helpful explaining its Mimic protocol.

Price & Value

One-Year Minimum Plan & No Long-Term Savings

Price & Value Rating

5.3/10

AVG Secure VPN is far too expensive for what it offers, and it has only increased its price since we started testing it. There is no monthly plan, so you have to commit to AVG for at least a year, and there aren't savings to be made on longer-term subscriptions. Considering the lackluster service on offer, AVG VPN is poor value for money.

Ranked #32 out of 65 VPNs for Price & Value

Here are all of AVG Secure VPN’s subscription plans:

Unlike most VPNs, AVG Secure does not offer a single month plan. This is unfortunate if you want a short-term VPN solution. AVG VPN’s shortest plan is for a year, which costs $59.88 up front.

You can also subscribe to a two-year and three-year plan, which both cost $4.39 per month. However, these longer term plans only offer savings of $0.10 per month (just over 2%) compared to the single year price, so there’s no incentive to get a multi-year deal.

We don’t consider any of AVG VPN’s plans to be cost effective. To put it in perspective, a top-tier VPN like Private Internet Access costs $2.03 on its three-year deal – a massive long-term saving and 50% cheaper than AVG VPN.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a short-term VPN, Mullvad is available at the base rate of $5.50 per month.

Payment & Refund Options

You can only purchase an AVG VPN subscription via these payment vendors:

American Express
Mastercard
PayPal
Visa

Allowing only credit card and PayPal for transactions is poor considering the lack of privacy tied to these payment methods.

While many customers will be satisfied with these popular methods, AVG should offer privacy-friendly ways to pay, such as cryptocurrency or cash.

Conditional One-Month Refund

AVG allows you to sign up for the VPN and request a full refund within a month. This is useful if you want to trial the VPN without restrictions, but it is the length of an industry-standard refund guarantee.

The most generous VPNs allow you to claim a refund for more than 30 days. CyberGhost, for example, has a 45-day refund guarantee. Surfshark allows you to reclaim your money twice, equalling two months of free use.

However, AVG is slightly worse than most other VPNs, as you can only claim a refund on certain conditions: using less than 10GB of data during the 30 days (which is quite low), and if you’ve connected to the VPN fewer than 100 times.

These are not standard conditions and strike us as a blatant attempt to make refunds harder to get.

Impressive 60-Day Free Trial, Except on macOS

AVG Secure VPN offers a 60-day free trial app that you can download and install without inserting any payment details or creating an AVG account. It’s very easy to get and is one of the most generous genuine free trials we’ve seen.

However, we had problems installing this free trial on multiple macOS devices. When we tried to install it we were presented with this error notification:

AVG Secure VPN Free Trial Error Notification

We couldn’t install AVG Secure VPN’s free trial on macOS.

We can only conclude that the 60-day free trial is not legitimately available on macOS, which is a shame.

FAQ

Is AVG Secure VPN Legit?

AVG Secure VPN is a product developed and sold by AVG, a well-established cybersecurity company that’s been around since the 1990s. It’s a legitimate company.

However, as this AVG Secure VPN review has made clear, we have criticisms of the product and we caution against using it.

Our central concern is the data that AVG logs about its customers. Our values put user privacy at the forefront of any VPN service, and AVG Secure VPN fails to meet our expectations.

Do You Have to Pay for AVG VPN?

AVG Secure VPN is a subscription-based service that you have to pay for. Its best price deal costs $6.11.

AVG also offers a 60-day free trial. So you can use AVG VPN for two months without paying. Although, our tests revealed issues installing this free trial on macOS devices.

You can also get AVG VPN for free if you subscribe and claim your money-back in less than 30 days of signing up. However, you have to avoid using more than 10GB of data and connecting to the VPN over 100 times.