AVG Secure VPN Review

AVG Secure VPN logs the following information:

Note: This data is held by AVG for 35 days.

The VPN previously logged the subnet of your originating IP address and the IP address of the individual VPN server used. We’re glad that the VPN provider has improved its privacy policy, but we’d like it to go further.

AVG Secure VPN shares the same privacy policy as Avast SecureLine. However, HideMyAss, another VPN owned by Avast, has a much more private logging policy.

AVG Secure VPN logs the exact time of connection, while HideMyAss only logs the day of connection. AVG VPN collects the exact amount of data transmitted, while HideMyAss only collects the rounded total of data transmitted.

These extra steps help anonymize the traffic, making it harder to work out who you are based on your web activity. As a result, we’d like Avast to have all of its VPNs use a singular private logging policy.

As it stands, AVG VPN logs more user data than is necessary. It should put off anyone who wants a high level of online privacy.

AVG Ownership Overview

AVG (including AVG Secure VPN) was acquired by Avast in July 2016. Avast is a well-known cybersecurity company.

Avast operates its own VPN, Avast SecureLine, and it also owns HMA VPN (see our updated review).

Avast has a poor track record for protecting user privacy and data. You can read more about this in our Avast SecureLine review.

Based in the EU

Avast is headquartered in the Czech Republic. As a result, the company is subject to intrusive EU data retention laws and intelligence-sharing agreements with other countries.

In line with Czech law, AVG would have to provide the data it retains to law enforcement if requested. As the VPN logs some data, such as connection timestamps, your identity could be worked out.

How Private Is AVG Secure VPN Compared to Other VPNs?

To compare how private AVG VPN is, we’ve collected data about it and four other VPNs in the table below. You’ll see each VPN’s key metrics, such as its overall privacy rating, logging policy, and jurisdiction.

Here are our full local speed test results when we tested AVG Secure VPN using the Mimic protocol:

Since the last time we tested it, AVG VPN’s download speeds have improved by 42% and by 65% for its upload speeds. We’re glad AVG has improved and we hope it can continue to boost speed performance in further product iterations.

AVG Secure VPN’s download speeds also remain fast on servers around the world. We were particularly impressed with the results from the South Africa and Germany, with our speeds remaining above 94Mbps in both locations.

That said, the VPN’s upload speeds are comparatively slow in some locations. AVG VPN is not an ideal choice if you regularly upload files.

Here’s a list showing some of the most popular streaming services that AVG Secure VPN can access:

Our most recent tests found that AVG VPN is less reliable at streaming US Netflix than it used to be. That said, it still accessed the streaming service more often than not.

AVG Secure VPN unblocks US Netflix.

The VPN is a good choice for streaming BBC iPlayer from outside the UK. Over months of testing, AVG was able to access iPlayer each time. Even the very best VPNs, like ExpressVPN, struggle with this.

To access US Netflix, connect to the ‘Gotham City’ server. To stream BBC iPlayer, connect to the ‘Wonderland’ server.

Disappointingly, AVG VPN doesn’t work with any other streaming service. We were unable to stream Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, or Peacock while connected to the VPN.

AVG Secure VPN only allows P2P activity on servers in six countries. These can be found in the ‘Torrenting’ section of the server list.

AVG Secure VPN has dedicated servers for torrenting.

You can’t torrent using any other servers.

As well as the limited server selection, we don’t recommend AVG Secure VPN for torrenting due to its logging policy. The VPN stores way too much user connection data.

There are far more private P2P VPNs available. See what we mean by reading our review of NordVPN or our analysis of IPVanish.

We’ve never been able to use AVG Secure VPN in China. The VPN is detected instantly and we’re unable to even log into the app.

AVG openly admits the VPN won’t work in China “due to Chinese government regulation and policies.”

AVG Secure VPN will still work in highly-censored countries like Russia and Turkey, though, which have less-strict VPN bans than China.

While Chinese web filters block many VPN services, there still are VPNs able to bypass the Great Firewall. See our list of the best VPNs for China to learn more.

Poor Selection of VPN Protocols

Mimic is a proprietary VPN protocol developed by Avast. It’s exclusive to AVG Secure VPN and Avast Secureline. It’s a closed-source protocol that hasn’t been audited by a third party. As a result, it’s impossible to know how safe and secure it is to use.

Until more details are published, we don’t recommend using Mimic for sensitive activities, such as torrenting or online banking. Where it’s available, you should use OpenVPN instead.

There’s no option to use WireGuard, either. WireGuard is a new VPN protocol that performs well on speed and security. Unlike Mimic, it’s also open-source, meaning it can be vetted by third parties.

We’d like to see AVG VPN add OpenVPN as an option on all platforms, as well as support WireGuard.

AVG doesn’t use OpenVPN on all platforms.

No Advanced Security Features

AVG’s VPN software performs poorly when it comes to configurable settings.

All of AVG VPN’s apps use AES-256 encryption, which is considered unbreakable. It doesn’t have split tunneling, a feature that allows you to run some apps outside of the VPN tunnel.

There aren’t any advanced security features, either, like multi-hop, dedicated IP, or a malware blocker. Instead, AVG’s security features are basic and offer no options for customization.

The one upside is that AVG VPN has a VPN kill switch on its Windows and macOS clients.

The kill switch protects your real IP address if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly. The feature blocks all internet traffic and keeps your true IP address hidden.

AVG VPN Hides Your IP Address

We put AVG Secure VPN through a range of security tests to ensure it doesn’t leak any personal information. We didn’t experience any leaks during our DNS, IP, or WebRTC leak tests.

AVG Secure VPN successfully concealed our true IP address.

However, AVG Secure VPN still recommends disabling WebRTC in your browser settings, since the VPN can’t disable WebRTC in-app.

The best way to get in touch with an AVG support agent is via live chat. Sadly, it’t not clear how to do this through the AVG website.

We found that AVG’s live chat support team are available through a specialzed URL.

The support team covers both the AVG antivirus product as well as the VPN. We often had to wait over 20 minutes to be put through, and once we were, our query wasn’t always answered.

When contacting AVG via a support request form on the website, we sometimes didn’t receive any responses at all.

The support section of AVG’s website is poorly laid out and it took us a long time to find relevant resources. That’s because there’s no marked section for AVG Secure VPN.

The FAQ section is basic, but it does include some setup instructions and troubleshooting tips. There are also links to the community forum, with mostly user-generated tips and advice, but little input from AVG’s support team.