AVG Secure VPN Review 2024: Is Simplicity Key?

Launched by a well-established name, AVG Secure VPN is a simple virtual private network (VPN) that had solid speed test results and managed to unblock several Netflix libraries. It's included with AVG Ultimate or you can also purchase AVG's VPN separately, though it's more expensive than most premium VPNs and has limited features.

AVG Secure VPN comes with an easy-to-use interface, a kill switch, and servers for streaming and torrenting. This review will delve deep into its features and performance metrics so you can decide if AVG Secure VPN is right for you.

AVG Secure VPN overview

Price	$4.39-$4.49/mo
Free version	No
Max # of connected devices	10
# of servers	Unlisted in 50+ locations
VPN protocol	WireGuard, Mimic, OpenVPN
Encryption	AES-256
No-logs policy	Some logs
Headquarters	Czech Republic
Netflix access	Yes
Learn more	Get AVG Secure VPN

We last tested AVG Secure VPN on October 25, 2024.

Our experience

Downloading and installing AVG Secure VPN was straightforward and hassle-free. The app was easy to locate on its website and offered compatibility with the most common devices. 

Once installed, choosing and connecting to a server was effortless. The app presents a list of servers from different countries, so we just needed to click on one to connect. It also recommends an optimal location at the top of the server list, which is handy for beginner VPN users. 

Unfortunately, we couldn't find a split tunneling feature, which AVG Secure VPN offered in the past. We do like that it has servers for streaming and for torrenting, and at least it has a kill switch to keep our device safe if the connection drops.

Who is AVG Secure VPN best for?

• AVG Secure VPN is best for individuals who are new to VPNs or prefer an uncomplicated service.

If you prefer a straightforward VPN with no frills, then AVG is a great choice. It’s a user-friendly service with a simple interface and straightforward setup. 

AVG Secure VPN’s has decent privacy standards due to its military-grade encryption and headquarters. It’s based in the Czech Republic, which isn’t part of any intelligence-sharing alliances, so you know it respects online privacy. However, we don't like that AVG stores connection logs, the duration of the connection, and bandwidth usage. It claims not to log your activity, but we still wish it had a no-logs policy. 

AVG Secure VPN prices and subscriptions

AVG Secure VPN costs $4.49/mo (billed annually) for the first year and there are no other plan options. It used to offer different term lengths, but there's only an annual plan. 

Surfshark and NordVPN are two of the best VPNs but they offer cheaper pricing and more features than AVG. Surfshark’s Starter plan costs only $1.99/mo (billed every two years) for a two-year plan. It allows for unlimited simultaneous connections and it comes with features AVG lacks like split tunneling and an ad blocker. 

NordVPN’s Standard plan costs $2.99/mo (billed every two years) for its two-year plan. It allows the same amount of device connections as AVG, but it also comes with split tunneling, an ad blocker, dark web monitoring, and more. 

For payment methods, AVG Secure VPN accepts most major credit cards and PayPal.

Plan comparison

Alternatively, you can get AVG Secure VPN bundled with the AVG Ultimate antivirus subscription. The table below breaks down what's included in these plans:

Features	AVG Secure VPN	AVG Ultimate
Price	$4.49/mo (billed annually) for the first year	$34.99/first yr
Max # of devices	10	10
VPN
Antivirus
Device optimization tools
Tracker blocker
Learn more	View plan	View plan

AVG Secure VPN features

AVG Secure VPN's features are basically a kill switch and some specialty servers. Its VPN protocols include OpenVPN, WireGuard, and Mimic. It also has AES 256-bit encryption to ensure your online activities remain secure.

However, AVG offers a limited number of VPN servers compared to some competitors. This may affect your connection speeds and ability to access regional content.

Server count and countries

• Unlisted in 50+ locations

AVG Secure VPN isn’t transparent about its number of servers, but it does advertise Unlisted. We manually counted 37 countries, which  also seems low, but it caters to a global audience with server countries across North America, South America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. It also provides specialized servers for streaming and torrenting.

A large server count is critical for a VPN because it reduces the load on individual servers, improving speed and performance. It also offers more options if you’re looking to bypass geo-restrictions on content in certain regions. 

Due to its limited server count, AVG could lead to slow VPN connections if too many people are on the same servers.

No-logs policy and headquarters

• AVG Secure VPN logs policy: Some logs (timestamps and amount of data used)
• AVG Secure VPN headquarters: Czech Republic

A no-logs policy is when no record of your online activity is kept by the VPN service. This includes personal and sensitive data. The policy is particularly important in situations where law enforcement or government agencies ask a VPN provider to hand over data because they will have nothing to give.

AVG has a general privacy policy that appears to process items like your personal data, billing data, and product data. The VPN policy mentions that it doesn’t send your originating IP address, DNS queries while connected, browsing history, or transferred data to its servers. However, this could still be a red flag for VPN users who are looking for the utmost privacy from their service provider.

AVG Secure VPN also collects some data like timestamps and the amount of data used for a period of time. These are used to calculate peak times of service demand, manage the number of concurrent active connections, handle abuse, as well as troubleshoot the service.

Timestamps show when connections were initiated and closed, while the amount of data transmitted is tracked in terms like 5 GB up or down. This information is used to plan for new network capacity and server improvements. For example, AVG Secure VPN may deploy more capacity in order to meet demand and ensure speeds stay up for all users.

The location of the VPN's headquarters also matters. Depending on the jurisdiction, companies might be legally required to retain user data or assist in surveillance activities. 

The Czech Republic isn't part of any major intelligence-sharing agreements. Therefore, AVG Secure VPN isn't obliged to retain user data or share it with foreign governments. This further strengthens its privacy measures.

Kill switch

A kill switch is a security measure designed to prevent your data from being exposed when your VPN connection drops unexpectedly. It works by automatically disconnecting your device from the internet. 

This feature can be activated in the AVG Secure VPN network settings.

VPN protocols

AVG’s VPN protocols include OpenVPN, Mimic, and WireGuard. 

OpenVPN is an open-source protocol that is secure and trusted. When OpenVPN is blocked, AVG should connect with Mimic. It was made by AVG experts to bypass VPN restrictions. WireGuard, another industry-leading protocol, is also available to connect with if desired. 

If you're uncertain about which protocol to use, you can allow the VPN app to auto-select based on your current network conditions.

AVG Secure VPN test results

Testing a VPN is essential for ensuring these services maintain good speeds, can access streaming services like Netflix, and don’t leak your information. 

We conducted several tests on AVG Secure VPN to get a better understanding of how secure the service truly is. Our tests looked at both speed, streaming support, and security.

Speed tests

• Speed test results: AVG Secure VPN averaged a 28% download speed drop across all the servers we tried, which is more than we would have preferred. 

We tested AVG Secure VPN speed while connected to several countries to determine how well it performs while connected to servers worldwide. We connected to a nearby U.S. server, as well as servers in Canada, the U.K., and Australia. 

Our testing was conducted on a PC laptop using Windows 11 from a physical location in the U.S. 

Test type	No VPN	US to US	US to CA	US to EU	US to AU
Download speed	309.87 Mbps	239.83 Mbps	141.61 Mbps	262.50 Mbps	253.88 Mbps
Upload speed	344.09 Mbps	331.14 Mbps	343.46 Mbps	307.06 Mbps	299.31 Mbps
Latency (ping)	11 ms	50 ms	42 ms	113 ms	200 ms
Download speed % difference	N/A	-22.60%	-54.30%	-15.29%	-18.07%
Upload speed % difference	N/A	-3.76%	-0.18%	-10.76%	-13.01%
Latency % difference	N/A	+354%	+282%	+927%	+1,718%

The last time we tested AVG Secure VPN, it had minimal impact on our speeds, especially while connected to servers in the U.S. and Canada. This go around, the biggest drops in download speed were with the U.S. and Canada servers. We had even picked the Fastest Location option.

This is unusual because server locations that are farther from your physical location will have the most impact on your speed. We wouldn't want anything more than a 15% download speed drop while using nearby servers, so it might be best to select your U.S. server manually. 

On the other hand, the U.K. and Australia performed quite well and we didn't notice any lag while browsing. 

Netflix tests

• Netflix test results: AVG Secure VPN allowed us to unblock U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia's Netflix libraries.

It can be hard to watch Netflix with a VPN because the streaming platform constantly battles with VPN users. During our testing, AVG Secure VPN performed pretty well against Netflix's VPN blocks, plus it unblocked Netflix Australia this time around. 

	US to US	US to CA	US to UK	US to AU
Did it work with Netflix?

In terms of streaming performance, Netflix did take a while to load when we first tried with the U.S. server. After the third show we selected, Netflix finally loaded with ease and our stream didn't buffer. We didn't experience any other issues from there on out. 

DNS leak tests

• DNS leak test results: AVG Secure VPN passed its DNS leak test.

DNS stands for Domain Name System, and it is responsible for translating website names into numeric IP addresses. DNS allows you to access websites without having to remember all of the site's individual numerical codes. 

A DNS leak test is an important tool that can help determine if your information is exposed when using a VPN; it checks whether or not your internet traffic goes through the secure connection of a VPN. 

AVG Secure VPN kept our true IP address a secret. 

WebRTC leak tests

• WebRTC leak test results: AVG Secure VPN passed its WebRTC leak test.

WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communications) is an open-source technology that allows browser-based applications to provide real-time communication capabilities without the need for a dedicated server. A WebRTC leak test examines whether or not your IP address can be exposed when using this type of technology.

AVG Secure VPN also passed its WebRTC leak test. The service can effectively hide your IP address, so your data is secure while browsing the web.

Kill switch test

• Kill switch test results: AVG Secure VPN passed its kill switch test.

A kill switch can improve the functionality of your VPN. Although your connection is encrypted, what happens if your VPN connection falters? A kill switch will automatically disconnect your device from the internet to prevent your online activities from being visible to prying eyes.

We started our kill switch test by toggling on the kill switch feature from the network security settings. We connected to a server in San Francisco then switched to a New York City server. As AVG swapped servers, our true real address remained hidden. 

AVG Secure VPN compatibility

When selecting a VPN, it’s important to consider the devices and platforms it supports to ensure it’s compatible with your devices. A good VPN should secure an array of different devices. 

AVG Secure VPN provides support for the most common operating systems and mobile apps. However, it lacks support for Linux, smart TVs, and routers, which other services support.

AVG Secure VPN supports the following operating systems:

• Windows
• macOS
• iOS
• Android

AVG Secure VPN customer support

AVG Secure VPN offers decent customer support. To communicate with a support agent, you can use its phone, live chat, or email support. It also has an extensive online knowledge base featuring a variety of self-help resources and a community forum.

Phone

AVG offers 24/7 sales support with specific phone numbers for the U.S., U.K., and Australia. You can contact AVG by phone at the following numbers:

• United States: +1 844 259 8811
• Great Britain: +44 (0)800 066 8173
• Australia: +61 1800 429 319

Live chat

If you prefer to speak with a representative online, you can also contact support 24/7 with its live chat. Although it took us a bit to find the AVG chat option, it only took a couple seconds for us to be connected with a real human. 

We asked our representative to confirm if AVG's support is 24/7 and asked about its server count. They were friendly and responded to our questions quickly. 

Keep in mind that users have previously reported that it could be more responsive, and agents weren’t able to answer questions completely.

Email

AVG also provides email support through a tech support form. You'll have to answer if you're using any paid/trial AVG products, your operating system, your product, and the description if your issue. 

Knowledge base

AVG's knowledge base has plenty of options if you prefer to troubleshoot on your own. Its separated by Windows, Android, mac and iOS, and multi-device products. You can find answers to AVG Secure VPN questions as well as other AVG products. 

Community forums

Finally, AVG provides community forums for AVG users to support each other directly. Community topics include AVG VPN, billing and AVG account, general discussion and more.

Top alternatives

AVG Secure VPN is a reliable service with a focus on privacy. However, some VPN users might be searching for alternatives based on specific features, additional pricing options, or increased server locations. Here are some of the best VPN services to consider:

FAQs

Bottom line: Is AVG Secure VPN good?

AVG Secure VPN is a decent choice for anyone who wants a user-friendly VPN service with no frills. It allows up to 10 simultaneous device connections, and it supports popular VPN protocols. If you want to try it first, AVG Secure VPN offers a generous 60-day trial without a financial commitment.

However, the VPN’s server count isn’t transparent and the country count is quite low when compared with other VPNs. AVG Secure VPN also doesn’t offer the same level of advanced features that the best VPNs offer at a lower price. But it's worth using if you opt for an AVG Ultimate antivirus subscription. 

For a more feature-rich and budget-friendly VPN, consider one of our alternatives.