Avira Antivirus Review 2024: Is It Worth the Cost?

While it does offer a free version, Avira is a great antivirus to pay for considering the features you get and the ease of use it offers. It has high third-party test scores, fast scanning speeds, countless performancec optimization tools, and more. 

Although some features are limited for macOS, you can see for yourself if it's worth the subscription by taking advantage of its 60-day money-back guarantee.

Keep reading to learn more about Avira's pricing, features and how our test results figured into our stance.

Avira antivirus overview

5.0

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

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On Avira's website

Antivirus Software

Avira

• Tried and true real-time antivirus protection
• Free plan comes with antivirus protection, software updates, and web protection
• Can be expensive for multi-device coverage

Our experience

Our Avira antivirus experience was all around positive thanks to its fast scans and user-friendly dashboard. We tested Avira from our PC laptop running Windows 10. 

After downloading the app, Avira immediately prompted us to run a smart scan with a quick description of what it covers. It took just under two minutes and the results covered three categories: Security, Privacy, and Performance. 

The scan results were easy to read, checking off anything that was marked safe and using a red minus sign to point out any potential cyberthreats. For the privacy and performance results, it just flagged several issues that could be decreasing our device privacy and performance like settings to fix and slow start up apps. 

Correcting those issues was a breeze. All we needed to do is select Fix issues and Avira got to work for us, taking only a couple minutes to improve and secure our device. 

If you want coverage for more devices, you might need to splurge for a premium version, but we found that we were able to do a lot with Avira Prime.

Who is Avira best for?

• Recommended for people who want substantial antivirus protection but need minimal device coverage.

If you want a basic antivirus, Avira offers a free version with some of the same perks as the paid version. If you opt for the free version, you can expect:

• Real-time antivirus protectionOnline threat blocking
• Secure internet activities
• Cleanup tools

Now, if you need additional tools like a performance optimization tools, a password manager, and a virtual private network (VPN), then you're better off with a paid Avira plan. Just note that the starting price for Avira Antivirus Pro and Avira Internet Security only cover one device. You can pay to cover three or five devices, but your subscription price will increase. 

When deciding on antivirus software, the primary functions are to scan and block malware. No one wants a nasty computer virus. You want a product that’s thorough, and that’s what you’ll get every Avira plan.

Avira antivirus cost

For one device (or five in the case of Avira Prime), Avira plans range from $26.99–$129.99/first yr. There are four plan tiers: Avira Free, Antivirus Pro, Internet Security, and Prime. 

For its starting price, Avira is hard to beat at $26.99/first yr for one device. Here's how it compares to our top alternatives:

• TotalAV: $29.00/yr (first year only)
• Norton: $29.99/yr (first year only)
• Bitdefender: $29.99/yr (first year only)

However, adding additional devices to your plan can double this price. With Avira Prime, you do cover five devices for only $59.99/first yr. 

If you’re looking for a basic antivirus that includes a firewall for Windows and uses real-time protection to secure your device, you might be happy with the free option. Even if you choose the Avira free plan, you still get the use of the VPN. 

Otherwise, with all the features and plans Avira offers, we think you’d be happy with any of the paid subscriptions.

Avira Free antivirus

If you don’t want to buy antivirus software, you can opt for the free version of Avira. It’s compatible with Windows and Mac devices and will also work on Android and iOS.

We think the free version is great for those who want real-time protection, automated software updates, and browser safety. It also comes with a free VPN and password manager.

If you need more than 500 MB of data per month and more advanced ransomware protection, you’ll want to go for a paid plan. If you want a VPN with a larger data cap, you can try products such as NordVPN or Surfshark. You can also choose to pair a more substantial password manager, like NordPass or 1Password, with Avira Free. 

Just remember, you won’t get access to email or phone customer support with the free version.

Avira antivirus features

We also enjoyed using the quick scan and full scan options. We also like that you can install Avira and run it alongside other products, such as Windows Defender, without causing any software conflicts.

Malware and antivirus scan

Avira antivirus offers both automatic and manual scans for malware detection. You can schedule scans to run at specfic time or you can use manual scans when you have a need. There's also a full scan option to do a deeper dive into your device.

The smart scan was particularly useful, reviewing our device for security, privacy, and performance issues. To fix the issues detected, all we needed to do was hit a button and Avira improved our device.

You also get a custom scan option that you may not have with other antivirus products. Avira’s custom scan allows you to browse specific documents or files you want to scan instead of running a quick or full scan on an entire drive. This type of scan could be faster than even a quick scan, depending on the number of documents you want to check.

Phishing protection

Avira has Web Protection, which keeps you safe from web content like phishing links, malware, spam, or fraud. There’s nothing special to do or set up with this feature, it’s part of the real-time protection that blocks viruses and malicious attachments.

There's also the Avira Browser Safety extension, which blocks ads and trackers. It's available for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. 

Firewall

Avira provides a firewall for its Windows program. It's automatically toggled on once you've download the program, but you do have the option of customizing the app rules and intruder protection settings. 

Unfortunately, the macOS program doesn't have a firewall. To be sure we didn’t overlook anything, we called customer support to verify our findings. It was confirmed that the firewall is not included for macOS.

Real-time protection

When you want real-time protection, Avira doesn’t miss the mark. This feature is turned on by default, so there’s nothing for you to do. The Avira real-time protection scans any file you access to prevent malware from infecting files on your device.

The best part is that you won’t notice anything because it runs in the background. We had numerous browser tabs opened and didn’t notice any lags with real-time protection working.

Ransomware protection

Avira antivirus offers real-time ransomware protection that blocks malicious software from gaining control of your device.

If you decide to get the paid antivirus program, the ransomware protection uses a behavior-based approach that checks the actions of the code trigger. If actions are found that suggest ransomware, the software gets blocked.

It’s worth noting that a basic version of Avira’s ransomware protection is also offered with the free version. It works by comparing known ransomware types in the database to potential threats.

Bonus features

Avira comes with bonus features like a VPN, performance optimization tools, a password manager, and a safe shopping browser extension, which we thought were nice bonuses.

With the free VPN, you’re limited to 500 MB of data per month. If you get Avira Prime, you'll get unlimited VPN data.

Avira also offers a password manager browser extension, which is easy to use and helps secure your online accounts. The password manager monitors for data breaches, which is needed for any decent password manager. You don’t get a password manager with all antivirus software, and we liked that it’s included with Avira’s security suite.

Avira antivirus test results

We the antivirus programs we review through multiple hoops to verify their claims. First, we run several types of scans to determine how long they take and how they impact our device. Then, we use EICAR test files to see how well the antivirus program can block cyberthreats like malware and phishing sites.

Finally, we like to see what independent research organizations have to say about these antivirus programs. We review the most recent third-party test results from AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs. 

Scan speed

• Result: Fast

Avira has options for a full scan, a quick scan, and a smart scan. Unlike the quick scan, the smart scan checks for security, privacy, and performance issues.

We had an easy time running scans with Avira. Both scans took under 10 minutes and didn't slow our device as we were browsing the web.

EICAR test results

• Result: 3/3

The European Institute of Computer Antivirus Research, also known as EICAR, provides malware test files for you to test your antivirus programs safely from home. During our testing, we run tests for malware detection, drive-by malware downloads, and phishing pages detection.

Avira passed all three tests with ease. Every file type was blocked before it could infect our device.

AV-TEST results

• Result: Avira had high-test scores with some minor drawbacks. 

AV-TEST evaluates security products to determine how they stand up against malware, false positives, and performance issues. The site uses the most current version of the products for testing, so you get up-to-date results. 

AV-TEST evaluates products based on a point system, and the highest number of points awarded is six.

Avira had near-perfect scores, with some minor dings with every operating system. Note that Avira didn't have a score lower than 5, which is above satisfactory according to AV-TEST.

With Windows, Avira slowed installation of frequently-used applications at 19%, while the industry average was 14% and 16% (depending on the strength of the PC). It also slowed down computer speeds when launch popular websites by 25%, while the industry average was 19% and 22% (depending on the strength of the PC).

With macOS, Avira had a 98.3% malware protection score, while the industry average was 100%.

And with Android, Avira had one false positive during installation and usage of legitimate software from a third-party app store, while the industry average was 0.

AV-Comparatives results

• Result: Avira was ranked among the top contenders with every test.

AV-Comparatives is another independent organization dedicated to systematic testing on antivirus products and mobile security solutions. It creates a real-world environment to test these programs for real-world protection, malware protection, and device performance impact (along with mobile security for the apps).

Avira was in the top group for all three Windows categories. It received a 99.8% for real-world protection, ranking alongside F-Secure, Kaspersky, and McAfee. It was only beaten by Avast and AVG at 100%.

For malware protection, Avira was also in the second highest group with Avast and AVG at 99.95%. It was beat by F-Secure and Norton at 99.7% malware protection rate.

Finally, Avira was ranked sixth for impact score, having received a 9.4. McAfee and Kaspersky had significantly lower scores, at 2.8 and 4.1 respectively. The rest of the antivirus programs in this section score an 8.3 and above, so Avira was never far behind. 

Avira also received a 100% score for the Avira Security Antivirus & VPN app.

SE Labs results

• Result: 88%

SE Labs is the final independent organization we review for antivirus test results. SE Labs measures protection accuracy, testing how well an antivirus protects against general attacks and targeted attacks, and legitimate accuracy, testing how well an antivirus can detect real cyberthreats. The final score is the total accuracy score.

Avira hasn't submitted its program to SE Labs since 2023, so its program has probably been updated since. However, it recevied a 93% protection accuracy rating and a 100% legitimate accuracy rating for its Free Security Suite. 

Avira antivirus compatibility

When you’re shopping for an antivirus, you want one that works for all your devices. Many of us use several devices, and it’s best to get a product that covers them all. You’d be hard-pressed to find a device Avira isn’t compatible with.

If you have any of these, you can secure them all with Avira antivirus software and mobile apps:

• Windows 7+
• macOS 10.15+
• Android 8+
• iOS 14+

Avira Browser Security is available on the following browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
  
• Opera

Avira customer support

To reach an Avira customer support agent, you can call, email, or use the live chat. If you want to reach someone by phone, the hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Central European Time (CET). 

You can also search the knowledge base to do some troubleshooting on your own. 

You should know, however, that only paid subscribers have access to phone and email support. But if you use the free version, you still get access to the knowledge base. When you go to the main support page, you can select your device and then have different options to choose from regarding your issue.

Top alternatives

Avira is a top-notch provider, but the antivirus market is large and it's not the only option. Here are some of our favorite programs to consider instead:

Antivirus
Star rating	4.3 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.0 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.3 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Price	$29.00–$49.00/yr (first year only)	$29.99–$249.99/yr	$29.99–$99.99/first yr
# of devices protected	4 - 8	Unlimited	1 - 10
Malware scans	Manual and scheduled	Manual and scheduled	Manual and scheduled
Real-time protection
EICAR test results	2/3	3/3	3/3
Firewall
Phishing protection
Compatibility	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Extras	Password manager, ad blocker, VPN	Parental controls, performance optimization tools, VPN	Password manager, VPN, dark web monitoring, parental controls, privacy monitor, identity theft protection, cloud backup
24/7 customer support
Learn more	Get TotalAV	Get McAfee	Get Norton 360

FAQs

Bottom line: Is Avira antivirus good?

Avira is a good antivirus software that has excellent malware protection scores. It also offers different paid plans according to your needs.

If you’re looking for a product with numerous features that are easy to use and knowledgeable customer support, you won’t go wrong with any of the Avira products.

The best antivirus software should meet all your needs at a competitive price, so don’t be afraid to look at all your options before you decide. You may pay more for premium features and additional device coverage, but a higher price usually adds extra protection and utility. (And often, you can catch sales that discount the cost.)

See how Avira compares to some of our top alternatives:

• Avira vs. Norton
• Avira vs. Bitdefender

5.0

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On Avira's website

Antivirus Software

Avira

• Tried and true real-time antivirus protection
• Free plan comes with antivirus protection, software updates, and web protection
• Can be expensive for multi-device coverage

Author Details

Patti Croft

About the Author

Patti Croft is a seasoned writer specializing in technology, with three years of experience. With a B.S. in Computer Science and a background as a technical analyst and security specialist, she covers a range of topics like data security and parental control software.

Steph Trejos