⚡ Quick Verdict:
- Pricing: Avast products run Free Antivirus at $0, Premium Security at $49.99/first yr, Ultimate at $49.99/first yr. Virtual Shield starts at $9.58/mo.
- Best for: Avast VPN for people who want a plain vpn app on many devices. Virtual Shield for people who want antivirus protection and identity protection in one account.
- Key difference: Avast SecureLine VPN supports OpenVPN, WireGuard, and its own Mimic protocol. Virtual Shield bundles dark web monitoring that no Avast VPN plan includes.
- Our pick: Avast VPN, rated 3.7 against Virtual Shield’s 3.5, mostly because the 60 day free trial lets you test it before any money leaves your account.
Two security brands. Two different ideas of what a vpn should be.
Avast VPN sells a lean vpn app that hides your ip address and encrypts your internet connection.
Virtual Shield sells all around security instead, with antivirus protection and identity protection bundled in.
In my not so humble opinion, that gap decides this matchup before you read a single speed chart.
Here is how both stack up in this crazy world of leaked data and public network snooping.
Overview
This Avast VPN vs Virtual Shield comparison covers pricing, servers, speed, security features, and support.
Our sources are published documentation, pricing pages, speed tests, and public user reviews.
Our writers also spent hands-on time inside each vpn app.
Those notes sit in the “What Our Team Noticed” sections below.
By the end you will know which service fits your budget and your devices.
What is Avast VPN?
Avast SecureLine VPN is a virtual private network built by Avast, the antivirus company.
It routes your traffic through an encrypted vpn tunnel and swaps your real ip address.
The service runs on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Android TV.
One subscription covers up to 10 devices, so you are never stuck on one device.
Its sole purpose is privacy on the wire, not device cleanup or credit monitoring.
Here is the interface you get after you install and open the windows app.
Avast VPN
A simple vpn service from a name most people already know. Smart VPN mode can automatically connect on public wi fi. The 60 day trial is the longest in this category.
Avast VPN Pricing
Here is what Avast products cost in 2026. Let’s break it down.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free Antivirus | Free | Basic Avast antivirus with no payment information |
| Premium Security | $49.99/first yr | Device security across multiple platforms |
| Ultimate | $49.99/first yr | Security plus AntiTrack, Cleanup, and the vpn |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Free trial: Yes. The 60 day free trial covers every supported platform. You must add payment information first, but nothing is charged until the 60 day trial ends.
Money back guarantee: Paid Avast products carry a 30-day refund window from the purchase date.
📌 Note: Free Antivirus does not include the vpn. You need Ultimate, or a standalone SecureLine licence, to use Avast SecureLine VPN on your devices.
⚠️ Pricing conflict flagged: The table above is our recorded bundle pricing. Sold on its own, standard yearly subscriptions land between $3.99 and $4.59 per month: $4.59 on the one-year plan, $4.29 on the two-year plan, $4.39 on the three-year plan. There is no monthly plan. First-year prices also renew higher, so check the renewal figure before you buy.
Key Benefits of Avast VPN
Here is what makes this vpn service worth a look:
- 60 Day Free Trial: Two months of full access beats the 7-day or 30-day free trials most vpns offer. You can run your own speed tests before paying.
- Smart VPN Mode: You set rules once and the app follows them. It can automatically connect on public wi fi, banking sites, or torrenting servers.
- Protocol Choice: The app supports the OpenVPN protocol, WireGuard, and Avast’s own Mimic protocol for networks that block normal vpn traffic.
- Kill Switch: If the connection drops, the kill switch cuts your internet rather than leaking traffic outside the tunnel.
- Purpose-Built Servers: Streaming servers and torrenting servers are labelled inside the app, and Avast tunes them to avoid throttling during heavy downloads.
- Wide Device Support: The android app, the iOS build, the windows app, Mac, and Android TV all come from one account. Ten simultaneous connections is generous.
- Everyday Privacy Wins: Masking your location blocks price discrimination at checkout and stops your provider from profiling your browsing data.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer ran Avast SecureLine VPN on a Windows laptop and an Android phone for everyday browsing. Here is what stood out:
The same session, recorded on video, shows the connect flow and server picker.
Avast VPN Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- 60 day free trial on every platform, longer than almost any rival offers
- Up to 10 devices on one subscription, including Android TV
- OpenVPN, WireGuard, and the Mimic protocol all ship in the same app
- Smart VPN mode and a kill switch handle protection without daily babysitting
- Beginner-friendly app that is easy to navigate on first launch
❌ Cons
- Only about 700 servers in 34 countries, small next to most vpns
- No independent audit of the no-logs policy
- The 2024 FTC settlement over the Jumpshot data sale still shadows the brand
- Speeds fall off sharply on distant servers
What is Virtual Shield?
Virtual Shield is a security suite that happens to include a vpn.
The VirtualShield VPN encrypts your traffic using a randomly generated connection id for each session.
That randomly generated connection keeps your ip address from tying sessions together.
Around it sits antivirus protection, ransomware defence, webcam privacy, and identity protection.
It also scans the dark web for your private data and alerts you when something surfaces.
The pitch is all around security for people who do not want to manage several apps.
The dashboard below shows how the suite groups those tools on one screen.
Virtual Shield
One account for vpn, antivirus, and identity protection. Dark web alerts guard your online identity. Support is 24/7 live chat, with premium phone support as a paid add-on.
Virtual Shield Pricing
Here is what Virtual Shield costs in 2026. Let’s break it down.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $9.58/mo | A single user who only wants the vpn |
| Plus | $13.75/mo | VPN plus antivirus on a household account |
| Ultimate | $20.41/mo | Full suite with data removal and dark web alerts |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Free trial: None. There are no free trials here, so testing means paying first.
Money back guarantee: 30 days from the purchase date on every plan.
📌 Note: Basic covers three devices. The family option lifts your account’s simultaneous connections to fifteen, which is the cheapest route for a household.
⚠️ Warning: Billing is charged upfront for the whole contract, not as monthly maintenance. Add-ons stack on top of your existing plan: unrestricted streaming at $9.99/mo, premium phone support at $14.99/mo, Protection Plus at $12.99/mo. Some customers say they only finally cancelled after a dispute, and the company does not offer refunds past the 30-day window. Save your account id.
Key Benefits of Virtual Shield
Here is where this service earns its keep:
- One Account, Three Jobs: VPN, antivirus protection, and identity protection ship together. No juggling separate subscriptions or renewal dates.
- Dark Web Monitoring: The suite watches breach dumps for your private data and sends alerts. That is an extra layer Avast VPN alone does not give you.
- Family Coverage: Fifteen devices on the family plan, against three devices on Basic.
- Responsive Support: 24/7 live chat with a support team that reviewers call super helpful. Agents respond in minutes rather than days.
- Ransomware and Webcam Controls: Offline files and your camera both get protection, which matters more than most buyers expect.
- Streaming Access: Netflix content, Hulu, and Amazon Prime generally load once you are vpn connected, though premium streaming is a paid add-on.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer set up a Virtual Shield account, ran a first scan, and tested a few server locations. Here is what stood out:
Virtual Shield Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Bundles vpn, antivirus, and identity protection in one account
- Dark web monitoring and breach alerts protect your online identity
- Family plan covers fifteen devices
- 24/7 live chat drives a 4.6/5 Trustpilot customer experience score
❌ Cons
- Roughly 20 servers in 12 countries, tiny against other vpn providers
- US base sits inside the Five Eyes alliance
- No free tier, and add-ons cost a lot more money on top
- No split tunneling and no browser extensions
Feature Comparison
Ready for the detailed Avast VPN vs Virtual Shield breakdown? We will walk through 10 areas that decide which vpn service fits your life.
| Feature | Avast VPN | Virtual Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $49.99/first yr | $9.58/mo |
| Free Plan or Trial | ✅ 60 day trial | ❌ |
| Server Network | ~700 in 34 countries | ~20 in 12 countries |
| Kill Switch | ✅ | ✅ |
| Split Tunneling | ✅ | ❌ |
| Antivirus Built In | ❌ (separate Avast product) | ✅ |
| Identity Protection | ❌ | ✅ |
| Independent Audit | ❌ | ❌ |
| Devices Included | 10 | 3 (15 on family) |
| Best For | Plain vpn on many devices | All around security in one app |
1. Server Network & Locations
Avast VPN: The avast secureline vpn servers number around 700 across 34 countries. Many vpns offer a larger network, which limits your options for speed and routing here. Coverage still reaches Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East.
Virtual Shield: Roughly 20 servers in 12 countries. Fewer server locations means more congestion at peak hours and fewer regions to connect from. Against other vpn providers this is the weakest part of the package.
2. Speed & Performance
Avast VPN: Performance is inconsistent. Nearby servers hold a fast connection, but distant hops drop hard in published speed tests and stress tests. Avast does tune its network to avoid throttling during heavy data activity.
Virtual Shield: The marketing promises high speed servers and fast speeds. In practice a 20-server network cannot spread load well, so results swing by time of day. Neither of these is a fast vpn by 2026 standards.
3. Privacy, Logs & Audits
Avast VPN: Avast is based in the Czech Republic, outside the main data-sharing alliances. It records timestamps, data volume, and connection details, but says it keeps no identifiable logs. No independent audit backs that claim, and the Jumpshot subsidiary previously sold antivirus user data without consent.
Virtual Shield: The company claims no activity logs but is based in the USA, inside the Five Eyes alliance. Jurisdiction is an important factor here. It has also never published independent audits, and ownership details stay thin.
⚠️ Warning: In February 2024 the US Federal Trade Commission ordered Avast to pay $16.5 million for compromising consumer privacy. If security and privacy history is your deciding factor, read that ruling before you buy. The best vpns publish third-party audits; neither service here does.
4. Encryption & VPN Protocols
Avast VPN: You get the OpenVPN protocol, WireGuard, and the proprietary Mimic protocol. Mimic disguises vpn traffic as ordinary web traffic, which helps on networks that block tunnels outright. Protocol choice is a real edge over the runner up.
Virtual Shield: Encryption is AES-256 with ChaCha20-Poly1305, and OpenVPN is the primary transport. There is no WireGuard and no IKEv2. Fewer options mean less room to trade speed for more security.
5. Streaming & Content Access
Avast VPN: The streaming servers handle Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video reasonably well. Results are mixed elsewhere, and users report trouble with Hulu and BBC iPlayer. Prime Video is the steadier of the two catalogues.
Virtual Shield: Netflix content and Amazon Prime usually load, but the unrestricted streaming add-on costs $9.99 a month on top. Paying twice to watch a show is a hard sell.
6. Kill Switch & Leak Protection
Avast VPN: The kill switch cuts your internet the moment the tunnel fails. DNS leak protection and WebRTC leak protection are handled inside the app, so your real address stays hidden when a session ends badly.
Virtual Shield: There is a kill switch that blocks traffic if the vpn connection drops, and the app passes basic checks for dns leaks. Documentation is thinner, so you are trusting the vendor more than the evidence.
7. Antivirus & Identity Protection
Avast VPN: The vpn itself carries none of this. Avast antivirus, AntiTrack, and BreachGuard are separate products in the same family, which means separate licences to manage.
Virtual Shield: This is the strongest card in its hand. Antivirus protection, ransomware defence, webcam privacy, data removal, and dark web monitoring all sit under one login and one billing date.
8. Device Support & Apps
Avast VPN: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Android TV, with 10 simultaneous connections. Split tunneling ships on the windows app and the android app. Reviewers call the app easy to navigate for beginners.
Virtual Shield: Apps cover the major platforms, and the download and install flow takes a few minutes. There are no browser extensions and no split tunneling. Basic stops at three devices.
9. Customer Support
Avast VPN: Support runs through the website knowledge base and ticketing. Some buyers describe Avast tech support as unhelpful and slow to respond, which is a fair thing to weigh before a yearly commitment.
Virtual Shield: This is where Virtual Shield earns extra points. The support team is on live chat around the clock, and premium phone support is available for buyers who want a human on the line.
10. Pricing & Cost
Let’s put the plans side by side.
| Tier | Avast VPN | Virtual Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free Antivirus: Free | ❌ No free plan |
| Entry | Premium Security: $49.99/first yr | Basic: $9.58/mo |
| Mid | — | Plus: $13.75/mo |
| Top | Ultimate: $49.99/first yr | Ultimate: $20.41/mo |
Avast VPN: A yearly bill of $49.99 for the first year works out cheaper than a single quarter of Virtual Shield Basic. The catch is renewal pricing, which climbs after year one.
Virtual Shield: At $9.58/mo for Basic you are paying suite money for vpn-only service. Ultimate at $20.41/mo makes more sense, because that is where antivirus and identity work actually arrive.
Different Scenarios
| If You Need… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| To test before paying | Avast VPN | 60 day trial, no charge upfront |
| Antivirus and identity in one | Virtual Shield | Bundled suite, single login |
| More server locations | Avast VPN | 34 countries against 12 |
| Round-the-clock help | Virtual Shield | 24/7 live chat |
| Ten devices covered | Avast VPN | Basic rivals stop at three |
| Protocol flexibility | Avast VPN | WireGuard and Mimic included |
💰 Your Budget
Avast VPN is cheaper per year at every comparable tier. Virtual Shield only makes budget sense if you were already paying separately for antivirus and identity monitoring.
🔌 Your Tech Stack
Android TV users have one option here, and it is Avast. If you want browser extensions, neither service delivers, so look at other vpn providers.
🔒 Your Security Needs
For plain online privacy on public wi fi, a good vpn is enough and Avast does that job. If you want breach alerts guarding your identity as well, Virtual Shield covers more ground.
🎓 Your Experience Level
Both are built for beginners, not tinkerers. Smart VPN rules give Avast a small edge for people who would rather not think about their online activities at all.
🆓 Free Trials and Demos
Two months free against nothing free is not a close call. Virtual Shield asks you to buy first and rely on the money back guarantee instead.
🛟 Support Options
Virtual Shield wins outright. Live chat plus optional phone help beats a ticket queue, and a satisfied customer base on Trustpilot backs that up.
Switching Guide
Already paying for one of them? Here is what changes.
🔄 Switching from Avast VPN to Virtual Shield?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Antivirus, ransomware defence, and webcam privacy inside the same app
- Dark web monitoring and data removal for leaked personal records
- 24/7 live chat, with premium phone support if you want it
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Around 680 servers and 22 countries of coverage
- WireGuard, the Mimic protocol, and split tunneling
- Seven device slots and the Android TV app
📋 How to switch:
- Turn off auto-renewal in your Avast account, then confirm by email
- Buy a Virtual Shield plan and note your account id
- Install the app on each device and run the first antivirus scan
🔄 Switching from Virtual Shield to Avast VPN?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- A far bigger network with routes labelled for streaming
- Smart VPN rules that automatically connect on untrusted networks
- Ten device slots and a genuinely long trial window
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Bundled antivirus and identity protection
- Dark web alerts on your private data
- Live chat that answers in minutes
📋 How to switch:
- Cancel inside the 30-day window, since the business does not offer refunds later
- Start the 60 day free trial and add payment information
- Download the app, connect, and confirm a successful connection with a leak test
What Our Review Didn’t Cover
We focused on home users on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. We did not test business deployments, router setups, or Linux. We also could not verify either no-logs policy independently, because neither company has published an audit. Long-term renewal pricing changes often, so confirm the figure on the website before you commit.
Final Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| 💰 Pricing | Avast VPN |
| 🌐 Server Network | Avast VPN |
| ⚡ Speed & Performance | Avast VPN |
| 🔐 Protocols & Leak Protection | Avast VPN |
| 📺 Streaming | Avast VPN |
| 🛡️ All Around Security Suite | Virtual Shield |
| 📞 Customer Support | Virtual Shield |
| 🏆 Overall Winner | Avast VPN |
🏆 WINNER: AVAST VPN
Avast VPN wins 5 of 7 categories.
Best for: households with many devices, travellers on hotel wi fi, and anyone who wants to try before paying
These two are not really the same product. Avast VPN is a vpn. Virtual Shield is a security bundle with a vpn inside it.
Judged purely as a way to protect your internet connection, Avast wins on servers, protocols, device count, and price. Neither company has an audit to show, so treat both no-logs claims as promises rather than proof.
Virtual Shield still deserves a look if bundled identity work matters to you, and its support turns most buyers into a valued customer quickly. For everyone else, start the Avast trial and decide with your own results.
More of Avast VPN Compared
Here is how Avast VPN lands against other names buyers shortlist:
Avast VPN wins on: a 60-day trial window, the Mimic protocol for restricted networks, a simpler first-run setup
NordVPN wins on: thousands more servers, an audited no-logs policy, faster long-distance routing
Avast VPN vs ExpressVPN
Avast VPN wins on: lower first-year cost, ten device slots instead of eight, a longer risk-free window
ExpressVPN wins on: 94-country coverage, router firmware, published third-party audits
Avast VPN wins on: the trial length, Android TV support out of the box, protocol variety with Mimic
SurfsharkVPN wins on: unlimited devices, cheaper multi-year pricing, a built-in ad and tracker blocker
Avast VPN vs McAfee VPN
Avast VPN wins on: standalone availability without an antivirus bundle, WireGuard support, labelled torrenting routes
McAfee VPN wins on: unlimited devices on family tiers, deeper identity monitoring, wider retail bundling
More of Virtual Shield Compared
And here is where Virtual Shield sits among rival suites:
Virtual Shield wins on: bundled antivirus, dark web alerts in the base app, live chat at any hour
NordVPN wins on: server count by three orders of magnitude, independent audits, far lower monthly cost
Virtual Shield vs AuraVPN
Virtual Shield wins on: ransomware protection, webcam controls, a fifteen-device family tier
AuraVPN wins on: credit-file monitoring, cheaper annual billing, clearer renewal terms
Virtual Shield wins on: the identity bundle, phone support option, one-screen setup for non-technical buyers
ProtonVPN wins on: a real free tier, Swiss jurisdiction, open-source and audited apps
Virtual Shield vs CyberGhost
Virtual Shield wins on: antivirus in the same login, breach alerts, chat response times
CyberGhost wins on: dedicated streaming servers, a 45-day refund window, seven simultaneous devices
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Avast VPN actually work?
Yes. It hides your ip address and encrypts traffic on public networks. Nearby servers perform well, but distant ones slow down noticeably.
Is Avast SecureLine VPN safe to use?
The encryption and kill switch are sound. The catch is trust: no independent audit exists, and the 2024 FTC settlement over data sales is worth reading first.
How much is Avast VPN per month?
There is no monthly plan. Yearly subscriptions work out near $4.59 a month on one year and $4.29 on two years. Bundle pricing starts at $49.99 for year one.
What does VirtualShield do?
It bundles a vpn with antivirus, ransomware defence, webcam privacy, and dark web monitoring. One subscription covers everything, with a family tier for fifteen devices.
Is VirtualShield legit?
Yes, and it holds a 4.6/5 Trustpilot score. Complaints centre on upfront billing and paid add-ons rather than the software itself. Cancel inside 30 days if it disappoints.
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