No matter how secure you think your Mac is, it makes good sense to use a VPN while online. VPNs can mask your identity, protect your privacy, and lets you access to favorite web content no matter where you are.
Avast SecureLine VPN for Mac offers you enhanced onlie privacy on up to five devices and has no bandwidth limits. The app offers two protocols, IPSec and OpenVPN on UDP with AES 256-bit encryption. This kind of encryption is military-grade and is widely considered by many to be ‘brute-force proof’ This encryption strength is used by numerous government agencies and security professionals globally. Along with AES 256-bit encryption Avast SecureLine also offers DNS leak protection as well.
A stand-out feature of the software is Avast SecureLine's kill switch – which protects your privacy if your connection is ever lost. When Avast SecureLine detects your network connection will terminate, the app automatically kills your current session as well, clever, right?!
Key Features:
- AES-256 encryption
- Kill-Switch
- DNS leak protection
- Torrent Support.
- No Logs.
- Customer Support.
Avast SecureLine VPN automatically installs a device profile in your System Preferences to handle your VPN connection but also provides a user-friendly interface for connecting to the service. In addition, Avast SecureLine VPN can detect if you are using an unsecured WiFi network and prompt you to activate the VPN, or even connect automatically. Avast SecureLine VPN for Windows and Mac - FAQs This article answers the most common questions about Avast SecureLine VPN on Windows and Mac. For information about Avast SecureLine VPN on mobile devices, refer to the following article.
Avast Secureline VPN also comes in a Windows version and mobile apps for iOS and Android, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play, respectively.
Overall, Avast Secureline VPN is a well built, solid VPN client. The interface is clean and minimalist, which makes it easy to use and simple to operate. However, it’s worth noting that Avast Secureline VPN doesn't have router support and won’t work with Netflix.
Today's best Avast SecureLine VPN deals
Like some other antivirus makers, Avast has added a VPN service to its list of computer-security products, hoping to get existing customers to buy an additional service. But while Avast SecureLine performs reasonably well as a VPN, its features are limited and its pricing scheme, while recently simplified, is still confusing when compared to full-featured VPN providers such as Private Internet Access.
Costs and What's Covered
SecureLine VPN does the basics well, with compatibility for Windows PCs, Macs, iOS and Android devices. It integrates well with Avast's antivirus software, but there's no way to make SecureLine VPN work with Linux, Chromebook computers or open-source routers.
SecureLine's weeklong free trial might be enough to cover your next trip, and it's a great way to try out a VPN. There's no limit on how much data you can use, either during the trial period or in general. However, the rival Avira Phantom VPN lets you use up to 1GB of data for free every month, and the Opera VPN mobile apps are both unlimited and free.
After your trial week with SecureLine is up, you'll need to navigate Avast's somewhat confusing pricing structure. You can pay $59.99 per year for a single PC license. Three PCs cost $69.99 per year; five are $79.99, and 10 cost $99.99. (These prices are temporarily discounted to $47.99, $37.99, $63.99 and $79.99, respectively.)
Avast used to charge for each Mac, but has simplified things so that Mac software simply costs $59.99 per year. To use SecureLine with iOS or Android devices, you'll need to get a separate license that costs $19.99 per year, per platform.
Any of these is half off with the purchase of a yearly Windows license, but the Mac license gets you a discount only on the Windows one. Because the mobile licenses aren't tied to a single device, they are handy for individuals (or families) who own both smartphones and tablets.
Avast Free Vpn For Pc
As you can imagine, these licenses could add up quickly. A family with two Windows PCs, a Mac, and various iOS and Android devices would pay at least $120 per year for SecureLine VPN. This is how antivirus subscriptions are sold, but it makes no sense to do this with VPN services.
Fortunately, Avast in the summer of 2017 saw the error of its ways and introduced a multi-device license that lets you use the software on up to five devices, of any platform, for $79.99 per year.
You can pay with a credit card, PayPal or wire transfer. Sorry, but there's no Bitcoin option.
Features and Interface
With a couple of dozen servers in 19 countries, SecureLine has far fewer connection points than full-featured VPN services, which have hundreds or even thousands of servers scattered across the globe. Still, this limited number of access points should be fine for most travelers.
The SecureLine interface is pretty much the same between mobile and desktop devices, and it's clean, bright and easy to navigate. One downside of basing everything on the mobile interface is that the SecureLine desktop interface stuffs everything into a tiny window that can't be enlarged.
SecureLine also has fewer configuration options than other VPN providers. You can't switch among VPN protocols, which are fixed to OpenVPN for Windows and Android, and IPSec for Mac and iOS. Nor can you set the VPN service to connect automatically upon system startup or when a device connects to an unsafe Wi-Fi network.
There's a helpful VPN configuration page in the app for iPads and iPhones. Unlike some VPN providers, SecureLine lacks ad blocking on any platform.
Privacy Protections
Like most VPN providers, SecureLine VPN uses the AES-256 protocol to encrypt data transmissions. Because Avast doesn't accept payment in Bitcoin, gift cards or other virtual currencies, you'll need to use your real name when registering for the service. Avast says it does log your connection information when you use SecureLine VPN. There's no 'kill switch' option to cut off all internet activity if the connection to the VPN server is lost.
Avast SecureLine VPN is owned and operated by Avast Software, a Czech company. That may seem obvious, but some other VPN operators are hidden behind shell companies registered in offshore tax havens. The Czech Republic generally operates using European Union privacy laws.
Performance
Among the VPN services we tested, Avast SecureLine's performance was generally in the middle of the pack. It had a slow connection time of 12.3 seconds and a network latency — how long data takes to get to its destination — of 37 milliseconds, more than double the latency without the VPN running.
While connected to SecureLine VPN, our Lenovo X1 Yoga test system downloaded data at an average rate of 37 megabits per second (Mbps), representing a respectable 30 percent drop from the non-VPN rate of 53.1 Mbps.
SecureLine uploaded data at an average rate of 16.5 Mbps, representing a 14 percent drop from the non-VPN rate of 19.3 Mbps. It required no reconnections during testing.
However, when we downloaded a 428MB video file while connected to SecureLine VPN, it took a slow 14 minutes and 21 seconds — a 376 percent slowdown from the non-VPN time of 3:01. Only Avira Phantom VPN and PureVPN took longer. Private Internet Access downloaded the same file in 4 and a half minutes.
Setup and Customer Support
It takes about 4 minutes to download and set up the SecureLine software on a PC or Mac. Installing the iOS or Android app takes about a minute, the same as most other apps.
Because Avast SecureLine is a paid service, its customers get email support during European business hours, which is better than the forums and FAQs available to users of Avast's free antivirus software. But to get Avast's premium, 24/7 telephone tech support, you'll have to pay a fee ranging from $79 to $299.
Bottom Line
If you already use Avast security products, adding SecureLine might be a no-brainer. But until Avast revamps its confusing pricing structure, you'll get more for your money if you opt for a full-featured VPN provider such as Private Internet Access or CyberGhost.
Specs
Client software platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Native support platforms: None
Supported protocols: IPSec (Mac/iOS), OpenVPN (Windows/Android)
No. of servers: 27
No. of countries: 19
Country of registration: Czech Republic
Payment options: Credit card, PayPal
Real name necessary? Yes
Encryption protocol: AES-256
Data usage: Unlimited
Bandwidth usage: Unlimited
Max. no, of simultaneously connected devices: n/a
Customer support: 24/7 telephone
Privacy policy: Logs connection information