Avast vs AVG
A comparison with a twist. Since 2016 these are two brands of the same company (Gen Digital) running the same detection engine. The lab scores are near-identical, on purpose.
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Avast One
The most complete free plan, with an asterisk on privacy history.
AVG Internet Security
Avast’s twin. Same engine, different jacket.
Prices last checked on
| Feature | Avast One | AVG Internet Security |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 4.3 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Price | From $4.09/mo | From $4.99/mo |
| Renews at | $77.99/yr | $99.99/yr |
| Free plan | ||
| Best for | Free users wanting extras | Free users, simple needs |
| Category | Free & built-in | Free & built-in |
| Provider | Gen Digital | Gen Digital |
| Visit Avast One | Visit AVG Internet Security |
What year two costs
On the vendors’ own pages, read September 8, 2026: Avast One renews at $77.99 a year after a $49.08 first year (up 58.9%); AVG Internet Security's page could not be verified on September 8, 2026, so no amount is quoted for it. Across the 9 vendors that print a renewal price, the median increase is 58.9% and the average 64.3%; every vendor with its source is in the Renewal Price Index, and the entry prices of both sit side by side in the Price Index.
Our verdict
There is no protection winner here because the engine is shared. AV-TEST gives Avast and AVG the same marks, and the AV-Comparatives ratings for both sit on the lab's own page rather than here. Choose on the shell around the engine.
Avast One has the more modern interface and the more generous free extras, including a limited VPN, while AVG keeps things plainer and pushes upgrades a little harder. We lean Avast for most people. What you should not do is pay for both, or believe marketing that presents them as competing products.
Are Avast and AVG the same thing? Same company and same engine, yes, but not the same purchase. Avast bought AVG in 2016, and in 2022 Avast merged with NortonLifeLock to form Gen Digital, which now also owns Norton, Avira, and LifeLock. Where they do differ is what a subscription covers and what it costs.
com for that side. Count your devices before you follow our lean toward Avast, because the plan that covers more of them is the cheaper shell for a big household.
Judge year two on the renewal row rather than on the first-year price, because a shared engine is paid for from the second year on, and that is where a head start in year one stops mattering. One practical consequence of the shared engine is worth spelling out.
Switching from one to the other does not change what gets blocked. If you are unhappy with detection, moving between these two brands solves nothing, and you need a different vendor entirely. If you find you are paying for both, keep the interface you prefer, uninstall the other, and switch off its auto-renewal.
Running two real-time scanners side by side causes conflicts rather than extra safety, so there is no reason to leave the second one in place.
“Still the most complete free antivirus, and the paid tier is a decent suite. We dock points for history. In 2024 the FTC fined Avast $16.5 million for selling browsing data through its Jumpshot subsidiary. The protection is excellent. Just go in with open eyes.”Editorial team, on Avast One
“The same Gen Digital engine as Avast in a different shell, with the same strong lab results. Choose between AVG and Avast on interface taste alone. Paying for both would be paying twice for one product.”Editorial team, on AVG Internet Security
Frequently asked questions
Is Avast better than AVG?
Not on protection, because they run the same detection engine. Avast and AVG have been one company since 2016, AV-TEST gives the two the same marks, and the AV-Comparatives ratings for both are on the lab's own page, linked from each product page here. So choose on the shell around the engine. Avast One has the more modern interface and the more generous free extras, including a limited VPN, while AVG stays plainer and pushes upgrades harder. We lean Avast.
Is AVG and Avast the same company?
Yes. Avast bought AVG in 2016, and both brands now sit under Gen Digital, the company formed when Avast merged with NortonLifeLock in 2022, which also owns Norton, Avira, and LifeLock. One company, one shared detection engine, two interfaces. They are still sold as separate products with separate subscriptions, so pick one and pay once.
Is the free version of Avast or AVG enough?
For a lot of people, yes. Avast One Essential includes the full antivirus engine, 5 GB of VPN traffic per week, and basic privacy tools. AVG AntiVirus Free uses the same engine as the paid tier with basic web protection on Windows, Mac, and Android. Paying adds an unlimited VPN at Avast and a firewall and webcam shield at AVG, not better detection.
What do Avast and AVG cost if I do pay?
Avast One's paid tier and what it renews at are in the table above, read on Avast's page in September 2026. AVG's page gave no readable price at that same reading, which the year-two block above says in so many words, so for AVG take the current figure from avg.com before you compare the two on price. Whichever way that comparison falls, judge it on the renewal row, because that is what a shared engine costs from year two.
Should I worry about Avast's privacy history?
It deserves a mention before you buy. In 2024 the FTC ordered Avast to pay $16.5 million for selling user browsing data through its former Jumpshot unit. The practice has stopped and the settlement is public. Switching to AVG does not move you to a different company, since both sit under Gen Digital. Weigh it openly, then decide.