At a GlanceExpert’s Score
Execs
Robust safety with an affordable subscription worth
Nicely designed and person pleasant
Affords a bunch of options within the areas of safety, privateness, and efficiency
Cons
No subscription possibility for fewer than 5 units
Simplicity of app feels barely at odds with the depth of the PC instruments
Our Verdict
With its clear, pared-down interface, Avira Prime is among the higher newbie-friendly antivirus suites we’ve seen, particularly with its robust on-line safety. Its options embody a password supervisor and VPN entry, together with a beneficiant serving to of PC utilities to tune up your laptop. Nonetheless, with how superior a few of these PC instruments are, Avira Prime will doubtless really feel finest to customers who wish to begin easy however develop into extra energetic, complicated PC administration.
Worth When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Greatest Pricing In the present day
Avira Operations GmbH
$59.99
Worth When Reviewed5 units: $9.99/mo I $59.99/yr I $204.99/2yrs
Greatest Costs In the present day: Avira Prime
Avira Operations GmbH
$59.99
Tucked inside Home windows are completely different utilities to guard and handle your PC — however not all are simply discovered, a lot much less in a single spot or in an instantly comprehensible format.
Unbiased antivirus software program suites attempt to capitalize on this weak point, however Avira Prime stands out within the area for its strategy. Rivals often go together with both a simplified or superior strategy to controls and utilities. In the meantime, Avira mixed an especially pared-down, newbie-friendly interface with a boatload of PC utilities that go startlingly deep.
Not all these instruments work out fairly in addition to marketed, however if you wish to have PC upkeep demystified for you, Avira Prime can get you began — whereas nonetheless offering robust risk safety.
Learn on to study extra, then see our roundup of the perfect antivirus for Home windows PCs for comparability.
What does Avira Prime embody?
On the core of this safety suite are its malware, community, and net defenses. The antivirus engine scans constantly for real-time threats, together with ransomware, shady web sites, and malicious downloads. In the meantime, the firewall blocks potential community intrusions and suspicious app site visitors. The subscription additionally comes with two providers that shield in opposition to on-line risks: a password supervisor and a vast VPN. Rounding out the safeguards is darkish net monitoring, which retains watch in your info in knowledge leaks and breaches.
Avira Prime is the corporate’s prime antivirus plan, nevertheless it competes with mid-tier choices from different antivirus distributors.PCWorld
Avira Prime contains PC efficiency instruments as nicely, however in contrast to different antivirus suites, it’s distinctive in what number of it presents. You get utilities to hurry up your laptop, save your laptop computer’s battery life, hold your apps and drivers updated, enhance sport efficiency, discover duplicate information hogging storage, and shred delicate knowledge. Avira Prime additionally has a wealth of backup choices that transcend simply information—you’ll be able to again up and restore your Home windows registry and grasp boot report, too.
Surprisingly, Avira Prime doesn’t include any parental controls—in truth, the Avira web site factors customers to Home windows’ personal set of content material filters, app controls, and deadlines.
How a lot does Avira Prime value?
For those who purchase from Avira immediately, the Avira Prime subscription prices $60 for the primary 12 months, then will increase to $110 afterward. A free 60-day trial exists, although you have to put down cost data at sign-up.
There’s a separate 60-day money-back assure for annual plans, and a 14-day refund window for month-to-month plans. Avira routinely enrolls subscribers into auto-renewal at sign-up.
Avira Prime (5-devices)
$60 for the primary 12 months
$110 per 12 months thereafter
The default plan for Avira Prime contains 5 units, however in the event you want extra, you’ll be able to improve to the 25-device plan for $135 per 12 months. Your gadget restrict may be shared as you see match, and throughout Home windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Nonetheless, in contrast to a real household plan (which helps you to share throughout separate accounts), you’ll have to make use of your one account to log in to every gadget.
Not like with extra well-liked antivirus suites, you’ll be able to’t purchase Avira Prime subscription codes at a reduction from third-party retailers.
Key options of Avira Prime
Set up and person interface
Upon set up, Avira Prime exhibits a immediate to begin a wise scan—which you’ll proceed with or select to be reminded about later. (It’s suggested to carry out the scan.)
The app has an easy-to-navigate interface, with a darkish gray-and-black theme because the default. (You possibly can swap it to a lightweight theme by going into the settings.) Like many different antivirus applications, the structure is break up between a left navigation bar and a predominant panel. Avira’s tackle this customary feels cleaner and extra trendy, although—partly because of the simplicity of its options and settings.
The Avira app’s standing display screen, proper after the preliminary good scan.PCWorld
The left navbar has simply 4 predominant choices. On the prime is Standing, which exhibits the standing display screen you’ll see each time reopening this system. Nonetheless, as a substitute of serving as a dashboard, it solely enables you to run a wise scan or see Avira’s newest evaluation of your PC. To run different scans you have to head to the Safety tab, which has choices for full, fast, or customized virus scans. The safety tab additionally provides entry to safety settings, quarantine, the software program updater software, and the firewall. Extra safeguards just like the password supervisor and VPN stay beneath Privateness, together with the file shredder, privateness settings, and hyperlinks to the Avira Secure Procuring browser extension, Avira safe browser, and darkish net monitoring within the Avira net portal.
As for the various PC utilities bundled with Avira Prime, you could find these in Efficiency, which both pops you over to built-in Home windows instruments or to the Avira System Speedup Professional app.
The Avira System Speedup Professional app centralizes a wealth of PC utilities meant to optimize and preserve your PC.PCWorld
For those who need assistance with Avira, wish to search for data in your account, or change the software program’s settings (together with tweaks to how scans run), you’ll discover these choices as small icons on the prime proper of the app. It could actually really feel somewhat cluttered (and I’ve greater than as soon as minimized the window when aiming for the assistance choices), nevertheless it’s clear sufficient.
Virus, malware, and risk safety
Actual-time safety
Typically, Avira Prime displays for real-time threats to your PC, each on-line and offline. On the net, it watches for web sites containing phishing hyperlinks and malware, and likewise checks the site visitors going to and out of your laptop for suspicious exercise. You possibly can customise what websites are routinely blocked or allowed within the app’s settings.
In your PC, Avira examines information you open or add, in addition to downloaded emails and hooked up drives (together with community drives). Nonetheless, the software program doesn’t test archive information (e.g., zipped information) as a part of real-time scanning—you’ll must flip that on within the settings in that case desired. The app additionally doesn’t lock down particular folders as a part of its ransomware protections. As a substitute, it depends solely on its detection capabilities to cease such assaults from taking place.
Darkish net monitoring can be included with Avira Prime, although it’s stingier than most rival plans. It solely watches only one e-mail deal with (the one related along with your account) when new knowledge leaks and breaches seem on the shady facet of the web.
Scheduled and handbook scans
For scheduled scans, two of them are routinely arrange throughout set up. A fast scan will likely be carried out as soon as per week, and an energetic course of scan occurs every day.
You too can schedule your personal customized scans, or add a schedule to the opposite preconfigured scans (Full, Detachable Drive, and Home windows System). You’ll do that from Safety > Virus scans > Handle scans. When making a schedule, you’ll be able to select solely every day, weekly, or month-to-month intervals. If you would like extra subtle timing, you’ll must go together with a wholly completely different antivirus suite all collectively (e.g., ESET Residence Safety Premium).
Solely two scans are preconfigured to run on a schedule, however you’ll be able to add a recurring schedule to the opposite defaults as nicely.PCWorld
For handbook scans, you’ll be able to select Good Scan on the Standing display screen, or decide between a Full Scan and Fast Scan on the Safety > Virus Scans display screen. A Good Scan combines a test for malware, privateness, and efficiency points, whereas a Fast Scan appears for malware in generally focused areas of your laptop. A Full Scan is probably the most thorough (and what we advise you schedule at the very least as soon as a month)—it combs by way of your system information, energetic processes in Home windows, native drives, and detachable drives. You possibly can create easy customized scans as nicely, which allow you to concentrate on particular drives and/or folders, after which additionally select a frequency for scheduling in that case desired and the dealing with of suspicious information.
Scheduled and handbook scans solely test over advisable file sorts, and don’t scan information once more until they’ve modified since final marked as clear. You possibly can alter the safety settings so that each one file sorts get appeared over, nonetheless. And you may frivolously tweak what threats get flagged throughout scans. The defaults cowl most bases, however those that have riskier on-line habits might wish to activate the next degree of screening.
Avira’s superior settings allow you to tweak what sorts of threats to observe for. PCWorld
Firewall
Avira Prime takes over for Home windows’ default safety, screening all site visitors going to and out of your laptop. It has a really simple and easy interface, with a structure that’s simple to grasp and feels much less intimidating. App permissions are displayed in a easy checklist, letting you rapidly inform which Home windows applications and providers are on-line and likewise change how deeply Avira ought to belief them. Extra superior customers can alter what IP addresses are allowed to hook up with your PC, too.
Typically the default settings work nicely — most individuals shouldn’t want to regulate them.
Extra options
Avira Password Supervisor Professional
Avira Prime features a password supervisor, albeit one which feels somewhat bare-bones. On PC, the browser extension will get routinely put in, and it’s the one solution to entry the service — there’s no separate devoted web site.
Setup is comparatively simple. Whereas logged into your Avira account, you’ll create a grasp password to safeguard your vault. You completely can’t neglect this main password; in the event you neglect it, you received’t be capable of get better your account.
PCWorld
The interface is clear however fundamental, with the power to solely add passwords, notes, and bank card entries to your vault. The quantity of information you’ll be able to add to every entry kind is restricted, too, although Avira does can help you shade code and tag them for higher group.
When testing the password supervisor, I discovered that the extension picks up new login info nicely, and likewise supplies a seamless solution to decide a brand new password for an account signup. For anybody needing a password supervisor (aka everybody), this included browser is an efficient, unintimidating begin. In a pleasant contact, Avira cross-checks any vault entries in opposition to Have I Been Pwned’s knowledge breach database for any of your login data, so to be alerted and rapidly replace an entry if want be.
The one disadvantage to utilizing this included password supervisor is its settings are additionally simplified. Two-factor authentication is restricted to simply SMS codes, and you may’t set a passcode to make entry to the vault quicker and simpler. Nor are you able to set it to routinely clear the clipboard when copying login data. For these sorts of options, you’ll want to decide on a unique password supervisor.
Avira Safe Browser
For those who don’t belief Chrome, Edge, and Firefox to be safe (or don’t wish to configure them to be so), the Avira Safe Browser is another you’ll be able to set up. Like Google’s browser, it’s primarily based on Chromium, however far more locked down.
The preconfigured settings make Avira’s personal search engine the default, and routinely provides an extension that blocks trackers and commercials. Oddly, Avira’s password supervisor extension isn’t preinstalled, although you’ll be able to obtain it by yourself. However you do get a coupon extension as a part of the browser, which looks like a battle with defending person privateness.
If you would like a browser with a powerful concentrate on safety and privateness, DuckDuckGo and Courageous really feel like higher alternate options. PCWorld
Typically, this non-compulsory browser looks like a personalized model of Chrome. However whereas seemingly extra restricted, it doesn’t really forestall downloads of extensions that might compromise your safety. Nevertheless it works effective, as long as you need Avira’s guiding hand upon your software program.
Avira System Speedup Professional
Buried inside Avira Prime are a number of sub-programs — secondary apps that solely seem in the event you begin them from inside the Avira software program. Avira System Speedup Professional is one which packs in a number of PC utilities.
Arguably, this assortment of instruments is what units Avira Prime aside from its competitors. Rival safety software program often contains just some utilities in your laptop, and infrequently complicated. Avira Prime goes the additional mile by imitating or linking on to what you’ll be able to already do inside Home windows, after which wrapping it in a friendlier interface. It doesn’t simply assist determine space for storing you’ll be able to reclaim and efficiency enhancements. It goes past battery optimization, too. Dig into System Speedup and you may get a complete overview of what’s taking place along with your PC.
Avira Prime goes the additional mile by imitating or linking on to what you’ll be able to already do inside Home windows, after which wrapping it in a friendlier interface.
The difficult half about this set of PC utilities is that the app doesn’t clarify how necessary every software is. A number of qualify as “good for energy customers, however not mandatory for most individuals.”PCWorld
Want to repair Home windows points? You get a shortcut that jumps you to the Home windows settings menu for that. Suspect one thing’s incorrect with considered one of your drives? You possibly can run Avira’s disk physician scan. Unsure what providers are working in your PC, or what drivers are put in? You possibly can open lists that clearly present these particulars.
If something, the one disadvantage to the software is how a lot it covers. The distinction with the primary Avira app’s simplicity could also be an excessive amount of of a bounce for customers looking for extremely ease of use, however but nonetheless wanting greater than the suggestions made by the good scan. For instance, Avira’s backup and restore choices embody backing up the Home windows registry and the grasp boot report. The overwhelming majority of individuals won’t ever (and will by no means) contact their registry or MBR, so particular backups aren’t absolutely mandatory.
For many customers, the 2 finest utilities will doubtless be the file shredder (a safe delete software in your information) and the file encryption/decryption software (which helps you extra tightly guard particular information from prying eyes). Nonetheless, each are very simple of their interface, which can find yourself feeling too restricted if you need extra management over settings. A 3rd utility, the duplicate file finder, may be partially useful in monitoring down redundant information, nevertheless it’s not subtle sufficient to pick information an identical in knowledge however not in title.
The encryption software is a bit buried in System Speedup Professional, nevertheless it’s value discovering, since it will probably assist strengthen your safety.PCWorld
Browser extensions
When put in on the PCWorld take a look at laptop computer, Avira Prime routinely added the Avira Secure Procuring browser extension to Microsoft Edge. It serves a twin operate, performing as an additional set of defenses in opposition to on-line threats whereas additionally trying to find buying offers on the internet.
At the least it does for Edge, Opera, and Firefox. On Chrome, Avira Secure Procuring solely presents the buying help. However Chrome customers aren’t really unnoticed — they will additionally set up the Avira Browser Security extension, which handles these on-line protections.
Regardless of which browser you employ, the extension’s utility feels restricted. Its main profit is the addition of visible badges to sign protected hyperlinks in search outcomes — however that characteristic solely works when utilizing Bing. It does additionally block adverts and trackers, as long as you go into the settings and swap it on. Nonetheless, different glorious extensions (like uBlock Origin) can deal with these jobs as nicely, and accomplish that routinely.
VPN
Accessing the VPN by way of the Avira app is rather less handy than different antivirus suites. To get began, you have to navigate to Privateness > VPN. There you can begin the VPN with fundamental settings, or open Avira Phantom VPN Professional companion app by clicking on the Superior settings hyperlink.
The Avira Phantom VPN Professional app is the one solution to alter these superior settings. You possibly can activate automated web shut-off when the VPN connection drops, auto-connect when on Wi-Fi, launch at Home windows startup, and the blocking of malicious websites and content material. None of those settings are on by default.
Deciding on a location and connecting to it are simple in each Avira Prime and Avira Phantom VPN Professional, however I most well-liked the Avira Prime app since you’ll be able to maximize the window and see extra of the out there servers at one time.
Avira’s VPN enables you to select particular cities for some nations, like the united statesPCWorld
For servers, you get a alternative of 35 nations, with three English-language nations providing particular cities for choice: Australia (Perth, Sydney), Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (London, Manchester), United States (Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York Metropolis, Newark, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, Streaming, Washington DC).
Buyer help
For assist with Avira Prime, you’ll be able to lean on the corporate’s data base, neighborhood boards, or help crew — however discovering every generally is a little circuitous. The simplest solution to discover all three is by clicking the query mark icon within the upper-right of the Avira app, then selecting Contact help. The help web page on the Avira net portal will open, which has hyperlinks to all types of help, together with chat, e-mail, and telephone help. Nonetheless, I did run into authentication points with the neighborhood boards in Microsoft Edge on a secondary PC, which was solely mounted by deleting cookies and logging into the portal once more.
Updates and upkeep
By default, Avira Prime routinely checks for virus and app updates each two hours, although you’ll be able to alter this time interval to be roughly frequent (as typically as half-hour or as delayed as 12 hours). You too can run a handbook replace, which is buried within the assist menu. To entry the choice, you have to click on on the query mark icon within the upper-right nook of the app, then selected About.
Efficiency
Avira’s antivirus engine typically protects nicely in opposition to malware. In AV-Take a look at’s zero-day assault and malware analysis for March and April 2025 (probably the most present outcomes launched), it caught 100% of the 459 zero-day threats. In the meantime, it blocked 100% of the 18,722 samples of not too long ago found and widespread malware.
AV-Comparatives’ real-world take a look at outcomes for February by way of Could 2025.
AV-Comparatives
Avira carried out equally in AV-Comparatives’ real-world safety take a look at for February by way of Could 2025, which evaluates how nicely an antivirus suite catches threats like exploits and malicious URLs throughout typical on-line actions (e.g., net looking). It blocked 99.3 % of the 423 take a look at circumstances, with 5 false positives. When confronted with AV-Comparatives’ March 2025 malware safety take a look at, which checks antivirus software program’s potential to cease malware from spreading off community, USB, or native drives, Avira Prime posted equally robust outcomes. It had a 99.98 % on-line safety, 98.9 % on-line detection price, and 95.8 % offline detection price in opposition to 10,030 samples.
On the time of this replace, Avira didn’t have outcomes for AV-Comparatives’ anti-phishing certification take a look at. Avira additionally didn’t take part in AV-Comparatives’ October 2024 Superior Risk Safety Take a look at, which evaluates a safety suite’s resistance to extra subtle, focused assault strategies like malicious scripts and fileless assaults.
AV-Comparatives’ malware take a look at outcomes for March 2025.
AV-Comparatives
Throughout most common duties on a PC, Avira Prime ought to have a light impact on system efficiency when hanging out within the background. Scores in PCMark 10’s Prolonged benchmark, which simulates net looking, video chatting, gaming, and picture and doc enhancing in free, open-source apps, didn’t budge after putting in Avira Prime. Outcomes additionally barely modified when working our Handbrake encoding take a look at, which converts a big uncompressed video right into a smaller model. Avira goes extra on the offensive when Microsoft Workplace apps are energetic; in UL Procyon’s Workplace Productiveness benchmark, which entails Microsoft Phrase, Excel, and different doc use, the real-time scanning prompted an virtually 9 % lower in outcomes.
Nonetheless, when Avira Prime is absolutely energetic and working a complete scan, it will probably hammer a PC’s system assets onerous. On our take a look at laptop computer, which is a funds mannequin, a full scan that investigated all information made benchmark scores plummet. PCMark 10 outcomes dropped by virtually 30 %, whereas Procyon and Handbrake scores nosedived by almost 50 %.
In the true world, your PC doubtless received’t undergo this tough — or at the very least, it received’t must. Our full-scan take a look at is extra of a torture take a look at; it simulates the most important influence an antivirus suite might have in your PC. Most individuals will use default settings that skip over information marked protected in earlier scans and file sorts that aren’t of concern, which lightens the load on a pc. Usually, in the event you run full scans throughout off-hours (like if you’re asleep), they received’t intervene with regular on a regular basis duties and doc enhancing. You’ll as a substitute see a efficiency impact extra much like Avira’s real-time scanning state. However in the event you usually change, add, or edit information to your system in bulk, it’ll have an effect on your PC proportionately.
Do you have to purchase Avira Prime?
Avira Prime is among the extra user-friendly apps out there, and arguably probably the most beginner-friendly at that. Its interface reduces how intimidating digital safety may be, particularly when attempting to maintain all the things straight, and its characteristic set amply covers not simply PC safety, but additionally upkeep, too. This software program’s solely actual weak point isn’t serving to higher shut the hole between the straightforward presentation and the expertise wanted to know when to make use of a specific characteristic (if in any respect) — however for the prepared, a couple of web searches can clear up that concern fairly quick.
