Avast SecureLine is a simple VPN from the popular Avast Software vendor, but it works under HideMyAss! network (HideMyAss! now part of the Avast group).
SecureLine specifications are relatively common. There is a medium-sized network of 55 seats (P2P is only supported by 8) in 34 countries. You get clients for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, but nothing more – not even downloadable OpenVPN configuration files that can allow you to manually configure other software and devices.
And there is no zero knowledge DNS system, no customizable protocol to bypass the VPN lockdown, no sign of anything even slightly advanced. SecureLine isn’t bad, but it’s not outstanding either. This is more focused on being “good enough”.
Pricing
Coverage of Android or iOS platform is comparatively cheap with the pricing of $19.50, but the licenses for Windows and Mac cost more with an annual $65 which is equivalent to the pricing of $5.42 per month. Private Internet access currently charges $3.33 per month. You will be charged $3.33 ($2.56) per month for its annual plan, which allows the usage of any five devices at the same time.
If you pay $8.40 on an annual basis, that will cost you $7 per month, you will receive coverage for up to five devices. This results in more cost that private Internet Access but still it has an advantage. Many VPN accounts only provide the service for the devices only of the account holder. Five SecureLine devices can be owned and used by anyone. One license could cover the entire members of the family.
So, due to this reason, the service seems reasonable. And if you are tempted to try, a seven-day trial version that is not tied to strings makes it easy to make any necessary payments.
SUPPORT SERVICE
The support site of Avast is considered to be a resource with abundant information, completely overflowing with configuration, guides for using and troubleshooting the problems that are faced. The main page contains a total number of 15 articles and many of them deal with something other than the main issues faced in VPN (signing up for an Avast account, meeting the requirements of GDPR, two articles on product activation, two more to cancel the automatic update – you will get the idea).
We went a little deeper and found the FAQ SecureLine. This has more relevant topics, but there are a few details and nothing that compares to specialized VPN vendors such as Expressvpn.
If you can’t find immediate help online, you can try to post the question in the SecureLine section of the Avast Support Forum. This isn’t particularly busy, but it does bring some benefit.
Also, if the problem is not resolved, you can be able to talk with the support team directly by filling up a form and they usually respond within two business days.
Easy to use and with higher average performance, Avast SecureLine can be an intelligent VPN choice for a single computer, especially with a low-cost mobile license. But be careful – there are hardly any features, the inflexible licensing system won’t work for everyone, and you can’t set up the SecureLine on your router as a shortcut.