There are many VPN providers in the industry, but not all of them are equally safe and secure. Many VPN fails to provide the basic need that is online anonymity and security. So, let’s have a look at some of the industry’s best VPN services by testing their claims.
Today, we have chosen to test and analyze the AVG Secure VPN. Check out what we have found about AVG in this detailed AVG Secure VPN Review.
Pros
- 50 Server Locations in 36 Countries
- Unblocks US Netflix & BBC iPlayer
- Kill Switch Feature
- Torrent Optimized Servers
- User-Friendly VPN Apps
Cons
- Keeps VPN connection Log
- Bad Customer Support
Background of AVG Secure VPN
AVG Company was launched back in 1991 with only one product of Antivirus. Later, they have created many domains within the Antivirus industry. Back in 2016, Avast took over its rival and acquired AVG Company. AVG Secure VPN is basically owned by Avast Antivirus who is based in the USA. So, if we see it in an indirect Chain, AVG Secure VPN falls under the jurisdiction of the USA, which makes it a shady VPN service.
Let’s talk about the pricing of AVG VPN and see if AVG offers worth the money.
Is AVG Secure VPN Offering Affordable Pricing Plans?
Yes, to some extent the pricing plans are affordable. AVG Secure VPN comes in three different plans.
- 1 Year plan will cost you $89.99 but since they have a promotion going on of 33% so you will get it for $59.88
- 2 Years plan will cost you $179.99 but due to the current promotion, you can save 47% and will get the 2 years to plan for just $59.76
- 3 Years plan will cost you $296.99, but due to a promotional discount, you can get it for $143.64 after 47% off
All three plans come with 5 simultaneous logins and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
We can only know the worth of the money by comparing its features with other well-known VPN providers. Let’s read more details about AVG Secure VPN features.
But first, let’s address more pricing related queries such as payment methods? How a user can pay to purchase AVG VPN service?
What Payment Method Does AVG Secure VPN Offer?
AVG VPN offers the following payment modes to its user around the world;
- VISA
- MasterCard
- Discover
- American Express
- PayPal
Does AVG VPN Offer A Free Plan?
No, there is no free plan. But, AVG do offer a 7 days free trial. If you would like to try AVG VPN services, you can give it a try for 7 days without entering any credit card details.
The difference between a Free VPN and Free Trial is pretty obvious. Trial can not be availed again on the same IP, but you can renew free VPN after certain time or limitations like bandwidth.
Features of AVG Secure VPN
The best VPN is the one that not only offers highly optimized basic features like fast speed, a high number of servers, better protocols, and encryption, but it should also offer some advanced features like Kill Switch, Split Tunneling, DNS Leaks, and Browser Extension, etc. Let’s get to know more facts about AVG Secure VPN’s features.
Here’re the details of all the features you might be looking in AVG Secure VPN.
How Huge is AVG Secure VPN Server Network?
AVG Secure VPN provides VPN servers that are not impressive. It offers around servers in 50 locations around 36 countries.
We all know that the VPN industry is immensely competitive. AVG Secure VPN needs to expand its server locations. A prospective user would not waste another minute in choosing another VPN over an AVG Secure VPN.
Some AVG VPN servers are labeled as P2P supported. It means that AVG offers dedicated high-speed VPN servers for torrent downloads. We are unable to find if AVG offers physical servers as no information is available on the website as well as the customer support representative doesn’t have the following information.
Can I Do Streaming with AVG Secure VPN?
We all want to sit down and relax on our comfy couch on a weekend and stream favorite shows and movies on Netflix. As the streaming giant blocks many VPNs, those who continue to work are a blessing.
AVG VPN works fine with Netflix USA. It is the perfect way to bypass geo-restrictions worldwide. During the testing of AVG VPN, we connected to their USA server and check if it works with Netflix, and it did. It was awesome that not only did it unblock, it also gave us access to the entire US library on Netflix. However, it disappointed us and did not work when it was checked on Amazon Prime and BBC iPlayer.
It seems that Netflix users have been happy with it.
Which Platforms & OS are Supported with AVG VPN?
As a consumer, we all would like to buy a VPN service that works on any common platform. Sadly, we have found that AVG VPN does not have browser extensions but has native applications for platforms including,
- Android
- iOS
- Windows
- Mac
Smartphone users can, however, also choose to download the app from their respective app stores. AVG VPN offers manual configuration for different routers but not all. It claims to work on Smart TV, but we have not checked it on any Smart TV.
Does AVG VPN Offer Multi-Login Feature?
AVG Secure VPN provides five concurrent connections, which are very popular at the same time as VPNs like Surfshark set up a bar with unlimited connections.
It is also clear that VPN Service Providers can provide as many connections as they want but not to allow more users to purchase their subscription separately.
What Encryption Level Does AVG Secure VPN Offer?
AVG Secure VPN offers AES-256 bit encryption. It’s the most reliable encryption you will ever get, military-grade and unbreakable.
We were happy to see that with HMAC SHA256 Hash Authentication, AVG VPN improved AES-256 encryption. The control channel, however, uses the same encoding, but the DHE-4096 key exchange is provided by RSA handshake and PFS (Perfect Forward Secrecy).
Is AVG VPN Safe for Torrenting?
AVG VPN offers dedicated VPN servers at different locations, which can download torrents and secure your identity on the internet. The P2P dedicated servers are not only secure but fast too.
How Good is AVG Secure VPN Customer Support?
They have around-the-clock operational service, diligent, and open to any queries. In comparison to any other VPN service that can be used for assistance and product information, this VPN includes a telephone number.
Users may also enter their questions, and they will be routed to related blogs that will solve problems.
The list of its features ends here. Let’s look at to another important factor for a VPN service which is Log Policy.
AVG VPN Logs Policy
Unlike other VPN providers, AVG VPN clearly stated in their privacy policy that they maintain activity logs of its users.
The data is retained for technical reasons, and to avoid the misuse of the service in violation of its end-user agreement. The said activities are as follows:
- Spamming
- File Sharing
- Illicit activities
The shady part of their privacy policy comes here where they fail to define which data is stored and shared with whom. This point raises red flags on AVG VPN services. We can only predict that it contains all user visits websites and timestamps as well.
You can give a read to their Privacy Policy to better understand if you can trust or not on AVG VPN.
Now, let’s talk about what features AVG VPN doesn’t offer and which they should.
What We Don’t Like About AVG VPN?
AVG VPN lacks in many features which they should offer to their users. We will list down the most common ones which are offered by all other VPN providers.
- AVG VPN do not offer Split Tunneling
- AVG VPN do not offer DNS Leak Protection
- AVG VPN do not offer Browser Extensions
- AVG VPN do not work in China
- AVG VPN cannot unblock Amazon Prime and BBC iPlayer
Do We Recommend AVG Secure VPN?
Well, we cannot recommend this VPN due to the following reasons;
- It has a shady logging policy that retains timestamps and websites visited.
- They have a small VPN Server Network that limits users to only a few countries.
- They do not offer advanced security features that can be used to boost anonymity.
This VPN is only appropriate for people looking to watch their favorite Netflix television shows and films. We are only impressed by its ability to unblock Netflix, however, this VPN requires much work.
If you are searching for an all-rounder VPN that provides the most value in the price range, then AVG VPN is not a good choice.
