Avast Secure Browser

The web has evolved, and as we become increasingly reliant on it, a good browser’s importance cannot be overstated. Browsers, too, have needed to evolve and encompass support for more technologies, provide superior protection, all while not compromising performance.

Chromium is the easy choice for most, as statistics concur. New browsers are seemingly coming out every month, which means that you still have plenty of choices if you don’t get along with Chrome, Edge, or Firefox. Avast Secure Browser is a Chromium-based browsing solution from the popular antivirus company, which promises to offer enhanced privacy protections, security, and good performance.

Avast is a company primarily known for antivirus software, so naturally, a browsing solution from a security company has more heft when it comes to its privacy and security guarantees. However, the company has had its fair share of debacles in terms of data collection and the general handling of user privacy, making some people grow distrustful of their products.

Even so, while the truth is probably somewhere in the middle, the once bitten, twice shy saying is what most users apply in this field. The browser itself is based on Chromium, so you can expect generally good performance and compatibility with web technologies throughout.

Despite the browser’s Chromium core, there is no support for extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Instead, users will have to use the developer-approved Avast Addons page, whose add-ons selection is comparatively middling.

This is where a problem comes in. You get access to the Privacy Guard ad-blocker greenlit by Avast, which isn’t very good. Trying to download a more reliable alternative, such as uBlock Origin, is not possible, as it is not featured on the Avast site, nor are you allowed to install anything from the Chrome Web Store.

The ad-blocker does not work on YouTube, which may understandably be a dealbreaker for some. You’ll also get a few “non-disruptive and user-friendly ads” every now and then, per the developer.

A neat inclusion is the built-in video downloader, which will let you download clips from popular media sharing platforms like YouTube, Dailymotion, TikTok, and others. For some reason, however, it was slow when it came to downloading content, despite me having a fast and stable internet connection.

Those interested in stronger protections can subscribe to a Secure Browser Pro plan, unlocking the built-in VPN, as well as strengthening the ad-blocker, which now blocks up to 100% ads and trackers.

Avast Secure Browser is very similar to other available Chromium browsers, yet it doesn’t seem all that competitive when compared to some of them. Other solutions provide arguably stronger privacy protections and are more configurable out the gate without requiring a subscription to use them to their full potential, making this browser seem less impressive than its alternatives.