Our verdict · 8.0/10 Excellent
Good value baseline protection for small offices. Businesses needing EDR, threat hunting or 24/7 response should look at CrowdStrike, SentinelOne or Sophos.
Key takeaways
- Best for: Small offices without IT staff.
- Strongest area: Value for money (8.8/10). Weakest: Integrations & ecosystem (6.8/10).
- Price: From about $37 / device / year — free trial available.
- Watch out for: No advanced EDR.
What is Avast Business Security?
Avast's business range (Essential, Premium and Ultimate Business Security) provides antivirus, web and email protection, firewall, VPN and patch management managed from a cloud console. It is aimed at small businesses that want simple protection at a low per-device price.
Avast Business Security is made by Gen Digital and is reviewed here as a endpoint security product. It is priced on a subscription basis, and our editorial score is 8.0 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose Avast Business Security if
- Small offices without IT staff
- Low-cost Windows and Mac protection
- MSPs managing many small clients
Not for you if
- Businesses needing EDR or MDR
- High-risk or regulated environments
Key features
File, web and email shields.
Managed firewall for Windows.
Automated OS and app patching on Ultimate.
Manage devices and policies centrally.
- Windows
- macOS
- Android
- PSA/RMM tools
Pros & cons
What we like
- Low price per device
- Simple cloud console
- Includes VPN and patching on higher tiers
- Lightweight agent
Watch out for
- No advanced EDR
- Past consumer data-sharing controversy
- Support is mostly online
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | ≈ $36.99 / device / yr | — |
| Premium | ≈ $46.99 / device / yr | — |
| Ultimate | ≈ $56.99 / device / yr | — |
Pricing watch-out: Third-party listings show tiers at roughly $36.99, $46.99 and $56.99 a year; volume and reseller prices vary.
True cost at 5, 10 and 25 seats
Cheapest paid plan that fits each team size, from indicative list prices checked November 5, 2026. Excludes tax, add-ons, onboarding fees and promotional discounts.
Pricing watch-outs
- Yearly pricing. At least one plan is priced per year. Confirm whether monthly billing is offered and what it costs.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing, last checked November 5, 2026 (source). Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 25% | 7.6 | 1.90 | |
| Ease of use | 15% | 8.6 | 1.30 | |
| Value for money | 15% | 8.8 | 1.30 | |
| Support & reliability | 10% | 7.4 | 0.70 | |
| Security & privacy | 30% | 8.0 | 2.40 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 5% | 6.8 | 0.30 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for security products | 8.0 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask Gen Digital |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for Avast Business Security against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check Gen Digital’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any endpoint security product
Check Avast Business Security against the same list we use for every endpoint security product — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Cloud management console
- Behavioural/ransomware protection
- Supports all your operating systems
- Alerting you will actually see
- Optional managed response
See every ranked option in Endpoint Security.
Avast Business Security alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Cheaper
Norton Small Business≈ $21/mo vs $31/mo at 10 users (cheapest paid plans, indicative) - Better integrations
Microsoft Defender for BusinessIntegrations score 8.6 vs 6.8 - Stronger on security
CrowdStrike Falcon GoSecurity & privacy score 9.4 vs 8.0 - Higher overall scoreMicrosoft Defender for BusinessOverall 8.6 vs 8.0
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as Avast Business Security. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
Lightweight, well-tested endpoint protection with transparent SMB pricing.
Comprehensive, good-value endpoint security with central management.
Simple endpoint protection and EDR for small teams, from Malwarebytes.
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
Avast Business Security FAQ
How much does Avast Business cost?
Roughly $37–57 per device per year depending on tier and volume.
Does Avast Business include EDR?
No, it focuses on prevention; consider an EDR product for advanced detection.
Does Avast Business Security have a free plan?
No, Avast Business Security does not offer a permanent free plan, but a free trial is available. Pricing starts at From about $37 / device / year (indicative).
Who is Avast Business Security best for?
Avast Business Security is best for: small offices without IT staff; low-cost Windows and Mac protection; MSPs managing many small clients.
How much does Avast Business Security cost for a team of 10?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users (Essential) works out at roughly $31 per month, or about $370 per year, before tax, add-ons and discounts.
How is the Avast Business Security score calculated?
The 8.0/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for security products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to Avast Business Security?
Popular alternatives include ESET PROTECT, Bitdefender GravityZone, ThreatDown (Malwarebytes). See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.