Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team
Avira (Gen Digital) vs Proton AG
Avira (Gen Digital)
Proton AG
Higher score in this comparison
Avira (Gen Digital) vs Proton AG: the differences
| Compare | Avira (Gen Digital)ReviewVisitVisit | Proton AGReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Devices | 1 | 10Higher |
| Server countries | 36 | from 140 |
| Money-back period | 60 daysHigher | 30 days |
| Jurisdiction | DE | CH |
| Features | Kill switch | Kill switch, Split tunnellingCovers more |
| Streaming services | Streaming services (vendor claim: unblocks access to geo restricted services) | Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video |
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Chromebook, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TVCovers more |
| Owner | Gen Digital Inc. | Proton AG |
| Longest plan (months) | 12 months | 24 monthsHigher |
| Monthly price | €5.95 | Not confirmed |
| Long-term plan price | €4.00 | Not confirmed |
| No-logs audit | Not confirmed | Securitum, 2026 |
| Renewal price | €4.00 | Not confirmed |
| Protocols | Not confirmed | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Key differences
- Proton AG scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 9.1.
- Devices is higher at Proton AG: 10 vs 1.
- Features: only Proton AG offers Split tunnelling.
- Streaming services: only Avira (Gen Digital) offers Streaming services (vendor claim: unblocks access to geo restricted services).
- Streaming services: only Proton AG offers Netflix, Hulu, Disney+.
- Platforms: only Proton AG offers Linux, Chromebook, Chrome.
- Longest plan (months) is higher at Proton AG: 24 months vs 12 months.
- Support channels: only Avira (Gen Digital) offers Phone.
- Support channels: only Proton AG offers Chat.
- Money-back period is higher at Avira (Gen Digital): 60 days vs 30 days.
Our verdict on each
Avira (Gen Digital)
Avira (Gen Digital) suits readers who want a free tier or a short-term plan from a long-established security vendor, not readers shopping on server spread. VPN Pro costs €5.95 a month, with server coverage across 36 countries.
Proton AG
Proton AG suits readers who want a published no-logs audit, a free tier and a bundled privacy suite rather than a bare tunnel, with the company based in Switzerland. Paid plans reach servers in from 140 countries and cover 10 devices, alongside free storage of 5 GB.
Score breakdown
| Area | Avira (Gen Digital) | Proton AG |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1The renewal price is €4.00 against €3.97 for the field, and the first-year antivirus price is €47.95. | 9.3Higher |
| Offer | 8.6A free VPN tier, a free antivirus version, a free password manager plan, and support on email, phone and help centre. | 9.4HigherTerm choice runs to 24 months with a 30-day refund window, and a free plan anchors entry pricing. |
| Privacy | 9.9Higher | 8.9 |
If neither fits
ESET Brasil has devices at 1 to 25, against 1 for Avira (Gen Digital) and 10 for Proton AG.
ESET Brasil reviewSources behind this comparison
Avira (Gen Digital)
- avira.com: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- e-shop.avira.com: 7 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- en.wikipedia.org: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Proton AG
- protonvpn.com: 16 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- proton.me: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Avira (Gen Digital) | Proton AG |
|---|---|---|
| VPNs | 30 of 232 | 22 of 232 |
| Free VPNs | 25 of 189 | 18 of 189 |
| Authenticator apps | 15 of 55 | 12 of 55 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Avira (Gen Digital) | Proton AG |
|---|---|---|
| Features | No logs, Streaming, TravelCovers more | No logs, Streaming |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Business |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Legal entity | Avira Holding GmbH | Proton AG |
| Headquarters | Germany | Switzerland |
| Founded | 1986Lower | 2014 |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre, Community | Email, Chat, Help centre, Community |
Antivirus
| Fact | Avira (Gen Digital) | Proton AG |
|---|---|---|
| First-year price | €47.95 | Not confirmed |
| Free version | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Extras | VPN, Password manager | Not confirmed |
Password managers
| Fact | Avira (Gen Digital) | Proton AG |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Family plan | Not confirmed | Pass Family: up to 6 users, 6 Pass Plus accounts, admin panel |
| Passkeys | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Security audit | AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives test certifications, antivirus products only (2020) | Independently audited by third-party experts; audit reports public |
| Encryption | 256-bit encryption, bank-grade | Zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption, 256-bit AES-GCM vaults, OpenPGP with ECC Curve25519 for vault keys |
| Open source | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Zero-knowledge encryption | Not confirmed | Yes |
Privacy tools
| Fact | Avira (Gen Digital) | Proton AG |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan limits | Not confirmed | No data or speed limits, no ads, no time limit, 1 device, servers in 10 countries randomly selected, medium speed. |
| Logging policy | Not confirmed | No activity logs |
| Privacy tool type | Not confirmed | Ad blocker |
Secure email
| Fact | Avira (Gen Digital) | Proton AG |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | Not confirmed | The VPN connection from the user's device to Proton's servers; Proton also markets Proton for Business with end-to-end encryption. |
Encrypted storage
| Fact | Avira (Gen Digital) | Proton AG |
|---|---|---|
| Free storage | Not confirmed | 5 |
| Compliance certifications | Not confirmed | GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001 |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Avira (Gen Digital) | Proton AG | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | €5.95below the median | Not confirmed | €7.99 |
| Long-term plan price | €4.00above the median | Not confirmed | €3.99 |
| Devices | 1lowest quarter | 10at the median | 10 |
| Server countries | 36below the median | from 140highest quarter | 60 |
| Renewal price | €4.00lowest quarter | Not confirmed | €69.99 |
| Money-back period | 60 dayshighest quarter | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
Median across 134 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Avira (Gen Digital)
Pros
- Free plan on the password manager and a free version of the antivirus, plus a free VPN model
- VPN Pro carries a 60 day money-back guarantee
- Password manager protection uses 256-bit encryption, bank-grade in the same bundle
Cons
- One device at a time on the VPN checkout, below the 8 for VPN plans
- Server spread of 36 countries trails the 46.5 across VPN plans
Proton AG
Pros
- No-logs claims are audited rather than asserted: Securitum's audit (Securitum, 2026) sits behind a No activity logs policy.
- Free limits come with no caps on data or speed, no ads and no time limit.
- 10 simultaneous devices, above the ranked VPN median of 8.
Cons
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre, and there is no phone line among them.
- The free plan limits put you on a single device at medium speed with randomly selected countries, so constant use points at a paid plan.
- End-to-end encryption is marketed for Proton for Business, while the consumer plan encrypts only the connection from your device to Proton's servers.
Who each suits
Avira (Gen Digital)
Who it suits
- Readers who want a free VPN or free antivirus tier to start with
- People already inside the Gen Digital security bundle
- Travelers who mainly need a working connection, not a wide server choice
Who should look elsewhere
- Apple Inc. if you want a much lower monthly outlay from Apple services
- ESET Brasil if you need a wider device allowance than a single connection
- Sinew Software Systems if broad device coverage matters more than antivirus features
Proton AG
Who it suits
- Readers who want a VPN, a passkey vault and encrypted storage under a single account instead of separate subscriptions.
- Families sharing storage, since Pass Family covers several users and Pass Plus seats through a single admin panel.
- Teams buying under a business audience (business) who need GDPR, HIPAA and ISO 27001 certifications on file.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone needing more devices on a single account: Proton covers 10, while ESET Brasil plans run 3 to 25 devices.
- Readers choosing purely on server spread: AVG lists from 100 countries, a base close to Proton's from 140.
- Readers who want a different audit trail to compare: Session Technology Foundation lists Quarkslab 2021 against Proton's Securitum, 2026.
Current offers
Avira (Gen Digital)
Current offer
Free trial
Try for 1 month: 1 month
Payment method required; paid monthly subscription starts when the trial ends unless cancelled
Source, checked September 26, 2026
First period offer
45% off Avira Prime: 45% off
Site-wide offer banner on Avira product pages; subscription automatically renews
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Questions about each
Avira (Gen Digital)
What does the Avira VPN cost each month?+
VPN Pro is €5.95 on the monthly subscription and €4.00 on the longest plan, which runs 12 months. The renewal price matches the long-term figure, so the annual rate is the one to watch. A free plan is also available.
How many devices can use the Avira VPN at once?+
The VPN checkout lists 1 device at a time, well under the 8 for VPN plans. Households with several phones and laptops will need a plan with a wider device allowance than this one.
Proton AG
What does Proton VPN cost, and how long are the commitments?+
The longest plan runs 24 months, the service is listed on a free model, and paid plans carry a 30-day money-back window. Across the ranked VPN field, monthly pricing has a median of €7.02 and long-term pricing a median of €3.97, which frames any quote you see.
Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?+
Yes. The free plan has no caps on data or speed, no ads and no time limit. It runs on a single device, reaches servers in a randomly selected group of countries and delivers medium speed, so the paid tier, which covers 10 devices, is the practical step for constant use.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
- Proton AG vs NordVPN
- Proton AG vs NordVPN Threat Protection
- Avira (Gen Digital) vs NordPass
- Proton AG vs Apple Inc.
- Proton AG vs Norton
- Proton AG vs addy.io
- Proton AG vs Apple Hide My Email
- Proton AG vs Runbox
- Avira (Gen Digital) vs Kaspersky
- Proton AG vs Kaspersky Latam
- Avira (Gen Digital) vs Kaspersky
- Avira (Gen Digital) vs ESET Brasil
- Avira (Gen Digital) vs ESET
- Avira (Gen Digital) vs SpyHunter
- Proton AG vs Surfshark Alert
- Proton AG vs Surfshark One (Antivirus)
- Avira (Gen Digital) vs Proton
- Avira (Gen Digital) vs Proton Pass
- Avira (Gen Digital) vs Keeper
- Avira (Gen Digital) vs Trend Micro
- Proton AG vs AdGuard
- Proton AG vs ExpressVPN
- Avira (Gen Digital) vs Bitdefender