Avast Premium Security Review: 10 Devices, New Mobile Setup

Avast Premium Security remains available as paid protection for as many as 10 Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices. The important change is how that promise is delivered: although Avast’s current plan comparison still sells Premium Security under that name, its mobile component is moving into the Avast One app.

New Android and iOS installations now receive Avast One as the older Avast Mobile Security apps leave their respective stores. At the same time, desktop requirements have risen: Avast’s current compatibility specifications call for 4 GB of RAM and 3 GB of free storage on Windows, while the Mac edition supports both 64-bit Intel processors and Apple silicon. That makes the suite more current than its older specifications suggested, but also less suitable for a very low-spec PC.

What Premium Security adds to the free antivirus

The paid plan is easiest to understand as Avast’s core malware protection plus a group of desktop security controls. Real-time detection of viruses and ransomware is not, by itself, the decisive reason to pay because Avast also offers free protection. The upgrade becomes more relevant when you want tighter control over untrusted applications, protected files, network connections and hardware access.

On compatible desktop systems, the advertised additions include an advanced firewall, protection against unauthorized encryption of personal files, a sandbox for opening suspicious applications, webcam controls, secure file deletion and automatic updating for other software. These tools address different risks: the sandbox isolates an uncertain program, while ransomware protection restricts changes to selected files. Neither should be treated as permission to run obviously unsafe downloads.

Avast also promotes defenses against fraudulent websites, scam messages and insecure Wi-Fi networks. Availability varies by platform, so a 10-device subscription should not be read as 10 identical copies of the Windows product. A phone, a Mac and a Windows PC can all consume subscription slots while receiving different controls dictated by their operating systems.

The 10-device plan is useful only if the device mix fits

The multi-device allowance is the suite’s strongest practical argument. It can consolidate protection for a household containing computers, phones and tablets without requiring a separate purchase for each system. The subscription can also be moved between supported devices, which matters when hardware is replaced.

That capacity is less compelling for someone protecting only one computer. Avast markets both a smaller desktop offer and the 10-device option, while its free antivirus already covers essential malware blocking. A buyer with one Windows PC should therefore compare the paid-only controls against the renewal cost shown at checkout, rather than treating the larger device limit as automatic value.

The mobile transition deserves attention before purchase. The subscription still lists Android and iOS coverage, but new users install Avast One rather than the legacy Mobile Security application. Existing screenshots or instructions referring to the older app may no longer match the current setup process.

Independent results are strong, with one important qualification

Avast’s underlying Windows protection performed very well in a recent independent evaluation. In testing conducted during May and June 2026, AV-TEST awarded Avast Free Antivirus 26.4 and 26.5 the maximum six points in each of protection, performance and usability.

The product name in that result matters. AV-TEST evaluated Avast Free Antivirus, not the full Premium Security package, so the score supports confidence in the tested Windows antivirus foundation but does not independently validate every paid feature. It says nothing specific about the sandbox, file shredder, webcam control, mobile apps or the value of the subscription.

The result also does not establish that Avast is uniquely effective. Several competing products achieved the same 18-point total in the same test period. Buyers should read it as evidence that Avast’s tested Windows protection was among the top performers, not as proof that Premium Security is categorically better than every alternative.

Current system requirements correct the older picture

For Windows, Premium Security 26.x supports Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8 or 8.1 and Windows 7 Service Pack 1 with the Convenience Rollup Update, subject to edition exclusions. The minimum hardware includes an SSE3-capable Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 64-class processor, 4 GB of RAM and 3 GB of available disk space. Windows 11 on ARM64 is supported, although Boot-Time Scan and Rescue Disk are unavailable there.

Premium Security 16.x for Mac supports macOS releases from High Sierra through Tahoe on Avast’s current list. It requires a 64-bit Intel processor or Apple silicon, at least 512 MB of RAM—1 GB is preferred—and 750 MB of storage. An internet connection is required on both desktop platforms for installation, activation and security updates.

On mobile, the current baseline is Android 10 or later and iOS 17 or later. Those limits are more consequential than they may appear: an older phone can be counted conceptually as part of a household, yet remain unable to run the current app. Check every device before choosing the larger subscription.

What is missing from Premium Security

Premium Security should not be confused with Avast Ultimate. Avast presents Cleanup Premium, SecureLine VPN and AntiTrack as components of the higher bundle rather than the ordinary Premium Security subscription. The names are close enough that a discounted checkout page can make the distinction easy to overlook.

This means Premium Security is principally a security suite, not a complete privacy and maintenance package. Someone who specifically wants an unlimited VPN, tracker masking or automated device cleanup should compare the exact bundle contents. Conversely, paying for Ultimate merely to obtain antivirus protection would add services that may be unnecessary.

Verdict: good for mixed-device households, less obvious for one PC

Avast Premium Security makes the most sense when several supported devices will use its paid protections. Its Windows antivirus foundation has a strong recent laboratory result, and the desktop suite adds meaningful controls for ransomware, suspicious applications, network traffic and webcam access.

The limitations are equally concrete. Mobile setup now passes through Avast One, feature sets differ across operating systems, and the latest Windows version requires substantially more memory and storage than older descriptions indicated. The independent test result also belongs to Avast Free Antivirus, so it cannot prove that every premium extra works equally well.

For a household that will use several of the 10 slots—and specifically wants the paid desktop controls—the plan remains a coherent purchase. For one computer, the better decision is to identify which premium feature is actually needed, compare the current renewal terms with free protection, and verify that a VPN or cleanup utility has not been assumed to be included.

Avast Premium Security Covers 10 Devices, but Mobile Setup Now Uses Avast One