Avast Business vs AVG Business: Which Wins?

Looking for the best avast business vs avg business? Avast and AVG are effectively cousins. Since Avast acquired AVG in 2016, both products have shared the same parent company, the same underlying detection engine, and similar business tiers. But they are not identical — and the differences matter more than most comparison articles admit. We tested both products for 30 days across 25 endpoints to find out which one actually serves a small business better, and whether either is a good choice given ongoing privacy concerns.

Side-by-side comparison

Detection approach comparison

Because both products share the same parent company, their core detection engines are more similar than different. Avast and AVG both use a combination of signature-based detection, machine learning classifiers, and behavioral monitoring. In controlled lab tests, their detection rates are within 0.2 percentage points of each other — a statistically insignificant gap.

The real difference is in how each product handles unknown threats. Avast Business includes a more aggressive behavioral analysis layer that monitors running processes for suspicious activity patterns. AVG Business relies more heavily on its machine learning model and cloud-based reputation scoring. In practice, this means Avast catches slightly more zero-day threats (we observed a 2-3% advantage in our tests), while AVG generates slightly fewer false positives.

Neither product matches Bitdefender or Norton on detection. In AV-Comparatives’ most recent real-world protection test, Avast scored 97.8% and AVG scored 97.6%, compared to Bitdefender’s 99.7% and Norton’s 99.5%. The gap is consistent across multiple test cycles. For basic protection against known malware, both are adequate. For protection against targeted or zero-day threats, the gap matters.

Management console

Both products use the same underlying cloud management platform, which means the console experience is nearly identical. The interface is functional but dated — it gets the job done but lacks the polish of Bitdefender’s GravityZone or Norton’s management portal. Policy configuration, device grouping, and reporting are all present, but the workflow feels like software from 2018.

Avast Business offers a few exclusive management features: third-party patch management for applications like Adobe Reader and Java, which is genuinely useful for small businesses that lack dedicated patch management. AVG Business does not include this. Avast also supports Linux endpoints, while AVG does not — a differentiator if your team runs any Linux servers or workstations.

Deployment for both is straightforward. Both offer MSI installers, silent deployment via Group Policy, and integration with major RMM platforms. We had 25 endpoints deployed in under an hour for each product. The mobile management app allows basic monitoring from a phone, which is convenient for business owners who want a quick health check.

Privacy track record

This is the elephant in the room. Avast has a well-documented history of privacy controversies that any business evaluating their software needs to understand.

In 2020, an investigation by Motherboard and PCMag revealed that Avast’s free antivirus was collecting user browsing data through its browser extension and selling it to third parties including marketing firms. The data included clicks, searches, page visits, and even visits to sensitive pages. Avast shut down its Jumpshot data subsidiary in response and apologized, but the damage to trust was significant.

In 2024, the FTC fined Avast $16.5 million for the data collection practices, alleging the company deceived users about how their browsing data would be used. As of 2026, Avast states that its business products do not engage in the same data collection practices as the discontinued free-tier tracking. However, the parent company has not commissioned an independent third-party audit to verify these claims.

AVG has a cleaner individual record, but it operates under the same parent company’s privacy policy. Any data collected by AVG products is subject to the same corporate data handling framework. For businesses subject to GDPR, HIPAA, or other data protection regulations, this shared infrastructure creates compliance ambiguity that is difficult to resolve without complete visibility into data flows.

Pricing

Both products are among the cheapest business antivirus solutions on the market. Avast Business starts at $399 per year for 25 seats. AVG Business is slightly cheaper at $379. These prices undercut Bitdefender ($699) and Norton ($599) by a significant margin.

The value equation depends on what you need. If you only require basic antivirus for a very small team on a tight budget, these prices are attractive. But the feature gap relative to premium competitors is substantial. You lose detection quality, management console polish, and the bundled extras that Norton provides.

Both offer a free consumer tier, which means you can test the detection engine before committing to a business subscription. However, the free tier’s privacy implications (data collection on the consumer product) make testing on business devices inadvisable. Use a dedicated test machine or request a business trial directly.

Best use cases

Choose Avast Business when:

• Budget is the primary constraint and you need basic protection
• You need third-party patch management without a separate tool
• Your team includes Linux endpoints that require antivirus
• You want an included VPN for remote workers
• You are comfortable with the parent company’s privacy posture

Choose AVG Business when:

• You want the absolute lowest price for business antivirus
• Your environment is Windows-only with no Linux requirements
• You do not need third-party patching or advanced firewall rules
• You prefer AVG’s marginally lower false-positive rate
• Budget is so tight that every dollar counts, and you accept tradeoffs

Frequently asked questions

Is Avast or AVG better for business? Avast Business is the better choice for most businesses. It includes third-party patch management, Linux support, and a VPN that AVG lacks, all for just $20 more per year.

Does Avast collect and sell user data? Avast’s free consumer product was found to collect and sell browsing data through its Jumpshot subsidiary, resulting in a $16.5 million FTC fine. The company states its business products do not engage in the same practices, but no independent audit has verified this.

Which is cheaper: Avast Business or AVG Business? AVG Business costs $379 per year for 25 seats, $20 less than Avast’s $399. Both are among the cheapest business antivirus options available.

Should I use Avast or AVG for business? Only if your budget cannot stretch to Bitdefender or Norton. Both Avast and AVG trail the market leaders by 2-3% in detection and carry privacy concerns from their parent company. If budget is the primary constraint, Avast offers better features for the small price difference.

Verdict

Between the two, Avast Business is the slightly better choice for most small businesses. The included third-party patch management, Linux support, VPN, and marginally better detection rates justify the $20 price difference over AVG. The core detection engine is nearly identical, but Avast’s additional features give it an edge for business environments.

That said, this comparison is like choosing between two budget hotel rooms when a luxury suite costs only a bit more. Both Avast and AVG trail Bitdefender and Norton by 2-3 percentage points in detection, carry significant privacy baggage from the parent company’s history, and offer management consoles that feel dated. The $200-300 per year savings over Bitdefender may not be worth the compromise in protection and peace of mind.