European Alternatives to Avira
American antivirus from Gen Digital (formerly German). Free and premium protection with integrated VPN and system optimization.
Avira Features
- Real-time antivirus protection
- Robust free version
- Integrated VPN
- System optimization
- Password manager
- Browser protection
Price: Free / Pro 2.50 EUR/month / Prime 4.99 EUR/month
Why leave Avira?
- Acquisition by NortonLifeLock (now Gen Digital) in January 2021 for $360 million: the German company founded in Tettnang came under American control
- CLOUD Act: As a subsidiary of a US company (Gen Digital), Avira is subject to the CLOUD Act allowing the US government to access data even stored outside the United States
- Integration into Gen Digital which also owns Avast, involved in the Jumpshot scandal of massive sale of browsing data to over 100 companies
- Loss of European independence: Avira was the last major German antivirus solution before its acquisition by a US group based in Tempe, Arizona
Recommended : Bitdefender
Romanian antivirus and global cybersecurity leader. Complete protection with VPN, multi-layer anti-ransomware and password manager.
Country : RO
Compatibility Scores
- Migration : 90/100
- GDPR : 95/100
- Features : 92/100
- Overall Score : 93/100
Bitdefender Features
- Real-time protection
- VPN 200MB/day
- Multi-layer anti-ransomware
- Safepay (secure browsing)
- Password manager
- Parental controls
Price: 40-80 EUR/year
Why this choice?
Bitdefender is the #1 choice to replace Avira. Equivalent protection without the Gen Digital data selling scandals. Romanian company (EU) guaranteeing real privacy.
Switch from Avira to Bitdefender
Strengths
- Perfect AV-TEST scores for several years
- Multi-platform (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android)
- Free version without data selling
- Headquarters in Romania (EU) - native GDPR compliance
- VPN and password manager included
- No affiliation with Gen Digital/Jumpshot
Weaknesses
- Full VPN requires payment (200MB/day free)
- Limited iOS support compared to Android
- Renewal price higher than first year
All Alternatives
- Bitdefender (RO) — Score : 93/100 (Recommended)
- F-Secure (FI) — Score : 92/100
- ESET (SK) — Score : 89/100