Cancel Avast Premium 2026: Windows Defender Does Everything Avast Does (For Free)

Updated 2026-03-02 • 7 min read

🛡️ The uncomfortable truth: In 2020, Avast was caught collecting and selling detailed browsing data from 100+ million users through its subsidiary Jumpshot. The FTC fined them $16.5 million. You were paying for antivirus that was selling your data.

How to Cancel Avast Premium Security

Turn Off Auto-Renewal

Go to my.avast.com and sign in
Click Subscriptions
Find your active subscription
Click Unsubscribe or Cancel renewal
Navigate through retention offers — decline everything
Confirm — protection continues until expiration date

Get a Refund

Avast offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on new purchases and renewals:

Go to support.avast.com
Click Request a refund
Enter your order ID or email
Select reason for refund
If within 30 days, refund processes in 5-10 business days

Uninstall Completely

Windows: Settings → Apps → Avast → Uninstall (use Avast Uninstall Utility if normal uninstall fails)
Mac: Open Avast → Avast menu → Uninstall Avast Security
Windows Defender activates automatically when third-party AV is removed

Why Windows Defender Is Enough

Microsoft Defender (built into Windows 10/11) consistently scores 5.5-6/6 in AV-TEST independent evaluations — the same range as Avast, Norton, and McAfee:

Real-time protection: Identical detection rates in independent testing
Cloud-delivered protection: Same technology as enterprise Microsoft security
No performance impact: Built into the OS, lighter than third-party AV
Ransomware protection: Controlled folder access prevents unauthorized file changes
No pop-ups: Defender doesn't nag you to upgrade, scan, or renew
No data selling: Microsoft has no Jumpshot-style data brokerage subsidiary

✅ The cybersecurity community consensus: For most home users, Windows Defender + common sense (don't click suspicious links, keep software updated) is all the antivirus you need. Paid AV is the security equivalent of buying extended warranties.

The Antivirus Upsell Machine

Avast (now merged with Norton/Gen Digital) bundles multiple products you probably don't need:

Avast Premium Security: $49.99-89.99/yr — the core product
Avast SecureLine VPN: $55.99/yr — cheaper VPNs exist (Mullvad is $5/mo, no annual commitment)
Avast Cleanup Premium: $49.99/yr — Windows has built-in disk cleanup and Storage Sense
Avast AntiTrack: $49.99/yr — browser extensions like uBlock Origin do this for free
Avast Driver Updater: $39.99/yr — Windows Update handles drivers automatically
Avast Ultimate Bundle: $99.99/yr — all of the above combined

Maximum Avast spend: $289.95/year if you bought each separately. All replaceable with free built-in tools.

Also Check for These (Same Parent Company)

Avast, Norton, AVG, and Avira are all now owned by Gen Digital. Check if you're paying for multiple products from the same company:

Norton 360: $49.99-104.99/year
AVG Internet Security: $59.99/year
Avira Prime: $59.99/year
LifeLock: $11.99-34.99/month (identity monitoring)

🔐 Antivirus, VPN, identity monitoring, password managers — security subscriptions can easily exceed $200/year, and most overlap with free tools. Upload your bank statement to find every security subscription you're paying for.

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Quick Cancel Guide: Avast Premium

Direct cancel link + step-by-step instructions