Is ESET or Avast cheaper?

Avast has the lower entry price — ESET starts at $3.33/mo and Avast at $0/mo.

Does ESET or Avast support HIPAA?

HIPAA support — ESET: —; Avast: —. Confirm current scope with the vendor.

ESET vs Avast

A sourced, side-by-side comparison for antivirus software. Avast has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the public page it was captured from — the vendor's own wherever the vendor publishes the number, otherwise the named public source — with the date we captured it.

Avast has the lower entry price — ESET starts at $3.33/mo, Avast at $0/mo. Free tier: ESET No, Avast Yes. HIPAA: ESET —, Avast —.

As of 2026-09-05 · figures link to their source below

Side by side

ESET

$3.33/mo entry

Entry price$3.33/mo (ESET NOD32 Antivirus (1 device))

Free tierNo

HIPAA (BAA)—

SOC 2—

GDPR—

Best forSecurity-focused users who value a vendor with a clean track record

Avast

$0/mo entry

Entry price$0/mo (Avast Free Antivirus)

Free tierYes

HIPAA (BAA)—

SOC 2—

GDPRYes

Best forBudget users wanting a full-featured forever-free antivirus

Sources — ESET: eset.com (verified 2026-09-05) · Avast: avast.com (verified 2026-09-02)

Key features

ESET: AI-powered threat detection engine (NOD32 technology, 30+ years); File encryption with military-grade protection (Premium+); VPN for Router protects entire home network at router level (Ultimate); Identity theft protection with $1M insurance and credit monitoring (Ultimate); Clean security history — no documented breaches or major lawsuits

Avast: AI-powered Avast Assistant for scam detection in messages; Webcam Shield blocks unauthorized camera access (paid); Ransomware Shield protects files from unauthorized encryption; Network Inspector detects Wi-Fi intruders and router vulnerabilities; Avast is part of Gen Digital (same parent as Norton/AVG) — shared threat intelligence

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