AVG and Avast have been under the same corporate ownership for years and share a substantial amount of underlying detection technology — which is exactly why comparing them feels less like comparing two rivals and more like comparing two trim levels of the same car.
Shared Detection Engine
Both products draw on the same malware-detection database and core scanning technology, which is why independent lab testing tends to show near-identical detection rates between them — there's no meaningful protection-quality gap to speak of.
Interface and Feature Layout
The real differences are cosmetic and organizational: different dashboard layouts, slightly different bundling of extras (VPN, tune-up tools, webcam protection) into each brand's specific plan tiers, and different pricing structures for comparable feature sets.
AVG Ultimate vs Avast Premium Security
AVG Ultimate typically bundles antivirus, VPN, and a PC tune-up utility as one package. Avast Premium Security focuses more narrowly on core security features, with the tune-up tool and VPN often sold or tiered separately depending on the specific plan.
So Which Should You Actually Buy?
Given the shared engine, this comes down entirely to which specific bundle of extras you want at the price point offered — not a matter of picking the "better" antivirus, since they're functionally the same at the core.
Our Verdict
If you want tune-up tools and a VPN bundled into one package by default, AVG Ultimate tends to package these together more consistently. If you'd rather have a leaner, more focused security tool, Avast Premium Security fits that better. Either way, you're getting essentially the same underlying protection.