I thought I would update my thread and make atonement for the error of my ways here. I should not have condemned the Avast browser so quickly the last time I tried it. I tried it one more time a few days ago and on this go-around I spent a lot more time learning how the browser works and how to set it up. The first thing I figured out was the built-in ad blocker was blocking my Pandora login so I set the ad blocker on "Essential" which is the lowest setting and then I was able to log in to Pandora with no problems. After that I just put the ad blocker back to the middle "Balanced" setting and I am still signed in and listening to Pandora with no problems. So far Avast is not blocking any other websites either. I also found that the Avast Online Security extension can block comments, links and pictures on some sites if you set the extension to "block all trackers". I am not using that extension this time around, I have not seen a need for it yet and have had no blocked sites at all.
The built-in adblocker in the browser seems to be doing a great job so I have not added Ublock. The disappearance of the VPN is not a problem for me, it's a paid option after a 7 day free trial on the free Avast browser but I don't need a VPN anyway. I also figured out how to get the Chrome extensions I want to work. I did add Webmail Adblocker to block out Yahoo email ads and still be able to leave the balanced setting on the Avast adblocker. So far all of the extensions I use are all working fine. I am also not seeing any ads on Youtube now either. I will say Avast has some useful extensions in their own Add-On tab, which is the same style as the puzzle piece extension group in the Chrome browser. Even though I will not use very many of the extensions they do seem logical and make sense to me.
I have only seen one article online about security flaws in this Avast browser. I have no way to know if the article was really true so I am taking that with a big grain of salt. I have not experienced any security related problems at all with the browser. It detected the AMTSO phishing test page right away by itself and the Avast One AV detected the Eicar test. The browser integrates with the Avast antivirus very well. The Avast browser looks and feels exactly like Chrome, more so than any of the other Chromium-based browsers I tried. It has built-in anti-fingerprinting, phishing and tracker blocking like Firefox. The browser is very fast and light and is not a memory hog either. Right now I am at 56% Memory and 11% CPU usage with the browser at 347 MB and Avast One Essential AV at about 100 MB ram on an 8GB Lenovo laptop.
The only problem I have with the browser is the themes. The default theme is a very bland gray but you can add themes from the Google store and the basic ones on the main Google store page do work OK. The problem is if you use a theme from the list of additional themes in the Google store, it can cause the web address bar to turn black, which is not bad by itself but it will also cover up the letters you type in the address bar so you can't see it. I had originally set mine to the "Blue Clean" theme and that was when I found the theme problem. I am using the Google Classic Blue theme now and have had no problems with it at all. Also when you try to use one of those other non-mainstream Google themes in the Bank Mode browser it will cause the same blackout problem in the address bar.
I like the idea of the bank mode browser. It is definitely a very useful extra security feature that I am glad to have. It is a virtual browser that keeps everything contained and deletes your activity when you close it. The only problem I found with the bank mode is if you add bookmarks to the bookmark bar, you can only see the icon of the site. The name of the site is obscured no matter which theme you set. You also have to leave the bank mode set at the default dark blue theme, otherwise it blacks out the address bar. Avast may fix the theme issues sooner or later but they are not real problems for me.
I left the default theme on the bank mode browser as is. I just had to update the bank mode advanced settings and manually add a list of financial related sites like my bank, credit cards, mortgage etc that I want to always open in Bank Mode. That feature works great, it is very easy to click the site in the bookmarks list in the regular browser and the site will automatically open in the bank mode browser by itself. This way I don't have to worry about being able to see the bookmarks bar or the web address bar and I know it is going to the correct site because it uses a verified address from my own bookmarks list.
I am going to keep using the Avast browser and Avast One Essential AV. So far I am very satisfied with this setup. I tried a lot of browsers and a few other AV's lately and am now settled on Avast. It seems to have the best balance of security and ease of use. I have been using the Avast One mobile version on my cell phone for the last few months now and it works much better than the other mobile AV's I have tried. I may also try the mobile version of the Avast browser too but I don't believe it includes a VPN or bank mode.
I realize this is a long post but I wanted to share my experiences with this Avast browser in case anyone else here at MT or other sites might be looking for info on it, same as I was in the beginning when I really could not find any useful real-world reviews or opinions on it. I am no expert but I really like this setup.
C.H.
