Do you think you need encryption?
I've recently removed Avast because it was increasing it's repeated nagging about something or other, and then offering a solution that involved paying them for a subscription.
I believe Avast are simply doing their best to persuade you to spend some money with them. As you have written, Avast have suggested the idea that you sign up to Avast VPN, not just "any" VPN.
I replaced it with Microsoft Security Essentials, I have always preferred something other than Windows/Microsoft but it seems to have good reviews, but please have a look on a few computer based forums to get a wider view.
Last edited by 11277m; 9th Jul 2018 at 15:34.