@ brendonfreeman96
They aren't saying "unless I bought the vpn my IP address was visible."
It is saying that your IP Address is visible and the only way to prevent that is by using a VPN, which one you choose is entirely up to you. I know my IP address is visible, yet I haven't considered using a VPN, Avast's or otherwise.
I have been using avast free for over 17 years and without a VPN (before they even became known).