Written by Yasir Saeed - Cybersecurity Expert Updated on August 25, 2021 |
We tested 5 industry leading antivirus programs with vpn using a number of different criteria and listed our results herein. Let’s jump straight into it.
If you aren’t using an antivirus with a VPN, you are really missing out on some vital security features. One click, and your identity is masked with a virtual IP address, allowing you to surf, stream and conduct transactions online safely. It’s the best of both worlds!
Written by Yasir Saeed - Cybersecurity Expert Updated on August 25, 2021 |
We tested 5 industry leading antivirus programs with vpn using a number of different criteria and listed our results herein. Let’s jump straight into it.
We tested the following antivirus brands by leading cybersecurity companies:
1. Norton 360 Premium – Best for quick scan times
2. TotalAV – Excellent malware detection and add-ons
3. Bitdefender – Best for advanced features
4. Avira Phontom VPN Pro - Most expensive VPN option
5. McAfee Total Protection - No VPN in free trial
We ran all of our tests on a Core i5, 6th Gen HP Pavilion Notebook, with 16 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD.
Additional factors to account for are:
Once known as Symantec Norton, it is one of the world’s oldest and most popular antivirus software providing a range of security suites for its users. We started with the Norton 360 Premium that provides protection of up to 10 devices.
In our test results, it took no more than 4 minutes to scan the entire system of nearly 12000+ files with zero malware detected.
Once Norton detected any suspicious activity, it automatically popped up a notification to turn on VPN for banking and other online transactions. The installation was quick and did not use any system resources, taking up a mere 64 MB of our RAM.
We have rated this software as the best all-rounder antivirus with a bundled VPN service. With a software service, you are getting the best value for money. That’s because Norton Antivirus with a yearly plan costs $39.99 (for up to 5 devices, and first year), whereas the Norton 360 Premium with a secure VPN comes at just $54.99 (for up to 10 devices, and first year). You only have to pay $15.00 extra to get a secure VPN with extra devices.
The best part about using the VPN is that it does not dramatically slow down your browsing and streaming speeds, however if you are residing in Asia and choosing a US server, expect pretty significant downgrades. The VPN channels traffic through its 73 servers in 29 countries.
In our test, we were able to access US content on Netflix but not all streaming services support VPN. Disney+ kept buffering and did not load its contents.
Other than Android devices, there is no kill switch to VPN. A kill switch is critical to ensure you remain anonymous online. We also do not recommend using it for downloading torrents as Norton by default does not provide any protection for this.
Norton is so confident that it’s offering insurance coverage against any damages resulting from ransomware, viruses and malware.
Here are the details:
In addition to this, the provider is also covering up to $1 million in coverage for lawyers and legal experts should the need be. It is vital to go through their terms and conditions before signing up for the Select or Ultimate Plus plan.
Here is a summary of the features:
Here is what we think about Norton:
What we liked:
| What we disliked:
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Overall, it is the best AV program on the market right now and we strongly recommend it for your protection.
TotalAv's antivirus scanner is powered by Avira's antivirus protection technology.
Perhaps the best feature we liked about this program is the affordability. At just $19, you get protection for up to 3 devices (for the first year only).
The antivirus was quick and scanned our system in around 3 minutes, which is in the normal range of quick scan times.
When it comes to unblocking international content, TotalAV was successfully able to bypass georsitrictions on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu and Disney+. Buffer times were no more than 10 seconds, with 1080p full HD quality.
The VPN has over 100+ server locations across the globe. This means that the traffic is shared and distributed for all users. This is also the highest number of global servers for an antivirus with VPN. More servers means better speed, which is reflected in the streaming quality of content providers.
Unfortunately, when it comes to data privacy, TotalAV does not have a no-logs policy. While they haven’t been involved in any scandal like the infamous AVG privacy data breach of 2019.
TotalAV has a simple and clean user interface, but it took up more than 280 MB in our Task Manager. This is far higher than Norton, McAfee, and BitDefender at 68 MB, 200 MB and 172 MB respectively.
Another disappointing fact is that even though it is the most economical AV program out there, it does not come with a free trial. This is not the same when it comes to competitors. Except Norton (which provides a 7-day free trial), all other antivirus software offer at least a 30-day trial.
TotalAV seems to be pushing you into buying their annual plan at $19.99 for up to 3 devices. This does not come with a VPN plan, and is priced at $39 for the first year only.
Here is what we think about TotalAV:
What we liked:
| What we disliked:
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Last but not the least, if you want total protection with near to 100% malware detection rates, no program can really beat the $19 annual plan.
Bitdefender comes with a VPN, albeit not its own. It has partnered with Hotspot Shield for providing you with a VPN option, but not without a daily 200 MB cap.
In our Task Manager, it consumed up 172 MB, which is higher than the 64 MB RAM taken up by Norton 360 Premium. Despite this, it is extremely lightweight and does not bloat our system.
However, it took approx. 8 minutes to run a quick scan on our system as compared to Norton’s 3 minutes. You may experience higher scan times but should not be dramatically higher to cause your system to slow down even during background scans.
Even with a paid plan, you do not have any option to choose your own server for VPN. You need to buy a premium VPN subscription for this purpose. Plus, the 200 MB daily cap was frustrating as it was barely enough for streaming 4k or even HD content on Netflix and Amazon Prime. And if you were wondering, yes, it does come with a kill switch!
Bitdefender automatically selects the location for you and in our test, it assigned us a private IP from Sweden. The Speedtest results were remarkable with no decrease in uploads and download speeds (10 MBPS).
Bitdefender Total Security comes at a staggering $36 (5 devices, first year only) and $99 (10 devices, first year only). What we didn’t understand was that they actually priced their Bitdefender Premium Security at just $65 (10 devices) for the first year, which comes with unlimited VPN and zero restrictions on choosing your own server.
If you have less than 5 devices and aren’t a frequent VPN user, then Bitdefender at $36 is an excellent choice.
Here is what we think about Bitdefender in short:
What we liked:
| What we did'nt like:
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The antivirus provides ultimate protection against viruses, malware, spyware and adware.
Read the full Bitdefender Review
Unlike others, the Avira Phantom Pro is only a VPN that comes with stellar features like free and powerful antivirus software.
The free version has a data cap of 1 GB per month, which is next to nothing given the streaming requirements of Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and other service providers.
It is their Phantom Pro where Avira’s true capabilities of superior VPN, paralleled with outclass antivirus protection, really shine. At $7.88 per month (billed annually), you get unlimited data, on unlimited devices. We personally tested this on two Windows Desktop PCs, and 2 android phones. The connection never dropped and in the unlikely event of disconnection, there is a kill switch!
The data transmitted over VPN, like other antivirus software, is end-to-end encryption with no data leakages, 256-bit openVPN protocol, and has servers in 50 locations across the globe. While streaming speeds were great, with no longer than a 10-second wait time, we were only able to unblock Netflix US and UK. Other streaming services did not work.
It also has a strict no-logs policy, which is a sigh of relief as is with the case of other AV programs reviewed in this list (except TotalAV).
It comes out to have a 99.5% malware detection rate and successfully detected 2 files as PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Application) in my system while running a quick scan.
Here is what we think about Avira in short:
What we liked:
| What we didn't like:
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In our tests, McAfee completed a quick scan in around 6 minutes, which is almost the same as Norton’s 5 minutes. You should not experience any lags whilst running the software.
Through our task manager we noticed it consuming approximately 200 MB, significantly higher than other AVs, but definitely not a bottleneck.
In a nutshell, you won’t experience any system lags or performance downgrades while background scanning, which means the software is lightweight and runs incredibly fast on virtually any machine, old or new.
The free trial does not come with a VPN. It is only available in a premium package. The Individuals/Couples package provides protection for up to 5 devices and it will set you back $39.99 for the first year. Gladly, it comes with a strong VPN protection utilizing bank grade encryption levels.
VPN in paid plans is strong though. Here are some of the most salient features of McAfee Anivirus with VPN:
In our VPN speed tests at a 10MBPS connection, here’s what we’ve observed:
If you want a VPN that allows you torrenting, it is better to go with a premium McAfee annual subscription. With only 20 servers, you should be good enough to mask your IP address. However, it is agitating to see a VPN service without any kill switch, similar to Norton 360 Premium.
Here is what we think about McAfee in short:
What we liked:
| What we didn't like:
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If you want great connection and web browsing safety, but are not concerned about VPN protection, go for their most economical plan at just $24.99 annually for up to 10 devices.
The following comparison table highlights all of the latest features. Do note that the prices you see are for the first year only and will increase when you renew your subscription.
Tool | VPN Data | No. of Devices | No.of Servers | Malware Detection | Unblocks Netflix | No Data Logs | Annual Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Norton 360 | Unlimited | 10 | 70+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | $54.99 |
TotalAV | Only in Premium | 10 | 100+ | Yes | Yes | No | $39 |
Bitdefender | 200MB Daily Cap ( upgrade available) | 10 | 45+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | $64.99 |
Avira | 500MB Daily Cap (upgrade available) | Unlimited | 50 | Yes | Yes | Yes | $94.00 |
McAfee | Unlimited | 5 | 20+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | $39.99 |
If you want the best internet security with VPN, there are a number of factors to take into account:
Having an award-winning antivirus program is just the beginning. Without an equally powerful VPN, you are leaving too many traces online.
Alongside the security benefits, you can easily bypass geo restrictions set by Netflix, HBO Max and other leading streaming service providers.
We tested all of the antiviruses mentioned on this page, and personally recommend going with Norton 360 Premium. They have the most competitive rates with an unlimited VPN.
1. Do I need Antivirus with VPN? |
There is no harm in having a VPN bundled with antivirus software. However, keep in mind that any leading antivirus program is better known for its antivirus capabilities than having a strong VPN. |
2. What is the best antivirus with VPN? |
The best, based on our experience, is Norton 360 Premium. With an annual plan at $54.99 (for the first year), you get ultimate protection from ransomware, phishing, and viruses for up to 10 devices including smartphones, PCs and Macs. Not to forget the unlimited bandwidth VPN that allows you to watch geo-restricted content from leading streaming services. |
3. Which antivirus has free VPN? |
All antiviruses reviewed on this page come with a VPN package, although priced higher than the antivirus software itself. Some antivirus software offer VPN during their free trial, whereas others don’t. Some companies even have a data cap on the bandwidth in free trial. It is only in paid versions you can get your hands on a fully functional VPN. |
4. Can I use a VPN in more than one device? |
It is possible to use VPN on multiple devices simultaneously. However, you need to check this with the antivirus software for a final confirmation. |