The 5 Best Antivirus with a VPN of 2021

Security is no longer the only concern of our digital lives. As the big-data industry and its thirst for information grows, privacy has become a worry.

Luckily, innovative solutions are never far behind the problems that sprout them. All hail the new king of the cybersecurity industry: The Virtual Private Network (VPN).

As you perhaps already know, a VPN allows you to encrypt your internet connection and hide your IP address. In effect, this makes you anonymous online. At the click of a button, you can say goodbye to governments and big data companies tracking your every move.

Nearly all antivirus brands now include a VPN. But not all are created equal.

• Some have data limits of a few 100 MB per day, requiring you to pay extra for the full version, while others are limitless straight out the box.
• Some are built in-house by the antivirus company, while others resell a VPN service from a partner like Hotspot Shield or NordVPN.
• Some truly make you anonymous online, while others keep extensive logs on your online activities, and sell these to data companies.

These differences really matter. So how to find the best one out there?

We are here to help. Since 2014, we have tested 100’s of antivirus and VPN across Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS devices.

Below are our 5 favourite antivirus that include a VPN:

#1. Norton

Perfect antivirus, and a limitless and fast VPN.

#3. Panda

Close-to-perfect antivirus, and a VPN limited to 150 MB per day.

#4. BullGuard

Perfect antivirus, but a VPN costs extra.

#5. McAfee

Close-to-perfect antivirus, limitless VPN, but a poor privacy policy.

Norton Review

Verdict: Perfect antivirus, and a limitless VPN

Pros:

• Perfect anti-malware for Windows: Norton discovered 100% of the 10.249 malware samples in the Malware Detection Test.
• No impact on the speed of your PC: Norton scores 97.3 in the PC Mark performance test. This means that it doesn’t impact the speed of your PC.
• Anti-phishing: Receive a warning before accessing a fraudulent website that tries to steal your sensitive data, like credit card details.
• Firewall: When connected to the internet, suspicious traffic gets blocked from accessing your PC, so that it can’t access your files and data.
• Password manager: Create strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts, and store them in a secure vault.
• Free and unlimited VPN: Surf the web anonymously by encrypting your internet connection and hiding your IP address.
• Webcam protection: Block spyware and hackers from unauthorised access to your webcam.
• Parental controls: Filter what your kids do online, set time-limits to screen time, and more. Norton’s parental controls are the best in the industry.
• Bonus features: Norton includes a cloud backup and a lot of identity theft protection features in its premium packages.

Cons:

• Identity theft protection for US customers only: Norton’s identity protection is limited for users from the USA.
• No VPN on AV Plus: Norton’s entry-level antivirus, AV Plus, does not include the VPN. It’s included in 360 Standard, Deluxe and Premium.

About Norton’s VPN:

Norton has built its own VPN, called Norton Secure VPN. It is included in all of its 360 antivirus products. Only the basic AV Plus doesn’t have it.

The VPN is very fast (95 Mbps), secure (AES-128, OpenVPN, Ad Blocker), has servers 28 countries, and works with Netflix. Norton has a clear no-logs policy which states that it does not track your online activity.

Sadly, it doesn’t include a kill switch and doesn’t allow torrenting (P2P) on its servers. In case you frequently download torrents, we recommend getting BitDefender instead. Do you keep in mind, that BitDefender’s free VPN is limited to 200 MB per day, so you’ll need to upgrade to the limitless version. 

Outside of those shortcomings though, Norton’s VPN is excellent. And considering that it’s included for free, makes Norton the best deal, by far. 

Fore more information, read Norton’s antivirus review or VPN review.

BitDefender Review

Verdict: Perfect antivirus, and a VPN limited to 200 MB

• Perfect anti-malware for Windows: BitDefender discovered 100% of the 10.249 malware samples in the Malware Protection Tests.
• No impact on the speed of your PC: BitDefender scored 97.1% in the PC Mark performance test. This means it won’t impact your PC’s speed.
• Anti-phishing: Receive a warning before visiting suspicious websites that are known for stealing sensitive data like credit card details.
• Firewall: Automatically block unauthorised devices from connecting to your PC and accessing your private data.
• Password manager: Create and store unique passwords for all your accounts.
• Limited VPN for free: Encrypt your internet connection, so you become anonymous online and safe from hackers.
• Webcam protection: Get a notification when apps attempt to activate your webcam and block their access.
• Parental controls: Remotely limit screen time and filter inappropriate websites for your children.
• Tons of bonus features: BitDefender includes anti-ransomware, anti-tracker, microphone protection, safe online banking, and much more.

Cons:

• Free VPN limited to 200mb per day: The unlimited VPN will cost extra. However, the upgrade is worth it. You’ll get a version of Hotspot Shield’s super fast VPN at a deep discount.

About BitDefender’s VPN:

BitDefender has not built its own VPN. Instead, it sells Hotspot Shield‘s VPN under its own brandname. All of the antivirus products sold by BitDefender include a free version of the VPN, with a data-limit of 200 MB per day.

It you want the unlimited VPN, you’ll either need to pay extra. Or you can buy BitDefender Premium, which combines BitDefender’s Total Security for 10 devices, priority support and the unlimited VPN.

Being based on Hotspot Shield’s technology, means that BitDefender’s VPN is very fast (90 Mbps), secure (256-AES and Catapult Hydra), works with Netflix (although not on its US servers), and allows torrenting (P2P).

Pango, the company behind Hotspot Shield, is responsible for BitDefender’s data processing and applies a clear no-log policy. This means that your online activity is neither tracked nor stored. Thus, you are fully anonymous.

BitDefender’s VPN does miss a few features from Hotspot Shield’s version. For instance, it has servers in only 27 countries (whereas Hotspot Shield has servers in 82 countries) and doesn’t include the Kill Switch.

That being said, BitDefender’s VPN costs only $ 40 a year, even though Hotspot Shield sells its VPN for $ 100 for the same period. This makes BitDefender’s VPN a bargain. 

Fore more information, read BitDefender’s antivirus review or VPN review.

Panda Review

Verdict: Close-to-perfect antivirus, and a VPN limited to 150 MB

Pros:

• Near-perfect anti-malware protection: Panda detected 10.245 (99.96%) of the 10.249 malware samples in the Malware Detection Test.
• No impact on the speed of your PC: Panda scored 97.0 on the PC Mark performance test. This means that it will keep your PC as fast as ever.
• Anti-phishing: Receive a warning when you visit malicious websites that attempt to steal your personal or financial information.
• Firewall: Automatically stop uninvited devices from connecting to your PC or laptop. 
• Password Manager: Panda has created a brand new password manager, that allows you to create and store a unique password for each account.
• Free VPN: Encrypt your internet connection with Panda’s VPN – based on Hotspot Shield’s technology – to become anonymous online.
• Parental controls: Manage what you children can see and do online, and which apps they can access.
• Bonus Features: Panda has a few useful bonus features such as a dedicated USB scan and clean-up tool to speed up your devices.

Cons:

• Anti-phishing less effective: Panda’s anti-phishing discovered fewer malicious URLs than BitDefender and Norton.
• Password manager app for Android only: On Windows and Mac, it only works as a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox.
• Free VPN limited to 200 MB per day: 200 MB is not a lot. If you want the unlimited version, you’ll need to pay extra or get Panda Dome Premium.

About Panda’s VPN:

Like BitDefender, Panda uses Hotspot Shield‘s VPN, and sells it under its own brandname. All of Panda Dome’s antivirus products include a free version of the VPN with a data-limit of 150 MB per day.

To unlock the full VPN, you can either buy it separately in a monthly contract, or buy Panda Dome Premium, which consists of Panda Dome Complete (the top-of-the-line antivirus solution) and the unlimited VPN.

The VPN itself is very fast (88 Mbps), secure (256-AES and Catapult Hydra), works with Netflix, and allows torrenting (P2P).

However, Panda does miss some of the features of the VPN it’s based on. For instance, Panda’s VPN only has 23 server locations, whereas Hotspot offers 82. On top of that, Panda doesn’t have the kill switch.

That all being said, Hotspot Shield charges close to $ 100 per year for its VPN. Yet you can buy Panda Dome Premium via the link below for about half that price and get the same VPN. This makes Panda a very good deal.

Fore more information, read Panda’s antivirus review or VPN review.

BullGuard Review

Verdict: Perfect antivirus, but a VPN costs extra

Pros:

• Perfect anti-malware protection: BullGuard discovered 100% of the malware samples in the independent tests.
• No impact on the speed of you PC: BullGuard beat the industry average in all performance tests, meaning that your PC will stay as fast as ever.
• Anti-phishing: Get a warning before you enter a website known for stealing sensitive data such as credit card information.
• Firewall: Block any uninvited device from connecting to your PC and reading your personal data.
• Parental controls: Block website categories, such as gambling and adult entertainment, set time-limits on internet use, and more.
• Bonus features: BullGuard features a game booster, home network scanner, cloud backup, and a few other useful bonus features.

Cons:

• No password manager: BullGuard does not offer you the option to create and store highly secure and unique passwords.
• No free VPN: BullGuard does not include a free version of its VPN. If you want to be anonymous online, you’ll need to buy the VPN separately.
• Expensive VPN: BullGuard’s VPN is a basic version of NordVPN, but comes at the same price. You’d be better off just buying NordVPN directly.
• Norton’s parental controls are better: Concerned parents wanting all the bells and whistles, should get Norton instead.

About BullGuard’s VPN:

BullGuard’s hasn’t built its own VPN. Instead, it sells a slimmed down version of NordVPN under its own name. And we don’t think it’s a great deal.

On the one hand, there is a lot to love. The VPN is very fast (90 Mbps), highly secure (256-AES and OpenVPN), works with Netflix, and allows the download of torrents (P2P).

On the other hand, it doesn’t make financial sense. BullGuard features servers in 16 countries (vs NordVPN’s 62) and doesn’t come with several of the advanced features like the kill switch. Yet BullGuard’s VPN is priced at the same level as NordVPN.

Sure, when you buy BullGuard’s VPN through the link below, you’ll get a small discount, making it a bit cheaper than NordVPN. But not enough to justify the lack in features.

BitDefender and Panda also sell a simplified version of Hotspot Shield’s VPN. But they do so at a much lower price point. Instead, BullGuard attempts to sell you a water-downed version of NordVPN for the same price. That makes no sense.

If you like BullGuard and NordVPN, just buy them separately. You’ll get more value for your money.

Fore more information, read BullGuard’s antivirus review or VPN review.

McAfee Review

Verdict: Close-to-perfect antivirus, but poor VPN privacy policy

Pros:

• Very good anti-malware protection: McAfee detected 10.242 (99.93%) of 10.249 malware samples in the Malware Detection Test.
• No impact on the speed of your PC: McAfee scores 97.8 on the PC Mark test, which means that your PC will remain as smooth and fast as always.
• Anti-phishing: Receive a warning before you access a website that is known for tricking users into handing over their sensitive data.
• Firewall: Automatically stop programs and devices from accessing your PC with your permission.
• Password manager: McAfee’s password manager, which helps you create and store unique passwords, is the best of the 5 antivirus in this test.
• Unlimited VPN for free: Be anonymous online by encrypting you internet connection and masking your IP address with McAfee Safe Connect.
• Parental controls: Block access to inappropriate websites and specific apps for your children, set screen-time, and track their location.
• Bonus features: McAfee includes performance optimisation, home network protection, encrypted file storage, and more.

Cons:

• Not top-tier anti-malware protection: McAfee missed more malware samples than BitDefender and Norton in the detection tests.
• Norton’s parental controls remain the best: If you buy antivirus for the parental controls, we’d recommend Norton instead.
• Invasive VPN logging policy: McAfee’s VPN tracks what you do online. Yes, you’ll be safe from hackers, but you won’t be anonymous. Avoid this VPN.

About McAfee’s VPN:

McAfee bought TunnelBear, a VPN company, in 2018. Since then, it has launched a VPN (using much of TunnelBear’s technology) under its own name: McAfee Safe Connect.

On the surface, it looks like a bad-to-average VPN. Although it’s fast, secure, and allows torrenting (P2P), it has trouble connecting to most streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and Hulu.

But once you dive deep into the company’s privacy policy, it becomes far worse. This is a direct quote taken from McAfee’s privacy policy:

” For example, we may collect and use the following:

• Information about the products you looked at or searched for (…)
• Details about your computers, devices, applications, and networks, including internet protocol (IP) address (…)
• When you use our products to protect your mobile device, we collect geolocation data (…)
• Details about your internet, app, or network usage (including URLs or domain names of websites you visit, (…) “

This is one of the most abusive privacy policy we have ever read. McAfee should really reflect on why they want to sell a privacy product.

McAfee’s antivirus is great. But if you value your privacy, avoid McAfee’s VPN.

Fore more information, read McAfee’s antivirus review. 

How we test?

Buying the right security software is very important. To help you in your decision, we want to be clear about the way we select our top 5.

We analyse the leading antivirus software on protection, privacy and speed. Normally, we give protection a weight factor of 50% and privacy 30%.

However, as this comparison is dedicated to both antivirus and VPN technology, we give each a 40% weight factor. The remaining 20% go to the speed impact of the security software on your device.

Read on below to learn more about each factor. 

Protection

In the protection category we analyse how good the various antivirus software are at keeping your device free from malware. Both from online and offline sources.

To do this, we analyse the test results by the German and Austrian independent test labs AV-Test and AV-Comparatives. Several times a year, they run the antivirus software through the following tests:

Real-World Protection Tests

In this test, antivirus software are exposed to web-based malware. This is done by visiting a URL known to spread viruses, worms, trojans and the like. When attempting to open the URL, the antivirus has its first opportunity to intervene by blocking access to it.

Should the URL not be blocked, the malware is allowed to execute. Here the antivirus has its second change to detect and block the malware, using either its signature or behavioural detection methods.

In case the antivirus does not block the URL or uncover the malware’s execution, it fails the test.

Malware Protection Tests

In this test, antivirus software are exposed to offline malware via USB input. After the USB has been introduced, the test labs run an on-demand scan. Here the antivirus has its first opportunity to detect the malware’s digital signature and prevent its execution.

Should it fail to do so, the malware samples are allowed to execute. This is the second opportunity for the antivirus software to stop the malware by using its behavioural detection features.

If the antivirus fails to detect and delete the malware, it fails the test.

Anti-Phishing Test 

Phishing attacks are different from regular malware attacks. Malware attacks attempt to infect a PC and cause damage. Phishing attacks don’t work that way.

Instead, they attempt to trick the user into handing over sensitive data, such as credit card details. This is often done by leading users to a fraudulent website that looks like their PayPal or online bank account, and then requesting them to login.

The way to test an antivirus tool on its anti-phishing capabilities is simple: The test measures whether or not the antivirus software blocks websites and links that are known for phishing attacks. If it doesn’t, it fails the test.

Privacy

Security and privacy are the main concerns of the digital age. Until recently, these problems were solved by separate industries. Antivirus companies on the one hand, VPN providers on the other. Those days are gone.

In the privacy section we test each cybersecurity company for its ability to restore your anonymity online. The core feature in this regard is the VPN. But anti-trackers and webcam protection are also included.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A VPN allows users encrypt their internet connection and hide their IP address, at the touch of a button. This turns their online browsing behaviour into unreadable gibberish for any governmental agency, hacker or internet service provider (ISP) attempting to take a sneak peak into their private lives.

Yet not all VPN are created equal. Free VPN are well known for using insecure technologies, and even for tracking and selling their users’ data, defeating the purpose of their existence. Sadly even some paid VPN fall into the “untrustworthy” bucket.

To help you navigate this web of deceit, we test, analyse and review all VPN according to the following criteria:

• Their impact on your upload and download speed, and latency (ping).
• Whether they work with streaming services (Netflix) and torrenting (P2P).
• The number of servers that are available and where these are located.
• The security features on offer such as AES-256, OpenVPN, and a kill switch.
• How much the VPN costs.
• Who the creator and owner of the VPN is, and what their logging policy is.

Especially the final point – the logging policy – is quite critical. Because let’s be honest, when was the last time you’ve read a company’s privacy policy? Probably never. And why would you? Shouldn’t you be able trust the company selling you a product? Especially a privacy product?

Luckily, most antivirus and VPN companies turn out to be stand-up firms that go out of their way to protect your privacy. But definitely not all – McAfee and Avast are terrible offenders.

So we’ve done the leg work for you and read the boring but important privacy policies. And rest assured, the reviews in this comparison highlight whenever any company is not worthy of your trust and hard earned cash.

Anti-Tracker

New in the antivirus space are Anti-Trackers. BitDefender was the first to introduce one in their 2021 product-line. Although there are several excellent anti-trackers available for free, it’s much better if an antivirus product becomes an all-in-one solution.

The purpose of anti-trackers are to block browser cookies. These are small pieces of code stored in your browser that help websites identify and remember you. Most are harmless, and many even beneficial, but some are responsible for those eerie ads that keep following you around the web.

Webcam security

Another novelty, introduced by both BitDefender and Norton, are webcam security features. These are dedicated tools that track whether legitimate apps or spyware request access to you webcam. If one does, you’ll be alerted and can choose to approve or deny this request.

Speed

Antivirus software operates silently in the background, keeping you safe from harm around the clock. This is a wonderful thing, of course. But it does come at a price. After all, all this safeguarding costs resources.

The manner in which antivirus hog resources varies quite a bit. Some will be hardly noticeable, where other can slow down essential processes by as much as 20%. Especially on older or cheaper devices.

The test labs, AV-Test and AV-Comparatives, have dedicated testing facilities to analyse this behaviour. They review an antivirus’ speed impact on things such as copying, downloading and archiving files, installing and launching applications, and browsing websites.

This done on both “low-end” (Intel i3 and 8GB of RAM) and “high-end” systems (Intel i7 and 16GB of RAM).

We use their test results, and our experience in working with the various antivirus, as the basis for the score in the speed section.

Most common malware

What is Adware?

Adware is a category of programs that are used to display advertisements on a user’s computer, usually without their consent. Most of these programs can also redirect searches and collect traffic data to use in marketing campaigns.

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What is Antivirus?

Software designed to remove malware is called antivirus software. If in the beginning an antivirus would do just that. These days, antivirus are far more intelligent and can protect against a wider variety of cyber threats, both known and unknown.

Read more

What is a Botnet?

Often referred to as a zombie army, a botnet is a tool used to launch cyberattacks, steal information, send spam, and cripple network infrastructures. To create a botnet, hackers take control of the computing power of 1000’s of hacked devices.

Read more

What is a Computer Exploit?

A computer exploit is the use malware to target vulnerabilities in a device or operating system. Through the use of a computer exploit, an external party can gain access to someone’s device and damage the data, the whole system, or selected hardware components.

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What is a Computer Virus?

Perhaps the most type of malware is the computer virus. It’s so named because computer viruses share the self-replicating traits with the biological virus, and can corrupt programs by injecting their own foreign code into the host.

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What is a Computer Worm?

A computer worm is usually designed to spread across entire networks. Through the use of a computer worm, a hacker can install a backdoor into a device, and include it in a botnet.

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What is Computer Hacking?

Often involving malicious intent, hacking refers to individuals or groups of individuals that use malware and computer exploits for financial advantage, or to cause chaos in foreign systems or networks.

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What is Cybercrime?

Any crime that involves a computer or network can be categorized as a cybercrime or computer crime. In this case, networks, mobile devices, and computers can be both the tools and the intended targets.

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What is a DDoS Attack?

Distributed denial-of-service, or DDoS, is a type of cyberattack most commonly used for traffic disruption. A DDoS attack can target servers or entire networks by flooding them with overwhelming amounts of traffic. This in turn slows down their performance and can even cripple the infrastructures. Botnets are most commonly used to launch a DDoS attack.

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What is Identity Theft?

Any crime where the perpetrator assumes or uses the victim’s identity for financial gain and other benefits is known as identity theft.

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What is a Keylogger?

A keylogger is a spyware tool that can be used to monitor, record and transmit keystrokes on a keyboard. Most keyloggers are designed to operate in the shadows and be invisible to anything but the most advanced detection techniques.

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What is Malware?

Malware describes malicious software that is designed to manipulate foreign devices. Malware is often used to corrupt data, steal information, or influence the operating capacity in the affected system.

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What is Phishing?

A technique often used in social engineering, phishing refers to malicious attempts at obtaining personal information, most commonly with the perpetrator or scammer posing as a legitimate entity.

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What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware designed to encrypt files and hold them for ransom. Cybercriminals use ransomware to blackmail their victims with compromising materials or information.

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What is a Rootkit?

Taking control over a foreign computer, mobile device, or network is usually done through a rootkit. This piece of malware attempts to bury itself deep into the operating system and is particularly difficult to uncover.

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What is a Scam?

Any fraudulent scheme perpetrated to steal money or information can be called a scam. Both individuals and groups can be a scammer’s target.

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What is Social Engineering?

Social engineering refers to the use of psychological manipulation of individuals or groups. The goal is to extract confidential information or prompt them to take actions detrimental to themselves or their employers.

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What is Spam?

Sending unwanted messages in bulk is usually referred to as spam. There are many ways to send spam, including through emails, phone messages, blog comments, forum posts and classified ads.

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What is Email, IP, or DNS Spoofing?

IP spoofing is used to mask the identity of a foreign computer, so that it can gain access to a restricted network or hide its online activities. Using fake email accounts, that mimic a legitimate source, to steal confidential information is known as email spoofing. DNS spoofing is a technique employed to divert traffic from legitimate websites to fake versions of those websites.

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What is Spyware?

Spyware includes keyloggers, tracking cookies, and other tools used to monitor, collect, and relay sensitive information without user consent.

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What is a SQL Injection Attack?

This is a code injection technique that can be used to modify or steal data in a website’s SQL database.

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What is a Trojan Horse?

A Trojan horse is malware disguised as something else, often an email attachment. Unlike a virus, a trojan can’t self-replicate or spread through entire networks unaided.

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What is a Zero-Day Exploit?

A zero-day exploit is the most dreaded computer exploit. As it exploits undiscovered vulnerabilities in a recently updated or newly released software, it’s almost impossible to protect against.

Read more

Sources

Trustpilot / Airo
Trustpilot / Avast
Trustpilot / BitDefender
Trustpilot / BullGuard
Trustpilot / Intego
Trustpilot / Kaspersky
Trustpilot / McAfee
Trustpilot / Norton
Trustpilot / Panda Security
Trustpilot / Total AV

AV-Test / Windows
AV-Test / Mac
AV-Test / Mobile

AV-Comparatives / Test Results

Disclosure

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