The Best Antivirus Software With VPNs 2024

We’ve determined that the best antiviruses with a VPN are Norton 360 for comprehensive security, Bitdefender for affordability, and McAfee for families.
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Best for Comprehensive Security

5.0
Editorial Rating
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On Norton 360 Antivirus's website

Norton 360 Antivirus
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Best for Affordability

4.8
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Bitdefender's website

Bitdefender
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Best for Families

5.0
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On McAfee's website

McAfee
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Wading through the sea of antivirus software solutions can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, we’ve got the lowdown on the big guns in the game. In this review, we will highlight our top picks of antivirus solutions with a virtual private network (VPN): Norton 360, Bitdefender, and McAfee.

In this comprehensive article, we’ll unravel notable features and pricing for our top three picks.

In this article
The best antivirus software with a VPN 2024
Norton 360: Best for comprehensive cybersecurity
Bitdefender: Best for affordability
McAfee: Best for families
Honorable mentions
Best antivirus with VPN FAQs
Bottom line: The best antivirus programs with a VPN
What are the benefits of an antivirus with a built-in VPN?

The best antivirus software with VPNs 2024

Top 3 antivirus products with VPNs compared

Antivirus


Starting price $29.99/first yr $29.99/first yr $39.99/first yr
Free version
VPN
Firewall
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection
Parental controls
Learn more Get Norton 360

Read Norton 360 Review

Get Bitdefender

Read Bitdefender Review

Get McAfee

Read McAfee Review

Norton 360: Best for comprehensive cybersecurity

Enjoy Norton’s 100% Virus Protection Promise
5.0
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Norton 360 Antivirus's website
Antivirus Software
Norton 360 Antivirus
Save up to 58% your first year
  • 4 plans available, all including antivirus, malware, ransomware, and hacking protection, Cloud backup, and a secure password manager
  • Option to add VPN connection, dark web monitoring, privacy monitoring, and more
  • Available for up to 10 devices depending on plan
  • Multi-tab navigation may be overwhelming at first

Who it’s best for

Norton is ideal for the digitally savvy individual seeking a well-rounded antivirus suite. Norton 360’s extensive features include a VPN to protect your online transactions and web browsing, a password manager to safely store your credentials, and even parental controls for those who care about their child's online safety.

What we liked

Norton 360 offers an exhaustive set of features designed to safeguard against a variety of cyberthreats. It also has a variety of pricing plans to choose from, such as the Plus, Standard, Deluxe, and Premium plans. While the price point isn’t the cheapest, Norton offers a balance between features and value.

Norton’s Secure VPN is included with all Norton 360 plans. Having a VPN service included ensures that you can maintain privacy when connected to potentially insecure Wi-Fi networks. Depending on your Norton 360 plan, you can connect the VPN on anywhere from three to unlimited devices.


Take a look at some of Norton 360’s other bells and whistles:

  • Smart Firewall: Monitors incoming and outgoing internet traffic and defends against cyber threats
  • Safe Web: A browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge that analyzes websites for threats
  • Dark web monitoring: Monitors your personal information and notifies you when it has been leaked on the dark web and private forums
  • Parental controls: An added layer of safety for young internet users

What we didn’t like

While Norton 360 is undoubtedly packed with features, the lack of a free version can be off-putting for some users. In addition, Mac users might feel left out as some of the features available for Windows, such as Power Eraser, aren't available on macOS.

Norton 360 specs

Starting price $29.99/first yr
Free version No
VPN Yes
Firewall Yes
Phishing protection Yes
Ransomware protection Yes
Webcam protection Yes
Parental controls Yes
Extras Password manager, dark web monitoring
Learn more View Norton 360 Plans

Read Our Norton 360 Review

Bitdefender: Best for affordability

4.8
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Bitdefender's website
Bitdefender
  • Antivirus software offering reliable security
  • Simple yet powerful interface tools
  • Perfect protection score in third-party tests
  • Premium features incur additional subscription fees

Who it’s best for

If you’re seeking real-time, robust protection against malware, hackers, and computer viruses, Bitdefender emerges as a knight in shining armor — especially where affordability is a main concern.

Bitdefender offers a free version of its antivirus protection for Windows, macOS, and Android devices with daily virus scans and threat alerts. This is great for those who cannot afford to pay for a subscription plan or who have a very tight budget.

Bitdefender also offers multiple premium plans, which include antivirus solutions and security suites for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices with a starting price of $29.99/first yr. Premium plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test it before you commit.

What we liked

On its most recent round of testing, Bitdefender had perfect AV-TEST scores on Windows, macOS, and Android. Third-party testing from institutes like AV-TEST is important so you know you’re getting proven antivirus protection that performs in real-world environments. Bitdefender’s proven ability to swiftly detect and neutralize threats with a boatload of features makes it one of the best antivirus programs.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, Total Security, and Premium Security all come with Bitdefender’s VPN. It allows for 200 MB of bandwidth per device, and it has VPN server locations in 53 countries worldwide.

The basic version of Bitdefender VPN only allowed us to use the automatic location feature, where the application chooses where your virtual connection is located.

Additional security features included with Bitdefender’s premium paid include:

  • Advanced phishing protection: Keeps your online activities safe from deceptive sites
  • Anti-fraud protection: Provides an advanced filtering system that warns you when you visit websites that may try to scam you
  • Parental controls: Allows you to restrict minors from accessing specific content on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices
  • Dark web monitoring: Scans the hidden corners of the internet for any compromised data
  • Webcam protection: Continuously monitors apps that attempt to access your camera and automatically blocks them
  • Multi-layer ransomware protection: Safeguards your files and documents, as well as pictures, videos, and more, from ransomware attacks

What we didn’t like

While we appreciated that Bitdefender offers a free antivirus app, it only includes a virus scanner. As far as the VPN, its 200 MB of bandwidth per day is limited, especially if you’re looking to use your VPN for heavy-bandwidth activities like streaming Netflix and torrenting. Bitdefender does offer a Premium VPN with unlimited data, but upgrading can cost you at least an additional $29.99 per year.

Bitdefender specs

Starting price $29.99/first yr
Free version Yes
VPN Yes
Firewall Yes
Phishing protection Yes
Ransomware protection Yes
Webcam protection Yes
Parental controls Yes
Extras Password manager, dark web monitoring
Learn more View Bitdefender Plans

Read Our Bitdefender Review

McAfee: Best for families

No Fuss, Real-Time Online and Mobile Protection
4.8
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On TotalAV's website
Antivirus Software
TotalAV
First year discount on paid plans
  • Real-time protection from viruses, malware, and online threats
  • Blocks tracking cookies and ads, proactively monitors for data breaches, and option to schedule smart scans
  • 100% compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS operating systems on up to 3 devices
  • Lacks firewall protection

Who it’s best for

McAfee offers comprehensive antivirus packages to safeguard your files and apps on your devices from viruses, malware, Trojans, and more. If you’re a parent, its parental controls are top-notch. Having parental controls ensures that your children’s online activities remain secure and age-appropriate, so you can have peace of mind while they engage in online activities.

What we liked

McAfee offers various antivirus plans for different budgets and needs: a basic plan called McAfee Essential and various tiers of its premium McAfee+ plans, including McAfee+ Premium, McAfee+ Advanced, and McAfee+ Ultimate.

Starting with McAfee Essential, you get a VPN with your plan. McAfee VPN comes with a kill switch and offers the OpenVPN and IKEv2 VPN protocols.

Safe Connect is a fairly bare-bones product, but it does include two protocol options and a kill switch.

Most McAfee family plans come with parental controls and provide coverage for up to two adults and four children. McAfee’s parental controls allow you to limit content, manage screen time, and receive location-based alerts. Some of the identity features also cover children, including identity monitoring, lost wallet protection, a password manager, and more.

What we didn’t like

Unfortunately, McAfee doesn’t offer a free plan and McAfee+ plans can be costly. The starting price for McAfee+ is $89.99/first yr for McAfee+ Premium. Even McAfee Essential ($49.99/first yr) is double the price of Bitdefender’s basic plan ($49.99/first yr).

During our testing, McAfee passed its DNS leak test but failed its WebRTC leak test. If you’re looking for a VPN with proven online security capabilities, you’d be better off pairing McAfee antivirus with a separate VPN provider like NordVPN.

McAfee specs

Starting price $39.99/first yr
Free version No
VPN Yes
Firewall Yes
Phishing protection Yes
Ransomware protection Yes
Webcam protection No
Parental controls Yes
Extras Password manager, social privacy manager, scam protection
Learn more View McAfee Plans

Read Our McAfee+ Premium Review

Honorable mentions

While the aforementioned tools were standouts, there are other antivirus providers with VPNs that may be better suited for you.

  • TotalAV: TotalAV provides a VPN with its Internet Security and Total Security plans. During our testing, we loved how TotalAV provided a clean and user-friendly experience.

    Get TotalAV | Read Our TotalAV Review

  • Avast: If you’re looking for a free antivirus product, you can’t go wrong with Avast. Avast’s free antivirus includes a smart scan, alerts for suspicious behaviors and files, and the option to quarantine harmful files. Although it doesn’t include the VPN, Avast SecureLine VPN offers a 60-day free trial and separate payment plans.

    Get Avast | Read Our Avast Review

  • Avira: Avira comes loaded with features that are ideal for anyone seeking antivirus protection like a firewall, software updater, password manager, and more. Its VPN also has no data limits, so you can browse anonymously however much you like.

    Get Avira | Read Our Avira Review

  • Best antivirus with VPNs FAQs


    +

    Do I need an antivirus with a VPN?

    It depends on the level of protection you seek. VPNs protect your personal data while browsing online while antivirus software defends against malware and other online threats. For comprehensive protection, it's best to use both.

    If you’re seeking a standalone VPN to combine with your VPN, our list of the best VPNs is a great place to start.


    +

    Which antivirus covers multiple devices with a VPN?

    Our top three antiviruses with VPNs, Norton, Bitdefender, and McAfee, can all cover multiple devices. Norton 360 plans can cover three to unlimited devices, Bitdefender can cover three to 10 devices depending on your plan, and McAfee can cover five to unlimited devices depending on your plan.


    +

    Do antiviruses block VPNs?

    Antiviruses shouldn't block VPNs, but conflicts can arise; whitelisting the VPN or updating both can help.

    Bottom line: The best antivirus programs with VPNs

    In an age where digital threats are pervasive, security tools like Norton 360, Bitdefender, and McAfee offer more than just antivirus protection — they offer peace of mind. Each comes with its own strengths, ensuring there's something for every kind of user. Close runners-up like Avast and Avira also deserve a nod for their commendable performance.

    3 best antivirus products with VPN 2024

    Starting price Best for Learn more

    $29.99/first yr Best for comprehensive cybersecurity Get Norton 360

    Read Norton 360 Review


    $29.99/first yr Best for affordability Get Bitdefender
    Read Bitdefender Review

    $39.99/first yr Best for families Get McAfee
    Read McAfee+ Premium Review

    How we tested the best antivirus software with VPNs

    For the best antivirus programs with a VPN, our selection criteria hinged on a mix of real-world performance, user reviews, and the richness of features. Here’s what we considered.

    • VPN: Does the antivirus include a VPN?
    • Real-time protection: How effectively does the software detect and neutralize threats?
    • Phishing protection: Does the antivirus guard against deceptive websites and content?
    • Ransomware protection: Does the antivirus have functions that ensure user data remains uncompromised?
    • Parental controls: Does the antivirus include parental controls to monitor and control children's online activities?

    What are the benefits of an antivirus with a built-in VPN?

    In the realm of cybersecurity, an antivirus protects you from malicious software attempting to harm or exploit any device, application, or network. On the other hand, a VPN shields your online identity by masking your IP address. When combined, they offer a formidable defense against both software threats and privacy breaches. An integrated solution ensures seamless protection without any compatibility issues or overlapping redundancies.

    However, there’s a downside. If the integrated VPN isn't top-tier, you might compromise online speed and security. Thus, while convenience is a plus, ensure both the antivirus and VPN components are of high quality.

Enjoy Norton’s 100% Virus Protection Promise
5.0
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Norton 360 Antivirus's website
Antivirus Software
Norton 360 Antivirus
Save up to 58% your first year
  • 4 plans available, all including antivirus, malware, ransomware, and hacking protection, Cloud backup, and a secure password manager
  • Option to add VPN connection, dark web monitoring, privacy monitoring, and more
  • Available for up to 10 devices depending on plan
  • Multi-tab navigation may be overwhelming at first
Author Details
Mars is a California-based cybersecurity professional and writer currently pursuing a B.S. in Cybersecurity. With interests ranging from OSINT to ethical hacking and threat intelligence, Mars leverages his two years of writing experience to produce informative content on topics such as Internet guides and VPNs.