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Best for families
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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
Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS on up to 10 devices depending on plan
Best for individuals
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More affordable than Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender, and more top providers
Aced all internal tests and recent third-party tests
With two industry leaders, Norton wins this head-to-head matchup. Norton has more features that families will find useful. Aura, on the other hand, is a reasonably priced choice for individuals who are looking for antivirus protection with a bunch of additional features.
We’ve broken down the features included with each and placed these two side by side so you can decide for yourself which one deserves your business.
Antivirus works by blocking harmful viruses, malware, trojans, and more from infecting your internet-connected devices. When an antivirus also includes a bevy of additional features, like identity theft protection, parental controls, a virtual private network (VPN), and more, it becomes a powerful security tool.
Norton’s parental controls and unlimited devices make it a great choice for families. Meanwhile, Aura’s reasonable pricing and extra features make it a great choice for individuals.
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| Star rating | ||
| Starting price | Starts at $29.99/first yr | $35.99/first yr |
| Max number of protected devices | Up to unlimited | 10 |
| Malware scans | Manual and scheduled | Manual |
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Compatibility | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | Android, Windows, macOS |
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get Aura Antivirus |
We use our proprietary grading rubric in all of our testing, which considers ease-of-use, third-party testing scores, internal testing scores, price, compatibility, and features offered, among other metrics.
This means that our testing process is designed to ensure that the product isn't too confusing, protects as it claims, and offers you a lot for a reasonable price. We download and run each program on our own computers on home networks, just like you would. Our ratings reflect the real-world performance of the antivirus product. This ensures that we can recreate a similar experience for you and give our best advice on whether or not it's worthwhile.
To learn more about how we test, check out our full antivirus testing methodology here.
Norton has a full suite of comprehensive safety features, including its password manager. The software has both automatic and manual malware scans and includes cloud backup storage. With a variety of plans, Norton offers a vast range of coverage.
Aura is a powerful player in the AV space, with three types of malware scans: full, quick, and custom. It packs in a bunch of extras, like its ad blocker and identity protection, to offer well-rounded protection.
Aura is the best value since it has very similar features as Norton but offers better prices.
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Our Pick
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| Price range | $29.99–$99.99/first yr | $35.99-$59.99/first yr |
| Best value plan | Select plan for $99.99/first yr | Antivirus Plus plan for $47.99/first yr |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 60 days | Yes — 60 days |
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get Aura Antivirus |
Aura and Norton do differ in price. Norton can get pretty expensive, especially as you go up in tiers, while Aura stays reasonable. Norton does offer a few more features than Aura, but they’re mostly useful for families.
Individuals, especially those on a budget, could benefit from Aura’s pricing and offerings. Even the top-tier Aura antivirus plan is within most budgets for people looking for antivirus options with more features. Overall, Aura is less expensive for a single person or a couple than Norton.
| Feature | Our Pick
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| Manual and scheduled scans | ||
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Firewall | ||
| Parental controls | ||
| Password manager | ||
| VPN | ||
| Ad blocker | ||
| Device optimization tools | ||
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get Aura Antivirus |
The biggest difference between Norton and Aura is the inclusion of features, like unlimited devices and parental controls, which Norton offers. These features make Norton great for families.
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While Aura offers parental controls, they aren’t included in any antivirus bundle. If you want them, you’ll need to purchase them separately. The features Aura includes, like an ad blocker and phishing protection, make it geared more toward individual consumers who are price-minded.
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Third-party testing is important to make sure that antivirus scans do what they claim. Independent third-party sites like AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives run a variety of tests to verify that no viruses get through, the antivirus doesn’t slow down your device, and no false positives are flagged.
These tests are voluntary, and cybersecurity companies can choose to submit products to these sites for testing. A lack of results doesn’t mean the product isn’t effective, it just means it hasn’t been submitted for a test.
| Feature | Our Pick
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| AV-TEST Windows score | 16.5/18.0 | N/A |
| AV-TEST macOS score | 18.0/18.0 | N/A |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18.0/18.0 | N/A |
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get Aura Antivirus |
Unfortunately, test results are one-sided because Aura hasn’t submitted its products for testing. Testing is optional, but it does help consumers determine a service’s reliability when it submits itself for third-party testing.
Norton lost points in its performance and usability tests on the Windows platform. It received a 5.0 in performance due to significant slow downs when launching popular sites, launching standard applications, and installing frequently used applications.
Norton also received a 5.5 in usability due to having two false positives while installing and using legitimate software.
Norton did receive a perfect score for protection with Windows. It also received perfect scores for macOS and Android across all three tests.
| Feature | Our Pick
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extensions | Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Live chat, phone, forums, online guides, social media | Live chat and online guides |
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get Aura Antivirus |
Norton and Aura both offer varied compatibility with different operating systems. Norton offers antivirus for iOS users, while Aura doesn’t. Whether or not iOS compatibility is necessary is debatable, but it’s always good to have the option if there’s a need for it.
We found both Norton and Aura to be extremely user friendly. Since Norton does have a comprehensive dashboard, you’ll need to navigate a few tabs if you’re using more than one Norton product. Aura’s features are all found in the different sections of its dashboard. Both Norton and Aura are great for first-time as well as seasoned users.
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Norton offers more customer support avenues than Aura does. Both have 24/7 support, live chat, and online guides, but Norton also allows you to contact support via phone and social media.
This is partly why Norton costs so much more. We’ve noticed that many support options are usually available in higher-priced products.
There are a variety of antivirus programs that are comparable to Norton. If you’re looking for something with better protection scores, McAfee and Bitdefender usually receives perfect or near-perfect scores.
If you’re budget conscious, there are several services that offer top protection for a lower price. AVG and Avast both offer a variety of features as well as more affordable pricing tiers. As long as you go with a highly rated antivirus, you’ll have top-of-the-line coverage.
Yes, Aura Antivirus is good. It’s reputable and has great reviews.
Aura as a brand has consistently produced secure products that help safeguard you online. We would be comfortable using Aura antivirus, and we feel comfortable recommending it to you.
Norton’s main disadvantage is its cost. It’s expensive to begin with, and then there may be a price increase on renewal. It’s our biggest complaint about the service because otherwise, it’s top of the line.
Aura has a user-friendly interface and has shown in our testing to be secure.
However, it might not have everything you want in an antivirus, since it’s missing a firewall and device optimization tools. If you want those features, then another service like Norton 360 might be worth checking out.
Norton edges Aura out just a little bit, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider Aura as well. Norton is more expensive but offers more features geared toward families. Aura has a better price and great protection features, but may end up expensive for families if you purchase additional Aura products, like parental controls.
No matter what you choose, your computer needs antivirus protection. Surfing online without adequate antivirus leaves you open to malware, viruses, trojans, and other malicious programs that could infect your computer or steal your data. Good security software gives you solid protection from those things.
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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
Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS on up to 10 devices depending on plan
If you’re looking for the best antivirus software and neither Norton or Aura fits your needs, check out our other suggestions below. Some have a lot of features like a password manager or a VPN while others offer budget-friendly options.
| Antivirus | 
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| Best for | Overall protection | Parental controls | Phishing protection |
| Starting price | Starts at $29.00/yr (first year only) | Starts at $39.99/first 2 yrs | Starts at $24.99/yr (first year only) |
| Additional features | Password manager, ad blocker, VPN, device optimization tools | Identity and credit monitoring, VPN, file shredder, parental controls | Password manager, VPN, parental controls, safe online banking |
| Learn more | Get TotalAV | Get McAfee | Get Bitdefender |
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