Total VPN Review 2024: Safe and Simple

Total VPN is a good virtual private network (VPN) service for people looking to stay safe from hackers on public Wi-Fi or generally mask their online activities. 

The Ultimate VPN plan comes with TotalAV antivirus and Total Adblock at a great introductory price. The functionality was seamless and offered leak protection on all of the server locations we tested. Although it's had a hard time unblocking Netflix in the past, we were glad it worked for us with all the libraries we tested.

There’s no free plan and it has a low server count compared to other top providers like Surfshark and NordVPN. It can also be difficult to contact customer support if you have issues.

Let’s explore Total VPN's features and functionality and see if they’re what you need in a VPN.

Total VPN review at a glance

Price	$1.59/mo
Free version	No
Max # of connected devices	5
Number of servers	50 servers in 30+ countries
VPN protocol	OpenVPN, IKEv2
Encryption	AES-256
No-logs policy	No logs
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Netflix access	No
Learn more	Get Total VPN

We last tested Total VPN on October 24, 2024.

Our experience

We tested Total VPN on our MacBook with an M2 chip. We were able to download the TotalAV antivirus with no problem, and connecting to the VPN within the antivirus dashboard was extremely easy. 

The only real issue we ran into was trying to find information on the VPN and its features. TotalAV isn’t forthcoming with all of that, and we wish it offered more VPN-specific language.

Using the Total VPN app was pretty simple. There isn’t much to it, but it does protect you well and won’t slow down your internet connection. We previously weren’t able to unblock Netflix or Hulu. On our latest round of testing, Total VPN pleasantly surprised us by unblocking Netflix U.S., Canada, and U.K.

Who is Total VPN best for?

• Recommended for anyone who wants a no-frills VPN wrapped into their antivirus.

Formerly known as the Safe Browsing VPN, TotalAV’s VPN is wrapped into its antivirus software. If you want to use it, you can purchase Total VPN, which includes TotalAV antivirus as well as Total Adblock, or you can opt for one of TotalAV's premium tiers. 

If you're looking to simply protect your device from malware, hackers, invasive ads, and other cyberthreats, Total VPN's got you covered. However, it may not be best for other activities, like streaming and gaming. Netflix detected and blocked Total VPN regardless of the server location we used. Its server options are limited, but at least the ones we used worked well.

Total VPN prices and subscriptions

Total VPN only has one plan, which comes with TotalAV antivirus and Total Adblock included. You can also opt for one of TotalAV's antivirus plans, but only the Internet Security and Total Security plans include the VPN. 

The best deal is to either purchase the Total VPN package or the Total Security plan. Both come at a decent price for the first year, but Total Security costs a bit extra and comes with extras like a password manager. Total Security also allows for double the amount of devices.

As far as pricing goes, if you’re comparing antivirus software to see which one offers the best VPN, this is definitely one of the better options we’ve seen. And the yearly pricing model is great for the first year.

Additionally, you’ll receive the ad blocker that’s included with TotalAV. That means you’ll have antivirus, ad blocking, and a VPN, all at your fingertips for one price and in one dashboard. 

Plan	Total VPN	TotalAV Internet Security	TotalAV Total Security
Price per year	$19.00/yr (first year only)	$39.00/yr (first year only)	$49.00/yr (first year only)
Max # of connected devices	Up to 5	Up to 6	Up to 8
Learn more	View plan	View plan	View plan

You can purchase any of these plans with a credit card or PayPal.

Total VPN features

Because this VPN began as part of an antivirus package, it doesn’t have as many features as a standalone VPN providers, like Surfshark or CyberGhost. What it does offer is strong encryption and a nice list of servers as well as a user-friendly dashboard, where you can toggle quickly between TotalAV features.

Server count and countries

• 50 servers in 30+ countries

TotalAV doesn’t offer a lot of servers, but that’s okay as long as the ones available work well, which they do. The number and locations of the servers offered are pretty good. We'd love to see additional servers added across Asia, Europe, and Africa, but Total VPN has a good spread of countries so far.

If you’re looking to access content from different countries, you’ll have plenty to choose from with this VPN. Total VPN offers server locations in Canada, Germany, Japan, and more. It also offers servers in major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City.

No-logs policy and headquarters

• Total VPN logs policy: No logs
• Total VPN headquarters: United Kingdom

There isn’t a ton of information on Total VPN’s no-logging policy and the language in the privacy policy dances around a little bit. The most we know is that the VPN claims to not log your metadata, but there may be IP information logged. We also know that TotalAV has been tested, at least with its antivirus product, by independent testing labs.

Unfortunately, VPNs aren’t checked for logging, so the most information we have is that the privacy policy is unclear, but it doesn’t really log your data.

Making sure your VPN doesn’t log your data is important when choosing a VPN. Data logs can be traced back to you. Since TotalAV’s headquarters is in the U.K., and England is a Five Eyes alliance country, there’s always a chance that the government can demand any logged data that any company within its borders has on you.

Kill switch

A kill switch severs your internet connection in the event your VPN connection drops. This keeps your IP address hidden even if the VPN isn’t active.

You can find two kill switch options at the bottom of the VPN settings page. The VPN Circuit Breaker can block your internet connection if your VPN drops unexpectedly. The VPN-Only Connection only allows internet access if there's a VPN connection.

Split tunneling

There are several features that are useful in any VPN. Although Total VPN doesn't offer split tunneling, we hope it's added in the future. 

Split tunneling routes traffic through multiple VPN servers or no server at all, depending on what you choose. You would need split tunneling when you log in to your mobile banking app, for example. Most mobile banking sites don’t like VPN-encrypted traffic, so split tunneling allows you to encrypt all your traffic while also logging in to your bank quickly.

VPN protocol

VPN protocols are what power the encryption. There are old ones and new ones. Some VPNs build their own. What matters is that it’s secure. It’s even better if you have some options, so you can choose which one you want, as they do have some benefits in various situations. 

OpenVPN is an excellent protocol to enhance your online privacy while IKEv2 is a solid backup.

Total VPN test results

Most people use VPNs for safety, security, and the ability to unblock geo-restricted content on streaming sites. Of course, none of those matter if the VPN slows your internet connection down past the ability to be viable. 

That’s why we test for speed, the ability to unblock streaming, and IP address leaks. Total VPN passed two out of the three with flying colors.

Speed tests

• Speed test results: Total VPN only dropped download speeds on average by 15%, but dropped upload speeds on average by 81%. 

When testing your VPN for speed, you'll need to look for download speed, which determines how fast you can view things on your end, like streaming video or webpage loading. You also need to keep an eye on your ping number: the higher it is, the more likely you’ll notice a lag. 

Finally, upload speed is important if you’re working and need to do things like add screenshots to your VPN review. If it takes forever to upload a piece of media, it can slow down your workday a lot.

We tested Total VPN with our Lenovo laptop running Windows 11 from a physical location in the U.S.

Test type	No VPN	US to US	US to CA	US to EU	US to AU
Download speed	301.42 Mbps	258.51 Mbps	259.23 Mbps	268.72 Mbps	235.71 Mbps
Upload speed	363.67 Mbps	108.1 Mbps	94.64 Mbps	41.82 Mbps	26.36 Mbps
Latency (ping)	12 ms	38 ms	52 ms	114 ms	187 ms
Download speed % difference	N/A	-14.25%	-14.00%	-10.85%	-21.80%
Upload speed % difference	N/A	-70.27%	-73.98%	-88.50%	-92.75%
Latency % difference	N/A	+217%	+333%	+850%	+1,458%

Oddly enough, the U.S. server we selected had the second biggest drop in download speeds. This was Total VPN's Fastest Location, so you may be better off choosing servers manually. 

Although Total VPN slowed down our connection with every server location, there were no noticeble slowdowns. This is the norm, as your connection is expected to slow the further your server is from your physical location.

Even with the high ping rates for the U.K. and Australia, we didn’t notice too much of a slowdown. It’s a fraction of a second difference that shouldn’t hinder your ability to use the internet. 

Overall, we were pleased to see that TotalAV’s VPN works well for everyday use.

Netflix tests

• Netflix test results: Total VPN unblocked every Netflix library we tested.

Although it's struggled in the past, Total VPN has been on a good streak of unblocking Netflix during our most recent tests. This time, it unblocked Netflix U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia. 

The only library we had issues with was Netflix Australia, but the issues seemed to be due to our download speeds. Several Netflix shows would load for a while but then time out. By the third Netflix show we tried, it loaded seamlessly. 

We're happy that you can now watch Netflix with Total VPN and enjoy all the benefits of global content.

	US to US	US to CA	US to UK	US to AU
Did it work with Netflix?

DNS leak tests

• DNS leak test results: Total VPN passed its DNS leak tests.

Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet’s phonebook. It translates the language we speak into computer language and back again, so what we type into our web browsers takes us to the page we’re looking for online. This also means that personal information like your IP address is shared in these online interactions.

When you use a VPN to encrypt your traffic, it hides that personal information so anyone spying can’t see what you’re doing. 

Total VPN passed with no leaks. It did detect some IP addresses in Dallas, but they weren't our real IP address so we weren't concerned. 

WebRTC leak tests

• WebRTC leak test results: Total VPN passed its WebRTC leak tests.

Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) communicates similarly to DNS by trading information, but when you’re establishing a phone or video connection. In this capacity, there’s also the potential that your IP address is leaked, so making sure your VPN masks it is essential for privacy.

Since so much of the internet uses video and audio now, WebRTC is not just for Zoom meetings and Signal calls. Total VPN was able to successfully encrypt data when tested for WebRTC leaks. So go ahead and FaceTime your mom. She misses you.

Kill switch test

• Kill switch test results: Total VPN passed its kill switch tests.

Another security factor we test on VPNs is the kill switch test. If you have the kill switch enabled, your VPN should stop your IP address from being detected if you switch servers or lose your VPN connection. 

Luckily, Total VPN includes a kill switch and places it on every page of the VPN dashboard. After toggling the kill switch on, we switched to a server in New York. Total VPN didn't leak our real IP address at all, so we'll call that a win. 

Total VPN compatibility

TotalAV is compatible with The Big Four: Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. The site says it has downloads for Windows and Mac as well as apps available in Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, so you can also get an iPhone or Android app to protect your smart phone.

Since you can connect up to 5 devices simultaneously, Total VPN is good for a single person or couple who have a few devices each, or a family who each are using it only on one device. If you need a VPN that covers more, we suggest one like Surfshark or Private Internet Access (PIA), which offer unlimited simultaneous connections.

Total VPN customer support

Total VPN offers live chat support and online guides, but it's not the most intuitive about finding those. The only phone number we found was in reference to billing support (833-201-8681).

We'll go over each customer support option below. 

Live chat

We found a note in TotalAV's terms of service that it offers 24/7 chat support, but when we clicked on the link, it just led us to the same Support page. We explored the Help Center thoroughly, and all we could find were self-help guides. 

It took a Google search for "total av support chat" for us to find the TotalAV chat. We doujble-checked that the link was secure and actually from the TotalAV site before going through with the chat, but this could be dangerous for anyone who isn't savvy to cyberthreats.

Despite the trouble finding the chat, it was quick and easy to use. It starts with a chatbot, but as soon as we requested to speaking with a human, it immediately connected us.

The TotalAV support team was fast to respond and knowledgeable. We just wish TotalAV would make it easier to find the chat.

Online guides

For the VPN, you need to visit Total VPN site and select the Support button. From there, you can select categories for technical product support, account support, and billing support for further information. 

If your issue doesn’t fall within one of the three categories on the support page, you'll need to hunt for the live chat. 

Top alternatives

Whether you’re looking for a clearer privacy policy or a VPN that can let you watch content from all over the world, we've listed some VPNs that are proven to be safe and effective.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is Total VPN good?

Total VPN is good as an add-on for TotalAV’s antivirus offering. We liked that it’s fast and secure, and we could switch it on without any difficulty. We were also impressed with the amount of servers and countries offered, given it’s wrapped into an antivirus product.

Overall though, we wouldn’t purchase TotalAV just for the added VPN, but we would definitely use it bundled into our TotalAV product. VPNs that are wrapped into another product are extremely useful to switch on in a pinch.

If you need to encrypt your Wi-Fi connection in a hurry and prevent your data from leaking, Total VPN does the trick. But if you’re looking for a large server network or features like split tunneling, we'd recommend a top-tested VPN alternative. 

See how Total VPN compares in our Total VPN vs. NordVPN review.