Updated on: March 1, 2023
Short on time? Here’s the best antivirus with a VPN in 2023:
- 🥇 TotalAV: An excellent internet security suite with one of the best antivirus scanners on the market and a secure VPN that has a strict no-logs policy, maintains fast connection speeds, works with Netflix and Amazon Prime, and is easy to use.
Many good antiviruses include VPNs in their plans, but most of these bundled VPNs aren’t great — some aren’t secure enough, some aren’t fast enough, and some are only good for basic online activities like web browsing.
But there are a few antiviruses that come bundled with top-quality VPNs and also offer top-notch malware protection. These VPNs provide excellent security and privacy features and maintain fast speeds for browsing, streaming, torrenting, and gaming.
You get two quality internet security tools for the price of one when you purchase an antivirus that offers a VPN too. This way, you don’t have to worry about managing two different accounts or contacting different customer support teams to settle any troubleshooting questions.
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Quick summary of the best antiviruses with VPNs:
- 1. 🥇 TotalAV — Best overall antivirus with a VPN in 2023.
- 2. 🥈 McAfee — Great web protections and a user-friendly VPN.
- 3. 🥉 Norton — Best internet security suite with a feature-rich VPN.
- 4. Bitdefender — Excellent cloud-based antivirus scanner with a blazing-fast VPN.
- 5. Avira — Lightweight antivirus and a good VPN for torrenting.
- Plus 5 more antiviruses with a VPN!
- Plus 3 VPNs with antivirus tools!
- Comparison table of the best antiviruses with a VPN.
🥇1. TotalAV — Best Overall Antivirus With a VPN in 2023
TotalAV is my favorite antivirus with a VPN — it offers excellent malware protection and its Safe Browsing VPN is secure, fast, very easy to use, and works with the top streaming services.
TotalAV’s anti-malware engine is one of the best on the market. It’s fast and effective, and it detected all of my malware samples during testing. When I ran its full system scan, I didn’t experience any slowdown, so I could use my PC to work, stream movies, and play games without issues.
TotalAV’s Safe Browsing VPN includes:
- 256-bit AES encryption — Makes your data unreadable to prying eyes and is the same encryption used by banks and governments.
- Kill switch — Automatically disconnects you from the internet if your VPN connection drops, preventing your data from leaking online.
- No-logs policy — Prevents TotalAV from storing logs of any user data, including the websites you visit and files you download.
- IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols — Protocols are a set of rules that determine how data travels from your device to the VPN server. IKEv2 and OpenVPN are both secure and fast protocols.
- Leak protection — TotalAV provides WebRTC and DNS leak protection. WebRTC leak protection ensures that your private and public IP address is never leaked online. DNS leak protection makes sure all of your DNS requests (the websites you visit) are routed through the VPN and not your internet service provider.
- Unlimited bandwidth — TotalAV doesn’t set a limit on how much data you can use each month. This allows you to spend as much time online (browsing, streaming, and torrenting) as you want while connected to a VPN server.
- Good server network — Over 70 servers located in 30+ countries across 5 continents, allowing most users to connect to a nearby server to get the fastest speeds.
While testing TotalAV’s VPN, I was able to access all streaming sites, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, and my colleague in the UK was able to watch content on BBC iPlayer. Safe Browsing VPN allows torrenting on all of its non-US servers, and it works with all of the popular torrenting clients like uTorrent and Vuze. Also, Safe Browsing VPN passed all of my leak tests, meaning my IP address was never leaked.
The Safe Browsing VPN is available with TotalAV’s Internet Security and Total Security plans. Both plans include a malware scanner, real-time malware protection, phishing protection, system tune-up tools, a browser manager and cleaner, and a disk cleaner. TotalAV Internet Security is the best overall plan — it’s reasonably priced at $39.00 / year and covers up to 5 devices. TotalAV Total Security costs $49.00 / year, covers 6 devices, and adds an ad blocker and a password manager, but this plan is pretty pricey compared to similar plans from other antiviruses like Norton. All TotalAV products come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
TotalAV is one of the best antivirus programs on the market, and it has an excellent VPN. Its antivirus scanner has perfect malware detection rates, and its Safe Browsing VPN has excellent security features, very fast speeds, allows unlimited data, works with top streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, and supports torrenting on all non-US servers. TotalAV also comes with phishing protection, system tune-up tools, a password manager, and other internet security tools. It backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
🥈2. McAfee — Excellent Web Protection + Great VPN for Beginners
McAfee has a great malware scanner, excellent web protection, and a user-friendly VPN. The antivirus scanner offers effective anti-malware protection, detecting all of the malware samples I hid on my device, and it comes with features like anti-phishing and identity theft protection to keep you safe on the web.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN is powered by standalone VPN TunnelBear, which is very easy to use, even for someone who has never had a VPN. It has a Fastest Server option that connects you to the fastest server based on your location — when I connected to a server via Fastest Server, it accurately connected me to a server in my country. It’s also really simple to manually connect to a server in one of McAfee Safe Connect’s 45+ countries.
You get a couple of convenient connection options. In addition to opting to connect manually, you can choose to automatically connect to a server on non-secure Wi-Fi and LAN networks, or just on Wi-Fi networks. This way, if you use the Wi-Fi at your hotel or the gym, McAfee Safe Connect will instantly launch on your device. Plus, you are able to add a list of trusted networks like your home network.
While the VPN doesn’t come with a lot of features, it has an intuitive dashboard that makes it easy to navigate. When it comes to security, it includes 256-bit AES encryption and a kill switch, and its no-logs policy is independently audited and confirmed every year.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN is pretty good for streaming. I could consistently access Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO (but I couldn’t access Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+). And thanks to its good speeds, I didn’t have any lag while streaming in HD.
However, there are a handful of things that I don’t like about McAfee Safe Connect VPN. For example, it’s missing extra features like split-tunneling and an ad blocker (although I really like TunnelBear’s free ad blocker for Chrome).
All of McAfee’s antivirus plans include the VPN. The Plus plan, which covers 5 devices and is priced at $39.99 / year, is great for couples or individuals with multiple devices. The Premium plan, which costs $54.99 / year, adds parental controls, data clean-up tools, and coverage on an unlimited number of devices. The Advanced plan, priced at $84.99 / year, adds identity theft coverage features. McAfee backs all plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
McAfee is very effective at protecting your device against malware, and the Safe Connect VPN is very easy to use. McAfee’s scanner detected every malware file in my tests, and the internet security suite also comes with great features like a firewall, file shredder, identity protection, optimization tools, and a password manager. The VPN is secure, fast, and works with most streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, but it’s missing extra features like split-tunneling. McAfee has a 30-day money-back guarantee for all of its plans.
🥉3. Norton — Best Antivirus Protection With a Feature-Rich VPN
Norton is my favorite antivirus in 2023, and its VPN includes good security, good speeds, and a wide range of cool extra features. Norton uses a massive malware directory, heuristic analysis, and machine learning to detect malware. During testing, it consistently detected and removed 100% of the malware samples that I had hidden on my device.
In addition to industry-standard features, the VPN comes with:
- Split-tunneling — Allows you to choose which apps are routed through the VPN and which apps are routed through your local network.
- Ad blocker — Successfully blocks ads and improves page load speeds.
- Tor support — Adds another layer of security to the Tor network.
- Wi-Fi Secure feature — Identifies dangerous networks and lets you know when you connect to one.
- Full leak protection — Protection against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks.
The only downside is that it logs user IP addresses, which can potentially put your privacy at risk. If you’re concerned about this, consider a different antivirus-bundled VPN (McAfee’s Safe Connect has a strict no-logs policy).
When it comes to streaming, Norton Secure VPN works with platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, but it’s unable to access Disney+, Hulu, or HBO Max. It supports torrenting on dedicated servers, but you can’t manually choose what country. Instead, you’re automatically connected to a server (all of the ones I was connected to were in the Netherlands) — unlike competitors such as TotalAV, which allows P2P traffic on all servers except for US ones.
Norton offers several plans, but its best-value internet security package is Norton 360 Deluxe — it’s competitively priced at $24.99 / year, and you get coverage for 5 devices (including all major platforms), an excellent malware scanner, web protection, 50 GB cloud backup storage, a firewall, a password manager, parental controls, a privacy monitor, web camera protection, and dark web monitoring.
US users can also check out Norton 360 with LifeLock Select (priced at $69.99 / year) and Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus (priced at $299.88 / year), which add ID theft protections, such as stolen wallet protection, credit monitoring, social security number and credit alerts, financial loss protection up to $1 million, and much more. Norton backs each plan with a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Norton provides excellent protection against the most advanced malware threats, and Norton Secure VPN is a decent VPN with a lot of extra features. In addition to detecting all malware samples in our tests, Norton also includes an array of security features like web protection, 50 GB cloud backup storage, a firewall, a password manager, parental controls, and much more. Norton Secure VPN is secure, easy to use, fast, and it comes with great extra features like split-tunneling, an ad blocker, Wi-Fi protection, and Tor support. But it can’t access all streaming sites, and it logs your IP address. Norton covers each purchase with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Norton Secure VPN review
4. Bitdefender — Advanced Antivirus Scanner With a Very Fast VPN
Bitdefender has an excellent malware scanner and a VPN with the fastest speeds on this list. The cloud-based virus scanner uses machine learning along with traditional signature-based scanning, which provides 100% malware detection.
The VPN is included for free with some of Bitdefender’s antivirus bundles, and is powered by standalone VPN provider Hotspot Shield. But I’m not a fan of the free version — you only get a lousy 200 MB per day and you don’t have the option to manually pick which server you connect to (Bitdefender automatically connects you to the fastest server based on your location). Upgrading to Bitdefender’s premium VPN gives you unlimited data, 10 simultaneous connections, and access to 1,300 servers located in 45+ countries.
The best thing about Bitdefender Premium VPN is that it uses the Catapult Hydra protocol, which is Hotspot Shield’s proprietary protocol that is very fast — I had lightning-fast speeds on all servers for browsing, torrenting, and gaming. Even on distant servers, websites loaded almost immediately, YouTube videos began right away, and I was able to download files fast.
Unfortunately, Bitdefender’s VPN failed to access streaming sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime, but it worked with BBC iPlayer. If you’re looking for an antivirus with a VPN that works with popular streaming sites, I recommend TotalAV. If you want the best standalone VPN for Netflix and other streaming apps, take a look at ExpressVPN.
However, unlike Norton, Bitdefender Premium VPN supports torrenting on all servers and works with the top torrenting clients. Also, I like that it has essential security features like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, a strict no-logs policy, and extra features such as split-tunneling.
Bitdefender antivirus has several reasonably-priced paid plans. At $23.99 / year, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is the cheapest plan and is a good option for Windows users who are looking for basic malware protection — it covers up to 3 Windows PCs and includes a malware scanner and anti-phishing protection, but you only get 200 MB/day with the VPN. Bitdefender Internet Security ($32.99 / year) adds a firewall, webcam and microphone protections, and parental controls, while Total Security ($35.99 / year) adds coverage for 5 devices (Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS).
Users looking for unlimited data should upgrade to Bitdefender’s Premium Security plan, which is priced at $59.99 / year and offers the best overall value (and it’s one of the best internet security suites in 2023). You can also get the premium version of the VPN as a standalone purchase. Bitdefender backs all purchases with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Bitdefender comes with lightweight and advanced malware scanning, and its VPN has the fastest speeds on this list. It also has anti-phishing and anti-ransomware protection, a firewall, webcam and microphone protection, and parental controls. Bitdefender’s free VPN that is bundled with the internet security packages only allows 200 MB per day, but Bitdefender Premium VPN allows unlimited data (and is available as a standalone purchase or as part of Premium Security). While Bitdefender Premium VPN isn’t good for streaming, it supports torrenting on all servers and includes split-tunneling and an ad and tracker blocker. All Bitdefender plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Bitdefender review
Read the full Bitdefender Premium VPN review
5. Avira — Lightweight Antivirus With a Good Torrenting VPN
Avira has a powerful antivirus scanner and a great suite of cybersecurity features, including a VPN (Phantom VPN) that’s very easy to use and really good for P2P traffic. Avira uses a cloud-based antivirus scanner alongside a large malware directory and heuristic analysis, and it also has a perfect malware detection rate against all sample malware files.
In addition to standard security features, Avira Phantom VPN also has:
- IPsec and OpenVPN protocols.
- 1,400+ servers located in 30+ countries.
- Unlimited data.
Phantom VPN is great for torrenting — it supports P2P traffic on all of its servers, including in the US (unlike TotalAV Safe Browsing VPN), and works with all of the top torrent clients. And it has servers spread out evenly all over the world, allowing most users to find a nearby server for the fastest download speeds. For example, I connected to a local server and it took me about the same amount of time to download a 20 GB file as it took me to download the same file with TotalAV Safe Browsing VPN. Before I began torrenting, I ran leak tests while connected to servers in 10+ countries, and thankfully 0 leaks were found.
One of the biggest drawbacks of Avira Phantom VPN is that it doesn’t work with top streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ (unlike other bundled VPNs like Total AV Safe Browsing VPN, or standalone providers such as ExpressVPN).
Avira Free Security is Avira’s free antivirus package that also includes Avira Phantom VPN, but it limits you to only 500 MB of data per month, which is barely enough to watch a 30-minute TV show. That being said, Avira Free Security is one of the best free antiviruses out there and is great for someone looking for a lightweight antivirus scanner, real-time protection, and safe shopping protection (but it only covers 1 Mac or PC and not any mobile devices).
Avira Prime is the only paid plan that includes unlimited data with Phantom VPN, and the plan is a great value for users who want to protect up to 5 devices (including mobile devices). Priced at $59.99 / year, Avira Prime also has an excellent password manager and some of the best speedup and cleanup tools on the market. All of Avira’s yearly plans are backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Avira is an excellent antivirus program with a pretty good VPN. In my tests, Avira’s powerful cloud-based malware scanner flagged all of my test malware, whereas Avira Phantom VPN provided me with very fast speeds and an excellent torrenting experience. Unfortunately, Avira’s VPN doesn’t work with popular streaming services. Avira also includes cybersecurity tools like a password manager and system optimization tools, provides one of the best free plans out there (but the free version of the VPN only allows 500 MB of data per month), and backs all yearly purchases with a risk-free 60-day money-back guarantee.
6. MacKeeper — Good Mac Antivirus With a Basic VPN
MacKeeper is a lightweight antivirus for Macs that includes a secure and fast VPN. The integrated antivirus scanner detected most of my malware samples — however, it’s important to note that MacKeeper can’t detect rootkits.
MacKeeper’s VPN, Private Connect, is good for secure general browsing — it includes unlimited data, has a minimalistic dashboard that’s user-friendly, uses a secure protocol (OpenVPN), and comes with DNS and WebRTC leak protection. It also has nearly 300 servers located in 50+ countries, allowing users to connect to a server in a nearby location to get the fastest speeds. That said, Private Connect isn’t as fast as Bitdefender or TotalAV.
But I was most disappointed with MacKeeper’s privacy policy. It’s very vague and states that it collects user data and user activity but doesn’t define what that actually means. Also, MacKeeper says that it may share your data with other companies, consultants, and contractors.
MacKeeper includes all of the same features in each plan — the only difference is the number of macOS devices it covers. There’s a 1-month plan and 12-month plan for 1 Mac, and a 12-month plan that covers up to 3 Macs. MacKeeper’s plans start at $10.95 / month — and they include an antivirus scanner, adware cleaner, StopAd (ad blocker), ID theft guard (email monitoring), performance optimization tools, and system cleanup tools. Each plan includes a 14-day money-back guarantee, which is the shortest refund time on this list.
Bottom Line:
MacKeeper is a good antivirus for Macs with an integrated VPN that’s good for providing secure browsing. The malware scanner flagged almost all of the malware in my test, and you also get cool features like an adware cleaner, ad blocker, email breach monitoring, optimization tools, and system cleanup tools. The VPN is easy to use, has decent speeds, and supports torrenting on dedicated P2P servers, but it isn’t good for accessing streaming apps and has a questionable privacy policy. All of MacKeeper’s plans come with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full MacKeeper review
7. Malwarebytes — Minimalistic Antivirus With a Fast VPN
Malwarebytes is a good and intuitive antivirus program with a fast VPN, but it lacks many of the features that other top antiviruses like Norton, Bitdefender, and TotalAV offer. Malwarebytes’s antivirus scanner uses a large malware database and heuristic analysis to detect malware — in my tests, it was able to detect 95% of malware.
As for the VPN, I like that Malwarebytes Privacy has 500+ servers in 30+ countries and uses WireGuard, which is one of the fastest protocols out there — it isn’t as fast as Bitdefender, but I had really fast speeds for browsing, gaming, and watching YouTube videos in HD on local servers. However, on distant servers, websites loaded in 2-4 seconds and I experienced some lag playing video games.
Malwarebytes Privacy is only included with the Premium + Privacy plan, which is priced at $99.99 / year. Malwarebytes backs each purchase with a lengthy 60-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Malwarebytes is an easy-to-use antivirus that is good for detecting malware, and it comes with a fast VPN. It found 95% of the malware samples in my testing, and you also get really good web protections (like anti-phishing protection) and real-time protection. However, Malwarebytes lacks many of the features that other top antiviruses offer in their internet security suites, such as a firewall and parental controls. While the VPN isn’t great for streaming and is missing a kill switch, it’s decent for basic online activities like secure browsing.
Read the full Malwarebytes review
8. Kaspersky — Antivirus With Good Parental Controls and a Decent VPN for Streaming
Kaspersky has really good anti-malware protection and a good streaming VPN run by Hotspot Shield, as well as some of the best parental controls out there. Its malware scanner uses a virus database plus cloud-based machine learning to find malware — and it found 100% of my malware samples in testing. Kaspersky also comes with user-friendly parental control features like content filtering for apps and websites, setting up usage limits for all devices, and location tracking for mobile devices.
Kaspersky offers a limited free VPN for mobile (Android and iOS), which is capped at 300 MB per day. However, for an unlimited VPN across desktop and mobile, you’ll need to opt for the Kaspersky Plus or Kaspersky Premium plans.
The Plus plan ($21.99 / year) is the best-value plan and includes most of Kaspersky’s features, including malware scanning, web protection, the unlimited-data VPN, and a secure browser, while Premium ($22.99 / year) adds parental controls (for the first year) and an identity protection wallet. Kaspersky’s standalone VPN with unlimited data starts at $39.99 / year, and all purchases are backed with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Kaspersky comes with an excellent malware scanner, really good parental controls, and a decent VPN for streaming on top platforms, including Netflix and Amazon Prime. It also has anti-phishing protection and webcam protection. However, Kaspersky’s free VPN isn’t very good as it only allows 300 MB per day and is only available on mobile — but the premium version has competitive pricing and pretty fast speeds.
Read the full Kaspersky review here
9. Panda Dome — Flexible Pricing Options and Easy-to-Use VPN
Panda offers a really good malware scanner and a user-friendly VPN, and it has several pricing plans (including a free version). While there are 5 different antivirus pricing plans, the VPN with unlimited data is only available with the most expensive plan (Panda Dome Premium) — but fortunately, you can also purchase Panda VPN separately.
Panda VPN is powered by standalone VPN Hotspot Shield. Thanks to Hotspot Shield’s Hydra protocol, websites loaded almost instantly across all servers, and I was able to download files fast (Panda supports P2P traffic on servers in all 20+ countries).
I also like that the VPN is easy to download and install (it takes less than 3 minutes on any supported device), and I never had a problem finding or connecting to a server. Since the apps don’t have a lot of features, they’re also simple to navigate, so they’re a good option for people who have never used a VPN.
That said, Panda’s VPN has many downsides. It’s not great for streaming (Netflix and other streaming apps were hit-or-miss), there’s no kill switch, and it’s pretty expensive — there are better options out there like TotalAV and Norton, which all offer more features.
Panda Dome Premium costs $66.99 / year, and the VPN purchased separately starts at $77.34 / year. Panda has a 30-day money-back guarantee on all purchases.
Bottom Line:
Panda scored really well on my malware and ransomware tests, has many different pricing plans to fit any budget, and comes with a fast and easy-to-use VPN. In addition, it includes web protections, performance optimization tools, parental controls, and a password manager. While the VPN is only included in Panda’s most expensive plan, it’s also available as a separate purchase.
Read the full Panda review here
10. Trend Micro — Good for Streaming With Fast Speeds
Trend Micro has an effective malware scanner and a VPN (Proxy One Pro) that’s pretty good for streaming. The malware scanner performed very well in my malware tests — it caught the majority of sample malware files and I barely noticed any slowdowns on my computer during multiple scans.
I was very impressed with the VPN’s streaming support and speeds. It works with Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and other less popular streaming services like Crunchyroll. And thanks to its very fast speeds, content played basically right away (even connected to distant servers) and there was only minimal buffering when I fast-forwarded during a video. Plus, I was able to download files pretty fast.
VPN Proxy One Pro maintains excellent speeds due to using WireGuard, which is one of the fastest protocols available and my go-to choice for speed and security. VPN Proxy One Pro is also one of the few VPNs from an antivirus program to include WireGuard in its protocol options.
However, there are a handful of drawbacks to VPN Proxy One Pro, which is why competitors like TotalAV and Norton provide a much better value. My biggest issue is I was unable to connect to some servers. For example, I instantly connected to the US West server but could never connect to the US East server. I also don’t like that the VPN is missing a kill switch, and that its privacy policy is murky and never says it doesn’t log your data (or, to be fair, that it does). Also, there are servers in only 13+ locations — but they are spread out across all regions except for South America.
The VPN is only bundled with Trend Micro’s Premium Security Suite, which is the most expensive plan ($59.95 / year). All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Trend Micro has a very good malware scanner, and its VPN works with many of the top streaming services and provides excellent speeds. Trend Micro also has browser extension security, dark web monitoring, a password manager, parental controls, and a social media privacy scanner. I just wish the VPN had more reliable connections, a kill switch, and a clearer privacy policy.
Read the full Trend Micro review
Plus 3 VPNs With Antivirus Tools
🥇1. Private Internet Access — Top-Rated VPN With a User-Friendly Antivirus Add-On
Private Internet Access is one of the best VPNs on the market (it’s ranked #2 on our list of the top 10 VPNs in 2023), and it offers its minimalistic Private Internet Antivirus software as an add-on purchase. Powered by Intego for Windows, Private Internet Antivirus is a good program for users who are looking for an easy-to-use antivirus that doesn’t require you to put much time into setting it up or maintaining it. It detected 95% of malware in my tests, prevented me from downloading viruses in real-time, and didn’t allow me to visit fake dangerous websites.
The best part about Private Internet Access’s antivirus is its simplicity — the dashboard provides all of the essential information like if your Real-Time Protection, Web Shield, and Prevention Engine are turned on or off, the last time your Virus Definitions were updated, how many days of protection you’ve had, and how many threats have been prevented (but it lacks any extra features that come with TotalAV and Norton).
When it comes to the VPN, it’s hands-down the best one on this list. You get advanced security features, including RAM-only servers (no data is stored on the hard drive), perfect forward secrecy, which changes your encryption key after each session, and full leak protection. The provider also has open-source apps, meaning the code is available for anyone to inspect, and a no-logs policy that has been verified in court documents and independently audited.
Private Internet Access allows unlimited device connections, and it offers affordable monthly and yearly plans which start at $2.11 / month. The cost of the antivirus depends on which VPN plan you choose — the longer the VPN subscription you get, the cheaper the antivirus. PIA backs all of its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is the best standalone VPN on this list that offers a decent antivirus add-on for a small additional cost. The antivirus has a good malware scanner and an intuitive interface, but it doesn’t have many of the cool extras that other highly-rated providers offer. That being said, the VPN is one of the best on the market. It’s very secure, very fast, and very good for streaming, torrenting, and gaming. PIA includes a 30-day money-back guarantee with each of its plans.
TRY Private Internet Access Now
Read the full Private Internet Access review here
🥈2. NordVPN — Very Secure VPN With Free Built-in Malware Protection
NordVPN has tons of great security features, including Threat Protection, which works like a built-in antivirus tool — this feature uses signature-based malware detection to scan all the executable files you download for signs of malware. If it detects any malicious files, it deletes them. Threat Protection does this without compromising your privacy. Also, it’s included for free with every NordVPN subscription.
Threat Protection’s malware detection works really well — in my tests, it detected 95% of malware, which is great. The detection rate is on par with Private Internet Access’s antivirus but still slightly lower than the detection rates of top competitors like TotalAV and Norton.
Threat Protection can also block ads and malicious sites — in my tests, it prevented most ads from loading on media outlets and also blocked my connections to shady sites.
You don’t have to be connected to a VPN server for Threat Protection to be active — this is really convenient, as you get antivirus protection without the VPN potentially slowing down your speeds.
Threat Protection is available on Windows and macOS — on iOS and Android, you only get Threat Protection Lite, which can block ads and shady sites, but it doesn’t protect you from malicious downloads. If you need antivirus protection in addition to VPN connections on mobile, I recommend top competitors like TotalAV, McAfee, and Norton instead.
Regarding the VPN, NordVPN’s service comes with great security features — it has a dark web monitor that alerts you if your NordVPN login details have been compromised, as well as double VPN servers that provide an extra layer of encryption. It also has advanced features like RAM-only servers and full leak protection, and an audited no-logs policy.
The VPN also has other perks — it works with top streaming sites, has 4,500+ P2P servers in 45+ countries, and is really fast (though not as fast as Private Internet Access).
NordVPN allows 6 connections and has several tier-based subscriptions. I recommend the Standard subscription, which starts at $4.99 / month, as it comes with all features, including Threat Protection. The Plus subscription adds NordPass, a password manager, and the Complete subscription adds NordLocker, a cloud encryption service. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN provides antivirus protection via Threat Protection, a built-in feature that protects you from malicious downloads without compromising your privacy. Threat Protection also blocks ads and shady sites and is included for free with each NordVPN subscription. The VPN itself also comes with great security features, including a dark web monitor and double VPN connections. NordVPN has several tier-based subscriptions and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
🥉3. Surfshark — Secure VPN With a Feature-Rich Antivirus Add-On
Surfshark’s antivirus works well, and it has a malware detection rate of around 95% — this is similar to Private Internet Access’s antivirus and NordVPN’s Threat Protection, but it’s still lower than top competitors like TotalAV and McAfee. The antivirus is available as a part of the paid Surfshark One bundle.
I like how the antivirus comes with webcam protection, which prevents unauthorized access to your webcam and alerts you if someone tries to access it.
Alongside the antivirus, the Surfshark One bundle also includes Surfshark Alert and Surfshark Search. Surfshark Alert notifies you if your personal information has been leaked in a data breach, and Surfshark Search is a privacy-focused search engine that displays ad-free, country-specific search results.
The provider’s antivirus is also easy and convenient to use, as it’s built into the VPN app. It’s also available on Android, Windows, and macOS.
Surfshark’s VPN service is really good — it works with 50+ streaming services such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer, allows torrenting on all of its servers (3,200+ servers in 90+ countries), provides strong security and privacy features, including RAM-only servers and perfect forward secrecy, has one of the best ad blockers on the market, and maintains pretty fast speeds, though it’s not as fast as Private Internet Access or NordVPN.
Surfshark also supports unlimited connections, meaning you can use it on as many devices as you want — so it’s a good pick if everyone in your family is looking for a VPN that comes with an antivirus tool.
Surfshark’s plans start at $2.30 / month, so they’re super affordable. The cost of Surfshark One depends on which VPN plan you pick — the longest VPN plan comes with the cheapest Surfshark One bundle. The provider backs each purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark’s antivirus provides good malware protection and also has cool extras like webcam protection and a data breach monitoring tool. The provider’s VPN service is secure, good for streaming, and fast. All plans are super affordable and backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
Comparison of the Best Antiviruses with a VPN
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Comparison of the best VPNs with antivirus tools
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How to Choose the Best Antivirus with a VPN in 2023
- Look for advanced malware protection. Each of the antiviruses listed here has the most up-to-date protection against advanced threats, including trojans, spyware, and ransomware.
- Choose a lightweight antivirus. All of the antiviruses on my list run in the background and don’t slow down your devices. The best antiviruses, like TotalAV and Norton, will barely even affect your device’s performance during full system scans.
- Make sure the VPN has good security features. A good VPN needs to have industry-standard VPN security features like 256-bit AES encryption (used by banks and militaries), a kill switch that shuts down your internet connection if your VPN connection drops, a strict no-logs policy to prevent the provider from keeping logs of your online traffic, and protection against IPv6, DNS, or WebRTC leaks.
- Check if the VPN has fast speeds. While all VPNs reduce your connection speeds due to the encryption process, I only recommend VPNs that maintain fast speeds for browsing, streaming, and torrenting. In my tests, TotalAV had the fastest speeds out of all the antivirus-bundled VPNs.
- Go for software that’s easy to use. All of the antiviruses and VPNs on this list are easy to download and install, and each one comes with a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate and find features. All of the antiviruses here are well-designed and have intuitive dashboards that allow you to easily locate and enable/disable features. Meanwhile, all of the VPNs make it easy and quick to connect to your desired server.
- Make sure it works with multiple operating systems. I made sure all of the antiviruses I recommend include apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.
- Check for additional features. I only recommend antiviruses that offer extra features (in addition to an excellent malware scanner and a VPN). The antiviruses on my list include great security features like an advanced firewall, anti-phishing protection, data breach monitoring, identity theft monitoring, parental controls, and a password manager. The VPNs on my list offer extra features like split-tunneling, an ad blocker, and more.
- Look for good customer support. The best antiviruses offer multiple platforms for answering customers’ questions and resolving their issues. I contacted many of the antiviruses listed here via email, 24/7 live chat, and telephone to interact with actual representatives — I’m happy to report that the majority of them provided friendly and helpful service. I also used the troubleshooting guides, FAQs, and forums to answer other questions.
- Go for good value. All of the antivirus programs listed here offer affordable plans that include a VPN, a lot of other features like anti-phishing protection, password managers, and parental controls, accept multiple forms of payments, and back each purchase with a money-back guarantee.
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How to Use an Antivirus With a VPN?
It’s very easy to use an antivirus with a VPN. In fact, you can just follow these quick and easy steps:
- Step 1. Choose a high-end antivirus with a good VPN. I recommend TotalAV because it has an excellent malware scanner and other top-notch security features, and it comes with a VPN that’s secure, fast, and has really good streaming and torrenting support.
- Step 2. Download and install the antivirus. The whole process should take only a couple of minutes. Just follow the installation wizard’s instructions.
- Step 3. Launch the antivirus app and download the VPN. Some antiviruses have built-in VPNs within their apps, while others require you to download a separate VPN app.
- Step 4. Connect to a server. Open the VPN app, scroll through the list of server locations, and click on your desired country. Now, you can browse the internet with an IP address that matches the country you’re connected to.
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Difference Between Antivirus and VPN — And Why You Need Both
An antivirus and a VPN perform two completely different tasks.
A top-rated antivirus protects your device from getting malware, which includes viruses, ransomware, and rootkits. And if your device gets infected with malware, an antivirus is able to remove it — and prevent future infections. Antiviruses like Total AV, Norton, and Bitdefender all had 100% scores in my malware tests.
On the other hand, the best VPNs out there protect your online data and privacy. They use military-grade encryption to make all of your personal data completely unreadable to third parties (like your internet service provider, government, and hackers). Plus, a VPN assigns you a virtual IP address, which masks your actual location. My favorite VPNs for all online activities include ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access.
However, if you only have one of these security tools, it leaves you vulnerable to either malware getting on your device or the possibility of a hacker spying on all of your internet activities. When you combine a quality antivirus with a quality VPN, you get high-end protection for your devices against cyber threats like malware, phishing attacks, and exploit attacks, and you can browse, stream, torrent, and play video games securely and with fast speeds.
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Antivirus-Bundled VPNs vs. Standalone VPNs
In a head-to-head battle, standalone VPNs clearly beat antivirus-bundled VPNs. A top standalone VPN like ExpressVPN (starting from $6.67 / month) or Private Internet Access (starting from $2.11 / month) offers more value than a VPN that is packaged with an antivirus subscription. The best standalone VPNs have better security and privacy features, better streaming and torrenting support, faster connection speeds, larger server networks, more extra features, and better customer support platforms. They also usually offer very affordable plans.
That being said, a VPN that is included with an antivirus still offers good value if you’re looking to secure your data and protect your privacy while browsing the internet. And some VPNs from antivirus providers are also really good. For example, TotalAV’s Safe Browsing VPN matches most top standalone VPNs in terms of security, streaming and torrenting capabilities, and speeds — but it’s missing advanced security features like RAM-only servers, doesn’t offer cool extras like split-tunneling, and doesn’t have a big server network.
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Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- Aura. Aura antivirus has a pretty good malware detection rate and excellent ID theft protections for US users, but its VPN isn’t very good. It won’t allow you to manually choose a VPN server, it doesn’t have a kill switch, and it’s not very good for streaming.
- Sophos. Sophos is easy to use and offers reliable protection from malware, spyware, trojans, rootkits, and viruses. That said, its apps aren’t nearly as feature-rich as top competitors, and it doesn’t include a VPN.
- ESET. ESET is an easy-to-use antivirus program that has a very good malware scanner and additional security features like a firewall, parental controls, and anti-phishing protection, but it doesn’t offer a VPN.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an antivirus and a VPN work together?
Yes, these two security tools can co-exist, and they have been built to work together. An antivirus protects your devices from malware, phishing attacks, ransomware attacks, rootkits, and other cyber threats. And a VPN routes all of your online traffic through an encrypted tunnel, preventing anyone from monitoring the websites you visit and files you download.
Fortunately, many antiviruses offer a VPN either as part of one of their antivirus suites or as a separate purchase. My favorite antivirus with a VPN in 2023 is TotalAV — it uses one of the most advanced malware engines out there, and its VPN is very secure, very fast, supports torrenting, and works with all of the top streaming sites (including Netflix).
What’s the best antivirus with a VPN?
TotalAV is my top pick for the best antivirus with a VPN in 2023 — it has a powerful malware engine and features a VPN that is secure and fast, has unlimited data, and works with top streaming sites like Netflix and BBC iPlayer. TotalAV’s VPN includes industry-standard VPN security features (256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and a clear no-logs policy) and comes with protection against DNS and WebRTC leaks. All TotalAV plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
That being said, each antivirus on this list includes a pretty good VPN.
Are VPNs legal?
Yes, VPNs are perfectly legal in most countries. However, a handful of countries have either regulated or banned VPNs, including Belarus, China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Russia, and the UAE. If you’re caught using a VPN in a country that has banned VPNs, you may face fines or even prosecution. If you’re going abroad, it’s important to check whether using a VPN is allowed at your destination.
However, none of the VPNs on this list are reliable for bypassing internet firewalls in restricted countries. If you’re looking for a VPN that consistently overcomes VPN blocks in censor-heavy nations, I recommend a standalone VPN like ExpressVPN.
Make note that while VPNs are legal in the majority of countries around the world, it’s still illegal to commit crimes using a VPN.
Do I need an antivirus and a VPN?
You don’t have to use an antivirus and VPN, but I strongly recommend that you use both — combining an antivirus and a VPN gives your devices maximum protection from getting infected with malware, and they help minimize the risk of a hacker stealing your personal information.
An antivirus protects you against online threats such as trojans, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, and other malicious software. Also, antiviruses come with other great security features like a firewall, identity theft protection, anti-phishing, parental controls, password managers, and more.
When you connect to a VPN server, all of your online traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel (making your data unreadable to prying eyes) and your actual IP address is replaced with a virtual IP address from the location where you’re connected — providing you with extra privacy while you’re online.
All of the antivirus providers on this list include VPNs that are secure, easy to use, and have pretty fast speeds.
Are standalone VPNs better than ones packaged with an antivirus?
Yes, a top standalone VPN like ExpressVPN is better than most VPNs included in antivirus suites. But when you purchase a quality antivirus with a really good VPN, you’re getting 2 excellent internet security tools for the price of 1.
If you’re looking to bundle a quality antivirus program with a secure and fast VPN, there are some great options out there. All of the VPNs from the antiviruses on this list provide really good value for someone who is looking for a decent and secure VPN that’s packaged with a top-flight antivirus.
What are the disadvantages of using an antivirus with a VPN?
Most antivirus-bundled VPNs aren’t as good as standalone VPNs, but it’s very convenient to bundle your antivirus program with a VPN (and get two security tools for the price of one). However, many antiviruses offer VPNs that are missing advanced security features like RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and audited no-logs policies that top standalone VPNs include. They also lack cool extra features like split-tunneling and an ad blocker, and they set a limit on how much data you can use per day or month.
Plus, a lot of VPNs that are included in antivirus packages don’t work with popular streaming apps (like Netflix and Amazon Prime), don’t allow torrenting on their servers, have slow speeds, and have smaller server networks, which prevent users from connecting to a server in their country to get the fastest speeds.
