I tested Norton's VPN and love its simple, no-fuss protection

Price When Reviewed

$39.99

Best Prices Today: Norton Secure VPN

Norton has joined in on the pattern of safety giants providing VPNs as a part of its catalog of apps. Norton Secure VPN is included with each Norton 360 subscription, however you too can buy a plan for simply the VPN as effectively. Unlike different VPNs provided by antivirus firms, Norton Secure VPN isn’t just a few thrown-together afterthought; it stands out because of its robust efficiency and glossy app design. 

The firm’s safety software program has all the time been among the greatest available on the market, however simply how good is it? Will it preserve your looking secure and safe, or do you have to look elsewhere for additional safety? I’m taking it for a spin to search out out.

Read on to study extra, then see our roundup of the best VPNs for comparability.

Norton VPN briefly:

• P2P allowed: Yes
• Simultaneous system connections: 5 or 10, relying upon the plan
• Business location: United States
• Number of servers: 2,000+
• Number of nation areas: 66
• Cost: $39.99 for one 12 months for Standard and Plus, $49.99 for one 12 months for Ultimate

What are Norton Secure VPN’s options and companies?

Before I dig any deeper, it’s price mentioning that Norton Secure VPN was initially constructed to be an add-on characteristic to the Norton 360 safety suite and is now being provided as a standalone app. As such, it’s nonetheless within the technique of being upgraded to incorporate lots of the identical options as different high VPNs.

That doesn’t take away from it being a wonderfully succesful VPN in its personal proper nonetheless. Norton Secure VPN presents as much as 5 or 10 simultaneous system connections relying upon your plan tier, and a decent-sized server community— estimated to be round 2,000 plus servers throughout 66 nation areas. Just within the final 12 months, the obtainable nation areas have greater than doubled and also you’re now capable of choose and select particular areas in lots of nations.

Sam Singleton

When you first open the app, you’ll discover how minimalist the homescreen is. It has a “Connect” button under a drop-down menu with server areas. All of that is overlaid throughout a easy world map that highlights your present IP location with a pinpoint purple dot. Along the left rail you’ll discover a connection-status icon together with menu choices for Store, Help & Support, and Settings. 

It’s a pleasantly simplistic interface that not too long ago underwent a redesign. And kudos to the design staff over at Norton as a result of this now needs to be one of the crucial intuitive VPN interfaces I’ve ever encountered. No difficult menu methods or over-engineered tips in sight.

When linked, the map will zoom in to the geographic location of the chosen server demarcated with a inexperienced dot. Your new IP deal with will likely be displayed in the course of the display and the VPN standing icon on the left will say “Connected.”

Sam Singleton

Under the Settings menu you’ll discover choices for auto-connect, the cut up tunneling characteristic, a kill change, and the power to vary your protocol as effectively. Norton doesn’t overwhelm with options and customization choices, nevertheless it does present all the fundamentals customers are on the lookout for.

Split tunneling lets you management which apps or URLs you want to run by way of the VPN and which to maintain separate, including a helpful layer of customization to any VPN connection. The one gripe I’ve with Norton’s cut up tunneling is that it doesn’t provide reverse performance. You can choose and select which apps to exclude, however different companies will present a reverse perform that excludes the whole lot and you’ll then choose which apps so as to add to the VPN connection as an alternative. It’s a minor criticism, however looks like a little bit of an oversight.

Just not too long ago, Norton has added Double VPN and IP Rotation connections. Both of those options at the moment are obtainable for all tiers. The continued rollout of superior options like these are consultant of how severe Norton is taking the event of its correct standalone VPN service. 

Sam Singleton

Double VPN, or multi-hop, routes your connection by way of two completely different VPN servers relatively than one for added privateness and safety. It’s ultimate for on-line duties that require extra safety relatively than informal looking, because it’ll seemingly decelerate speeds. 

IP Rotation often modifications the IP deal with of your VPN connection. Again, it’s one other option to enhance safety on the expense of velocity, however with the additional advantage of doubtless getting round web site blocks. As of proper now, every characteristic has restricted obtainable server choices to select from, with extra seemingly coming sooner or later.

As you’d count on from a safety firm corresponding to Norton, you do get some safety companies. With the Standard tier it takes the type of an ad- and tracker-blocker. Unfortunately, they weren’t good. I did discover that just a few advertisements appeared to slide by way of, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a helpful characteristic to have regardless. Unless you have already got a devoted ad- and tracker-blocker, I’d nonetheless suggest having the Norton Secure VPN model turned on simply to be secure.

That is about it so far as options included within the Standard plan. If you go for the Plus plan you’ll get entry to anti-malware and anti-scam detection, a password supervisor, darkish net monitoring, and 10GB of cloud storage. The Ultimate plan goes even additional by offering some actually fascinating and extremely customizable parental management options and boosts cloud storage as much as 50GB.

Norton Secure VPN is accessible for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Apple TV, and a few browsers. It notably isn’t obtainable for Fire TV or Linux although.

How a lot does Norton Secure VPN price?

Unlike different VPN companies, Norton Secure VPN solely presents a yearly subscription plan for the service. There isn’t any month-to-month plan obtainable nor are there longer-term plans corresponding to two or three years. This is a little bit of an odd selection because it breaks the usual mould of what almost each different VPN service presents. 

Norton Secure VPN presents three plan tiers: Standard, Plus, and Ultimate. Standard will set you again $39.99 for the primary 12 months or $3.33 per thirty days, with an auto-renewal fee of $79.99 per 12 months. The Plus tier can be at the moment going for $39.99 for the primary 12 months, however auto-renews on the increased fee of $109.99 for subsequent years. The Ultimate tier is $49.99 for the primary 12 months or $4.17 per thirty days and auto-renews at $129.99 after that.

Even although the plans are solely provided in 1-year increments, you’ll be able to’t actually argue with the worth. The Plus plan particularly is an excellent deal for the primary 12 months contemplating all the additional options included.

Norton Secure VPN may be paid for both by bank card, PayPal, or Google Pay.

How is Norton Secure VPN’s efficiency?

In my testing I measured connection speeds a number of occasions throughout Norton Secure VPN’s servers in six completely different nations all world wide after which in contrast them to my baseline web velocity. Norton’s speeds have been fairly spectacular. Across all areas examined, the typical obtain velocity was 65 % of the bottom and the typical add velocity was 69 % of the bottom.

Those averages are sufficient to place it inside placing distance of the fastest VPNs I’ve ever examined. I did discover a marked drop-off for server areas that have been an additional bodily distance away from me. This is to be anticipated, however the variations have been greater than I often discover with different VPNs. Since Norton Secure VPN supplies no details about server load, it’s troublesome to diagnose the difficulty.

When it involves Norton’s potential to unblock geo-restricted content material on streaming companies, it dealt with itself admirably. I used to be capable of entry all U.S.- and UK-based streaming content material together with Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer. Similar to my final evaluation although, I as soon as once more encountered some points with servers in Asia being blocked. 

As Norton doesn’t have the most important server community to select from, I wasn’t all the time capable of attempt to connect with different areas inside blocked nations to see if they might work as an alternative. Fortunately, Norton does appear to be including server areas fairly incessantly and I think it’s solely a matter of time earlier than it is a non-issue.

Overall although, Norton is loads quick sufficient and its potential to unblock streaming companies within the U.S. and UK make it a wonderfully good selection if that’s your primary precedence with a VPN.

How is Norton Secure VPN’s safety and privateness?

Sam Singleton

Norton Secure VPN’s Windows app and Android app provide a selection between WireGuard, OpenVPN, and its personal proprietary Mimic protocol. Mac and iOS gadgets can select from IPSec or Mimic protocols solely.

Norton’s Mimic protocol is designed to be ultra-effective at getting round geo-blocked content material corresponding to streaming companies. And whereas in my testing it did simply that, it did decelerate my connection fairly a bit. Sticking with WireGuard as an alternative ought to provide the greatest combination of velocity and safety.

Norton Secure VPN has a no-logs policy which was confirmed by way of unbiased audit by safety agency Versprite in August of 2024. This is the primary such audit the VPN has undergone and it’s a promising step in the best course. I hope to see Norton proceed present process common yearly unbiased audits going ahead.

Under the corporate’s Product Privacy Notice, I discovered that the VPN collects knowledge about connection timestamps for as much as 35 days, which is a bit regarding as this might be linked again to particular person “licenses and devices.” Additionally, it collects complete knowledge utilization and app utilization metadata, though these are executed in mixture and certain can’t be used to determine people.

Norton’s household companies options corresponding to parental controls additionally acquire and quickly retailer (often for 60 days) sure knowledge that you simply present and handle corresponding to contact data, little one geolocation, and URLs visited by little one and search phrases. Since that is all knowledge that the person supplies willingly, it’s as much as you to concentrate on what you’re comfy sharing with Norton.

The VPN service and father or mother firm Norton are all based mostly within the U.S. which is an energetic member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance and infamous for having intrusive knowledge privateness legal guidelines.

If privateness is your primary concern, it’s price taking a tough take a look at Norton’s privateness coverage for your self. Despite having a no-logs coverage, the service does acquire just a few regarding bits of private knowledge. Plus, ultra-cautious customers might wish to go for a VPN firm positioned in a extra privacy-friendly jurisdiction as an alternative.

Is Norton Secure VPN price it?

Norton Secure VPN has made enormous strides within the final 12 months or so. Going from only a fundamental add-on VPN to a full-fledged standalone service with a stable characteristic set and nice person expertise. It nonetheless doesn’t really feel fairly as strong because the very best VPNs, but when it retains upgrading at this fee, it’s solely a matter of time earlier than it breaks into that group.

The backside line is that Norton Secure VPN is an efficient total service with respectable speeds and powerful safety features—particularly if you happen to go for one of many increased tiers. It has just a few privateness issues which are going to drive away some customers although. This knowledge logging is absolutely the one factor holding it again. With a bit extra improvement time and a privateness adjustment it’ll actually shine.

Editor’s be aware: Because on-line companies are sometimes iterative, gaining new options and efficiency enhancements over time, this evaluation is topic to vary with a view to precisely mirror the present state of the service. Any modifications to textual content or our ultimate evaluation verdict will likely be famous on the high of this text.