The best VPN with antivirus combines two of the most powerful privacy and security services in to one comprehensive cybersecurity solution.
VPNs help to protect your internet traffic by encrypting your data and sending it out via a secondary location, helping to mask your IP and location while also preventing your internet service provider from seeing your browsing activity. They are also perfect for protecting yourself while using public Wi-Fi services.
Antivirus on the other hand protects your device from all forms of malware by scanning downloads and attachments, as well as your files to find where any pesky trojans or viruses might be hiding.
By combining these services into one solution, you can protect both your inbound and outbound internet traffic from snoops and thieves while also keeping your device uninfected.
Our experts have put over 10 of the best VPNs with antivirus through their paces against our testing criteria, which includes both the performance and customization of the VPN and antivirus services separately, as well as how well they work to protect devices together. We also factor in cost, compatibility, customer service, and ease of use.
I have rounded up the best performing solutions from our testing and organized them in by use case to make it easy to find the best VPN with antivirus for you. Here are my top three recommendations:
The three VPN with antivirus at a glance
In a hurry? Here are the three best antivirus solutions available today:
VPN vs antivirus: what's the difference?
Both VPNs and antivirus solutions can help to protect your privacy and data, but they do so in quite different ways, to cover the multiple layers of your overall security posture.
Antivirus software, as the name implies, can protect you from computer viruses. Although the term is a bit antiquated at this point, the operation of such software remains as relevant as ever: it can prevent the likes of malware and ransomware from being downloaded and executed on your devices, which can steal files and sensitive data, as well as locking you out completely. It can also pave the way for further attacks against you down the line.
VPNs, on the other hand, essentially mask your IP address, thus preventing attackers from discovering your virtual and physical location, and protecting your data as it is sent and received across the web by encrypting tunnels.
VPNs can also be used to circumvent censorship and region locks in certain territories, as you can usually choose where in the world you’ll be connected from, tricking sites into thinking that’s where you really are.
There are specialist streaming VPNs for this purpose, which specialize in unlocking geo-restricted content, as well as letting you torrent safely too. We also have resources to help you learn more about virtual private networks.
Best VPN with antivirus bundles in 2024
As you can see, most dedicated antivirus solutions do not offer comprehensive VPNs. So, if your major use case is anonymity on the internet and/or streaming region-restricted content—and you'd also like more than just decent malware protection, here are the best, most popular VPN providers that come with built-in antivirus.
Best VPN with antivirus overall
1. NordVPN Threat Protection
An industry leader with an all-in-one security package
Streaming sites unblocked: Netflix, Amazon, Disney, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, 9Now, 10 play | Available on: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux (CLI), routers and more |external/privateinternetaccess.com/offer/future_60e7q6mk5?aff_click_id=hawk-custom-tracking&aff_sub2=hawk-article-url" target="_blank" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" rel="sponsored noopener" data-hl-processed="hawklinks" data-placeholder-url="https://privateinternetaccess.com/offer/future_60e7q6mk5?aff_click_id=hawk-custom-tracking&aff_sub2=hawk-article-url" data-google-interstitial="false">Private Internet Access (PIA)
A cheap VPN with tons of servers and real-time protection
Streaming sites unblocked: US Netflix, Amazon, Disney Plus, Hulu, ITVX, Channel 4, 9Now, 10 play | Available on: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux (GUI), routers and more | 24/7 support: Yes |external/www.dpbolvw.net/click-6361382-13815103?sid=trdpro-us-1383088366162840379" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener" data-url="https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-6361382-13815103?sid=hawk-custom-tracking" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="hawklinks" data-placeholder-url="https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-6361382-13815103?sid=hawk-custom-tracking" data-google-interstitial="false">Try Norton 360 for less than 0.
2. Bitdefender
The best antivirus of 2024—packed with features and value
Operating system: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS |external/www.anrdoezrs.net/click-6361382-14416833?sid=trdpro-us-3561881100641538674&url=https://www.avast.com/avast-one" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener" data-url="https://www.avast.com/avast-one" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="hawklinks" data-placeholder-url="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-6361382-14416833?sid=hawk-custom-tracking&url=https://www.avast.com/avast-one" data-google-interstitial="false" data-merchant-name="AVAST Software" data-merchant-id="12823" data-merchant-url="avast.com" data-merchant-network="CJ">Try Avast One with up to 54% off.
✔️ You want an endless list of extras: from an unlimited VPN and a password manager to parental controls and identity monitoring tools, McAfee's apps provide all-around protection.
✔️ You want to use it on various devices: McAfee Total Protection can protect up to 10 devices and works on just about every platform, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and even Chromebook.
❌ You're on a budget: McAfee is not suited to those who want good quality protection at affordable rates—and renewal prices are even steeper.
❌ You want a VPN with a kill switch: McAfee VPN is nowhere close to high-ranking VPN providers, as it lacks a kill switch and offers poor unblocking performance.
🔒 McAfee Total Protection is a big-name provider with a hefty price tag but it's worth every penny, thanks to class-leading mobile apps, a myriad of identity protection tools, and every major security software bundled—VPN, antivirus, password manager, and parental controls.
Try Bitdefender for less than 0.
3. Avast One
The best free internet security suite
Operating system: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS options | Maximum devices covered: Up to 30 | Stand out features: VPN, firewall, malicious URL blocker, and password manager |external/www.anrdoezrs.net/click-6361382-14416833?sid=trdpro-us-3561881100641538674&url=https://www.avast.com/avast-one" target="_blank" rel="sponsored noopener" data-url="https://www.avast.com/avast-one" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="hawklinks" data-placeholder-url="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-6361382-14416833?sid=hawk-custom-tracking&url=https://www.avast.com/avast-one" data-google-interstitial="false" data-merchant-name="AVAST Software" data-merchant-id="12823" data-merchant-url="avast.com" data-merchant-network="CJ">Try Avast One with up to 54% off.
✔️ You want an endless list of extras: from an unlimited VPN and a password manager to parental controls and identity monitoring tools, McAfee's apps provide all-around protection.
✔️ You want to use it on various devices: McAfee Total Protection can protect up to 10 devices and works on just about every platform, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and even Chromebook.
❌ You're on a budget: McAfee is not suited to those who want good quality protection at affordable rates—and renewal prices are even steeper.
❌ You want a VPN with a kill switch: McAfee VPN is nowhere close to high-ranking VPN providers, as it lacks a kill switch and offers poor unblocking performance.
🔒 McAfee Total Protection is a big-name provider with a hefty price tag but it's worth every penny, thanks to class-leading mobile apps, a myriad of identity protection tools, and every major security software bundled—VPN, antivirus, password manager, and parental controls.
✔️ You want the best free security package: Avast One's free tier comes with class-leading malware-blocking, a VPN, data breach scanning, and even a firewall.
✔️ You want an antivirus for gaming: Avast's dedicated game mode that's enabled by default blocks frustrating ads, popups, and reminders.
❌ You don't want annoying ads: the free plan has lots of pesky popups, which is not the case with Microsoft Defender and Bitdefender.
❌ You need VPN access everywhere: the Avast SecureLine VPN has a small fleet of server locations with limited unblocking prowess.
🔒 Avast boasts the best malware-blocking rates on the market, which you can get for free, along with a world-class antivirus, data breach scanning, and a VPN. Take it for a risk-free test drive and see how it compares to others on our list.
✔️ You want lots of features: Bitdefender comes with standard antivirus tools plus multi-layered ransomware protection, a Hotspot Shield VPN, a firewall, a secure browser, a file shredder, and so much more.
✔️ You need an antivirus that doesn't use too many resources: Bitdefender is light on your system, so you don't need to worry about lags or sacrificing system speed for security.
❌ You want lightning-fast scans: both virus and system scans take a lot of time to finish, but there are no lags, so you'll still be able to use your device.
❌ You want an unlimited VPN: unlike Norton, Bitdefender's bundled VPN comes with a 200 MB daily limit.
🔒 Bitdefender is the best antivirus software in our testing, and robust security tools, simple apps, and a limited yet high-quality VPN make it a value purchase. Use its 30-day money-back guarantee for a risk-free trial.