So, what do I think are the best antivirus software providers with a free VPN included? I have five superb options for you to pick from as well as three great VPNs that have antivirus included.
Cyber hackers and criminals have become increasingly sophisticated. Online scams and ploys to steal our data or hijack our systems are incredibly convincing. How do we keep ourselves safe?
The answer is to invest in high-quality protection. And this comes in the form of antivirus software and a virtual private network (VPN).
Antivirus software prevents nasties from being downloaded onto your device. Accidentally clicked on a nefarious link or downloaded a dodgy file? Your antivirus software has got your back.
A VPN, on the other hand, protects your identity and data while online. It prevents those lurking in the shadows from swooping in and stealing your personal data. They also do a pretty neat job of allowing you to access geo-restricted streaming content, which is a sweet bonus!
The problem is that while free versions of both types of protection are available, they’re often not up to the task of preventing you from all attacks and hacks.
The answer is to purchase premium protection, but subscribing to both a VPN and antivirus software can be expensive.
The answer? Choose an antivirus software that also throws in a VPN for free. Or, flip it around and go for a VPN that includes antivirus protection. Either way, you’re covered for a single price. What’s not to like?
TL;DR: What is the best antivirus software with a VPN included for free? These are my top picks for 2024:
| Antivirus | VPN with the cheapest plan? | Cost of the cheapest plan with VPN? | Try for free? | Best for… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton | No | From $39.99/year | 7-day free trial | Best overall antivirus + VPN |
| McAfee | Yes | From $29.99/year | 30-day money-back guarantee | Multiple devices |
| TotalAV | No | From $39/year | 30-day money-back guarantee | Ease of use |
| Bitdefender | Yes | From $9.99/month | 30-day money-back guarantee | Identity theft protection |
| Kaspersky | No | From $32.99/year | 30-day money-back guarantee | Payment protection |
| VPN | Antivirus included? | Lowest subscription price | Try for free? | Best for… |
| Surfshark | Yes with Surfshark One plan | $3.48/mo billed annually | 30-day money-back guarantee | Server location choice |
| PIA | No, but only costs $1 extra | $1.79/mo billed annually | 30-day money-back guarantee | Lowest price |
| NordVPN | Yes | $2.99/mo billed annually | 30-day money-back guarantee | Reliability |
The Best Antivirus Software With VPN Included for Free
So, what do I think are the best antivirus software providers with a VPN included?
I have five superb options for you to pick from as well as three great VPNs that have antivirus included.
Let’s get into it.
1. Norton: Best Overall All-in-One Antivirus + VPN
My top pick for this list is Norton360 Antivirus. The company has been around since 1990 and has firmly established itself as the main player in the antivirus arena.
Its stellar reputation is justified as with so much experience under its belt, it knows how to provide full protection for its subscribers.
Norton’s malware protection is renowned for catching 100% of zero-day malware without significantly affecting the speed of your computer.
The software also carried a 100% virus protection promise. This means you get a refund if a virus manages to bypass Norton’s security.
As well as top-class antivirus protection, on its higher-priced plans, you can enjoy enhanced protections such as dark web protection, parental control, and theft identity protection.
Other benefits include a password manager tool, web threat protection, and a PC cloud backup of up to 10GB.
What’s Norton’s VPN Like?
Unfortunately, the VPN is not available on its cheapest plan, which is a shame.
The VPN itself is high-quality and holds up when you want to access geo-restricted content from streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, and HBO Max.
Other VPN features include:
- Automatic kill switch to protect you if your VPN goes offline
- On-the-go access from your mobile devices
- Anonymous browsing
- Auto network securing when you connect to suspicious networks
- Anonymize data via split-tunneling
- No log policy: Norton does not log any of your online activity
Norton Price Plans
The plan you choose depends on how many devices you want to be protected. Bear in mind that the cheapest plan does not include the VPN. A seven-day free trial is available for all plans.
- Antivirus plus: $19.99/year (Automatically renews at $59.99/year)
- One device covered
- No VPN included
- Standard: $39.99/year (Automatically renews at $84.99/year)
- Three devices covered
- VPN included
- Deluxe: $49.99/year (Automatically renews at $104.99/year)
- Five devices covered
- VPN included
- Select + Lifelock: $99.99/year (Automatically renews at $170.99/year)
- Ten devices covered
- VPN included
2. McAfee: Best for Multiple Devices
If you’ve only heard of one antivirus software, it’ll be McAfee. Trusted by millions across the globe, it has gained its rightful place among the top players in the antivirus industry.
McAfee’s Total Protection is one of the best, it can detect 100% of zero-day and four-week-old threats. The service also features Ransom Guard which is a powerful piece of software capable of stopping the worst types of viruses.
McAfee is generous when it comes to the number of devices you can use the software with. Its two highest-priced plans allow for unlimited devices.
And, there is a range of extras included with all plans, such as web protection, a firewall, a file shredder, and a protection score.
All plans have access to expert online support too.
What’s McAfee’s VPN Like?
McAfee’s VPN servers are based in 48 countries offering wide versatility for your protection and browsing requirements.
The VPN is incredibly secure with bank-grade encryption, and you can use it wherever you go on your mobile device.
The best thing here is that you get the VPN included on the lowest-priced plan. However, many reviews state that this VPN is not very effective at accessing geo-restricted content. Something to bear in mind.
Other McAfee VPN benefits include:
- AES-256 encryption to mask your activity and IP address
- Split-tunneling for data anonymity
- Automatic kill switch if your connection is interrupted
- Live chat and email support
McAfee Price Plans
Four plans to choose from. If you have a lot of devices, you’ll be pleased with the unlimited device options. If you just want basic antivirus protection with a free VPN, the cheapest plan is for you:
- Basic: $29.99/year (Automatically renews at $89.99/year)
- One device covered
- One VPN license
- Plus: $39.99/year (Automatically renews at $119.99/year)
- Five devices covered
- Five VPN licenses
- Premium: $49.99/year (Automatically renews at $139.99/year)
- Unlimited devices covered
- Unlimited VPN licenses
- Advanced: $89.99/year (Automatically renews at $199.99/year)
- Unlimited devices covered
- Unlimited VPN licenses
30-day free trial available for all plans.
Want to know what the best McAfee alternatives are? Check out my McAfee comparison article.
3. TotalAV: Best for Ease of Use
Established in 2016, TotalAV is a UK-based company that provides antivirus protection worldwide. It offers great antivirus protection along with a VPN on all but its cheapest plan.
In regards to Malware, TotalAv claims to block 100% of four-week-old attacks and 97% of zero-day attacks. Although not as comprehensive as other top antivirus providers, it’s still pretty respectable.
Along with malware protection, you get real-time and on-demand detection, anti-phishing capabilities, a total AdBlock tool, plus a password manager.
The TotalAV interface is one of the easiest to get to grips with. It’s intuitive and doesn’t contain any complicated jargon. Something that will appeal to beginners for sure.
The downsides are that this antivirus does not contain any anti-theft protection or parental controls.
What’s TotalAV’s VPN Like?
Currently, you can connect to over 70 servers in 30 countries. And, the VPN is clever enough to bypass blocked content for geo-restricted streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
The unfortunate downside here is that you can only access the VPN if you subscribe to the two higher-priced plans.
Other features of TotalAVs VPN include:
- Smartphone app included for protection on the go
- OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols available for increased speeds and privacy
- Automatic kill switch, so you stay anonymous even if your connection is interrupted
- Fully encrypted connection
- Securely access open networks
TotalAV Price Plans
There are three different price plans to choose from. The cheapest does not come with a free VPN.
The higher-tiered plans have enhanced benefits and features as well as the free VPN included:
- Antivirus Pro: $29/year (renews at $119/year)
- Three devices
- No VPN included
- Internet Security: $39/year (renews at $145/year)
- Five devices
- VPN included
- Total Security: $49/year (renews at $179/year)
- Six devices
- VPN included
Enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.
4. Bitdefender: Best for Identity Theft Protection
Bitdefender has been in the game for over two decades and currently protects over 500 million devices. All plans let you cover up to ten devices which I think is very generous.
When looking at malware protection, Bitdefender holds its own with a 100% detection rate for both zero-day and four-week threats.
You also get advanced threat protection for the worst types of viruses, anti-phishing and anti-fraud protection, and web attack prevention.
To add to the already plentiful features, you also have parental controls, a file shredder, and (my personal favorite) credit reports, and identify theft insurance up to $2 million (depending on the plan you choose.
The Ultimate Security Plus plan also comes with a 401(k) plan & Investment Monitoring.
What’s Bitdefender’s VPN Like?
BitDefender has an impressive presence in 48 countries, with over 1,300 servers between them. It uses HotSpot shield for faster and more secure service.
The problem here is that the VPN is limited to 200 MB of daily traffic per device. If you want more, you have to upgrade to a premium VPN service and pay more.
- For USA, Canada, and the UK, you can choose specific cities as your location
- Standalone app for protection on the move
- 100% privacy and data protection
- Access geo-restricted content and streaming services
- Stay secure when accessing open Wifi networks
- Automatic kill switch should you lose your internet connection
Bitdefender Price Plans
You get a 30-day money-back guarantee and a free VPN on all three Bitdefender plans. A generous amount of devices are covered too:
- Ultimate Security: $9.99/mo or $99.99/year (After the first year, plans automatically renew at $17.99/mo or $239.99/year)
- Ten devices covered
- VPN included
- Ultimate Security Plus: $14.99/mo or $149.99/year (After the first year, plans automatically renew at $23.99/mo or $239.99/year)
- Ten devices covered
- VPN included
- Plus extra features
- Premium Security: $15.99/mo or $69.98/year (Annual plan automatically renews at $159.99)
- Ten devices covered
- VPN included
- Plus extra features
Looking for a decent Bitdefender alternative? I have listed them all in my recent Bitdefender comparison article.
5. Kaspersky: Best for Payment Protection
Kaspersky is another old-timer and has been on the market since 1997. Currently, it protects over 400 million users, which is no small number.
Where malware is concerned, Kaspersky is excellent and achieves 100% for zero-day and four-week threats. Plus, you get quite a decent range of features in addition to the usual antivirus protection.
For example, all plans include anti-phishing, a two-way firewall, performance optimization, and online payment protection.
If you go for an upgraded plan, you also get password protection, identity security, and remote support.
What’s Kaspersky’s VPN Like?
The VPN is only included on the two higher-priced plans. However, it’s exceptionally good quality, with over 2,000 servers and a presence in 30 countries.
In 2019 and 2020, it was rated the fastest VPN in the world. That’s an impressive feat.
Other features of Kaspersky’s VPN include:
- Unmonitored activity and zero logging
- IP address masking
- Military-grade encryption
- Protected banking transactions
- Super-fast VPN server speeds
- Full access to geo-restricted content so you can stream to your heart’s content
- Disabling mechanism to prevent data leakage
- Security when using open networks
- Automatic kill switch
Kaspersky Price Plans
Choose between three plans, however, be mindful that the cheapest plan does not include a free VPN:
- Essential Protection: From $27.99/year
- One user account with 3 – 10 devices covered
- No VPN included
- Plus Plan: From $32.99/year
- Three user accounts with 3 – 10 devices covered
- VPN included
- Premium Plan: From $33.99/year
- Three user accounts with 3 – 20 devices covered
- VPN included
A 50-51% discount applies to the first year of your plan after which the prices automatically revert back to their standard amount.
A 30-day money-back guarantee is included with all plans.
VPNs That Offer Antivirus Protection
Let’s flip things around now and take a look at the top three best VPN services that offer antivirus protection to their customers.
1. Surfshark: Best for Server Location Choice
Surfshark has been swimming in the water since 2018 and has amassed an impressive 3,200+ servers in 100 countries.
It keeps things nice and simple by offering a single plan with three different subscription lengths. That means you get all the features, no matter which price structure you select, on unlimited devices.
So what do you get with SurfShark’s VPN service?
First, you can add an extra layer of protection with its multi-hop capability. This means you can connect to two servers simultaneously.
The VPN will also help you avoid known malicious ads and malware websites. Plus, you get the all-important kill switch and secure browsing.
Accessing geo-restricted content is no problem with SurfShark, and you get an ad-blocker and 24/7 support included as standard.
SurfShark won’t log any of your activity, nor will it subject you to any pesky throttling issues.
What’s Surfshark’s Antivirus Protection Like?
Surfshark’s antivirus offering is pretty comprehensive.
Non-techy people will be pleased with the simple, clean interface, and all users will be happy to hear the software does not slow down your system. No laggy startups here.
Real-time malware prevention stops zero-day attacks, and you’ll also benefit from the anti-phishing and anti-tracking features.
The system alerts you if it thinks any of your personal data has been breached, plus it stops bots and other nefarious things from tracking and spying on you.
All-in-all, while it’s certainly not as comprehensive as specialist antivirus products, it’s still a respectable piece of software and one of the cheapest on this list. Great if you’re on a budget.
Surfshark’s Price Plans
When checking out SurfShark’s plans, make sure you’re viewing the SurfShark One plan.
This is the only plan that bundles the VPN with anti-virus protection. Although you can buy the two products separately, it’s cheaper to get the bundle:
- 24-month subscription: $3.48/mo billed annually plus two months free
- 12-month subscription: $5.48/mo billed annually
- Monthly subscription: $14.44/mo
Introductory promotional rates last until the end of the first billing period. After this time, they revert to the standard rate.
All subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Learn more in my in-depth Surfshark VPN review here.
2. PIA (Private Internet Access): Best for Price
PIA is one incredibly fast VPN. In fact, PCMag has rated it the fastest in the world, which is an impressive accolade to have. With servers in 84 countries, you have a wide choice when picking your location.
The service allows you to connect up to ten devices simultaneously, so it’s plenty enough for you and your family.
The service boasts OpenVPN and WireGuard® to keep your data safe while browsing, a strict no-activity log policy, full ad-blocking, and advanced split tunneling for extra security.
Plus, should your connection unexpectedly drop, the automatic kill switch will kick in.
Interesting extra features include the ability to make online payments anonymously, an email breach scanner, and a site blocker browser extension.
Add 24/7 customer support and a comprehensive resource library into the mix and you have a truly great VPN.
What’s PIA’s Antivirus Protection Like?
Okay, I’m going to level with you here. PIA’s antivirus protection is not free. It can be included as an add-on but is so cheap (the cheapest on this list overall) it deserves a place in this article. If you choose the three-year plan, the antivirus only costs an extra $1.
The antivirus service itself provides round-the-clock malware protection with real-time scanning. This means you’ll be notified immediately if something seems up.
Any malicious files that make their way onto your device are isolated and neutralized while the software continuously locates and fixes your device’s in-built defences to prevent zero-day threats.
You also have an ad-blocker, detailed security reports, and flexible scan settings for a customized experience.
PIA’s Price Plans
For the cheapest rate, go for the 36-month subscription, as this allows you to add on antivirus for only $1.
- 36-month subscription: $1.79/mo billed annually plus three months free
- 12-month subscription: $3.10/mo billed annually
- Monthly subscription: $11.69/mo
- Antivirus add-on: From $1/mo
Introductory promotional rates last until the end of the first billing period. After this time, they revert to the standard rate.
All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Learn more in my review of Private Internet Access here.
3. NordVPN: Best for Reliability
NordVPN is one of the most well-known VPN services available today and has been going since 2012 it is still one of the fastest and most reliable VPNs on the market.
Nord boasts an incredible array of features and is constantly adding new tools making it one of the best value providers.
The system uses AES-256 encryption to protect your data and enforces a strict no-logging policy which means none of your activity is tracked.
The speed and performance are excellent and rarely suffer from lag. This is mainly due to its large server network (over 5,200). You also have a choice of 59 countries and have full access to geo-restricted content within each one.
Secure open network browsing, automatic kill switch, and multi-factor authentification further enhance your protection.
Plus, you’ve got split-tunneling and IP masking capabilities. The 24/7 support adds the cherry on the cake to this typo-class VPN provider.
What’s NordVPN’s Antivirus Protection Like?
Nord has only just added antivirus protection to its arsenal of features and now comes included with all its subscription options.
Full and comprehensive malware protection restricts your access when you happen across a dodgy site and warns you of the situation. The added threat protection also scans downloaded files and deletes them if malware is present.
The anti-tracker feature prevents intrusive cookies from watching your every move, and if you stumble upon any malicious ads, Nord will block them from view.
NordVPN’s Price Plans
- Standard: From $2.99/mo
- Complete: From $3.99/mo
- Plus: From $5.99/mo
Introductory promotional rates last until the end of the first billing period. After this time, they revert back to the standard rate.
All plans include malware and anti-virus protection, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee.
If NordVPN interests you, check out my full review of NordVPN here.
Questions & Answers
Our Verdict ⭐
I like how protective software applications are merging into one product. Apart from the obvious cost savings, it’s far more convenient to access your VPN and antivirus tools from one single interface.
Right now, it feels like antivirus software with a free VPN has the edge in regard to the number of features and power they offer. However, VPNs with free antivirus are catching up fast – and they’re much cheaper.
I will always pick Norton as my top antivirus. It ticks all the boxes in every area. However, I will be keeping a very close eye on how VPN providers develop and expand their antivirus offerings.
How We Test Antivirus Software: Our Methodology
Our antivirus and antimalware recommendations are based on real testing of the protection, user-friendliness, and minimal system impact, providing clear, practical advice for choosing the right antivirus software.
- Purchasing and Installing: We start by buying the antivirus software, just like any customer would. We then install it on our systems to assess the ease of installation and initial setup. This real-world approach helps us understand the user experience from the get-go.
- Real-World Phishing Defense: Our evaluation includes testing each program’s ability to detect and block phishing attempts. We interact with suspicious emails and links to see how effectively the software protects against these common threats.
- Usability Assessment: An antivirus should be user-friendly. We rate each software based on its interface, ease of navigation, and the clarity of its alerts and instructions.
- Feature Examination: We scrutinize additional features offered, especially in paid versions. This includes analyzing the value of extras like parental controls and VPNs, comparing them against the utility of free versions.
- System Impact Analysis: We measure the impact of each antivirus on system performance. It’s crucial that the software runs smoothly and doesn’t noticeably slow down everyday computer operations.
Learn more about our review methodology.
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