VPN apps and antivirus software are both designed to improve your security online, but they work in fundamentally different ways. They offer complementary, but different, layers of protection — which is why it’s best to use both.
Antivirus software protects against malware, but won’t encrypt your internet connection. A VPN will secure your browsing data, but can’t do much to protect against viruses. Combine the two, and you’ll be a long way to fulfilling digital security best practice.
Does combining a VPN with antivirus lower the quality of both?
Short answer: no. Surfshark is one of our top-ranked VPN apps and has consistently been considered the best cheap VPN. The company are also investing in the antivirus product, with the latest change including a brand-new interface and full ARM support.
Likewise, Norton has updated its VPN app considerably this year and it’s starting to compete with the best, recently adding features like Double VPN, IP rotation and a kill switch.
The antivirus options from both may not be quite as advanced, compared with the best standalone antivirus software options we’ve reviewed, but the convenience of combining both a VPN and antivirus into one subscription is definitely worth considering.
If you’re interested, you can try both Surfshark and Norton for free with their 7-day and 14-day trials, respectively.
