Many popular Android antivirus programs include a VPN in their packages. However, most of the VPNs have limited features and aren’t as secure as premium standalone services. This means that you can still be spied on and tracked by malicious actors. On the other hand, a reliable VPN should protect you from unauthorized elements and enable you to unblock content and apps worldwide.
It’s a bit difficult to find a provider that offers both a powerful antivirus and VPN. However, after testing more than 20 Android antivirus packages, I was able to compile these 3 services. They provide the utmost malware protection and feature a high-quality VPN.
Quick guide for the best Android antivirus software with VPNs
- Norton – The best antivirus and VPN package in the market. It offers consistent connections and secures your traffic with strong encryption.
- McAfee – Provides high VPN speeds for fast downloads and quality streams. However, the interface is underwhelming.
- TotalAV – The VPN has an extensive server network and reliably unblocks streaming sites.
Methodology for choosing these Android antiviruses with VPNs
Only a handful of antivirus programs that include VPNs exist. Both are essential security tools as an antivirus will protect your device while the VPN will secure your online privacy. Here are some of the things to consider when choosing an antivirus with a VPN package.
- VPN security – A reliable VPN should always keep you safe. So, one crucial feature to look out for is the encryption level, which should be either 128 or 256-bit encryption. In addition, the provider must have a solid zero-logs policy and shouldn’t log your data. Finally, check for a kill switch and DNS leak protection to protect your privacy even when the VPN connection fails.
- Bandwidth allowance – Many VPNs included in antivirus packages come with limited bandwidth, which will impede your streaming and gaming experience. Fortunately, the VPNs featured in the antivirus programs on this list perform exemplary.
- Bypass geographic restrictions – Another attribute of a VPN is accessing geo-restricted content. I ran a test on these VPNs to ensure that they can circumvent restrictions of popular streaming services on various servers worldwide.
- Ease of use – A good antivirus with an inbuilt VPN should be effortless to use and customizable. That’s why you should consider programs that are simple to understand and easily accessible even for beginners.
3 Best Android antivirus software with a VPN
1. Norton
Key features
- 30+ server locations
- 5 simultaneous connections
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Email, chat, and phone customer support
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Norton makes it to the top of our list because of the unlimited data. Most antivirus providers limit data usage or include it in the most expensive plans. However, Norton’s Secure VPN allows you to use the data unrestricted. This will enable you to browse securely, stream endless content, and download even large files without worrying about the data.
The VPN produced sufficient speeds with local servers during our test. However, the connection slowed down slightly after connecting to remote servers like in Australia and the US. Nonetheless, the speed was still enough for light browsing and watching YouTube videos.
One of the primary uses of a VPN is to unblock geo-restricted content. Fortunately, Norton can bypass popular streaming services’ restrictions, such as HBO Max, Netflix, and HBO Now. Although you might encounter buffering initially, it will become stable, and you’ll be able to stream without issue. Since it is compatible with Android, you can watch content on your smartphone on the go.
While the Norton package comes with impressive features, there are a few drawbacks to note. For example, the kill switch is only available on the Android platform. This is an important feature that cuts your internet traffic if the VPN disconnects to maintain your anonymity. Another downside is that it doesn’t support P2P traffic, a deal-breaker if you download torrents frequently.
Fortunately, Norton allows you to test the service risk-free with the 60-day money-back guarantee. So, I checked whether the policy works by taking the annual subscription and asking for a refund afterward. True to its word, I received my money back after waiting for only 5 days.
2. McAfee
Key features
- 20+ server locations
- 5 simultaneous connections
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Email and phone customer support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
The McAfee VPN is blazing fast, offering speeds of up to 150 Mbps on some servers. This is good news as most standalone VPNs cannot manage to reach even 100 Mbps. Although many factors can affect the speed, like location and encryption strength, our test produced incredible speeds.
This speed is sufficient to stream in HD and Ultra HD. Although we couldn’t unblock HBO Max and Disney+, accessing Netflix US and UK was effortless. Besides streaming, I was also able to torrent successfully on some servers. Obviously, my IP address was hidden so that no one could trace my torrenting activities.
What’s more, the antivirus has a high detection rate of 100%. Also, it features robust real-time malware, ransomware, and spyware protection. In addition, the program works well with Android to keep your mobile devices safe.
The major downside is the hard-to-navigate interface. In addition, it doesn’t offer a kill switch or the ability to customize the connection protocol.
3. TotalAV
Key features
- 60+ server location
- 6 simultaneous connections
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Email and Phone customer support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
TotalAV’s VPN is an excellent option for streaming content online. I was able to bypass restrictions of popular sites such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max. There might be buffering for a few seconds, but the content will eventually play smoothly.
It has the most extensive network on this list, with over 60 server locations. Unfortunately, many antivirus VPNs offer few servers that become congested easily, causing slow speeds. However, you should expect TotalAV’s VPN to give you reliable connectivity as each server will be less crowded.
The VPN maintained average speeds of 120Mbps during testing. This is enough to stream in Ultra HD and even torrent large files without interruptions.
TotaAv allows you to use up to six devices at the same time. Also, it has support for Android to safeguard your device from malware.
I was impressed with the antivirus’s 100% detection rate. Moreover, it also includes a firewall as well as phishing and ransomware protection.
Best Android antivirus VPNs comparison table
Conclusion
Using an antivirus on your Android devices is a step in the right direction to protect your device. However, you’ll still be exposed online without a VPN. It will encrypt your traffic to prevent your ISP, hackers, and other third parties from tracking your activities. Also, it will help you to unlock geo-blocked content from anywhere.