Pros
- Easy to use
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- IPv6 leaks detected
- Substantial personal data collection/sharing activities
- US jurisdiction (14 Eyes)
- Expensive
- Sluggish, inconsistent speeds
- Small server network
- No apps for Linux or streaming devices
- No router support
- No OpenVPN or WireGuard on MacOS app
- Buggy app performance
Norton Secure VPN carries a recognizable name in cybersecurity, but it doesn’t come close to competing with CNET’s picks for best VPN.
Over several weeks in November and December 2024, I tested Norton Secure VPN across various devices and operating systems. I analyzed its performance, reviewed its privacy policies, conducted over 160 speed tests, checked for leaks, assessed its value, and communicated with company representatives via email and videoconference.
I found a VPN that falls short in many key areas. While it seems aimed at the average VPN user, it lacks features that would appeal to casual users -- like support for streaming devices. It’s also not a strong choice for power users or those with critical privacy needs, such as journalists, activists, attorneys, physicians or whistleblowers. Overall app security seems to be mostly OK, with the exception of some concerning IPv6 leaks under certain conditions. Excessive data collection and sharing practices also drag the service down.
There are lots of excellent VPN options out there, but based on my testing, Norton Secure VPN isn’t one of them. Here’s what you need to know about this disappointing VPN.
Speed: Sluggish speeds and a very modest server network
- 49% speed loss in 2024 tests
- Number of server locations: 29 countries
All VPNs will slow your connection speeds somewhat, with many cutting your speeds in half. Norton Secure VPN falls into the underperforming category with a disappointing 49% speed loss in my November 2024 tests. That’s significantly worse than fast VPNs like NordVPN (11% speed loss), Mullvad (13%) and Surfshark (17%), all of which outperformed Norton in our latest speed tests.
Because Norton VPN’s protocol selection options vary from one device to another, I wasn’t able to conduct my speed tests as I normally do with other VPN providers. Typically, I would do a direct comparison between speeds on MacOS and Windows and calculate the average speed loss using both OpenVPN and WireGuard (or equivalent proprietary protocol) on each operating system. However, Norton Secure VPN’s MacOS app only offers its proprietary Mimic protocol along with IKEv2/IPSec, so I couldn't test OpenVPN or WireGuard speeds on MacOS. I ruled out testing Norton’s speeds on MacOS with Mimic because it’s a closed-source proprietary protocol that I wouldn’t recommend using, given that it leaked my IPv6 address on every single one of Norton’s 29 country locations (more on that later). I was left with IKEv2/IPSec as the protocol to test Norton’s speeds on MacOS. On Windows, I tested Norton’s speeds using WireGuard and OpenVPN. The results were still underwhelming across the board.
Using IKEv2/IPSec on MacOS, I calculated an average speed loss of 36% -- slower speeds than I would typically expect to see from a quality VPN on Mac. On Windows using WireGuard, I registered a slightly better 31% speed loss, but that’s still pretty slow -- especially considering that WireGuard speeds tend to be quick. What came as a shock was the massive 80% speed loss I registered using OpenVPN on Windows. While OpenVPN is a bulky protocol and its speeds tend to be somewhat slower than newer, more lightweight protocols like WireGuard or Lightway, I didn’t expect OpenVPN to cut speed by anywhere close to 80% for most VPNs.
Along with overall sluggish speeds, I noticed inconsistent performance during my tests, particularly when connecting to distant servers in locations like Australia and Singapore. I noticed that my speeds would often spike or dip by a few hundred megabits per second from one test to the next, regardless of which VPN protocol or operating system I was using. As expected, the fastest speeds I registered were through nearby locations in the US and in the UK and Europe. Those speeds were fairly uniform for the most part, but I did notice inconsistencies here and there. Speeds to Australia and Singapore were more volatile, ranging anywhere from a 20Mbps drip to about 250Mbps on my 370Mbps internet connection.
Norton Secure VPN’s speeds are generally fast enough for most online activities, but the inconsistent speed performance may have a noticeable effect on your online experience, depending on what you’re doing. For example, I noticed a bit of choppiness during streaming sessions at times while connected to Norton VPN servers. If all you’re after is the fastest possible speed from Norton, you can try using the Mimic protocol, but I wouldn’t recommend using it if you value your privacy.
Key takeaway: I wasn’t overly impressed with Norton VPN’s inconsistent and sluggish speed performance. You can try using the Mimic protocol to give your speeds a boost, but you may be doing so at risk to your own privacy.
Cost: An underwhelming VPN at a premium price
- $40 for the first year (then $80 annually) for five devices
- Money-back guarantee: 60 days
- Payment options: Credit card, PayPal, Google Pay
- Apps available for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS
Norton Secure VPN underdelivers, but charges a premium for the service. You only have one subscription option with Norton Secure VPN (the company’s base VPN plan), which covers up to five devices and costs $40 for the first year and $80 per year thereafter. This is in contrast to most VPNs, which typically offer subscription plans of varying lengths -- usually monthly, annual and two-year plans. I appreciate Norton VPN’s transparency on its renewal prices and its relatively straightforward pricing, but some users may prefer more options to choose from, depending on their budget and how long they’re willing to commit.
At first glance, Norton Secure VPN’s price may not seem too exorbitant, but when compared to the pricing and overall features and performance of our top VPN picks, Norton’s offering falls very short for the price. Charging $80 per year to protect a meager allowance of five devices with a buggy VPN that only offers support for four operating systems, has servers in a mere 29 countries and is light on features is outrageous.
As a comparison, Surfshark allows you to connect an unlimited number of devices at a time for just $60 per year and is by leaps and bounds superior to Norton Secure VPN's service. Or you can get three years with Private Internet Access (PIA) for the same $80 price that Norton VPN charges for one year for five-device protection. The difference is that PIA, like Surfshark, allows you to connect as many devices at a time as you want and is tremendously more robust than Norton VPN.
If you choose to go with Norton Secure VPN, the signup and install process is straightforward, although you’ll have to provide your full name, email address and physical address to create an account, regardless of what payment option you go with. You can purchase a subscription using a credit or debit card, PayPal or Google Pay, which should work for most folks, but you’re out of luck if you want to use other payment options including crypto for a more private transaction. Most other VPNs offer many additional payment options to cater to a wider variety of customers.
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll have the option to download the app to devices running Windows, Android, MacOS or iOS. Norton Secure VPN doesn’t offer support for Linux or router setups, nor does it have apps for streaming devices like Apple TV, Fire TV or Android TV. This diminishes Norton Secure VPN’s overall value and makes it a poor choice for streaming enthusiasts and a total no-go for Linux users and anyone looking for whole-network VPN protection from a router setup. However, Norton representatives told me that the company is planning on adding support for routers and streaming devices sometime in the future. But with most worthwhile VPN services already offering support for routers, Linux and streaming devices, Norton lags far behind, even though it’s been around for close to seven years already.
App performance leaves much to be desired
My disappointment with Norton Secure VPN doesn’t end with pricing. The app, although simple to use, proved to be buggy during my tests.
A few hiccups I encountered while using Norton Secure VPN’s apps:
- The iOS app setup stalled at one point and I had to relaunch the app to get started using the VPN on my iPhone.
- Connecting to a server sometimes took a while (up to 15 or 20 seconds), regardless of what device or VPN protocol I was using.
- There were times I couldn’t access the internet while using the Mimic protocol.
- The app would sometimes stall and become unresponsive, forcing me to quit it and relaunch.
While the bugginess I encountered during testing didn’t completely debilitate the app’s functionality, it was an annoyance and not what I would expect from software in 2024 developed by a company as established as Norton. I understand that no software is perfect and that even the best VPN apps can run into issues, but Norton’s VPN app was buggier than most.
Otherwise, Norton Secure VPN’s apps are simple to use, but sparse on features. The iOS app is almost entirely devoid of features altogether. Other than on/off toggles for automatic connections and an ad tracking blocker, the only action you can take on the iOS app is to select and connect to a server location. The MacOS app is slightly better because it adds a kill switch and protocol selection. Norton VPN’s Android and Windows apps offer essentially the same feature set, including what’s in the iOS and MacOS apps, plus split tunneling. The Android and Windows apps allow you to connect via WireGuard, Mimic and OpenVPN, whereas the iOS app only connects via IKEv2/IPSec and the MacOS app allows you to choose between IKEv2/IPSec and Mimic.
All of the individual features worked well and as expected during my tests, but I was left wanting more. There’s no double-hop feature, no threat protection, no Tor over VPN, no support for Linux or streaming devices and a pretty tiny server network -- basically nothing that makes Norton Secure VPN stand out from the crowd. And while you have the option to connect to the fastest location based on where you are, you still have to click on the dropdown menu to access the option. Most VPNs offer quick access to the fastest or most optimal location right from the home screen. Even extremely basic features like the ability to designate favorite servers or select specific city-level servers are nowhere to be found in Norton Secure VPN’s apps.
When I tested Norton Secure VPN’s streaming capabilities, I was able to access content from multiple international Netflix libraries, along with content from other popular streaming services including Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus. While I was pleased with Norton VPN’s streaming capabilities on MacOS, iOS, Windows and Android, I wouldn’t recommend using the service for streaming because it doesn’t offer support for streaming devices, smart TVs or routers, and you can only choose from 29 server locations. Most VPNs offer at least 60 server locations, with some -- including NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN and Proton VPN -- offering 100 or more. Norton representatives told me in an interview that the company plans on adding additional server locations in the future as well as the ability to select servers at the city-level.
If you do end up purchasing a subscription, you have 60 days to claim a full refund if you decide the service isn’t right for you.
Key takeaway: Subscribing to Norton Secure VPN is like paying for a five-star service but getting a two-star experience.
Privacy and security: Data collection practices aren’t what I’d like to see from a VPN provider
- Jurisdiction: United States
- Encryption: AES 256-bit
- IPv6 leaks detected
- Independently audited
- Collects lots of personal data
While the Norton brand may be synonymous with privacy and security, I’m alarmed by the company’s privacy policy and data collection/sharing practices. As outlined in Norton’s Global Privacy Statement and its VPN-specific privacy policy, the company collects a wealth of personal data, including your name, address, email address, phone number, payment information, geolocation data, username and password. Additional data collected includes device identifier, device name and type, aggregate bandwidth usage, connection and application events, timestamps, IP address (temporarily) and license identifier. According to the privacy policies, this data can be shared with partners across Gen Digital’s (Norton’s parent company) family of companies along with other external entities including distributors, resellers, advertising partners, analytics providers, contractors, service providers, social media platforms and public authorities. That’s unsettling and not what I want to see from a company that’s supposed to be protecting my privacy. ExpressVPN collects a minimal amount of data (the extent of which depends on the payment method used) and is controlled solely by ExpressVPN, not its parent company, Kape Technologies. Mullvad takes it a step further and requires no personal information whatsoever to sign up and use its service, confirming that a VPN can be operated without collecting any user data at all.
Importantly, Norton Secure VPN says that it “does not log information about where you browse on the internet.” This means that it doesn’t collect or store any data related to what you’re doing online while connected to its server network -- it’s a critical promise that every VPN should make. But, as with any VPN, it’s impossible to verify with 100% certainty that your VPN isn’t logging your browsing activity. Things like legal cases and independent no-logs audits can help, but as with legal cases, no-logs audits can only verify a VPNs claims for a short window in time. For anything outside that window, you just have to take the VPN’s word for it that it’s doing what it says it does. That said, independent audits still serve as important trust signals for VPNs.
Norton Secure VPN underwent a privacy audit conducted by US-based cybersecurity firm VerSprite from Feb. 21 to March 8, 2024, with validation retests occurring on April 11 and July 25, 2024. VerSprite’s assessment found that the “overall privacy impact for the Norton Secure VPN Solution, based on technical gaps found during the Technical Privacy Impact Assessment and the potential impact of discovered issues, is low.” That is to say that VerSprite found that the privacy risks are low when using Norton Secure VPN.
During the initial assessment, VerSprite found that “under certain conditions sensitive information could be logged which would definitely assist in identifying the VPN users.” However, VerSprite was able to verify during the subsequent validation retests that Norton had fixed the issue -- which highlights how audits can help uncover potential vulnerabilities and help VPN companies shore up their privacy. Norton representatives told me that the company plans to undergo an independent audit on an annual basis, which could help boost the provider’s overall trustworthiness.
While Norton Secure VPN’s security seems to be mostly tight (with an audited no-logs policy and secure AES 256-bit encryption), there are a few things that need to be addressed. For one, although representatives told me it’s in the product pipeline, Norton VPN’s iOS app lacks a kill-switch, which is a critical feature that protects your privacy in case the VPN connection drops for any reason. And although Norton’s proprietary Mimic VPN protocol looks good on paper with its strong encryption, obfuscation and quantum protections, it’s still a relatively newer, unproven protocol that leaked my IPv6 address on every server location when I tested the protocol on Mac. An IPv6 leak is a privacy risk because it can open you up to tracking and targeted attacks and expose your true IP address, location and identity. You can work around this by disabling IPv6 on your device, but a good VPN should offer IPv6 leak protection to prevent this from happening in the first place. Norton representatives told me that the company is looking into the issue, so hopefully it gets resolved expeditiously. Notably, I didn’t encounter any DNS leaks during my tests, which is a welcome improvement over the last time my former colleague Rae Hodge reviewed the service.
Another thing I took issue with is that Norton’s apps request invasive permissions and have some questionable data collection settings enabled on the MacOS app. Under Privacy in the Settings section of the MacOS app, there are three toggle switches that give you the option to join “Norton Community Watch” (which automatically forwards threat data to NortonLifeLock), share app usage data (which allows Norton to analyze app-usage data) and opt to share app-usage data with Norton so you can receive offers for “related products and services [Norton thinks] you’ll find useful.” Conveniently (for Norton), these “privacy” settings are all enabled by default on the MacOS app -- so be sure to toggle them off if you care about your privacy. Norton representatives were unable to confirm in an interview what app-usage data was being collected in this case.
I also didn’t appreciate that Norton constantly prompted me to enable location services on my devices, which it claims is so that the app can verify the safety of the Wi-Fi networks you’re connected to. Naturally, I opted to ignore these requests and not to provide Norton access to my precise location, but what was especially irritating is that there doesn't seem to be a way to disable future prompts without actually giving Norton access to your location.
Key takeaway: Norton Secure VPN doesn’t seem to log user activity -- but that sort of goes out the window when you consider all of the other personal data that the company collects and shares. Norton’s data collection and sharing practices, along with its US jurisdiction and IPv6 leaks, disqualify it as an option for privacy-critical VPN users.
Norton Secure VPN has a ton of work to do if it wants to compete with the top VPNs
If you’ve made it this far and haven’t already made the decision to go with a different VPN provider, I’ll leave you with this: I wouldn’t recommend Norton Secure VPN for any use case. It’s okay for streaming if you do all of your streaming on your laptop and/or mobile devices, but so are a whole host of far superior and often cheaper VPN options (that do offer support for streaming devices). And if you’re at all concerned about your privacy, the app may leave your IPv6 address exposed, and the company has no qualms about scooping up your personal data, sharing it with others and insisting on knowing your precise location at all times. Any of the services on our list of the best VPNs are a better option.
