Norton VPN Review 2024: It’s Safe, but Is It Good? (2024)

Norton is one of the biggest names in cybersecurity, and many Norton 360 packages include a VPN. Since its antivirus software is so popular, you might think you don’t need to look elsewhere for further protection. But can Norton really compete with the top VPNs?

After testing all its features, I recommend trying Norton VPN if it comes with your 360 package. It can definitely keep you safe, but it isn't great for gaming or torrenting. In addition, it’s not the fastest VPN I’ve ever tested. To get a more well-rounded service, I recommend you try one of the best VPNs available today.

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Streaming — Decent at Unblocking and Playing Videos

Norton VPN could only unblock half of the major streaming platforms I tested. So, it’s not the best choice if you want to watch all of your subscriptions. There are no streaming-optimized servers, and its small number of locations means you have fewer choices when looking for a server that isn’t blocked.

When I could unblock a service, the video quality was good. There were no major issues with buffering or low resolutions. However, I’d recommend choosing a different VPN if streaming is your main reason for wanting a VPN.

Unblocked: Netflix, (HBO) Max, and Amazon Prime Video

I was able to access a few full Netflix libraries with Norton VPN.

I was also able to unblock full libraries in France and Australia

Each server I tested let me load videos quickly and watch without buffering. However, the servers from Canada, the UK, and Japan could only unblock Originals. This is a version of the site that only has the content Netflix owns, so you lose many region-specific movies and shows.

The US server also let me access (HBO) Max. It’s not always an easy service to unblock, so I was happy about that. The streaming quality was great too. I was also able to access one more platform with some pretty tough geo blocks.

I could load videos nearly instantly, and I didn’t experience any buffering issues

Unfortunately, that was the last popular streaming service Norton let me watch.

Blocked By: Disney+, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer

I tried several different browsers and reconnecting, but none of my troubleshooting tricks worked with these platforms.

Hulu is only available in the United States, so I couldn’t test other servers

I also used the US server to try and access Disney+. With that platform, I didn’t even get an error screen. The webpage just loaded indefinitely. BBC iPlayer also blocked me, which was surprising. I’ve even found several free VPNs that can unblock BBC iPlayer.

If streaming is your priority, many other VPNs perform better. You can check out these VPNs, which can all access every major streaming platform.

Speed — Average Speeds on Most Servers

Norton VPN gave us okay speeds most of the time. However, we did find several servers that were much slower than you’d expect. There also isn’t a fastest server feature or any indications within the app about how crowded the servers are. So, you may need to troubleshoot to find the best server for you.

We always test all of our speeds from the same location with the same connection. That makes sure it’s easy to compare our results. We also test each server at least 10 times to get the most accurate rates.

I lost 41% of my speed on nearby servers and 51% on distant ones

All of our tests were done with the WireGuard protocol. That’s because it’s the only protocol Norton VPN offers on its desktop apps. Luckily, it’s generally the fastest.

As you can see from the charts, the distance didn’t make as much of a difference as you’d expect. Sometimes a distant server, like the one in Australia, was faster than a closer server (Canada). I can’t explain why since support couldn’t give me any answers. All I know is that a few of Norton’s servers are very slow.

Israel is only about 5,500 km away, but it lowered our speeds by 92%

In addition, the fastest Norton VPN server we found was in Norway. It lowered our speeds by 13%. That’s pretty good, but I’ve found VPNs that only dropped my rates by 5%, or even less, at that distance. You can find a VPN that’s faster overall and has much more consistent servers if you read this list of the fastest VPNs.

Gaming — Too Much Lag for Online Gaming

Norton VPN’s ping results were too high for smooth gaming. Ping is the most important aspect of your speed while gaming. It tells you how quickly your inputs can be registered. You want it to be under 85 ms, so your character can instantly respond to your commands.

I couldn’t play competitively, and the game froze up completely several times

I tested Norton Secure VPN’s closest server to me (US) with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The game was stuttering constantly while I was looking for a match and picking teams. Once the game started, the lag was severe. It took a second or longer for my character to move each time I pressed a button. Needless to say, it wasn’t a fun match. These results also show me you won’t be able to use it with cloud gaming.

There are many VPNs that work great for online games. You can look at this list of the best VPNs for gaming to find one.

Server Network — Small With Few Locations

Norton VPN only has servers in 29 countries. There are some solid VPNs with less servers, but they usually offer far more countries (2 or even 3 times as many). The majority of the locations are in Europe, where it offers 19 countries. Every other continent only gets 3 locations or less.

It also doesn’t offer city-level locations. So, when you connect to a country, you don’t know where exactly your connection will be. In a big country like the US, that means you could be connected to a server that’s thousands of kms farther away than you expected.

There is no search function, but it’s not really needed with Norton’s small network

While it was difficult to get answers from support, an agent did tell me that Norton VPN owns its servers. That’s great because many VPNs rent their infrastructure, which creates another middleman that could potentially access your data. On the other hand, it doesn’t offer dedicated IP addresses or private DNS servers.

I also couldn’t confirm if Norton VPN uses virtual or physically-located servers. The lack of information about its server network and other features was frustrating. In addition, I did have a few connection issues. For example, one day the Turkey server was working fine. The next day, I couldn’t get it to connect, no matter what I tried.

This is one area where Norton VPN really falls behind the competition. The top VPNs offer so much more with their servers. You can read this list of VPNs that all have much larger networks with better features.

Security — Safe but Missing a Few Features

Norton does a commendable job of hiding your location, however, I felt that it could have included some extra features. I carried out more than 10 leak tests and at no point was my real IP address revealed. I used different servers to conduct these tests. Norton manages to do this by utilizing AES-256 bit encryption, a standard used by banks and militaries, making it incredibly challenging to decode.

However, it would be nice if you could switch between multiple protocols. There is only one available for each app. The choices aren’t bad, as you get WireGuard for desktop apps, and IKEv2 for mobile devices. But the top VPNs let you choose between several. It’s also disappointing that OpenVPN isn’t offered, since it’s considered the safest protocol.

In addition, there’s no double VPN feature, custom DNS servers, or obfuscation. However, I appreciate that it has the most essential security features. Overall, this is one of Norton’s strongest areas, but it’s still not perfect.

Split Tunneling

This feature lets you exempt certain apps from the VPN’s tunnel. It works, and it can be convenient. For example, it’s much easier to access my banking app without a VPN, so I can add it to the split tunneling list, but keep everything else encrypted. I just wish you could exempt websites too.

Kill Switch

This is a necessary feature every VPN needs, so I’m glad Norton VPN has added it. It blocks your internet connection if the VPN ever disconnects. I tested it by keeping a browser open while I switched servers. This showed me that it always blocked my network, so it works as advertised. You just need to remember to switch it on since it’s not automatic.

Ad Tracker Blocking

The VPN’s ad blocker is a nice feature, although it’s not perfect. It’s pretty simple; you can only turn it on and off. I appreciate how easy it is to use, but others have some more customization options. With it enabled, I still saw a few banner ads and pop-ups. However, it’s more than most VPNs offer, since this is strangely a somewhat rare feature.

Privacy — Good Policy but It’s in a 5 Eyes Country

NortonVPN doesn't retain any of your confidential data. It only saves anonymous details essential for the VPN's operation. This cannot be associated with your browsing activities, so I'm comfortable with its privacy stance. That said, I'd prefer if it were based in a jurisdiction more conducive to privacy. Additionally, I'd like to see a future audit of its policy to validate its assertions.

Does Norton VPN Keep Logs? No

Norton VPN doesn’t log your IP address or browsing history. It will store your device type, OS, bandwidth usage, the language you choose for the app, and some other minor things. This type of information is nothing to be concerned about because it’s anonymized. That means it’s never connected to any of your personal information.

I’m also glad that it has made its policy more clear. In the past, there was only one document for all of its products, but now it’s more specific about the data it collects through its VPN.

Was Norton VPN Audited? No

There hasn’t been an independent audit of Norton VPN’s infrastructure or policies. That means it’s possible it could be storing even more information. For now, all you can do is take its word for it. The top VPNs all hire reputable third parties to give you peace of mind that they stick to their word.

Based in the US

Norton’s headquarters are in the US, a country that’s been known to spy on its citizens. It’s also part of the 5 Eyes Alliance. This is an agreement between governments to share intelligence gathered about their subjects. What’s worrying about this is it means Norton could be asked to alter its policies in the future.

Does Norton VPN Work in China? No

You won’t be able to use Norton Secure VPN in China. Luckily, this was one of the few instances where it was easy to get a straight answer from support.

Features like double VPN or obfuscated servers help some VPNs work in China

Many VPNs have been banned by the Chinese government, but it rarely goes after individuals for using them. However, we recommend you read up on the laws before you try using one there. If you choose to use a VPN in China, check out this list of VPNs that can get past the Great Firewall.

Torrenting — Couldn’t Get P2P to Work

I couldn't manage to torrent using Norton VPN. This is due to the fact that Norton VPN restricts torrenting to its optimized server, which is situated in the Netherlands. The limitation to a single location is frustrating, and if you're located at a considerable distance, slower speeds are likely. Additionally, connection problems with Norton VPN prevented me from ever accessing this specific server.

Norton VPN also doesn’t include port forwarding or the Shadowsocks protocol, which can improve torrenting speeds. Torrenting is legal in most countries, but it’s never legal to download copyrighted materials. You should only access torrents in the public domain, so you don’t break any laws. To torrent safely, you can try one of the best VPNs for P2P in this list.