- #NORTON VPN REVIEW PCMAG FULL#
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This particular machine sports 16GB of RAM, and a 3.6GHz eight-core Intel i9 processor. I tested Norton Secure VPN on a 2019 Retina-5K 27-inch iMac running macOS Catalina (version 10.15).
#NORTON VPN REVIEW PCMAG FULL#
See my full review of the product for an exhaustive review of its privacy policies. Some companies have shared the results of third-party audits of their services, but Norton Secure VPN has yet to do so. The company is based in the US and operates under US legal jurisdiction. Norton Secure VPN doesn't log your online activity, nor does it monetize its users' data. Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, and Golden Frog VyprVPN are the only services I have tested on macOS that offer split tunneling. ProtonVPN and NordVPN stand out as services that both offer multihop VPN connections and access to the Tor anonymization network. That's useful, however, I would recommend using a standalone tracker-blocker regardless. Norton Secure VPN has none of these, but does block ads. The best VPN services I've reviewed include features like split tunneling, which let you designate which apps send data through the VPN, and multihop VPN, which routes your connection through more servers for additional security. Having servers in more locations gives you more choices for location spoofing, but also means there's more likely to be a server nearby when you're traveling. Norton Secure VPN has its servers in just 29 countries, which is a far cry from the 94 countries supported by ExpressVPN. That's not necessarily a problem, but I would prefer if the app made clear where, exactly, every server is located.
![norton vpn review pcmag norton vpn review pcmag](https://sm.pcmag.com/t/pcmag_uk/photo/default/norton-horizontal-light_5mar.640.png)
Note that Norton Secure VPN uses 1,200 virtual servers-that is, software-defined servers that are configured to appear to appear somewhere else. CyberGhost currently leads in this regard with over 5,600 servers. More servers doesn't necessarily mean better service, but it does give you more options. Norton Secure VPN has 1,500 servers available to users, which is a fairly middle-of-the-road offering.
#NORTON VPN REVIEW PCMAG FREE#
ProtonVPN ($8/Month at ProtonVPN) has several paid tiers available, but it's the only VPN company to offer a free subscription without a data cap. Nothing is cheaper than free, and there is at least one free VPN worth your time. Private Internet Access, notably, raised the number of devices you can connect to a single account to 10, and Surfshark lets you use an unlimited number of devices simultaneously. You can also purchase annual VPN plans at a discount bundled with other Norton products: $4.99 per year for one or five devices, and $39.99 per year for 10 devices. You can also shrink your plan down to just a single device for $4.99 per month, but the annual price stays at $39.99 for the first and rises to $49.99 for every year after. Doing so raises the cost of the subscription to a still very reasonable $9.99 per month or $59.99 for the first year and $99.99 for every year after. The above pricing will let you connect up to five devices to a single account, which is the industry average, but Norton will let you raise that limit to 10. I generally caution would-be customers away from jumping into a long-term commitment at first, and instead suggest they try the service out short term before taking the plunge. Note that you can almost always find deals to drive the price down even further. Private Internet Access VPN, on the other hand, charges $39.95 per year, always. There is a breakdown of its introductory pricing, but you have to read the fine print. Most VPNs offer cheaper annual plans, and Norton Secure VPN has (unsurprisingly) one of the cheapest at $39.99 for the first year, and $79.99 per year after that. That said, more expensive services like NordVPN justify their high prices with features Norton Secure VPN simply does not have. That's well below the $10.80 average I calculated for a top-rated VPN service. Norton Secure VPN is the most affordable paid VPN service I have reviewed on macOS, at just $7.99 a month. Note that Norton Secure VPN used to be owned by parent company Symantec, but that organization has rebranded into a new consumer-focused company called NortonLifeLock. I'll summarize the most important points here, but see my other article for a more nuanced view-particularly, the efforts individual VPN companies take to protect your privacy.
![norton vpn review pcmag norton vpn review pcmag](https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/reviews/07gZVPToyyVe4BJZ0sIJYf3-9.fit_scale.size_760x427.v1569474009.jpg)
![norton vpn review pcmag norton vpn review pcmag](https://softwarelab.org/wp-content/uploads/Norton-Secure-VPN-Mac.jpg)
#NORTON VPN REVIEW PCMAG WINDOWS#
I closely examine all aspects of Norton Secure VPN in my review of the Windows client.
#NORTON VPN REVIEW PCMAG SOFTWARE#