⚡ Quick Verdict:
- Pricing: Norton VPN starts at $3.33/month. AuraVPN’s Individual plan is $12/month.
- Best for: Norton for VPN-first users. Aura for identity theft protection plus a basic VPN.
- Key difference: Norton has a kill switch and country selection. Aura has neither, but adds credit monitoring.
- Our pick: AuraVPN (4.3 vs 3.8). It protects your identity, money, and devices in one plan.
The cheaper tool doesn’t win this matchup.
Norton VPN costs far less than AuraVPN each month.
It’s also the better pure VPN of the two.
But Aura guards things a VPN can’t touch, like your credit file and bank accounts.
So the real question is simple: do you need a VPN or full identity protection?
Overview
We reviewed pricing pages, documentation, and third-party speed tests for both tools.
Our writers also spent hands-on time with each one.
Those notes appear in the “What Our Team Noticed” sections below.
By the end, you’ll know which one fits your online privacy needs between Norton VPN vs AuraVPN.
What is Norton VPN?
Norton VPN is the virtual private network from Norton, a long-running security company.
You’ll also see it sold as Norton Secure VPN.
It encrypts your online traffic and hides your IP addresses from your internet provider.
Here’s how the VPN works: initiation, encryption, tunneling, IP masking, and return path.
Apps are available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.
Want the quick tour first? Our video review walks through the app.
Norton VPN
A simple VPN app with a kill switch and ad tracker blocking. Annual subscribers get a 60-day refund window.
Norton VPN Pricing
Norton has three plans. The main difference is how many devices you cover.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $3.33/month | Solo users on a budget |
| Deluxe | $4.17/month | Couples and small households |
| Select Plus | $8.33/month | Families with many mobile devices |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Free trial: There’s no free Norton VPN plan. The refund window is your safest way to try it.
Money-back guarantee: 60 days for annual subscriptions. Only 14 days for monthly plans.
📌 Note: You can pay by credit card or PayPal. Crypto isn’t accepted, and we couldn’t confirm Google Pay. Norton VPN also comes bundled with Norton 360, which adds antivirus software.
⚠️ Warning: Our table uses our tracked pricing data. Other research shows different deals. One is a $5 monthly plan for a single device. The five-device plan is $3.33/month yearly, then renews at $6.66. The ten-device plan is $5/month, renewing at $8.33. Promos have also offered $9.99 for year one, renewing at $49.99 per year. Check the renewal price before you pay.
Key Benefits of Norton VPN
Norton Secure VPN adds a few bonus features worth a look:
- Protocol choice: Pick WireGuard, OpenVPN, or Norton’s own Mimic protocol. Each balances speed and privacy differently.
- Kill switch: It cuts your internet connection if the VPN drops. Your data doesn’t leak out.
- Wi-Fi alerts: Compromised Network Detection warns you on an unsecured network. That helps prevent identity theft on public Wi-Fi.
- Dark Web Monitoring: Norton alerts you if your personal details show up for sale.
- Quick connect: The desktop and mobile apps jump to the fastest server near you.
- Leak protection: DNS and WebRTC leak protection come built in.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer signed up for Norton VPN and used it for everyday browsing. Here’s what stood out:
Norton VPN Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Kill switch plus split tunneling on Windows and Android
- Unblocks US Netflix, Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer
- Ad tracker blocking works on every platform
- Starts at just $3.33/month
❌ Cons
- Servers in under 30 countries, with no city choice
- No IPv6 leak protection
- iOS app lacks the kill switch and split tunneling
- US-based and keeps some usage data
What is AuraVPN?
AuraVPN is the VPN inside Aura, an all-in-one identity theft protection service.
You can’t buy it alone. It comes with every Aura plan.
Aura watches your personal information, credit, and financial accounts for fraud.
It also bundles Aura antivirus, a password manager, and other features.
The VPN itself is basic. Think of it as added protection, not the main event.
Here’s our video review of the full Aura app.
🏆 Winner: AuraVPN
VPN, antivirus, and credit monitoring in one app. Every adult member gets $1M identity theft insurance.
AuraVPN Pricing
All Aura plans share the same core features. You only pay more to cover more people.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $12/month | One adult |
| Couple | $22/month | Two adults |
| Family | $32/month | Up to five adults plus kids |
| Kids | $10/month | Adding child protection |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Free trial: Yes. Aura offers a 14-day free trial on all Aura plans.
Money-back guarantee: Aura backs every plan with a 60-day money back guarantee.
📌 Note: The Family plan covers up to five adults and unlimited kids’ Social Security numbers. Each user can protect up to 10 devices. That’s up to 50 devices across five adults.
⚠️ Warning: Our table shows our tracked pricing. Other research lists three plans at higher month-to-month rates: Individual $15, Couple $29, and Family $50. Aura’s pricing is premium compared to cheaper rivals with fewer features.
Key Benefits of AuraVPN
Here’s what Aura offers beyond a VPN:
- Identity monitoring: Aura checks your details against billions of data points. That includes dark web sources.
- Financial fraud alerts: It watches bank accounts, credit reports, and Social Security activity. Aura claims its credit fraud alerts arrive up to 250 times faster than rivals.
- Instant credit lock: Lock your Experian credit file in one tap. New accounts can’t open in your name.
- U.S. fraud specialists: Real people help you recover if identity thieves strike.
- Password manager and vault: Aura’s password manager flags breached passwords. The vault stores sensitive information and files.
- Parental controls: Family plans add safe gaming, screen time limits, and site filters. They also help spot cyberbullying.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer signed up for Aura and tracked what Aura monitored day to day. Here’s what stood out:
AuraVPN Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- $1M identity theft insurance for eligible losses and fees
- Antivirus scored 98% to 100% in malware tests
- Every plan gets the same core features
- Family plan covers five adults and unlimited kids
❌ Cons
- The VPN has no kill switch
- You can’t choose a VPN server location
- Antivirus lacks a firewall and scheduled scans
Feature Comparison
Norton Secure VPN’s features lean toward privacy. Aura is identity protection with a VPN attached. Let’s compare 10 areas that matter.
| Feature | Norton VPN | AuraVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $3.33/month | $12/month (Individual) |
| Free Plan | ❌ | ❌ (14-day trial) |
| Kill Switch | ✅ (not on iOS) | ❌ |
| Split Tunneling | ✅ (Windows, Android) | ✅ |
| Choose Server Country | ✅ | ❌ |
| Ad Tracker Blocking | ✅ | ❌ |
| Identity Theft Insurance | ❌ | ✅ $1M |
| Credit Monitoring | ❌ | ✅ |
| Antivirus Included | ❌ (Norton 360 only) | ✅ |
| Best For | Streaming and privacy | Identity and family safety |
1. VPN Security & Privacy
Norton VPN: Your data moves through an AES-256 encrypted VPN tunnel. A kill switch guards the VPN connection, with DNS and WebRTC leak protection. Norton’s no logs policy covers browsing activities. It still keeps limited data, like email addresses and timestamps. The NortonLifeLock Global Privacy Statement explains this log information.
AuraVPN: Aura’s VPN encrypts your connection on public Wi-Fi at airports and cafes. It doesn’t store browsing history. It may log your IP address briefly during a session. There’s no kill switch, which most other VPNs include.
⚠️ Warning: Norton doesn’t mask IPv6 addresses. It’s also based in the US, a Five Eyes member. That worries some privacy-focused users.
2. Servers & Speed
Norton VPN: Norton Secure VPN’s servers number around 1,500. Sources list 28 or 29 countries, fewer than most VPNs offer. You pick a country, not a city. In third-party speed tests, Norton’s speeds dropped about 40% on US servers. One Japan server lost 73%, yet the best sessions hit a 950Mbps+ median.
https://youtu.be/vB3jd5KiBn8?si=u6TciXhkyYo1Kxxq
AuraVPN: Aura lists over 100 virtual locations. But you can’t choose server locations yourself. Reviews describe it as fast, with little impact on connection speeds. We found no independent speed test numbers to confirm that.
💡 Pro Tip: Norton Secure VPN’s performance is best on nearby servers. Speed losses averaged 40% to 55%, depending on distance.
3. Streaming & Torrenting
Norton VPN: Norton unblocks US and Australian Netflix, Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer. It fails with Netflix UK, Canada, and Japan. Disney Plus didn’t work either. It also can’t get past firewalls in China or Iran.
AuraVPN: Unlike many VPNs, Aura isn’t built for heavy streaming services or torrenting. P2P traffic is allowed. But without a kill switch, torrenting isn’t a smart idea. Aura also doesn’t support China or parts of the Middle East.
4. Ad Tracker Blocking & Safe Browsing
Norton VPN: The ad tracker blocker works on every platform. It stops ads and trackers from following you. Hiding your online activities from your ISP can also prevent throttling. Some reviews mention a Double VPN mode that routes traffic through two servers.
AuraVPN: Aura skips ad blocking. Instead, it blocks known malicious sites, phishing pages, and scam links. That gives you safe browsing on dangerous sites you click by mistake.
5. Identity Theft Protection
Norton VPN: Norton adds Dark Web Monitoring alerts. Full identity protection services sit in Norton’s bigger bundles, not the VPN plan. So you get alerts, but little recovery help.
AuraVPN: This is Aura’s core job. It scans the dark web for data breaches that expose your details. It also removes your info from data broker sites. Spam list removal, address monitoring, and home title monitoring round it out.
⚠️ Warning: Aura’s identity theft protections are reactive. They alert you after suspicious activity appears. They don’t stop every attack before it happens.
6. Credit & Financial Monitoring
Norton VPN: Norton’s VPN plans don’t include credit monitoring or bank alerts. You’d need a separate identity product for that.
AuraVPN: Aura tracks credit inquiries, bank accounts, and investment account monitoring. It flags suspicious financial transactions fast. A credit lock freezes your Experian file instantly. The $1M identity theft insurance covers eligible losses and legal fees.
7. Antivirus & Malware Protection
Norton VPN: The standalone VPN has no antivirus features. For malware blocking, you’ll need Norton 360. That bundle adds Norton’s virus scanner and removal tool.
AuraVPN: Aura antivirus gives real time malware protection on Windows, Mac, and Android. That real time protection covers viruses, spyware, and ransomware. It scored 98% to 100% in detection tests and blocked most malware files. But it lacks a firewall, Wi-Fi network protection, scan scheduling, and scan logs. Norton and Bitdefender offer more.
8. Scam & Spam Protection
Norton VPN: Norton’s AI-powered Scam Detector checks suspicious messages and links. Compromised Network Detection also warns you before you join a risky Wi-Fi network.
AuraVPN: Aura filters spam calls and scam texts on iOS devices and Android phones. It pairs well with its phishing site blocker.
9. Apps, Devices & Family Coverage
Norton VPN: Norton Secure VPN’s apps run on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. The Windows app is simple. The app for Android smartphones packs the most features. The iOS app has no kill switch or split tunneling. Plans cover one, five, or ten mobile devices and computers.
AuraVPN: Aura works on every major operating system: Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows. Each person gets up to 10 devices. The Family plan adds other users, up to five adults. Parents can filter harmful sites and manage app use. Aura’s password manager syncs logins across your online accounts.
10. Pricing & Cost
| Tier | Norton VPN | AuraVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ❌ | ❌ (14-day free trial) |
| Entry | Standard: $3.33/month | Individual: $12/month |
| Mid | Deluxe: $4.17/month | Couple: $22/month |
| Top | Select Plus: $8.33/month | Family: $32/month |
| Kids Add on | ❌ | Kids: $10/month |
| Refund Window | 60 days (annual), 14 days (monthly) | 60 days |
Norton VPN: Norton is the good deal if you only want a VPN. Watch renewal prices on annual plans. Monthly plans get a much shorter refund window.
AuraVPN: Aura costs more, but it replaces several apps. If you pay for identity monitoring and antivirus separately, Aura helps you save money.
Different Scenarios
| If You Need… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tight budget | Norton VPN | Plans start at $3.33/month |
| Streaming | Norton VPN | Unblocks BBC iPlayer and Prime Video |
| Kill switch | Norton VPN | Aura doesn’t offer one |
| Identity theft protection | AuraVPN | $1M insurance and credit alerts |
| Family safety | AuraVPN | Parental controls, unlimited kids |
| One app for everything | AuraVPN | VPN, antivirus, password manager |
💰 Your Budget
Norton costs a fraction of Aura each month. Pick Aura only if you’ll use its identity tools.
🔒 Your Privacy Needs
Norton gives you a kill switch, protocol choice, and ad tracker blocking. Aura covers personal information that a VPN never sees.
👨👩👧 Your Household
Aura’s Family plan protects five adults and unlimited kids. Norton only scales by device count.
🎓 Your Experience Level
Both apps are beginner-friendly. Aura has fewer advanced features, so there’s less to get wrong.
🆓 Free Trials and Demos
The 14-day trial lets you test Aura before paying. Norton relies on its refund window instead.
🛟 Support Options
Aura connects you with U.S. fraud specialists after identity theft. Norton points you to its support library for setup help.
Switching Guide
Already using one of these tools? Here’s what changes if you switch.
🔄 Switching from Norton VPN to AuraVPN?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Credit monitoring and $1M identity theft insurance
- Antivirus and a password manager in the same app
- Parental controls for your kids
❌ What you’ll lose:
- The kill switch
- Choosing your server country
- Reliable streaming unblocking
📋 How to switch:
- Start Aura’s 14-day free trial before canceling Norton.
- With Aura installed on each device, connect your financial accounts.
- Cancel Norton inside its refund window.
🔄 Switching from AuraVPN to Norton VPN?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- A kill switch and split tunneling on Windows
- WireGuard, OpenVPN, and Mimic protocols
- A much lower monthly bill
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Credit and bank account monitoring
- Identity theft insurance
- Aura’s password vault (export passwords first)
📋 How to switch:
- Export your saved passwords from Aura.
- Download Norton from your Norton account, or from Google Play and the App Store.
- Sign in with your Norton account to activate the VPN.
What Our Review Didn’t Cover
We didn’t run our own speed tests. Speed figures come from third-party testing. We also didn’t file a real identity theft claim with Aura. Norton’s full identity plans and small business protection sit outside this comparison. Features and prices reflect September 2026 and may change.
Final Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| 💰 Pricing | Norton VPN |
| 🔒 VPN Security | Norton VPN |
| 📺 Streaming & Speed | Norton VPN |
| 🪪 Identity Protection | AuraVPN |
| 💳 Credit Monitoring | AuraVPN |
| 🛡️ Antivirus | AuraVPN |
| 👨👩👧 Family Coverage | AuraVPN |
| 🏆 Overall Winner | AuraVPN |
🏆 WINNER: AURAVPN
AuraVPN wins 4 out of 7 categories.
Best for: Identity theft protection, family plans, all-in-one security
These two tools solve different problems, and each has unique features. Norton is the stronger VPN. It’s cheaper, has a kill switch, and streams better.
Aura’s identity theft protection services cover more of your life. Credit alerts, insurance, antivirus, and parental controls come in every plan. For most households, that’s worth more than a better VPN.
So is Norton Secure VPN worth it? Yes, if privacy and streaming are your only goals. Otherwise, Aura is the smarter buy.
💡 Rating note: Aura’s 4.3 comes from our full Aura review. Norton’s 3.8 comes from our Norton VPN review.
More of Norton VPN Compared
Here’s how Norton VPN stacks up against other VPN providers:
Norton VPN vs NordVPN
Norton VPN wins on: Norton 360 antivirus bundle, Mimic protocol, 60-day refund on annual plans
NordVPN wins on: Servers in far more countries, city-level server choice, independent no-logs audits
Norton VPN vs Surfshark
Norton VPN wins on: Unsafe Wi-Fi alerts, Dark Web Monitoring, a longer annual refund window
Surfshark wins on: Unlimited devices, a bigger country list, a non-US headquarters
Norton VPN vs Private Internet Access
Norton VPN wins on: Simpler setup for beginners, built-in scam alerts, antivirus bundle options
Private Internet Access wins on: Larger server network, open-source apps, unlimited simultaneous connections
More of AuraVPN Compared
Here’s how Aura compares with dedicated VPN services:
AuraVPN wins on: $1M theft insurance, credit and bank alerts, parental controls
ProtonVPN wins on: A free plan, Swiss privacy laws, a kill switch with server choice
AuraVPN vs Surfshark
AuraVPN wins on: Removal from data brokers, U.S. fraud specialists, identity recovery help
Surfshark wins on: Lower price, better streaming unblocking, a working kill switch
AuraVPN vs ExpressVPN
AuraVPN wins on: Included antivirus, a password vault, spam call filtering
ExpressVPN wins on: Fast Lightway protocol, picking servers in many countries, stronger streaming
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Norton or Aura?
Aura is better for identity theft protection, credit alerts, and families. Norton is better for a cheap VPN with a kill switch and streaming.
Is Norton VPN secure?
Yes, for everyday use. It uses AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and DNS leak protection. But it lacks IPv6 leak protection and logs some usage data.
What does Aura VPN do?
It encrypts your connection on public Wi-Fi and blocks malicious websites. It comes bundled with identity monitoring, antivirus, and a password manager in every plan.
How much is Norton VPN per year?
Our tracked plans run $3.33 to $8.33 per month. Promotions have offered $9.99 for the first year, renewing at $49.99 per year.
Is paying for Aura worth it?
Yes, if you want identity theft insurance, credit monitoring, and antivirus together. If you only need a VPN, it’s too expensive and too basic.
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