| Updated: January 19, 2025
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A VPN encrypts your online activity, hides your IP, and ensures privacy, while antivirus software protects your device from malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks.
Combining both offers comprehensive protection against cyber threats, securing both your data and devices. If budget is a concern, prioritize a premium antivirus, but consider adding a VPN for optimal security.
A VPN offers unique advantages, while an antivirus protects your device against malware, ransomware, and other threats. This article highlights their features, uses, and the reasons why both are essential, helping you make an informed decision on selecting the right tools for comprehensive online and offline protection.
Cybercriminals are becoming more technically advanced and developing new techniques to scam you. Not only individuals but also corporates are at risk, and a VPN, clubbed with an effective antivirus, is the need of the day.
A VPN hides your IP address, encrypts your data, and lets you access restricted content. An antivirus saves you from malware, spyware, and other kinds of viruses, cleans your devices, and protects you from pushing attacks.
This article will discuss the need for VPNs and antiviruses in today’s world and whether both are necessary for complete online security.
With the improvements in Windows Defender, which comes with Microsoft Windows, many people ask if they still need an additional antivirus to secure their devices. The answer is yes, you do! That is because, with improvements in antiviruses, malware and ransomware have become more sophisticated.
Malware can hijack your PC and replace or delete important files. It can also slow down your computer’s performance, which can cause frustration. Additionally, if you are connected to a network, the virus can spread to other computers, making the entire system vulnerable.
Many companies have suffered a ransomware attack in which hackers encrypted important files and demanded millions of dollars in ransom. The attack starts with infecting one device in the network that is not properly secured with an antivirus.
An antivirus acts as the major line of defense on your devices. Its job is to prevent viruses from infecting your device and perform regular scans to identify threats and eliminate them.
In easy words, you can say that your system is wearing a bulletproof vest, which will stop attacks from corrupting your files and system.
An antivirus program has a predefined list of viruses, such as ransomware, Trojans, Keyloggers, etc. It performs regular checks of your system’s files for these viruses and identifies suspicious activity.
The antivirus database constantly updates itself with new viruses and codes. A reliable antivirus system will have a deep scan and real-time scanning feature to provide basic security.
Avast, Bitdefender, and AVG are some of the most popular antiviruses on the market. They have been around for decades and offer a free version. These antivirus software programs help keep your device safe and secure.
However, the premium version has more features, enabling you to relax while keeping your device secure. Here are a few premium features of an antivirus.
The next burning question is if you need a VPN when you have a premium antivirus installed on your devices. The answer is Yes, you do!
An antivirus manages the security of your devices, whereas a VPN encrypts your data and hides your IP address and identity. A VPN secures your internet traffic everywhere and is a must-have software if you connect to public Wi-Fi in restaurants, airports, hotels, etc.
A VPN also has added benefits, such as unblocking restricted content and accessing OTT platforms that are not available in your country, but we will keep this discussion strictly to cybersecurity.
Antiviruses are best for securing your devices and eliminating threats from downloads to your system. A VPN works proactively to ensure your online activities by hiding your IP address, encrypting your data, and passing your traffic via a VPN server.
A premium VPN encrypts data using protocols like OpenVPN or Wireguard, making it unreadable for hackers if they succeed in breaching the secured tunnel. Here are three things that will happen as soon as you enable a VPN on your device.
In today’s world of cyber threats, you need to club the security of an antivirus with a VPN. A VPN protects your online activities, hides your IP address, and encrypts your data from hackers. At the same time, an antivirus will safeguard your device from malware, ransomware, and other kinds of cyber threats.
Here is a comparison of a VPN and an antivirus with their security features:
| Security Features | VPN | Antivirus |
| Real-time defense against viruses, spyware, and ransomware | ||
| DNS leak prevention | ||
| Malware removal from infected devices | ||
| Protection against phishing emails | ||
| Permanent deletion of browsing sessions | ||
| Access restricted websites/content | ||
| Anonymous online browsing | ||
| Safeguard against hackers and data interceptors | ||
| Secure public Wi-Fi connections | ||
| Encryption of internet traffic | ||
| Alerts for malicious threats | ||
| Password management tools | ||
| Firewall security | ||
| Ad-blocking features |
You can build your own VPN to encrypt your data and hide your online activities. But for optimum device security, I recommend getting a premium antivirus.
The antivirus market is flooded with big brands like McAfee, AVG, Norton, and Kaspersky. The same is true of the VPN market,, where we have big names like ExpressVPN, NordVPN,, and Surfshark.
You can use any of the above-mentioned VPNs and antivirus software, but my personal recommendation is to combine Kaspersky’s powers with ExpressVPN or NordVPN. I use both ExpressVPN and NordVPN to hide my IP address and browse the internet safely and anonymously. For device protection, I employ Kaspersky, and it does the job perfectly.
If you are low on budget, use a Smart DNS or proxy to change your IP address, but don’t compromise your antivirus and device security. Here is the difference between a VPN, proxy, and Smart DNS.
Some premium VPNs include antivirus protection to enhance the security of your devices. Surfshark is a highly regarded VPN brand that combines affordability with top-tier performance. It has undergone third-party audits to ensure the security of its VPN servers. Surfshark offers an antivirus feature bundled with its VPN subscription for just $2.69/month.
NordVPN, a widely popular and highly rated VPN provider, has been recognized as one of the best by several review websites, including VPN for What. It includes an antivirus feature called “NordVPN Threat Protection Pro,” available with its 2-year subscription plan for $4.39/month.
Other premium VPN providers, such as CyberGhost and Private Internet Access (PIA), also offer antivirus features as part of their premium packages, providing additional layers of security for their users. All of these antiviruses are clubbed with their VPN subscription, which can be refunded within 30 days of purchase. Read more about the refund and cancelation process:
Before you move forward, let me tell you that these antiviruses offered by popular VPNs won’t provide 100% device security. Here are more details on what they can do:
The antivirus features offered by VPNs have limitations—they cannot perform deep or quick system scans and do not provide comprehensive device security. Additionally, these antivirus tools are often restricted to desktop computers, leaving other devices vulnerable to malware and viruses.
For complete protection, it is highly recommended to invest in a premium antivirus solution, such as AVG, Avast, or Norton, and pair it with the online security of a premium VPN for a robust, all-around defense. Another thing is to stay away from cheap or cracked VPNs and antiviruses.
A VPN and antivirus are necessary for complete online security in today’s world of cyber threats. I use ExpressVPN and NordVPN with Kaspersky to get complete online security from hackers and malware of all kinds.
I recommend using both a VPN and an antivirus, but if you are low on budget, you can compromise on the VPN. Don’t neglect to subscribe to a premium antivirus.
Yes, you should use an antivirus with Windows 10 and above, as it provides additional protection against advanced malware and ransomware beyond the built-in Windows Defender.
Yes, using a VPN with antivirus is recommended for complete online security. The VPN protects your online privacy, while antivirus secures your device from malware and cyber threats.
I would recommend Kaspersky with a premium VPN like ExpressVPN or NordVPN. I personally use it, and it does not slow my system like other premium antiviruses do.
Yes, this is a perfect combination for online security. You can also use NordVPN instead of ExpressVPN.
Mustafa is a cybersecurity analyst and a co-founder of VPN for What. Since 2017, Mustafa has gained international experience, working with governments, NGOs, and the private sector as a cybersecurity and VPN expert and advisor.
