Over several weeks in November and December 2024, ItestedNorton Secure VPN across various devices and operating systems.
I found a VPN that falls short in many key areas.
Excessive data collection and sharing practices also drag the service down.
Heres what you gotta know about this disappointing VPN.
I was left with IKEv2/IPSec as the protocol to test Nortons speeds on MacOS.
On Windows, I tested Nortons speeds using WireGuard and OpenVPN.
The results were still underwhelming across the board.
What came as a shock was the massive 80% speed loss I registered using OpenVPN on Windows.
Those speeds were fairly uniform for the most part, but I did notice inconsistencies here and there.
Key takeaway:I wasnt overly impressed with Norton VPNs inconsistent and sluggish speed performance.
Most other VPNs offer many additional payment options to cater to a wider variety of customers.
App performance leaves much to be desired
My disappointment with Norton Secure VPN doesnt end with pricing.
The app, although simple to use, proved to be buggy during my tests.
Otherwise, Norton Secure VPNs apps are simple to use, but sparse on features.
The iOS app is almost entirely devoid of features altogether.
The MacOS app is slightly better because it adds akill switchand protocol selection.
Most VPNs offer quick access to the fastest or most optimal location right from the home screen.
Thats unsettling and not what I want to see from a company thats supposed to be protecting my privacy.
Importantly, Norton Secure VPN says that it does not log information about where you browse on the internet.
That said, independent audits still serve as important trust signals for VPNs.
That is to say that VerSprite found that the privacy risks are low when using Norton Secure VPN.
Norton representatives told me that the company is looking into the issue, so hopefully it gets resolved expeditiously.
Norton representatives were unable to confirm in an interview what app-usage data was being collected in this case.
Any of the services on our list of thebest VPNsare a better option.
