Hands-on review: Norton VPN Ultimate

The VPN market is crowded with offerings that promise privacy and speed, but few come with the family-focused extras and layered protection that Norton VPN delivers. By bundling Norton's proven cybersecurity pedigree with real-time malware protection, dark web monitoring, parental controls, and more, this isn't just a VPN—it's a digital safety net for the whole household.

Norton's new VPN lineup comes in three flavours: the entry-level Norton VPN Standard, the mid-tier Norton VPN Plus, and the top-tier Norton VPN Ultimate, which supports up to 10 devices. We spent time with this last version to see how well it balances VPN performance with family-centric security tools.

Setup

Getting started is quick and fuss-free. After downloading the app, installation was a three-click process on our Windows test machine. The interface is streamlined, though not exceptionally detailed—ideal for less tech-savvy users but possibly limiting for power users.

Once launched, you're prompted to connect to a server by country, but not by specific city. Server coverage has improved and now spans 32 countries.

Privacy

Norton promises a secure, private browsing experience, and the VPN component performs well. It blocks ad trackers effectively and features a proprietary "Mimic" protocol to help bypass geo-restrictions on streaming services. In practice, we successfully accessed Netflix libraries in the US, Japan, and Australia.

Connection speeds were fast enough that we didn't notice them. Media streaming remained smooth once the content loaded, and Norton has announced a number of infrastructure upgrades to make this even faster.

Beyond VPN basics

What makes Norton VPN Ultimate stand out is what's included beyond the VPN. You get a complete firewall with smart app-level controls, real-time malware and phishing protection, and a solid password manager. It's not just window dressing either—the antivirus engine blocked 99% of threats in independent testing and scored 9.8 out of 10 overall.

The included firewall impressed us with its stealth mode and intelligent permissions. It rarely disturbed our workflow but acted swiftly when unknown apps tried to go online, providing detailed options for controlling access. It's the kind of robust background protection that's easy to take for granted—but essential.

Parental controls

Parents will appreciate the inclusion of Norton Family, a standalone parental control system with support for up to 15 child profiles. Features include location tracking for Android and iOS devices, screen time management, web content filtering, and app usage monitoring. You control everything from the My Norton dashboard, which lets you review activity reports and fine-tune rules.

In testing, the system worked smoothly across platforms, blocking inappropriate sites and enforcing screen time limits. The controls are more nuanced than those found in competing VPNs that offer basic domain-blocking and little else.

Pricing

In New Zealand, Norton VPN Ultimate is priced at NZD $104.99 for the first year, which is calculated to be $8.75 per month (although monthly billing isn't available). Given the extensive range of features, Norton VPN Ultimate is competitively priced.

Final thoughts

Norton VPN Ultimate is best viewed as a digital security bundle rather than a pure VPN. It offers an all-in-one approach to online safety that competitors don't offer.

The combination of VPN, antivirus, password manager, and child safety tools is hard to beat for families. If Norton can address the performance kinks and expand server options, it could become the gold standard for all-in-one home cybersecurity.