Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team
AdGuard vs Norton
Where AdGuard and Norton differ
| Compare |  AdGuard |  Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Devices | 10 | 10 to 20Higher |
| Money-back period | 30 days | 60 daysHigher |
| Protocols | Doh, Dot, Doq, Dnscrypt | Mimic, WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPsec |
| Features | Split tunnelling, Obfuscation | Kill switch, Multi hop, Obfuscation |
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, Android TV, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser | Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Google TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chrome extension, Edge extension, Firefox extension |
| Monthly price | Not confirmed | €2.08 |
| Server countries | Not confirmed | from 100 |
| No-logs audit | Not confirmed | VerSprite, July 2025 (Technical Privacy Impact Assessment) |
| Renewal price | Not confirmed | $49.99 to $99.99 |
| Jurisdiction | CY | Not confirmed |
| Streaming services | Not confirmed | Streaming |
| Owner | Not confirmed | Gen Digital Inc. |
Same on both: Longest plan (months) (24 months).
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Key differences
- Devices is higher at Norton: 10 to 20 vs 10.
- Protocols: only AdGuard offers Doh, Dot, Doq.
- Protocols: only Norton offers Mimic, WireGuard, OpenVPN.
- Features: only AdGuard offers Split tunnelling.
- Features: only Norton offers Kill switch, Multi hop.
- Platforms: only AdGuard offers Linux, Android TV, Chrome.
- Platforms: only Norton offers Google TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV.
- Support channels: only AdGuard offers Email.
- Support channels: only Norton offers Phone.
- Money-back period is higher at Norton: 60 days vs 30 days.
Our verdict on each
AdGuard
AdGuard fits readers who want ad blocking and DNS protection in the same place, with a free plan for the basics and an open source VPN alongside it. A paid AdGuard plan covers 10 devices, and the longest subscription term is 24 with a money back window of 30 days.
Norton
Norton packs a VPN, password manager, parental controls and identity monitoring into a single subscription, so it suits households already paying Gen Digital for security. The Deluxe bundle opens at $19.99 for a first year, and the renewal figure is what decides the real cost.
Score breakdown
| Area | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1 | 9.3HigherEntry price of €2.08 a month is low, but the bundle renewal of $49.99 to $99.99 pulls the axis down. |
| Offer | 9.6Higher | 9.3 |
| Privacy | 9.4 | 9.9Higher |
How the counts compare
| Fact | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Devices | 10 | 10 to 20 |
| Money-back period | 30 days | 60 days |
| Longest plan (months) | 24 months | 24 months |
Which one suits you
Pick AdGuard if offer matter most.
Pick Norton if privacy, devices, and money-back period matter most.
If neither fits
ESET Brasil has devices at 1 to 25, against 10 for AdGuard and 10 to 20 for Norton.
ESET Brasil reviewHow they place
| Ranking | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| VPNs | 18 of 232 | 19 of 232 |
| Parental control apps | 7 of 59 | 8 of 59 |
| Free VPNs | 14 of 189 | 15 of 189 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Features | No logs, Streaming | No logs, Streaming |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Legal entity | ADGUARD SOFTWARE LIMITED | NortonLifeLock Ireland Limited |
| Headquarters | Cyprus | United States |
| Founded | 2009 | 1982Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre, Community | Phone, Help centre, Community |
Parental controls
| Fact | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly price | Not confirmed | $49.99 |
Antivirus
| Fact | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| First-year price | Not confirmed | $19.99 |
| Free version | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Extras | Not confirmed | VPN, Password manager, Parental controls |
Identity protection
| Fact | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Credit bureaus monitored | Not confirmed | 1 to 3 |
| Insurance amount | Not confirmed | $1,050,000 to $3,000,000 |
| Family plan price | Not confirmed | $18.75 to $52.50 |
| Free trial length | Not confirmed | 7 days |
Password managers
| Fact | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Not confirmed | $9.99 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Encryption | Not confirmed | Encrypted online vault; data stored encrypted in the cloud |
| Open source | Yes | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | AdGuard | Norton | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Not confirmed | €2.08lowest quarter | €7.99 |
| Devices | 10at the median | 10 to 20highest quarter | 10 |
| Server countries | Not confirmed | from 100highest quarter | 62 |
| Renewal price | Not confirmed | $49.99 to $99.99above the median | $12 |
| Money-back period | 30 daysat the median | 60 dayshighest quarter | 30 days |
| Longest plan (months) | 24 monthsabove the median | 24 monthsabove the median | 12 months |
Median across 139 listed providers.
Pros and cons
AdGuard
Pros
- Traffic is filtered locally on device, so AdGuard does not know which sites you visit, and the software is open source.
- The free plan is the default and covers DNS blocking, while the free Content Blocker drops features next to the full Android app.
- Apps and extensions cover Windows, macOS and Linux, keeping one set of rules across phones, desktops and browsers.
Cons
- Support runs on email, help centre and community only, so most questions end up in the help centre or the community.
- The free Content Blocker drops features next to the full Android app, so phone users may end up paying for it.
Norton
Pros
- Bundle plans put the VPN, password manager and parental controls on one subscription, as vpn, password manager and parental controls shows.
- The no-logs policy carries an external review, recorded as VerSprite, July 2025 (Technical Privacy Impact Assessment).
- Device allowance of 10 to 20 runs above the site median of 7.
Cons
- Renewal sets the real cost: $49.99 to $99.99 on renewal against a first year of $19.99 on the Deluxe bundle.
- Support runs on phone, help centre and community, so email and live chat sit outside the listed channels.
- Split tunnelling is absent from kill switch, multi hop and obfuscation, which lists a kill switch, multi hop and obfuscation.
Who each suits
AdGuard
Who it suits
- Readers who want an ad blocker, private DNS and a VPN from a single company.
- People who want filtering to happen on device on open source software.
- Households with several devices to cover, since the VPN plan covers 10.
Who should look elsewhere
- Apple Hide My Email, whose aliases are free with an Apple Account, when the email address is the only thing to hide.
- EasyOptOuts, which has no free plan, when a free tier to try first matters.
Norton
Who it suits
- Households wanting a VPN, a password manager, parental controls and identity monitoring on one bill
- Families with several phones, laptops and smart TVs sharing an account of 10 to 20 devices
- Existing subscribers to the Deluxe bundle paying $19.99 for a first year who want the VPN added
Who should look elsewhere
- Apple Inc., at $0.99 a month, for readers who want a standalone service instead of a bundle
- ESET Brasil, covering 3 to 25 devices, for households shopping mainly on device count
- Sinew Software Systems, at $1.99 a month, for passwords alone
Current offers
AdGuard
Current offer
Free trial
AdGuard for Windows 14-day trial period: 14 days
Included with the AdGuard for Windows v8.0 download
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Free trial
Try Premium free for 7 days in AdGuard for iOS: 7 days
In-app offer before purchasing an iOS subscription; no payment taken during the trial
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
AdGuard DNS Personal plan free for AdGuard VPN customers: Free AdGuard DNS Personal subscription
Requires an active AdGuard VPN subscription; activated from the AdGuard account
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
Free AdGuard license for contributors and developers: Free license key
For community contributors (translations, beta testing, filters, knowledge base) and developers requesting a developer license
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Norton
Current offer
Discount code
50% off first year on Norton VPN Standard: 50% OFF: EUR 24.99 first year against EUR 49.99
Ireland storefront; Norton VPN Standard 1 device; 1 Year plan; renews at EUR 49.99/year; price subject to change
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Free trial
Norton VPN 7 Day free trial: 7 days free
Payment method required; paid subscription starts at EUR 24.99/year and automatically renews at EUR 49.99/year
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | No | Yes |
| Australia | No | Yes |
| Austria | No | Yes |
| Brazil | No | Yes |
| Cambodia | No | Yes |
| Canada | No | Yes |
| Chile | No | Yes |
| China | No | Yes |
8 of 58 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
AdGuard
Is there a free AdGuard plan?+
Yes, and the free plan is the default. It covers DNS blocking, while the free Content Blocker drops features next to the full Android app. The starter apps already run on Windows, macOS and Linux, so you can try blocking on a phone, a desktop or a browser before paying.
What does the paid VPN plan include?+
The paid AdGuard VPN plan covers 10 devices at a time, and the longest subscription term runs 24. Its feature set includes no logs and streaming and split tunnelling and obfuscation, and a money back window of 30 days sits behind the purchase if the fit is wrong.
Norton
How much is Norton at entry, and can I try it first?+
The Norton VPN plan starts at €2.08 a month, and the longest term runs 24 months. A free trial of 7 days is offered on downloads, and the money back window of 60 days covers a longer evaluation on a paid plan.
What does Norton cost when the subscription renews?+
Renewal is where the price moves. The first year of the Deluxe bundle is listed at $19.99, while renewal prices run $49.99 to $99.99. A separate yearly Norton Family plan sits at $49.99, so weigh the renewal figure against what follows the introductory period.
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