Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team
AdGuard vs Norton
AdGuard vs Norton: the differences
| Compare |  AdGuard |  Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Devices | 10 | 1 to 10 |
| Money-back period | 30 days | 60 daysHigher |
| Protocols | Doh, Dot, Doq, Dnscrypt | Mimic, WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPsec |
| Features | Split tunnelling, Obfuscation | Screen time, Web filter, Location |
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, Android TV, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Safari, Yandex BrowserCovers more | Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS |
| Monthly price | Not confirmed | $34.99 |
| Server countries | Not confirmed | from 100 |
| No-logs audit | Not confirmed | VerSprite, July 2025 (Technical Privacy Impact Assessment) |
| Renewal price | Not confirmed | $59.99 |
| Jurisdiction | CY | Not confirmed |
| Streaming services | Not confirmed | Streaming |
| Owner | Not confirmed | Gen Digital Inc. |
Same on both: Longest plan (months) (24 months).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Protocols: only AdGuard offers Doh, Dot, Doq.
- Protocols: only Norton offers Mimic, WireGuard, OpenVPN.
- Features: only AdGuard offers Split tunnelling, Obfuscation.
- Features: only Norton offers Screen time, Web filter, Location.
- Platforms: only AdGuard offers Linux, Android TV, Chrome.
- Support channels: only AdGuard offers Email.
- Support channels: only Norton offers Phone.
- Money-back period is higher at Norton: 60 days vs 30 days.
- Founded is lower at Norton: 1982 vs 2009.
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 suits households who want antivirus, a VPN, a password manager and parental controls under one subscription, and it stays affordable after the first term. Norton Deluxe opens at $19.99 and renews at $59.99, which is still under the antivirus median of €49.95.
Score breakdown
| Area | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1 | 9.6HigherNorton Deluxe opens at $19.99 and renews at $59.99, priced below the antivirus median of €49.95. |
| Offer | 9.6Higher | 9.1 |
| Privacy | 9.4 | 9.9Higher |
Availability and regulation
| Country | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Cyprus | United States |
Choosing between them
Pick AdGuard if offer and platforms matter most.
Pick Norton if cost, privacy, and money-back period matter most.
What we checked
AdGuard
- adguard.com: 6 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- adguard-vpn.com: 5 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- adguard-dns.io: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Norton
- us.norton.com: 16 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- en.wikipedia.org: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
- lifelock.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| VPNs | 18 of 232 | 20 of 232 |
| Privacy tools | 18 of 280 | 67 of 280 |
| Parental control apps | 7 of 59 | 9 of 59 |
| Free VPNs | 14 of 189 | 16 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 | Gen Digital Inc. |
| 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 |
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 | $34.99highest quarter | $9 |
| Devices | 10at the median | 1 to 10at the median | 10 |
| Server countries | Not confirmed | from 100highest quarter | 62 |
| Renewal price | Not confirmed | $59.99highest quarter | $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
- Entry price of $19.99 for Norton Deluxe is well under the antivirus median of €49.95, and renewal at $59.99 still sits low.
- One subscription covers 1 to 10 across Windows, macOS and Android and bundles vpn, password manager and parental controls that would otherwise be separate subscriptions.
- A free version of the apps lets you try the security side before paying, with a free trial of 7 days and a money back window of 60 days.
Cons
- Renewal sits well above entry: Norton Deluxe jumps from $19.99 to $59.99, and many antivirus plans renew under €3.97 a month.
- The Norton Deluxe device allowance of 1 to 10 is behind the antivirus median of 10, while Apple covers more device types through iOS, iPadOS and macOS.
- Support runs on phone, help centre and community, so help is by phone, help centre and community only.
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 vpn, password manager and parental controls bundled into one subscription rather than bought separately.
- Apple households already inside iOS, iPadOS and macOS who want protection that extends beyond their own devices.
- Buyers who want a free version of the apps, a free trial of 7 days and a money back window of 60 days before committing.
Who should look elsewhere
- Shoppers on a strict budget who only want a password manager, at $9.99 on its own.
- Buyers who need a device allowance above the antivirus median of 10.
- People who want a US supplier replaced by a European option, since US is the stated headquarters country.
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
First period offer
Norton AntiVirus Plus limited-time offer: $19.99 first year (66% off, $59.99 renewal)
US annual subscription, auto-renews at $59.99/year unless the renewal is cancelled
Source, checked September 26, 2026
First period offer
Norton 360 Deluxe limited-time offer: $29.99 first year (76% off, $124.99 renewal)
US annual subscription for 5 devices, auto-renews at $124.99/year unless the renewal is cancelled; works out as $2.50/month
Source, checked September 26, 2026
First period offer
Norton 360 Standard limited-time offer: $24.99 first year (73% off, $94.99 renewal)
US annual subscription for 3 devices, auto-renews at $94.99/year unless the renewal is cancelled
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Free trial
Norton free trials
A payment method is required at sign-up and will be charged at the end of the trial period, unless cancelled first
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | AdGuard | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | No | Yes |
| Canada | No | Yes |
| France | No | Yes |
| Germany | No | Yes |
| Ireland | No | Yes |
| Italy | No | Yes |
| Japan | No | Yes |
| Netherlands | No | Yes |
8 of 12 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 Deluxe for the first year?+
Norton Deluxe costs $19.99 for the first year. That is the introductory figure, not the ongoing one, and it sits under the antivirus median of €49.95. Several Norton products are sold separately, so the plan you choose changes the entry price.
What does Norton Deluxe cost when it renews?+
Norton Deluxe renews at $59.99, so the price roughly triples once the first term ends. That renewal is still low among antivirus plans, where comparable products sit around €3.97 a month. Budget for the renewal figure rather than the entry price.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
- AdGuard vs NordVPN
- AdGuard vs NordVPN Threat Protection
- AdGuard vs WEBROOT master
- AdGuard vs Kaspersky
- AdGuard vs Kaspersky Latam
- AdGuard vs Kaspersky
- Norton vs NordPass
- AdGuard vs ESET Brasil
- AdGuard vs ESET
- Norton vs SpyHunter
- AdGuard vs Surfshark Alert
- AdGuard vs Proton
- Norton vs Proton Pass
- AdGuard vs Trend Micro
- AdGuard vs ExpressVPN
- AdGuard vs Proton AG