The main difference between antivirus software and a VPN is that antivirus software uses encryption to protect data in transit, while a VPN guards against malware on your computer. VPNs and antivirus software available today offer better security solutions, but they often overlap. Let’s examine these two services’ similarities and differences.
What’s an Antivirus?
First, we start with antivirus software, given that most individuals are more familiar with it than with VPNs. An antivirus is a tool that allows users to secure their devices from malware, viruses, spyware, adware, and any other threat type.
Think of an antivirus as a bulletproof vest that protects your device. It also helps to protect your file system from being infected with harmful scripts or viruses you could have downloaded.
How an Antivirus Works
Ideally, an antivirus works in real-time, detecting malware/virus intrusions. For instance, when you visit a site and “get” a virus, an antivirus reacts and eliminates it immediately.
Furthermore, an antivirus constantly monitors and scans your devices for potential threats. It does it in the background, and with good antivirus software, you can be sure you are maintaining excellent performance for gaming, productivity, or anything else.
Most antiviruses feature web shields that detect and then block phishing sites and exploit attacks. They also come with exceptional network protections that help prevent man-in-the-middle and spoofing attacks, among other cyberattacks.
Other features you’ll enjoy with an antivirus include parental controls, data breach monitoring, identity theft protection, and password managers. These features offer an extensive set of protections against all current cyber threats.
So, what can’t an antivirus program do?
A basic antivirus program protects only your device from cyber threats. It will do nothing for your online privacy and help against cybercrimes like phishing. Besides, an antivirus isn’t meant to protect data acquired legally, such as your ISP storing or selling your internet browsing history.
Also, an antivirus will do nothing if your personal data is hijacked from internet traffic transmitted over insecure Wi-Fi or other similar methods. Fortunately, antivirus apps aren’t the only security tool you should have on your device. A VPN is another excellent tool you should invest in.
Antivirus Pros
- Real-time monitoring allows an antivirus to work in the background without requiring you to act. In fact, the best antivirus offers up to 99.9% efficiency in eliminating online threats.
- While an antivirus installation might take time, it is easy to use. Antivirus is the best option, even for non-tech-savvy individuals.
- Although most people prefer premium services, free antiviruses are enough, especially for less demanding folks.
Antivirus Cons
- Some antiviruses can impact your device’s performance, and others might reduce its processing power.
- An antivirus might sometimes struggle to catch up with the newest threats.
- Some free antivirus can be suspicious and might not offer the best protection.
- An antivirus won’t save you; perhaps you can have all the safety warnings you want. Ultimately, the choice is yours: You decide what you want to open with or without an antivirus.
There are several antivirus types in the market that you can choose from, but if you have a challenge selecting the best antivirus, here are some of the things that you should look at in the best antivirus:
- Multiple device protection
- Reasonable price
- Good Reputation
- Consider additional features
- Sometimes, you can go for the free version options
What’s a VPN?
With a Virtual Private Network (VPN), user data is transmitted to secure servers instead of sending directly to its destination. A VPN encrypts all the user’s internet traffic and then routes it through a VPN server that decrypts that data before it forwards it.
Therefore, it’s very easy to note that a VPN is a totally different service from an antivirus. When you use a VPN, all the outgoing and incoming traffic is encrypted, which means nobody can track your online activities, not even your ISP.
A VPN won’t protect you from malware and viruses; however, some VPN services have an additional feature you should consider when selecting the best VPN service.
The main function of a VPN is to ensure maximum online privacy and to allow users to hide their browsing activities. Moreover, its encryption is significant for individuals who often use public Wi-Fi networks.
A VPN routes a user’s connection via a server in your chosen country. That way, you’re assigned an IP address in that country, meaning you can easily bypass almost all the geo-restrictions in your region and unblock your favorite restricted sites, such as streaming sites that aren’t available in your region.
Like an antivirus, a VPN works in your device’s background but requires some user interaction. For instance, you’ll always be required to choose a server location; it depends on the site or content you want to access. Once the connection is established, you can close your app, which will continue working in the background.
Interestingly, using a VPN service is very easy, and you can enjoy the unlimited bandwidth and fast speeds of paid VPN providers.
VPN Drawbacks
As much as VPNs are your go-to tools for privacy and security, they do have some drawbacks. For instance, most VPNs aren’t free, meaning you’ll need a subscription to enjoy the maximum benefits of a VPN. Fortunately, they’re also not very expensive (sometimes they can be cheaper than some antiviruses), and some offer free trials you can use.
Additionally, certain VPNs might slow your internet connection. In fact, if someone tells you that a VPN won’t slow down your connection, that’s a lie! Your connection will experience a hitch due to the additional encryption and the distance between the server and your device.
However, a performance reduction doesn’t mean it should be drastic. For instance, when you connect to a server closer to you, your internet speed shouldn’t even alter. So, you should always choose the best VPNs like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access, as they don’t experience performance shifts.
Lastly, not all VPNs offer the level of privacy or security you seek. Some even provide weaker encryption, and others offer empty promises. You must be very careful with free VPNs, even though some paid VPNs might also be unreliable.
Always ensure you’re on the right side of your privacy and security by choosing a trustworthy VPN like NordVPN. If you have difficulties choosing the best VPN, then consider a VPN with the following attributes:
- No logs
- Modern encryption
- Number of supported VPN protocols
- A vast network of servers and server locations
- Simultaneous connections
- Fast connection speed
- Different payment methods
- VPN must have a money-back guarantee
- User-friendly interface
- Efficient customer support
- Kill switch
- Credible audits
Antivirus vs. VPN: Performance Comparison
Perhaps you’ve got everything as far as VPNs and Antiviruses are concerned. Now is the time to summarize the two tools’ differences more easily:
- Antivirus software protects your device against malware and viruses. On the other hand, a VPN only protects your online privacy by encrypting your internet connection and anonymizing all your online activities.
- Ideally, an antivirus won’t offer you online privacy unless that antivirus includes some kind of VPN. Similarly, a VPN won’t protect you against malware and viruses unless it has an extra layer of security.
- Antivirus software requires extensive information to operate, as it constantly scans the device and its files. VPNs require little information to operate.
- Some VPNs impact your internet connection speed due to the additional encryption and the distance between the servers. On the other hand, an antivirus can only slow down your device occasionally due to background monitoring and scanning.
Conclusion
Antiviruses and VPNs are two different services with only a few overlaps. However, an antivirus tackles one security area, while a VPN safeguards another. Therefore, it’s not easy to say which tool is the best, given that each has specialized in its own area.
A VPN is exceptional for online safety and privacy and unblocking geo-restrictions; an antivirus is excellent for keeping a user’s device clean from malware and viruses. Using both to ensure you’re covered on both fronts is a good idea.