Norton 360 Deluxe review

Norton 360 Deluxe is a cross-platform, all-in-one antivirus suite. It’s a premium upgrade to Norton 360 and comes with additional security features, including a robust VPN, a password manager, and identity protection.

What’s more, the Deluxe upgrade grants parental controls, providing more control over what your kids view online. It protects up to 5 devices, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

In this article, I will review the Norton 360 Deluxe plan in detail. I will discuss key features, explain our in-house testing results, check out customer support, examine user reviews, and give you the final verdict – is Norton 360 Deluxe worth it? Let’s find out.

⭐ Rating:	4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
🥇 Overall rank:	#2 out of #26
💵 Price:	From $29.99/year
✂️ Free version:	No
🖥️ Platforms:	Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
🔥 Coupons:	Norton Antivirus coupon 58% OFF

Visit Norton 360 Deluxe

Norton 360 Deluxe – pros and cons

How much does Norton 360 Deluxe cost?

Norton 360 Deluxe starts at $49.99 for the first year (new users only) and renews at $119.99/year. It’s a premium plan that includes antivirus, malware, ransomware, and hacking protection as well as privacy monitoring and parental controls.

Below, you’ll find a price comparison of Norton 360 Deluxe and other Norton 360 subscription plans:

	Norton 360 Deluxe	Norton AntiVirus Plus	Norton 360 Standard	Norton 360 with LifeLock Select
First-year price	$49.99 (58% OFF)	$29.99 (58% OFF)	$39.99 (57% OFF)	$99.99 (47% OFF)
Renewal price/year	$119.99/year	$59.99/year	$94.99/year	$179.99/year
Antivirus, malware, ransomware, and hacking protection	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
100% Virus Protection Promise	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Devices covered	5	1	3	10
Cloud backup	50 GB	2 GB	2 GB	250 GB
Password Manager	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
VPN	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Dark Web Monitoring	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Privacy Monitor	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes
Parental Control	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes
LifeLock Identity Theft Protection	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes

Check 360 Deluxe pricing

As you can see, the Norton 360 Deluxe plan offers the best value in terms of features and price; however, it’s not necessary for everyone.

Norton 360 Standard, for instance, will cover your basic anti-malware needs. However, the standard plan doesn’t include more advanced features such as a privacy monitor, which is important for those who want more control over their online data.

Nonetheless, Norton 360 Deluxe is a better option for parents as it comes with parental controls, allowing parents to watch and manage what their kids see and do online.

When we tested Norton 360 Deluxe and Bitdefender, another top-ranked anti-malware solution, we noticed that Norton 360 offers a better price-to-value ratio. Its Deluxe plan includes more features for a lower price than Bitdefender Premium Security. However, Bitdefender covers twice as many devices.

Similarly, while Norton 360 Deluxe costs a bit more than McAfee’s Essential plan, Norton performed slightly better in our malware protection tests.

On the other hand, TotalAV Internet Security is a similar suite to Norton 360 Deluxe and offers better malware detection results for a similar price; however, Norton does include a larger suite of features.

Most importantly, Norton 360 Deluxe offers the biggest discount for first-time users. Please note, however, that renewal prices are much higher than the first-time buyer prices. For example, the Norton 360 Deluxe plan costs $49.99 for the first year and jumps to a whopping $119.19/year after that, offering no loyalty discounts to its users.

Norton 360 Deluxe performance

To evaluate Norton 360 Deluxe's protection and overall performance, I collaborated with our research team and conducted hands-on tests to see how well it protects devices from different malware types. I then compared the results to independent lab test scores for a more comprehensive evaluation.

Malware protection

Norton 360 employs a multi-layered approach to protecting your devices from malware. This includes real-time protection, where Norton continuously scans your device in the background, a smart firewall, and a 100% virus protection promise.

In addition to background scans, there are four scans that users can perform manually. These include:

• Smart
• Quick
• Full
• Custom

To test Norton’s malware detection capabilities, our research team implanted ten types of malware, from prevalent viruses to ransomware, into our computer and ran a full scan.

Throughout the process, the research team and I checked Norton’s CPU and RAM usage and malware detection percentage. Norton scanned 498,000 files in under 10 minutes, which is pretty impressive as some antivirus software can take more than an hour to scan your entire PC. Please note that a full scan can take significantly longer if you have more files.

Norton’s scan results were outstanding; Norton 360 located and removed 10 out of 10 malware samples, offering a 100% virus detection rate.

Anti-ransomware

To test Norton’s ransomware detection capabilities, our research team implanted ten types of ransomware, varying in age (a few days old to over a year old), file type (.exe, .pdf, .dll), source, and behavior (screen locker, stealer, and others).

This time, we performed three different scans:

• Smart Scan located and resolved 0/10 ransomware samples in 2 minutes
• Quick Scan located and resolved 0/10 ransomware samples in less than 1 minute
• Full Scan located and resolved 10/10 ransomware samples in under 10 minutes

These results show that the Smart and Quick scans are not reliable when it comes to detecting ransomware. Although they are very quick, our tests have shown that their malware detection rate is 0%.

Antivirus lab test results

Our in-house malware protection testing results align with the findings from independent virus testing labs. For instance, between May and June of 2024, AV-TEST, an independent research institute, tested Norton 360 products and found that:

• Norton 360 detected 225/225 samples of zero-day attacks, including online threats via web and email.
• Norton detected 14,498/14,498 samples of malware discovered in the last four weeks.

AV-TEST got the same results when testing Norton 360 in March-April and January-February. This means Norton 360 has been providing a consistent, 100% malware detection rate over the past six months.

Comparing this to the AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection test done between February and May 2024, we can see that Norton performed a little worse and blocked 99.4% of malware. Interestingly, Norton also blocked 13 websites/files that were not actually malicious.

Impact on PC performance

A good antivirus is one that you don’t notice – it has minimal impact on your device and only makes itself known when a threat is detected.

When testing Norton’s malware detection capabilities, the research team and I kept an eye on the computer’s CPU and RAM usage to determine Norton’s overall impact on performance.

During the scans, the Norton app CPU usage fluctuated between 6% to 72%. Here are the usage results of each scan over a period of ten minutes:

• Smart Scan - up to 6% CPU and 120 MB RAM
• Quick Scan - up to 18% CPU and 133 MB RAM
• Full Scan - up to 72% CPU and 180 MB RAM

As you can see, both the Smart Scan and the Quick Scan don’t take up a lot of CPU usage. However, as our previous testing has shown, they’re not great at detecting threats. Full scan, on the other hand, scans your entire PC and can take up to 72% of CPU usage during peak time. The Full Scan is the only scan that shows significant impact on performance, however, I found it’s still usable during the scans, albeit slow.

When the computer is idle, on the other hand, the Norton app uses up to 1% of CPU and around 120 MB RAM, making it completely unnoticeable as it runs real-time protection.

Getting started with Norton 360 Deluxe

Setting up Norton 360 on your desktop is easy. Open your browser, go to my.Norton.com, and sign into your account. From there, simply download and install the app onto your device. After you’ve installed the app, Norton will walk you through the setup process. I found the entire process pretty straightforward.

I liked the Windows desktop app as it’s sleek and easy to use albeit a little cluttered. The major security features are available on the right side of the dashboard with a single click. It includes Device Security, Software Updater, Private Browser, Dark Web Monitoring, Secure VPN, Cloud Backup, Password Manager, Parental Controls, and Privacy Monitor.

Personally, I don’t see the reason to have optional features, such as Norton’s Private Browser, displayed so high up on the dashboard. It would be great to have the option to move the features around, so you can see the most important ones right away.

At the top of the dashboard, you have the option to protect another device and can see the number of licenses available to do so. On the bottom, you can see what additional apps and services are available and can purchase them if needed.

Mobile setup is even more simple as you don’t need to log into the browser first. Simply download the app from the app store, log in, and follow the instructions. I found Norton’s mobile app interface less aesthetically pleasing than its desktop counterpart; however, it was intuitive and easy to use even for those less tech savvy.

While the app is not cluttered with unnecessary features, a major drawback of the mobile app is that some additional security tools, such as the Password Manager, require you to install a different app, which can quickly fill up your phone storage.

Norton is compatible with major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

Our research team tested Norton 360 Deluxe on two devices: Windows Server 2022 Intel Xeon 8259CL, 32GB RAM, and OnePlus 10T 12GB RAM, Android 14.

Norton 360 Deluxe features

Norton 360 Deluxe offers a wide range of anti-malware features to protect your device. It also comes with a few additional security tools, such as a password manager and a VPN, both of which help maintain cyber hygiene.

Features	Included in the Norton 360 Deluxe plan
Real-time protection	✅ Yes
Dark web monitor	✅ Yes
Performance optimization	✅ Yes
Cloud backup	✅ Yes
Privacy monitor	✅ Yes
Parental control	✅ Yes
Private browser	✅ Yes
Password manager	✅ Yes
VPN	✅ Yes
LifeLock (Identity Theft Protection)	❌ No
Stolen wallet protection	❌ No
SSN and Credit Alerts	❌ No
One-Bureau Credit Monitoring	❌ No
Up to $25,000 reimbursement	❌ No

Real-time protection

Norton’s real-time protection provides multiple layers of protection from various online threats, including malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks.

During testing, our research team found that real-time protection works flawlessly; easily and quickly detecting malware and removing it from the infected device.

Norton 360 is automatically scheduled to scan your computer once a month (you can change the frequency and type of scheduled scans in settings), but you can also launch manual scans if you believe your device has been compromised.

I like that you can choose which files and/or folders Norton can skip during a scan – this saves time, especially during full scans. What I don’t like, on the other hand, is that there’s no deep scan option. A deep scan goes over everything and is usually performed while the computer is not in use.

In addition, to give you more peace of mind, Norton promises to give you a full refund if your computer gets infected with a virus the Norton team can’t remove.

Norton Safe Web

Norton 360 Deluxe doesn’t have many safeguards against phishing. Its primary defense against phishing is a browser add-on called Safe Web. It's a pretty simple add-on that blocks any malicious websites you might visit before they can do any harm.

Our research team tested Norton’s anti-phishing browser extension and found that it blocked 9 out of 10 malicious websites. However, user reviews are less forgiving, with some saying that the add-on blocks legitimate websites as well. When it doesn’t know whether the website is malicious, this add-on alerts you about possible threats and warns you to proceed with caution.

The main downside of this tool is that it’s only available as a browser extension on Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. It won’t protect users on mobile devices or against other types of phishing attacks, such as SMS or email.

Parental Control

Parental control is a way for parents to monitor and manage what their kids do online. There are four restriction levels for different ages: very high (8 years or less), high (8-11 years), moderate (12-14 years), and low (15-17 years). This sets the total amount of hours kids can spend online as well as what websites/apps they’re allowed and not allowed to access and can be modified by parents.

Parents can also choose to block access to the internet during school hours, which can minimize distractions and improve focus in school or while studying.

There are three supervision levels: Monitor, Warn, and Block. Monitor allows kids to access all websites, Warn sends a warning before granting access to the website, and Block immediately blocks the website.

Another useful feature is Web Categories, which allows parents to choose topics they don’t want their kids to interact with online, such as alcohol, gambling, or religion. Websites in these categories are automatically blocked.

When kids try to access a website that’s blocked, they receive a warning explaining why it’s blocked and allowing them to go back or request access from their parents.

I find this to be a particularly useful feature as it gives some control back to the kids. Kids get an explanation of why they have been blocked as well as a chance to request access and clarify why they think the website is safe for them.

Dark Web Monitor

A dark web monitor scans the dark web for your personal information and notifies you whenever it finds out your data has been compromised. This gives you time to act, change your passwords, and secure your account.

Dark web monitors are becoming a standard feature in anti-malware suites and even VPN solutions so it’s not surprising that Norton offers it in its all-in-one suite.

Performance optimization

This neat feature automatically cleans up duplicated or temporary files, clears up registries, and allows you to manage startup applications. It can be particularly useful for those who have a lot of files that slow down their computer.

Our research team tested the optimization feature and found it worked as intended. File Cleanup found all temporary files and removed them without a hitch.

Even though Norton successfully removed a bunch of temporary files from our PC, I didn’t notice any significant performance improvements after file cleanup or disk optimization. However, this can depend on how cluttered your device is.

Moreover, I didn’t find the Startup Manager to be a particularly useful feature, as you can easily select which apps should run on startup via the Task Manager. However, I suppose it can be helpful to anyone who doesn’t know how to do it with the tools provided by Windows.

Cloud Backup

Cloud Backup is excellent for anyone who has loads of files that take up storage space on their computer or phone. The Norton 360 Deluxe plan gives users a generous 50 GB amount of cloud storage. Comparing this to the Plus or Standard plans, which only offer 2 GB of cloud storage, this is a great deal.

Most importantly, cloud backup is a great anti-ransomware feature. By creating copies of all your files and storing them on the cloud, you will always be able to access them, even if your device is infected with ransomware and all your local files get compromised.

Setting it up is incredibly easy. I like that Norton allows you to select which files you want to backup and how often you want to do it.

During our testing, Norton’s Cloud Backup worked as intended, and we did not experience any issues uploading or accessing our files.

Customer support

There are numerous ways to find answers to any issues you may be having with Norton. Norton has an extensive knowledge base filled with answers in FAQs, tutorials, and step-by-step guides. There are even community forums to scour through if you’re having a very specific problem.

24/7 live chat	✅ Yes
Phone line	✅ Yes
Email	✅ Yes (partially)
Help center	✅ Yes
Community forums	✅ Yes

Only paying users can contact customer support via live chat. Before you can connect to a live chat, you will need to provide and confirm your email address and other personal information, which I think is overkill.

When connecting to customer support via live chat, you will first be greeted by Kate, Norton’s chatbot. The chatbot will try to resolve your query on its own but will connect you to an agent if you ask. Surprisingly, the chatbot actually managed to answer my question and resolved my problem on its own.

When I asked to talk to a live agent, I was connected to one in about 5 minutes. Unfortunately, the conversation with the live chat agent was a little underwhelming, as I had to correct them several times to get to the bottom of my problem. Nonetheless, the agent was polite and quick to respond.

User reviews

Norton has over 30,000 reviews on Trustpilot alone, with an average rating of 4.5 stars. When it comes to the Norton 360 Deluxe plan, however, the reviews are fewer and mixed.

On the one hand, users are happy, praising Norton’s virus detection and removal capabilities and minimal impact on performance; on the other, they’re unsatisfied with Norton’s marketing strategy and have a problem with pricing, particularly for renewals and additional features.

A common complaint among many Norton 360 Deluxe reviewers is intrusive upselling tactics. Many of them encountered marketing pop-ups on a daily basis, with the pop-ups trying to sell an upgrade or a new product.

While these pop-ups can be annoying on their own, seeing them on a paid product can be infuriating. What’s more, users say there’s no option to turn them off completely, which makes them feel cheated.

Despite these complaints, the majority of users seem to be satisfied with the overall performance of Norton products, including the Norton 360 Deluxe plan.

Norton 360 Deluxe – do I recommend it?

Overall, Norton 360 is an excellent anti-malware suite, providing almost perfect malware detection rates, real-time protection, and dark web monitoring. Its Deluxe upgrade includes additional features, such as coverage of up to 5 devices, 50 GB cloud storage, and Parental Controls, offering a myriad of ways to manage your kids’ online activities and screen time.

What’s great about Norton 360 is that all plans include a surprisingly good VPN, a password manager, and a vault without requiring additional payment. These features are not always included in antivirus suites.

Nonetheless, when it comes to protection against malware, there are other great antivirus options, some of which even cheaper, such as TotalAV or Bitdefender. TotalAV, for instance, includes better antivirus lab test results whereas Bitdefender provides significantly smaller impact on performance.

How I tested Norton 360 Deluxe

At Cybernews, we follow a rigorous testing process to find the best antivirus for your individual needs. Together with our research team, I evaluated Norton 360 Deluxe in terms of the anti-malware suite, additional security features, pricing, independent lab test results, customer support, and user reviews.

Our research team did in-house testing to determine the following:

• Real-time protection and virus detection rates. We downloaded ten different malware samples and checked how many of them Norton 360 Deluxe was able to catch and successfully remove.
• Anti-ransomware capabilities. The research team performed penetration testing by downloading ransomware and evaluating the antivirus response. We also evaluated whether Norton has any protective measures against ransomware, such as cloud backups.
• Impact on your device’s performance. It’s crucial that your antivirus software doesn’t slow down your device. We analyzed the antivirus impact on overall performance and evaluated its CPU usage.

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