TotalAV VPN 2024 Review: 5 Cons and 3 Pros

by Vít Nováček
updated January 1, 2024 (Report a bug)

1. TotalAV VPN: Why Did It Get a 7.0/10 Rating?

   • Only 50 servers available
   • Only supports basic platforms
   • The app offers very few features
   • Lacks independent party verification of the service
   • The company is based in the UK and is a member of the 14 Eyes alliance

   • VPN has successfully unblocked Netflix, Disney+ and HBO
   • The package includes many additional features
   • Design-led app

   TotalAV VPN is a protection add-on from UK-based Total Security Limited. In our test, TotalAV VPN earned a score of 7.0/10, ranking it #43 out of 90 reviewed VPNs.

   A TotalAV VPN subscription can’t be purchased on its own, but only as an add-on to a package to protect your devices and data on the internet. Since it is not a primary product, the VPN offers only limited features. A kill switch and whitelist is available in the Windows app, which is part of the WebShield product.

   TotalAV VPN lost points in the evaluation due to a very low offering of only 50 servers. Additionally, the app is only available for the core Windows, Mac OS, Android, and Linux platforms. Additional features like multi-hop or camouflage mode are not available with TotalAV VPN.

   The VPN is not independently audited, and in addition, the user’s IP address may be stored when using it. Together with the operator being based in the UK, which is a member of the 5 Eyes alliance, this presents room for improvement in terms of privacy.

   TotalAV VPN has the advantage of very good transfer speeds, we measured an average download of 125 Mb/s and upload of 94 Mb/s. The desktop app is design-wise hilarious and beyond the VPN includes antivirus, anti-malware protection and a PC cleanup tool.

   In our test, we were able to access blocked videos on YouTube, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus and Hulu platforms. Amazon Prime Video was the only app that didn’t fare well.

   Our real IP address remained hidden during testing, thanks to the built-in DNS leak protection.

   

2. TotalAV VPN Subscription: Discount Code, Free Trial, Money Back Guarantee…

   • Your Price: $12.35​72% off  $3.46 /mo (5 devices)
   • Money Back Guarantee: Yes (30 days)
   • Free Trial: No
   • Cryptocurrency payments:
     No

     Bitcoin :No
     Dash :No
     Ethereum :No
     Ripple :No

   

   7

   ★★★☆

   VPN is among the poorly rated due to low compatibility, below-average connection speed, and a small range of servers. The subscription price is disproportionate to the quality.

   $3.46 /mo  ​30-day money back guarantee

   Get this VPN 72% cheaper

   TotalAV VPN cannot be purchased as a standalone product, but only as part of a bundle with antivirus and other security tools. An ongoing paid monthly subscription for $12.35 is available on Google Play and the App Store.

   More cost-effective is the annual subscription, which can be obtained on the TotalAV VPN website for $3.46 per month. The condition is to pay the amount for the entire period in advance.

   TotalAV usually provides a discount for the first year of the subscription, from the second year the price will increase. When we asked for a refund, TotalAV VPN customer support offered us a lifetime discount on the subscription.

   You can use your debit and credit card, PayPal, or Google Pay and Apple Pay when purchasing from your mobile to pay for your TotalAV VPN subscription. To ensure greater anonymity, we would welcome support for cryptocurrency payments, which is not available.

   A money-back guarantee of 30 days applies to annual subscription orders, shorter for the pay-as-you-go monthly option. The trial version of TotalAV VPN is missing.

3. TotalAV VPN and Supported Devices: Android, iOS, macOS…

   • Device limit: 5

   Platforms supported

   • Android:
     Yes

     Android is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Android TV:
     No

     Android TV is supported by 36 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Apple TV:
     No

     Apple TV is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Fire TV:
     No

     Fire TV is supported by 43 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromebook:
     No

     Chromebook is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromecast:
     No

     Chromecast is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • iOS:
     Yes

     iOS is supported by 99 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Kodi:
     No

     Kodi is supported by 21 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Linux:
     No

     Linux is supported by 61 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Mac:
     Yes

     Mac is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • NAS:
     No

     NAS is supported by 24 % of reviewed VPNs
   • nVidia Shield:
     No

     nVidia Shield is supported by 14 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Playstation:
     No

     Playstation is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Raspberry Pi:
     No

     Raspberry Pi is supported by 17 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Roku:
     No

     Roku is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Router:
     No

     Router is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Windows:
     Yes

     Windows is supported by 100 % of reviewed VPNs
   • xBox:
     No

     xBox is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs

   Browser Extensions

   • Brave :
     No

     The Brave browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Chrome :
     No

     The Chrome browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Edge :
     No

     The Edge browser add-on is offered by 21 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Firefox :
     No

     The Firefox browser add-on is offered by 34 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Opera :
     No

     The Opera browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Safari :
     No

     The Safari browser add-on is offered by 0 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Vivaldi :
     No

     The Vivaldi browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.

   With one subscription, TotalAV VPN can be used on up to 5 devices at the same time. Compared to other VPNs this is a below average number, for example Surfshark can be connected to 999 devices.

   TotalAV VPN is more of an add-on to an internet security suite, so only basic platforms can be protected. The app is available for Windows and Mac OS computers and for Android and iOS mobile devices.

   VPNs can’t be used on alternative Linux, Chromebook and Raspberry Pi systems, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV or Roku smart TVs, nor on Playstation and Xbox game consoles. TotalAV VPN also doesn’t support router-based traffic, where you could simply protect all devices connected to the same network. For these purposes, we recommend NordVPN, rated 9.4/10, with a subscription price of $3.46 per month.

   The classic TotalAV browser extensions do not offer VPN. You can install individual add-ons that serve as standalone protection against trackers or to block ads. All are included in the TotalAV package.

4. TotalAV VPN App: User-Friendliness, Whitelist, Server Selection…

   • App Languages: 🇺🇸 English +11 more🇩🇪 German 🇪🇸 Spanish 🇫🇷 French 🇵🇹 Portuguese 🇮🇹 Italian 🇵🇱 Polish 🇹🇷 Turkish 🇳🇱 Dutch 🇸🇪 Swedish 🇩🇰 Danish 🇳🇴 Norwegian
   • Whitelisting:
     Yes

     Whitelisting is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs

   The TotalAV VPN apps are design-wise hilarious, you can choose light or dark mode for the environment. Additionally, on mobile devices you can choose the app icon. The interface is available in 12 languages.

   In terms of use, the app is more complex than the competition. TotalAV VPN is not available on its own, but only as part of a comprehensive toolkit, which makes the environment less clear.

   Whitelist is available under the name WebShield, and you can select secure websites in it that will connect to the Internet directly even when the VPN is active.

   Only the mobile app gives the user the option to automatically connect to the fastest server at the time. The automatic connection to the VPN when the device boots up is missing altogether.

5. TotalAV VPN Connection Speed: Upload, Download & Latency

   • Traffic limit: Unlimited

   Download speed

   Higher is better. The average download of all tested VPNs is 115 Mb/s.

   Upload speed

   Higher is better. The average upload of all tested VPNs is 81 Mb/s.

   Server latency

   A lower value is better. The average response rate of all tested VPNs is 48 ms.

   TotalAV VPN does not limit the user in any way in the amount of data transferred, which is standard among paid services.

   We tested the connection speed of TotalAV VPN on the geographically closest server for several days. We averaged the results of each measurement. TotalAV VPN scored above average, so using the internet with an active VPN should be seamless.

   The average download speed of TotalAV VPN reached a very good 125 Mb/s, which is sufficient for downloading bulky files as well as for playing 4k video. For the latter, at least 50 Mbps is usually quoted as being required.

   The average measured upload speed of 94 Mb/s is also good. So you can use TotalAV VPN for file sharing or torrenting, for example.

   The third parameter monitored is the response speed, which is important for video calls or online gaming. We measured a response time of 43 ms for the TotalAV VPN, which is sufficient for these activities. For response speed, lower is always better. We measured top response times for NordVPN (11 ms) or AdGuard VPN (7 ms).

6. TotalAV VPN Server Locations

   • Number of servers:
     50

     The average number of servers for the reviewed VPNs is 1699.
   • Number of countries:
     35

     The average number of countries available for the reviewed VPNs is 41.

   Europe	🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇦🇹 Austria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇬🇷 Greece 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇮🇲 Isle of Man 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇷🇸 Serbia
   North America	🇨🇦 Canada 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇺🇸 USA
   South America	🇨🇱 Chile 🇧🇷 Brazil
   Asia	🇭🇰 Hong Kong 🇯🇵 Japan 🇮🇱 Israel
   Africa
   Oceania	🇦🇺 Australia 🇳🇿 New Zealand

   TotalAV VPN operates 50 servers in 35 different locations. Although the number of servers is not the only telling parameter of the quality of service, their configuration and load is also important; compared to other VPNs, it is below average. For example, Proton VPN Plus offers 3,064 servers in 35 countries.

   Most TotalAV VPN servers are located in Europe, with North and South America, Asia and Oceania also represented. Of the less common countries, servers are allocated in Finland, Iceland, Slovenia, Isle of Man, Moldova, Chile or Brazil. The USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand are also among the available locations. Countries with censored internet are not included.

   Any location can be saved as a favourite and accessed more quickly. TotalAV VPN does not offer any servers optimized for torrenting or streaming video, for example. Torrenting is disabled on all US servers, but other features and protocols are available on all sites.

7. TotalAV VPN Security Features: DNS Leak Protection, Kill Switch…

   • DNS leak protection :
     Yes

     DNS leak protection is offered by 92% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Kill Switch:
     Yes

     Kill Switch is supported by 87% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Multi-Hop:
     No

     Multi-Hop connection is offered by 20 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Tor:
     No

     Tor support is offered by 19 % of the reviewed VPNs.

   TotalAV VPN includes only the basic security features that are part of a comprehensive package. DNS leak protection worked reliably during testing, with neither IP address nor WebRTC disclosure.

   The kill switch feature is only implemented in the Windows application. It is missing on other platforms. The kill switch disconnects the device from the Internet when the connection to the VPN server fails. This prevents the user’s real IP address and location from being discovered.

   The OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols are used to transfer data and are considered reliable. The transmission is secured with 256-bit AES encryption, which is virtually unbreakable, so it is also used to protect banking and military systems.

   The superior multi-hop feature of TotalAV VPN is not supported, and you need to subscribe to Proton VPN Plus or Surfshark to use it. Multi-hop (sometimes referred to as Double VPN) uses connections through two different VPN servers at the same time, increasing the level of security. The downside can be lower transfer speeds and higher response times.

   TotalAV VPN does not support Tor connections. Nor can it use two-factor account authentication, which we would expect in a product from a company specializing in cybersecurity.

8. TotalAV VPN & Streaming: Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime…

   • Amazon Prime:
     No

     Amazon Prime streaming is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Disney+:
     Yes

     Disney+ streaming is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs
   • HBO:
     Yes

     HBO streaming is supported by 57 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Hulu:
     Yes

     Hulu streaming is supported by 49 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Netflix:
     Yes

     Netflix streaming is supported by 67 % of reviewed VPNs
   • YouTube:
     Yes

     YouTube streaming is supported by 97 % of reviewed VPNs

   TotalAV VPN can handle unblocking video on most streaming platforms.

   We were able to watch movies and series from normally unavailable US libraries on YouTube, Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, and Hulu. TotalAV VPN only failed to unblock video from Amazon Prime Video, which has struggled quite successfully with VPN services.

   The average download speed of 125 Mb/s achieved was sufficient to play 4k video by a wide margin. For that, at least 50 Mbps is required. Playback was smooth, we did not encounter annoying stream stuttering.

9. Features of TotalAV VPN: AdBlock, Static IP…

   • Blocks Ads:
     Yes

     Ad blocking is offered by 44 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Malware:
     Yes

     Malware blocking is offered by 33 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Trackers:
     Yes

     Trackers blocking is offered by 38 % of the VPNs reviewed.

   TotalAV VPN is part of the Internet Security suite, which includes several other tools to ensure secure Internet access. The application also works as an antivirus, can block malware, ransomware and protects users from phishing. In addition, one of the tools in the Internet Security package can clean the disk of unwanted files and applications.

   A higher variant of the package is Total Security, which includes everything as Internet Security and adds a password manager and AdBlock on top. The latter can block not only advertising but also tracking codes on websites. The last part of the package is a data loss checker, which you just need to enter your email address to use. The system will then check if there are any leaks associated with the email.

   Camouflage mode is not currently supported by TotalAV VPN. It has the advantage of disguising VPN connections as normal Internet traffic, which will find use in countries with censored Internet, for example.

   Static IP addresses are not available with TotalAV VPN, even at an additional cost.

10. TotalAV VPN‘s CPU usage and App Performance

    TotalAV VPN is part of a larger software package that includes additional tools. Despite its many features, the application is light on computer power. It only took 33 MB of RAM capacity, which is negligible even on older computers.

    The load on the computer increased slightly after activating the antivirus protection included in the package. The TotalAV VPN application can be completely disabled by clicking the cross, after that it will not run in the background either.

11. TotalAV VPN Torrenting Servers

    • Torrenting servers:
      Yes

      Torrenting support is offered by 89 % of the reviewed VPNs.

    TotalAV VPN allows torrenting on all servers outside the US. At the same time, it does not operate any servers that are optimized for P2P transfers.

    Our measured download (125 Mb/s) and upload (94 Mb/s) speeds are sufficient for torrenting. Important DNS leak protection is included in all TotalAV VPN applications, the kill switch has only been implemented in the Windows version. TotalAV VPN does not support any other torrenting features such as SOCKS5 Proxy. With it, the IP address will change, but the transmitted data is not encrypted, so there is no reduction in speed.

    VPNs may not be used for sharing copyrighted works. In some countries, torrenting is illegal and may result in account deactivation.

12. What Is the Country of Origin Of TotalAV VPN?

    • VPN Provider: Total Security Limited
    • Country of origin: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

    TotalAV VPN is operated by Total Security Limited, which is based in Fareham, UK. Total Security Limited was founded on May 4, 2016, and has focused on developing software for internet security since its inception. It has previously been incorporated under the names Protected.net Group Limited and SS Protect Limited.

    The company’s UK headquarters may pose a risk to a small number of users, as the country is a member of the 5 Eyes alliance. The secret services of these countries monitor internet traffic and may require VPN operators to hand over information about specific users if they suspect violations of the law. VPN operators are legally obliged to comply. Members of the alliance share the information among themselves.

13. TotalAV VPN and Privacy: Logging Policy, Security Issues…

    • No-Logs Policy:
      Yes

      The No-Logs Policy is followed by 78% of reviewed VPNs.

    According to the claims on the TotalAV VPN website, no logs are generated when using the app. However, according to the current privacy policy, it logs all IP addresses used by the user. The reason for collecting this data is not explicitly stated.

    The data provided when ordering the service is also stored, in the range of email address, password and payment method, which are required to maintain the user account.

    The TotalAV VPN provider has not undergone any audit to confirm the zero logging claim. Regularly audited VPNs include Surfshark or NordVPN.

    TotalAV VPN also does not issue a Transparency Report or Warrant Canary through which the company reports on user data requests received. Considering the operator is based in a member country of the 5 Eyes alliance, this could help to increase trust in the service.

    All servers used by TotalAV VPN are equipped with hard drives that allow for long-term data storage. To better protect user data, it would be advisable to switch to servers with RAM memory only, on which data cannot be stored.

    Total Security Limited as the operator of TotalAV VPN is a reputable company in the field of cyber security. To date, there is not a single known case of user personal data being leaked or sold to a third party. It would help even more confidence in the service if TotalAV VPN was independently audited.

14. TotalAV VPN Support: Chat, e-mail…

    Subscribers can contact customer support 24/7 via live chat. Questions are answered first by a robotic chatbot, which can be switched to a live employee. Alternatively, a ticket can be created on the TotalAV VPN website, and the answer will arrive via email.

    Unregistered users must rely on the knowledge base on the TotalAV VPN website, which is not very comprehensive. The VPN suffers from the fact that it is not the company’s main product. They are not entitled to live chat or other direct contact with support.

15. TotalAV VPN FAQ

    Is TotalAV VPN secure?

    TotalAV VPN is part of a comprehensive package for protection in cyberspace and Total Security Limited is a reputable company, so the service can be considered secure.

    The VPN only includes basic features, it loses out to premium services like NordVPN or CyberGhost VPN. However, there were no DNS or IP address leaks during our testing and the connection was secure.

    TotalAV VPN‘s privacy policy, which states that the app stores all of a user’s IP addresses, deserves revision. As a result, the user’s real IP address can be traced.

    Is TotalAV VPN free?

    TotalAV VPN is a paid service that can only be purchased as part of an Internet Security or Total Security package. The subscription price starts at $3.46 per month. The package also includes an antivirus, malware protection or a computer cleaning tool.

    Subscriptions can be paid by debit or credit card or via PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay. In case of dissatisfaction, a money-back guarantee can be used within the first 30 days. We tried the whole process and our money was refunded within two days.

    Is TotalAV VPN a good VPN?

    TotalAV VPN is just an add-on to a comprehensive internet security app, it can’t compete with the best VPNs in the rankings. Compared to them, it offers fewer servers, basic and advanced features, and can only be used on the most common types of devices. In our test, it scored 7.0/10, placing it #43 among 90 services.

    However, during testing, TotalAV VPN successfully hid our real IP address and unlocked most streaming platforms. As part of a multi-tool package from Total Security Limited, it can be a good addition to ensure overall device protection.