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Astrill vs Norton VPN compares a specialist for China with a VPN for everyone else. Astrill’s StealthVPN and OpenWeb protocols are built for the Great Firewall, and VPN.com notes it historically stays connected when China tightens controls, but it costs $30 a month and has no audit. Norton VPN, from Gen Digital, has two no-logs audits, a 60-day refund and Plus at $29.99 for the first year, Tom’s Guide reports.
This guide compares China use, evidence, refunds, price, devices and fit.
Astrill vs Norton VPN in China
No VPN can promise constant access in China, so install before you travel.
StealthVPN aims to avoid deep packet inspection, and OpenWeb disguises VPN traffic as ordinary browsing, TechRadar notes. Astrill also offers China-optimised servers and a VIP add-on with extra servers mostly in East Asia, Cloudwards notes. Norton’s Mimic protocol disguises traffic as HTTPS and sees significant use in some regions, Tom’s Guide reports.
For mainland China, Astrill has the longer track record.
Evidence and Logging
Session data is deleted after you disconnect, Astrill says, but no audit has checked that.
Astrill has no independent audit, Tom’s Guide notes, and its own policy says it keeps your connection time, IP address, device type and app version during each session. Auditors checked Norton’s no-logs policy in 2024 and October 2025, and its Mimic protocol in December 2025.
On outside proof, Norton is clearly ahead. Our VPN audit tracker compares providers.
Astrill vs Norton VPN: Refunds
Ask about refunds in writing before paying, since policies can change.
Without a refund, a single month is the safest way to try Astrill.
Gizmodo found Astrill does not issue refunds. Norton gives 60 days for refunds plus a seven-day free trial.
Norton is far safer to test; with Astrill, buy only what you are sure you need.
Price and Longer Plans
Astrill costs $30 a month, Gizmodo and Cloudwards note, with VIP extra. Norton Plus costs $29.99 for the first year, and Standard renews at $79.99, Security.org notes.
A month of Astrill costs about what Norton Plus costs for a year. Our renewal price guide compares.
Devices
VIP also adds extra servers, mostly in East Asia.
Astrill allows five devices, VPN.com notes, despite its site’s unlimited claim, which Tom’s Guide calls untrue; VIP adds unlimited devices and router support. Norton’s Standard and Plus plans allow five, and Ultimate allows 10.
Astrill’s VPN Sharing lets one device act as a hub for others, TechRadar notes.
Apps and Features
Astrill’s apps look dated but are straightforward, TechRadar notes.
Astrill offers two kill switches, one for chosen apps and one global, Tom’s Guide notes, but no Smart DNS, TechRadar adds. Norton offers split tunnelling on Windows and Android, IP Rotation and Double VPN.
Check features on the platform you use most.
Streaming
Neither guarantees access to every service.
Test the services you use within Norton’s refund window.
Tom’s Guide highlights Norton VPN’s strong streaming unblocking. Cloudwards found Astrill can now access more streaming platforms than before, though it is not its focus.
For streaming outside China, Norton is the better bet.
Who Each Is For
Astrill suits residents of and frequent travellers to mainland China who need StealthVPN and accept no audit, session logs and no refunds. Norton suits everyone else who wants audited, simple protection with a long refund window.
One Capterra reviewer suggests treating Astrill as one tool among several in China.
Astrill’s longer plans cost $180 a year or $300 for two years, our tables record, about half the monthly rate. Norton’s first year costs $29.99 on Plus.
Even on two years, Astrill costs several times more than Norton.
Routers, Smart Mode, Owners and Base
Astrill supports DD-WRT, Tomato and Asuswrt-Merlin routers, our tables record, and its Smart Mode sends local traffic outside the tunnel, which helps users in China reach domestic sites. We found no router app for Norton in our sources.
For a whole home in China, a router running Astrill is the simplest setup.
VPN.com places Astrill in the Seychelles, outside Five Eyes. Gen Digital owns Norton alongside Avast, Avira, AVG and CCleaner, and its policy allows sharing data within the group, Security.org notes.
Read both privacy policies before choosing.
Speed and Connection
Connections through OpenWeb and StealthVPN start almost instantly, TechRadar found, though OpenVPN connections took unusually long, and everyday speeds were adequate rather than exceptional. Norton connects in one tap on its main apps. For a head-to-head, see our IPVanish vs Astrill comparison.
In China, connection reliability matters more than raw speed.
VPN Sharing
Astrill’s VPN Sharing turns your main device into a VPN hub for others on the network, TechRadar notes, which helps cover smart-home gadgets that cannot run a VPN app. Norton has no comparable feature in our sources. Our FastestVPN vs Norton VPN comparison sets the two side by side.
It is a useful workaround for TVs and gadgets in a China flat.
How We Research
This page draws on Tom’s Guide’s, TechRadar’s, Gizmodo’s, Cloudwards’ and VPN.com’s Astrill coverage, Tom’s Guide’s reports on Norton VPN’s 2025 changes and Security.org’s Norton coverage. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 8 October 2026. The main source we relied on is Tom’s Guide’s Astrill review. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Astrill vs Norton VPN FAQ
Astrill for China; Norton for everyone else.
No; Norton has two no-logs audits.
Gizmodo found it does not; Norton gives 60 days.
Connection time, IP, device type and app version during each session, its policy says.
Norton, at $29.99 for the first year.
The Verdict
Astrill vs Norton VPN: Astrill only if China is the reason you need a VPN; Norton for audited, affordable protection everywhere else.