VirtualShield review

It can be for a small household that wants real-time protection with someone to call if it fails. The Virus Defense Promise is the stand-out: if VirtualShield's team can't clean an infected computer remotely, you get your money back, provided VirtualShield was installed and running before the virus was found.

The case is weaker on proof. VirtualShield's antivirus page claims a detection rate and speed advantages without citing a test, and we found no results for it from independent labs such as AV-Test or AV-Comparatives — AV-Comparatives' own list of consumer antivirus vendors doesn't include it. Windows already includes real-time protection, so a third-party antivirus has to show that it adds something.

VirtualShield Antivirus can be bought on its own or with VirtualShield's plans: its help centre says each service can be purchased individually or as an add-on, and puts the antivirus in its Ultimate plan, while the VirtualShield One product page bundles the antivirus with the VPN, ad and malware blocking, identity monitoring and personal data removal. The pricing page describes three tiers without naming them or listing what each includes, so check what your order covers at checkout.

VirtualShield started as a VPN provider, and its VPN, with a kill switch and Local Network Access (which its help centre calls split tunneling), comes with every one of its Basic, Plus and Ultimate plans. VirtualShield advertises unlimited devices, but one help-centre article makes that depend on two-factor sign-in it still calls coming soon and limits each user to five devices without it. DNS-level blocking of ads, trackers and malicious sites needs a Plus, Ultimate or One plan or an add-on. VirtualShield One puts the antivirus, the VPN with that blocking, identity monitoring and personal data removal in one subscription.

If you buy the antivirus on its own, check at checkout whether the VPN is part of your order. The identity features — Social Security number and address monitoring, credit tools — are built for US residents.

VirtualShield's terms (last updated August 5, 2022): subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing cycle unless cancelled, and new orders can be refunded within 60 days of the first charge — one-time charges and special offers excluded. Its help centre's sign-up guide adds a 7-day free trial on every plan, but other help articles say 30 days, the VirtualShield One page says "Try it free for 60 Days," and its pages advertise a 60-day money-back guarantee while one help article says 30 days, so rely on the terms and check the offer at checkout.

VirtualShield's help centre lists its antivirus app for Windows 7 and later, macOS 10.14 and later and Android 7.0 and later; on iPhone there's only its VPN app, as iOS doesn't allow classic antivirus. One VirtualShield product page still marks the Mac antivirus as coming soon, and Deep Scan isn't available on Android.

Antivirus installers for Windows and Mac come from your VirtualShield account dashboard rather than a public download page; the Android app is on Google Play.

VirtualShield is run by VirtualShield LLC, which gives a mailing address in Claymont, Delaware, and says it started from its founder's experience as a business VPN provider. Support is by live chat and email seven days a week, with tickets answered within 24 to 48 hours; there's no public phone line, and priority phone callbacks need a plan or add-on that includes them.