Most VPNs protect your traffic but leave your files behind. We compared bundles that genuinely combine VPN + cloud storage — from Norton's managed all-in-one to self-hosted VPS setups — and picked the best for each use case.
Most VPNs protect your internet traffic but leave your files sitting in unprotected cloud drives. A VPN + cloud storage bundle fixes that: one subscription secures both your connection and your backups, with fewer logins, a lower total cost, and a single dashboard to manage everything. We evaluated bundles that genuinely combine both — and included a couple of self-hosted options for users who want full control.
How we picked: we filtered for products that actually bundle VPN and cloud storage (or enable the combo via self-hosting), then compared them on storage capacity, VPN data limits, ease of setup, and total price. Standalone VPNs without storage were excluded. We also looked at whether the bundle adds real value — antivirus, identity protection, password managers — or just repackages a basic VPN at a markup.
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Norton 360 Deluxe is the strongest managed bundle we found. You get 50 GB of cloud backup storage, a full-powered cross-platform VPN with no data caps, antivirus, a password manager, and parental controls — all in one app for 5 devices at $124.99/year.2 PCMag gave it an Editors' Choice award, citing its broad feature set and multi-platform coverage.2
The VPN is the real deal here, not a bolt-on: it's unlimited data with no throttling, which matters if you're streaming or backing up large files over an untrusted network. The 50 GB cloud backup is enough for documents, photos, and phone backups for a family, and Norton handles the encryption and redundancy for you — no server setup required.
Why it's the top pick: No other managed bundle matches the combination of unlimited VPN, real cloud backup, and a full security suite at this price. If you want one subscription that covers your connection, your files, and your devices, this is the one.
If you want identity theft protection layered on top of VPN and cloud storage, the Norton 360 with LifeLock tiers step up significantly. The Advantage plan covers up to 10 devices with 250 GB of cloud backup, bank and credit card activity alerts, data breach notifications, and up to $100,000 in stolen funds reimbursement.6 The Ultimate Plus tier pushes cloud backup to 250 GB (and higher tiers reach 500 GB) with identity theft protection for up to 10 devices.5
The trade-off is cost: LifeLock tiers run meaningfully higher than Norton 360 Deluxe. You're paying for the identity layer — credit monitoring, stolen funds reimbursement, and dark web surveillance — on top of the same VPN and backup infrastructure.
Who it's for: Users who already worry about identity theft and want it bundled with their VPN and storage rather than paying for a separate monitoring service. If you don't need identity protection, stick with Norton 360 Deluxe.
For technical users who want zero-knowledge control over both their VPN and their files, a self-hosted VPS is the most private option. Vultr Cloud Compute lets you spin up a WireGuard VPN and install Nextcloud for file storage on the same instance, giving you full data sovereignty with no vendor lock-in.7
The WireGuard-on-Vultr deployment demonstrates routing all client traffic through an encrypted tunnel for privacy and secure remote access.7 Pair that with Nextcloud and you have a private cloud storage system where only you hold the encryption keys.
The catch: you're responsible for setup, maintenance, backups, and security patching. There's no support hotline, no managed dashboard, and no automatic client updates. If a drive fails, your data is gone unless you set up redundancy yourself. This is a pick for people who enjoy running their own infrastructure — not for someone who wants a one-click install.
Hetzner offers affordable European cloud servers with GDPR-compliant infrastructure and green energy.8 The CX21 runs roughly €6/month and is powerful enough to host a WireGuard VPN plus Nextcloud for personal or small-team use.
The appeal here is price and jurisdiction: Hetzner operates under EU data protection law, which is a meaningful advantage if you're privacy-focused and want your data stored under GDPR. The same self-hosting caveats from the Vultr pick apply — you handle setup, security, and backups yourself.
Who it's for: Privacy-focused users in the EU (or anyone who wants GDPR jurisdiction) who are comfortable with self-hosting and want the cheapest path to a VPN + cloud storage combo. If you're not in Europe or don't care about GDPR, Vultr offers more global data center locations.
Aura is worth mentioning as a comparison point. It bundles identity theft monitoring, VPN, antivirus, and a password manager — a strong all-in-one security suite.4 However, Aura notably lacks cloud backup storage, which is the entire point of this roundup.4
Norton 360 offers cloud backup storage that you won't find with Aura, with capacities ranging from 2 GB to 500 GB depending on the plan.4 If you specifically need file storage alongside your VPN, Aura doesn't meet that requirement. We include it here so you can see what a non-storage bundle looks like and understand the gap.
| VPN | Cloud storage | Setup | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton 360 Deluxe | Unlimited, no caps | 50 GB managed | One-click install | Most families |
| Norton 360 w/ LifeLock | Unlimited, no caps | 250–500 GB managed | One-click install | Identity protection + storage |
| Vultr Cloud Compute | WireGuard (self-hosted) | Nextcloud (self-hosted) | Manual server setup | Full data sovereignty |
| Hetzner CX21 | WireGuard (self-hosted) | Nextcloud (self-hosted) | Manual server setup | Budget EU privacy |
| Aura | Included | None | One-click install | Identity only (no storage) |
Norton wins on convenience and value — managed backup and VPN in one app, no server to maintain. LifeLock adds identity layers at higher cost. Vultr and Hetzner win on control and privacy but require real setup effort. Aura is strong on identity but misses the storage requirement entirely.
The right pick depends on how much you want to manage yourself. If you want everything handled for you, Norton 360 Deluxe is the clear leader among managed options. If you want maximum control and don't mind running a server, the self-hosted route gives you privacy that no managed service can match.
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