Leading Antivirus & Security Brands in Q1 2025: A Sensor Tower Analysis

Introduction

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, antivirus and security solutions remain crucial for users across the globe. This article delves into the performance of leading brands in the US for Q1 2025, focusing on NordVPN, Express VPN International Ltd., and LastPass. Using Sensor Tower’s comprehensive data, we explore trends across web, app, and advertising channels, revealing insights into user engagement and market strategies.

NordVPN

NordVPN has maintained a strong presence in the antivirus and security category with significant user engagement across its platforms.

• Audience Trends: NordVPN’s websites, nordvpn.com and nordpass.com, showed varied performance. Nordvpn.com consistently attracted over 2M unique visitors monthly, while nordpass.com averaged around 500K. The monthly deduplicated audience remained stable above 9M across Q1 2025.

• App Engagement: The NordVPN: VPN Fast & Secure app experienced a rise in monthly active users, peaking at over 3.4M in January before stabilizing around 3M by March.

• Ad Spend & Channels: NordVPN’s monthly advertising expenditure peaked in January at approximately $1.3M, with significant impressions across OTT and desktop display channels. Notably, Facebook and Instagram were key platforms for reaching audiences, with millions of impressions monthly.

Express VPN International Ltd.

Express VPN International Ltd. demonstrated robust engagement and strategic advertising in Q1 2025.

• Audience Trends: The website expressvpn.com attracted substantial traffic, peaking at over 21M visits in December, with a steady decline to around 15M by March. The monthly deduplicated audience consistently hovered around 9M.

• App Engagement: The ExpressVPN: Ultra Secure VPN app maintained a stable monthly active user base, averaging close to 900K active users throughout the quarter.

• Ad Spend & Channels: ExpressVPN’s ad spend saw a peak in January at over $480K, with a broad reach across TikTok and YouTube, delivering millions of monthly impressions.

LastPass

LastPass continued to be a key player in password management, with dynamic audience engagement.

• Audience Trends: The website lastpass.com experienced significant traffic, with unique visits consistently above 1.5M and peaking in January. The monthly deduplicated audience remained steady around 5.8M.

• App Engagement: The LastPass Password Manager app showed stable user engagement, maintaining monthly active users around 500K throughout the quarter.

• Ad Spend & Channels: LastPass’s monthly ad spending surged to nearly $150K in March, with a strong focus on Facebook and YouTube, resulting in high impression counts.

Conclusion

Through the detailed insights provided by Sensor Tower, it is evident that NordVPN, Express VPN International Ltd., and LastPass have successfully navigated the antivirus and security landscape in Q1 2025. With strategic advertising and robust user engagement across web and app platforms, these brands continue to lead the market. Sensor Tower remains the unparalleled source for comprehensive cross-platform data, empowering brands with critical insights into user behavior and market dynamics.