Do I need this?

Check a product against your situation

Eight product categories

These product summaries compare free alternatives, exceptions and situations where a purchase may help.

• VPN service

  A service with a monthly fee that routes your traffic through another company's server.

  A VPN does not solve most home-browsing risks

  HTTPS protects website content between your browser and the site. A VPN does not stop scams, password abuse or malware on your device.

  What you can do without buying it

  Heed browser connection warnings and check the site address before signing in or paying.

  When this really is worth buying

  When you need remote access provided by your employer or repeatedly want to limit what a local network can observe about your traffic.

• Antivirus or security package

  A paid program or bundle that promises to protect your computer from malware.

  Windows protection is usually enough

  In an independent test laboratory's June 2026 round, Windows' own protection scored full marks for protection. Twelve other products received the same score.

  What you can do without buying it

  Check that Windows' own protection is switched on and that updates install automatically. Both are free.

  When this really is worth buying

  If you need a named extra feature such as parental controls or central management. An unsupported Windows version must be updated or replaced.

• New router

  The home network device a seller says is too old.

  Age alone is not a reason to replace it

  A router that still gets updates is not a risk because of its age alone. Speed can be a reason to replace it, but that is a different matter from safety.

  What you can do without buying it

  Install the updates that are available, and change the default password if you have not. Both are free.

  When this really is worth buying

  If the manufacturer stops making updates or the router does not support secure WPA2 or WPA3 encryption.

• Camera cloud storage subscription

  A monthly fee for keeping your security camera's recordings on the manufacturer's server.

  Local recording may be enough

  Your camera already records locally. The subscription adds a separate copy and possible extra features, but local recording may be enough for your needs.

  What you can do without buying it

  Check that local recording works and that you can export a recording yourself.

  When this really is worth buying

  If the camera can be taken or damaged and you still need the recording afterwards.

• Identity protection or credit monitoring

  A service with a monthly fee that promises to watch over how your personal details are used.

  Start with Finland's free credit ban

  Finland's free voluntary credit ban makes it harder to take out credit in your name. Paid monitoring may add alerts and other services; compare those after setting up the ban.

  What you can do without buying it

  Set up a vapaaehtoinen luottokielto (voluntary credit ban) in the positiivinen luottotietorekisteri (positive credit register) kept by Verohallinto, the Finnish Tax Administration. It costs nothing and it makes it hard for anyone using your details to get credit.

  When this really is worth buying

  After that, assess paid monitoring by the registers covered, practical help and annual price.

• Security box for the home network

  A box you plug into the network that promises to protect the smart devices in your home.

  It cannot replace device updates

  A network-security device may monitor or restrict traffic, but it cannot install a missing manufacturer software fix on another device.

  What you can do without buying it

  Check whether your router offers a guest network and whether it isolates smart devices from computers and phones. Availability depends on the router.

  When this really is worth buying

  If you need its traffic monitoring, time limits or parental controls and your router does not offer the same feature.

• Password manager

  A program that remembers your passwords for you and creates new ones.

  A free password manager is a good start

  A password manager solves a common problem: remembering a different password for every service. You may not need a paid version.

  What you can do without buying it

  Your browser's own password manager is free and enough for most people. It is an option if you do not want to install anything new.

  When this really is worth buying

  A paid one is worth it if you need to share passwords within the family, or to use them across several different operating systems.

• Paid extra cover

  A paid agreement that may cover breakdowns beyond your rights under the law.

  The law already covers many faults

  The end of the warranty does not end the seller's liability. Statutory liability for defects continues after it, and the law does not tie its length to a number of years.

  What you can do without buying it

  Keep the receipt or another purchase record and contact the seller if the device fails. The liability follows from how long a comparable device can be expected to last.

  When this really is worth buying

  If the seller says clearly what this gives you beyond the law, and if the device is one whose breaking would stop your daily life.

Checked 5 August 2026