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Government · head to head

CitizenLab vs Kaspersky Total Security

CitizenLab logo

CitizenLab

Government

Digital Democracy Platform

From
$500/month
Free plan
No
Kaspersky Total Security logo

Kaspersky Total Security

Cybersecurity

Complete protection for your digital life

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Only Kaspersky Total Security has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CitizenLab citizenLab has rebranded to Go Vocal and the product now sells under govocal.com; Kaspersky Total Security uS sales banned since June 2024 with support ending September 29, 2024
  • They diverge on capability: CitizenLab covers Participatory Budgeting, Kaspersky Total Security covers Real-time protection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CitizenLab and Kaspersky Total Security actually diverge.

Attributes where CitizenLab and Kaspersky Total Security differ
AttributeCitizenLabKaspersky Total Security
Starting price$500/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, macOS, iOS, Android
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded20151997

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CitizenLab

  • Participatory Budgeting
  • Idea Management
  • Online Consultations
  • Surveys & Polls
  • AI-powered Analysis
  • Single Sign-On
  • Open Data Portals
  • GIS Systems

Only in Kaspersky Total Security

  • Real-time protection
  • Ransomware protection
  • Safe Money
  • Privacy protection
  • Parental controls
  • Password manager
  • VPN
  • File encryption

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CitizenLab

  • Running community consultation and participatory budgeting for a citynot Kaspersky Total Security
  • Collecting resident input through surveys, ideation, mapping and votingnot Kaspersky Total Security
  • Centralising engagement data across multiple municipal departmentsnot Kaspersky Total Security

Kaspersky Total Security

  • Antivirusnot CitizenLab
  • Internet Securitynot CitizenLab
  • Parental Controlnot CitizenLab

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CitizenLab

  • CitizenLab has rebranded to Go Vocal and the product now sells under govocal.com
  • No prices are published on the plans page; every tier requires scheduling a demo
  • The Essential plan allows only 1 active project and 1 admin seat, with no project manager seats
  • Standard is limited to 4 admin seats and 5 project manager seats, and Premium to 8 admin seats and 25 project manager seats
  • Standard restricts Sensemaking to Light, capped at 30 inputs; auto-insights require Premium
  • The integrated Konveio document annotation and Echo blended engagement methods are excluded from Standard and require Premium
  • Auto-translation on Premium is limited to 3 languages
  • Custom fonts and other premium styling options are Premium only
  • Priority support is Premium only
  • Plans are split by population band, with separate ladders for cities under and over 100K population

Kaspersky Total Security

  • US sales banned since June 2024 with support ending September 29, 2024
  • VPN limited to 200 MB per day and servers in only 24 countries
  • Password manager has privacy concerns with questionable terms and policies
  • VPN and password manager only included in Plus and Premium tiers, not in Standard
  • Occasionally flags legitimate files as false positives
  • Firewall leaves open ports on public networks

Pricing, plan by plan

CitizenLab

$500/month
  • Government$500/month
    • Participatory Budgeting
    • Idea Collection
    • Surveys

Kaspersky Total Security

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic antivirus
    • No real-time protection
  • Standard$38.99/year
    • Antivirus
    • Firewall
    • Anti-phishing
  • Plus$52.99/year
    • Standard features
    • Password manager
    • VPN with limit
  • Premium$74.99/year
    • Plus features
    • Identity protection
    • Unlimited VPN

Which should you pick?

Choose CitizenLab if

  • You need participatory budgeting.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want idea management.

Choose Kaspersky Total Security if

  • You need real-time protection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ransomware protection.

Questions people ask

Is CitizenLab or Kaspersky Total Security better?
Neither clearly leads. CitizenLab starts at $500/month and Kaspersky Total Security at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CitizenLab or Kaspersky Total Security?
Kaspersky Total Security has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/month for CitizenLab and Free for Kaspersky Total Security.
Does CitizenLab or Kaspersky Total Security run on more platforms?
CitizenLab runs on Web, Ios, Android. Kaspersky Total Security runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
Can I use Kaspersky Total Security for free?
Yes. Kaspersky Total Security has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CitizenLab starts at $500/month.
What is CitizenLab best used for?
CitizenLab is most often used for running community consultation and participatory budgeting for a city, collecting resident input through surveys, ideation, mapping and voting, centralising engagement data across multiple municipal departments. Of those, running community consultation and participatory budgeting for a city and collecting resident input through surveys, ideation, mapping and voting are not what Kaspersky Total Security is typically brought in for.
What can CitizenLab do that Kaspersky Total Security cannot?
CitizenLab covers Participatory Budgeting, Idea Management, Online Consultations, Surveys & Polls. Kaspersky Total Security covers Real-time protection, Ransomware protection, Safe Money, Privacy protection. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CitizenLab: How many projects can Essential tier teams manage?

The Essential tier is designed for teams starting small and is limited to 1 active project with 1 admin seat and no project manager seats.

Source
Kaspersky Total Security: What does Kaspersky Total Security include?

Kaspersky Total Security (Premium tier) includes antivirus, firewall, password manager, VPN with 200 MB daily limit, parental controls (Kaspersky Safe Kids), and anti-ransomware protection.

Source
CitizenLab: How many projects can Standard and Premium tiers manage?

Both Standard and Premium tiers support unlimited projects. Standard includes 4 admin seats and 5 project manager seats, while Premium includes 8 admin seats and 25 project manager seats.

Source
Kaspersky Total Security: How much does Kaspersky Total Security cost?

Kaspersky Standard costs $38.99/year for 3 devices. Plus tier is $52.99/year for 5 devices. Premium is $74.99/year for 10 devices. Multi-year discounts available.

Source
CitizenLab: Does Enterprise tier have any user seat limits?

No, the Enterprise tier is designed for organizations aiming to embed engagement deeply within their infrastructure and includes unlimited admin seats and project managers.

Source
Kaspersky Total Security: Is Kaspersky available in the United States?

No. The U.S. government banned Kaspersky software sales in June 2024, with support and software updates ceasing September 29, 2024, citing national security concerns regarding Russian government ties.

Source
CitizenLab: What are the specific pricing amounts for each tier?

Specific pricing amounts are not disclosed on the plans page. The company directs interested organizations to talk to their team for personalized pricing offers.

Source
Kaspersky Total Security: Does Kaspersky have parental controls?

Yes. Premium and Plus tiers include one year free access to Kaspersky Safe Kids parental controls app, which provides activity reports, app monitoring, usage limits, and geo-fencing with location tracking.

Source
Kaspersky Total Security: How much does the VPN provide?

Kaspersky's free VPN (Kaspersky Secure Connection) offers only 200 MB per day of traffic, limiting data usage. Full VPN is included in Plus and Premium plans but with limited servers in only 24 countries.

Source
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