NordVPN VS ProtonVPN Comparison

UPDATED Apr. 2024
Table Of Contents+
This website features affiliate links. For purchases made via these links, we earn commissions that allow us to keep producing helpful content. To find out more click here. Close

ProtonVPN and NordVPN are two VPN companies that are considered by both users and experts to be among the best in the business. How to decide which provider to subscribe for? You need to compare them carefully, bearing in mind your own particular needs and what you need a VPN for in the first place.

ProtonVPN
Best For Security Buffs
VS
NordVPN
Best For General Users

Highlights

ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is a powerful VPN solution that enables you to enjoy great speeds, excellent performance, and maximum security and privacy. It keeps no logs, offers built-in Tor and P2P support, and allows up to 10 concurrent connections.
  • Great ease of use
  • AES-256 encryption
  • DNS leak protection
NordVPN
NordVPN has some of the best speeds in the VPN business and plenty of attractive features to offer to its clients, including an excellent security suite and various dedicated servers in more than 60 countries across the globe.
  • Double encryption
  • P2P-friendly
  • Netflix servers
  • 5,100+ servers

Compare Prices

Company
1 Month
3 Months
6 Months
1 Year
2 Years
ProtonVPN
1 Month
$5.00
3 Months
/
6 Months
/
1 Year
$4.00
2 Years
/
NordVPN
1 Month
$11.95
3 Months
/
6 Months
/
1 Year
$6.99
2 Years
$3.99
* The prices shown represent the cost of one month within different subscriptions. To see all available plans and pricing options, check individual reviews.

Compare Features

ProtonVPN
Based In
Switzerland
Number Of Servers
520+ (a couple fo them are free)
Number Of Countries
40+
Protocols
OpenVPN, IKEV2
Encryption
AES-256; RSA-2048 key exchange; HMAC with SHA-256 authentication
Simultaneous Connections
Up to 10 - Visionary Plan; 1 - Free Plan
Logs Policy
no logs
Dedicated IP
Killswitch
DNS Leak Protection
Allows Torrenting
Torrenting Servers
SmartDNS
NordVPN
Based In
Panama
Number Of Servers
3557
Number Of Countries
61
Protocols
OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP and IPSec
Encryption
256-bit AES (double encryption)
Simultaneous Connections
6
Logs Policy
no logs
Dedicated IP
Killswitch
DNS Leak Protection
Allows Torrenting
Torrenting Servers
SmartDNS

Supported Devices

ProtonVPN
Windows
OS X
Linux
Android
iOS
NordVPN
Windows
OS X
Linux
Android
iOS
Router

Compare Ratings

ProtonVPN
FINAL RATING
9.6/10
Anonymity
Reliability
Performance
Features
Support
Value For Money
NordVPN
FINAL RATING
9.8/10
Anonymity
Reliability
Performance
Features
Support
Value For Money

Compare User Reviews

ProtonVPN
  • Submitted By SB135 on 07/31/2019
    I'm happy with ProtonVPN, in todays world of hacking, its best to be safe than sorry, so if you can afford the Visionary Plan go for it, gives you both encrypted email for your own email and domain names and ProtonVPN is included in that price. If there is company worth supporting by buying a subscription it is certainly this one. I also like the idea that it is Swiss based. Very Happy, i highly recommend ProtonVPN to all internet users and if you can afford it buying a yearly subscription is worth the effort! You simply can't put a price of security these days!
  • Submitted By Libero Zagreo on 02/28/2019
    I have a Plus account and I use it both on Linux (Debian) and Android. I don't know why many websites don't consider Proton in they comparisons: it seems to be an excellent VPN service, not cheap but if you can afford a Plus account it's worth the money. Visionary is very expensive but it's for companies and most users don't need it at all. Speed is decent and, if you use a close server, it's almost equal to your normal speed. What i like of Proton is the secure-core option (only for Plus and Visionary) that allow you to use an extra server located in a privacy-friendly country and the TOR servers: thanks to TOR servers you can browse onion sites without installing TOR: you just enable onion in Firefox from "about:config": find "network.dns.blockDotOnion;true", double click and change it to "network.dns.blockDotOnion;false". You are done! On Android it works like a charm both on wifi and data. For Linux users my advice is to use the command line version rather than manage it from the network-manager. My final thought about it: ProtonVPN is a solid reliable service to protect your privacy and encrypt your traffic.
  • Submitted By Bharat Sahu on 02/19/2019
    5 stars
  • Submitted By Martin Dale on 05/28/2018
    This is brilliant for what I want it for, using it for Windows now just waiting for it to be on the Amazon Firestick/TV.
NordVPN
  • Submitted By Yaretzi Peterson on 12/04/2019
    Usually, I stick to what I know and nordVPN happens to be just one of the examples of a reliable company that always delivers what’s promised. I really didn’t want to waste time or money on trying out some unknown brand and possibly ending up with a bad product. But what made me choose Nord yet again is that I use multiple brand devices and platforms for my job and Nord supports every one of them… it was really a no brainer.
  • Submitted By Al Gonzalez on 11/29/2019
    I moved from ExpressVpn to Nord to save money and got the 1 year deal. Initially Nord has good performance in the first three-four months. Then there servers started disconnecting frequently sometimes the servers would stop working and you had to reconnect to a new one. This can be inconvenient if do stream or download a lot. After the security fallout with Nord where they had one of their servers hacked for almost an year, more Nord servers started having issues such as a missing password or otherwise you couldn't connect to them. The US servers were alright but they can sometimes stop working after a period of time. Express never had this problem. I spent nearly a month in one of their servers. With Nord you'd be hard pressed to stick with the same server for a day or two. Overall Nord is okay. The Kill Switch works. I did checks with Ipeaks both on my computer and phone Ive seen no DNS leaks so far. Comes with anti-adware/malware and it works. Autoconnect on phone is like the kill switch. Has potential overall to recover from the embarrassing security gaffe but Nords biggest challenge will be server stability. This seems to be a problem with a lot of new name and affordable vpns. Nord been in the game for a while but longevity of servers is very important. Hope they get their game together or otherwise might have to go back to Express or an equally good alternative.
  • Submitted By Magnus on 10/26/2019
    Since the beginning of October, NordVPN does not work in Hangzhou AT ALL! I can't vouch for other cities. Their support team is polite but useless. They conceded they needed to *invent* a new protocol to get their VPN to work here. Even though a refund was requested by me within 30 days (for a renewal--they were great for a year!), they refused to answer my request and kept stalling my support ticket. I'm still awaiting my refund. USE THEM AT YOUR PERIL IF YOU LIVE IN CHINA! Caveat emptor!!
  • Submitted By Sammi on 09/17/2019
    Love these guys even after having it for 2 years. Super fast and makes me feel safer online.

Winner

NordVPN is widely known as one of the best services on the market thanks to its impressive features, bulletproof security setup, and knowledgeable 24/7 customer support. Read more in this honest review.

* All the prices on this website are subject to change without notice. While we put a great deal of effort into making sure that all the prices are accurate, one or more products may have outdated prices. Please visit the specific product’s official website for exact prices.