NordVPN vs Proton VPN Comparison

It’s important to carefully consider what you get for your money with each product. This includes delving into both VPNs’ main selling points, additional features, security, performance, and of course, pricing.

In our speed test, Proton VPN showed superiority to NordVPN, especially for downloads. However, NordVPN showed better performance in uploads for long distance servers. Regarding ping times, Proton VPN was also the winner.

Even though Proton VPN outperformed NordVPN in most speed metrics, it still holds up well and you probably won’t notice a difference when navigating or streaming.

Subscribing to NordVPN unlocks over 6,000 servers in over 100 locations, with different specialised options for P2P, double VPN, obfuscated servers, and support for Onion over VPN. You can also take advantage of its virtual servers for connecting to hard-to-access locations, or purchase a dedicated IP for an additional monthly cost.

Proton VPN also provides an extensive server list, with over 8,500 across the world. All servers are easily distinguishable from one another with designated icons for its purpose: streaming, P2P, and Onion over VPN.

While both show excellent server support, Proton VPN provides a few more options, including designated servers for streaming.

Despite Proton VPN's specific servers for streaming, NordVPN ended up performing slightly better. Both can unlock region locked content for the most popular platforms, including Netflix, ESPN, Amazon Prime, and HBO. However, you might find Proton VPN to be not as effective for unblocking certain libraries.

Additionally, while both VPNs offer excellent support for downloading torrents safely, anonymously, and with above average speeds, there’s a slight difference. In general, NordVPN provides more connection stability, which makes it essential for frequent and large torrent file downloading. Plus, NordVPN's SOCKS 5 proxy feature offers a lightweight, flexible, and speedy alternative for P2P when encryption is not a priority.

For encryption, NordVPN has the upper hand due to its signature encryption standard, NordLynx. It matches or even performs better than standard WireGuard, since it’s specifically tuned to harness the full power of NordVPN's network infrastructure. Other than this, both provide other popular encryption options, such as OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec.

In terms of anonymity, both services are regularly and independently audited. While NordVPN leverages its Panama-based no retention privacy laws, Proton VPN benefits from its stringent Swiss-based data protection laws. This means that both are outside the 14 eyes surveillance alliance, making them some of the best VPN options when it comes to user privacy.

Regarding other relevant security and privacy features, both services are excellent. Both offer a kill switch, split tunneling, double VPN, DNS leak protection, and even ad and malware blockers. Nonetheless, we’d like to highlight Proton VPN's fully open-source approach, which is a must for privacy-conscious users.

In terms of additional features, these VPNs are highly competitive. NordVPN's more expensive plans offer advanced threat protection, password management, and secure cloud storage. Proton VPN matches these additions and raises the bar in terms of integrations, with its own privacy-first app ecosystem.

These two VPNs are leaders in the market with each catering to different types of users. NordVPN excels when it comes to entertaining purposes, with high-quality streaming platform unblocking, smooth playback, and speedy torrent download. On the other hand, Proton VPN is spot-on for privacy enthusiasts, thanks to its completely open source model.

NordVPN and Proton VPN offer pretty much the same level of device compatibility, supporting Windows, macOS, gaming consoles, smartphones, smart TVs, and routers. One of the main differences between them is regarding Smart DNS, which is only provided by NordVPN.

That said, you can enjoy modern and user-friendly apps whichever VPN you go for. The main difference is that Proton VPN might require a steeper learning curve for users not familiar with VPN-esque terms and technology.

On the flip side, it offers a free and lightweight browser extension for anyone looking to encrypt browsing data only. In contrast, NordVPN's browser extension is part of its paid packages.

In the end, both offer reliable app support and usability, with NordVPN focusing on ease of use and Proton VPN providing a more in-depth user experience.

NordVPN's cheapest subscription costs only $3.09 per month, billed biennially and including three free months of service. This translates into a 73% discount when compared to the $12.99 monthly plan. To access its advanced capabilities, users can purchase the service for $3.99 or $4.99 per month, depending on the level of features required. All NordVPN's purchases are secured with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

In contrast, Proton VPN has a free version with no bandwidth limit, support for one device at a time, and five servers. That said, this version doesn’t include all the bell and whistles, like streaming or P2P servers. Thanks to our exclusive deal for Best Reviews readers, its paid VPN Plus subscriptions start at $3.59 per month, billed every two years, resulting in a 64% off deal, compared to the $9.99 monthly option. Much like NordVPN, all Proton VPN's purchases are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

When considering the price to number of features ratio, NordVPN is the winner. It offers a stable and reliable VPN solution, primarily for entertainment purposes like streaming, gaming, and downloading.

Still, we’d like to highlight Proton VPN's free version, which is a great option for users on a budget. It’s also important to emphasise that anyone willing to pay a few extra cents per month can get Proton VPN for as low as $3.59 per month, with the option to build a privacy-focused Proton app ecosystem, including Proton Mail, Proton Pass, and Proton Drive.

When it comes to getting help, NordVPN provides extensive resources that include FAQs, blogs, and guides. For reaching out to customer support agents, users can use its contact form or 24/7 live chat, praised for its promptness. The majority of users rate this VPN’s support quality as excellent.

Meanwhile, Proton VPN offers getting started and troubleshooting guides, a blog, and FAQs. For getting in touch with its support agents, there’s an email submission form and a live chat that’s exclusive for paying customers. While you still may get a quick reply via email, Proton VPN's customer support is generally considered poor by the online community.

NordVPN and Proton VPN offer the same service but each provide a unique skillset. NordVPN excels in torrenting stability and user experience, making it a go-to option for users looking for neat entertainment features.

In contrast, Proton VPN has a free version, a larger server network, and is one of the best choices for privacy-focused users. On top of this, users can easily build a privacy-oriented app ecosystem within Proton by subscribing to its other services, such as Proton Drive and Proton Mail. Additionally, Proton VPN offers a free version and outperformed NordVPN in most speed tests.

While both VPNs have their strengths and flaws, we recommend reading our in-depth reviews for each product to ensure you choose wisely.