It doesn’t get much better than Proton VPN and NordVPN. These security giants pack the power of a bull, offering a litany of servers, ironclad privacy, and unbeatable security. Both providers are built like a tank, with excellent performance and streaming abilities.
This makes the Proton VPN vs NordVPN comparison quite difficult. We have two all-around options whose prices are pocket-friendly. On the other hand, they seem to be very similar, with very few differences, at least on paper. So, what’s the best course of action?
Which VPN should you choose as your main driver; NordVPN or Proton VPN? This comparison will address this question and answer it clearly. As always, you’ll get a clear winner, with no “it depends” types of answers. Let this fierce battle begin – it’ll be rough.
Proton VPN vs NordVPN: Overview
Let’s cut it short for those too impatient. NordVPN is a better provider in general and our go-to option when pinned against Proton VPN. Here are some of their most notable features side by side to hopefully help you decide:
| Proton VPN | NordVPN | |
| Our Current Ranking | #4 | #1 |
| Prices | Starting At $3.59/mo | Starting At $3.09/mo |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 Days | 30 Days |
| Free Version | Yes | No |
| Logging | No | No |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN | NordLynx, OpenVPN |
| Servers | 8,200+ in 112 countries | 6,400+ in 111 countries |
| Specialty Servers | Onion Over VPN, P2P, Streaming, Secure Core | Double VPN, Obfuscated, Onion Over VPN, P2P, Dedicated IP |
| RAM-Only Servers | Yes | Yes |
| Working With Netflix | Yes (~10 catalogs) | Yes (20+ catalogs) |
| P2P Allowance | Yes | Yes |
| Simultaneous Connections | 10 | 10 |
Applications & Ease of Use
To use a VPN, you need to install the app – that’s how a VPN works. The good thing about both is their compatibility. NordVPN and Proton VPN work on Windows, Linux, and macOS computers. Simultaneously, they have clients for iPhones and Android phones – nice!
When it comes to “non-typical” platforms, both providers do just fine. For example, you’ll find their apps on Amazon Store, which means they can be installed on Firestick. NordVPN has a phenomenal Apple TV app, while both offer a native Android TV option.
Ease of use is a strong point of both rivals. Proton VPN and NordVPN look similar, with a world map in the middle and the server list on the left. The latter looks a bit better but generally, they’re easy to use and quick to connect. The entire process lasts a second.
NordVPN’s settings are accessible in seconds and you don’t have to open new windows. Proton VPN is the same but its settings menu boots up in the new window, which looks a bit cheap to us. Its mobile apps are state-of-the-art, excelling in snappiness and simplicity.
What about their browser extensions? Well, we know that NordVPN is a superior Chrome VPN; it offers extensions for other browsers, as well. On top of that, NordVPN’s extensions support location spoofing and are streaming-optimized. Proton VPN is lacking a bit in comparison to NordVPN.
It has WebRTC leak protection and Secure Core – two still great features. Simultaneous connections are identical on both sides – we have 10. That brings us to the result of the first Proton VPN vs NordVPN round. No doubt, it’s a tie having everything we said in mind.
NordVPN vs Proton VPN: Price Comparison
Which VPN costs more, Proton VPN or NordVPN? That’s a good question but you’ll be surprised at how similarly priced they are, at least in their cheapest variants.
NordVPN Prices
NordVPN’s flexibility shines brightly with every inspection. It offers 2-year, 1-year, and 1-month plans, where the first are the cheapest. At the moment, the provider costs roughly $3.1 a month, with a 73% discount and 3 free months. If you ask us, a great price.
If you move on to its 1-year plans, the monthly price will jump but you’ll commit to a shorter. Notice that its annual plans don’t have 3 free months, so they’re not as generous. We won’t delve deeper into its monthly deals because they’re not deals but rather expensive plans.
NordVPN’s Basic plan is enough to make you jump in excitement. However, the Plus plan is a lot better and costs about $1/mo more, which is why we recommend it. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing for swift refunds if your satisfaction is null.
Also, don’t expect a free plan here. The only way to get it for free is with a 7-day free trial through Google Play. You’ll need an Android device for that. If you do, know that this is the most impressive provider for this system – other great VPNs for Android are here.
Proton VPN Prices
Proton VPN has three amazing plans with the prices displayed below. Warning – these prices are available through Gizmodo and are a part of Proton VPN’s special discount. Essentially, this is the same 2-year plan that costs a little over $3.5 – no free months here.
The 12-month plan is also not to be overlooked, as it costs just under $4 a month and is considered far cheaper than ExpressVPN’s equivalent at $6.67. Even the monthly plan is a great option considering it’s around $10 and not over $12 like NordVPN.
Proton VPN has never been cheap, as its 2-year plan was priced at $5 a month; give or take. Nowadays, Proton VPN’s price is much more feasible, and with a 30-day money-back guarantee, it’s risk-free in case you want to jump in on board. There’s another incentive.
Proton VPN has a FREE plan that you can use forever. You need to sign up, install its app, and enjoy unlimited bandwidth, stone-hard security, and no-logging practices. While this provider is marginally more expensive, the addition of an excellent free VPN is tremendous.
Get the Best Proton VPN’s Deal
All of this means one thing: it is Proton VPN’s victory in the second round against NordVPN.
NordVPN vs Proton VPN Features
Similar prices don’t always mean a comparable level of quality and features. In this section of the Proton VPN vs NordVPN analysis, let’s see which provider will prevail and offer more features and better security.
Shared Features
Since VPNs work the same, we can always expect some similar, if not the same features. Let’s list them here and see how like-minded Proton VPN and NordVPN are.
- Strong encryption. Both use AES-256-bit encryption, which keeps you safe at all times. It’s impenetrable and also used by the military, which speaks volumes about its quality.
- WireGuard. This protocol is widely popular for speed and security. While both offer it, NordVPN has branded it NordLynx. It’s a slightly improved version of the protocol that accentuates anonymity and is somewhat more secure.
- Ad-blocking. Both providers can block ads and trackers to keep away online threats. NordVPN’s Threat Protection is a bit better than Proton VPN’s Net Shield. We’ll explain why in a minute.
- Kill switch. You can find this feature in both options and it’s essential for data leak prevention. NordVPN’s advanced kill switch can be customized further to prevent internet access when the VPN is disabled.
- Split tunneling. Great for routing only specific portions of your traffic. Choose which apps will be tunneled through a VPN and enjoy them without altering your IP.
- Perfect Forward Secrecy. This feature assigns different encryption keys to each connection, preventing each subsequent session from being compromised. A new connection is followed by a new encryption key for the maximum security.
Unique Features
We haven’t mentioned features like RAM-based servers, IPv6 leak protection, Private DNS, and a few more. These are standard options in flagship providers like NordVPN or Proton VPN, so there’s nothing new. Let’s focus on the differences that will determine the winner.
Double VPN/Secure Core Servers
One of NordVPN’s key features is a Double VPN. You can use it to effectively double your encryption by routing the connection through two servers. There’s an entry and exit server, creating an unbreakable and untraceable connection for the highest security level.
NordVPN has “pre-determined” pairs, so you can’t choose entry and exit servers like in Surfshark (we also compared Surfshark to NordVPN here).
Proton VPN has Secure Core servers that work similarly. They also use two servers to secure your connection.
However, one of these servers is either in Iceland, Sweden, or Switzerland. These are so-called “Secure Core” locations shipped and provisioned by Proton. When you activate Secure Core, you can choose through which of these three locations to route your connection first.
Use Secure Core Servers from Proton VPN
After that, you can select any location you want and enjoy. We believe Proton VPN’s Secure Core is slightly better than NordVPN’s Double VPN servers. It’s more customizable, plus, these servers are owned by Proton.
Stealth/Obfuscation
Proton VPN has a Stealth VPN protocol on Windows and macOS. At the time of this NordVPN vs Proton VPN duel, the latter offers the feature only on these two platforms. As the name implies, it’s made to fight censorship and does so fairly well – except for China.
NordVPN has obfuscation in the form of obfuscated servers. They hide the fact that you’re using a VPN and let you bypass deep-packet inspection. We love this feature because it functions so well, even if you’re in the most censored regions – we’re looking at you, China.
Real-Time Malware Protection
While Proton can only block ads and trackers – still commendable, by the way – NordVPN can protect you against malware. Its Threat Protection comprises Web Protection, File Protection, and Vulnerability Protection, all working towards your ultimate security.
Web Protection is real-time protection against malware, ads, and trackers. File Protection protects against malicious downloads, which is handy if you make a mistake and accidentally download something you shouldn’t. Vulnerability Protection is the most interesting.
It alerts you about vulnerable apps on your device, letting you know if you’re at risk of cyberattacks. We’ve seen a similar feature in CyberGhost and its optional Security Updater. While we love CyberGhost VPN, Vulnerability Protection in NordVPN is a bit more reliable.
Other Security Features
So far, NordVPN has taken the lead by offering a few more features than Proton VPN overall. We prefer Secure Core over a Double VPN but NordVPN offers even more. For example, there’s Meshnet for secure file sharing, IP routing, and remote device access. A unique feature, mind you.
This provider also offers a Dark Web Monitor, which you’ll find buried deep on Proton VPN’s account page when you log in. Paying more for NordVPN’s Complete plan lets you delete your data from data brokers and have a clean slate, which its rival doesn’t offer.
Make no mistake – both options are terrific and offer staggering levels of security. However, NordVPN has a slight edge over Proton VPN thanks to more powerful obfuscation, malware protection, Meshnet, and data broker removal from Incogni (available in the Complete plan).
Secure Your Connection With NordVPN
Do Proton VPN and NordVPN Store Logs?
Here’s a short answer – no. We don’t have to talk in riddles and make this Proton VPN vs NordVPN comparison longer than it needs to be.
NordVPN’s jurisdiction is Panama, which screams privacy. Switzerland where its rival resides is also phenomenal and privacy-friendly.
Privacy Policy Analysis
Moving on to their privacy policies, we can immediately see some great news. NordVPN’s policy overview tells us that the provider keeps no logs of your IP address, online history, connection timestamps, real location, and so on. No identifiable data whatsoever.
Proton VPN’s concise privacy policy is no less awesome – it’s pristine! As you can see, the same applies to the Swiss giant that keeps no identifiable information on its servers. Speaking of servers, both providers rely on the RAM-based ones, which is always nice.
RAM servers can be wiped clean of data with a simple restart. If the server is seized, the provider can flip the switch and clear it in a blink. Both providers have third-party audits as well. We covered audits from PwC and Deloitte in our more detailed NordVPN test.
Proton VPN has several audits that praised its security, privacy, and transparency. After all, Proton operates similarly to Nord Security in terms of efforts to amplify online safety. Such efforts on both sides lead both providers to another tie.
Which VPN Is Faster: NordVPN or Proton VPN?
Speed is important if you’re always in a hurry. If not, it still is unless you love slow internet connections. Below are the speed test results of our internet without a VPN.
We were in Belgrade at the time and have tested both providers 3 times a day, 3 days in a row.
Since we were in Europe, we used 3 server locations, some nearer, some farther. We focused on the UK, the USA, and Japan as some of the most popular online locations. To ensure we’re leveling the playing field, we also didn’t tinker with protocols – both VPNs were untouched.
Enjoy Lightning-Fast Speed With NordVPN
In other words, we used “Automatic” to let them decide which protocols they wanted to use. To better describe how much one is faster than the other, we displayed their average speed drops in percentages in the table below, based on all the tests we’ve performed.
| Download Speed Loss | Upload Speed Loss | |
| NordVPN | 18% | 7% |
| Proton VPN | 43% | 21% |
The table shows a clear win for NordVPN. It’s 25% and 14% faster in download and upload speeds. To give you an overview of how that looks in practice, here are the exact speed test results we’ve achieved. You’ll see that the Swiss provider isn’t an avid performer.
| UK (Download/Upload) | US (Download/Upload) | Japan (Download/Upload) | |
| NordVPN | 324.25/18.68 Mbps | 292.75/18.31 Mbps | 223.54/17.85 Mbps |
| Proton VPN | 195.66/18.47 Mbps | 260.69/11.56 Mbps | 119.74/16.21 Mbps |
Streaming & Torrenting
Let’s advance this Proton VPN vs NordVPN comparison towards torrenting and streaming – or vice versa. Both providers excel in these categories but one will inevitably win. Who? Stay with us to find out.
Streaming
In the review of Proton VPN on Gizmodo, we said we loved its streaming and P2P servers. The former servers were surprisingly capable of unblocking Netflix catalogs, Hotstar, BBC iPlayer, and other prevalent services. No errors there, especially if you love watching Netflix.
The streaming experience was great despite the provider’s slightly slower speeds. Enabling its VPN Accelerator didn’t do much but still, we didn’t have to use it because our speeds were always above 100 Mbps. Proton VPN lacks Smart DNS, which we hope to see soon.
Unblock Streaming Platforms With NordVPN
NordVPN’s streaming prowess doesn’t lie in dedicated servers – it doesn’t have this type of server. However, it manages to unblock MORE Netflix catalogs, around 20+, and provide a slightly better experience. On top of that, it offers Smart DNS, which extends its abilities.
Keep in mind the provider is faster, so if your native internet speed is slow, it’ll make a difference. Reducing your speed from 50 Mbps to 30 Mbps is no small feat and will be radically different. Luckily, that won’t happen with the Panamanian provider.
Torrenting
P2P downloads and file sharing are a breeze for both NordVPN and Proton VPN. They have P2P-dedicated servers. Connect to one and blitz through your downloads swiftly. Proton VPN includes Port Forwarding, which many use to speed up their torrents but not by much.
NordVPN offers SOCKS5, which offers almost the same benefits. It can be set up directly in the Torrent client for the best results. In 99.99% of the cases, we haven’t bothered with this. Instead, we just connect to the nearest P2P servers and couldn’t care less!
Torrenting performance is similar, but streaming is NordVPN’s forte, making it the winner against Proton VPN.
Server Locations of Proton VPN and NordVPN
Proton VPN’s competitive server fleet will trump almost any provider who faces it. At the time of comparing the two services, the server count is as follows:
- Proton VPN has 8,200+ servers in 112 countries
- NordVPN has 6,400+ servers in 111 countries
The Swiss company has roughly 2,00 servers more, which wasn’t the case until recently. On the other hand, the server variety is similar, as both offer:
- Double VPN/Secure Core servers
- P2P servers
- Streaming servers (Proton)
- Onion Over VPN servers
- Obfuscated servers (NordVPN)
The key difference is that NordVPN offers dedicated IP addresses, which are not available with Proton VPN. We’d venture to say it’s the most appreciated dedicated IP VPN at that! The server distribution is immaculate in both, so there’s no point in delving deeper.
You’ll find no shortage of locations for day-to-day enjoyment. Proton VPN will win this round because it has more servers but really, we can’t say NordVPN’s server park is unimpressive.
Use Proton VPN’s Vast Server Fleet
Bypassing Censorship: Which VPN Does It Better?
Despite its Stealth VPN, Proton VPN’s ability to bypass censorship isn’t always at its apex. For instance, the provider isn’t working in China, which it admits on its website. The good thing is that Stealth works well for restricted networks and “mildly” censored countries.
On the other side, NordVPN’s obfuscation blows Proton VPN out of the water. Having tested both in China, we can confirm that NordVPN is working well. The Great Firewall is ever-changing and with frequent upgrades, it’s hard for providers to keep up.
NordVPN is among the few VPNs that work in China in 2024. Proton VPN is yet to arrive there but we’re excited if they’re cooking up some improvements in this field. To clarify again, NordVPN takes home this round.
Conclusion: NordVPN Wins Against Proton VPN
It’s already time to conclude the Proton VPN vs NordVPN analysis. As you noticed, NordVPN came out on top.
Its award-winning formula that combines security, speed, privacy, and ample servers is no match for the Swiss provider. However, the latter is far from bad. It went almost shoulder-to-shoulder with its “foe.”
NordVPN is better regarding security features, streaming, speed, and bypassing censorship. Proton VPN fared better in terms of pricing and server locations, while it was on par in privacy, torrenting, and device compatibility. So, let’s answer your question from the start.
Which provider should you pick? Being a superior option overall, you should pick NordVPN. At a similar price point, our experts think this provider is a more sensible investment. However, feel free to follow your heart and pick whichever is your bag of beans.