ProtonVPN vs NordVPN - Which is better?

VPN
1

I’ll say this right up front, I think both Proton VPN and NordVPN are great options. But that’s my problem. I can’t decide between the two. So I created this ProtonVPN vs NordVPN comparison and would like some feedback.

Right now I’m testing both of these VPNs since they both offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. I’ll cancel one in a few weeks. Here are my impressions and test results after using both NordVPN and Proton VPN over the past few weeks.

NordVPN vs Proton VPN Quick Overview

Feature NordVPN Proton VPN
Location Panama Switzerland
Servers 7,300+ 8,600+
Countries 118 117
Logs No logs (audited) No logs (audited)
Support 24/7 live chat Email, 24/7 live chat (paid plan)
Apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Firestick, Routers Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
Simultaneous Connections 10 10
Best Price(2-year plan) $3.39/month $4.49/month
Best Deals: 72% off coupon here > 64% off coupon here >

Based on my research, both Panama and Switzerland are very good privacy jurisdictions. NordVPN and ProtonVPN are also very close with regard to their server networks.

In terms of pricing, you have lots of options with both NordVPN and Proton VPN. That said, NordVPN is cheaper, and also comes with additional features, some included, some are paid.

There’s also a NordProtect option with Prime plans, and this is basically an identity theft protection service (not for me, but some may like it). You can this option, and any other deals they have going on here: https://nordvpn.com/pricing/deals

Proton VPN vs NordVPN - Servers and Security

Feature NordVPN Proton VPN
Double VPN Yes Yes (Secure Core)
Obfuscated servers Yes Yes (Stealth)
Tor-over-VPN servers Yes Yes
P2P servers Yes (unrestricted) Yes (But restricted to certain servers)
Dedicated IP servers Yes Yes
Ad blocking Yes, with included malware protection Yes, but no malware protection

ProtonVPN recently upgraded its network over the past year and has surpassed NordVPN in server count. Still, NordVPN is available in more locations. I was surprised that both offer Tor-over-VPN servers, which allow you to connect to the Tor network on top of a VPN and further improve your privacy. Note: I found this feature to be slow with both VPNs, due to the Tor network of course.

VPN Protocols, Performance & Speed

Feature NordVPN Proton VPN
Protocols OpenVPN, NordLynx (WireGuard), IKEv2, NordWhisper OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2, Stealth
Max Speed (Close server) 890 Mbps 570 Mbps
Max Speed (Remote server) 700 Mbps 510 Mbps

To test the quality of the connection, I relied on Nordlynx and WireGuard protocols. White similar, it was evident that NordVPN had a slight advantage in terms of speed on the servers I tested - but Proton VPN was also fast in my tests.

Both VPNs connected to new servers very quickly, but I noticed that NordVPN ran slightly slower on my older laptop. It seems that the ProtonVPN app has lower requirements.

Reliability - Both VPNs are reliable. I did not have any dropped connections or failures with either NordVPN or Proton VPN.

NordVPN vs Proton VPN Streaming Support

Streaming Platforms NordVPN Proton VPN
Netflix Yes (17+ regional libraries) Yes (but not as many regions supported as NordVPN)
Hulu Yes Yes
HBO Max Yes Yes
Disney+ Yes Yes
BBC iPlayer Yes No

Proton VPN and NordVPN have no trouble with unlocking most popular streaming platforms. I did have issues connecting to BBC iPlayer (in the UK) with Proton VPN. It constantly detected the VPN connection and blocked me. I did not have any of these issues with NordVPN.

With both VPNs, I never experienced buffering while watching shows (even in 4K) and haven’t found any blacklisted servers.

Encryption and Security

Feature NordVPN Proton VPN
Encryption Protocol AES-256, ChaCha20 AES-256, ChaCha20
RAM Servers Yes :white_check_mark: No :no_entry:
Split tunneling Yes Yes
Kill Switch Yes Yes
Private DNS Yes Yes

Both VPNs use the same encryption protocol to secure outgoing traffic. However, Proton VPN does not use RAM servers, which is unfortunate. RAM servers ensure no data or traffic can be logged or stored on the server. Nearly all leading VPNs in the industry have switched to RAM servers (Nord, Surfshark, Mullvad, Express…) but Proton still hasn’t done this.

Audits: Both Proton VPN and NordVPN have passed independent audits from various third-party firms.

Proton VPN vs NordVPN Subscription Price & Refunds

Plan NordVPN Proton VPN
Monthly $12.99 $9.99
1-year $4.59/mo $4.99/mo
2-year $3.39/mo $4.49/mo
Refund Policy 30 days 30 days

NordVPN Deal: NordVPN is running it’s birthday promo now, which saved me some money and I got added free time added to my subscription. See here: https://nordvpn.com/coupons

Proton VPN Deal: Proton also has a promo for 64% off here: https://protonvpn.com/coupon-deals

NordVPN is definitely more affordable if you go for a longer plan. But, it’s important to note that ProtonVPN has a single plan, while NordVPN has four different ones that provide a varying degree of security and privacy. Do you guys think that NordVPN Plus plan is better or worse than ProtonVPN premium subscription?

One thing I like with Proton, though, is the ability to bundle their email and password manager together with the VPN. With NordVPN you can bundle a password manager (NordPass), secure cloud storage (NordLocker), and their identity theft protection service (NordProtect) - but no email.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, I like both of these VPNs. I tried to be as thorough as possible and give real-life feedback. Honestly, I’m still not sure which VPN I will keep using. I mainly want to use it for streaming, but I might also use a VPN for gaming in the future as well.

So now I’m looking for advice here on Reddit. Is NordVPN or ProtonVPN the better choice? Both seem great.

2

NordVPN seems to be a bit better despite offering fewer servers. One big thing that it has in its favor is that it relies on RAM servers that periodically reset every so often. And then there’s Nordlynx protocol, which is still safer and faster than regular WireGuard. Speed is very important to me because I use NordVPN while gaming, so it’s very important that my latency and ping are super low.

NordVPN also offers MeshNet, which allows me to quickly set up secure servers for LAN gaming. I didn’t notice that ProtonVPN has anything similar.

3

I suggest looking into the data privacy laws and law enforcement request requirements of where each business is headquartered. That way, you have an understanding how your data may or may not be protected.

4

I see a few issues with your comparison - mostly to Protons detriment. For example, they have 11k+ servers, not 8.5k. You also say that they don’t have malware protection: they do. And you mention that Nord offers secondary services for a higher price, but not that Proton does until much later in your analysis. I’m not saying that one is better than the other in a straight comparison: YMMV, speeds may differ for your personal use-case, you may prefer how one looks, etc. but it doesn’t seem like a full analysis.

FWIW my opinion is that Proton Unlimited is a hard-to-beat package of products. Proton Pass alone, which comes with SimpleLogin unlimited aliases, is spectacular for privacy. The pricing of using 2-3 of their products makes it a hard to beat deal. But just comparing these two VPNs against each other - they’re both good products. It’s up to you. If you don’t have a preference based on the feel of a trial-run, just pick one. You can’t really go wrong : )

5

As a ProtonVPN user, this is a very interesting comparison. I’m wondering if you have used the VPN accelerator to access remote servers, as this feature can really improve your speed.

Aside from server count, one thing that I love the most about this VPN is that it very quickly connects to servers. I get instantly connected whether I’m using P2P, double VPN, or obfuscated servers.

I also noticed that it doesn’t use a lot of processing power and runs smoothly even on older devices. It has never crashed for me either, so it’s very stable. This is why I’ll definitely continue using it.

6

Both VPNs seem very similar in many aspects. One important thing that ProtonVPN has over NordVPN is its ecosystem. If you decide to go for Proton Unlimited plan, aside from giving you access to a VPN, you will also get encrypted email, secure cloud storage, a solid password manager, and an online wallet. This option will improve your security and privacy from multiple angles, and I think you’ll have to look very hard to find something better.

7

I ran some NordVPN and ProtonVPN speed test comparisons a few weeks ago and got results similar to yours. I don’t know if it’s due to NordLynx or the quality of VPN servers, but NordVPN was noticeably faster on nearby and distant servers.

However, I noticed that ProtonVPN connects instantly, while you’ll have to wait a bit with NordVPN. I also like that ProtonVPN shows you server load of each server you connect to in the left corner, so you can immediately know if you are using an overcrowded server. I hope that NordVPN implements this soon.

If I were in your place, I would choose NordVPN not only because of speed but because it relies only on RAM servers. Imo, this is very important for maintaining user privacy.

8

I think that NordVPN Plus plan is better, as it comes with a solid breach scanner and Threat Protection Pro, which is a powerful ad blocker that also deletes trackers and malware. This plan is a bit more expensive than ProtonVPN’s subscription, which is available at a discount for $3.59/ month, but I think that it is worth it.

9

NordVPN is my favorite, especially since it implemented the Nord Whisper protocol that protects you when using a VPN in restricted regions. This is a much better option than simply using obfuscation, and I don’t see other VPNs offering anything similar.

10

As a regular Proton user, I still think it provides enough upsides for those that are looking for something different than Nord. WireGuard probably doesn’t beat NordLynx on its own, but when I’m using it combined with the VPN Accelerator, I get really great speeds even when connecting to servers half way around the world. Also, I don’t think RAM servers are important if the service is trustworthy, and Proton falls under a secure jurisdiction and has passed independent audits, so I trust it.

11

Ah yes, I see you are right on the server numbers. The stats are constantly changing and I can’t keep up lol. And I didn’t know that about NetShield. Looks good!

Yep, I agree with your conclusion. At the end of the day, you can’t really go wrong with either of these VPNs. I may just keep a sub to both lol.