NordVPN Vs. ProtonVPN - Face-off

Subscribing to a VPN can enhance your online privacy and security. But choosing the right VPN service can be tricky.

They all seem to offer the same plethora of features and it can be difficult to see how one VPN provider differs from another.

In this post, we put NordVPN and ProtonVPN (now called Proton VPN) head to head to see which one comes out on top.

1. Speed

Speed will always be important for VPN providers. People want the benefit of privacy, but they also want to get the bandwidth they’re paying for.

I performed speed tests over both networks in 2020. Let’s take a look at the results.

NordVPN

Tested on a 60Mbps (Download) and 30Mbps (Upload) network

Server: U.S.A., New York

Average Download Speed: 65.77Mbps

Average Upload Speed: 22.89Mbps

ProtonVPN

Tested on a 100Mbps (Download) and 30Mbps (Upload) network

Server: U.S.A., New York

Average Download Speed: 90.42Mbps

Average Upload Speed: 35.60Mbps

So what we want to see is the difference between the official ISP speed and the speed we’re getting over the VPN. And both of them perform extremely well on that front.

And though it’s likely due to network volatility, NordVPN’s download speed even goes beyond the rated speed I’m getting from my ISP. The same goes for ProtonVPN on upload.

Since then, both have moved to WireGuard-based connections by default (NordVPN calls its version NordLynx). WireGuard is fast and light, so both should do at least as well today, also on much faster connections than the ones I tested on.

2. User-Friendliness

As VPNs go mainstream, user-friendliness and ease of use are quickly becoming some of the biggest differentiating factors between providers.

Both NordVPN and Proton VPN supply native client applications, that all include a kill switch, and that are compatible with many platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Android TV. And they both, of course, provide unlimited bandwidth.

NordVPN also offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. Proton’s apps are open source, so anyone can check what they do.

They both provide comprehensive customer support. I didn’t need to contact customer support from either provider.

As far as simultaneous connections are concerned, NordVPN allows up to 10 simultaneous connections on any plan.

Proton VPN’s free plan allows 1 device. Its paid VPN Plus plan, and the Proton Unlimited bundle, allow 10 devices, the same as NordVPN.

3. Streaming

Streaming over a VPN has a few benefits, aside from a secure connection. It allows you to bypass geo-restrictions and to bypass ISP throttling issues.

And with the dominance of streaming services, this is quickly becoming a major feature for VPN providers.

And we also have certain streaming services, such as Netflix, banning VPNs from their platform. Hence circumventing the VPN ban has also been in growing demand from VPN users.

Both NordVPN and Proton VPN are streaming-friendly providers and they both claim to unblock Netflix. And both NordVPN and ProtonVPN provide a support document explaining how to unblock Netflix.

And they both deliver, as I wrote in my Netflix reviews of NordVPN and ProtonVPN.

In 2020, Proton only unblocked Netflix US. That’s no longer the case: like NordVPN, it now unblocks Netflix in many countries, as well as other streaming services. The one catch is that Proton only supports streaming on its paid plans, not on the free one.

4. Security & Encryption

Both NordVPN and Proton VPN only support secure VPN protocols.

NordVPN supports:

• NordLynx (NordVPN’s version of WireGuard)
• OpenVPN
• IKEv2

ProtonVPN supports:

• WireGuard
• Stealth (WireGuard hidden inside an ordinary-looking TLS connection, for networks and countries that block VPNs)
• OpenVPN
• IKEv2

Both providers support AES-256, which is the industry standard. AES-256 is considered a robust cipher with no known vulnerabilities. WireGuard uses different, more modern ciphers (such as ChaCha20) that are deemed very secure as well.

NordLynx adds a system on top of WireGuard so that NordVPN doesn’t have to keep your IP address on the server while you’re connected.

We’re happy to see that both providers only support secure protocols, unlike providers who still support weak and obsolete protocols, like L2TP/IPSec, or worse, PPTP.

Supporting weak protocols may put greener users at risk.

5. Logs & Privacy

Both providers commit to a strong no-logging policy. Both say they don’t log your traffic, the sites you visit, your IP address or your connection times.

NordVPN is based in Panama, which has no data retention law for VPNs. Its no-logs policy has been checked by outside auditors several times: by PwC in 2018 and 2020, and by Deloitte in later years. Its servers run from RAM only, so nothing is stored on a disk.

NordVPN’s record isn’t spotless, though: in 2018, an attacker got into one of its servers, at a data center in Finland, through a remote management tool the data center hadn’t disclosed. NordVPN says no user data was taken, but it only told its users about it in 2019.

Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, which has strong privacy laws. Its no-logs policy has been audited by an outside firm (Securitum) repeatedly since 2022, and its apps are open source and have been audited too.

In 2020, Proton told TorrentFreak in its Which VPN Providers Really Take Anonymity Seriously in 2020? guide that it kept the timestamp of the last successful login, overwritten at every login, to protect accounts from password attacks. That timestamp says nothing about what you do on the VPN, and the audits since have confirmed that Proton keeps no activity or connection logs.

6. Pricing

Let’s now turn to pricing. VPN prices change often, with frequent promotions, so we won’t list exact amounts that may be out of date by the time you read this. Here’s how NordVPN and Proton VPN compare:

NordVPN

NordVPN sells monthly, yearly and two-year subscriptions, each in several tiers. The basic tier is the VPN on its own; the higher tiers add things like the full Threat Protection malware scanner, a password manager and encrypted cloud storage. As with most VPNs, the longer the plan, the cheaper the price per month.

NordVPN has no free plan.

Payment Methods

• Credit Card
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay
• Cryptocurrencies
• Other local methods, depending on your country

ProtonVPN

Proton VPN has a free plan and paid plans:

• Free – 1 device, no data limit, no ads, but a limited choice of servers, and no streaming or P2P.
• VPN Plus – 10 devices, all servers, streaming, P2P, Secure Core and NetShield.
• Proton Unlimited – everything in VPN Plus, plus Proton’s other paid services: Proton Mail, Calendar, Drive and Pass.

The paid plans can be bought monthly, yearly or for two years, and the price per month goes down with the length of the term.

Payment Methods

• Credit card
• PayPal
• Bitcoin
• Cash

Both providers offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

7. Torrenting

Torrenting is an area in which it will be difficult to set either of these VPN providers apart.

They both essentially offer the same thing here: dedicated P2P servers which are clearly marked within their respective apps and on their websites. On Proton, they are only available on the paid plans.

I tested both providers in my Torrenting reviews of NordVPN and ProtonVPN and I had no complaints on either network.

I was getting fast download speeds and no lag with either.

Proton has one extra that matters to regular torrent users: port forwarding on its P2P servers, which helps you connect to more peers and seed better. NordVPN doesn’t offer port forwarding.

8. Other Features

Let’s look at other aspects that differentiate these two providers.

• NordVPN provides Onion over VPN servers
• NordVPN offers Double VPN servers and dedicated IP addresses
• NordVPN’s Threat Protection blocks ads, trackers and malicious sites
• NordVPN was hacked in 2018

• Proton VPN supports Secure Core
• Proton VPN also has Tor servers and NetShield (an ad, tracker and malware blocker)
• Proton VPN comes from the same folks behind Proton Mail

Outstanding Features

NordVPN

• Onion Over VPN: NordVPN supports Tor Over VPN (called Onion Over VPN). What this feature does is route your VPN traffic over the Tor network, giving you an additional layer of security and anonymity. They achieve this by making certain servers available for specifically this purpose. So as soon as you connect to the VPN server, your connection will automatically be re-routed over the Tor network. Very cool.
• Threat Protection: NordVPN’s blocker stops ads, trackers and known malicious websites, and on the higher tiers it also scans the files you download for malware. It’s one of the more complete blockers built into a VPN.

ProtonVPN

• Secure Core: Secure Core is Proton VPN’s secure approach (hence the name) to double VPNs or multi-hop servers. When you enable Secure Core, then regardless of the server you choose to connect to, you will first connect to the Secure Core servers. These are hardened servers that Proton owns and runs, in Switzerland, Iceland and Sweden. From the Secure Core servers, your connection is bounced over to the VPN server you selected when you initiated the connection. This gives you enhanced security because if the VPN server you ultimately connected to is ever compromised, your connection will only lead back to the Secure Core servers and you won’t be exposed.
• Proton Mail: While it may seem strange to list an email service as a standout feature for a VPN provider, that’s nonetheless what I’m doing. Proton VPN was created by the same people who founded Proton Mail, one of the best-known encrypted email services. Proton Mail handles PGP encryption for you, which can otherwise be difficult to set up properly. It’s reassuring from a privacy & security perspective when a company with such a good reputation builds another privacy product. And if you want the whole set, the Proton Unlimited plan includes Proton Mail, Drive and Pass along with the VPN.

Conclusion: NordVPN vs ProtonVPN

So who wins?

We had eight categories:

The winner in each category is awarded one point. And both providers get a point in the event of a tie.

So the breakdown is as follows:

• Speed – (Tie)
• User-Friendliness – (Tie)
• Streaming – (Tie)
• Security & Encryption – (Tie)
• Logs and Privacy – (Tie)
• Pricing – (ProtonVPN)
• Torrenting – (ProtonVPN)
• Other Features – (Tie)

So the result in our NordVPN Vs. ProtonVPN shootout comes to 8 points for Proton VPN and 6 points for NordVPN.

That’s a big change from 2020, when NordVPN won 7 to 3. NordVPN didn’t get worse; Proton caught up, by adding WireGuard, simplifying its plans and opening up Netflix far beyond the US.

Bottom line: These are two very good choices if you’re looking for a VPN provider. Proton edges it on value and openness; NordVPN has more extras.

NordVPN

Go With NordVPN if:

• You want a VPN provider located outside of the 14 Eyes, with RAM-only servers
• You want Double VPN or Onion Over VPN servers
• You want a dedicated IP address, or Threat Protection’s malware scanner

ProtonVPN

Go With ProtonVPN if:

• You want the enhanced security provided by their Secure Core servers
• You want open-source apps, or a free plan to start with
• You torrent a lot and want port forwarding, or you’d like Proton Mail in the same subscription

For more information on these two VPN providers, check out our NordVPN review and our ProtonVPN review.

Thanks for reading!