NordVPN and Proton VPN are two of the very best VPNs on the market. So, to help you decide which is the best online privacy tool for you, I’m putting them head-to-head. In comparing the two services, I’ll look at the most important aspects of a great VPN including speed, cost, privacy and security, and streaming.
While NordVPN is faster and packs in more features, Proton VPN optimizes privacy and comes with a larger server network. It’s a close call, but for most people I’d recommend NordVPN. It’s our pick for best VPN overall thanks to its unmatched feature set, lightning-fast speeds, and exceptional streaming support.
Both Nord and Proton are top-notch services, but be sure to check out our picks for the best VPNs for even more great options.
| NordVPN | Proton VPN | |
| Server network | 7,000+ servers, 118 country locations | 11,000+, 117 country locations |
| Simultaneous connections | 10 | 10 |
| Average speeds | 75% of base download, 81% of base upload | 65% of base download, 72% of base upload |
| Protocols | WireGuard (NordLynx), NordWhisper, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec | WireGuard, Stealth, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec |
| Available platforms | Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Linux, browsers, routers | Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Linux, browsers, routers |
| Business location | Panama | Switzerland |
| Cost | $13.99 per month, $71.88 for the first year, or $107.73 for the first two years | $9.99 per month, $59.88 for the first year, or $107.76 for the first two years |
Speed: NordVPN
In my testing, NordVPN and Proton VPN scored highly in both download and upload speeds. NordVPN has the fastest speeds of any VPN I’ve ever tested while Proton VPN ranks sixth overall.
The latest round of testing showed that NordVPN resulted in an average of 75 percent of the base download speeds and an outstanding 81 percent of the base upload speeds. Proton VPN came in a little slower at 65 percent of the base download speed and 72 percent of the base upload speeds.
While NordVPN is the clear winner, the margins are actually quite close, despite how they might seem. Whichever you choose you can expect to smoothly handle bandwidth-heavy tasks, such as gaming and 4K streaming.
It’s worth mentioning, however, that Proton VPN’s free version is the runaway leader in terms of speeds among all free VPNs. The speeds on all free servers were the same as Proton’s premium servers.
Cost: Proton VPN
NordVPN offers four subscription tiers: Basic, Plus, Complete, and Prime. To make an equal comparison for services provided I’ll focus on just NordVPN’s Plus plan which runs $13.99 monthly, $71.88 for the first year, or $105.36 for the first two years.
ProtonVPN on the other hand offers three tiers: Free, Plus, and Unlimited. For the purposes of this comparison, I’ll focus on ProtonVPN’s Plus plan which is the most similar to NordVPN’s Plus plan. Proton’s Plus tier is offered for $9.99 per month, or you can opt for a one-year subscription at $59.88, or the two-year plan for $71.76.
In both the short term and long term Proton VPN is the cheaper option for similar, but not identical, feature sets. NordVPN does offer a few extra features that Proton does not in this mid-tier including MeshNet file sharing and a secure link-checker tool. But all in all, Proton VPN is the better value and comes in cheaper for pretty much identical features.
Another plus in this category for Proton VPN is its free tier. For absolutely no cost you get a one-device connection limit and access to five servers located all across the world. There are no ads and no speed or data restrictions either. It is not only a perfect way to try out Proton VPN, but may be a good option as your daily VPN as well.
Privacy and security: Tie
NordVPN and Proton VPN both offer stellar security tools. Beyond just allowing you to browse the web privately, both of these services have expanded to offer a full suite of security add-ons to provide a safer online experience.
In terms of total features offered, NordVPN barely edges out Proton VPN. Both VPNs offer multihop connections, split tunneling, ad- and tracker-blocking, Onion over VPN, a kill switch, and stealth protocols. But NordVPN adds to this with its Meshnet file sharing feature and a robust Threat Protection tool with malware and virus protection, plus a dark web monitoring service.
That being said, one could argue that Proton VPN offers slightly better privacy. This is in part due to its commendable transparency across all apps which are all open source and Proton’s Secure Core feature that routes traffic through privacy-friendly countries for enhanced anonymity.
Both services have strict no-logs policies that have undergone multiple independent audits and both are located in privacy-friendly locations—NordVPN is based in Panama, while Proton VPN is based in Switzerland.
While users can enjoy more comprehensive security features with NordVPN, they will likely find that Proton VPN offers slightly better privacy. Therefore, I’m calling it a tie between the two for privacy and security.
Streaming: NordVPN
Proton VPN is a fine service for unblocking streaming content, but it simply can’t match NordVPN—in fact, nothing can. We chose NordVPN as the best VPN for streaming for a reason. No other service can match its unblocking capabilities across all servers or work as consistently with as many streaming sites.
It’s worth noting that both VPNs do offer stealth protocols, Nord’s NordWhisper and Proton’s Stealth protocols, that are built to more successfully evade detection by third parties. This may help if you find that a streaming service is actively blocking your VPN connection. Additionally, both services offer wide device support not only for your computers and smartphones, but also for smart TVs and streaming devices as well.
Still, while streaming compatibility can be a fickle thing, NordVPN has never let me down in all of the years of use and testing when unblocking all of the major sites such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, or ESPN—that’s more than I can say for any other VPN. The streaming win goes to NordVPN.
Bottom line
Ultimately, if you want speed, guaranteed streaming unblocking, and comprehensive security then go with NordVPN. The service has been well established as an industry leader for more than a decade now and will give you reliable, high-quality privacy protections
If you want a service that is more affordable, with absolute transparency then Proton VPN is more than worthwhile. Proton VPN also has the advantage of offering a free tier which makes it the perfect entry point to try out a VPN without spending any of your hard-earned cash.
These two VPNs are neck-and-neck and either would be an excellent choice no matter what you want to do online. I gave both NordVPN and Proton VPN 4.5 out of 5 stars in their respective reviews and both earned Editors’ Choice awards thanks to their impressive offerings and value. All things considered though, NordVPN is my pick for the best VPN overall and whenever someone asks me for a VPN recommendation it’s the one I turn to first.
