In the digital age, technology is constantly increasing. Everything we do is becoming more and more linked to tech by the day. This is what brings us to this highly anticipated ProtonVPN Vs NordVPN comparison.

This increased reliance on various forms of tech isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does come with its own set of disadvantages.

For one, when you’re more connected to the internet, more of your personal information is out there. Some of the information that you send over the internet can be extremely sensitive, things like bank information, payment details, and other sensitive data is often sent right through your regular internet connection and could be used by people with less-than-good intent if it ever fell into the wrong hands.

Using the web often also brings with it an increased lack of privacy, for some people that isn’t a problem. But there are many of us that would rather keep our personal lives as private as possible.

That’s why VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, are becoming more common every day.

 

 

What’s a VPN?

Good Question.

As said before, VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, and there are many various VPN services on the market today, but many people don’t exactly understand what they are or what they do in the first place.

In order to understand a VPN, you’ve got to understand how we use the internet.

Basically, when you use the web, you’re sending information over a network and getting information back from wherever you happen to be visiting. This information travels through your internet service provider before going to its final destination.

This means that your ISP can see all of your web traffic, and this can cause problems for a few reasons.

First, if an ISP doesn’t want you to visit a particular website, they can “throttle” it, or slow down your connection when trying to access said website.

Not only that, but your ISP isn’t the only one who’s able to try and access the information you send over the web.

Anyone with enough technical knowhow can fairly easily get information like your IP if you use the internet without any VPN to help mask your connection.

VPNs counter this by creating what’s essentially a tunnel. When you use a VPN you’re effectively routing your traffic through a tunnel that blocks outside eyes from seeing your user data.

So they can see that you’re using a VPN service, but they’re no longer able to see anything else about what you’re doing.

 

 

The Benefits of VPNs

The first benefits are the aforementioned privacy and security that VPNs bring.

When you use a VPN, your data is much safer from prying eyes, and it’s much harder for a hacker to hijack your connection. For some people, this is all the reason they need to invest in a VPN, but many VPNs will include extra features to further improve quality-of-life.

One other big reason to try out a VPN is if you live in a jurisdiction that blocks access to certain parts of the web.

A VPN masks your personal information, and that includes location. So when using a VPN, you’ll be able to gain access to any websites that were previously blocked in your region.

 

 

Let’s begin with the VPN review

Investing in a VPN service is a great way to bolster your online security and privacy, but not all of them are created equal. That’s why it’s a good idea to do your due diligence so you can pick the VPN that fits your needs.

Today we’re going to be comparing two of the more popular options for VPNs right now, NordVPN and ProtonVPN.

 

NordVPN

NordVPN is a service owned by the company Tefincom. It was initially released in 2012 and is based out of Panama.

 

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a service that’s run by the Swiss company ProtonVPN AG, which is a subsidiary of the similarly named Proton Technologies AG. They also happen to be the same team behind the popular email service ProtonMail.

 

 

Servers, Speed, and Performance

Slowed internet is inevitable when using a VPN. After all, you’re rerouting your entire connection through the VPN service, so it makes sense that the extra security it brings comes at the cost of speed.

But that doesn’t mean you have to deal with a super slow connection for added security.

 

NordVPN

NordVPN comes right out of the gates with a pretty big advantage here. This is because they have a huge network of servers across the world to help provide fast connections. What I love about NordVPN is that, they have over 5000 servers spread across 60+ countries, so no matter where you are in the world, you won’t be far from one of their servers.

Thanks to their vast network of servers, NordVPN is one of the faster VPNs available right now. They consistently provide a high-quality connection from across the globe.

 

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN, on the other hand, only has around 400 servers across 33 countries. This isn’t anywhere near NordVPN’s server amount, and it’s reflected in the performance of this service.

The connection speeds you’ll be getting will be consistent, but they’ll also be a bit slower on average than the speeds you’d be getting with NordVPN. Overall, the speeds you can expect from ProtonVPN aren’t awful, they just aren’t going to be as fast as Nord’s

 

 

VPN Pricing comparison 

 

ProtonVPN pricing 

When you go with ProtonVPN you’ll have 4 different packages to choose from, with the cheapest being free and the most expensive one coming in at $24 per month.

The free package is more akin to a trial than a fully-fledged VPN service though, allowing you to access a limited amount of servers with only one device at a time. But that should be more than enough for you to test the waters and see if the service is right for you.

The first non-free option is the Basic package, which will cost you $4 per month. This package allows for access to all the countries that ProtonVPN has servers in. The basic package doesn’t include access to the “Plus Servers” or “Secure Streaming” features though.

The second package is the Plus subscription, ProtonVPN’s self-proclaimed best offer. The Plus package will net you $8 a month and gives all of the benefits of the previous package, but with access to the “Plus Servers” and “Secure Streaming” features. As far as value for money, ProtonVPN is probably right in saying this is the best deal out of their packages.

The last option is the Visionary package. This is mostly the same as the previous package, but you also get a ProtonMail Visionary subscription included too. For most people looking to buy a VPN, this package probably isn’t necessary, but if you were already planning on getting ProtonMail, then this might be just what you were looking for.

All of the paid packages allow for monthly billing, or you can opt to pay annually, which will end up saving you 20%.

 

NordVPN pricing 

With NordVPN, the pricing model is a bit different. They don’t offer packages with varying features, every one of their plans comes with all of the bells and whistles. The only determining factor on price is how often you pay the subscription fee.

The first option is a monthly subscription, which costs $11.95 per month. After that is the 1-year plan for only $6.99 per month, or a total of $83.88 per year.

The next one is a 2-year subscription for $3.99 per month, or $95.75 bi-annually if you don’t feel like doing the math.

Last is the plan that’ll give you the most bang for your buck, the 3-year subscription plan comes in at only $2.99 per month. That means you’ll only be paying $107.55 once every three years.

 

Pricing — The Winner:

ProtonVPN has some pretty solid options as far as subscription plans go. The free subscription plan is also a greatly appreciated option.

But.. 

NordVPN’s prices are some of the best out there for what they bring to the table. $2.99 a month for the full suite of features that NordVPN has to offer? The winner for best pricing options goes to NordVPN.

 

 

Features

ProtonVPN features  

ProtonVPN isn’t the flashiest of VPN options, it’s not meant to impress with tons of extra fluff. But it does what it’s supposed to do well, and that’s keeping you and your information safe.

This is why ProtonVPN’s list is comprised of mainly security-based features instead of some of the more “shiny” options offered by other VPNs.

• Secure Core – The majority of ProtonVPN’s subscription plans come with their “Secure Core” architecture. This feature makes sure your traffic is sent through multiple servers within the ProtonVPN network before it leaves. This makes it harder for people to take advantage of weaknesses and break into the network.
• Forward Secrecy – ProtonVPN uses a different encryption key for each of your sessions. This means that if one of your session keys gets compromised, it doesn’t matter because it won’t get used for you ever again.
• Kill Switch – ProtonVPN has a built-in “Kill Switch” feature. If enabled, your network traffic will be completely blocked in the event that your VPN malfunctions or turns off. This means that your information won’t be leaked due to a fault in the program.
• Tor Support – ProtonVPN also comes with built-in Tor support. This makes it easy to access the dark web and any Onion websites with the click of a few buttons.
• Unlimited Bandwidth
• Quick Country Selector 

 

NordVPN features 

• Double Encryption – If enabled, NordVPN’s double encryption feature will encrypt your data twice before sending it out. As the industry-standard AES-256 is already very secure, this isn’t completely necessary, but it’s certainly not a negative to have the option.
• NordVPN CyberSec – This is a fantastic feature that will block suspicious websites immediately. This helps with blocking malicious threats from affecting your website. CyberSec also protects you from DDoS attacks and will hide unwanted pop-up ads.
• Stream-Friendly – With features like NordVPN’s SmartPlay and geo-unblocking capabilities, accessing your favorite streaming services like Netflix should be a breeze.
• Kill Switch – NordVPN also has a built-in kill switch to prevent any data leaks in case the service stops functioning properly.
• Onion Over VPN – NordVPN also supports access to the Onion network to make accessing websites on the dark web easy.
• IKEv2/IPsec and OpenVPN
• Double VPN

 

Features — The Winner: 

The best pick here depends on why you’re getting a VPN.

Only interested for privacy purposes? ProtonVPN might be the better pick for you. Want a few added bells and whistles to improve quality-of-life? Then NordVPN’s your go-to.

 

 

Ease of Use 

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is among some of the most accessible VPNs available. No matter how unfamiliar you are with VPNs, you shouldn’t have a problem getting it set up. Once it’s installed, safer access to the web is just a few button clicks away.

NordVPN

NordVPN is in the same boat, it’s a super intuitive and easy to use program. Even for your first time using a VPN, it shouldn’t take longer than a minute or two for you to get connected.

 

Ease of Use — The Winner 

Both of these programs are on pretty even grounds when it comes to ease of use. No matter which one you pick it shouldn’t take long to figure things out.

 

 

Security & Privacy

When speaking about privacy, both of these services are some of the best out there. They both keep strict no-logging policies too, so you don’t have to worry about your data being handed over to whoever they please.

Both services are also hosted in great countries for VPN services, with both Panama and Switzerland being some of the most privacy-friendly countries in the world.

 

 

Refund Policy 

NordVPN has a simple, 30-day money back guarantee for their service. This means you’ve got 30 days to decide whether or not it’s right for you at no cost.

ProtonVPN also has a 30-day money back guarantee, but there’s more nuance than that. You can get your money back, but only for the days out of 30 you didn’t use the service.

 

 

Support Comparison 

ProtonVPN’s customer support section is decent. They don’t have a live chat, but they tend to get back within a day, and they’re quite friendly and helpful. While the lack of 24/7 live chat isn’t ideal, it’s definitely serviceable.

NordVPN’s customer support is a little bit more robust. They offer a 24/7 live support chat so no matter when you need assistance with the service, a helpful response is only minutes away.

 

 

Bottom Line  

Both of these services are great choices. But the one you choose will probably depend on your priorities.

If you’re looking for something solely dedicated to protecting your privacy, then ProtonVPN’s a good choice.

But for the general VPN user, NordVPN is probably the better pick. With more features, cheaper prices, and faster speeds, NordVPN has everything the general user would need and more.

Interested in trying out either of these VPN services?

 

Try out ProtonVPN here: https://protonvpn.com/ 

And get NordVPN here: https://nordvpn.com/