NordVPN vs Proton VPN: NordVPN wins 79 to 68
NordVPN wins on my scoreboard by a wide margin, 79 to 68, and the gap is almost entirely service rather than security. Proton VPN is the only VPN I gave a 10 for privacy, and it matches NordVPN on security. It loses on streaming, support and, above all, on its Trustpilot rating.
- Longest plan
- $3.49/mo · $94.23 for 27 mo
- Month to month
- $14.99/mo
- Based in
- Panama
- Protocol
- NordLynx
- Trustpilot
- 4.2 / 5
- Longest plan
- $2.99/mo · $71.76 for 24 mo
- Month to month
- $9.99/mo
- Based in
- Switzerland
- Protocol
- WireGuard
- Trustpilot
- 2.1 / 5
Plain links to each provider. I have no affiliate or referral deal with either, so I earn nothing if you buy. Prices are USD as advertised on October 7, 2026; most plans renew higher.
NordVPN vs Proton VPN, feature by feature
Each feature scored 1 to 10 by me, same scale as the full scoreboard. Green is 8 to 10, yellow 5 to 7, red 1 to 4. The higher score in each row is marked.
| Feature | NordVPN | Proton VPN | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpeedDownload throughput and latency over WireGuard | 9 | 8 | NordVPN by 1 |
| PrivacyNo-logs policy, independent audits, jurisdiction | 9 | 10 | Proton VPN by 1 |
| SecurityEncryption, kill switch, DNS and IPv6 leak protection | 10 | 9 | NordVPN by 1 |
| ServersServer count and country coverage | 9 | 8 | NordVPN by 1 |
| StreamingUnblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and live sport | 9 | 7 | NordVPN by 2 |
| PriceValue on 1 and 2 year plans, refund window | 7 | 7 | Tie |
| Ease of useApp quality, setup, defaults | 9 | 8 | NordVPN by 1 |
| SupportLive chat availability and response time | 9 | 7 | NordVPN by 2 |
| TrustpilotTrustpilot TrustScore out of 5, doubled to a 1 to 10 scale | 8 | 4 | NordVPN by 4 |
| TotalPlain sum of the 9 scores | 79of 90 | 68of 90 | NordVPN by 11 |
Where they differ most
- Trustpilot: NordVPN leads by 4 (8 against 4).
- Streaming: NordVPN leads by 2 (9 against 7).
- Support: NordVPN leads by 2 (9 against 7).
- Speed: NordVPN leads by 1 (9 against 8).
Privacy: Proton VPN edges it
Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, publishes open-source apps, and has independently audited no-logs claims. That is why it is one of only two VPNs with a 10 in my Privacy column. NordVPN is based in Panama with its own audited no-logs policy and RAM-only servers, and scores a 9. The difference is real but small: both are in the top tier, and neither keeps connection logs that could identify you.
On Security they tie at 9 and 10 in NordVPN's favour. Both run a kill switch, leak protection and modern encryption; NordVPN gets the extra point for the breadth of its protections, not because Proton VPN has a hole.
Streaming, speed and support: NordVPN
This is where the total splits. NordVPN scored 9 for streaming because it unblocked every service I check, including live sport, on the first server I tried. Proton VPN scored 7: it works with the big libraries but needed more server hopping and failed one of my regional checks.
Speed is close, 9 against 8. NordLynx, NordVPN's WireGuard-based protocol, was slightly quicker on long-distance servers in my tests; Proton VPN over WireGuard is not slow. Support is 9 against 7: NordVPN's live chat answered around the clock, while Proton VPN leans on email and its help centre.
The Trustpilot gap
The single largest difference in the table is the column I do not score myself. NordVPN's public TrustScore was 4.2 of 5 when I last checked, which becomes an 8. Proton VPN's was 2.1, which becomes a 4. Trustpilot measures billing, refunds and customer service rather than security, so read it that way: Proton VPN customers are far more likely to report a bad experience with payments and support than NordVPN customers are.
Price
On the longest plans, Proton VPN advertises $2.99 a month and NordVPN $3.49, both billed up front for roughly two years. Month to month, Proton VPN is the cheaper of the two by a clear margin. Proton VPN also has a free tier with no data cap, which NordVPN does not offer. Both scored 7 for price because the headline rate is not the renewal rate; check what the second term costs before you commit.
How I scored these
Every number on this page comes from the same tests as the main scoreboard: speed over WireGuard on a wired 1 Gbps line at three times of day, streaming checked against Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and a live sport service in two regions, and privacy from published policies, audits and jurisdiction. The method is on the How I score page. Think a score is wrong? Tell me what you found and I will re-test.
Pick NordVPN if
- You stream from several regions, including live sport.
- You want 24/7 live chat and a long record of happy customers.
- You want the strongest all-round scoreboard result.
Pick Proton VPN if
- Privacy is the only column you care about.
- You want open-source apps and a Swiss jurisdiction.
- You want a free plan or the cheaper month-to-month price.
Not sure about either?
All 15 VPNs are on one sortable table. Sort by the column you care about and see who else is close.
Open the full scoreboard