NordVPN vs Astrill VPN 2024

Agnieszka Stec

Cybersecurity Researcher

Although they are both high-quality VPNs with many similar features, there are important differences between NordVPN and Astrill VPN. While Astrill VPN is focused mainly on its premium China-related features, NordVPN aims at a larger audience with more general needs.

I tested both services extensively for categories including speed, streaming, ease of use, privacy, and security to help you choose the right service. But you won’t find any technobabble here, don’t worry!

I have to admit it was a close contest between the two, but in the end, NordVPN turned out to be a winner in more categories. It gets ahead of Astrill VPN because of its large server network, proven privacy policy, and lower prices.

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Streaming — NordVPN Is Compatible With More Platforms

Both VPNs offer good speeds for streaming, but NordVPN works with a lot more platforms. From the UK, I used both services to watch Netflix UK and didn’t experience any delays or buffering.

However, I had trouble streaming BBC iPlayer with Astrill VPN. Also, our international team and I confirmed it doesn’t reliably work with all of our respective licensed Netflix libraries. For instance, our tester in Japan couldn’t watch Netflix Japan, but my US colleague could watch Netflix US.

Regarding speed, both VPNs performed really well with comparable results. Both services allowed me to stream Modern Family in the UK with no issues. I was even able to watch live streams on YouTube with no buffering.

After connecting to NordVPN I started streaming Disney+ in no time

NordVPN’s integrated SmartPlay feature is great for streaming. It combines Smart DNS for reliable streaming capabilities but also encrypts your traffic for added security. This is something that most VPNs offer, but NordVPN gave it a name.

Astrill VPN, on the other hand, offers a useful VPN-sharing feature that works on the same principle and lets you share your VPN with all your devices.

With its fast speeds, I didn’t experience any buffering

Winner

Both VPNs are excellent for streaming, but NordVPN works with more platforms.

Server Network — NordVPN's Server Number Is Impressive

This is where these 2 VPNs differ quite a lot. NordVPN has almost 20 times more servers in twice as many countries than Astrill VPN — a bigger network minimizes the risk of overcrowded servers slowing you down.

Both services offer dedicated (private) IP addresses, which come at an extra cost in addition to your subscription. You can find the list of countries for which dedicated IPs are available on the NordVPN website, or contact Astrill VPN about the specific country you’re interested in. Both services provide dedicated IPs for most US and European locations, but NordVPN’s prices are lower.

Winner

NordVPN wins with a much larger number of servers and more affordable dedicated IPs.

Speed — Astrill Has Faster Speeds On Distant Servers

To determine which VPN is faster, I conducted speed tests on nearby and distant servers, including the US, the UK, and Japan. I used NordLynx protocol for NordVPN and WireGuard for Astrill, as these are the fastest protocols each offers. I conducted tests from the UK, where my average download speed was 108 Mbps and upload speed 14 Mbps.

My speeds with NordVPN on a UK server only dropped by 7%

Both VPNs provided constantly fast speeds, but Astrill was a little bit faster, especially on the faraway US servers. While you can’t go wrong with either provider, I have to give the win to Astrill for consistently lower speed drops compared to NordVPN.

With Astrill, I only got a 15% speed drop on a distant US server

Winner

In most of my tests, Astrill VPN was faster than NordVPN. But this certainly wasn’t by a lot, and you won’t notice the difference if your base speed is already high.

Gaming — Both VPNs Are Good For Gaming On Nearby Servers

NordVPN and Astrill VPN are equally good for gaming. They both provide low ping of under 100 ms on nearby servers, which is ideal for fast-paced games.

I played Fall Guys on nearby UK servers and didn’t experience any lag. However, as the distance between me and the server increased, I noticed higher latency with both. It’s hard (if not impossible) to find a service that would flawlessly work on long-distance servers, so overall, I was quite happy with both VPNs.

Low latency on nearby servers lets me play with no delays

Winner - draw

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NordVPN and Astrill VPN are good for gaming on nearby servers and have similar issues on long-distance servers.

Torrenting — NordVPN’s Privacy Protection Is Confirmed

Both VPNs are great choices for torrenting as they have excellent P2P support, strong 256-bit encryption, and great downloading speeds. While NordVPN has P2P-optimized servers, Astrill VPN supports torrenting on all connections.

Downloading a 1GB copyright-free file took just over a minute for both services, which is a very good result. Additionally, Astrill VPN earns a point with its port forwarding support which NordVPN doesn’t have.

If not having port forwarding is a deal-breaker for you, you should choose Astrill VPN. However, I think NordVPN deserves to win this category, with multiple independent audits backing up its privacy claims. It’s a shame that a premium VPN like Astrill has yet to prove its privacy policy is as rock-solid as advertised.

Winner

Although they’re both really good for torrenting, the point has to go over to NordVPN as it’s undergone multiple audits confirming it doesn’t keep any logs.

Security — Both VPNs Provide Excellent Security

NordVPN and Astrill VPN have you covered with top security features. They come with the basics, like military-grade encryption, IP/DNS leak protection, and a kill switch to protect you if your VPN connection is interrupted.

Their advanced ad blockers prevent annoying and potentially dangerous pop-ups. They also prevent third parties from collecting data about you thanks to tracking protection (Threat Protection). Multi-hop (Double VPN) adds an extra layer of protection by encrypting your traffic through two servers.

I really like NordVPN’s Dark Web Monitor, which scans the dark web for the credentials linked to your email address. This ensures ongoing protection without the need for manual activation each time a data breach is reported.

I easily found Dark Web Monitor in the settings

Meshnet lets you securely use other devices from anywhere in the world. I tested this NordVPN feature by accessing files on my work computer from my laptop, and it worked flawlessly.

I’m a big fan of Astrill’s VPN sharing feature, which allows you to share your PC VPN connections with other devices that usually don’t work with VPNs, like smart TVs or gaming consoles.

Overall, Astrill VPN offers more proprietary protocols than NordVPN (and most other VPNs I’ve tested, too). It has two — Stealth and OpenWeb, both designed to obfuscate your connection on restrictive networks. Plus, you’ll get the industry-standard protocols OpenVPN and WireGuard.

To change the protocol in Astrill’s app, the VPN has to be switched off.

However, NordVPN swings the pendulum back to the middle with its proprietary NordLynx protocol, which aims to fix some of the inherent security issues present in WireGuard. It’s hard to say that one provider is better than the other for these unique protocols — instead, it’s just clear that they’re both designed with different users in mind.

Winner - draw

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Both VPNs have excellent security features, like safe protocols, kill switches, and multi-hop servers.

Privacy — Third-Party Audits Prove NordVPN’s Privacy Policy

Both VPNs are based in privacy-friendly countries (Panama and the Seychelles, respectively) that are not members of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. This means they are not compelled to share information about their users with government agencies.

Each VPN also uses RAM-only servers that automatically delete your data whenever they’re rebooted.

NordVPN and Astrill VPN both claim to have strict no-logging policies that ensure the privacy of your information. However, so far, Astrill hasn’t undergone any independent audits, unlike NordVPN, which has gone through four. This doesn’t mean that Astrill is less safe, but Nord wins this round as its claims have been confirmed.

Winner

Although both VPNs pride themselves in bulletproof privacy features, only NordVPN has a third-party audit to back it up.

Works in China — Only Astrill VPN Reliably Works in China

At the time of writing, only Astrill VPN is known to work in China, while NordVPN is no longer a reliable choice. Because of China’s frequent updates to its already strong firewall, it’s becoming very difficult for VPNs to maintain stable connections in the country.

Nevertheless, Astrill VPN is putting a lot of effort into developing China-specific features. The service provides a VIP package featuring servers in Hong Kong and premium Asian servers, enhanced with the Multi-Hop feature for improved speeds. The only downside is that these features are not included in the standard subscription and have to be purchased separately.

Winner

Since NordVPN doesn’t currently work in China, Astrill is a clear winner here. It boasts several advanced features that enhance its reliability in China. However, these are not part of the standard plan and require separate purchases.

Installation & Ease of Use — NordVPN Is More User-Friendly

NordVPN and Asrill are both easy to use and navigating them isn’t a problem, even for beginners. However, NordVPN offers more intuitive apps that look clean and modern.

Astrill’s interface doesn’t reflect its quality — it’s chunky and cramped with an old-school look. What I like, though, are the little tips that Astrill sends you about VPNs and online safety. I think this is a great feature if you’re still learning your way around VPNs.

Helpful reminders appear every time you log in to the app

Thanks to NordVPN’s slick design, it’s very easy to find what you’re looking for. All settings are clearly labeled and divided into categories. I like that when you’re not using a VPN, you can pause the app instead of disconnecting. This way, you don’t need to remember to connect again to stay protected.

I easily found the pause connection feature in the settings

Winner

Both VPNs are easy to use and compatible with all major operating systems. However, NordVPN wins with better-designed apps.

Reliability & Support — Great Customer Service On Both Sides

I tested both VPN's customer support and was pretty happy with each experience. Getting in touch is easy thanks to 24/7 live chat. The only complaint I have is that with NordVPN, you have to go through a bot before being directed to an agent. On the other hand, Astrill VPN connects you to a rep directly, but they were a bit slower to respond.

You can also use a ton of online resources, including YouTube (for NordVPN), where you are most likely to find an answer to your question and much more.

Winner - draw

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Each provider offers various forms of support, including 24/7 live chat. However, there were slight delays in the chat process with each one, so it’s a draw.

Tips on Choosing Between NordVPN and Astrill VPN

• Smooth streaming — Both VPNs are great for streaming with fast speeds and features like SmartPlay (NordVPN) and VPN sharing (Astrill VPN). However, NordVPN reliably works with more services.
• Fast speeds — NordVPN and Astrill VPN offer consistently fast speeds for buffer-free streaming and smooth browsing, but Astrill VPN is slightly faster.
• Server networks — NordVPN has servers in 111 countries, while Astrill VPN covers 56. Choose a VPN that has numerous servers near you for the best speed.
• Robust security features — Look for essential security features like a kill switch, leak protection, and military-grade encryption. Both VPNs offer all these features and more.
• Respectable privacy practices — Both NordVPN and Astrill VPN have no-logs policies, but so far, only NordVPN has gone through multiple audits that confirm its claims.
• Easy to use — Both apps are easy to use, but NordVPN is more modern and intuitive. Astrill VPN is a bit more old-school, but I do like its helpful online security tips.
• Trustworthy money-back guarantee — NordVPN is the only one that offers a money-back guarantee, so you can try it out for free and see if it’s right for you.

NordVPN vs. Astrill VPN — Reddit Opinions

Reddit threads I found on Astrill VPN mostly regard its value for China. Typically, the reviews are mixed, but in general, the service is considered a solid option for China. Some Redditors point out that the high price might not be entirely justified, especially for users who don’t need to use the service in China.

The reviews of NordVPN mainly revolve around its overall value. The negative opinions point out that it doesn’t work in China and its no-logs policy is not transparent. Luckily, this doesn’t concern me since NordVPN has undergone several privacy audits. The VPN has a big group of loyal customers who have been happily using the service for years.

Redditors are mixed on Astrill VPN vs NordVPN