NordVPN vs. Norton Secure VPN 2024

Angela Jovanoska

Former Cybersecurity Researcher

NordVPN and Norton Secure VPN vary quite a bit. While the former is one of the most reputable VPNs in the industry, the latter is just getting recognition. However, both have strengths you should consider before making a choice.

For instance, while NordVPN offers some advanced security features, Norton Secure VPN comes with the essentials at a much lower price. To help you choose, I compared both VPNs in several categories, including speed, security, privacy, and ease of use.

After extensive testing, I found that NordVPN is the overall winner. It has fast speeds, smooth streaming capabilities, and a huge server network. Not to mention, its security features are unmatched by most VPNs. You can try NordVPN for free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s easy to claim a refund if you’re not happy.

Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings

Best alternative to NordVPN

Our Score: 9.9

ExpressVPN is the best VPN I’ve tested. Thanks to its proprietary Lightway protocol, it offers excellent speeds, so you can browse, stream, or torrent lag-free. Plus, it offers intuitive apps for all the major OSs and has some of the strongest security features around.

Our Score: 9.9

Read more about ExpressVPN

See ExpressVPN's Best Deals

Compare ExpressVPN vs NordVPN

Visit ExpressVPN

www.expressvpn.com

Streaming — NordVPN Wins By a Narrow Margin

NordVPN’s servers offer reliable connections for Netflix and several other major streaming platforms. Norton Secure VPN is also a decent streaming VPN, but it currently doesn’t work with a few popular services.

The picture quality remained consistent even when our US tester skipped to a different part of the episode

If you’re US-based, Norton Secure VPN can also provide stable connections for watching Netflix US content, such as Suits. Other platforms like Max and Amazon Prime Video work just as well. Still, while a teammate was testing it in the States, Norton Secure VPN didn’t work for Disney+, and my colleague in the UK found it unreliable for BBC iPlayer.

Norton Secure VPN worked well with Netflix in the US

NordVPN also offers a Smart DNS service that you can use to stream on a device that doesn’t support VPNs, like your smart TV. It also offers router support, which is pretty easy to configure. Norton Secure VPN offers neither functionality.

Winner

NordVPN offers smoother and more reliable streaming with better speeds than Norton Secure VPN. Plus, it has a Smart DNS service and is compatible with most routers, so it can be used to stream on the big screen.

Server Network — NordVPN Covers A Lot More Locations

While Norton Secure VPN doesn’t disclose its exact number of servers, it currently only covers 60 countries, far fewer than most VPNs. NordVPN’s network is much larger, with 6,700 servers in 111 countries. Most of Norton Secure VPN’s servers are in Europe, and it currently only covers one country in both South America and Africa and just 3 in Asia.

Norton Secure VPN doesn’t offer city-specific servers, so there’s no way to tell where a server is within a country. This can be a problem if you’re looking for nearby connections. With NordVPN, you can connect to city-specific servers in the US, the UK, Australia, Germany, and many more countries.

NordVPN also outshines Norton Secure VPN with its specialized server selection. For instance, its Double VPN connections and Obfuscated servers give you ultimate stealth and help you evade VPN blocks on restrictive WiFi networks. You can even get a dedicated IP if you don’t feel like sharing the VPN's IPs with thousands of other users.

Winner

NordVPN is the overall winner, as it covers a lot more regions and provides specialized servers across the globe for strong privacy.

Speed — NordVPN Has Faster Download Speeds Over Long Distances

Our UK-based speed tester tried various servers with each of the VPN’s fastest protocols — NordLynx for NordVPN and OpenVPN for Norton Secure VPN. From a base of 112.86 Mbps, NordVPN’s UK server reached 97.83 Mbps (13% speed loss). However, upload speeds dropped by 76%. Upload speeds are important for activities like gaming and video calls.

NordVPN’s upload speeds were disappointing, but that doesn’t affect activities like streaming or torrenting

Norton Secure VPN’s UK server reached 111.92 Mbps, which is only a 1% drop from the base speed. This is comparable to some of the fastest VPNs in the industry. Its upload speeds dropped by only 5% — hardly noticeable.

Norton Secure VPN’s speeds were less impressive than NordVPN's over long distances

Norton Secure VPN lost up to 45% on the US server and over half its speed from Hong Kong. So, if you’re using a faraway server, you can expect some lag with Norton Secure VPN. Still, Norton Secure VPN has much faster upload speeds.

Winner

Both VPNs have fast download speeds on nearby servers, but Norton Secure VPN’s speeds halved over long distances, so NordVPN is the overall winner.

Gaming — NordVPN Has Lower Ping Rates

Your ping should be below 100 ms for lag-free gaming. Overall, NordVPN proved to be better for gaming and let me play smoothly from most servers. I got 64 ms from my nearest location, 79 ms from the UK, and 100 ms from the US. The game took longer to load, but I had no interruptions thereafter.

Use the Quick Connect option to get optimal speeds for gaming

With Norton Secure VPN, my ping remained consistently above 100 ms on all servers. I could only play normally while connected to the nearest location, but even then, I got some lag. With every other server, the game was unplayable. As I result, I don’t recommend Norton Secure VPN for gaming.

Winner

NordVPN is a much better option for gaming, as I could play uninterrupted on its nearby and some faraway servers without lag, unlike Norton Secure VPN.

Torrenting — NordVPN Wins With More Torrenting Servers

NordVPN supports P2P sharing across most of its network, in addition to P2P-optimized servers in over 50 countries. In comparison, Norton Secure VPN allows torrenting on just one server in the Netherlands, which isn’t ideal if you’re far away.

During my tests, NordVPN gave me great torrenting speeds. A nearby server took just 7 minutes to download a 1.5 GB copyright-free file. Norton Secure VPN took nearly 15 minutes to download the same file.

Note that torrenting is legal in most countries, but downloading copyrighted files isn't. The team and I don't condone illegal torrenting, and we advise you to make sure the materials you download are in the public domain.

Winner

NordVPN supports torrenting on almost all its servers, while Norton Secure VPN restricts its torrenting support to one location.

Security — NordVPN Comes Out On Top With More Security Features

NordVPN is the more secure VPN service, with advanced security features you won’t find with every VPN. For example, Double VPN servers route your traffic through 2 locations for extra encryption, and Onion Over VPN offers secure access to the dark web.

Plus, NordVPN’s Dark Web Monitor scans for data leaks. It will notify you instantly if your email address has been leaked on the dark web, so you can take action and secure your accounts.

Additional bonus features include tapjacking protection (prevents malicious parties from using screen overlay to steal your data) and a SOCKS5 proxy for a faster connection without encryption.

NordVPN offers 80+ Double VPN servers spread across 9 countries in 3 continents

NordVPN’s entire server network is RAM-based, so your personal data gets wiped each time the server is rebooted. In comparison, Norton Secure VPN uses traditional hard disks, which store your data.

It also offers split tunneling that lets you exclude certain traffic from the VPN tunnel

Both VPNs provide an effective ad blocker, but NordVPN’s Threat Protection offers more. You can customize it to block any combination of ads, trackers, malware, and viruses. Norton Secure VPN also stops ads and trackers, but it won’t block malware.

Winner

NordVPN offers several more advanced features that make it the overall winner. This includes Double VPN servers, obfuscation, RAM-only servers, and dedicated IP addresses.

Privacy — NordVPN Has an Audited No-Logs Policy and A Privacy-Friendly Jurisdiction

NordVPN and Norton Secure VPN both have strict no-logs policies that claim they retain no personal information. The difference is that NordVPN's privacy policy has been audited by an independent organization, which proves it stands behind its claims.

For added privacy, you can use a temporary email address and pay with cryptocurrency

Still, a recent change to its privacy policy states that NordVPN will comply with data requests from authorities if they abide by international laws and regulations. This subtle change is concerning, but it’s reassuring that NordVPN's privacy policy has undergone 3 independent audits.

Plus, NordVPN is based in Panama, a country that has no strict data retention laws and is outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. Norton Secure VPN’s privacy policy hasn’t been audited by a third-party organization, and its HQ is in the US, a founding member of the Alliance.

Winner

Both VPNs have no-logs policies, but NordVPN has been proven by independent audits. Plus, it is based in Panama, a more privacy-friendly jurisdiction.

Works in China — Neither Work in China

This category is a draw, as neither NordVPN nor Norton Secure VPN works in China. I confirmed this with both VPNs’ customer support lines. The Great Firewall (GFW) is constantly updating its VPN detection and blocking technology, and even the most reputable VPNs struggle to work there reliably.

So, take a look at our constantly updated list of the best VPNs for China to find a more reliable option.

Winner - draw

/

Neither of these VPNs works in China.

Installation & Ease of Use — NordVPN Is More Intuitive Than Norton Secure VPN

Both VPNs are easy to set up and install, but I found NordVPN’s app more intuitive, with more features and customization options. For instance, Presets lets you customize connection settings and create shortcuts to different apps (macOS only). Plus, Meshnet lets you create your own private network for all your devices.

The servers are not divided by continent, but it’s still easy to find specific locations with the search bar

Norton Secure VPN is also easy to use, but that’s due to the lack of options. You can toggle the kill switch, split tunneling, ad blocker, and auto-connect at startup, but these are its only customizable features.

There’s no search box, but it’s easy to find servers as there aren’t many locations to scroll through

Both VPNs are compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Plus, NordVPN has a command-based app for Linux and manual router installation — Norton Secure VPN offers neither.

Winner

NordVPN is the overall winner as it has a lot more features and customization options. Plus, it can be manually configured on routers and has a dedicated Linux app.

Reliability & Support — NordVPN Wins With Quicker Response Times

Both VPNs offer 24/7 support via live chat. NordVPN’s support agents are friendly, knowledgeable, and quick to answer. To use Norton Secure VPN’s live chat, you have to answer questions from an AI chatbot. Once connected, its agents were often slow with unhelpful answers.

On the positive side, Norton Secure VPN offers 24/7 phone support, which is rare for a VPN. NordVPN doesn’t offer this.

Winner

NordVPN’s support is easier to access and has more informative agents. Plus, NordVPN offers email support, and its knowledge base is better.

Tips on Choosing Between NordVPN and Norton Secure VPN

There are several factors you need to consider before choosing between NordVPN and Norton Secure VPN. Here are the criteria I used to determine the overall better VPN:

• Smooth streaming. The team and I tested both VPNs to ensure they offer fast and stable connections to the streaming services licensed for our regions. In theory, you could use a VPN to watch content from another region, but this may constitute copyright infringement and go against the platform’s T&Cs.
• Fast speeds. Whether you want to use a VPN for streaming, browsing, or torrenting, it should be fast so you don’t experience lag and interruptions.
• Large server network. The more servers a VPN has, the more likely you’ll find one nearby for optimal speeds. Plus, you won’t have to deal with overcrowding.
• Strong security features. Every reputable VPN should offer military-grade encryption, a kill switch, and IP/DNS leak protection. Bonus features include multi-hop servers, obfuscation, and a RAM-based network.
• Good privacy practices. Ideally, a VPN should have a strict no-logs policy verified by an independent audit. It’s also a plus if it’s based in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance.
• Intuitive apps. The VPN should have easy-to-use apps for all the major platforms, so you can protect all your devices.
• Trustworthy money-back guarantee. A money-back guarantee lets you try out a VPN for a set period without financial risk. If you don’t like it, you can get a full refund.

NordVPN vs Norton Secure VPN — Reddit Opinions

Many Reddit users vouch for NordVPN’s streaming capabilities, reporting reliable connections for HD and UHD video. Our tests backed that up; it consistently worked with the streaming platforms that are licensed for our respective regions, and we experienced zero buffering.

While the team and I didn’t have any issues, there are various posts reporting technical problems with Norton Secure VPN.