NordVPN vs Proton VPN 2024

James Everard

Senior Writer

There are some striking similarities between NordVPN and Proton VPN. They both form part of larger security suites, and both offer specialty servers for P2P, Tor, and double VPN. Plus, each one is designed to be as easy to use as possible, even for complete VPN beginners. Still, there are some key differences to consider before making a choice.

NordVPN offers more servers and has faster speeds than Proton VPN. Plus, I found it’s a far better choice for gaming, thanks to its low ping rates, even over long distances.

You can try NordVPN for free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not happy for any reason, you can easily get a refund and check out Proton VPN instead.

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Our Score: 9.9

If you can’t choose between these services, ExpressVPN is a great alternative. Its unique Lightway protocol was built from the ground up to cater to the needs of commercial VPN users. It offers fast speeds for optimum streaming, downloading, and gaming, along with highly advanced security.

Our Score: 9.9

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Streaming — NordVPN’s Fast Speeds Steal the Win

Both VPNs offer reliable connections for popular streaming platforms. From my location in the UK, I could safely watch BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video with both VPNs. My international colleagues reported similar results for popular platforms in the US, Japan, and Italy when tested from their respective regions but found that each VPN was unreliable for a couple of regional providers.

NordVPN didn’t work with Disney+ Hotstar, the popular streaming platform for India, Singapore, and Canada. Meanwhile, Proton VPN didn’t work with RTE, the national broadcaster in Ireland. So, that could be the deciding factor if you’re in these countries, but otherwise, NordVPN wins this round with its superior streaming speeds.

NordVPN has 4 UK locations compared with Proton VPN’s 2

NordVPN’s fast speeds allow for seamless streaming. I binge-watched Seinfeld on Netflix UK lag-free, and episodes loaded almost instantly. I didn’t even have lag when watching non-restricted YouTube videos on long-distance servers. Meanwhile, episodes loaded slower with Proton VPN, and the same YouTube videos on long-distance connections had a few minor instances of buffering.

Proton VPN was fast enough for HD streaming on nearby servers

Winner

NordVPN steals the win by offering faster streaming speeds that let me binge-watch in HD lag-free. Otherwise, they’re evenly matched in terms of streaming compatibility.

Server Network — NordVPN Wins With More Servers

NordVPN’s vast fleet of servers gives it an easy win. More servers mean lighter server load, offering faster speeds for streaming, gaming, and downloading. But Proton VPN isn't too far behind with the numbers.

Both NordVPN and Proton VPN are pretty evenly matched. They offer a significant and relatively equal network of specialty servers. These cover P2P, Double VPN (or Secure Core), and Onion (or Tor) Over VPN, with NordVPN also offering Dedicated IP servers if you’ve paid extra for a unique address.

Winner

NordVPN’s more extensive network of servers offers faster speeds, handing it an easy win in this round.

Speed — NordVPN’s NordLynx Secures the Win

NordVPN is the fastest of the two VPNs. Our UK-based speed tester ran speed tests against several servers in the US, UK, and Japan throughout the day using the best available protocol. This was WireGuard for Proton VPN and NordLynx for NordVPN. NordLynx is the VPN’s proprietary protocol that’s built around WireGuard and optimized for speed.

These tests are from a server in New York, over 5,500km away from our speed tester’s location in the UK

Proton VPN offers a VPN Accelerator feature to improve your speeds on long-distance servers, but NordVPN was still faster across a comparable distance. I was still impressed by Proton VPN’s speeds, though — I’ve definitely seen worse speed drops on UK to US connections.

In short, NordVPN beats Proton VPN in 11 out of 12 of our speed tests, with download speeds a comfortable win:

Winner

NordVPN’s faster speeds are thanks to a combination of more servers (reducing overcrowding) and its proprietary NordLynx protocol. However, Proton VPN isn’t significantly slower.

Gaming — NordVPN’s Server Fleet Takes You to Another Level

Ping measures how quickly devices and servers respond to your requests, so it’s an essential metric for gaming. A ping of under 100ms is recommended for smooth gameplay, but the faster, the better. As you can see from the table below, NordVPN offers considerably more responsive speeds in all tests, making it the clear choice for gamers.

The NordLynx protocol also means you’re less likely to face bans from online games

Winner

NordVPN’s ping rates are significantly lower on all servers, making it the best choice if you’re looking to secure your connection and play with friends internationally.

Torrenting — NordVPN Wins With Faster Speeds and a Proxy Alternative

NordVPN grabs another win here as its entire server network is P2P friendly, it offers specific P2P servers, and you’ll also get a proxy connection option.

Proxies are faster than VPNs because they don’t encrypt your data, but for the same reason, they’re less secure. So, you may prefer the VPN, but it’s good to have the choice. I configured it to Vuze in under a minute, and it was just a few Mbps below my base speed.

The only downside is that NordVPN doesn’t support port forwarding (unlike Proton VPN), but this feature can introduce more security vulnerabilities, so I don’t see that as a major loss.

In comparison, not all of Proton VPN’s servers are P2P friendly. The vast majority are, but there are a handful of regions that don’t allow torrenting. Unfortunately, this isn’t super clear in the app — I only found this out from Proton VPN’s website.

Like NordVPN, it also offers specialized torrenting servers, but I only found these by setting up a P2P profile (effectively a quick connect rule). That said, it’s still a speedy torrenting option, even if it is a touch slower than NordVPN.

Winner

NordVPN’s P2P-friendly server network and proxy connection for faster torrenting gives it the win in this section. Meanwhile, Proton VPN lets itself down with its app that isn’t clear which regions allow torrenting.

Security — Draw

NordVPN’s proprietary protocol fixes a security issue with WireGuard, the industry-standard protocol built for speed. With WireGuard, everyone using a specific server will get the same IP, which can cause some sites and services to block you. NordLynx uses Double NAT technology to give every user a unique IP. Proton VPN uses the standard WireGuard protocol.

NordVPN also offers OpenVPN (often regarded as the most secure protocol) in both UDP and TCP. UDP is generally faster, but TCP can be more reliable on unstable networks. Proton VPN offers it too, plus it also has its own Stealth protocol. However, I don’t recommend it as it slowed my speeds by over 70%, so it’s not practical for everyday use.

If you’re an Android user, you’ll also get some extra security with NordVPN’s built-in tapjacking protection on its smartphone app. This sends you a warning if it detects an overlay that could trick you into tapping a malicious link. It’s a pretty unique feature I’ve not seen with any other VPN, but it’s a shame it’s not available on iOS too.

NordVPN offers a highly customizable ad, tracker, and malware blocker, allowing you to tailor your online content. The problem is it blocked only 11% of ads in my tests, whereas Proton VPN’s one-click NetShield blocked 75% of ads and malicious content.

Winner - draw

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NordVPN’s protocol options far outweigh those of Proton VPN, yet the latter’s ad blocker is better by some distance. A lop-sided draw.

Privacy — A Privacy Breach By Proton Mail Gives NordVPN the Win

Proton first came to prominence with its popular encrypted email client, offering it trust and credibility in the field of privacy. However, in 2021, Proton Mail provided a user's IP and keyboard fingerprinting upon request by the Swiss authorities. The account belonged to Youth for Climate, a group of environmental activist schoolchildren in Paris.

Proton said it could not legally refuse the request and pointed out that “email and VPN are treated differently, and Proton VPN cannot be compelled to log user data.” Still, this raises concern and makes Proton’s base in Switzerland not so assuring. NordVPN can also boast more independent audits, including that of its no-logs policy.

You also get NordVPN’s Dark Web Monitor, one of many quirky and unusual features the VPN offers. It continuously scans the dark web for data breaches and will notify you immediately if your email address leaks. You can then take action to secure your account before too much damage is done.

Winner

An unfortunate privacy breach by Proton hands this round to NordVPN.

Works in China — Neither Is Reliable, So a Draw

Our VPNs are regularly tested for use in China, and neither of these makes the grade. China uses some of the most advanced VPN blocking in the world, and most services don’t have the resources or the inclination to stay ahead. That’s the case with these providers.

Winner - draw

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These VPNs aren’t recommended for use in the region, but you can check out our top-rated VPNs for China here.

Installation & Ease of Use — Both Are Generally User-Friendly

NordVPN is easy to use, with intuitive features and servers grouped by usage for easy access. However, the app is a little clunky, with no simple or basic view. Proton VPN is a little confusing at first. The servers have tiny logos beside them to denote usage, which aren’t as easy to navigate. But, once I got used to it, I preferred Proton VPN’s slick design.

Both VPNs have a handy feature to configure your settings for different sites or activities — NordVPN calls this Presets, while Proton VPN’s is called VPN connection profile. However, NordVPN only offers this for macOS. NordVPN also has a unique Meshnet feature that allows you to create a mini-VPN network between all your devices.

Winner - draw

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Both VPNs are easy to install on any popular device or OS. NordVPN is a little easier to use at first, but Proton VPN is more compact and sleek once you’ve got the hang of it.

Reliability & Support — NordVPN Offers Live Chat Without a Subscription

Proton VPN has a live chat feature, but you can only use it if you have a paid subscription. It’s also not the easiest to find on its website — you have to first log in and then click Subscription in the side panel. However, when you open the live chat, its knowledgeable agents reply within minutes.

Anyone can use NordVPN's live chat feature. You don’t have to sign in or even have an account to get assistance. You do have to go through a chatbot before holding for an agent, though, which is a little annoying. This usually takes a minute or two to get connected.

The knowledge bases each VPN offers on their websites are less extensive than with some providers but will answer most questions.

Winner

NordVPN wins this round with a live chat feature that anyone can access.

Tips on Choosing Between NordVPN and Proton VPN

• Smooth streaming. Seamless video streaming is crucial for watching your favorite local content online. I tested this by streaming a 4K video available in my country and noting loading times and quality consistency.
• Fast speeds. Speed is critical for browsing, downloading, and other online activities. Our speed tester in the UK tried several servers in various regions throughout the day to gauge average speeds.
• Server networks. A comprehensive server network provides better connectivity options. Both VPNs offer a diverse range of global servers to ensure fast connections worldwide.
• Robust security features. Strong security protects your data online. I evaluated this by checking encryption standards, kill switches, and the ability to block ads and malware.
• Respectable privacy practices. Privacy policies ensure trust. I checked that both VPNs have no-logs policies and transparency reports, ensuring your online activities remain confidential.
• Easy to use. User-friendliness enhances your VPN experience. I assessed this through the ease of installation, interface intuitiveness, and the availability of customer support.
• Trustworthy money-back guarantee. This shows confidence in service quality. I verified this by checking the refund processes myself, ensuring straightforward and risk-free trial periods.

NordVPN vs. Proton VPN — Reddit Opinions

I saw multiple posts claiming that Proton VPN puts its resources into its products and NordVPN into its advertising. Hence making Proton VPN more reliable, NordVPN more famous, and both popular. The testing that my colleagues and I did doesn't completely match this, as NordVPN proved more reliable than Proton in some categories. NordVPN does get some credit from Redditors for its streaming capabilities, however.