ProtonVPN vs. NordVPN: Which One Do We Prefer?

How do these compare?

ProtonVPN is a decent provider. If you are registered with them, there’s no need to switch unless your plan is about to expire. However, if given a choice, NordVPN is miles ahead! 

Indeed, ProtonVPN’s free plan is an amazing value. Also, their privacy policy and security are among the best.  However, from speed, the number of servers, pricing, and customer support standpoint, NordVPN is way better.

Let’s discuss everything in detail.

ProtonVPN vs NordVPN: Features

We’ll kick things off with features. 

Before purchasing any VPN, there are certain features you need to look at. The primary ones being kill switch, double VPN, DNS leak protection, IP leak protection, split tunneling, etc.

NordVPN has all the important features covered. It has a kill switch, double VPN, auto-connect, Onion over VPN for Tor, Anti-DDoS, DNS leak protection, CyberSec, and IP leak protection. 

The kill switch implementation by Nord is particularly interesting. It has two variants:

1.  “Internet kill switch” is the usual kill switch, which stops all the internet traffic if the VPN gets disconnected.
2.   “App kill”. Here, you add the apps you want to disconnect from the internet if the VPN connection is lost. E.g., Adding “Flud”, a torrenting app, to the list, and leaving your browser outside.

The auto-connect can also be configured. You can set the VPN to auto-connect whenever you’re using a public WiFi. Moreover, you can also choose the server you want to auto-connect from. 

It also has a few other features, including Cybersec, double VPN, and DNS options. We will discuss these in the “Security” segment.  

As for ProtonVPN, it has all the basic features NordVPN does. Additionally, it also supports split tunneling, which is convenient to have even though the majority of consumers may never need it.

Overall, ProtonVPN has covered all the major features, including split tunneling. However, NordVPN’s Onion over VPN and implementation of the kill switch and auto-connect keeps it at the top.

Winner: NordVPN

ProtonVPN vs. NordVPN: Ease of use

Unlike all other sections in this comparison, “Ease of use” is subjective. For the best comparison, we have looked at it from a technically-illiterate layman’s perspective. 

NordVPN’s account creation process is straightforward. Once the account is created, just log in, and you are good to go. The homepage is sleek and visually stimulating. A significant portion of the page is covered by a world map with all the servers marked on it ⁠— you can simply select any, and you’re connected. If you would like to search for a specific location server, there’s a list with a search bar on the left side ⁠— scroll through the options, and connect!

In the settings menu, too, everything is right where you expect it. That’s a big plus from a UX standpoint. Talking about UX, scrolling & switching through all the tabs feels fantastic! 

The “Ease of use” experience discussed stands true for all NordVPN’s apps, whether it’s for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, or even Firestick.

ProtonVPN is easy to use, too. Setting up an account is simple. Plus, just like NordVPN, you are greeted with a world map with all the server locations marked. Moreover, we personally loved the green on black UI of Proton ⁠— it gives a feeling of being a computer geek or a hacker.  

In the settings page, you can change/activate the features you want. However, some of the things in the settings tab don’t make sense. E.g., Kill switch, which is clearly a basic/necessary feature is under the “Advanced settings”.

In addition to that, we found ProtonVPN’s android app to be slightly harder to use compared to Nord. Also, it doesn’t have any app for Firestick.

All in all, ProtonVPN’s implementation from the UI/UX perspective is decent. But, NordVPN’s way of doing it is better…some might consider it as the epitome of how easy it should be to use a VPN.

Winner: NordVPN

ProtonVPN vs NordVPN: Pricing

Up till now, NordVPN has been slightly better than ProtonVPN at almost everything. Pricing will take it home for them.

ProtonVPN has a two-year plan at max. So, let’s compare both VPN’s two-year plan’s pricing.

ProtonVPN’s premium plan costs €6.63/month or approx. $8/month for the two-year plan. This includes connections for five devices (it used to be ten). Apart from the premium plan, it has a free plan as well ⁠— very limited, though. 

NordVPN is priced at $3.49/month for the same period. With this plan, you can connect six devices simultaneously.

Meaning, not only is NordVPN priced less than half of ProtonVPN, but it also allows an extra simultaneous device. 

Winner: NordVPN

Conclusion: Which one’s better?