Proton VPN vs NordVPN
Proton VPN and NordVPN are the two best-known names in the VPN guide, and the comparison rests mostly on what we could confirm. Proton's own pages describe a free plan with no data limits, apps that are open source, openly published audits and a Geneva base. NordVPN's website blocked our automated checks (HTTP 403), so its prices, server counts and audit details are not verified here and you should read them on nordvpn.com before you pay.
Choose Proton VPN if
you want a free plan to try first, care about open-source apps and published audits, or already use Proton Mail or Proton Drive and like one account for all of it.
Read the Proton VPN reviewChoose NordVPN if
you want to compare NordVPN's current plans and audit reports yourself on nordvpn.com. We could not confirm its pricing, network size or features, so we cannot say here what it does better.
Read the NordVPN reviewProton VPN and NordVPN side by side
| Proton VPN | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Proton AG | Nord Security |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland | Vilnius, Lithuania |
| Founded | 2017 | 2012 |
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) | EU (Lithuania) |
| Where the data sits | 90+ countries | Lithuanian company, servers worldwide |
| Pricing | Free tier / from about €4.99/month | Subscription, cheapest on multi-year plans |
| Free tier or trial | Free tier, unlimited data | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Certifications and checks | Independently audited, all apps open source | Independently audited no-logs policy |
| Source code | Open source | Closed source |
| Usually replaces | NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark | ExpressVPN, Surfshark, US-based VPNs |
| Position in our VPN Services guide | #2 of 12 | #7 of 12 |
Both are listed in our European VPN Services guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries; how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where Proton VPN and NordVPN differ
Across the four points below, Proton VPN has the edge on 2 points and 2 are a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Free plan and trial
Proton's pricing page lists Proton Free for 1 device at a time on servers in 10 countries, and the home page says the free tier has no ads and no data limits. VPN Plus carries a 30-day money-back guarantee. We could not read NordVPN's pricing page, so we cannot confirm whether it offers a free tier or what its guarantee covers.
Edge: Proton VPN
Transparency: audits and open source
Proton VPN's home page says its audits are openly published and that the apps are open source. Nord Security's about page confirms only that NordVPN was launched in 2012 and as an app in 2013. We could not open NordVPN's audit pages, so the point goes to Proton on what is verifiable, not on proof that NordVPN has no audit.
Edge: Proton VPN
Network size and speed claims
Proton VPN's home page claims 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries; its pricing page text for VPN Plus separately mentions 2000+ servers in 10+ countries, so check which figure applies to your plan. NordVPN's numbers could not be read, so we do not compare them.
No clear winner on this point.
Company and jurisdiction
Proton VPN is run from Geneva, Switzerland, according to its home page, which is outside the EU but covered by an EU adequacy decision. Nord Security's pages we could read do not state where the company is registered. Our directory lists NordVPN as Lithuanian, but we could not confirm that on the vendor's own pages this session.
No clear winner on this point.
When neither Proton VPN nor NordVPN fits
If neither suits you, the European VPN guide also lists Mullvad, which charges one flat price and asks for no email address, and IVPN. Both are on our category page, which shows where each company is based.
Proton VPN vs NordVPN: questions
On what we could verify, Proton VPN is the easier one to judge: it offers a free plan, open-source apps and published audits. We could not load NordVPN's own site, so we make no claim about its speed, price or features. Test the 30-day guarantee on either one before committing.
Yes. Proton's pricing page lists Proton Free for 1 device at a time with servers in 10 countries, and its home page says the free plan has no ads and no data limits.
Proton's home page gives a Geneva, Switzerland address. We could not confirm NordVPN's registered location on its own pages; Nord Security's about page only describes the history of the product.
Proton VPN's home page claims 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries. We could not read NordVPN's figure, so no comparison is made.
Sources
Facts, prices and plan details on this page were checked on the vendors' own websites on . Prices and plans change; the vendor's current page is authoritative.
- Proton VPN home page: 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries, no-logs claim, openly published audits, open source, Geneva, free plan with no data limits (checked 8 October 2026)
- Proton VPN pricing page: Free plan (1 device, 10 countries), VPN Plus (10 devices, 30-day money-back guarantee), Proton Unlimited bundle; prices were placeholders when checked (checked 8 October 2026)
- Nord Security about page: NordVPN launched in 2012 as a Windows configuration and as an app in 2013 (checked 8 October 2026)
- Nord Security home page: NordVPN is one of the Nord Security products (nordvpn.com itself returned HTTP 403 to our checks) (checked 8 October 2026)