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Comparison · October 2026Proton VPN vs NordVPN 2026: Privacy Showdown
The short answer
Six audits vs five, Panama vs Switzerland, $139/yr vs $84/yr. NordVPN holds the deepest audit count in the industry. Proton has the better audit culture — yearly public Securitum reports since 2022, open-source apps, and a renewal that doesn't spike: $83.88/yr against $139.08/yr, about $55 a year apart. Privacy people can't pick wrong here.
Short on time? Key findings
| Proton VPN | NordVPNBest choice | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | $2.99/mo | $3.49/mo |
| Renewal price | $83.88/yrRenews at $83.88/yr | $139.08/yrRenews at $139.08/yr |
| Audit record | 5 yearly Securitum no-logs audits | 6 independent no-logs audits |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days |
| Devices | 10 on Plus | 10 |
| Countries | 140+ | 149 |
Scores are launch scores from verified audits — lab pending.
Side by side — verified facts
| Proton VPN | NordVPN | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch score | 8.8/10 | 9.2/10 | NordVPN |
| No-logs audits | 5 yearly Securitum no-logs audits | 6 independent no-logs audits | NordVPN |
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland | Panama | Tie |
| 2-yr intro price | $2.99/mo (2-year Plus plan) | $3.49/mo (2-year Basic plan) | Proton VPN |
| Best value term | Best value: Proton VPN 2-year Plus plan — $2.99/mo, renews at $83.88/yr | Proton VPN | |
| Renewal price | $83.88/yr | $139.08/yr | Proton VPN |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 on Plus | 10 | Tie |
| Servers | 20,000+ in 140+ countries | 9,500+ in 149 countries | Proton VPN |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days | Tie |
| Speed (measured) | Lab pending | Lab pending | — |
| Streaming (tested) | Lab pending | Lab pending | — |
Prices move with promos — the merchant's checkout is final. Speed and streaming figures only go in this table once we've measured them ourselves.
Winner: no clear winner — audits and country spread point to NordVPN, price and transparency to Proton. See the final verdict below.
Category winners
Winner: no clear winner — transparency points to Proton, audit depth to NordVPN. See the final verdict below.
Proton VPN
Transparency. Five consecutive yearly Securitum audits with public reports, Swiss jurisdiction, open-source apps — plus a free tier with no data cap.
This is what an audit culture looks like
Get Proton VPN — $2.99/moNordVPN
Trust. Six independent no-logs audits (PwC + Deloitte) vs five yearly Securitum audits — still the deepest audit record in the industry.
The deepest receipt book we cover
Get NordVPN — $3.49/moNo clear winner on speed & streaming — deliberately blank until the lab reports land. Never before.
Choose Proton VPN if…
- Swiss jurisdiction and open-source apps matter most to you
- You want yearly public audits with published reports
- You want the cheaper renewal ($83.88/yr vs $139.08/yr)
Choose NordVPN if…
- Trust is the top priority — six audits, deepest record in the industry
- Panama jurisdiction matters to you
- You want coverage in 149 countries
Final verdict
NordVPN wins on audit count and country spread (149 countries vs 140+). Proton wins on transparency culture and long-term price. The tiebreaker is how much open-source apps and Swiss jurisdiction are worth to you — price the second year, not the first, and decide.
Read the full reviews: Proton VPN review → · NordVPN review → — or back to the full 2026 ranking.