Proton VPN vs NordVPN

Proton VPN and NordVPN both land on Worth it.

Proton VPN

Worth it

Confidence: Medium

Buy if you want a privacy-first VPN with a genuinely usable free tier; Plus at ~$4.49/mo unlocks the full 5,000+ server network.

Worth it

Confidence: Medium

Buy if you're an individual wanting a fast, well-reviewed VPN and can commit to a 2-year plan.

Proton VPN versus NordVPN
Compare	Proton VPN	NordVPN
Verdict	Worth it	Worth it
Best for	Privacy-focused individuals	Privacy-focused individuals
Who it's not for	Casual users the free tier already covers . paying for Plus is overkill	Businesses needing managed team VPN . use NordLayer instead
Privacy	No-logs policy independently audited; two past Windows privilege-escalation CVEs (2018, 2022) and a 2019 kernel-flaw statement on record.^⁶	Strong AES-256-GCM encryption today, but a confirmed 2018 server breach and several Windows client CVEs are on record; 2026 breach claims were denied.
Support quality	Only indirect Trustpilot complaint signals	24/7 live chat exists; billing complaints recur
Public sentiment	Reviewers praise the free tier and security record, while some Trustpilot and Reddit users voice support and trust complaints.^¹	Reviewers and users broadly praise speed and reliability (4/5 Trustpilot), while billing support and refunds draw the loudest complaints.¹³
Biggest gotcha	Pricing sources conflict ($4.49 vs $25 tiers) . confirm current price at checkout¹⁰	Advertised $2.99/mo requires a 2-year commitment; monthly runs to $16.59¹⁴

Casual users the free tier already covers . paying for Plus is overkill
Bargain hunters; cheaper mainstream VPNs exist
Businesses needing granular per-user admin controls
Anyone needing guaranteed identical pricing . Proton was accused of A/B price testing