VPNLISTIFY team · October 18, 2026 · 21 min read

NordVPN vs Proton VPN 2026: Price, Speed, Privacy and Verdict

Proton VPN is cheaper and, unlike NordVPN, offers a free plan. NordVPN is stronger for streaming, in censored countries and on extra features. A two-year Proton VPN Plus plan costs €3.49 a month including VAT on the pricing page and €2.99 through the partner offer, while NordVPN Basic works out at about €4.22 once Czech VAT is added. After renewal, Proton costs €83.88 a year and NordVPN €168.29. In an editorial speed test Proton came out slightly faster, while the Artifact Security lab test put NordVPN ahead. We opened both pricing pages and checkouts from a Czech IP address and went through both help centers, server lists and independent tests. Details as of October 18, 2026.

NordVPN vs Proton VPN 2026 cover: €4.22 vs €3.49 a month with VAT, €168.29 vs €83.88 a year after renewal, 38 vs 85 servers in Prague

NordVPN and Proton VPN are two of the best-known paid VPNs, but they come from different places. NordVPN leans on speed and a long feature list. It operates under Panamanian jurisdiction, while its parent company, Nord Security, is based in the Netherlands (NordVPN Help Center). Proton VPN is run by Proton AG in Geneva, whose main shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation and which also makes the encrypted email service Proton Mail (Proton). Its pitch is Swiss law, open-source apps and a free plan.

We have not tested the apps ourselves. This comparison is based on the pricing pages and checkouts we opened from a Czech IP address on October 18, 2026, both help centers, both server lists, and independent testing by TechRadar, Tom’s Guide, CNET, Security.org and the Artifact Security lab. Key facts are linked in the text, and every source is listed at the end. Our NordVPN and Proton VPN links are affiliate links: if you buy through them, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We earn from both, so the verdict rests only on documented figures. For a closer look at NordVPN on its own, see our NordVPN review.

01The verdict at a glance

Category	NordVPN	Proton VPN	Winner
Monthly price with VAT	€4.22 (Basic, 27 months)	€3.49 (VPN Plus, 24 months), €2.99 via partner offer	Proton VPN
Yearly renewal with VAT	€168.29	€83.88	Proton VPN
Free plan	No	Yes, 1 device and 10 countries	Proton VPN
Editorial speed test (WireGuard)	1,427 Mbps	1,475 Mbps	Proton VPN, narrowly
Artifact Security lab test (overall score)	91 points	83 points	NordVPN
Servers in Prague and Bratislava	38 and 15	85 and 62	Proton VPN
No-logs assessments	6 since 2018	5 annual audits since 2022	Tie
Open source	Linux app and the libtelio library	All apps	Proton VPN
Streaming	No major issues	Trouble with Prime Video	NordVPN
China and censored countries	Works, according to TechRadar	Does not work, according to Tom’s Guide	NordVPN
Extra features	Dedicated IP in Prague, Meshnet, post-quantum encryption	Secure Core, port forwarding	NordVPN
Devices and guarantee	10 devices, 30 days	10 devices, 30 days	Tie

As of October 18, 2026. Prices with VAT use the Czech rate of 21%, which NordVPN’s checkout adds and Proton’s price already includes. Speed: Tom’s Guide comparison of October 13, 2026 (Tom’s Guide). Sources for the other figures are in the sections below.

NordVPN vs Proton VPN: Proton wins on price, renewal price, free plan, servers in Prague and Bratislava, Czech and Slovak apps and open source, and narrowly on the editorial speed test; NordVPN on the Artifact lab test, streaming, censored countries and extras; audits and guarantee a tie — Who wins in each category.

02Proton VPN vs NordVPN: price

Both pricing pages show the same figure, €3.49 a month, but it is not the same price. Proton’s prices include tax: on the two-year VPN Plus plan, the checkout we opened from Czechia showed a total of €83.76, the same as the pricing page, with “Včetně 21% daně: 14.54 €” (including 21% tax) underneath (Proton VPN). NordVPN lists prices before tax with the note “VAT may apply”, and its checkout adds Czech VAT of 21% on top. So Basic for 27 months is not €94.23 but €114.02 (NordVPN). With tax included, NordVPN works out at about €4.22 a month and Proton at €3.49.

Plan	Listed price	With 21% VAT	Per month	Yearly renewal
NordVPN Basic, 2 years + 3 months	€94.23 + VAT	€114.02 (CZK 2,773)	€4.22	€168.29
Proton VPN Plus, 2 years	€83.76 incl. VAT	€83.76 (CZK 2,037)	€3.49	€83.88
Proton VPN Plus, 2 years, partner offer	€71.76 incl. VAT	€71.76 (CZK 1,746)	€2.99	€83.88
NordVPN Basic, 1 year	€65.88 + VAT	€79.71	€6.64	€168.29
Proton VPN Plus, 1 year	€53.88 incl. VAT	€53.88	€4.49	€83.88
NordVPN Basic, monthly	€14.99 + VAT	€18.14	€18.14	same each month
Proton VPN Plus, monthly	€9.99 incl. VAT	€9.99	€9.99	same each month
NordVPN Complete, 2 years + 3 months	€121.23 + VAT	€146.69	€5.43	€265.57
Proton Unlimited, 2 years	€191.76 incl. VAT	€191.76	€7.99	€119.88

Prices from the NordVPN and Proton VPN pricing pages and checkouts opened from a Czech IP address on October 18, 2026 (NordVPN, Proton VPN). Koruna amounts use the CNB rate of CZK 24.325 per euro from October 16, 2026 (CNB). With Slovak VAT of 23%, NordVPN Basic should come to about €115.90 by our calculation; Proton’s tax-inclusive price stays the same. We did not see a Slovak checkout.

What you pay per month, € including 21% VAT

NordVPN BasicFirst term: 4.22After renewal: 14.02
Proton VPN PlusFirst term: 3.49After renewal: 6.99
Proton Plus, partner offerFirst term: 2.99After renewal: 6.99
NordVPN CompleteFirst term: 5.43After renewal: 22.13
Proton UnlimitedFirst term: 7.99After renewal: 9.99

Multi-year plan price with VAT divided by the number of months (27 for NordVPN, 24 for Proton). After renewal, both services charge a yearly price, which we divided by twelve.

The biggest gap opens up after the first term. Proton renews at €83.88 for 12 months (Proton VPN), NordVPN Basic at €139.08 before VAT, or €168.29 with Czech VAT (NordVPN, NordVPN Help Center). After renewal, NordVPN costs roughly twice as much. Including two yearly renewals, you would pay about €251.52 for Proton, covering 48 months, and about €450.59 for NordVPN Basic, covering 51 months (27 months plus two renewals). You can turn off auto-renewal in your account with either service. Both checkouts note that renewal prices may change, and NordVPN says it will notify you before charging a new price.

Watch what the discounts are measured against. NordVPN advertises 69% to 75% off, calculated against its renewal price. Our button says 77% off, which is the difference between two-year Basic (€3.49 a month before VAT) and the €14.99 monthly plan. Proton shows “65% OFF” on its two-year plan, compared with its own €9.99 monthly plan. Its lowest price relies on a promo code that the page applies automatically and that can be used only once per user. We break down NordVPN’s pricing in detail in NordVPN price.

Through our partner links, Proton is cheaper still. They open a special Proton offer: two years of VPN Plus for €71.76, or €2.99 a month, which is 70% off the monthly plan. The checkout we opened from Czechia showed a total of €71.76 with 21% VAT of €12.45 included, so this price also includes tax. Renewal stays the same at €83.88 a year, and the discount can be used only once per user. NordVPN’s partner page shows the same prices as its pricing page.

The pricier plans add different things. NordVPN Complete adds antivirus, ad blocking, the NordPass password manager and 1 TB of encrypted storage. Proton Unlimited unlocks all of Proton’s premium services: Proton Mail with 15 addresses, the Proton Pass password manager, a calendar and 500 GB of Proton Drive storage (Proton VPN). Proton includes its NetShield ad and malware blocker in VPN Plus.

Try NordVPN: 77% off + 3 months free

Try Proton VPN

03Proton VPN free vs NordVPN money-back guarantee

This is a clear win for Proton. According to Proton, its free plan has no data or time limits, shows no ads and follows the same no-logs policy as the paid plans (Proton VPN). It does have limits: you can connect only 1 device, and you connect to free servers in 10 countries, namely the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland, Norway, Switzerland, Singapore, Mexico, Canada and the US (Proton VPN).

You also cannot pick the country yourself. The app first connects you to the fastest free server for your location, picks every next server at random, and makes you wait after a switch: 45 seconds the first time, then 10 minutes (Proton VPN). The pricing page lists “Medium VPN speed” for the free plan, and the privacy policy reserves the right to limit speed in cases of excessive use (Proton VPN). Proton does not block streaming on the free plan but only guarantees it on paid plans, and P2P file sharing is paid only. The kill switch and the Stealth obfuscation protocol do work on the free plan (Proton VPN).

What Proton VPN Free includes: no data limits and no ads, 1 device, 10 countries without choosing yourself, medium speed, kill switch and Stealth yes, P2P and guaranteed streaming no. NordVPN has no free plan — What you get with Proton VPN for free and what NordVPN offers instead.

NordVPN has no free plan. Its seven-day free trial is available in only 15 countries, and neither Czechia nor Slovakia is among them. New Android users can still try it for 3 days through Google Play (NordVPN Help Center). Otherwise, you rely on the 30-day money-back guarantee. We cover every option in NordVPN free trial, and free VPNs in general in best free VPN.

04Proton VPN vs NordVPN: speed

WireGuard speed in the Tom’s Guide test, Mbps

NordVPNNearest server: 1,427US to UK: 939
Proton VPNNearest server: 1,475US to UK: 1,548

Tom’s Guide NordVPN vs Proton VPN comparison of October 13, 2026, NordVPN using its WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol (Tom’s Guide).

In editorial testing, Proton is slightly faster. In its October comparison, Tom’s Guide measured 1,475 Mbps for Proton and 1,427 Mbps for NordVPN on the nearest server using WireGuard. Over the long US to UK route, the gap was wider: 1,548 versus 939 Mbps (Tom’s Guide). TechRadar, which belongs to the same publisher, lists the same figures for Proton (TechRadar), though it admits that something in its testing may be limiting the accuracy of its local results.

The Artifact Security lab reached the opposite conclusion in its June 2026 report. Of the five VPNs it tested, it gave NordVPN the top score of 91 points and the only Platinum award, while Proton VPN finished with Gold and 83 points. On Windows, NordVPN averaged 271.9 Mbps and Proton 165.2 Mbps. Proton, however, had by far the most stable connection, with the lowest jitter: 5.93 ms against 16.3 ms (Artifact Security). The report does not say who commissioned the test, and NordVPN cites it in its fastest VPN marketing (NordVPN). In a 2025 West Coast Labs comparison, NordVPN scored 58 and Proton 49 out of 60, but TechRadar notes that its article is based on material shared by NordVPN and West Coast Labs (TechRadar).

Both services are more than fast enough for a home connection, and you will not notice the difference on an ordinary line. Do not choose on speed alone. Results depend more on who runs the test, when and how than on any real gap between the two services.

05NordVPN vs Proton VPN: privacy and audits

Both services say they do not record what you do online. According to Proton, Swiss law does not require it to keep user connection logs and cannot force it to log specific users (Proton VPN). Proton only complies with foreign requests once a Swiss court has approved them. Since 2017 it has received 458 legally binding orders from Swiss authorities and denied all of them, because it does not have the data requested (Proton VPN). NordVPN says it is based in Panama because local law does not require it to keep logs (NordVPN Help Center).

Swiss law may be changing, though. In July 2025, Proton announced that legal uncertainty around Swiss government proposals to expand surveillance was leading it to move most of its physical infrastructure out of Switzerland, with an investment of over €100 million in the EU (Proton). Under its privacy policy, Proton VPN stores account data in encrypted form on servers in Switzerland, Germany or Norway (Proton VPN). Proton AG remains a Swiss company, and its services are governed by Swiss law (Proton).

Both services have their no-logs policies checked. NordVPN has had its policy independently assessed six times since 2018, most recently by Deloitte between November and December 2025 (Tom’s Guide). Since 2022, Proton has commissioned a yearly audit from the Polish firm Securitum, with 2026 marking the fifth in a row. According to Proton, Securitum found no evidence that its servers log browsing activity, DNS queries or metadata that could identify users (Proton VPN). Each assessment only covers a specific period, though, not a permanent state.

Proton leads on open source. It published the source code of all its apps back in 2020, and independent researcher Ruben Santamarta most recently audited the apps in November 2025 (Proton VPN, GitHub). NordVPN has published the code of its Linux app and of libtelio, the library behind its connections and Meshnet (NordVPN Help Center, GitHub). Cure53 audited its apps in 2024 and its apps and servers in 2025. It found no critical flaws, but in 2025 it did find five high-severity ones, which NordVPN fixed (TechRadar, Cure53 2024).

NordVPN also has incidents on record. In 2018, an attacker accessed a single rented server in Finland, and the company only disclosed it in October 2019 (TechCrunch). In January 2026, a hacker claimed to have stolen NordVPN data. The company denied it, saying the data came from a test environment filled with dummy data (SecurityWeek).

Audit timeline: NordVPN first no-logs assessment and server breach in 2018, Proton open-sources its apps in 2020 and first Securitum audit in 2022, Proton moves infrastructure in 2025, Proton app audit 11/2025, sixth NordVPN assessment 12/2025, denied hacker claim 1/2026, fifth Proton audit in 2026 — Audits, incidents and changes over time.

06Servers in Prague, Bratislava and worldwide

Servers in Prague and Bratislava

PragueNordVPN: 38Proton VPN: 85
BratislavaNordVPN: 15Proton VPN: 62

NordVPN from its public server list on October 13, 2026 (NordVPN API), Proton VPN from its server overview on October 18, 2026 (Proton VPN).

If you connect from Czechia or Slovakia, Proton has more servers nearby: 85 in Prague against NordVPN’s 38, and 62 in Bratislava against 15. Worldwide, Proton’s server page lists 20,839 servers in 149 countries (Proton VPN), while NordVPN’s public list shows 7,130 servers in 150 countries (NordVPN API). Both cover some countries with virtual locations, where you get an IP address from that country but the server sits elsewhere. NordVPN has 95 such countries out of 150. Proton calls this Smart Routing and uses it for 109 countries, but not for Czechia or Slovakia (Proton VPN).

Only NordVPN sells dedicated IP addresses to consumers, including one in Prague. That helps with online banking or company systems that block shared IPs (NordVPN Help Center). Proton offers dedicated IPs to businesses only (Proton).

07Features and apps

Feature	NordVPN	Proton VPN
Double VPN	Double VPN	Secure Core via Switzerland, Iceland and Sweden
Obfuscation against VPN blocks	NordWhisper and obfuscated servers	Stealth, also on the free plan
Ad and malware blocking	Scam site protection on Basic, ad blocking on Complete	NetShield on VPN Plus
Tor over VPN	Yes	Yes
Split tunneling	Windows, Android, Android TV, browser extension, not Mac or iPhone	Windows, Mac (experimental), Linux, Android, not iPhone
Port forwarding	Not on shared servers, only with a Dedicated Server	Windows, Mac, Linux
Dedicated IP	Paid add-on, Prague available	Businesses only
Post-quantum encryption	Yes	Planned
Private device network (Meshnet)	Yes	No
Open source	Linux app and the libtelio library	All apps
Czech and Slovak	No	Apps yes (except Linux), Czech website

Based on NordVPN’s help center as of October 13, 2026 and Proton VPN’s website and help center as of October 18, 2026. Proton: Secure Core, NetShield, split tunneling, port forwarding, roadmap, languages. NordVPN help center links are in the table and the text.

NordVPN has more tools for demanding users. You can switch on post-quantum encryption in all its main apps (NordVPN Help Center), while Proton is still preparing it (Proton VPN). Meshnet links your devices into a private network (NordVPN Help Center), and the Complete plan adds antivirus and a password manager. Proton, for its part, offers Secure Core, which routes traffic first through a server in Switzerland, Iceland or Sweden that Proton owns itself (Proton VPN, Proton VPN), and port forwarding, which torrent users will appreciate. NordVPN does not offer port forwarding on shared servers, only with its separate Dedicated Server service (NordVPN Help Center, NordVPN Help Center).

Both cover 10 devices at once and have apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Linux, Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV, plus browser extensions (NordVPN Help Center, Proton VPN). If you want to share the VPN with Czech or Slovak family members, language matters. Proton’s apps, except on Linux, are available in Czech and Slovak, and its website has a Czech version (Proton VPN, Proton VPN in Czech). NordVPN offers neither language in its apps, help center or website (NordVPN Help Center).

08Streaming and China

NordVPN has a slight edge for streaming. In its review updated in October 2026, TechRadar used it to unblock Netflix in five countries, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer; only YouTube US and Prime Video Australia failed (TechRadar). Proton handled every Netflix library TechRadar tried but failed with several Amazon Prime Video libraries, and Disney+ UK and ITV only worked after switching servers. TechRadar names NordVPN the better streaming VPN (TechRadar). In its April review, Tom’s Guide had trouble with Proton on Prime Video in Australia, Canada and Japan, but found that NordVPN had more streaming issues in that round (Tom’s Guide). Its October comparison then gave NordVPN a slight edge, as it unblocked a couple more services (Tom’s Guide).

Netflix sets its own rules: over a VPN you only see titles licensed worldwide, and the ad-supported plan does not support VPNs at all (Netflix). Proton lists Slovakia among the countries where it supports Netflix, but not Czechia (Proton VPN). When traveling within the EU you do not need a VPN anyway, as Netflix shows your home catalog for a limited time (Netflix).

China is where they differ most. TechRadar ranks NordVPN among the best VPNs for China (TechRadar), while Tom’s Guide says Proton does not work there (Tom’s Guide). Neither service guarantees it will work in China (NordVPN Help Center, Proton VPN). If you are traveling there, NordVPN is the better pick of the two, and you should test the app before you leave.

09What reviewers say

Reviewer scores converted to 100 points

Security.orgNordVPN: 97Proton VPN: 93
TechRadarNordVPN: 90Proton VPN: 84
Tom’s GuideNordVPN: 89Proton VPN: 87
CNETNordVPN: 88Proton VPN: 84

NordVPN: Security.org 9.7/10 (October 2026), TechRadar 90/100 (October 2026), Tom’s Guide 4.45/5 (June 2026), CNET 8.8/10 (August 2026). Proton VPN: Security.org 9.3/10 (September 2026), TechRadar 84/100 (May 2026), Tom’s Guide 86.5/100 (April 2026), CNET 8.4/10 (September 2025). Converted to 100 points and rounded. Links to the reviews are in the paragraph below.

All four sites rate NordVPN higher, but the gaps are small (reviews of NordVPN: Security.org, TechRadar, Tom’s Guide, CNET; Proton VPN: Security.org, TechRadar, Tom’s Guide, CNET). Both hold an Editor’s Choice award from Tom’s Guide (Tom’s Guide, Tom’s Guide). CNET measured an average speed loss of 15.8% for Proton in its September 2025 review (CNET) and just 2.9% for NordVPN in 2026 (CNET), although those measurements are from different years.

10Money-back guarantee, payment and cancellation

Both services offer refunds within 30 days. NordVPN only refunds a first purchase, and the guarantee no longer applies after renewal (NordVPN Help Center). Proton refunds the full amount within 30 days of the initial purchase, but you can ask only once, and cash or bank transfer payments are not refundable (Proton). Proton’s guarantee only covers purchases made directly from Proton, not through app stores. With NordVPN, Apple decides on refunds for App Store purchases.

Proton’s checkout offered card, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay when we opened it from Czechia, and its help center also lists Bitcoin, cash and bank transfer (Proton VPN). NordVPN’s checkout showed card and Apple Pay, and its help center mentions PayPal and crypto depending on the country (NordVPN Help Center). With NordVPN, you turn off auto-renewal under Billing in your Nord Account (NordVPN Help Center).

11Which VPN should you choose

Choose NordVPN if you

stream a lot, including foreign Netflix and Prime Video libraries,
travel to China or other countries that block VPNs,
need a dedicated IP address in Prague,
want post-quantum encryption, Meshnet, or antivirus and a password manager in one subscription (Complete),
put more weight on lab speed tests and higher reviewer scores.

Try NordVPN: 77% off + 3 months free

Choose Proton VPN if you

want a lower price, especially after renewal,
are looking for a free VPN for one device with no data limits,
want open-source apps that also speak Czech and Slovak,
value Swiss jurisdiction and the Secure Core feature,
already use Proton Mail or Proton Drive and would get more out of Proton Unlimited.

Try Proton VPN

Four questions to choose between NordVPN and Proton VPN: how much you will pay after renewal, is the free plan enough, do you travel to censored countries, how much streaming matters — Four questions to help you decide.

We have also compared NordVPN with Surfshark, ExpressVPN and CyberGhost. For more services, see our best VPN 2026 comparison.

12FAQ

Is NordVPN or Proton VPN better?

It depends on what you need. Proton VPN is cheaper, has a free plan, Czech and Slovak apps and Swiss jurisdiction. NordVPN is better for streaming and censored countries and offers more extras, such as a dedicated IP address in Prague.

Which one is cheaper?

Proton VPN. Two-year VPN Plus costs €83.76 including VAT on the pricing page, or €3.49 a month, and €71.76, or €2.99 a month, through the partner offer. It renews at €83.88 a year. NordVPN Basic comes to about €4.22 a month with Czech VAT and renews at €168.29 a year.

Is Proton VPN faster than NordVPN?

In the Tom’s Guide editorial test, yes, narrowly: 1,475 Mbps against 1,427 Mbps on the nearest server (Tom’s Guide). In the Artifact Security lab test, NordVPN had the higher average speed. On a typical home connection you will not notice the difference.

Which is better for privacy?

Both have independently verified no-logs policies: NordVPN six times since 2018, Proton every year since 2022. Proton also has open-source apps and Swiss jurisdiction, while NordVPN operates under Panamanian jurisdiction.

Is Proton VPN really free?

Yes, the free plan has no data limits and no ads. You can only connect 1 device, the app assigns servers from 10 countries, streaming is not guaranteed and P2P is paid only (Proton VPN, Proton VPN). NordVPN has no free plan.

How many servers do they have in Czechia and Slovakia?

Proton VPN has 85 servers in Prague and NordVPN 38. In Bratislava, Proton has 62 servers and NordVPN 15.

Do NordVPN or Proton VPN work in China?

According to TechRadar, NordVPN works in China; according to Tom’s Guide, Proton VPN does not. Neither guarantees it, so test the app before you travel.

Can I get a refund from both?

Yes, within 30 days. NordVPN only refunds a first purchase, and Proton refunds the full amount once per user, except for cash or bank transfer payments.

13Conclusion

For most people in Czechia and Slovakia who want a VPN for public Wi-Fi, privacy and occasional streaming, Proton VPN is the better deal. It is cheaper, roughly half the price after renewal, has more servers in Prague and Bratislava, offers apps in Czech and Slovak, and you can even use it for free. NordVPN is worth it if you stream a lot, travel to censored countries, or want extras like a dedicated IP in Prague and post-quantum encryption. Whichever you choose, note the renewal date.

Data protection matters for business websites and apps too. If you are planning a project that handles customer data, see how we build custom websites, what it costs and how we work.

14Sources

Prices and Proton details as of October 18, 2026; NordVPN server counts and help center details as of October 13, 2026. NordVPN prices with VAT (except the checkout total for two-year Basic), per-month figures, multi-year totals and koruna amounts are our own calculations.

LISTIFY teamWebsites, apps and marketing from Prague since 2008

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VPNOctober 18, 2026 · 16 min read