Best NordVPN Alternatives: Try Out These 3 VPNs Instead!

When talking about some of the best VPNs on the market, avoiding NordVPN would be ludicrous. NordVPN is one of the most popular providers out there and is known for exceptional speeds, rock-solid security, and lots of additional features.

Despite being among our go-to choices, we understand that some of you might have issues with it. Besides, no VPN is perfect, which is why you might start looking for the best NordVPN alternatives. Luckily, there are tons of other providers that might serve you well.

Therefore, my task for today is to present them to you, talk more about them, and see why they might suit you better. I have 3 choices on today’s menu, so I have no doubt that you’ll find at least one of the alternatives to NordVPN helpful.

List of the Best Alternatives to NordVPN :

• ExpressVPN
• CyberGhost VPN
• Proton VPN
• Surfshark VPN
• Private Internet Access

Alternatives to NordVPN: Why Do People Want Another VPN?

As said, NordVPN represents the pinnacle of the VPN industry, along with its rival ExpressVPN. However, none of the providers are perfect, although these two come close. Still, that doesn’t mean that this one doesn’t have its fair share of issues.

In my NordVPN review, I highlighted its application which can be a bit confusing at times, despite looking all glamorous and modern. Also, NordVPN is known to have occasional connection issues on Windows, which I experienced first-hand.

Sometimes, the app will prevent you from accessing the internet if you enable the kill switch, despite not connecting to a server. And finally, I want to talk about a small issue that some people will have. Namely, NordVPN’s price depends on your location due to value-added taxes, also known as VAT.

If you live in some American states, the UK, or the EU countries, be ready for this.

These taxes can raise the price of NordVPN by up to 20%, making it a bit more expensive than you would like. Aside from these minor issues, NordVPN is actually a pretty good choice. It’s fast, secure, great for streaming/torrenting, and so much more.

But if you simply can’t get over its issues or don’t like it for any reason, looking for NordVPN alternatives seems like the only way out. Fortunately for you, I’ve listed them below, so let’s check them out together.

Best NordVPN Alternatives: Our Top 3 Favorite VPNs like NordVPN

Before divulging my list, I’ll clarify that I’m going to be talking about premium providers. After all, if you want a similar level of quality from another VPN, you’ll need to look for paid ones. The good news is that two out of the three providers below are cheaper than NordVPN.

And while not all of them are necessarily better, you won’t notice a big difference in performance, streaming, or security. With that said, here are my favorite alternatives to NordVPN.

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a provider I use daily. In my ExpressVPN vs NordVPN comparison, I concluded that this is a bit better provider in certain scenarios. Why? Well, simply because it fixes almost all the issues that NordVPN has and improves upon certain qualities.

For one, this provider has servers in 105 countries and 160 locations globally, so its server distribution is as good. Second, I found ExpressVPN to be a bit faster as well, giving you better performance for streaming, torrenting, and browsing.

Security-wise, this provider is pretty much on the same level as NordVPN. It offers bank-grade encryption, a proprietary Lightway protocol, and a certified no-logging policy. Mind you, NordVPN had a hacking incident in 2018, as well, which ExpressVPN didn’t.

But that’s not an issue since it never happened again. Needless to say, ExpressVPN is a lot easier to use and with its minimalistic apps, you’ll find what you need in 10 or so seconds. In fact, I’ll venture to say that its device compatibility is a bit better as well.

Thus, you can expect ExpressVPN to support every device and operating system under the Sun. Another reason I like ExpressVPN as an alternative to NordVPN lies in its reliability. I have used it for far more than 5 years now, and during this period, I experienced no more than 2 or 3 tiny problems.

Thankfully, its 24/7 live chat support is very dependable, so I fixed them in a few minutes. Streaming-wise, ExpressVPN is simply perfect. It works with 15+ Netflix catalogs and allows you to access Hulu outside of the US.

It practically has no downsides except for the price, which is more expensive than NordVPN even if we include VAT. On the brighter side, its 48% discount and 3 months free for the annual plan drastically reduces its price.

Coupled with a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans, even the monthly one, ExpressVPN is surely a hell of a deal. That is if you’re willing to pay a bit more for uncompromising performance.

Visit ExpressVPN

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2. CyberGhost

Let’s talk about cheaper NordVPN alternatives now. CyberGhost, at least for me, is a bit better choice than NordVPN for a lower price. For the start, it has 12,000 or so servers in 100 worldwide countries. To be honest, it wipes the floor with pretty much every provider in terms of server count.

However, that’s not all. CyberGhost is also very fast and has dedicated torrenting and streaming servers in addition. This allows you to watch Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, or any other platform, all while enjoying the ability to download torrents anonymously.

Frankly, CyberGhost’s desktop client is a bit of a mess for newcomers. But once you get used to it, you’ll enjoy its numerous features such as WireGuard support, a kill switch, and an ad-blocker that works flawlessly – similar to NordVPN’s Web Protection.

Based in Romania, CyberGhost’s focus on privacy is unrelenting. It not only has a no-logging policy but also transparency reports published every 3 months, divulging more information for the users to see regarding logging and the company itself.

CyberGhost offers its NoSpy servers based in Romania and strictly controlled by the provider. You can use them to ensure maximum security and anonymity while browsing the dark web (it is part of our top 3 VPNs usable on the Dark Web) or torrenting. As you can see, despite its cheap price, this VPN is no slouch.

Other notable features include multi-language 24/7 live chat support, 7 simultaneous connections, and CyberGhost antivirus that’s paid additionally – $1.29 a month on top of your subscription.

Speaking of which, CyberGhost is among the cheapest providers on the market. Its 2-year plan costs well below $2.2/mo and comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee with no conditions. Given everything you get, I think CyberGhost is a really affordable alternative to NordVPN.

Visit CyberGhost

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3. Proton VPN

Affordable is the word I have in mind when talking about Proton VPN, as well. This is yet another NordVPN alternative with cheap prices and 10 simultaneous connections. Even better, it covers 112 countries and has 8,600+ quality servers – more than NordVPN.

The reason I picked Proton VPN is because of its insane value for the money. It’s based in Switzerland, thus, you can be sure that it stores absolutely no logs of your activities. Moreover, it has an external audit from Securitum and SEC Consult, which serves as a notable certification.

Proton VPN and NordVPN are very similar security and privacy-wise. Logically, Proton VPN isn’t going to be a better choice but in my opinion, it’s pretty close. Much like its rival company, it has bank-grade encryption, lots of protocols, and IP/DNS leak protection.

The provider even includes functionalities like split tunneling, an ad-blocker called NetShield, and Secure Core servers that will encrypt your traffic twice. In addition, I found this VPN extremely easy to use (see our guide on how to use a VPN), with the ability to use the dark/light mode for added customization.

Proton VPN also includes P2P servers for torrenting, plus the Alternate Routing function for bypassing censorship in several countries, except China. However, compared to all other VPNs I mentioned here, this one lacks performance, so expect a bit slower speeds.

I also had issues unblocking more than 5-6 Netflix catalogs, but those were few and far between. Still, its cheapest plan is the 2-year one, and as we speak, it is less expensive than ExpressVPN and many other providers, costing less than $4 a month.

Needless to say, a 30-day refund period is here, too, so you don’t need to lose any money to test out this alternative.

Visit Proton VPN

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To Summarize

Putting my thoughts into perspective, I must clarify that I really like NordVPN. I use this provider pretty much every day as well and have no issues with it. In spite of that, I know some users with certain issues with this VPN who choose one of the NordVPN alternatives instead.

If you’re one of them, I recommend ExpressVPN if you can afford it. This one is a bit more expensive in comparison but it’s also better in every way and offers practically no compromises. CyberGhost is another great solution – in my experience, a bit superior as well!

It has 12,000 servers in over 100 countries, cheaper prices, and great speeds, making it a worthy choice for those on a constrained budget. Proton VPN is the only option here that isn’t superior to NordVPN, but it offers a similar level of quality at a much cheaper price.

Proton VPN’s  Secure Core servers are the star of the show, as well as above-average P2P performance and security.

Knowing all of that, I think it’s the right time to make a choice. The best NordVPN alternatives are here, so according to your budget and needs, take your time to choose the right one.

NordVPN Alternatives FAQ

Let’s finalize this guide by addressing a few important questions.

🥇 Is NordVPN the best VPN?

Well, it depends on who you ask but generally speaking, it’s among the top 3 VPNs in the world. For us, NordVPN is a bit better choice overall and our team at 01net prefers it because it’s a bit faster and offers servers in 111+ countries, as opposed to ExpressVPN which has 105 countries.

NordVPN’s security features place it at the very top of the hierarchy, however. It’s very secure, offers a no-logging policy, and works for streaming, torrenting, going on the dark web, gaming, and many other purposes. Interestingly, it’s also more popular than ExpressVPN!

Being the largest VPN provider on the planet, it has the largest user base as well, as millions of people around the world use it for various purposes. Now, we talked about the best NordVPN alternatives because some people may dislike NordVPN – which can happen with any VPN.

This, however, doesn’t mean it’s a bad provider.

❌ Can I get a free VPN instead of NordVPN?

Yes, you can, but you’ll also get much less. NordVPN has unlimited bandwidth, blazing-fast speeds, and everything we mentioned many times. Free providers can’t be a substitute for NordVPN in any way. At least not a proper substitute.

Many people know that free VPNs limit your monthly bandwidth and offer just a few servers to pick from. They also aren’t P2P-friendly and in 99% of the cases, they don’t work with Netflix and streaming platforms in general.

We should also point out their security weaknesses in the form of outdated protocols and storing logs. They indeed store logs and sell them to third parties to earn some money, as the subscriptions don’t bring them any notable revenue.

Overall, free VPNs aren’t reliable and they can’t be alternatives to NordVPN. Should you use them? In our opinion, no.

🤔 Is NordVPN legit?

Of course! We’re talking about the largest VPN service with THREE audits from PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte. The provider proved its value over the years and became one of the top choices for privacy-aware users.

There’s no doubt that we’re talking about a legit, genuine, safe, and secure VPN with an extremely good reputation.