Gjurgjica Panova
Updated on: November 27, 2023
Short on time? Here’s the best NordVPN alternative in 2024:
- 🥇ExpressVPN: It has a larger server network in 105 countries and faster speeds. ExpressVPN also works with more streaming sites and has better torrenting support. In addition, it has user-friendly apps and affordable plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
NordVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market, but it’s not a good fit for everyone. For example, it has a smaller server network (servers in 61 countries) compared to other premium VPNs, which have servers in 90+ countries. This means that you might not be able to find a server in your location, preventing you from getting the fastest speeds.
What’s more, NordVPN only allows 6 simultaneous connections, which is on the lower side of the industry average (5-10 connections). Plus, it only works with 10+ streaming sites, which might not be enough variety if you plan to watch content on many different sites.
With this in mind, I compared NordVPN with other top VPNs. ExpressVPN is my top alternative, as it has servers in 105 countries, faster speeds, and better streaming and torrenting support. Even so, the others on my list are also great alternatives to NordVPN.
Quick summary of the best alternatives for NordVPN in 2024:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best alternative to NordVPN.
- 2. 🥈Private Internet Access — Excellent VPN with more customizable apps.
- 3. 🥉CyberGhost VPN — Really good VPN with better streaming support.
- 4. Surfshark — More intuitive and affordable.
- 5. Proton VPN — Better for optimizing your speeds.
- Comparison of the Best NordVPN Alternatives in 2024.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Alternative to NordVPN
ExpressVPN is much better than NordVPN in a lot of areas. For instance, you get servers in 105 countries compared to NordVPN (61 countries). This means you’ll easily find a server in your location and nearby countries, which will give you the fastest speeds.
When it comes to speeds, ExpressVPN is also faster. Thanks to its proprietary protocol, websites loaded instantly, and HD and 4K videos played without any issues during my tests. With NordVPN, I experienced some minor buffering when playing HD videos.
ExpressVPN offers better streaming and torrenting support. The VPN works with 100+ streaming sites, like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ (NordVPN only works with 10+ streaming sites). ExpressVPN allows P2P traffic on all servers — NordVPN supports torrenting in 45+ servers. I also like how ExpressVPN’s router app includes port forwarding, which lets you connect to more peers to get faster speeds for downloads.
ExpressVPN and NordVPN both have excellent security features — you get RAM-only servers (which run on RAM, so every server reboot deletes all data) and full leak protection against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks. They both also have perfect forward secrecy, which changes the encryption key for each session to minimize the amount of data potential hackers could access. Another great privacy feature is both VPN’s no-logs policies have passed multiple independent audits, so you know they are very trustworthy.
Plus, ExpressVPN offers 8 simultaneous connections with 1 subscription, while NordVPN’s allows 6. However, both providers work on routers, allowing you to connect all of the devices in your household to the VPN. The one thing ExpressVPN has over NordVPN is its native router app, which is incredibly convenient. If you want to use NordVPN on a router, you’ll need to perform a manual setup, which is more complicated and time-consuming.
ExpressVPN’s plans start at $6.67 / month — it’s more than NordVPN’s cheapest plan, but it usually offers free months with the longest-term plan, and it’s still worth it due to the excellent value. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is my top alternative for NordVPN. While both VPNs have top-notch security features, ExpressVPN has a larger server network, faster speeds, and better streaming and torrenting support. What’s more, ExpressVPN allows more simultaneous connections and comes with a native router app. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — More Customizable Apps
Private Internet Access (PIA) comes with more customizable apps than NordVPN, as it allows you to change 20+ settings. For example, you can easily change encryption levels, proxy settings, and protocols to get faster and more secure connections. What’s more, you can also choose to automatically connect to the VPN when connecting to an unsecured Wi-Fi network.
In my speed tests, PIA maintained faster speeds than NordVPN. Websites loaded in 1–2 seconds, and HD videos played without any issues. That said, PIA is slower than ExpressVPN. In addition, PIA also has server locations in 91 countries.
I like that both VPNs have strong security features. They come with perfect forward secrecy, RAM-only servers, full leak protection, and an audited no-logs policy. However, PIA has a better ad blocker, called PIA MACE. It gets rid of ads, trackers, and prevents connections to malicious sites.
Moreover, PIA has better streaming and torrenting support. It works with 30+ streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. Plus, it allows torrenting on all of its servers and comes with port forwarding and SOCKS5 proxy support — this provides better speeds for downloading. PIA is one of the best torrenting VPNs out there.
PIA allows unlimited simultaneous connections, so it’s a really good VPN for large households — every member of your family can secure their device.
Private Internet Access has plans starting at $2.11 / month. Each plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access offers more customizable apps that allow you to personalize your connections. It also has faster speeds, a larger server network, a better ad blocker, and it works with more streaming sites than NordVPN. The VPN allows P2P traffic on all of its servers and offers unlimited connections. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Better Streaming Support
CyberGhost VPN has better streaming support than NordVPN — it has 100+ dedicated servers for streaming that are optimized to work with 50+ streaming apps, like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Max, and more. When it comes to regular servers, CyberGhost has them located in 100 countries.
The VPN had faster speeds than NordVPN during my tests. Websites loaded in 3–4 seconds, and HD videos started playing with a minor buffering in the beginning. However, CyberGhost is still slower than ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access.
I like that CyberGhost offers dedicated servers for torrenting in 75+ countries, so it’s really easy to torrent on a nearby server and avoid overcrowded servers to get fast speeds for downloading.
This provider has perfect forward secrecy, RAM-only servers, and DNS and IPv6 leak protection. I also like that its no-logs policy has been independently audited and confirmed.
CyberGhost’s apps are very customizable. The Smart Rules feature allows you to automate your VPN connection preferences. For instance, you can set the VPN to automatically connect to any VPN server location when you open the app, and you can choose an app to automatically open after you connect to the VPN.
CyberGhost VPN’s plans start at $2.03 / month. Long-term plans have a 45-day money-back guarantee and monthly plans have a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN has dedicated servers for streaming that are optimized to work with 50+ streaming apps. It also has faster speeds than NordVPN and a larger server network. Both VPNs have strong security features. CyberGhost VPN backs its long-term plans with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
4. Surfshark — More Intuitive and Affordable
Surfshark has a more intuitive interface than NordVPN, so it’s easier to find the server you’re looking for. I like that most features and settings come with short explanations, so you won’t feel overwhelmed about using them. In addition, Surfshark has more affordable plans than NordVPN, so it’s a great choice if you’re on a budget.
Both VPNs have similar speeds. In my tests, websites loaded in 5 seconds and HD videos played with some interruptions when I skipped through them. However, Surfshark doesn’t match ExpressVPN’s speeds. Plus, Surfshark has a server in 100 countries.
The VPN has RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and an audited no-logs policy. However, I would like to see the VPN include full leak protection (it only protects against DNS leaks).
Surfshark is also better for streaming and torrenting. The VPN works with 50+ streaming sites, like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer (confirmed by customer support and our international team of testers). What’s more, it allows torrenting on all of its servers. Similar to Private Internet Access, Surfshark allows unlimited connections.
Surfshark’s plans start as low as $1.99 / month. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark has more intuitive apps and cheaper plans than NordVPN. Both VPNs have similar speeds, but Surfshark offers more server locations and has great support for streaming and torrenting. In addition, Surfshark allows unlimited connections and has plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
5. Proton VPN — Better for Optimizing Your Speeds
Proton VPN comes with a VPN Accelerator feature, which uses speed-enhancing technology to boost VPN speeds on distant servers. In my tests, I experienced faster speeds on distant servers with VPN Accelerator enabled than with NordVPN. In addition, Proton VPN offers servers in 71 countries.
This provider comes with perfect forward secrecy, full leak protection, an audited no-logs policy, and full disk encryption, which means all of the data on the server is unreadable.
Proton VPN is also good for streaming and torrenting. It works with 30+ streaming sites. It allows torrenting on dedicated P2P servers in 20+ countries, which is less locations than NordVPN.
I really like Proton VPN’s apps. The Quick Connect feature automatically connects you to the fastest server in your location. Plus, there’s a Profile feature that lets you set up different connections preferences for multiple profiles, which is a handy tool.
Proton VPN offers plans starting at $4.99 / month. All plans have a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Proton VPN maintains faster speeds on distant servers than NordVPN thanks to its VPN Accelerator feature and has more server locations. Proton VPN includes strong security features and comes with good streaming and torrenting support. Its plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Proton VPN review
Comparison of the Best NordVPN Alternatives in 2024
How to Choose the Best NordVPN Alternative in 2024
- Look for a large server network. NordVPN has a smaller server network (servers in 60 countries) compared to other top VPNs. For example, ExpressVPN has a server in 105 countries.
- Go for a VPN with fast speeds. NordVPN maintains fast speeds on nearby servers but can cause slowdowns on distant servers. In my tests, ExpressVPN had the fastest speeds on nearby and distant servers.
- Choose a VPN with good streaming and torrenting support. NordVPN only works with 10+ streaming sites and doesn’t allow torrenting on all of its servers. ExpressVPN works with 100+ streaming sites and allows P2P traffic on all of its servers.
- Find a VPN with multiple simultaneous connections. NordVPN allows 6 simultaneous connections, which is the lowest on my list. As a contrast, Private Internet Access and Surfshark allow unlimited simultaneous connections.
- Opt for a VPN with strong security features. All the VPNs on this list come with industry-standard VPN security features, like 256-bit AES encryption, an audited no-logs policy, and a kill switch that automatically disconnects you from the internet if the VPN connection drops.
- Select a VPN that offers good value. My advice is to choose a VPN that has affordable plans and a generous money-back guarantee. CyberGhost VPN has a 45-day money-back guarantee on its long-term plans.
Is NordVPN (Still) One of the Best VPNs in 2024?
Yes, NordVPN is no doubt a top VPN on the market. In addition to having industry-standard VPNs security features, it also includes advanced security features, like perfect forward secrecy, RAM-only servers, and full leak protection. So, it’s a great option if you’re looking for a VPN with top-notch security features.
The VPN comes with a bunch of useful extra features, such as:
- Dark Web Monitoring — this feature informs you if your login credentials associated with your NordVPN’s account have been leaked.
- Threat Protection — NordVPN’s ad blocker, which blocks ads, ad trackers, and connections to malicious sites, as well as malware-infected files.
- Onion Over VPN — lets you browse the dark web using regular browsers like Chrome and Edge.
- Meshnet — allows you to create a private network and connect up to 60 devices to it.
- Split-tunneling — allows you to choose which apps use or bypass the VPN.
- Obfuscated servers — NordVPN’s obfuscated servers hide your VPN traffic, making it look like regular traffic.
- Double VPN — these double VPN servers route your traffic through 2 VPN servers instead of 1 server for extra encryption.
Priced at $3.39 / month, The Standard subscription includes all of the VPN’s features, including a very good password manager called NordPass. The Complete subscription ($4.99 / month) adds NordLocker, which is a cloud encryption platform, while the Ultimate subscription also includes a personal removal data service from Incogni. NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.
Why Look for an Alternative to NordVPN?
NordVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market, but it has some downsides that may make some users consider looking for a different VPN. These downsides include:
- It has a small server network. NordVPN’s server network of 5,400+ servers in 61 countries is decent but smaller compared to the other premium VPNs on the market.
- It works with a small number of streaming services. NordVPN works with 10+ streaming sites, offering less variety than other VPNs. ExpressVPN, for example, works with 100+ streaming sites.
- It has limited torrenting support. NordVPN allows P2P traffic on 4,500 servers in 45+ countries, which is good but some VPNs allow torrenting on all of its servers.
- It only offers 6 simultaneous connections. This is on the lower end of the industry standard of 5–10 connections.
- It causes slowdowns on distant servers. NordVPN can maintain fast speeds on nearby servers but causes slowdowns when connected to distant servers.
- It doesn’t work in restrictive countries. NordVPN’s obfuscation feature doesn’t work in restrictive countries, like China and Russia.
Despite these downsides, NordVPN is still one of my top VPNs. It comes with high-end secure features and includes a lot of extras. However, if you’re looking for a VPN that has a large server network and speeds, better streaming, and torrenting support, and offers multiple simultaneous connections, there are some better choices.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- Norton Secure VPN. Norton Secure VPN is secure and fast, but it only has servers in 29 countries. Plus, it lacks some advanced security features and is missing extra features like an ad blocker.
- IPVanish. IPVanish doesn’t work with many popular streaming sites, like Amazon Prime and Disney+. It also isn’t as fast as NordVPN.
- Windscribe. Windscribe has strong security features and pretty fast speeds. However, its no-logs policy hasn’t been independently audited and confirmed, it’s prices are on the high end, and it only offers a 3-day money-back guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best NordVPN alternative?
ExpressVPN is my top alternative for NordVPN. It has a larger server network in 105 countries, has better streaming and torrenting support, works in restrictive countries, delivers faster speeds, and has more intuitive apps.
Can I use a free VPN instead of NordVPN?
Maybe, but I don’t recommend it. Many free VPNs have smaller server networks than NordVPN, impose daily or monthly data caps, are slow, and either don’t have limited streaming and torrenting support or none at all. Instead, I recommend getting a premium VPN, like ExpressVPN. It has a large server network, maintains fast speeds, and has excellent streaming and torrenting support.
Which NordVPN alternative is the best for streaming?
ExpressVPN is the best alternative because it works with 100+ streaming sites, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Hulu. It’s also compatible with many other streaming apps like Crunchyroll, VRV, Max, DAZN, and RaiPlay.
Is NordVPN still safe to use?
Yes, NordVPN is extremely safe to use thanks to its top-notch security features. However, if you’re considering NordVPN alternatives, the VPNs listed above all include high-end security features.
