5 Best NordVPN Alternatives 2026: We Tested Them All

NordVPN is our top-rated VPN for travelers — and for good reason. It’s fast, reliable, unblocks everything, and has the most robust security feature set of any VPN we’ve tested. But “best overall” doesn’t mean “best for everyone.”

Maybe you need unlimited device connections for your family or team. Maybe you want a VPN built on fully open-source code that anyone can audit. Maybe you’re looking for Swiss privacy jurisdiction instead of Panama. Or maybe NordVPN’s pricing just doesn’t fit your budget right now.

We’ve tested over 40 VPNs during 18 months of continuous travel across Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America. This guide covers the 5 best NordVPN alternatives based on our real-world testing — not marketing claims — and explains exactly who each one is for.

Quick answer: Surfshark is the best NordVPN alternative for most people — unlimited devices, lower price, and nearly identical performance. Proton VPN is the best choice if privacy is your absolute top priority.

Why People Look for NordVPN Alternatives

Let’s be upfront: NordVPN is excellent. It scored 4.7/5 in our review, delivers the fastest speeds we’ve measured, and unblocks virtually every streaming platform. Most travelers don’t need to switch.

But here’s why some do:

• Price: NordVPN’s 2-year plan starts at $3.39/month, but monthly plans cost $12.99. Surfshark’s 2-year plan is cheaper, and Proton VPN has a free tier.
• Device limits: NordVPN allows 10 simultaneous connections. If you have a large family, share with travel partners, or run multiple devices, Surfshark’s unlimited connections are more practical.
• Privacy jurisdiction: NordVPN is incorporated in Panama — good for privacy, but some users prefer Switzerland (Proton VPN) for the world’s strongest data protection laws.
• Open-source preference: NordVPN’s apps are proprietary. If you want to verify exactly what your VPN is doing, Proton VPN’s fully open-source apps let you (or any security researcher) inspect the code.
• Protocol preferences: Some users want WireGuard without modifications (NordVPN uses a custom NordLynx wrapper around WireGuard), or prefer a VPN that supports more diverse protocols.

If any of these matter to you, read on.

Quick Comparison: NordVPN vs. Alternatives

Now let’s break down each alternative in detail.

1. Surfshark — Best Overall NordVPN Alternative

Our top pick for travelers who want similar performance at a lower price with unlimited devices.

Surfshark is the closest thing to “NordVPN but cheaper.” It matches NordVPN on streaming (unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Hulu), comes within 5-10% on speed, and costs significantly less on 2-year plans. The headline feature — unlimited simultaneous connections — is what truly separates it from NordVPN’s 10-device limit.

Why Choose Surfshark Over NordVPN

The unlimited device connections are a game-changer for anyone traveling with a partner, family, or team. Install Surfshark on your phone, laptop, tablet, travel router, and your partner’s devices — all on a single $2.29/month subscription. With NordVPN, that same scenario eats through your 10-device allocation fast, especially if you have devices at home connected too.

On pricing, Surfshark’s 2-year plan runs $2.29/month versus NordVPN’s $3.39/month — a savings of roughly $26/year. Over the full 2-year term, that’s about $52 saved. Not life-changing, but meaningful for budget-conscious travelers.

Speed & Performance

In our speed tests across 10+ countries, Surfshark averaged 80-90% of base connection speeds on nearby servers using WireGuard. That’s slightly behind NordVPN’s 85-95% (with NordLynx), but the difference is barely noticeable in daily use. We ran video calls, streamed 4K content, and uploaded large files without issues on either VPN.

Where NordVPN maintains an edge is on long-distance connections — US to Asia, for example. NordVPN’s larger server network (6,400+ vs 3,200+) means you’re more likely to find a server geographically close to your target, reducing latency.

Speed Test Location	Surfshark	NordVPN
Bangkok → Singapore	185 Mbps	210 Mbps
Lisbon → London	220 Mbps	250 Mbps
Mexico City → US East	150 Mbps	175 Mbps
Tokyo → Japan	380 Mbps	420 Mbps

Security & Privacy

Surfshark moved its legal incorporation to the Netherlands in 2021 (from the British Virgin Islands). The Netherlands has stronger privacy infrastructure than many countries but is part of the EU and the Nine Eyes intelligence alliance. For most travelers, this is a non-issue. For extreme privacy use cases, Proton VPN’s Swiss jurisdiction is stronger.

Surfshark’s security credentials are solid: RAM-only servers (no disk storage), regular independent audits, AES-256 encryption, and a verified no-logs policy. Their CleanWeb feature blocks ads, trackers, and malware — comparable to NordVPN’s Threat Protection.

Key Features

• Unlimited simultaneous connections — the single biggest advantage over NordVPN
• 3,200+ servers in 100 countries — smaller network than NordVPN but covers all major regions
• NoBorders mode — designed to work in restricted countries (China, UAE, Turkey)
• MultiHop — route traffic through 2 VPN servers for extra security
• CleanWeb — built-in ad, tracker, and malware blocker
• GPS spoofing on Android — matches your GPS to your VPN location
• Rotating IP — automatically changes your IP address periodically

Choose Surfshark if: You want unlimited device connections, a lower 2-year price, or a VPN that closely matches NordVPN’s performance without the premium.

Get Surfshark -- $2.29/month

Read our full Surfshark review and NordVPN vs Surfshark comparison for the complete head-to-head.

2. Proton VPN — Best for Privacy & Open-Source

Our pick if privacy and transparency are your absolute top priorities.

Proton VPN comes from the same Swiss team that built Proton Mail — the world’s most popular encrypted email service. If NordVPN’s security is a 9/10, Proton VPN’s is a 9.5/10. The apps are fully open-source, the company is based in Switzerland (the gold standard for data privacy), and they offer the best free VPN tier on the market.

Why Choose Proton VPN Over NordVPN

The privacy argument for Proton VPN is structural, not just marketing. Switzerland’s data protection laws are among the strongest in the world. Swiss companies cannot be compelled to mass-surveil their users, and Swiss courts have a strong track record of rejecting foreign government data requests. Proton VPN has been tested in court and has demonstrated that they genuinely cannot hand over data they don’t have.

Every Proton VPN app — Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android — is fully open-source and has been independently audited by Securitum. Anyone can inspect the code. NordVPN’s apps, while audited, are proprietary. For security researchers, journalists, and privacy advocates, open-source code provides a level of verifiable trust that audits alone cannot.

The Free Tier

Proton VPN’s free tier is genuinely usable — not a marketing gimmick. You get:

• No data limits — use as much as you want
• No ads — no monetizing free users with advertising
• Servers in 5 countries (US, Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland)
• 1 device connection
• Medium speeds — slower than paid plans but usable for browsing and light streaming

For travelers who need a backup VPN or want to try before buying, the free tier is unmatched. No other premium VPN offers unlimited data at no cost.

Speed & Performance

Proton VPN is fast, though not quite at NordVPN’s level. Using WireGuard, we averaged 75-85% of base speeds on nearby servers — about 10% slower than NordVPN’s NordLynx performance. The proprietary Stealth protocol is designed for restricted networks (China, Iran, Russia) and sacrifices some speed for obfuscation.

Speed Test Location	Proton VPN	NordVPN
Bangkok → Singapore	165 Mbps	210 Mbps
Lisbon → London	195 Mbps	250 Mbps
Mexico City → US East	130 Mbps	175 Mbps
Tokyo → Japan	340 Mbps	420 Mbps

Key Features

• Swiss jurisdiction — strongest privacy laws on earth
• Fully open-source apps — all code publicly auditable
• Secure Core — routes traffic through hardened servers in Switzerland, Iceland, or Sweden before exiting
• Stealth protocol — defeats deep packet inspection in censored countries
• NetShield — built-in ad and malware blocker
• Tor over VPN — built-in access to the Tor network
• Free tier — no data limits, no ads

Choose Proton VPN if: Privacy is your non-negotiable priority, you want open-source apps, or you need a high-quality free VPN tier.

Get Proton VPN -- Free Tier Available

Read our full Proton VPN review and Proton VPN vs NordVPN comparison.

3. Mullvad — Best for Anonymous, No-Account Privacy

Our pick if you want maximum anonymity with zero personal information required.

Mullvad takes privacy to its logical extreme. There’s no account creation — you’re assigned a random number. No email, no name, no payment information if you pay with cryptocurrency or mail cash (yes, actual cash in an envelope). At $5.45/month with no long-term commitment required, Mullvad is the VPN for people who believe the safest data is data that never exists.

Why Choose Mullvad Over NordVPN

Mullvad’s approach is fundamentally different from NordVPN’s (and every other mainstream VPN). While NordVPN collects your email address and payment information during signup, Mullvad requires literally nothing identifiable. Generate a random account number, pay with Monero or Bitcoin (or mail cash), and you have a VPN account that’s mathematically disconnected from your identity.

The Swedish-based provider has been audited multiple times and was notably raided by Swedish police in 2023 — who found nothing useful because Mullvad’s RAM-only infrastructure genuinely stores no user data. That real-world validation is worth more than any marketing claim.

The Tradeoffs

Mullvad prioritizes privacy above everything else, which means it sacrifices features that NordVPN and Surfshark users take for granted:

• No streaming support — Mullvad does not optimize for Netflix, BBC iPlayer, or other platforms. If streaming is important, choose Surfshark or stay with NordVPN.
• No mobile-friendly app — the apps are functional but bare-bones compared to NordVPN’s polished interface.
• Smaller server network — about 700 servers in 46 countries, far fewer than NordVPN or Surfshark.
• No long-term discount — it’s $5.45/month whether you pay monthly or yearly. No 2-year deals.

Speeds are solid — we averaged 80-90% of base speeds using WireGuard — but the limited server locations mean you may not always have a nearby server option.

Choose Mullvad if: Maximum anonymity is your priority and you don’t need streaming support.

4. Windscribe — Best Free Option with Generous Limits

Our pick if you need a capable free VPN with more flexibility than Proton VPN’s free tier.

Windscribe offers a free tier with 10GB/month of data and access to servers in 10 countries — more countries than Proton VPN’s free tier (5 countries) but with a data cap that Proton doesn’t have. The paid version is also competitively priced with a unique build-a-plan option where you pay only for the server locations you need.

Why Choose Windscribe Over NordVPN

Windscribe’s appeal is flexibility. The build-a-plan option lets you pick specific countries at $1/month each (minimum 2 countries), or go unlimited for $5.75/month. If you only need a VPN for 2-3 specific countries, you can build a custom plan for $2-3/month — significantly cheaper than NordVPN.

The free tier is genuinely useful for light VPN use: checking your bank account on public WiFi, occasional geo-restricted content access, or basic privacy protection. With 10GB/month, you can handle a few streaming sessions and regular browsing.

We tested Windscribe on paid servers across 5 countries and averaged 70-80% of base speeds — noticeably slower than NordVPN but adequate for most travel use cases including HD streaming and video calls.

Choose Windscribe if: You want a flexible build-a-plan pricing model, need a free VPN with more country options than Proton, or only use a VPN occasionally.

5. Private Internet Access (PIA) — Best for Server Network Size

Our pick if you want the largest server network at a budget-friendly price.

Private Internet Access (PIA) has been around since 2010, making it one of the most established VPNs on the market. Its headline stat: 35,000+ servers in 91 countries — the largest network of any VPN provider. At $2.03/month on a 3-year plan, it’s also one of the cheapest premium options available.

Why Choose PIA Over NordVPN

PIA’s massive server network means you’re almost always close to a server, which translates to lower latency in regions where NordVPN’s server density is thinner. The 3-year plan pricing ($2.03/month) undercuts even Surfshark, though you’re committing to a longer term.

PIA also has a proven privacy track record: their no-logs policy has been tested in multiple US court cases where PIA was subpoenaed and produced zero user data. Despite being US-based (which some privacy advocates consider a negative), PIA has consistently demonstrated that their no-logs claim holds up under legal pressure.

We tested PIA across 6 countries and averaged 75-85% of base speeds — comparable to Proton VPN and slightly behind NordVPN and Surfshark.

Choose PIA if: You want the largest server network, the cheapest long-term price, or a VPN with court-tested no-logs credibility.

How We Tested These VPN Alternatives

Every VPN on this list was tested during real travel — not on a lab bench in an office.

Testing period: June 2025 through February 2026 (8 months of active travel).

Countries tested: Thailand, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Indonesia, Spain, Colombia, Turkey, Vietnam, South Korea, Greece, and the UAE.

What we measured:

• Speed tests: 500+ tests using Speedtest by Ookla, fast.com, and waveform.com across multiple providers at the same locations and times of day
• Streaming tests: Netflix (US, UK, Japan, Australia), BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube Premium — tested monthly across all providers
• Censorship bypassing: Tested in Turkey, Vietnam, UAE, and China (via a colleague in Shanghai)
• Connection stability: 24-hour continuous connection tests to measure drops and reconnections
• App quality: Evaluated installation, server switching speed, settings complexity, and overall UX
• Customer support: Timed response for live chat and email queries across different time zones

Devices used: iPhone 15 Pro, MacBook Air M3, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Windows 11 laptop (Lenovo ThinkPad), and GL.iNet Beryl AX travel router.

Should You Switch from NordVPN?

Here’s the honest assessment.

Stay with NordVPN if:

• You want the fastest VPN speeds available — NordLynx is still the fastest protocol we’ve tested
• Streaming is a priority — NordVPN’s unblocking is the most reliable and consistent
• You’re happy with 10 device connections — enough for most individual travelers
• You value the largest server network among mainstream premium VPNs (6,400+ servers in 111 countries)
• You want Threat Protection — NordVPN’s malware/tracker blocker is the most comprehensive

Switch to Surfshark if:

• You need unlimited device connections for family, team, or many devices
• You want a lower 2-year price ($2.29/month vs $3.39/month)
• You’re okay with speeds that are 5-10% slower in exchange for savings and unlimited devices

Switch to Proton VPN if:

• Swiss privacy jurisdiction matters to you
• You want open-source, auditable apps
• You need a high-quality free VPN tier as your primary or backup VPN
• You value the Secure Core feature for routing through privacy-friendly countries

Consider Mullvad if:

• Maximum anonymity with zero personal data is non-negotiable
• You don’t need streaming unblocking
• You prefer a flat monthly rate with no long-term contracts

For our complete VPN comparison, see our Best VPN for Travel 2026 guide. And if you’re specifically deciding between our top two recommendations, our NordVPN vs Surfshark comparison has the detailed head-to-head breakdown.