AirVPN vs NordVPN

Comparing: two VPNs
Decided by: Independent no-logs audits
Last reviewed: 2026-08-26

AirVPNTakes bitcoin

Activist-run since 2010, taking bitcoin straight to its own wallet, with a three-day plan for two euros and no audit to its name.

NordVPNTakes bitcoin

Six independent no-logs assurance engagements, more than anyone else here, and crypto refunds that are actually paid out.

Verdict: NordVPN

NordVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 6 against 0 for AirVPN. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides.

Criterion: Independent no-logs audits
AirVPN: 0
NordVPN: 6

AirVPN and NordVPN, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

AirVPN and NordVPN compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
Fact	AirVPN	NordVPN
Independent audits	None	6, latest 2025 (favoured on this row)
Real-world tests	0	0
Incidents on record	0	1
Market exits	0	1
Owner	AirVPN di Paolo Brini	Nord Security
Jurisdiction	Italy	Panama
Eyes alliance	Fourteen Eyes	Outside
Price	EUR 2 for 3 days, EUR 99/3yr	From $3.39/mo on the 2yr plan
Money-back	30 days	30 days
Crypto accepted	bitcoin, monero	bitcoin, ethereum
Anonymous signup	Yes	No
Free tier	None	None
Servers	Vendor runs a modest network of owned and rented servers across roughly twenty countries	Vendor states thousands of RAM-only servers across roughly 125 countries
Last reviewed	2026-08-26	2026-08-26

No-logs evidence, side by side

Dated audits and real-world tests from each review. An empty column is a finding: the claim has not been independently checked.

AirVPN

No independent audit or real-world test on record.

NordVPN

2025Audit by Deloitte Lithuania: sixth no-logs assurance engagement under ISAE 3000 (Revised), covering standard, Double VPN, obfuscated and Onion Over VPN servers
2024Audit by Deloitte: fifth no-logs assurance engagement
2023Audit by Deloitte: fourth no-logs assurance engagement
2022Audit by Deloitte: third no-logs assurance engagement, the first conducted by Deloitte rather than PwC
2020Audit by PwC Switzerland: second and broader assurance engagement on the no-logs claim, reported 28 May 2020
2018Audit by PwC Switzerland: first independent assurance engagement on the no-logs claim

Frequently asked questions

Is AirVPN or NordVPN better for privacy?

NordVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 6 against 0 for AirVPN. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides. Audits, court and seizure records and incidents are dated on each review with their sources.

Can I pay AirVPN or NordVPN with bitcoin?

AirVPN takes bitcoin and monero (processor: In-house). NordVPN takes bitcoin and ethereum (processor: CoinGate). Each review quotes the vendor's own refund sentence for crypto purchases verbatim.

Which is cheaper, AirVPN or NordVPN?

AirVPN: EUR 2 for 3 days, EUR 99/3yr. NordVPN: From $3.39/mo on the 2yr plan. Money-back: AirVPN 30 days, NordVPN 30 days. Prices are from each vendor's own page as of the review date.

Where are AirVPN and NordVPN based?

AirVPN: Italy (fourteen eyes member). NordVPN: Panama (outside the five, nine and fourteen eyes alliances). A jurisdiction matters less than a court record showing what the provider could hand over; the reviews carry those where they exist.

The full reviews: AirVPN and NordVPN, each with its sources, and every VPN we review.

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