NordVPN vs Proton VPN

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

NordVPNTakes bitcoin

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

Proton VPNTakes bitcoin

Five straight annual no-logs audits published in full, plus the only free tier here that a privacy-minded reader can honestly be pointed at.

Verdict: NordVPN

NordVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 6 against 5 for Proton VPN. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides.

Criterion: Independent no-logs audits
NordVPN: 6
Proton VPN: 5

NordVPN and Proton VPN, 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.

NordVPN and Proton VPN compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
Fact	NordVPN	Proton VPN
Independent audits	6, latest 2025 (favoured on this row)	5, latest 2026
Real-world tests	0	0
Incidents on record	1	0
Market exits	1	0
Owner	Nord Security	Proton AG
Jurisdiction	Panama	Switzerland
Eyes alliance	Outside	Outside
Price	From $3.39/mo on the 2yr plan	Free tier, or paid VPN Plus
Money-back	30 days	30 days
Crypto accepted	bitcoin, ethereum	bitcoin
Anonymous signup	No	No
Free tier	None	Unlimited bandwidth, one device, servers in 10 countries, no ads
Servers	Vendor states thousands of RAM-only servers across roughly 125 countries	Vendor states thousands of servers, with paid plans reaching over 140 countries and the free tier limited to ten
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.

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

Proton VPN

2026Audit by Securitum: fifth consecutive annual no-logs audit of the production server infrastructure, report published in full
2025Audit by Securitum: annual on-site no-logs audit of the server infrastructure
2024Audit by Securitum: annual on-site no-logs audit of the server infrastructure
2023Audit by Securitum: annual on-site no-logs audit of the server infrastructure
2022Audit by Securitum: first annual no-logs audit, conducted on site

Frequently asked questions

Is NordVPN or Proton VPN better for privacy?

NordVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 6 against 5 for Proton VPN. 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 NordVPN or Proton VPN with bitcoin?

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

Which is cheaper, NordVPN or Proton VPN?

NordVPN: From $3.39/mo on the 2yr plan. Proton VPN: Free tier, or paid VPN Plus. Money-back: NordVPN 30 days, Proton VPN 30 days. Prices are from each vendor's own page as of the review date.

Where are NordVPN and Proton VPN based?

NordVPN: Panama (outside the five, nine and fourteen eyes alliances). Proton VPN: Switzerland (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: NordVPN and Proton VPN, each with its sources, and every VPN we review.

More comparisons

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