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NordVPN vs Windscribe

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.

WindscribeTakes bitcoin

Seized twice and prosecuted once, with nothing to hand over each time; no email needed to sign up, and it takes bitcoin over Lightning.

Verdict: NordVPN

NordVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 6 against 3 for Windscribe. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides.

Criterion
Independent no-logs audits
NordVPN
6
Windscribe
3

NordVPN and Windscribe, 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 Windscribe compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactNordVPNWindscribe
Independent audits6, latest 2025 (favoured on this row)3, latest 2024
Real-world tests03
Incidents on record11
Market exits10
OwnerNord SecurityWindscribe Limited
JurisdictionPanamaCanada
Eyes allianceOutsideFive Eyes
PriceFrom $3.39/mo on the 2yr plan$69/yr Pro, or from $3/mo
Money-back30 days7 days
Crypto acceptedbitcoin, ethereumbitcoin, bitcoin lightning
Anonymous signupNoYes
Free tierNone10 GB a month with a confirmed email, 2 GB without, across 11 countries
ServersVendor states thousands of RAM-only servers across roughly 125 countriesVendor states servers in more than 69 countries on paid plans, all running from RAM after the FreshScribe rebuild
Last reviewed2026-08-262026-08-26

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

Windscribe

  • 2026Dutch authorities physically seized a Windscribe server from a data centre rack: The company reports they found a stock install running entirely in RAM, with no drives, logs or user data on it
  • 2025Greek prosecutors, with INTERPOL involvement, charged co-founder Yegor Sak personally over activity traced to a Windscribe server: The case was dismissed on 11 April 2025 after a two-year fight, because Windscribe held no user data to produce
  • 2024Audit by PacketLabs: the full FreshScribe server infrastructure, 20 repositories and roughly 80,000 lines of code, with external and internal penetration testing
  • 2022Audit by Leviathan Security Group: security audit of the mobile applications
  • 2021Audit by Leviathan Security Group: security audit of the desktop applications
  • 2021Ukrainian authorities seized two Windscribe servers: No user activity logs were found, but the unencrypted disks exposed an OpenVPN certificate authority key; Windscribe disclosed this publicly and rebuilt its network to run only in RAM

Frequently asked questions

Is NordVPN or Windscribe better for privacy?

NordVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 6 against 3 for Windscribe. 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 Windscribe with bitcoin?

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

Which is cheaper, NordVPN or Windscribe?

NordVPN: From $3.39/mo on the 2yr plan. Windscribe: $69/yr Pro, or from $3/mo. Money-back: NordVPN 30 days, Windscribe 7 days. Prices are from each vendor's own page as of the review date.

Where are NordVPN and Windscribe based?

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

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