Top Tested NordVPN Alternatives of 2024

NordVPN is an excellent service — in fact, it’s our top VPN, and one that does almost everything well. That said, it won’t be the best option for everybody. Depending on your specific needs, you might want to consider one of our favorite NordVPN alternatives: Surfshark, ExpressVPN, or Private Internet Access (PIA).

Surfshark offers a fantastic value with great service at a lower price than NordVPN. ExpressVPN is compatible with a ton of different devices and streaming services. And PIA is one of the most affordable VPNs on the market. All of these are rated as the best VPNs of 2024, but let’s find out which one is right for you.

The best NordVPN alternatives

• Surfshark: Best overall value
• ExpressVPN: Best for streaming
• Private Internet Access (PIA): Best for affordability

Top 3 NordVPN alternatives compared

Starting price	Starts at $1.99/mo (billed every two years)	Starts at $6.25/mo (billed annually)	Starts at $2.03/mo (billed every two years)
VPN Protocols	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2	Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPsec
Blocks ads, trackers, and malware
Obfuscation
Specialized torrenting/streaming servers
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 30 days
Streaming support	Yes — Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Hulu, and more	Yes — Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Hulu, and more	Yes — Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Hulu, and more
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get ExpressVPN Read ExpressVPN Review	Get PIA Read PIA Review

Surfshark: Best overall value

Who it’s best for

Surfshark is a solid VPN provider for just about anyone. It packs a ton of features and good performance into an extremely affordable package starting at just $1.99/mo (billed every two years) for a two-year plan. That makes it perhaps the best value in any VPN. Surfshark is also a great choice for households with a lot of devices, thanks to its unlimited simultaneous connections.

What we liked

There’s a lot to like about Surfshark. Here are some of the standout features.

• Price: Surfshark is one of the more affordable VPNs on the market today. With a starting price of just $1.99/mo (billed every two years), it’s definitely cheaper than NordVPN without skimping on features.
• Devices and compatibility: Surfshark allows you to connect unlimited devices simultaneously, which is rare in the VPN world. It’s also compatible with a wide range of devices, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and several web browsers and smart TV platforms.
• Performance: Most VPNs cause some slowdown in performance due to routing traffic through additional servers. Surfshark did a good job of retaining performance in our testing, though, particularly on US servers.
• Extra features: Surfshark offers a slew of useful features, including the CleanWeb ad blocker, Camouflage Mode to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN, and even antivirus and identity theft protection.

What we didn’t like

We don’t have a ton of complaints with Surfshark, but it’s not perfect. The two biggest cons are that you have to pay extra for some features (like antivirus) and that it's headquartered in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is part of the Nine Eyes alliance, a group of countries that share intelligence with each other. While Surfshark’s no-logs policy means there shouldn’t be much to share, it’s still not ideal from a privacy standpoint.

Surfshark specs

Price range	$1.99–$17.95/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Number of servers	3,200+ servers in 100 countries
Number of connected devices	Unlimited
DNS leak test	Pass
Kill switch test	Pass
VPN protocol	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix?	Yes
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review

ExpressVPN: Best for streaming

Who it’s best for

ExpressVPN is ideal for users who value compatibility because it works with a ton of different devices, operating systems, and platforms. ExpressVPN is also a strong choice for streaming, thanks to the MediaStreamer Smart DNS system, which lets you stream even on devices that can’t run a VPN.

What we liked

Here are our favorite ExpressVPN features.

• Device compatibility: ExpressVPN works well with a huge variety of devices, including the standard Windows, Mac, and smartphone platforms, plus various Linux distributions, routers, and a ton of smart TV and gaming console platforms.
• Strong privacy: ExpressVPN uses what it calls TrustedServer, a VPN server system that helps ensure privacy by never writing data to hard drives and following other strict security practices.
• Streaming support: Similarly, ExpressVPN works well with a variety of streaming platforms. It’s a great VPN for watching Netflix, but it also works with even more niche services like Crunchyroll, Pluto TV, and Crackle.

What we didn’t like

Our only real gripe with ExpressVPN is that it’s on the expensive side, especially compared to NordVPN, Surfshark, and PIA. That can make it a tough sell, despite its strengths. You’re paying double or more what you’d pay for the competition. Apart from that, ExpressVPN is an excellent option.

ExpressVPN specs

Price range	$4.99–$12.95/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Number of servers	Unlisted in 105 countries
Number of connected devices	8
DNS leak test	Pass
Kill switch test	Pass
VPN protocol	Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix?	Yes
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get ExpressVPN Read ExpressVPN Review

PIA: Best for affordability

Who it’s best for

Private Internet Access, or PIA for short, is one of the most affordable VPNs available — even more so than Surfshark. It’s ideal for users who want to save money on a VPN.

What we liked

Although affordability is its main selling point, PIA has a lot more going for it. Here’s what we like about this VPN.

• Price: It’s worth repeating — PIA is a really good deal. At a price of just $2.03/mo (billed every two years) for the three-year plan, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more affordable VPN that still offers a solid feature set.
• Performance: PIA performed well in all our tests, including internet speed, streaming support, and leak tests. We detected no webRTC leaks in testing.
• Privacy: Like most VPNs we recommend, PIA has a strict no-logs policy, meaning it doesn’t keep any information about how you use the service. On top of that, PIA has had its policy independently audited by Deloitte. We love to see VPNs do this because it helps give extra peace of mind that your data is safe.

What we didn’t like

We have two issues with PIA. The first is that it’s headquartered in the U.S. The U.S. is part of the Five Eyes Alliance, so, as with Surfshark, it could be compelled to share data with other countries. Granted, with a verified no-logs policy, there shouldn’t be much to share, but it’s a possibility.

Second (and more importantly) is the three-year plan commitment. Although PIA offers a steal of a price for its subscription, the true cost is the super long-term commitment — compared to other VPN providers that max out at two years. This could be a dealbreaker for those who aren’t comfortable with a multi-year subscription.

PIA specs

Price range	$2.03–$11.99/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Number of servers	Unlisted in 91 countries
Number of connected devices	Unlimited
DNS leak test	Pass
Kill switch test	Pass
VPN protocol	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPsec
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix?	Yes
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get PIA Read PIA Review

Honorable mentions

There’s no shortage of solid VPN options on the market these days. This makes it tough to limit a list like this to just three. Plus, we know everyone has different needs and preferences. To that end, here are other top tested NordVPN alternatives you can consider.

• Proton VPN: Proton VPN is all about privacy, even more so than the average VPN. It’s from the same company behind Proton Mail, the encrypted email service, so it’s got a strong pedigree. It’s also got a proven no-logs policy and other features to enhance privacy online. Proton VPN offers a limited free version, so you can try it out risk-free.
  
  
  

  4.9

  AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

  Editorial Rating

  Learn More

  On Proton VPN's website

  VPN

  Proton VPN

  BLACK FRIDAY: Up to 70% off

  • Easy to use
  • A strict no-logs policy that’s been tested in court
  • More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost
  
  Read Our Proton VPN Review

• CyberGhost: CyberGhost is extremely affordable, starting at $2.03/mo (billed every two years). Plus, it has a strict no-logs policy and is headquartered in a country (Romania) that’s against data retention laws.
  
  
  Leading Protection, Even on Smart TVs and Gaming Consoles

  

  4.8

  AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

  Editorial Rating

  Learn More

  On CyberGhost's website

  VPN

  CyberGhost

  Save 83%

  • High-speed global servers offering industry-leading 256-bit AES encryption and no data logs
  • Unlimited bandwidth, DNS and IP leak protection, and automatic kill switch available for up to 7 devices
  • Configurable with your router, smart TV, Amazon Fire TV stick, or gaming console
  • No split tunneling feature on desktop
  
  Read Our CyberGhost Review

Speed tests

Because of how they work — routing your traffic through distant servers — most VPNs cause a slowdown in performance. Nobody wants to lose speed, though, so we test each VPN to see which ones cause the biggest slowdowns. In the table below, the stat to pay attention to is “speed loss.” This is the percentage of download speed that we lost when connecting to a US VPN server.

From our testing, Surfshark performed the best of all the NordVPN alternatives, losing just 3.6% download speed. PIA lost just 6%, while ExpressVPN lost 12.8%, which is still not bad at all. (To give context, it’s not unheard of to lose 20% or more, even when connecting to servers in the same country.)

But, keep in mind that NordVPN actually increased our speeds when we conducted the same testing.

	Base speed (no VPN)	Speed with VPN (to US server)	% speed loss
	345.8 Mbps	333.4 Mbps	3.6% slower
	203.8 Mbps	177.7 Mbps	12.8% slower
	116.9 Mbps	109.9 Mbps	6.0% slower

Why look for an alternative to NordVPN?

In our opinion, NordVPN is the best VPN service on the market. It’s got a great feature set and performance at a very good price. However, that’s not to say it’ll be the best for every individual case.

For example, Surfshark and PIA support unlimited connections, so they can be ideal for users with large households that need to protect a lot of devices. ExpressVPN has very wide support for streaming services, so TV and movie fans might prefer it for catching their favorite shows. Other users might want something more affordable, and so PIA might be better for them.

Best NordVPN alternatives FAQs

Bottom line: The best NordVPN alternatives

The best NordVPN alternatives are Surfshark (an incredible value), ExpressVPN (great for compatibility and streaming), and Private Internet Access (super affordable). Even though Proton VPN and CyberGhost didn't make our top list, they're still worth considering. 

3 best NordVPN alternatives 2024

	Starting price	Best for	Learn more
	Starts at $1.99–$17.95/mo	Best overall value	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review
	Starts at $4.99–$12.95/mo	Best for streaming	Get ExpressVPN Read ExpressVPN Review
	Starts at $2.03–$11.99/mo	Best for affordability	Get PIA Read PIA Review