The Best NordVPN Alternative for 2025: Best Alternative VPN Providers
NordVPN is a fine service. It offers excellent security, fast speeds and a user-friendly interface. However, your needs might differ from NordVPN’s offerings. For instance, what if you need more simultaneous connections? In this guide, we help you find the best NordVPN alternative based on your needs.
Written by Arjun Ruparelia (Writer)
Reviewed by Sandra Pattison (Writer, Editor)
Facts checked by Jasna Mishevska (Lead Fact-Checking Editor)
Last Updated:
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: Best NordVPN Alternative
- Surfshark — Best affordable NordVPN alternative with unlimited simultaneous connections. Surfshark’s best deal is available at a 66% (plus 3 months free) discount.
- ExpressVPN — Best NordVPN alternative for beginners. Sign up now to get 25% off the first year.
- CyberGhost — VPN with automation features.
- PrivadoVPN — Best free NordVPN alternative.
- Private Internet Access — Pocket-friendly alternative to NordVPN.
Facts & Expert Analysis: NordVPN Alternatives
- NordVPN is an excellent VPN, but alternatives do exist.
- Select a VPN that best suits your needs based on features and budget.
- Surfshark is the best NordVPN alternative, owing to its affordable plans and unlimited simultaneous connections.
- If you’re looking for a free NordVPN alternative, consider PrivadoVPN.
NordVPN is one of the best VPN (virtual private network) service providers. It’s a secure VPN service that offers unlimited bandwidth, gets past the geoblocks on most streaming services, has a large server network and a strict no-logs policy. There are still a few situations where you might consider a NordVPN alternative, and that’s what we discuss in this guide.
For instance, NordVPN comes with a small price tag if you opt for the two-year plan. However, if you only need a VPN service provider for the short-term, NordVPN can be an expensive proposition.
Overall, NordVPN is an excellent VPN service and offers top-notch performance and online security (read the full NordVPN review). When you opt for other VPN services, you’ll essentially be trading one or more of NordVPN’s features for other features that better suit your needs.
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07/04/2024
Updated the article to reflect latest information on NordVPN’s allowed number of simultaneous connections.
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10/01/2024 Facts checked
We updated these rankings to reflect current VPN performance, features and pricing.
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10/31/2024 Facts checked
Updated to include PrivadoVPN as the top free alternative to NordVPN.
Top Alternatives to NordVPN
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Average speedDownload Speed94 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency4 ms - 2
- : PayPal, Credit card, Bitcoin, UnionPay, iDeal, Sofort, Giropay, Pixpay, Sepa Direct Debit
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Average speedDownload Speed91 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency5 ms - 3
- : PayPal, Credit card, bitcoin, Amazon Pay
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Average speedDownload Speed84 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency47 ms - 4
- : PayPal, Credit card
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- 5
- : PayPal, Credit card, Amazon, Paygarden, Apple Pay, Google Pay
- : Unlimited
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Average speedDownload Speed93 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency3 ms
What Makes the Best NordVPN Alternative?
The best NordVPN alternative should be able to go beyond NordVPN in at least one aspect: feature set, performance or pricing. However, given NordVPN’s current capabilities, don’t expect these alternatives to surpass the VPN service overall.
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- Comprehend the essential role a VPN plays in safeguarding your digital life
- Gain a deep understanding of how VPNs function under the hood
- Develop the ability to distinguish fact from fiction in VPN promotions
Of course, all of the NordVPN alternatives we’ve listed provide reliable service and good connection speeds. They can assign anonymous IP addresses to conceal your online identity, too. At minimum, anonymous browsing, fast connection speeds and good security are the essentials you should look for in a VPN.
When trying to choose the best alternative to NordVPN, you should focus on your specific needs instead of generic features. For instance, if you need a VPN for streaming live games and want to share the account with 10 of your friends, you should select a service like Surfshark that offers unlimited simultaneous connections.
If you’re only looking for something temporary, without any bells or whistles, you can try PrivadoVPN’s free plan.
The 5 Best NordVPN Alternatives
You probably want to learn more about the best NordVPN alternatives before you pick one. We discuss the distinguishing features of all NordVPN alternatives as well as the other features they offer below to help you with your decision.
1. Surfshark — Best NordVPN Alternative
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Surfshark is a relatively new VPN provider, but it’s still one of the best ones around. As they’re owned by the same company, it offers almost all the features you’ll find on NordVPN, and a few extras that might make Surfshark more attractive for your needs.
For instance, both virtual private networks offer app-based split tunneling, but only Surfshark offers URL-based split tunneling (called Bypasser on Surfshark). Essentially, Surfshark lets you use the VPN connection for a selected list of URLs, while other URLs are routed through your unprotected internet connection.
This is an excellent option when you want to use the VPN connection only for accessing, say, a website like Omegle.
Need a closer look at how the two VPN services compare? Check out our Surfshark vs NordVPN comparison.
Unlimited Simultaneous Connections
Most VPN providers offer a limited number of simultaneous connections. NordVPN allows ten simultaneous connections, and while you can remove this limit by installing the VPN on a router, you can’t use it if you’re constantly on the move or using a public WiFi network.
Surfshark, on the other hand, allows you to share your account with as many people as you want. The unlimited simultaneous connections paired with unlimited bandwidth translate to an excellent user experience at a very low cost. To learn more about Surfshark, head over to our Surfshark review.
Aside from the monthly plan, Surfshark costs less than NordVPN. The best value, its two-year plan, costs $2.19 per month. If you want to try Surfshark before you commit to the long-term plan, you can use its 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
2. ExpressVPN — Easy to Use NordVPN Alternative
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ExpressVPN is the most easy to use alternative — not just to NordVPN, but to any VPN out there. It’s one of the best VPNs in terms of feature set as well as performance, and offers connection speeds close to or just as good as NordVPN as per our recent speed tests.
In addition to essential features like unlimited bandwidth, a kill switch and secure encryption protocols, you also get features like app-based split tunneling. Plus, ExpressVPN just barely loses out to NordVPN in almost every front such as the most secure VPN, the best VPN for public WiFi and the best VPN for streaming. Learn more about how the two services stack up against each other in our NordVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison.
Good VPN Service Provider for Streaming
If you’re looking for an alternative to NordVPN that’s good for streaming content from websites like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, ExpressVPN might be an excellent choice.
ExpressVPN provides an excellent streaming experience — almost as if it were a local session. If you’re curious, you can learn more in our comprehensive ExpressVPN review.
ExpressVPN comes with a premium price tag. This isn’t surprising, given its superior performance. However, if you don’t mind spending a little extra, ExpressVPN is one of the best VPN providers you’ll find. If you’re not feeling confident, you can always try it out yourself risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Pricing for the annual and biennial plans applies only on the first year.
- Unlimited GB
- 8
- Yes
3. CyberGhost — NordVPN Alternative With Automation Features
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CyberGhost offers several features that make it an appealing alternative to NordVPN, such as seven simultaneous connections (one more than NordVPN). CyberGhost is one of the most secure VPN services that offers an automatic kill switch and security protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard.
The protocols are available on the CyberGhost app for Windows (CyberGhost 8 only), macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and Fire TV.
It also offers URL-based split tunneling through the “smart rules” feature. The feature allows you to create a list of websites for which you don’t want to use a VPN connection. If you’re streaming a movie on Netflix, but also want to start a torrent download, the “smart rules” will help you stream at maximum speed while keeping your online identity safe as you download using a torrent.
We go into more detail about how the two VPN services differ in our CyberGhost vs NordVPN comparison.
VPN Automation Features
The “smart rules” feature allows you to automate other aspects of the VPN app in addition to split tunneling. For instance, you can set up a rule to automatically connect to a specific server when you launch the CyberGhost app. On the other hand, you can trigger CyberGhost to connect automatically when you launch a specific app, for instance, a torrent client.
CyberGhost costs $2.19 per month on its best value, the three-year plan. It’s one of the cheapest VPN providers and also offers a generous 45-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like the service, you can claim a full refund.
- *The 2-year plan includes 4-months free which breaks down the 56.94 t0 $2.03 per month. *The price under the 2-year plan is billed yearly after the first two years.
- Unlimited GB
- 7
- Yes
4. PrivadoVPN — Best Free NordVPN Alternative
Looking for a free NordVPN or CyberGhost alternative? PrivadoVPN is the best free VPN out there. We generally recommend staying away from free VPNs because they offer poor online protection, lack any impressive security features, are slow and often have a questionable logging policy.
PrivadoVPN is different, though. PrivadoVPN is a free VPN that offers excellent security. When using PrivadoVPN, your internet traffic is protected by security protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard combined with AES-256 bit encryption.
Even as a free service, PrivadoVPN offers connection speeds that match a premium VPN, making it one of the best NordVPN alternatives. However, after using 10GB monthly data, PrivadoVPN restricts speeds and you can’t select a server location — you’ll be auto-connected to the nearest option.
Generous Free Plan
PrivadoVPN offers a generous free plan with 10GB of data each month and access to a select group of server locations in 10 different countries. Even though there are limitations, it’s one of the best free plans you’ll find on the internet.
PrivadoVPN’s free plan is excellent, but it’s premium service is even better. You get access to its Control Tower security tools and servers in 49 countries. Its plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can find out more in our PrivadoVPN review.
- 10GB
- 1
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
5. Private Internet Access — NordVPN Alternative With Extra Features
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Private Internet Access (PIA) — a pocket-friendly Tunnelbear alternative — has one of the most well-thought-out interfaces of any VPN app. You can view the connection time, bandwidth usage, security protocol and more right on the app’s docked interface. PIA also offers 10 simultaneous connections. Considering it’s already a low-cost service, the per-user cost is reduced significantly when you compare it to NordVPN.
NordVPN is one of the most secure VPNs, but PIA doesn’t fall too far behind. In addition to all the essentials, PIA also adds another layer of security to the VPN connection by letting you use a proxy. We go into more detail about the differences between the two services in our NordVPN vs PIA comparison.
PIA’s Extra Features
PIA offers a range of additional features. For instance, there are two kill switches on the VPN. One is a regular kill switch, while the other one is an automatic kill switch that blocks all internet traffic unless you’re connected to a VPN server.
You also get MACE on PIA, which is basically a powerful ad blocker. Learn about MACE and other PIA features on our complete Private Internet Access review.
PIA’s two-year plan costs $2.19 per month, making it the cheapest NordVPN alternative. Given that the difference in features and performance isn’t massive, the cost might make PIA look like an attractive choice. Of course, you can also give PIA a try first using its 30-day money-back guarantee.
- 10
- Yes
1-month plan, 6-months plan, 1-year plan, 2-year plan + 2 months
NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Which Is Better?
Overall, we’ve experienced that NordVPN is better than ExpressVPN. However, ExpressVPN and NordVPN are both premium VPN services that compete neck and neck on several fronts. It’s rather difficult to say that one is better than the other for everyone. Learn more in our best VPNs guide.
You should select one of the two services based on your needs. If you want a beginner-friendly VPN, ExpressVPN may be the better option. If you’re more concerned with performance and a smaller price tag, NordVPN is your best bet.
Final Thoughts
NordVPN is an excellent VPN, but if you’re looking for something more specific — like more simultaneous connections or a lower price — there are a few alternatives available. The options we’ve listed in this guide are all reliable services.
There’s little chance that you’ll go wrong with any of them as long as you determine that it fits your needs. For similar guides, check out our ExpressVPN alternatives, ZenMate alternatives and IPVanish alternatives guides.
Have you tried switching from NordVPN to another service before? If you have, which one and how was your experience? Let us know in the comments below. As always, thanks for reading.
FAQ
For our money, NordVPN is the best VPN out there. That said, Surfshark is a great alternative if you want something cheaper or with unlimited simultaneous connections.