NordVPN vs Norton VPN: which VPN is better?

NordVPN and Norton VPN are some of the best VPN services available, yet they cater to different user needs. NordVPN is a comprehensive cybersecurity service, offering advanced protection, many servers worldwide, and lightning-fast connectivity. Meanwhile, Norton VPN is a straightforward provider that offers just the essentials. Ultimately, NordVPN is better than Norton VPN, but I suggest reading the entire comparison to learn why that’s the case.

NordVPN vs Norton VPN: overview

NordVPN beats Norton VPN with 7700+ servers across 118 countries compared to Norton’s 2000+ servers in 30 countries. While both are even in categories like simultaneous connections and no logs policy, NordVPN stands out for its broader device compatibility, support for more streaming services, and stronger VPN protocols.

	NordVPN	Norton VPN
⭐ Rating:	4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.2 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
🥇 Overall rank:	#1 out of #41	#6 out of #41
🖥️ Servers:	7,700 + servers in 118 countries	2,000 + servers in 30 countries
📖 No logs policy:	No logs	No logs
💵 Price:	From $3.39/month	From $3.33/month
🔥 Coupons:	NordVPN coupon 76% OFF	Norton VPN coupon 54% OFF
🔒 VPN protocols:	OpenVPN, WireGuard (NordLynx), NordWhisper	OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec
🍿 Streaming services:	Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more	BBC iPlayer, Max
🖥️ Platforms:	Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
📥 Simultaneous connections:	10	10
💁🏻 Support:	Knowledge base, FAQs, email, 24/7 live chat	Live chat, 24/7 phone support, FAQ

Streaming and Netflix performance

Our research team and I tested various streaming services to see which ones each VPN could unblock. With NordVPN, the process was simple and successful with nearly all streaming sites. Meanwhile, Norton VPN struggled with platforms like Netflix and Hulu.

Platform	NordVPN	Norton VPN
Netflix	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
BBC iPlayer	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
YouTube	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Hulu	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
HBO Max	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

When unblocking Netflix libraries with NordVPN, the team experienced no buffering issues. We effortlessly accessed the US, the UK, Canadian, Japanese, German, Spanish, and more libraries.

Norton VPN performed adequately in our streaming tests, successfully unblocking major Netflix libraries, including those in the UK, the US, Japan, Canada, and Australia. While it got the job done, the experience wasn’t always seamless, with occasional buffering or delays during page loading. It's a functional option for streaming, though not without some room for improvement.

In terms of other streaming sites, I managed to access BBC iPlayer, YouTube, and Peacock TV with both NordVPN and Norton VPN.

I found that one of NordVPN’s advantages is its Smart DNS feature. It lets you unblock content on streaming devices that don’t support VPN services. So you can enjoy your favorite shows on your Smart TV, gaming console, or anywhere else.

It’s also worth noting that Norton VPN does not have apps for most streaming devices, such as Kodi, Amazon Fire Stick, or Android TV. In some cases, like with Fire TV devices, you can try to sideload it.

Plans and pricing

NordVPN costs from $3.39/month for 10 devices. Meanwhile, Norton VPN's monthly subscription rate starts from $3.33/month for 5 devices.

Here are the full pricing options of NordVPN vs Norton VPN:

Plan	NordVPN	Norton VPN
1-month plan	From $12.99/month (Basic plan, 10 devices)	–
1-year plan	From $4.99/month (Basic plan, 10 devices)	From $3.33/month (Standard plan, 5 devices, for the first year)
2-year plan	From $3.39/month (Basic plan, 10 devices)	–
	Get 76% OFF NordVPN + free eSIM data	Now up to 54% OFF Norton VPN

At the time of research, Norton VPN did not offer monthly plans. So, if you want a short-term solution, NordVPN is the better option. That said, the pricing is pretty steep (from $12.99/month) compared to what you pay if you opt for 1-year (from $4.99/month) and 2-year (from $3.39/month) plans.

When it comes to long-term plans, Norton VPN offers the better deal for 1-year plan subscribers. NordVPN costs from $4.99/month on the 1-year plan, while Norton VPN is just from $3.33/month. Of course, keep in mind that while NordVPN covers 10 devices, Norton VPN supports 5 on the cheapest plan (Standard).

Now, if you're after the best deal possible, NordVPN is the winner. If you commit to the 2-year plan, you can enjoy prices as low as $3.39/month. Keep in mind that Norton VPN prices also increase after the first year, so you wouldn't be able to enjoy the cheap VPN cost as long as you would with NordVPN.

You can register for a NordVPN 7-day free trial on Android and then use it on all compatible devices. There's also the standard 30-day money-back guarantee. If Norton VPN is what caught your eye, there’s a 60-day money-back guarantee available as well.

Overall, to get the best value for your money, NordVPN's 2-year plan is the top solution.

NordVPN vs Norton VPN: which is more secure?

When it comes to security, NordVPN is better than Norton VPN due to its wider feature selection. What both have in common is the market-leading AES-256 encryption which is what makes your traffic unreadable to prying eyes. Both providers also offer strict no-logs policies.

	NordVPN	Norton VPN
Encryption	AES-256	AES-256
Kill switch	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Ad blocker	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
DNS leak protection	✅ Yes	❌ No
Best deal	Get 76% OFF NordVPN + free eSIM data	Now up to 54% OFF Norton VPN

However, what’s different is that NordVPN’s no-logs policy has been audited multiple times, while Norton’s only once. On top of that, Norton is headquartered in the US, which isn’t considered a privacy-friendly location. NordVPN, on the other hand, is based in Panama, which doesn’t have strict data retention laws.

Privacy

Both providers use the widely praised and one of the strongest encryptions on the market – AES-256. And it's a market-leading solution for a reason – it’s almost impossible to break, protecting your data from third-party peeks.

	NordVPN	Norton VPN
RAM servers	✅ Yes	❌ No
Five Eyes Alliance Member?	❌ No	✅ Yes
No-logs policy	Audited 5 times by PwC and Deloitte	Audited by VerSprite

However, only NordVPN uses RAM-only servers, meaning your data is instantly deleted with each reboot. This also makes it less likely to encounter data breaches.

What’s different about these providers is their locations. NordVPN is headquartered in Panama, which doesn’t have any data retention laws. This makes the location very convenient for a VPN service.

As for Norton VPN, it’s based in a less privacy-friendly location – the US. In fact, the country belongs to the Five-Eyes alliance, which makes it far from an ideal location for a VPN. However, Norton still ensures that it doesn’t keep logs of your online activity.

Logging

NordVPN’s policy indicates that the provider does not monitor or store your internet activities. And since the provider is located in Panama, the country's laws don’t obligate anyone to keep logs of your data. On top of that, the policy has been audited 5 times by independent agencies PwC and Deloitte. This guarantees that NordVPN's privacy policy is completely credible.

Norton VPN also provides its users with a no-logs policy. While the company is registered in the US, it promises that it doesn’t monitor or store your data. Yet, the provider collects subscriber information for communication purposes and data regarding what device you use. In addition, Norton VPN's policy has been audited once, by VerSprite. While this is a big deal, the company doesn't yet have a long history of successful audits.

Speed performance: NordVPN vs Norton VPN

Norton VPN doesn’t have WireGuard and uses OpenVPN, while NordVPN offers its own speedy version of this protocol called NordLynx. Together with the research team, we put these protocols against each other to see how well these providers perform in terms of download and upload speeds.

The team tested the speeds in 6 countries – the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, and Japan. The performance of each server greatly depended on the distance of the testing place.

• Baseline. 1ms ping/500Mbps download/500Mbps upload

	NordVPN (NordLynx)	Norton VPN (OpenVPN)
The US	413Mbps/ 451Mbps	425Mbps/ 23Mbps
The UK	485Mbps/ 473Mbps	452Mbps/ 421Mbps
Canada	466Mbps/ 343Mbps	409Mbps/ 422Mbps
Germany	475Mbps/ 436Mbps	426Mbps/ 435Mbps
France	475Mbps/ 313Mbps	423Mbps/ 419Mbps
Japan	472Mbps/ 305Mbps	372Mbps/ 290Mbps

The results show that NordVPN is faster than Norton VPN. With the NordLynx protocol, the average download speed retention rate turned out to be 88% of the initial connection speed. Meanwhile, Norton VPN managed to retain 79% of baseline speed.

In terms of upload speed, NordVPN also came back with better results. NordVPN retained an average of 76% initial speed, while Norton VPN – 69%.

Of course, speed results depend on your location, your internet connection, and other factors. So, your results may differ from ours.

Aside from speed, the Cybernews research team also compared the ping of both providers. Here are the results:

	NordVPN (NordLynx)	Norton VPN (OpenVPN)
The UK	~ 42ms	~ 41ms
The US	~ 103ms	~ 100ms
Japan	~ 249ms	~ 279ms

NordVPN’s ping results were better than those of Norton VPN. This VPN provided the best results in all three tested locations. This means you’re less likely to experience buffering or lagging while gaming or doing other activities.

Features overview

Overviewing the features of NordVPN vs Norton VPN demonstrated that NordVPN is just more comprehensive. While both providers offer the split tunneling feature and an ad blocker, NordVPN has many more extras that are useful.

	NordVPN	Norton VPN
Split tunneling:	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Ad blocker:	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Smart DNS:	✅ Yes	❌ No
RAM-only servers:	✅ Yes	❌ No
Stealth VPN:	✅ Yes	❌ No

All that Norton VPN gives you (despite the mutual features of both providers) is Wi-Fi Security. Meanwhile, with NordVPN, you get the best of both worlds – crucial security features and handy extras. They include dark web monitoring, Meshnet, Threat Protection Pro, specialty servers, auto-connect, and pausing features.

Overall, it’s clear that NordVPN surpasses Norton VPN by offering more valuable assets.

Split tunneling

Both providers offer the split tunneling feature. If you don’t know what split tunneling is, to put it simply, it’s a tool that lets you choose which apps should use a VPN connection and which shouldn’t. The apps that will use a VPN will go through an encrypted tunnel from the moment you open them.

With NordVPN, you get this feature on Windows, Android, and Android TV. Yet, they are slightly different. On Windows, you can choose whether you want to “disable VPN for selected apps” or “enable VPN for selected apps”. This makes customizing easy when you want to change settings for one app only.

Meanwhile, on Android, you can make use of inverse split tunneling which means that you can only disable the VPN on specific apps. Unfortunately, this NordVPN feature is not yet available on such popular operating systems as macOS, iOS, or Linux.

Moving on, with Norton VPN, you can also configure which apps you want to use a VPN connection. You can exclude individual apps from connecting to a VPN. This provider also offers split tunneling only on Windows and Android platforms.

Ad blocker

Another feature that both providers ensure with their VPN services is an ad blocker. The one NordVPN offers is called Threat Protection Pro. It uses proprietary DNS servers to filter out not only online ads but dangerous websites as well.

Norton has a similar feature as well, helping you eliminate pop-up ads, banners, and redirects which can make your browsing experience obtrusive. It also protects you from websites that can contain malware or other cyber infections.

Additional features

NordVPN and Norton offer fundamental features that each VPN should include, however, NordVPN is more versatile.

NordVPN offers the unusual SmartPlay technology that is created to unblock geo-restricted content more easily on its apps. You also get various specialty servers, such as P2P for torrenting, obfuscated servers to bypass censorship, and more.

The service also includes an auto-connect feature so that you don’t need to manually turn on your VPN each time you start your device. With it, there’s a pause button that allows you to set a time when you want the VPN to resume. Another benefit of NordVPN is that in case your data gets leaked on the dark web, it will alert you so that you can start taking security measures.

As for Norton VPN, alongside split tunneling, Norton VPN's auto-connect, and an ad blocker, you also get the Wi-Fi Security feature. If you connect to a network that isn’t secure, you’ll automatically be connected to the VPN.

Servers and locations

Regarding, NordVPN and Norton VPN have decent server fleets, with NordVPN offering many more server locations than Norton VPN.

	NordVPN	Norton VPN
Servers	7700+	2000+
Countries (total)	118	30
Virtual locations	❌ No	❌ No
Specialty servers	✅ Yes	❌ No

NordVPN offers 7700+ servers in 118 countries which is a lot compared to other VPN providers like Surfshark and IPVanish. Regions like Europe and the Asia Pacific have the best coverage. In addition, the Americas and Middle East & Africa include a few server locations as well, making NordVPN’s fleet very inclusive.

Moving forward, Norton VPN offers 2000 servers in 30 locations, including the US, the UK, Australia, Singapore, Brazil, and others. Differently from NordVPN, you can’t choose a specific server with Norton VPN. You can only pick a specific country and it will automatically connect you to the fastest server.

Plus, with NordVPN, you get to make use of specialized servers, such as Double VPN or obfuscated for extra security as well as P2P servers for torrenting.

Torrenting

When it comes to Norton VPN vs NordVPN in terms of torrenting, the latter is faster and more reliable. Let me explain why.

You see, with NordVPN, torrenting is not rocket science. You don’t have to manually look for the right servers for torrenting as you can find the P2P servers under the specialty servers section on the app. I’ve tested them, and let me tell you – they’re rewardingly fast. If you’re from a country that prohibits such activities, NordVPN won’t disappoint.

As for Norton VPN, while there are a few P2P servers available, they’re sadly very slow.

Platforms, interface, and ease of use

Whichever provider you end up picking, both offer apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. The only difference is that Norton VPN isn’t available for Linux users.

Despite that, the installation process of both NordVPN and Norton VPN is very quick and simple. Each VPN can be set up in minutes even by complete newbies. All you have to do is purchase the product, sign up, and install your VPN.

	NordVPN	Norton VPN
Supported OS	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Browser extensions	Chrome, Firefox, Edge	–
Other devices	Kodi, Android TVs, Apple TV, Fire TV devices	–
Simultaneous connections	10	1, 5, or 10
Usability level	Easy to set up	Easy to set up

Because NordVPN offers the Smart DNS feature that helps you unblock your favorite shows, you can set it up on various streaming devices. This includes Kodi, Android TV, Apple TV, and Fire TV devices. Sadly, Norton VPN doesn’t provide you with such pleasure.

A similar situation is with browser extensions. NordVPN offers add-ons on Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. Meanwhile, Norton VPN doesn’t have any extensions. That is, unless you buy its antivirus suite.

Desktop apps

Starting from desktop apps, the NordVPN Windows app is very simple to navigate. Once you launch the app, you can see all available servers on the left side of the screen. Even P2P, Double VPN, and other specialty servers are organized for you to find them easily. The Windows app users also get a kill switch, invisibility on LAN, split tunneling, auto-connect, and pausing.

The macOS version of NordVPN is a bit lighter and doesn’t involve as many features. Of course, rarely is a VPN for macOS inclusive because of Apple’s restrictions. While the split tunneling feature is missing, there’s still a kill switch. Yet, it only works on specific apps and there’s no option to disable it.

There are two desktop versions of Norton VPN – a separate VPN app and one included in the antivirus suite. The Windows app includes the split tunneling feature and a kill switch. You can find all of the freebies by pressing the gear icon on the left side of the screen.

As for the servers, you can find them in the main dashboard. The design is very minimalistic and we're a fan of it – it’s super simple to find everything you need.

The macOS app is very similar to the one on Windows, yet it only offers an ad blocker. You guessed it – no kill switch, no split tunneling. If you care about your online anonymity and want to be connected to a VPN at all times, the absence of a kill switch can be a huge drawback.

Mobile apps

Moving on to the mobile version, NordVPN has apps for Android and iOS. What’s interesting is that they are almost identical in terms of design. You can disconnect or pause the VPN, choose a server, or make use of the features in the settings.

Surprisingly, the iOS app has quite a few freebies included which isn’t common for VPNs on this platform. There’s a kill switch but it’s not customizable, meaning you can’t turn it off. On top of that, you get the Dark Web monitoring feature that checks for data leaks. The Threat Protection feature blocks malicious sites and ads.

The Android version, however, has better features, including a customizable kill switch and the split tunneling feature. What the Android app lacks and could make use of is dark web monitoring.

Norton VPN has Android and iOS versions as well. The latter doesn’t have a kill switch or the split tunneling feature but does offer an auto-connect button. It automatically selects a server with the fastest speed.

As for the Android version, the interface is very similar to the iOS app. Yet, unlike with iOS, you get a variety of features, including the necessary kill switch and split tunneling. On top of that, you get to enjoy Norton VPN’s ad blocker and Wi-Fi Security feature.

Customer support

If there’s any aspect that NordVPN and Norton VPN can really compete against each other, it’s certainly customer service. Both of them offer extensive support options.

	NordVPN	Norton VPN
24/7 live chat	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Email	✅ Yes	❌ No
Phone line	❌ No	✅ Yes
Guides or articles	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
FAQs	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

We have to clap for both VPNs for providing a 24/7 live chat, which is one of the most convenient ways to solve issues quickly. While Norton doesn’t offer email support, it does have a phone number you can use, which is what NordVPN lacks.

And if you like solving problems yourself, there are multiple guides, articles, and FAQs of both providers that include answers to various questions.

In this round of NordVPN vs Norton VPN, I can’t pick one winner as both providers have many support options to choose from. So this time I have to declare a tie.

NordVPN vs Norton VPN – which one wins?

Category	NordVPN	Norton VPN
Speed	✅	❌
Features	✅	❌
Protection	✅	❌
Streaming	✅	✅
Torrenting	✅	❌
Servers	✅	❌
Price	✅	❌
Ease of use	✅	❌
Customer support	✅	✅

NordVPN is the ultimate winner of this comparison – it’s a better VPN than Norton VPN. It guarantees much faster speeds, more security features, and better privacy measures, such as an audited privacy policy.

Norton VPN offers essential security features and a straightforward privacy policy. While its server fleet is relatively modest, it performs reliably for general online activities.

However, for a more versatile and unique experience, NordVPN stands out. It surpasses Norton VPN in key areas such as speed, advanced security, privacy, and overall functionality, making it the stronger choice for comprehensive online protection.

FAQ