We haven’t finished verifying this product’s pricing and capabilities from official sources, so comparisons here are incomplete. Vendors: claim this listing to speed it up.
NordVPN
VPN · nordvpn.com
NordVPN is a consumer VPN service that encrypts internet connections across thousands of servers in 224+ locations, with higher tiers bundling antivirus, ad/tracker blocking, dark web monitoring, a password manager, and encrypted cloud storage.
Switching to Private Internet Access (PIA VPN), which covers 67% of the compared capabilities.
Find my alternative
Way less money.
Top NordVPN alternatives
We compared 6 products and found 5 cheaper alternatives · vs NordVPN Basic (1-month) at $14.99/mo · scenario: single user, monthly billing, USD.
NordVPN costs $14.99/mo on the Basic (1-month) plan at single user, monthly billing. We found 4 assessed alternatives that are cheaper in this scenario; 0 of them cover at least 75% of the 3 compared capabilities.
| Product | Match | Price | Annual savings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Windscribe Build A Plan plan · missing: Simultaneous devices, Dedicated IP | 33% | $1/mo how? ⓘ | $167.88 / year 93% cheaper | |
TOP PICK Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) 1 Year plan · missing: Simultaneous devices | 67% | $3.33/mo how? ⓘ | $139.92 / year 78% cheaper | |
Mullvad VPN Flat monthly rate plan · missing: Server network size, Dedicated IP | 33% | $5.84/mo how? ⓘ | $109.80 / year 61% cheaper | |
ExpressVPN Basic plan · missing: Server network size | 67% | $8.33/mo how? ⓘ | $79.93 / year 44% cheaper | |
IVPN Standard plan | not yet assessed | $6/mo how? ⓘ | $107.88 / year 60% cheaper |
Which NordVPN alternative for which situation
Picked by the numbers in this scenario — same subtype unless stated, assessed products only.
- Best free plan
- Windscribe — $0/mo (Free plan) · covers 33%
- Best open source or self-hosted
- Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) — $3.33/mo (1 Year plan) · covers 67%
- Best paid drop-in
- Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) — $3.33/mo (1 Year plan) · covers 67%
- Need server network size?
- Windscribe — from $0/mo (Free plan)
- Need simultaneous devices?
- Mullvad VPN — from $5.84/mo (Flat monthly rate plan)
- Need dedicated IP?
- Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) — from $3.33/mo (1 Year plan)
What you give up
Capabilities NordVPN has that the top alternatives lack.
- Server network size — Choose from a large network of server locations.Missing from Mullvad VPN, ExpressVPN.
- Simultaneous devices — Connect a set number of devices to the VPN at the same time.Missing from Windscribe, Private Internet Access (PIA VPN).
- Dedicated IP — Use a static IP address reserved for your account.Missing from Windscribe, Mullvad VPN.
Feature comparison
NordVPN vs the top alternatives, on the 3 compared capabilities.
| Capability | NordVPN | Windscribe | Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) | Mullvad VPN | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Server network size | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Simultaneous devices | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dedicated IP | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Scenario price cheapest qualifying plan | $14.99/mo Basic (1-month) | $0/mo Free | $3.33/mo 1 Year | $5.84/mo Flat monthly rate | $8.33/mo Basic |
✓ means the product offers the capability — possibly only on a higher tier than the plan priced below it. The price row shows the cheapest plan that qualifies for our comparison scenario, with its plan name; a $0 free plan may not include every checked capability.
What NordVPN covers
The capability set used for comparison. Grey entries are not available on self-serve plans.
- ✓ Server network size
- ✓ Simultaneous devices
- ✓ Dedicated IP
Price ladder
Observed prices from the official pricing page.
Sources
Every claim traces to an official source and a check date.
- https://nordvpn.com/pricing/ (official_pricing, checked 2026-08-26)
- https://nordvpn.com/pricing/#main-content (official_pricing, checked 2026-08-26)
Frequently asked
How much does NordVPN cost?
NordVPN's Basic (1-month) plan costs $14.99/mo in our scenario (single user, monthly billing).
Is there a free NordVPN alternative?
Yes. Windscribe has a free plan that covers 33% of the 3 capabilities we compared against NordVPN.
What is the cheapest NordVPN alternative?
In our scenario (single user, monthly billing), Windscribe is the cheapest assessed alternative at $0/mo (Free plan).
What is the cheapest NordVPN alternative with Server network size?
Windscribe covers Server network size and costs $0/mo (Free plan) in our scenario.
Does NordVPN have a free plan?
No. NordVPN has no free plan on its official pricing page.
When were these prices checked?
Between 2026-08-26 and 2026-09-07, on the vendors' official pricing pages.