NordVPN vs Proton Pricing | Costbench
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25 seats

NordVPN vs Proton

VPN pricing comparison · 2026

NordVPN pricing ranges from $3.09–$25.29/month, while Proton ranges from $0–$29.99/month. These products use different pricing models ( vs Per-seat subscription), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.

Visit
See pricing on each vendor's site
Above-the-fold path — each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit Proton pricing Affiliate partner — does not affect ranking.
Compare
2 products · VPN Services
Side-by-side · live
NordVPN
NordVPN costs $3.
verified 2d ago
$60 $200
View pricing →
Proton
Proton is a Swiss-based privacy company offering end-to-end encrypted alternatives to main
verified 7w ago
$60 $200
View pricing →
Verdict · Vendr median · year 1
NordVPN saves $140 vs Proton · 25 seats
Cheapest $60
Spread 70%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Basic (1-Year)
$1.5K/yr
year 1 license · $5/seat
Mail Plus (Monthly)
$1.5K/yr
year 1 license · $5/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$60/yr
Vendr · n=59
Median annual
$200/yr
Vendr · n=50
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 5 sourced facts
3 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 2d ago
Confidence Medium confidence
Sources 13 sourced facts
9 hidden-cost · 2 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 1mo ago
Confidence High confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
No hidden costs documented
5 documented
  • Limited Free Tier Storage
    Upgrade to paid plan ($9.99-$12.99/month) once storage fills
    1 source
  • Platform Feature Parity Gaps
    No direct cost, but reduced productivity on mobile
    1 source
  • Ecosystem Lock-in
    Hours of migration effort; Proton Bridge required for third-party email clients
    1 source
  • Storage Overage Blocks Email
    $4-$10/month
    1 source
  • Grandfathered Pricing Loss on Plan Changes
    10-30% price increase
    2 sources
REF · 04

Contract terms

The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.

NordVPN
Proton
Auto-renewal
Yes
Yes
Cancellation
Must cancel before renewal date, but reports indicate charges occur earlier than stated
30 days notice before renewal for annual plans
Commitment
Monthly, 1-year, or 2-year options available
Price escalation
Significant price increases after promotional period ends - introductory rates only apply to first term
Prices subject to change. Legacy pricing locked in if no subscription changes made. New pricing applies at renewal if subscription modified.
Can downgrade
No
Yes
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Trustpilot
4.2/5 (25)
Best for
Short-term use or testing
Watch out
Auto-renewal occurring earlier than stated expiration date
Trustpilot
2.4/5
G2
4.4/5 (132)
Best for
Privacy-conscious individuals who want basic encrypted email, VPN, and password manager at no cost
Watch out
Confusing and inconsistent pricing structure
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit Proton pricing Affiliate partner — does not affect ranking.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
Option A

NordVPN

$3.09–$25.29
/month
12 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
Option B

Proton

$0–$29.99
/month
7 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →

Different Pricing Models

Direct price comparison isn't meaningful here — NordVPN uses pricing while Proton uses Per-seat subscription pricing. Your actual cost will depend on usage volume, team size, or both. Here's each product in its native unit.

NordVPN

$3.09–$25.29 / month
See full NordVPN pricing →
vs
Per-seat subscription

Proton

$0–$29.99 / month
See full Proton pricing →

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan NordVPN Proton
Basic (Monthly) $12.99 /month Free /user/month
Basic (1-Year) $4.99 /month $3.99 /user/month
Basic (2-Year) $3.09 /month $4.99 /user/month
Plus (Monthly) $15.29 /month $12.99 /user/month
Plus (1-Year) $5.49 /month $9.99 /user/month
Plus (2-Year) $3.59 /month $14.99 /user/month
Complete (Monthly) $18.69 /month $29.99 /user/month
Complete (1-Year) $6.99 /month
Complete (2-Year) $4.99 /month
Prime (Monthly) $25.29 /month
Prime (1-Year) $8.99 /month
Prime (2-Year) $6.99 /month

Market Intelligence

NordVPN

Median annual cost
$60
Based on
59 deals

Proton

Median annual cost
$200
Based on
50 deals

What Users Say

NordVPN

Trustpilot
4.2/5 (25)
Top complaints
  • Auto-renewal occurring earlier than stated expiration date
  • Unexpected price increases upon renewal after promotional period
  • Connection issues and speed problems

Proton

G2
4.4/5 (132)
Trustpilot
2.4/5
Top complaints
  • Confusing and inconsistent pricing structure
  • Expensive compared to competitors for similar features
  • Loss of grandfathered pricing on any plan modification

Contract Terms

Term NordVPN Proton
Auto-renewal Yes Yes
Cancellation Must cancel before renewal date, but reports indicate charges occur earlier than stated 30 days notice before renewal for annual plans
Minimum commitment Monthly, 1-year, or 2-year options available
Price escalation Significant price increases after promotional period ends - introductory rates only apply to first term Prices subject to change. Legacy pricing locked in if no subscription changes made. New pricing applies at renewal if subscription modified.
Can downgrade No Yes

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