NordVPN vs. Windscribe 2024: A Battle Based on Budget

Windscribe is the more affordable option, but NordVPN offers a more well-rounded service.
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Best for Performance and Privacy

5.0
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On NordVPN's website

VPN
NordVPN
Get NordVPN for up to 74% off + 3 extra months
  • Ultra-secure, high-speed VPN complete with malware protection and automatic blocking of intrusive ads and third-party trackers
  • Other benefits include a premium password manager, dark web monitoring, and access to IP-restricted content
  • 3 plans to choose from for custom protection on up to 10 devices

Best for Your Budget

4.3
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On Windscribe's website

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Windscribe
  • Unlimited device connections
  • Has a customizable plan if you only need access to servers in specific countries

If you compare NordVPN and Windscribe, price is the biggest difference between the two. NordVPN is more expensive, but it includes bonus features like an ad blocker and 24/7 support. Windscribe is cheaper, offering a free plan and a Build-a-Plan option, but its regular pricing is more than Nord.

Overall, Windscribe is the better choice for more budget-conscious users who don’t mind a couple of flaws (but not dealbreakers). On the other hand, NordVPN is outstanding for those who don’t mind paying a bit more for a more complete product.

In this article
Overview
Prices
Which VPN is faster?
Which VPN is more secure?
Compatibility and customer support
FAQs
Is NordVPN or Windscribe better?

NordVPN vs. Windscribe at a glance

NordVPN is a premium VPN provider that makes your subscription worthwhile. It includes plenty of features to make this price worth it, like specialty servers, an ad blocker, and dark web monitoring.

Windscribe offers a lot of bang for the buck — solid performance and compatibility, plenty of streaming options, and a no-logs policy. However, it’s not without compromises, including a headquarters in Canada – a Five Eyes alliance country — and a lack of 24/7 human customer service.

How do NordVPN and Windscribe compare?

Price $3.09–$15.99/mo $1.00–$9.00/mo
Max # of connected devices 10 Unlimited
24/7 customer support
Compatibility Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
# of servers 6,300+ servers in 111 countries Unlisted in 69+ countries
VPN protocol OpenVPN, NordLynx (WireGuard), IKEv2/IPsec OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2, Stealth, Websocket Stealth
No-logs policy No logs No logs
Unblocks Netflix?
Learn more Get NordVPN

Read NordVPN Review

Get Windscribe

Read Windscribe Review

NordVPN pros and cons

NordVPN is one of the top providers for a number of reasons. It has an extensive server network with 6,300+ servers in 111 countries. These include specialty servers for obfuscation, Onion over VPN, and more. 

Nord is also one of the fastest VPNs on the market. During our testing, it increased our download speeds with every server location we tested. We were easily able to browse the web and stream Netflix with no buffering or lag.  

Nord  has an audited no-logs policy, which was most recently reviewed by Deloitte at the end of 2023. Plus it's headquartered in Panama, which is a significant boost for privacy because it is not part of the Eyes alliances.

Pros
  • Thousands of servers in over 100 countries
  • Increased our download speeds across server locations
  • Privacy-friendly headquarters and audited no-logs policy
Cons
  • More expensive than Windscribe
  • No free version

Windscribe pros and cons

Windscribe packs a lot of value into its plans. All of its plan options allow for unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can cover all the devices in your home. 

Windscribe offers a free version with 10 GB of free data, servers in 10 countries, and all the same features as the paid plans. It also lets you build your own plan, where you pay $1.00/mo per server location. 

Despite its budget-friendly options, Windscribe provides the standard features you need from a VPN, like a kill switch and split tunneling. It also comes with proxy settings and content blocking filters for more tech-savvy users.

Pros
  • Offers free version and customizable Build-a-Plan option
  • Allows for unlimited simultaneous connections
  • Includes unique features like content blockers and proxy settings
Cons
  • Headquartered in Canada, a Five Eyes alliance country
  • Lacks 24/7 customer support

NordVPN vs. Windscribe: prices

Our Pick
Price range $3.09–$15.99/mo $1.00–$9.00/mo
Best value plan 2-year Basic plan for $3.09/mo (billed every two years) Build-a-Plan for $1.00/mo per location
Money-back guarantee Yes — 30 days Yes — 3 days
Learn more Get NordVPN

Read NordVPN Review

Get Windscribe

Read Windscribe Review

Of the two providers, Windscribe is certainly the more affordable — it even offers a free version (with a 10 GB monthly data limit). That said, NordVPN isn’t too expensive, and it can get close to Windscribe’s prices if you’re willing to sign up for a two-year plan instead of a monthly plan.

Something interesting about Windscribe is that you can build your own subscription. The Build-A-Plan option lets you select the server locations you want at a price of $1.00/mo per location. Each location also provides 10 GB of data, but you can then add unlimited data for an extra $1.00/mo. 

The plan has a minimum cost of $3.00/mo, which will get you either three locations and 30 GB of data or two locations and unlimited data. This can be a great way to save some money on your VPN.

Nord does win out for the best money-back guarantee. You can try the service for a full 30 days risk-free, while Windscribe only offers seven days. That’s better than nothing, but 30 days is the standard.

NordVPN vs. Windscribe: payment options

Since VPNs are all about privacy, the payment method you use is important. For that reason, both providers offer a variety of payment options, ranging from credit cards and prepaid debit to cryptocurrency and even cash (for NordVPN). Generally, cash is going to provide the most privacy since it can’t really be traced back to you.

NordVPN payment options

  • Credit card
  • PayPal
  • Google Pay
  • Cryptocurrencies (bitcoin, ethereum, and more)

Windscribe payment options

  • Credit card
  • PayPal
  • PayPal
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Amazon Pay
  • Cryptocurrency (bitcoin)
  • Paymentwall

Winner: Windscribe. The provider offers a free plan and lower overall prices than NordVPN, although we wish the trial period was longer.

Which VPN is faster?

When using a VPN, there is typically a hit to internet performance. These services work by routing your traffic through potentially distant servers en route to their destination. 

However, some VPNs do a better job than others at preserving speed. To test, we took an internet speed test with our plain internet connection (based in the U.S.) and then again by using the VPN through servers in various locations. The results below indicate how much NordVPN and Windscribe were impacted by each server location.

Our Pick
US 45% faster 4% slower
Canada 41% faster 5% slower
UK 31% faster 20% slower
AU 12% faster 65% slower
Learn more Get NordVPN

Read NordVPN Review

Get Windscribe

Read Windscribe Review

Although we expect VPNs to decrease our speeds, that's not always the case. NordVPN impressed us because it sped up our internet connection with nearly every server location. The U.S. and Canadian servers almost doubled our speeds. 

Windscribe slowed our speeds, but it wasn't noticeable until we connected to servers across the pond. While the U.S. and Canadian servers only negligibly slowed our connection, the Australian server decreased our connection significantly by 65%. 

Be sure to consider your physical location when selecting a server. Since Australia is on the other side of the world from our physical location, it naturally led to slower speeds. 

Winner: NordVPN. While Windscribe slowed down our speeds with each server, NordVPN increased our speeds.

Which VPN is more secure?

Feature
Our Pick
Number of servers 6,300+ servers in 111 countries Unlisted in 69+ countries
No-logs policy No logs No logs
VPN headquarters PanamaCanada
Encryption AES-256-GCM AES-256-GCM
VPN protocol OpenVPN, NordLynx (WireGuard), IKEv2/IPsec OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, Stealth, Websocket Stealth
Kill switch
Split tunneling
DNS leak protection
Ad blocker
Learn more Get NordVPN

Read NordVPN Review

Get Windscribe

Read Windscribe Review

Running through the basic features of each VPN, you can see that the two have a lot in common. Windstream and NordVPN both support AES-256-GCM encryption and the WireGuard protocol, which help provide strong data privacy without losing too much speed.

However, Windscribe is missing a couple of notable things. First, although it does have a no-logs policy, the provider hasn’t had an independent audit done. Having a no-logs policy audited by an unbiased third party helps verify those claims. Nord’s no-logs policy was last audited by Deloitte in late 2023.

Second, Windscribe is headquartered in Canada, which is a Five Eyes alliance member. In theory, this means your data could be less private since the Eyes alliances are intelligence-sharing agreements. In practice, if the no-logs policy is legit, there would be nothing to show the government, but again, since there’s no independent audit, we can’t be 100% positive.

There are other differences, too. Windscribe has servers in more countries than NordVPN. However, NordVPN boasts over 6,400 servers, whereas Windscribe doesn’t disclose the exact number of servers it has.

Windscribe VPN dashboard with the locations list open.

Finally, each provider offers its own array of special features. Windscribe has a number of advanced settings in its apps, including proxy settings and the R.O.B.E.R.T. tool for blocking domains and IP addresses on the network. This tool is actually pretty impressive — particularly the prebuilt category lists that let you block ads, trackers, gambling sites, and more across your entire network.

NordVPN offers its own slew of features. Threat Protection helps keep you safe from malware, ads, and trackers in real time. Meshnet lets you connect your devices together in a sort of local network so you can access all of them from a single device. For example, you can transfer files among different computers or remotely access a device at home from your office.

NordVPN Threat Detection spotted and blocked a potentially malicious file.

Winner: NordVPN. Both providers offer robust and well-rounded feature sets, but Windscribe has a list of small gaps and missing pieces, whereas NordVPN is just rock solid all around.

NordVPN vs. Windscribe: compatibility and ease of use

Our Pick
Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Linux
Router
Smart devices
24/7 customer support
Customer support options Live chat, email, online guides Email, online guides
Browser extensions Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge
Get NordVPN

Read NordVPN Review

Get Windscribe

Read Windscribe Review

NordVPN and Windscribe both offer excellent compatibility with desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux, mobile apps for Android and iOS, and even browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Neither really has an advantage over the other here.

The two also have comparable user interfaces — neither is really difficult to use, in our opinion. We did find that NordVPN has a bit more of a modern look, while Windscribe feels a little dated. However, for the amount of time that you spend in the interface (not much), this isn’t a dealbreaker.

Both IPVanish and NordVPN make it easy to click on the map to select a server location, but IPVanish's map kept randomly reloading.

The only real difficulty we ran into was with Windscribe using an excessive amount of CPU resources. This problem cropped up during our Windscribe review. We were able to solve it by disabling a feature and restarting the computer, but the fact that it’s a problem at all could be an issue for less tech-savvy users.

The Windscribe VPN app open on a computer, as well as a window with a speed test after the VPN was in use.

Both Windscribe and NordVPN offer useful support websites, email support, and a 24/7 chatbot that can do a decent job of answering basic questions. However, NordVPN offers 24/7 live chat with a real person — and Windscribe lacks this option. As cool as chatbots are, they aren't a substitute for actual people, so it’s a little disappointing not having this avenue available.

On a similar note, neither provider offers any sort of telephone support. We get that it’s 2024 and phones are old-fashioned, but some people prefer this avenue, so we’d really like to see it offered.

Winner: NordVPN. Although both Windscribe and NordVPN are easy to use, Windscribe used an excessive amount of our CPU resources. NordVPN also has the upper hand for customer support with its 24/7 live chat.

FAQs


+

Is NordVPN the fastest VPN?

NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs available. Our speed tests showed that it increased our speeds with each server location rather than decreased them. 


+

Is Windscribe VPN trustworthy?

Yes, Windscribe seems trustworthy. We don’t really see any particular reason to suspect there's anything fishy going on. 

Windscribe uses strong encryption and VPN protocols. It also has a firm no-logs policy. However, we would appreciate seeing a third-party independent audit of Windscribe’s privacy practices.


+

Is NordVPN safe from police?

Although NordVPN does keep your data very private and secure, the company does comply with law enforcement requests. That means that while what you’re doing online may be obscured, it’s still available to law enforcement.


+

Is there a Windscribe free trial?

Yes. Windscribe offers both a completely free plan (although with limited data) as well as a seven-day money-back guarantee trial on a paid plan. A week isn’t much time, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

Is NordVPN or Windscribe better?

NordVPN and Windscribe each have a lot to offer. Nord is only marginally more expensive and is the more complete service, covering most of Windscribe’s shortcomings and also offering dramatically reduced latency, which can have a big impact on performance.

Windscribe is the overall more affordable option, has faster speeds, and covers the basics extremely well. However, it does have several small pieces missing, such as 24/7 support and an independent audit of privacy practices.

Ultimately, we think NordVPN is the better overall product, but if you want to save a few bucks, Windscribe will serve you well.

5.0
VPN
NordVPN
  • Ultra-secure, high-speed VPN complete with malware protection and automatic blocking of intrusive ads and third-party trackers
  • Other benefits include a premium password manager, dark web monitoring, and access to IP-restricted content
  • 3 plans to choose from for custom protection on up to 10 devices
Learn More

NordVPN vs. Windscribe alternatives

NordVPN and Windscribe are two very different services, but there are plenty of options in between with strengths in speed, streaming, security, and more. Here are some recommendations if you're not sold on NordVPN or Windscribe:

Price $2.19–$17.95/mo $2.03–$12.99/mo $6.67–$12.95/mo
Free version
Max # of connected devices Unlimited 7 8
# of servers 3,200 in 100 countries Servers in 100 countries Servers in 105 countries
VPN protocol WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2
Encryption AES-256-GCM AES 256-bit AES 256-bit
No-logs policy No logs No logs No logs
Headquarters The Netherlands Romania British Virgin Islands
Netflix access
Learn more Get Surfshark Get CyberGhost Get ExpressVPN


Customizable Coverage That is Simple to Use
5.0
Editorial Rating
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On NordVPN's website
VPN
NordVPN
Get NordVPN for up to 74% off + 3 extra months
  • Ultra-secure, high-speed VPN complete with malware protection and automatic blocking of intrusive ads and third-party trackers
  • Other benefits include a premium password manager, dark web monitoring, and access to IP-restricted content
  • 3 plans to choose from for custom protection on up to 10 devices
Author Details
Dave Schafer is a professional writer with a decade of experience specializing in cybersecurity. His expertise spans gadgets, technology, and the internet, with a focus on topics such as routers, hardware, and VPN product comparisons.