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In our experience, choosing a NordVPN alternative comes down to one of three things: a cheaper renewal, more devices, or a different owner. NordVPN Basic renews at $139.08 a year, the highest in our renewal table. Surfshark, Proton VPN, ExpressVPN, Mullvad and CyberGhost each win on at least one of those points.
NordVPN Alternative Renewal Prices Compared
Our renewal table lists NordVPN Basic at $139.08 a year and ExpressVPN at $99.95. Proton VPN Plus renews at about $83.88, Surfshark Starter at about $79, Mullvad at about $65 and CyberGhost at $56.94. Some of those figures are estimates, as our renewal price guide explains.
| Provider | Renewal price | Per month | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | $139.08/yr | ~$11.59 | Basic |
| Surfshark | ~$79/yr | ~$6.58 | Starter |
| ExpressVPN | $99.95/yr | ~$8.33 | Basic |
| CyberGhost | $56.94/yr | ~$4.75 | 2-year |
| PureVPN | $47.95/yr | ~$4.00 | Standard, 2-year (1-year renews $57.95) |
| IPVanish | $89.99/yr | ~$7.50 | Essential |
| Windscribe | ~$69/yr | ~$5.75 | Pro |
| Proton VPN | ~$83.88/yr | ~$6.99 | VPN Plus |
| Mullvad | ~$65/yr | ~$5.40 | flat, no tiers |
| Norton VPN | $79.99/yr | ~$6.67 | Standard |
| Hotspot Shield | ~$95.99/yr | ~$8.00 | Premium annual |
| Astrill | $300 every 2 yrs | ~$12.50 | 2-year, same at renewal |
The Best NordVPN Alternative by Need
Households with many devices should look at Surfshark, which sets no device cap, as our Surfshark review explains; it shares an owner with NordVPN. For a free start, Proton VPN has a free plan with no data limit, covered in our Proton free plan guide. That makes it the gentlest NordVPN alternative to try.
Privacy purists tend to pick Mullvad, which uses a flat price and no personal details, as our Mullvad review explains. CyberGhost has the lowest renewal at $56.94 a year; see our CyberGhost review.
Ownership Matters
Surfshark belongs to Nord Security, NordVPN’s own parent, so switching between them keeps you in the same group. ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and Private Internet Access belong to Kape Technologies. Proton VPN belongs to the Proton Foundation, and Mullvad to Amagicom AB. Our VPN ownership map shows the groups.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
Our NordVPN vs Surfshark, NordVPN vs Proton VPN and NordVPN vs ExpressVPN pages compare each NordVPN alternative in depth.
The privacy and budget picks get the same treatment in Mullvad vs NordVPN and NordVPN vs CyberGhost. Before switching, check our NordVPN deals guide. A new first term may beat any alternative.
Audit Records Compared
If trust is the reason you are leaving, compare audit records before price. Our audit table counts six independent no-logs audits for NordVPN, by PwC and Deloitte. Mullvad leads with more than ten, by Cure53 and Assured AB, and Proton VPN has five, by Securitum.
ExpressVPN and CyberGhost each count three, by KPMG and Deloitte respectively, while Surfshark has two, by Deloitte. The number is not everything, since scope and recency matter too. But a NordVPN alternative with fewer audits asks for more trust. Our VPN audit tracker explains what each audit covered.
Device Limits
NordVPN covers 10 devices on one plan, according to our device table. Surfshark sets no cap at all, ExpressVPN allows 10, 12 or 14 depending on the tier, CyberGhost allows seven and Mullvad five. Our page on CyberGhost alternatives covers seven providers matched to the usual reasons for leaving.
For a single person with a phone, laptop and TV, any of them works. For a family, the gap matters more than the price difference: two Mullvad accounts cost more than one Surfshark plan. Our guide to VPNs for many devices compares the options in more detail.
Refund Windows and Trials
Every NordVPN alternative in this guide offers a way to test before committing. NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN and Proton VPN give 30 days, and Mullvad 14. CyberGhost offers 45 days on longer plans but only 14 on the monthly plan.
Proton VPN is the only one with a free plan and no data cap. This makes it the easiest to try without paying. Test the alternative on the devices and services you actually use. Cancel the old subscription only once the new one works. Our guide to cancelling and refunds covers the steps.
Jurisdiction
NordVPN operates from Panama. Proton VPN is Swiss and is moving infrastructure to the EU, Mullvad is Swedish, Surfshark is Dutch, CyberGhost is Romanian and ExpressVPN is registered in the British Virgin Islands. A strict no-logs policy backed by audits matters more than the flag. But the country decides which courts can make demands.
Protocols and Speed
Each NordVPN alternative builds on similar technology. NordVPN’s NordLynx and Surfshark’s default are both based on WireGuard, Mullvad uses WireGuard directly. ExpressVPN runs its own Lightway protocol. Our Lightway vs WireGuard page compares the two designs.
In practice, the server you pick and your own line matter more than the brand. Test each candidate on the same connection at the same time of day. Compare against your speed without a VPN, as our guide to VPN speed loss explains. A provider that is fast in a review but slow on your network is the wrong choice for you.
Whichever NordVPN alternative you choose, keep the old subscription until the new one has worked for a full week on every device, then cancel. That week shows real speeds, real streaming results and any app quirks a review cannot.
How We Research
This page draws on our renewal, device and ownership tables, built from provider pricing pages and third-party sources. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 25 September 2026. Renewal figures come from our renewal table; some are third-party estimates. The main source we relied on is NordVPN’s pricing page. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
NordVPN Alternatives FAQ
It depends on your reason: Surfshark for devices, Proton VPN for a free plan, Mullvad for anonymity, CyberGhost for the lowest renewal.
All five in our table: CyberGhost at $56.94, Mullvad about $65, Surfshark about $79, Proton about $83.88 and ExpressVPN $99.95 a year.
No. Both belong to Nord Security.
Proton VPN has a free plan with no data limit.
Surfshark sets no device cap in its terms.
The Verdict
The right NordVPN alternative depends on why you are leaving. Price points to CyberGhost or Mullvad, devices to Surfshark, and a free start to Proton VPN. Check ownership before you switch.