Astrill VPN vs NordVPN (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Astrill VPN if

• Fits if you need a VPN with a stealth protocol for restrictive networks
• Works for people who want port forwarding and a kill switch

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you buy monthly: $30 against $12.50 a month on two years
• Not for you if you want to try it first: no free plan or trial, and all sales are final
• Watch out: the pricing page says unlimited devices in a household while the homepage says up to 5 at once
• Watch out: the terms bar use from a list of restricted jurisdictions
• Not for you if you want everything in the price: some features are paid add-ons

Pick NordVPN if

• Fits if your household has up to 10 devices to cover on one account
• Works for linking your own laptop and home PC privately with Meshnet

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you stay past the first term, as Basic renews at $139.08 a year, the dearest VPN here
• Watch out: Nord's first-term prices couldn't be read, and plan names and prices vary by country
• Skip it if you want a trial without a card or PayPal, or live outside the 15 countries that get one
• Not for you if you count on the money-back guarantee at renewal, as it covers the first purchase only
• Pricey if you want NordPass and NordLocker too, as Complete renews at $219.48 a year

Astrill VPN

• The refund policy says all sales are final; the shortest plan is suggested as the way to try the service.
• The pricing page says unlimited devices in a household, while the homepage says up to 5 devices at once.
• The monthly plan is $30, and the yearly and two-year plans work out to $15 and $12.50 a month.
• Astrill's terms bar use from a list of restricted jurisdictions, and a separate Business VPN plan is sold per account.

NordVPN

• Nord's pricing page turned away automated readers, so the first-term prices it advertises are missing here; only the US 1-year renewal prices could be read.
• Nord's renewal list also names an Ultimate 1-year tier at $256.68 for the US; plan names vary by country.
• The 30-day money-back guarantee covers the first purchase only; renewals are not refundable under it, and App Store purchases go through Apple.
• The free trial is limited to new customers in 15 countries and needs a credit card or PayPal.

Astrill VPN

StealthVPN and OpenWeb

Astrill's own protocols, built for networks that try to identify VPN traffic, alongside OpenVPN and WireGuard.

Smart mode

Routes chosen sites with a regional IP address and the rest through the VPN, which Astrill says keeps speeds up.

App filter and kill switch

Choose to tunnel all apps, only selected apps, or all except some; the desktop app also has a kill switch and App Guard.

Network

The homepage lists 142 cities in 56 countries, unlimited bandwidth and no logs, and says Bitcoin is accepted.

Port forwarding and VPN sharing

Port forwarding on selected servers, and sharing the VPN from a PC to other devices on a network.

Paid add-ons

A private IP on a chosen server is $5 a month each; a VIP add-on with prioritized traffic and multi-hop starts at $10 a month for 100 GB.

NordVPN

Protocols

Choose between NordLynx (built on WireGuard), Nord's own NordWhisper, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec, with an automatic kill switch and DNS leak protection.

Real-time protection

Scans files for malware and blocks harmful websites; the App Store listing adds tracker and ad blocking, depending on device and plan.

Specialty servers

Double VPN sends traffic through two servers, Onion Over VPN adds the Tor network, and obfuscated servers make VPN traffic look like ordinary traffic.

Meshnet

Links your own devices into a private network so they can reach each other without exposing your real IP address.

Dark Web Monitor

Watches for your email address and other personal details turning up in data leaks and alerts you when they do.

Dedicated IP

A fixed personal IP address, bought on its own or in a bundle, for services that only accept allow-listed addresses.

Astrill VPN

• 2 Years$300

  for 2 years, billed every 2 years

  Shown as $12.50 a month with 58% off a crossed-out $720; the page gives no end date for the reduction.

• 1 Year$180

  per year, billed every year

  Shown as $15 a month with 50% off a crossed-out $360; the page gives no end date for the reduction.

• 1 Month$30

  per month, billed monthly

  Billed $30 every month with no saving.

NordVPN

• Basic 1-year$139.08

  per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan

  The VPN-only tier. Nord's first-term price for new customers could not be read, so only the renewal price is shown.

• Standard 1-year$149.88

  per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan

  Priced between Basic and Plus at renewal. Nord's first-term price for new customers could not be read.

• Plus 1-year$179.88

  per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan

  Priced between Standard and Complete at renewal. Nord's first-term price for new customers could not be read.

• Complete 1-year$219.48

  per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan

  Adds NordPass and NordLocker to the VPN. First-term price not readable; this is the 1-year renewal price.

• Ultra 1-year$269.88

  per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan

  One of the top tiers that the 7-day free trial covers. First-term price not readable; this is the renewal price.

• Prime 1-year$296.28

  per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan

  The dearest US tier on Nord's renewal list, and one the free trial covers. First-term price not readable.

Astrill VPN

• Annual discount

  Save 50% on the 1 Year plan, 58% on 2 Years

  The pricing page shows the 1 Year plan at $180 against a crossed-out $360, and the 2 Years plan at $300 against $720.

NordVPN

• Education

  Student discount for ages 18 to 26

  Nord's help center says students and apprentices aged 18 to 26 can get an additional discount. The size of the discount is not stated there.