NordVPN vs PrivateVPN: bills, routing and trust compared

The decision in practical terms

Choose by the feature you can’t do without. PrivateVPN is the clearer match if you want the smaller bill, both today and at renewal, or port forwarding without buying an add-on. NordVPN is the clearer match if you need one app to bypass the VPN on Windows or Android, want a Linux or Apple TV app, or want a provider that cites independent no-logs assurance. Both allow 10 devices at once.

This comparison uses official documentation and USD quotes checked on 13 October 2026. We have not tested either service for speed, leaks, streaming or usability, so nothing here ranks performance.

Selected plans and documented features; checked 13 October 2026

Compare
Selected plan	Basic	36-month
Initial payment · USD	$94.23	$72.00
Initial months	27	36
Monthly equivalent	$3.49 (upfront plan)	$2.00 (upfront plan)
Quoted renewal	$139.08 / 12 months	$72.00 / 12 months
Simultaneous devices	10	10
Split tunneling	Windows, Android and Android TV app rules; Linux port/subnet Allowlist. No documented Mac or iOS app splitting.	No split tunneling in the PrivateVPN apps. Manual WireGuard or OpenVPN routing guides only.
Refund policy	30-day initial-purchase guarantee, with eligibility and purchase-channel conditions.	30-day guarantee for new customers; the terms exclude renewals, crypto, App Store payments and orders under USD 45.
Details	NordVPN review Offer and sources	PrivateVPN review Offer and sources

USD quotes checked 13 October 2026, before applicable tax. Currency, campaign and checkout prices can vary. Monthly rates are equivalents of upfront payments. How pricing works.

The first payment and the four-year bill

NordVPN Basic’s selected quote collects $94.23 for 27 months ($94.23 ÷ 27 = $3.49 a month). PrivateVPN collects $72.00 for 36 months ($72.00 ÷ 36 = $2.00). Today, PrivateVPN costs $94.23 − $72.00 = $22.23 less and covers 36 − 27 = 9 more months.

The renewals differ more. NordVPN’s US renewal table lists Basic at $139.08 a year ($139.08 ÷ 12 = $11.59 a month). PrivateVPN’s plan card states “(72.00 USD billed every 12 months after 36 months)” ($72.00 ÷ 12 = $6.00 a month). Because the first terms end at different points, compare the running totals over time:

To be covered for the full first 48 months, NordVPN Basic needs its 27-month term plus two yearly renewals: $94.23 + $139.08 + $139.08 = $372.39, which pays through month 51. PrivateVPN needs one renewal: $72.00 + $72.00 = $144.00, through month 48. Per month of paid coverage, that is $372.39 ÷ 51 = $7.30 for NordVPN against $144.00 ÷ 48 = $3.00 for PrivateVPN.

Two caveats apply. PrivateVPN’s renewal sentence is generated from the same price field as its first payment, with no separate renewal table, so we treat it as medium confidence; both providers’ terms allow price changes with advance notice, effective at renewal. Tax also differs: NordVPN says sales tax may apply, while PrivateVPN labels its prices “incl. VAT”, and we didn’t verify whether US sales tax is added at PrivateVPN’s payment step.

This compares NordVPN’s Basic plan with PrivateVPN’s only service tier. NordVPN’s Complete and Prime bundles add other services at higher prices.

Ten devices each, on different platforms

Both allow 10 simultaneous connections. NordVPN’s terms count each proxy connection as a slot, and its support guide says a router uses one slot while protecting the devices behind it. PrivateVPN’s Terms suggest a router or a second subscription beyond 10; ignore its older router and Kodi pages that still say six, because the Terms prevail.

Platform coverage differs more. NordVPN lists apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad, Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV. PrivateVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone and iPad, and Fire TV, but only manual guides for Linux and no documented Apple TV support. Mac requirements also split them: NordVPN’s Mac apps need macOS 14 or later, while PrivateVPN’s supports macOS 12 and later. Both providers’ browser extensions are proxies rather than full VPN apps.

Split tunneling: built into NordVPN, manual for PrivateVPN

NordVPN documents app split tunneling on Windows, Android and Android TV, website exclusions in its browser extensions, and a port and subnet Allowlist on Linux. It doesn’t document app splitting on Mac or iPhone, and it warns that its Internet Kill Switch can block excluded traffic even while the VPN is connected.

PrivateVPN has no split tunneling in its apps. Its help center documents manual alternatives: IP-based WireGuard rules on desktop, website exclusions by IP address in the OpenVPN GUI client on Windows, and app lists in third-party OpenVPN or WireGuard apps on Android. It documents nothing for iPhone. If you need one Windows or Android app outside the tunnel, NordVPN is the documented choice of these two.

Kill switches and closing selected apps

On Windows, both can close chosen programs. NordVPN’s App Kill Switch closes selected programs and is off by default; PrivateVPN’s Application Guard “will automatically terminate the selected program if the VPN connection is lost”. For blocking traffic, NordVPN’s Windows app has an Internet Kill Switch, its iPhone and Mac App Store apps use what it calls VPN bypass prevention, and its website Mac app has an app kill switch instead. On Android 8 and later NordVPN uses system-wide protection, its Linux app blocks traffic after a drop or a manual disconnect, and its Fire TV Stick app has no kill switch.

PrivateVPN documents kill-switch toggles on Windows, Mac (“Auto” or “Always”, modes it doesn’t define) and Android, relies on IKEv2’s built-in kill switch on iPhone, and offers a manual script for Linux. It doesn’t document the default setting or what happens after a manual disconnect, so check both in the app before relying on it.

Port forwarding: included versus a paid add-on

PrivateVPN includes port forwarding on selected servers, with no extra charge shown on its pricing page. Availability varies by location, it publishes no list of which servers support it, and its Windows and Mac apps assign a random port that can change when you reconnect. Port forwarding isn’t documented for its Android or iPhone apps.

NordVPN says port forwarding “is available exclusively with the Dedicated Server add-on”; standard servers and its Dedicated IP add-on don’t support it. The Dedicated Server is a paid add-on, documented since April 2026 and offered in Paris, Berlin, London, Phoenix and Boston, and NordVPN says its Mac App Store app can’t currently use port forwarding. If you need incoming connections for a self-hosted service or a file-sharing client, PrivateVPN is the simpler and cheaper route on paper. Either way, you are responsible for following copyright law.

Audits and logging statements

NordVPN cites six independent no-logs assurance engagements: PwC in 2018 and 2020, then Deloitte in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. The latest ran from 10 November to 12 December 2025. Each was a point-in-time assessment, the reports are available only to logged-in Nord Account users, and we haven’t read them.

PrivateVPN’s privacy policy says it doesn’t log browsing history, traffic destinations, connection timestamps, DNS queries, IP addresses or bandwidth. We found no independent audit cited on any official PrivateVPN page. Neither fact proves how a service behaves today, but if third-party assurance matters to you, only NordVPN cites it.

Refunds and cancellation

NordVPN’s 30-day guarantee covers an eligible first purchase, not renewals, with purchase-channel and local-law conditions. PrivateVPN’s Terms exclude orders under USD 45 (its 1-month and 3-month plans), renewals, cryptocurrency payments and App Store purchases, and they require a reason. Its $72.00 plan is above the threshold.

With both, canceling renewal is separate from requesting a refund. NordVPN uses Nord Account → Billing → Cancel → Cancel auto-renewal, and paid access continues for the term. PrivateVPN uses the Cancel Subscription button on its account page and says App Store and Google Play subscriptions must be canceled in that store.

Our recommendation by need

• Smaller bills: PrivateVPN, at $72.00 for 36 months and a quoted $72.00 a year after that.
• Port forwarding: PrivateVPN includes it on selected servers; NordVPN requires the paid Dedicated Server add-on.
• App split tunneling on Windows or Android: NordVPN.
• Linux or Apple TV apps: NordVPN.
• A Mac on macOS 12 or 13: PrivateVPN, whose app supports macOS 12 and later; NordVPN’s needs macOS 14.
• Independent no-logs assurance: NordVPN.
• Closing selected Windows programs: either; compare NordVPN’s App Kill Switch with PrivateVPN’s Application Guard.

Before paying, check the full total and renewal in the NordVPN offer guide or the PrivateVPN offer guide, and read the PrivateVPN review for the conflicts in its documentation.

Common questions

Is PrivateVPN cheaper than NordVPN?

At the quoted prices, yes, at every stage: $72.00 against $94.23 today, and $72.00 against $139.08 for each renewal year. Over the first 48 months that is $144.00 against $372.39, although NordVPN’s total pays through month 51. PrivateVPN’s renewal figure comes from its plan card and wasn’t confirmed by a purchase.

Which one supports port forwarding?

PrivateVPN includes it on selected servers. NordVPN offers it only with its paid Dedicated Server add-on, not on standard servers or with a Dedicated IP.

Do NordVPN and PrivateVPN have the same owner?

No. NordVPN is provided by nordvpn S.A. in Panama and owned by Nord Security, which is headquartered in Lithuania. PrivateVPN is operated by PrivateVPN Global AB in Sweden, and Miss Group, a Stockholm-based hosting group, lists it among its brands.

Can either cover more than 10 devices?

Not as separate connections: each subscription allows 10 at a time. NordVPN says a router uses one slot while protecting the devices behind it, and PrivateVPN’s Terms suggest a router or a second subscription for more than 10 devices.