NordVPN established itself as a veteran of the cybersecurity business. The firm has extended beyond its first VPN (Virtual Private Network) offering to include software for password protection and file encryption. Have you heard about Atlas VPN? Debuted in 2019 and has since acquired around six million users. In 2021 it became a member of the Nord Security family. Does this imply that Atlas VPN is on the fast track to becoming a leading VPN provider? To find out we'll compare Atlas VPN vs. NordVPN to see whether the upstart has a chance of dethroning the incumbent champion. 

Speed and performance

Let's begin with a test of speed. At first appearance NordVPN appears to be the speedier service due to its patented NordLynx tunneling system and substantially larger server network. Atlas VPN on the other hand is not too far behind the contemporary WireGuard tunneling technology. 

Using the Ookla connection speed measurement tool we will do a few tests to establish if this is the case. Remember that you should take manual speed testing with a grain of salt since it might be influenced by a number of external circumstances. Check out our VPN speed test for a more impartial look at the performance of different VPN services. 

During this test the baseline download speed is 95 Mbps while the upload speed is 94 Mbps. 

The test results are displayed in the table located below. As can be seen both providers performed admirably and lost less than 20% of the baseline bandwidth. Atlas VPN was superior in terms of upload speed while NordVPN was superior in terms of download speeds. Overall both VPNs merit positions among the fastest VPN service providers. 

Servers 

The outstanding network of 5200+ servers in 60+ countries is offered by NordVPN. Therefore there are still no virtual locations as every gear is situated in its corresponding country. Moreover the vast majority of servers employ RAM-only technology to stop data storage on hard drives. 

Atlas VPN provides over 750 servers in 37+ countries. While the statistics are impressive the server fleet is otherwise unremarkable. 

Pricing 

In terms of cost Atlas VPN and NordVPN are on opposing ends of the spectrum. Unsurprisingly NordVPN is the more costly alternative since it offers a greater number of features and is an industry veteran. Meanwhile Atlas VPN is one of the most affordable VPNs on the market. Another significant distinction is that NordVPN offers a free trial whereas Atlas VPN gives a restricted free version to test the service. 

Both provide a 30-day money-back guarantee and accept a variety of payment options (credit cards and Google Pay). 

NordVPN rates 

NordVPN provides you with three distinct subscription options: 

1. $11.99 per month is the monthly plan cost 
2. $4.99 per month for the yearly plan 
3. $3.29 per month for the 24-month plan 

The monthly membership is the most expensive choice while the annual plan is discounted by 60%. In addition you may explore multiple NordVPN promo codes for the possibility to obtain a new offer. 

As stated previously you can use NordVPN risk-free by claiming the 7-day free trial on the Google Play Store. It necessitates an Android smartphone but gives the full range of functionality. 

When purchasing a membership you have a variety of payment options including credit card Amazon Pay ACH transfer and Union Pay. Alternatively there are techniques that preserve anonymity such as cryptocurrency. And if you are in a supported region you may find a physical license for NordVPN and purchase it with cash. 

Atlas price for VPN 

With Atlas VPN you have three subscription packages to choose from: 

1. $10.99 per month is the monthly plan cost 
2. $3.29 per month for the yearly plan 
3. $2.05 per month for the 24-month plan 

While there is no discount for a monthly membership the longest plan offers savings of up to 82%. However you can also find other discounts by browsing the web discount codes for Atlas VPN. 

Alternatively you may become comfortable with Atlas VPN by utilizing the free plan. The only discernible changes are the 10GB monthly data restriction and the absence of key mobile security measures. However if you're ready to subscribe you may do so using a credit card Google Pay or PayPal. 

Security 

Protection measures 

1. Split tunneling Double VPN Onion over VPN CyberSec SOCKS5 proxy Obfuscated servers DNS and IPv6 leak prevention and Obfuscated servers 
2. Data breach monitoring Split tunneling (Android) SafeSwap ad and malware filtering and SafeSwap. 

The two companies offer the standard features you would expect from any respectable VPN service: 

In addition to this NordVPN and Atlas VPN offer special characteristics that we will discuss in further detail below. 

NordVPN security capabilities 

The sheer amount of security measures offered by NordVPN surpasses the competitors. We'll discuss a few of the more essential ones below but for a comprehensive explanation of the various perks please read our NordVPN review. 

1. Anonymous servers These servers are concealed using specialized technology and are immune to common VPN detection techniques such as DPI (Deep Packet Inspection). 
2. Dedicated IP address. In addition to the conventional shared servers you can acquire a dedicated IP address. Thus you will be less subject to streaming service identification and other concerns associated with changing IP addresses. 
3. CyberSec. With this function activated NordVPN may block advertisements trackers phishing attempts and malware-distributing domains. 
4. Double VPN (multi-hop). In some instances a standard VPN connection is insufficient. Double VPN reroutes your connection over several servers. This provides superior privacy and security at the expense of performance. 
5. Tor over a VPN. These Tor-integrated servers relay your connection through Tor and then NordVPN. 

Atlas VPN protection capabilities

Although Atlas VPN is a relative newcomer to the VPN sector it includes several security features dispersed throughout the various supported platforms. We will present an overview of the available features but you can learn more by reading our Atlas VPN review. 

1. SafeSwap. Atlas VPN's toolbelt is a unique feature that rotates IP addresses automatically without requiring reconnection to other servers. 
2. Data security monitoring. On mobile devices you may input your email address and allow the app to monitor for personal data breaches. 
3. Safe browse. Another mobile-only feature that bans malware- or phishing-infected websites. Users of iOS have access to Safe browse Plus which also disables advertisements. 
4. Split tunneling. Currently Android supports split tunneling allowing you to select which applications should be secured via the VPN connection. 

Privacy 

In terms of privacy it appears that the two services are at odds with one another. Since NordVPN has been in business for so long it has had ample opportunity to undertake independent audits and develop essential privacy features. In the meanwhile Atlas VPN is still playing catch-up. 

To begin with NordVPN is headquartered in Panama a country noted for its respect for privacy and lack of data retention rules. In addition the service's no-logs policy was audited twice by PwC Switzerland. Finally the VPN may be purchased anonymously with bitcoins or physically at retail places. 

Meanwhile Atlas VPN's condition has become increasingly problematic. It professes to adhere to a zero-logs policy although the United States a founding member of the Fourteen Eyes organization has control over the service. Furthermore there is no possibility to purchase a membership anonymously. 

Device compatibility

Atlas VPN's interoperability with devices is notably lacking. Not just in comparison to NordVPN but generally. It is only compatible with Windows Mac iOS and Android. In addition there is no way to manually set up a router with a VPN to bypass this issue. One advantage of this service is that it allows unlimited simultaneous connections as opposed to NordVPN's six. 

Quite in comparison NordVPN is surprisingly adaptable. It offers applications for all platforms covered by Atlas VPN plus Linux Android TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick. There are also extensions available for Chrome and Firefox. In addition manually configuring routers is available if you require geo-unblocking capabilities on unsupported devices. 

Streaming is arguably the most prevalent VPN use case. It provides access to more films and television series that are often inaccessible in your location. Thus you may significantly maximize the value of your streaming provider's subscription. 

Which of NordVPN and Atlas VPN is superior? 

Whenever deciding between NordVPN and Atlas VPN keep in mind that the latter is merely superior in terms of cost. All other categories are won by NordVPN making it the top VPN service overall. 

Meanwhile Atlas VPN has some ground to make up. It is very inadequate in terms of device compatibility and privacy. However its power comes in its very low pricing and ability to circumvent streaming platform geo-blocks.