If you’re in the market for a virtual private network service, then you’ve certainly bumped heads with NordVPN. It’s one of the most sought out VPN services across the world.
The VPN giant has been in operation since 2012 and is the brainchild of four childhood friends. NordVPN consistently ranks among the top 10 virtual private networks for privacy, security, torrenting, and other impressive VPN features.
However, NordVPN isn’t the only company in the game. Although relatively fresh, VPN Unlimited is yet another popular virtual network service. The entity was established in 2013 and has grown in leaps and bounds, as it now has about 20 million global users. Here’s a detailed NordVPN vs VPN Unlimited review to help you select the ideal VPN solution.
NordVPN vs VPN Unlimited: comparison table
Jurisdiction | Panama | USA |
3rd party audit | Yes, by PwC | No |
RAM-only servers | No | No |
Native apps | Windows MacOS Android iOS Android TV Linux | Windows MacOS Android iOS Windows Phone Linux |
Connections | 6 | 5 |
Browser extensions | Chrome Firefox | Chrome Firefox Opera Edge |
Advanced features | Kill Switch NordLynx protocol Dedicated IP Double VPN Onion over VPN Obfuscated servers Ads Blocker | Kill Switch DNS Firewall Private VPN Servers |
Servers network | 5400 servers in 59 countries | 500 servers in 51 countries |
Streaming and P2P | Yes, Dedicated servers | Limited |
Free trial | Yes, in the mobile app | Yes, 7 days free trial |
Price | $4.92 /mo 1-year plan $59 billed 30-days money-back guarantee | $5.83 /mo 1-year plan $69.99 billed |
cybersynchs.com rating | 4.8 / 5.0 | 3.7 / 5.0 |
Full review | NordVPN Review | VPN Unlimited Review |
Get NordVPN | Get VPN Unlimited |
Jurisdiction
NordVPN is a Panama based virtual network provider. Panama has no mandatory data retention laws. This makes it a privacy-friendly country as there’s no internet censorship.
It also makes NordVPN a pretty attractive VPN option since providers are not required to save or share their data. NordVPN has a strict no-log policy, which essentially means the service doesn’t collect or store user data.
When you sign up, NordVPN only collects your email address and billing information. During use, NordVPN collects anonymous user data, which it uses for analytics and improves user experience. You can, however, rest easy because this data is deleted 15 minutes after your user session.
VPN Unlimited, on the other hand, is a New York-based VPN provider, which means they can potentially be coerced to retain some user data.
On the bright side, it has been around since 2013, and doesn’t have any privacy-related incidents. Similar to NordVPN, VPN Unlimited has a standard no-log policy, which means the company doesn’t gather or store user data. However, as you will see in the transparency section below, this policy is highly debatable.
Transparency
Transparency is key when it comes to virtual private networks, and it is the easiest way to determine if a particular VPN provider is right for you.
NordVPN Transparency
NordVPN keeps its operations highly transparent and easy to understand for both average and technophile users. The Panama-based VPN giant has an extensive FAQ section on its website where any user can seamlessly find answers to any concerns they may want addressed before or after signing up.
There’s also the NordPY open-source and NordVPN-bin packages for Linux users who wish to review the company’s coding. Furthermore, NordVPN completed two independent audits in 2018, which confirm the authenticity of its no-log policy.
VPN Unlimited Transparency
VPN Unlimited, on the other hand, has a pretty debatable no-log policy. The company claims it doesn’t collect any user browser history, data content, Metadata, or server usage. It also guarantees total privacy but goes on to store the user’s IP address.
Although it claims it does this for analytical reasons, some parts of its privacy statement make its intentions pretty debatable. For instance, in the privacy statement, VPN Unlimited outright states that although it doesn’t store logs of sites users may visit, it may collect personal information, billing histories, and even data linked to the user’s social media accounts.
This is pretty suspicious for a company that claims to have a zero log-policy. Add that it is based in the U.S., a country known for its controversial data privacy laws, and VPN Unlimited doesn’t meet the cut if you are looking to get complete privacy. The company is yet to conduct any 3rd party audits, so one cannot say for sure whether it keeps user logs or not.
Native Apps
While shopping for a VPN, you want one you can use to secure your connections across all devices. Native apps help providers meet this purpose.
A native app is created for a specific operating system. It doesn’t require any manual setups and enhances user experience by making a particular service available across multiple devices. NordVPN keeps your connections secure and easy to use across all your devices through its native apps for:
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Android TV
- Linux
- Firestick
Similar to the competition, VPN Unlimited also offers you the flexibility of securing your traffic across all devices. It has native apps for:
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
- Windows Phones
It is safe to say that both VPN providers are doing a pretty commendable job regarding software versatility.
Browser Extensions
Browser extensions protect your web browser, and at the same time, make a virtual private network easy to use. NordVPN offers its users extensions for both Chrome and Firefox. These extensions encrypt all user traffic and also hide irritating ads.
VPN Unlimited doesn’t disappoint when it comes to this aspect. Users get Google Chrome, Firefox, and even Opera extensions, which make securing browser traffic a walk in the park.
Simultaneous Connections
NordVPN takes the trophy home. It allows six concurrent connections, which means you can secure your network on your phone, laptop, and four more devices simultaneously. VPN Unlimited, on the other hand, allows you to protect five devices.
NordVPN Advanced Features
As far as advanced VPN features are concerned, NordVPN offers you the following:
Onion over VPN
Browsing the web using the onion or Tor network enables you to stay anonymous but comes with a few downsides. For instance, Tor network’s exit nodes are usually not encrypted, which means your web activity remains exposed to the person running this final node.
Also, using sophisticated technology, a determined person can compromise the final node and the whole network and track back supposedly anonymous web activity to you. Plus, due to its popularity and bad rap, major internet services, and even countries already have the infrastructure to block onion-network users.
This is where NordVPN’s onion over VPN feature comes into the picture. This feature lets you connect directly to the Tor network, which is highly convenient. At the same time, it assigns you a new IP address and encrypts your traffic, so no one, not even your ISP, will know you are using Tor network. In other words, onion over VPN guarantees 100% privacy if you are a regular Tor network user.
Kill Switch
If your VPN connection fails, your computer or whichever device you are using tends to go back to your default IP as long as you are connected to the internet. Unfortunately, this exposes your IP, which might have dire consequences depending on your web activity.
What does this have to do with NordVPN? Well, no VPN is perfect, and NordVPN knows that, which is why their service also features a kill switch. This switch automatically cuts your internet connection in case your VPN connection fails to prevent exposure.
Double VPN
While a VPN solution is already effective in keeping your identity anonymous as it is, sometimes you need extra protection to be confident that your identity is unanimous. NordVPN offers you this assurance through a double VPN. It adds an extra layer of security.
If someone is trying to monitor your internet activity using the first VPN server, they can only see your device’s data, but cannot identify your web destination. If they monitor the second VPN server, they can only identify your web destination, but can’t identify the source. This makes it impossible for anyone to trace any internet activity back to you.
Dedicated IP
If you use a virtual private network to unblock a site you’ll visit regularly; it is wise to buy a constant IP address, so you don’t raise suspicion and loose access permanently. NordVPN makes this possible by assigning you a dedicated IP.
For example, if you live in a country where some Netflix services are unavailable, you can bypass the geographical restriction and gain permanent access to all the services you want, thanks to NordVPN’s dedicated IP address.
On top of all the features above, NordVPN also gives you Cybersec. This feature automatically blocks sites known for phishing scams or malware, consequently protecting you from being a cybercrime victim. It also blocks those irritating ads across all connected devices. However, due to Google’s policies, Android users cannot block ads on the NordVPN app.
VPN Unlimited Advanced Features
Here are some of the advanced features;
KeepSolid DNS Firewall
VPN’s Unlimited DNS firewall is designed to help users avoid malware. It facilitates this by:
- Blocking all malicious traffic
- Blocks inappropriate content
- Prevents malware attacks
Other advanced features from the provider include:
- Kill switch
- Dark mode
- Ping tests
It is quite clear that as far as advanced features are concerned, NordVPN is at the top. It offers you a double VPN, a dedicated IP address add-on, and even enhances your security while browsing the Tor network all. In contrast, VPN Unlimited only provides a firewall and a kill switch.
Streaming, and Torrenting
Usually, the higher the number of servers and server locations a VPN provider boasts, the better their service delivery. NordVPN has over 5,000 servers and operates in 59 countries. This means users can easily unblock services like Amazon Prime, Pandora, BBC iPlayer, and other sites they would otherwise have no access to without a dedicated IP address. Also, NordVPN’s network is optimized for P2P hence, allows torrenting.
On the other hand, VPN Unlimited offers about 500 servers in 51 countries, which is quite a small number compared to its competition. Users can unblock streaming services in these locations. However, when it comes to torrenting, VPN Unlimited has a strong P2P regulation and only has five servers optimized for P2P sharing, making it unideal for torrenting. So, once again, NordVPN takes a lead in the VPN Unlimited vs NordVPN discussion.
Free Trial
A good majority of virtual private network service providers no longer offer free trials. They instead provide a money-back guarantee, which allows the user to get back a full-refund if they are not satisfied. NordVPN is one such company. Instead of a free trial, you get a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is enough time to test the platform and see if it lives up to your expectations.
With VPN Unlimited, on the other hand, you get both. You get a 7-day trial to test the waters, and a 30-day money-back guarantee to see if it will meet the cut. In this regard, VPN Unlimited wins.
Price
Although it’s never a good idea to choose a VPN based on the price, you should know how much it costs beforehand to see if it’s within your affordability range. With that said, NordVPN offers its monthly subscription package at $11.95 for all six devices.
If you opt for a six-month subscription, it becomes even affordable, as you will only have to pay $9 a month. But that’s not all. It gets even better if you pay a year upfront as you will only have parted with $4.92 a month and only $3.71 a month with a two-year plan.
VPN Unlimited also offers some pretty great payment plans. A monthly subscription will only cost you $10.99, which is relatively low given that it’s a pretty popular service nowadays. The yearly plan costs only $69.99, which saves you $5 a month. You can also opt for a lifetime subscription at $199.99 for five devices and $299.99 for five more devices.
NordVPN is more expensive than VPN Unlimited. But given the features it brings to the table, this is no surprise. However, if you are looking at affordability, VPN Unlimited is undoubtedly the way to go.
Who is the Winner on Reddit?
Although Reddit users are a pretty unpredictable bunch, they seem to have already taken their stand in the NordVPN vs VPN Unlimited battle. For instance, this Redditor took advantage of the 39-month NordVPN offer and was extremely pleased with its superior customer service and VPN service.
The user also recommended that those complaining of the platform’s speed try out the money-back guarantee first. However, the user also pointed out that they didn’t like how NordVPN doesn’t allow users to generate passwords. A different Reddit user, believes NordVPN is the most reliable virtual private network.
He notes that even though NordVPN had disconnect issues, the kill switch protects the user from accidental exposure. User importanterthanyou that NordVPN was the first virtual private network they ever tried, and it didn’t disappoint. They were particularly impressed with the network’s streaming and gaming capabilities. Other than NordVPN’s disconnects, they had no complaints.
However, others complained of its unreliability and slowness. User–an0nymous, for instance, says NordVPN is depressing and needs to improve its UI. When it comes to VPN Unlimited, on the other hand, most Redditors are yet to try it out.
A majority of them were asking about it, and unfortunately, the replies weren’t entirely positive. Most users seem unimpressed with the fact that the company stores some user records. For instance, user DMC100 asked if anyone has tried VPN Unlimited, most Redditors bashed the company’s unclear zero-log policy, while others complained of unreliable torrenting.
In this Reddit thread, the Redditors believe that VPN Unlimited is more interested in protecting its service than its users. So in the VPN Unlimited vs NordVPN Reddit battle, it’s safe to say NordVPN wins.
NordVPN vs VPN Unlimited: Summary
While both NordVPN and VPN Unlimited are great options, NordVPN takes the lead in almost every area.
NordVPN : The Final Word
For instance, when it comes to Jurisdiction, NordVPN is a Panama-based provider, which means total privacy-friendly policy.
Also, NordVPN’s operations are pretty transparent. The company has already completed two audits that confirm that its no-log policy is no-log and has a variety of resources that allow users to learn more about the network.
Finally, it has a far more extensive network, which makes torrenting and unblocking streaming sites relatively easy and has a variety of sophisticated advanced features such as double VPN, Cybersec, and Onion over VPN.
VPN Unlimited: The Final Word
But that doesn’t mean VPN Unlimited has nothing to show. The platform offers seamless connectivity across all devices, thanks to their advanced native apps. Although it limits P2P connectivity to five of its 500 servers, VPN Unlimited supports torrenting. Moreover, it is way more affordable compared to NordVPN, which makes it a pretty ideal choice if your virtual private network needs are not advanced.
Plus, you get enough time to try it out with a free seven-day trial and see if it works for you. But if you are trying to make up your mind between NordVPN vs VPN Unlimited, we recommend you go with NordVPN. You will spend a little more, but every dime spent will be worth your while in the long run.