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Ariel Hochstadt
Ex-Google, International tech speaker
NordVPN starts this competition off strong as an exceptional VPN provider with over 5,200 servers in 62 countries. Astrill, on the other hand, is also a reliable VPN provider with 300+ servers in 63 countries. While NordVPN provides a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 7-day free trial, Astrilll does not have a money-back guarantee. However, Astrill does promise to give you a refund if you have not previously used the 7-day free trial and encounter technical difficulties during the first week after you subscribe. Both VPN providers offer dedicated streaming features, support for P2P, Onion over VPN, and a kill switch. You can also expect to find dedicated apps from both Astrill and NordVPN for every major platform, including Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS. However, if you’re after innovative features like ad blocking, Double VPN encryption, and a unique set of security tools, you’d be better off with NordVPN and its built-in CyberSec suite. In short, both VPNs offer attractive features. We’ve analyzed them side by side over multiple categories below to help you decide which VPN provider is better for you.
Features
8.5
Pricing
6.0
Ease of Use
8.8
Reliability & Support
8.4
Features
10.0
Pricing
9.6
Ease of Use
10.0
Reliability & Support
10.0
Rating
Features
8.5
10.0
0.0
Pricing
6.0
9.6
0.0
Ease of Use
8.8
10.0
0.0
Reliability & Support
8.4
10.0
0.0
Reviews
Review by our expert
Andreea Juganaru
Cybersecurity Researcher
8.0
Astrill’s marketing team does a great job of advertising it as one of the best VPNs out there, especially in China — but are they telling the truth about how good it is?
I tested every feature and analyzed its privacy policies and security measures to see if it’s good enough to recommend. I also paid attention to its server network, speeds, torrenting support, gaming, streaming and final...
Been using it for a long time.. but have to goI have been using Astrill for more than 10 years. Never had a problem. A couple of times I used the chat for support and it was excellent.
However this is probably going to be my last year. Reason .... price.
With the virus crisis I am unemployed and can not afford it. They do not give any kind of discount and keep raising the price year after year.
I am not in China so I suspend it, I do not need all those features.
Latest negative user review
Chris
2.0
Astril are not interested in keeping regular customersI agreed. Astrill increases the price year after year. I have been using Astril for 5 years. I paid 75 USD to 120 USD. I have a friend that paid 400 USD one time! If you don't delete history and cookies they show the high price. Tricky! They don't have a special price for regular customs. THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN KEEPING REGULAR CUSTOMERS. Too greedy! Done with them too!
It’s not often that a VPN has cheap prices coupled with an excellent set of features. Yet, when my team and I looked at what NordVPN has to offer, this is exactly what we found. It offers a huge global network of servers, unblocks hundreds of streaming platforms, and has iron-clad security and privacy features — and you can get it all for just $3.71/month. I had to wonder what the catch was.
...
For NordVPN-Android – NordVPN cannotThere is no Caveat Emptor here, nothing like that at all. Nothing to worry about because NordVPN has a top-notch of KillSwitch. It has never faltered in my case. Some instances that NordVPN connection is lost for like 10 seconds while I'm "incognito" in a streaming site, I immediately check with the site with regards to my interrupted connection and my real location did not register ;-) This happened a handful of times in fact. NordVPN will not leave you out in the cold so to speak ;-)
Just that since this is a review, it must be noted since features are being enumerated that Split Tunneling and KillSwitch cannot be enabled at the same time. It's either you use one or the other.
KillSwitch is not possible if you need to exclude an app from using VPN which means to Split Tunneling. Crypto wallet apps and apps that refuse to use VPN tunnel are such examples.
"Block Connections Without VPN" being 1 of 2 conditions that must be met to be able to utilize KillSwitch, and KillSwitch will not work if Split Tunneling is enabled. Ergo,
- It's either All apps are Blocked without VPN or No Apps are Blocked at all.
I thought pausing the VPN from its Notification will take care of this but in all my Android devices that have NordVPN the pausing from the notification does not work which makes me wonder if pausing/disconnecting from notification is a feature that works in Android.
Latest negative user review
Michail
2.0
Great choice!Lenny, completely agree with you! Everything works great with Nord VPN! The download speed is really good and doesn't have any hiccups. It's very easy to use. It's nice to feel protected and safe from prying eyes. I will be a lifelong customer!
Astrill’s marketing team does a great job of advertising it as one of the best VPNs out there, especially in China — but are they telling the truth about how good it is?
I tested every feature and analyzed its privacy policies and security measures to see if it’s good enough to recommend. I also paid attention to its server network, speeds, torrenting support, gaming, streaming and final...
It’s not often that a VPN has cheap prices coupled with an excellent set of features. Yet, when my team and I looked at what NordVPN has to offer, this is exactly what we found. It offers a huge global network of servers, unblocks hundreds of streaming platforms, and has iron-clad security and privacy features — and you can get it all for just $3.71/month. I had to wonder what the catch was.
...
Been using it for a long time.. but have to goI have been using Astrill for more than 10 years. Never had a problem. A couple of times I used the chat for support and it was excellent.
However this is probably going to be my last year. Reason .... price.
With the virus crisis I am unemployed and can not afford it. They do not give any kind of discount and keep raising the price year after year.
I am not in China so I suspend it, I do not need all those features.
Marc
10.0
For NordVPN-Android – NordVPN cannotThere is no Caveat Emptor here, nothing like that at all. Nothing to worry about because NordVPN has a top-notch of KillSwitch. It has never faltered in my case. Some instances that NordVPN connection is lost for like 10 seconds while I'm "incognito" in a streaming site, I immediately check with the site with regards to my interrupted connection and my real location did not register ;-) This happened a handful of times in fact. NordVPN will not leave you out in the cold so to speak ;-)
Just that since this is a review, it must be noted since features are being enumerated that Split Tunneling and KillSwitch cannot be enabled at the same time. It's either you use one or the other.
KillSwitch is not possible if you need to exclude an app from using VPN which means to Split Tunneling. Crypto wallet apps and apps that refuse to use VPN tunnel are such examples.
"Block Connections Without VPN" being 1 of 2 conditions that must be met to be able to utilize KillSwitch, and KillSwitch will not work if Split Tunneling is enabled. Ergo,
- It's either All apps are Blocked without VPN or No Apps are Blocked at all.
I thought pausing the VPN from its Notification will take care of this but in all my Android devices that have NordVPN the pausing from the notification does not work which makes me wonder if pausing/disconnecting from notification is a feature that works in Android.
Latest negative user review
Chris
2.0
Astril are not interested in keeping regular customersI agreed. Astrill increases the price year after year. I have been using Astril for 5 years. I paid 75 USD to 120 USD. I have a friend that paid 400 USD one time! If you don't delete history and cookies they show the high price. Tricky! They don't have a special price for regular customs. THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN KEEPING REGULAR CUSTOMERS. Too greedy! Done with them too!
Michail
2.0
Great choice!Lenny, completely agree with you! Everything works great with Nord VPN! The download speed is really good and doesn't have any hiccups. It's very easy to use. It's nice to feel protected and safe from prying eyes. I will be a lifelong customer!
NordVPN provides an exceptional VPN service, with more than 5,000 high-speed servers and an attractive lineup of unique features that keep you anonymous. It also has a proven ability to bypass very tough geo-restrictions. Astrill offers a smaller network but delivers a reliable VPN service, with many advanced security features and user-friendly apps.
NordVPN provides an exceptional VPN service, with more than 5,000 high-speed servers and an attractive lineup of unique features that keep you anonymous. It also has a proven ability to bypass very tough geo-restrictions. Astrill offers a smaller network but delivers a reliable VPN service, with many advanced security features and user-friendly apps.
NordVPN is a better VPN provider for downloading torrents without a trace, as it offers dedicated P2P servers and a favorable privacy policy. Astrill also provides dedicated servers for torrenting, but some sections of its privacy policy may not be P2P-friendly.
NordVPN is a better VPN provider for downloading torrents without a trace, as it offers dedicated P2P servers and a favorable privacy policy. Astrill also provides dedicated servers for torrenting, but some sections of its privacy policy may not be P2P-friendly.
By providing a dedicated app with Double VPN encryption, ad blocking, a SmartPlay feature for streaming, and Onion over VPN, NordVPN provides an industry-leading service for Windows. Astrill’s Windows app also includes Onion over VPN and additional security features like split tunneling and a kill switch.
By providing a dedicated app with Double VPN encryption, ad blocking, a SmartPlay feature for streaming, and Onion over VPN, NordVPN provides an industry-leading service for Windows. Astrill’s Windows app also includes Onion over VPN and additional security features like split tunneling and a kill switch.
With access to over 5,000 servers and an app that features a SmartPlay streaming feature, NordVPN in an ideal VPN provider for Android. Astrill VPN is also a reliable provider for Android, as it features a dedicated app with a smooth user interface and features like a kill switch and Stealth VPN.
With access to over 5,000 servers and an app that features a SmartPlay streaming feature, NordVPN in an ideal VPN provider for Android. Astrill VPN is also a reliable provider for Android, as it features a dedicated app with a smooth user interface and features like a kill switch and Stealth VPN.
NordVPN delivers an exceptionally powerful service for MacOS, with access to its entire network of 5,000 servers in 60+ countries, along with a unique Cybersec security tool that includes ad blocking and Double VPN technology. Astrill also provides a reliable, dedicated VPN app for Mac with strong encryption. Its best feature is the Smart Mode option, which allows you decide which apps or traffic should connect via the VPN tunnel.
NordVPN delivers an exceptionally powerful service for MacOS, with access to its entire network of 5,000 servers in 60+ countries, along with a unique Cybersec security tool that includes ad blocking and Double VPN technology. Astrill also provides a reliable, dedicated VPN app for Mac with strong encryption. Its best feature is the Smart Mode option, which allows you decide which apps or traffic should connect via the VPN tunnel.
NordVPN is our recommended VPN choice for iOS, offering a dedicated app with a smooth layout, an automatic kill switch, and support for multiple VPN protocols. Astrill competes with an iOS app that features split tunneling and a Stealth VPN protocol.
NordVPN is our recommended VPN choice for iOS, offering a dedicated app with a smooth layout, an automatic kill switch, and support for multiple VPN protocols. Astrill competes with an iOS app that features split tunneling and a Stealth VPN protocol.
NordVPN provides one of the fastest US services available, with about 2,000 US servers optimized for high speed. Its obfuscation technology allows you to bypass tough geoblocks from media platforms like US Netflix. In truth, there’s not much more you can ask from a VPN when it comes to accessing American content from anywhere worldwide. However, Astrill also provides a reliable service for the US that includes a dedicated streaming feature, with optimized servers for accessing websites like Netflix.
NordVPN provides one of the fastest US services available, with about 2,000 US servers optimized for high speed. Its obfuscation technology allows you to bypass tough geoblocks from media platforms like US Netflix. In truth, there’s not much more you can ask from a VPN when it comes to accessing American content from anywhere worldwide. However, Astrill also provides a reliable service for the US that includes a dedicated streaming feature, with optimized servers for accessing websites like Netflix.
NordVPN is the clear winner of this contest for its unique combination of security, ease of use, performance, and budget-friendly pricing. It provides more innovative features and a network that’s not only larger but faster than Astrill’s. When a VPN delivers real value like NordVPN does, it’s very hard to find flaws in the service. Additional benefits like a solid money-back guarantee and support for six simultaneous connections are just two more reasons why at the end of this comparison, NordVPN stands alone. In short, it’s no wonder that NordVPN our top-rated VPN overall for two years running.
Interestingly, if you compare NordVPN with ExpressVPN, which is our top ranked vpn, you'll see that NordVPN can learn a lot from ExpressVPN. Compare NordVPN with ExpressVPN
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