NordVPN vs Atlas VPN 2024

Ernest Sheptalo

Senior Writer

Atlas VPN is a freemium service, which means you can use it for free but you need to pay to access its entire server network and break free of data limits. In contrast, NordVPN is a paid service that doesn’t limit your access in any way. So which option offers the better deal?

I tried out the two VPNs to see how they fare in terms of streaming, speeds, and security. My tests also analyzed whether these VPNs protect your information and online privacy. Additionally, I compared their prices and how helpful their customer service is.

Generally, both VPNs deliver great speeds for streaming, work on popular devices, and have accessible apps. But if I had to pick one, I prefer NordVPN for its global server network. Atlas VPN is still a good option, especially if you’re on a tight budget. But it lacks some handy features that make it less desirable. Take a look below to find out more.

Best alternative to NordVPN

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Our Score: 9.9

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Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings

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Streaming and Netflix Access — NordVPN Easily Takes the Crown

NordVPN can access most streaming sites but Atlas VPN’s free version can’t unblock any. My tests with Atlas VPN’s premium subscription were a bit more successful as it gave me access to more streaming-optimized servers. However, it still had trouble with some of the platforms I tried.

Using NordVPN, I easily accessed my Netflix account and all my other streaming subscriptions. The VPN’s SmartPlay function masks your DNS and IP addresses, letting you easily bypass blocks like Netflix’s anti-VPN measures. The feature is enabled on all servers, so there’s no need to configure anything.

I had no drops in quality or disconnects while watching Netflix US

NordVPN offers SmartDNS capability as well. This feature enables you to bypass UK and US geoblocks on platforms that do not natively support VPNs. Simply modify the DNS settings on the target device and enjoy content on your preferred screen. I quickly set up SmartDNS on my old Tizen TV, gaming consoles, and Fire Stick TV.

Atlas VPN worked with some sites, but the streaming quality was unstable — other sites didn't work at all. I faced buffering issues frequently, particularly when watching UHD videos. Plus, my connection was blocked on a few streaming platforms, such as BBC iPlayer.

I couldn’t access ABC or BBC iPlayer with this VPN either

Winner

NordVPN offers a superior streaming experience with access to popular platforms and a full SmartDNS feature, unlike Atlas VPN.

Server Network — NordVPN Covers More Countries

NordVPN’s server network covers more countries, letting you access content anywhere. This means you’re more likely to find a server close to your real location, which gives you better speeds (since your traffic travels a shorter distance). It doesn’t use any virtual servers, either. So your traffic is never routed through a different country without you knowing about it. In case you need a static address for safe remote access, NordVPN also sells dedicated IPs.

Atlas VPN’s server network is smaller, and unlike NordVPN, not all servers are physical. Its smaller network means it is also less effective at unblocking geo-restricted content. If a VPN IP is blocked, but the VPN has a big network (like NordVPN), you’ll have plenty of working alternatives on hand. But Atlas VPN’s network is too small to have many reliable options in such an event. Its network size also means that its servers are more susceptible to overcrowding, which can cause slowdowns.

If you choose Atlas VPN’s free subscription, you also only get access to 3 server locations — and two of them are in the US (the other one is in the Netherlands). Even though the 2 US servers are supposed to be optimized for streaming, neither of them worked with Netflix US during my tests.

One downside for both VPNs is that neither one owns all the servers on its network. Privately-owned networks allow VPNs complete control over who can access data stored on servers. Since both NordVPN and Atlas VPN rent some servers, this theoretically means that a third party could have access to your data. However, both services have strong no-logs policies as well — so this isn’t too much of a concern.

Winner

With NordVPN's vast server network, you have unrestricted access to geoblocked content and are less likely to experience slowdowns caused by overloaded servers.

Speed — NordVPN Is More Reliable Than Atlas VPN

Most VPNs reduce your base speeds as they encrypt your traffic, but this reduction should be unnoticeable with the fastest services. I tested both NordVPN and Atlas VPN and compared them to my base connection speed (100Mbps download and 90Mbps upload) to see how it was affected.

NordVPN's servers, both near and far, had impressive speeds. This is thanks to its custom NordLynx protocol, which is based upon the speedy and open-source WireGuard. I experienced no buffering while streaming UHD videos, as my speeds didn’t drop below 80Mbps (you only need 25Mbps for 4K content).

The NordLynx protocol, which is designed for data-heavy activity, gave me the best results

Connected to Atlas VPN’s faraway servers, I recorded a 60% reduction from my base speeds. I had to wait approximately 5-10 seconds for videos to load. The picture quality was blocky, and I experienced frequent pauses and audio delays.

Atlas VPN’s faraway server speeds provide inconsistent speeds

Atlas VPN’s nearby servers are significantly faster, but still not as fast as NordVPN. Connected to its Netherlands server, my speeds dropped by just 15%. I could stream my favorite Netflix shows in 4K, though I still experienced some buffering from time to time.

Winner

NordVPN is faster than Atlas VPN overall and its speeds are more reliable across its network. Atlas VPN really slowed me down on servers that were far away from my real location.

Torrenting — NordVPN Is Better Equipped for P2P activities

Both VPNs can be used for torrenting. They both have P2P-friendly servers and they work with qBittorrent, uTorrent, Deluge, and other torrenting clients. Both also offer unlimited bandwidth, with no download speed limitations (as long as you pay for a premium Atlas VPN subscription — the free version caps your monthly data at 5GB).

All of Atlas VPN’s servers are P2P-compatible (even the free ones), but they aren’t optimized for torrenting traffic. In comparison, NordVPN comes with a selection of P2P-optimized servers. These are specifically designed to handle large amounts of data for faster downloads. Plus, NordVPN provides a SOCKS5 proxy that improves your speeds on popular torrenting clients.

These services also both provide a strict no-logs policy, which means your torrenting activity won’t be recorded or stored by the VPN. That said, Atlas VPN has its headquarters in the non-privacy-friendly (and non-torrenting-friendly) US. Theoretically, the no-logs policy should prevent any of your information from making its way to US authorities, but Atlas VPN’s policy hasn’t been independently audited — so you can only take the VPN’s word for it.

In contrast, NordVPN is based in privacy-friendly Panama, outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. Panama doesn’t have data retention laws, so NordVPN is free to honor its no-logs policy. Nicely, this policy has been independently audited three times, with the latest audit being performed by trusted firm Deloitte. NordVPN was found to be fully compliant with its no-logs policy across all audits.

However, neither of these services support port forwarding, which may lower the number of peers you can connect to for both downloading and seeding. This can affect torrenting performance, so be aware of this.

Winner

NordVPN wins thanks to its torrent-optimized servers, SOCKS5 proxy, and better privacy measures.

Gaming — NordVPN Provides Lower Ping Overall

NordVPN is an excellent option for online gaming. When testing it with Genshin Impact, Fortnite, and Apex Legends on nearby servers, my ping remained consistently low. The VPN is also compatible with routers, which means you can use it with consoles that aren’t directly VPN-compatible (like PlayStation, Xbox, or Oculus Quest).

There were no disconnects, even on long-distance servers

Additionally, NordVPN’s Meshnet feature lets you create a LAN network of up to 60 devices to host private gaming sessions with friends from across the globe.

While both VPNs include the high-level encryption and IP leak protection you need to ward off DDoS attacks, Atlas VPN had more latency problems overall. The service was noticeably more laggy than NordVPN on both nearby and long-distance servers.

Winner

NordVPN’s fast speed provides consistently good ping, suitable for most online games. On the other hand, I experienced lag with Atlas VPN across all tested servers.

Security — NordVPN Has a More Robust Security Suite

Both VPNs are part of the Nord Security brand, so it’s not surprising that they both protect your online data from snoops. However, as Nord Security’s original VPN product, NordVPN has more features in its arsenal.

The two VPNs protect your data with AES 256-bit encryption (the strongest available). Plus, both services come with IP/DNS/WebRTC leak protection. Each one also protects your traffic with a kill switch. This disconnects your internet if the VPN connection drops accidentally, preventing data leakage. I tested both services for leaks and didn’t detect any.

Similarly, both vendors offer safe authentication features when logging in to new devices. This feature asks for a code (that’s sent to your email) every time an unknown device tries to log in to your account.

NordVPN’s Threat Protection and Atlas VPN’s SafeBrowse each protect your device from ads, trackers, and malware. SafeBrowse requires a VPN connection to work but Threat Protection doesn’t — it scans and protects your device even when you’re not using NordVPN.

Both VPNs also let you route your traffic through more than one server, making you harder to trace online (NordVPN has Double VPN and Atlas VPN offers MultiHop+ in North America and Europe). Atlas VPN also has SafeSwap servers in the Netherlands, Singapore, and the US. They regularly rotate your IP address (though they aren’t available on macOS).

That all said, there are some key differences between these VPNs. Firstly, Atlas VPN only gives you the choice of 2 protocols, whereas NordVPN supports several. AtlasVPN offers the speedy Wireguard, but NordVPN's NordLynx provides the same performance benefits with a Double NAT firewall for added data protection. Plus, NordVPN supports Perfect Forward Secrecy, which changes your encryption keys every 15 minutes.

All of NordVPN’s servers are also RAM-based, meaning they erase your data on reboot (unlike traditional hard disks or HDDS). It has additional security servers that offer Onion over VPN (for added privacy) and obfuscation too. Obfuscation is especially important for use on restrictive networks. It makes your VPN traffic look like regular traffic, so you can get around VPN blocks, proxy detectors, and strict firewalls.

Winner

Both VPNs provide great security features that protect your online data from theft. However, NordVPN’s Onion over VPN and obfuscated servers offer advanced security measures that are lacking with AtlasVPN.

Privacy — NordVPN Provides More Assurances

Both of these VPNs come with a handy scanner that checks whether your data has been leaked online. Atlas VPN’s Data Breach Scanner checks publicly leaked databases for your information. NordVPN’s Dark Web Monitor is similar, but scans the entire dark web and alerts you if it detects any of your credentials.

You can buy subscriptions privately for each of these VPNs using cryptocurrency and a throwaway email. Just note that Breach Scanner and Dark Web Monitor won’t work if you do (they both scan the web using the email address and financial info associated with your account).

Both VPNs come with a strict zero-logs policy that prevents each service from sharing and collecting your data. However, Atlas VPN is headquartered in the non-privacy-friendly US, the heart of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. This is a group of nations that collaborate to gather and exchange citizens’ online data. In contrast, NordVPN operates out of Panama, a jurisdiction without strict data sharing and retention laws.

Plus, NordVPN's no-logs policy has been independently audited 3 times to prove that it really doesn’t record or store anything you do online. Atlas VPN hasn’t been audited, so you only have the VPN’s guarantee that its logging policy is legit. Since it’s based in the US, this wasn’t enough reassurance for me.

Winner

By employing extra security measures and being outside of data-sharing alliances, NordVPN provides a more comprehensive level of online privacy protection.

Works in China — Neither Guaranteed

NordVPN and Atlas VPN can’t guarantee that they work in China. While NordVPN offers the crucial obfuscation features you need to bypass The Great Firewall and its deep packet inspection (DPI), the VPN’s support team stated that they do not maintain support for the VPN in China.

Atlas VPN lacks obfuscation and its server network is very small, so I’m even less confident about its chances of working in China.

Winner - draw

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Neither of these VPNs can guarantee that they work in China.

Installation & Ease of Use — NordVPN Has Better Device Support

Both services work on popular operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux (including Fedora, Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and Arch Linux). However, Atlas VPN doesn’t work on routers. That means you can’t use it with devices that don’t natively support VPNs. NordVPN is router compatible, which allowed me to unblock content and browse safely on all the devices connected to my home network.

Both VPNs are very easy to install and set up, though. It only took me a few minutes to install each of them on multiple devices thanks to the automatic setup wizard each service provides. I had no problems changing servers or tweaking security settings either.

NordVPN presents its server list in an interactive map format, enabling you to click on your desired location to establish a connection. To the right, there are handy shortcuts for P2P connections, dedicated IPs, and other features. There’s also a Quick Connect button to automatically connect to the fastest server based on your location.

You can also easily find specialized servers in the sidebar

Atlas VPN’s user interface is fairly intuitive as well. Its server list is divided into 3 sections — All, Streaming, and Privacy Pro. This is convenient if you have a specific online activity in mind but don’t want to scroll through the entire list.

Atlas VPN’s user interface makes it simple to find a nearby location too

Atlas VPNs settings menu allows you to choose a tunneling protocol, activate the kill switch, and enable Breach Scanner and SafeBrowse via the Assistant tab. Additionally, you can send a quick setup link to another device for easy installation.

The settings menu also offers various general settings for customizing the interface, selecting language preferences, and configuring automatic startup. However, some of Atlas VPN’s settings don’t always work. For instance, I disabled push notifications but still got them each time I connected to a new server.

Winner

Both VPNs are snappy, easy-to-use, and can be installed on several devices. However, Atlas VPN doesn’t work with routers and has a few minor bugs.

Reliability & Support — NordVPN Offers Better Customer Support

Both services provide multiple ways to get support. They both offer access to an extensive knowledge base full of FAQs and guides that help you solve issues yourself. NordVPN also has video guides showing how to install the VPN, including more complex operating systems like Linux.

Each VPN provides a 24/7 live chat too (alongside a web form and email support). However, you can only access Atlas VPN’s chat if you’re a paying subscriber. When I tried to ask a question before signing up, the chat prompted me to log in with my subscription credentials. NordVPN provides a 24/7 live chat that anyone can access.

Winner

NordVPN stands out for providing videos for more challenging tutorials, making it the superior choice. Its 24/7 live chat is also not exclusive.

Tips on Choosing Between NordVPN and Atlas VPN

Here are the key criteria I used for comparing these VPNs; feel free to use them to do your own tests:

• Large server networks — Make sure your VPN has a large, global server network that lets you unblock the websites you want to access.
• Fast speeds — High-quality VPNs are so quick that you shouldn't detect any reduction in speed caused by encryption.
• Online privacy and security features — Look for a choice of protocols, AES 256-bit encryption, kill switch, RAM-based servers, and a reliable no-logs policy (preferably independently audited).
• Easy-to-use apps — Check that the VPN has intuitive apps for all popular operating systems, so you can easily use the service on your preferred device.
• Trustworthy money-back guarantee — If the VPN fails to meet your expectations, it’s important that it provides a refund policy that actually pays out.