We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
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vpnMentor was established in 2014 as an independent site reviewing VPN services and covering privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize the independent, professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
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vpnMentor was established in 2014 as an independent site reviewing VPN services and covering privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize the independent, professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

NordVPN vs AVG Secure 2024

Table of Contents

    Which VPN is better?

    Author Image Daniel Krohn
    Daniel Krohn

    Cybersecurity Researcher

    Industry leader NordVPN is up against a relatively new iteration of an established company. AVG Secure was bought by Avast in 2016 and has started to look more like Avast SecureLine, but this doesn’t seem to be enough to beat NordVPN. Both services use 256-bit encryption, include apps for all major platforms, support torrenting, offer Wi-Fi protections, provide 30-day money-back guarantees, and have decent connection speeds. However, NordVPN offers more than 6,139 servers in 67 countries while AVG Secure has just over 700 servers in 36 countries. In our testing, AVG Secure VPN also struggled to work with most popular streaming services, while this was a breeze for NordVPN. AVG Secure is based in the Czech Republic, which is not part of Eyes Alliances but does keep partial logs. On the other hand, NordVPN falls under the jurisdiction of Panama, which does not have any invasive data retention laws, and maintains a true, independently audited zero-logs policy. While NordVPN’s monthly plans can be a little pricey, its yearly plans offer amazing value for money. Keep reading to discover which VPN is right for you.

    Our Score

    Features 9.4/10
    Pricing 7.5/10
    Ease of Use 10.0/10
    Reliability & Support 10.0/10
    Features 6.2/10
    Pricing 8.4/10
    Ease of Use 6.0/10
    Reliability & Support 6.3/10

    Reviews

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Angela Jovanoska
    Angela Jovanoska

    Cybersecurity Researcher

    Our Score: 9.4/10

    On the surface, NordVPN looks like a really impressive service. It claims to have a huge global server network, a speedy and reliable connection, and iron-clad security and privacy features. Plus, you can get it all for just $3.39/month. That all sounds great, but is there a catch? To find out, I did an in-depth analysis of NordVPN. I tested its speeds and how well it performs when you’re str...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    2
    210493Lu
    10.0/10
    The Best of The Best

    I simply tested all VPNs looking for cutting-edge online security, I tested the most expensive and the...  most talked about virtual anonymity, none made me as happy as NordVPN, it stands out for several reasons that the much more expensive ones it doesn't have, its double encryption, dedicated IPs, onion VPN, makes NordVPN unique, with almost 6,000 servers around the world and 12 million customers like me, you can see that NordVPN is not playing games with its customers and their online security , it always innovates to keep you more secure day after day, for a fair price in the long term and without sacrificing the speed of your connection, recently Nord is developing a new VPN protocol, Nordlynx a version still under construction derived from the Wireguard protocol, if you want to have a VPN of last security that think how it will make you more secure in the next month NordVPN is the right choice, I am completely thankful for being a customer and for finding what to me is the perfect VPN.More

    Latest negative user review
    D
    Dax
    6.0/10
    Average service, some nice features, rubbish support

    Basic features work really well. Basically. I liked the feature that when Nord crashes (as it seems to...  do monthly) it will shut other apps so they aren't exposed. My subscription is based in Australia. Found downloads peak at about 1-1.5Mb/s, which is ok as long as you aren't playing online games. Don't go for the frills (though hard not to when they gamify them). I canceled my subscription because I added the Kill switch and then MFA. Nek Minnit I can't even log in. No way to remove the Kill switch without logging in. Uninstalled, reinstalled no joy. Went to the help page, and it redirected me to up my subscription as the only solution. No chatbot where I am. and I don't have an email app so couldn't email help. After a couple of hours of mucking around. Gave up and went to a competitor. Note: if I hadn't played with the security settings, I would still be with Nord. But if I can't log in, it's a dead service to me.More

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Aleksandra Kovacevic
    Aleksandra Kovacevic

    Cybersecurity Researcher

    Our Score: 6.2/10

    ...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    G
    Gridsleep
    10.0/10
    Who watches the watchers?

    Is VPNMentor being funded by the other three VPN providers in order to make AVG look bad? The Speedtes... t.net numbers in the article look really bad and only make me wonder what kind of primordial netowrking people have to put up with in Europe. I have no problems in the US. Also those "reviews" printed at the end are nothing but whining complaints with no factual information. This whole web page is extremely suspect and I am sticking with AVG.More

    Latest negative user review
    J
    Jeanette Zimmermann
    2.0/10
    AVG Popups

    No matter what I do on my laptop, AVG is CONSTANTLY putting up pop-ups on my screen. I am really sic... k of it. I purchased AVG, this is not a freebie but I really don't think I'll renew. I might not even wait out my year's subscription.More

    Pricing

    Starting price $3.39/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 6 devices
    Starting price $4.39/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 10 devices

    Best VPN by Category

    Best VPN Overall

    The AVG Secure VPN is typically a fast and secure VPN using leading protocols on most operating systems as well as 256-bit encryption. However, it logs some data, and how it uses that data is unclear in the company’s policy pages. It also doesn’t have an ad or malware blocker, struggles to provide reliable connections for streaming, and some of its apps lack features, like a kill switch for Windows or Family Sharing for all other devices. NordVPN is a top-rated VPN thanks to its 6,139 servers, zero-logs policy, 24/7 live chat customer support, intuitive interface, military-grade encryption, NordLynx protocol, ad blocking and malware protection, and full-featured apps.

    Best VPN for Torrents

    AVG Secure has a mixed reputation when it comes to torrenting because although it offers you eight P2P servers, it also keeps some logs. The service adheres to Avast’s privacy policy, so it’ll collect timestamps, usernames, bandwidth details, and real IP addresses. NordVPN has hundreds of designated P2P servers, and its strict zero-logs policy makes sure that your data is safe. The good news is that both are located outside any of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances and have decent speeds for downloading and uploading torrents, although NordVPN is definitely the faster option.

    Best VPN for Windows

    AVG is one of the few VPNs that offer a 7-day free trial while you’ll have to settle for NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee. That being said, NordVPN’s Windows app is more feature-rich and customizable. One big difference is that NordVPN’s Windows app has a kill switch, while AVG’s doesn’t. You also have more freedom to customize the look, DNS settings, and how the kill switch and split tunneling work. NordVPN even has some advanced security options, like Double VPN and Threat Protection.

    Best VPN for Android

    AVG Secure VPN and NordVPN have apps for Android, although AVG doesn’t support other platforms based on Android, like Fire OS, Android TV, or Raspberry Pi. Both have feature-rich Android VPN apps with split tunneling, a kill switch, and multiple secure protocols. Users will enjoy some unique AVG features, like the Wi-Fi Threat Shield and Local Network Bypass. However, NordVPN is more secure with all its desktop security features also available on Android, like Double VPN and Threat Protection.

    Best VPN for Mac

    Like on its Windows app, NordVPN uses its proprietary NordLynx protocol on Mac. AVG Secure, on the other hand, uses IKEv2/IPSEC, which is considered slower and slightly less secure. Both apps for Mac have really modern and user-friendly interfaces and come with a kill switch, although you need to enable AVG manually. Even though this round is close, NordVPN still wins for being the more well-rounded VPN service.

    Best VPN for iOS

    From the App Store ratings, iOS users are equally satisfied with AVG Secure and NordVPN’s apps. Both help secure your iPhone/iPad traffic with 256-bit encryption, will alert you if any of your known credentials leak online, and will block malicious websites. However, NordVPN uses the superior NordLynx protocol while AVG uses IKEv2/IPSEC. NordVPN’s Threat Protection Lite will also block malware, ads, and trackers, while AVG provides a secure Photo Vault. Unlike NordVPN, AVG’s Family Sharing is only available on Windows. This means you’ll need a workaround, like using the same Apple ID to share AVG with your family on iOS devices.

    Best VPN for USA

    AVG Secure actually has a few more server locations in the US than NordVPN. However, NordVPN has way more total servers in the US, which means they will rarely be overcrowded. In the end, we have to give this round to NordVPN because it is more transparent about its US servers and has a more reliable track record of allowing users in the US to stream US-based streaming sites, like Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, and more. I also feel more comfortable using NordVPN in the US because of its no-logs policy.

    The Bottom Line

    If you’ve been keeping score, then you’ll see it's a clear win for NordVPN, which continues to show why it’s a staple in the VPN industry. For one, it has a reputable track record as well as more transparent privacy and logging policies, unlike AVG’s parent company, Avast, which has been caught selling user data. While AVG Secure is a decent VPN for torrenting on US or UK servers, has a superb Android app, allows 10 simultaneous connections, and offers a generous 60-day free trial, it’s not enough to beat NordVPN. NordVPN’s reliable server network, faster speeds, better 24/7 customer support, and full-featured apps for a wide range of devices make it the superior option for most users. While it has a 6-device limit, it’s easier to share with your family than AVG. Plus, NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee gives you more than enough time to test its service, and there is a monthly plan for users that aren’t comfortable committing long-term.

    Time to decide which one is best for you

    FAQ

    Is NordVPN better than AVG Secure?

    Yes, NordVPN is better overall than AVG Secure. It has 6126 servers in 61 countries, fast speeds, and impressive security features.

    Best of all, you can take advantage of its latest discount and get it for only $3.39 a month.

    What should I keep in mind when choosing between NordVPN and AVG Secure?

    When choosing a VPN, you want to pay close attention to its number of servers, overall speed score, pricing, and the number of simultaneous device connections it offers. While some VPNs provide a flawless online experience, others will really slow you down.

    If you’re ready to commit, then NordVPN may be perfect for you due to its performance during the tests .

    Is NordVPN faster than AVG Secure?

    Yes, NordVPN is faster than AVG Secure. Since your VPN is your computer’s main connection to the internet, you need to use a service that won’t slow you down by more than 20%.

    If speeds are important to you, then I recommend you take a look at ExpressVPN. It’s the fastest service out there, provides unlimited bandwidth, and you won’t experience any slowdowns even when you connect to the other side of the planet. You can try it out risk-free. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund if you don’t like it.

    Do NordVPN or AVG Secure offer any deals?

    Both NordVPN and AVG Secure offer deals on occasion. You can check out the current coupons and discounts here. However, ExpressVPN has the best deals. Right now, you can get a 49% discount and up to 3 months for free with a new subscription.

    We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
    Learn more
    vpnMentor was established in 2014 as an independent site reviewing VPN services and covering privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize the independent, professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

    About the Author

    Technical writer with a passion for online privacy.