NordVPN vs RiseupVPN

NordVPN is a paid VPN service with apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, and tvOS. It supports streaming, torrenting, WireGuard, and a kill switch, and one account allows 10 simultaneous connections. The service lists servers in 167 countries, while its network description states more than 7,600 servers across more than 225 locations. All NordVPN apps support post-quantum encryption, and a verified no-logs audit is listed. Browser proxy extensions are available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Paid plans start at $3.49 per month on a 2-year plan; the listed one-month Basic plan costs $14.69 a month. There is no free plan, though Meshnet is available at no cost for file sharing, LAN gaming, traffic routing, and remote device access. Plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee, and a 3-day trial is listed. Additional offerings include antivirus protection against scams, phishing, malware, intrusive ads, and trackers, plus Dark Web Monitor Pro for scanning leaked credentials, payment details, and personal IDs. Complete and Complete Max include 1 TB of encrypted cloud storage. NordVPN was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Panama; its parent company, Nord Security, is headquartered in Lithuania.

RiseupVPN is a free personal VPN for traffic encryption, location anonymization and censorship circumvention. Clients are available for Android, Linux, macOS and Windows, and torrent support is listed. The software is designed to install and run without account registration or configuration. It routes internet traffic through an encrypted connection to riseup.net before reaching the public internet. Riseup describes protection against ISP surveillance, blocking most tracking companies and bypassing government censorship where internet access remains available. Its stated logs exclude IP addresses, DNS requests, traffic flows, browser fingerprints and identifying information; minimal logs are encrypted and rotated within five days. Riseup warns that traffic can face man-in-the-middle attacks after leaving the VPN gateway, so HTTPS remains important. The service is funded by donations and estimates its cost at approximately $60 USD per person per year. Android installation is documented through F-Droid, Google Play or an LEAP APK. Riseup says clients use open-source Bitmask software. Windows lacks a kill switch, and the Linux Snap package is out of support.