A VPN is a great way of giving you an extra layer of security while you browse online. Whether it’s that extra layer of security when checking your online banking, masking your IP address or cutting down on the risk of interception of your data when using public wifi, they’re a useful addition to your online toolkit.NordVPN and Bitdefender VPN are major names in the field. NordVPN has been around since 2012 and is seemingly advertised everywhere, while Bitdefender VPN is the standalone VPN product from the ever-popular antivirus giant. Bitdefender also offers security suites that include VPN access, but for the purposes of this comparison, I focused on its dedicated VPN service. Both are good choices, but you only need one VPN to protect you.I’ve spent plenty of time with NordVPN and Bitdefender VPN so I can help you figure out what’s best for you. I’ve compared their prices, looked at how easy they are to use, and how effective they are at protecting your data. Here’s what I found.Read more: Best VPNs, reviewed How I testedI put the services head to head (Bitdefender)I’ve previously used NordVPN at various stages over the last 10 years, but I specifically signed up to it as a new user for the purposes of this comparison piece. That meant using it for about 10 days, and also using Bitdefender VPN for the same length of time. I signed up for each service, looked at how easy it was to set up the apps and services, and spent plenty of time throughout the day connected to each VPN to see how it affected my service and browsing time.Read more: 11 best mechanical keyboards for gaming and workNordVPN basicNordVPN is more than just a regular VPN. Even its basic plan comes with a dark web monitoring tool. Its best plans are when you commit to a long period of time, but it provides you good reason to stick around. It’s simple to use, looks appealing and provides fast and reliable speeds when going online. Bitdefender VPNBitdefender VPN is an appealing looking VPN that's also very attractively priced. Month-by-month, it's one of the cheapest VPNs around, while the yearly package is still very competitively priced. That's because the standalone Bitdefender VPN subscription focuses on VPN protection rather than bundling the wider security features available in some Bitdefender packages, but if that's all you need, you'll be pleased with what's here. It's fast to use with speedy servers, and it gets straight to the point. There are no hidden fees either, but do bear in mind that if you need other privacy features, you’ll need to pay for the total security subscription, which costs more. 1. NordVPN vs Bitdefender VPN: Pricing and plansNordVPNPros: Useful features for price; monthly plans are well pricedCons: Not the cheapest aroundBitdefender VPNPros: Straightforward approach; cheap monthly planCons: Limited featuresNordVPN is reasonably priced across the board. It’s not the cheapest option around, but its pricing is competitive given the range of plans available. The basic plan costs £54.96 for two years and focuses on VPN protection and data leak monitoring. Pay a little extra (£64.56) and the Plus plan adds malware protection, an ad blocker and a password manager. Prices are a little higher if you sign up for just one year, but there’s still a reasonable discount, with the basic plan costing £40.68 for a year and plus costing £45.48. Switch to month by month, and NordVPN could cost just £8.89 or £10.39 for the first year, which is highly competitive if not quite the cheapest out there. I’ve focused on the basic plan for this comparison. It’s nowhere near as cheap as Bitdefender, however. That’s because the standalone Bitdefender VPN subscription is focused purely on VPN protection. It costs just £5.99 per month and covers up to 10 devices. Sign up on a yearly basis and it costs £24.98 for the first year. If you want additional security tools, Bitdefender has total security, which costs £49.99 per year. It includes antivirus, anti-malware and anti-ransomware protection, firewall tools, phishing protection, parental controls and a limited VPN allowance alongside device security features.That means Bitdefender VPN is a lot cheaper than most, and certainly cheaper than NordVPN. While the standalone subscription focuses on VPN features, Bitdefender's wider security suites are available for users who want a more comprehensive package.Winner: Bitdefender VPNSubscribe to NordVPN now Subscribe to Bitdefender now Read more: Bitdefender total security, reviewed 2. NordVPN vs Bitdefender VPN: FeaturesNordVPNPros: Dark web monitoring as standard; plenty of serversCons: Can get expensiveBitdefender VPNPros: All the key features; fast connectionCons: No dark web monitoring NordVPN is easily one of the best VPNs around, with a huge number of servers at its disposal. It has over 8,000 servers across 211 locations which should suit everyone’s needs. That dwarves the competition, and I found the servers I used to be pretty speedy. It has the usual standard features like a kill switch, split tunnelling and multihop, known as Double VPN. NordVPN only supports 10 devices at once, but that should suit most needs. As standard, you get dark web monitoring, which I immediately found useful. You can add five email addresses to monitor for free, which is a neat bonus.Nord VPN plus bundles come with features including anti-malware, and an ad and tracker blocker (Nordvpn)Bitdefender VPN promises unlimited encrypted traffic across 10 devices. That goes for whichever plan you sign up for. The standalone subscription focuses primarily on VPN protection rather than the broader security tools available in some of Bitdefender’s other packages. It includes ad and malware blocking, a killswitch, multi hop and the other essentials you’d expect from a VPN. I liked how attractively Bitdefender laid things out too, although that does mean the advanced options are hidden within the settings. At all times, you’ll see how much data is being secured and transferred, with it easy to switch servers via the locations button.Bitdefender VPN offers over 4,000 servers in over 49 countries, which isn’t the biggest number, but very respectable for the price. Connections were pretty fast in my experience and I didn’t feel slowed down by using any of its servers. You can’t fault Bitdefender’s approach, but I do wish it had extras in such a competitive field. But that’s really why it’s so affordable.Winner: NordVPNSubscribe to NordVPN now Subscribe to Bitdefender now Read more: NordVPN, reviewed in full 3. NordVPN vs Bitdefender VPN: Ease of useNordVPNPros: Quick setup; easy to check dark web monitoringCons: Best features cost more Bitdefender VPNPros: Attractive app; speedy setupCons: A little limitedNordVPN is as easy to set up as anything else you may install. It took me a couple of moments, and logging in was just a matter of being sent to my web browser. It’s pretty effortless. Immediately, you can connect to the nearest and fastest server, but NordVPN goes one step further. As standard, even on the basic plan, you have dark web monitoring included. That monitoring immediately alerted me to a leak that contained my email address and it was reassuring to have.That’s NordVPN to a tee. It simply works very well. Each option is clearly laid out, whether it’s automatically enabled or something to purchase later. As everything is described in an accessible way, you don’t need to be an expert to know what you’re doing here. Depending on the plan you’ve signed up to, you may need to spend more than the initial subscription fee, but everything is explained clearly.I was all set with Bitdefender within moments (Bitdefender)Bitdefender VPN is similarly easy to set up. It took me moments, and there’s the added benefit that you don’t have to think about what plan to sign up for. There’s only one, and it gives you everything you need. I was all set within moments. Its app is an attractive looking one with a map as well as details about how long you’ve been connected, how much secured traffic has passed through and your current IP address. You can activate the kill switch or block traffic with a tap of a button here. It’s one of the apps I liked looking at more than some others. Another neat detail is its auto-renewal. If you sign up month-by-month, you’re not tied into auto-renewal which is exactly how it should be. Mostly everything about Bitdefender VPN is very user-friendly. It’s just a shame it doesn’t offer a few more features.Winner: TieRead more: Best cheap VPNs, reviewed 4. NordVPN vs Bitdefender VPN: SupportNordVPNPros: Comprehensive help centre; live chat availableCons: No phone supportBitdefender VPNPros: Extensive assistance including phone; vast community for adviceCons: Help centre is overwhelmingly vastNordVPN has the level of support I like to see. There’s a comprehensive help centre as your first port of call. It has good setup guides for many different devices, but also solves a whole range of common queries. These can be troubleshooting issues, billing or dealing with account management. If you need more direct help, there’s a live chat which will gradually direct you to human assistance as needed. In predictable fashion for a VPN, there’s no phone support.Bitdefender VPN offers an extensive help centre. It has an extensive number of setup guides for all devices, with troubleshooting guidance for anything more specific. In some ways, its help centre is a little overwhelming, but you can always search for specific queries. Besides text-based guides, there are also video tutorials which are certainly helpful.Refreshingly, there’s Bitdefender’s Expert Community which is a forum of help and advice. You can provide assistance or seek it with a huge wealth of comments and discussion posts. There’s also a tips and tricks section.Elsewhere, when you need to talk to a person, Bitdefender offers 24/7 live chat, email ticketing and the elusive thing – phone support. Bitdefender VPN is near flawless on this front.Winner: Bitdefender VPNSubscribe to NordVPN now Subscribe to Bitdefender now Should you buy NordVPN or Bitdefender VPN?Knowing which VPN out of these two to sign up to really comes down to what you need. NordVPN is more than just a VPN. At the very least, it also provides dark web monitoring, but there’s even more to check out depending on the plan you sign up for. Bitdefender VPN doesn’t bundle in additional security tools, which helps keep the price low. Users looking for a security package can also opt for Bitdefender's wider security suite, which includes features such as antivirus protection and identity security tools.It’s a smart idea to think about what you need. Some people may just need a VPN to use while travelling, but if you want something that keeps an eye on your email addresses and beyond, NordVPN is the better option. It’ll cost you a little more but you gain a more well-rounded service.Ultimately, there’s no wrong answer here, providing you’re honest with what you need. I liked Bitdefender VPN’s app, but I preferred how NordVPN quickly noticed my email had been part of a data leak. Both provide speedy servers, so for your VPN needs, you’ll be happy with both. How NordVPN and Bitdefender VPN were testedDuring my time using NordVPN and Bitdefender VPN, I focused on a handful of key elements that are key to them being worth your time and money. Here’s what I considered as I evaluated NordVPN and Bitdefender VPN:Ease of use: It doesn’t matter how good a product is if it’s difficult to use. I made sure to look at how simple NordVPN and Bitdefender VPN are to use. I focused on how user-friendly they are while still offering more advanced features for those who need them. I also looked at the smaller things that add up like how easy it is to cancel a plan.Features: I looked at what both NordVPN and Bitdefender VPN offer. That includes the core VPN features but also anything else that you get in addition as part of your subscription plan. I made sure that such features are actually useful and beneficial, and I looked at how well they worked as a fully rounded package.Value for money: I looked at how much each plan cost and evaluated whether that was good value for money. That didn’t strictly mean the cheapest option but the one that was worth the money. That factored in extra features that could save you money elsewhere, and also any deals regularly available. Performance: A bad VPN can slow down your internet connection significantly. I looked at how speedy each VPN was to ensure they were still worth using. After all, a safe connection still isn’t much use if you’re waiting a long time for anything to load. I also looked at how well the service’s app worked so that it performed well on different devices.Why you can trust IndyBest reviews Jennifer Allen is an expert in everything tech. She has been writing about online security, as well as website building and hosting, gaming and console reviews since 2010. 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