VPN
Products
In The Lab
Forums
Newsletters
Join now
Best
VPNs Free iPhone Torrenting Mac Cheap Free For Windows Windows PC Privacy
Tools
Compare Results Table Tool Review List Review Index Graph Review Pipeline Vote Custom Ratings
Popular
Proton VPN Free Mullvad Windscribe Free Proton VPN NordVPN IVPN Windscribe MEGA VPN AdGuard VPN AirVPN Private Internet Access Hotspot Shield Free Surfshark VPN Bitdefender VPN ExpressVPN Norton VPN FastestVPN TunnelBear Hotspot Shield TunnelBear Free
23 VPNs bought and tested
Supported by you via membership, and when you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
  1. Home
  2. VPN
  3. Compare

NordVPN vs AdGuard VPN

Which VPN Is Better?

    Top
    Main Differences
    Security
      IP And DNS LeaksKill Switch RobustnessMan-In-The-Middle Attacks
    Privacy
      Privacy PolicyCompany PracticesRegistration
    Performance
      Download SpeedUpload SpeedLatency
    Features
      DownloadsPlatform SupportProtocolsSimultaneous DevicesDestinationsSplit TunnelingHeadless Setup
    Comments

Products

NordVPN
AdGuard VPN

Tested using Methodology v0.10.1

Updated May 13, 2026 05:42 PM

SEE PRICE
NordVPN

Tested using Methodology v0.10.1

Updated Apr 30, 2026 04:00 PM

SEE PRICE
AdGuard
NordVPN Picture

Track

AdGuard VPN Picture

Track

Email Required
Yes
Torrent (P2P)
Yes
Data Limit
N/A
Email Required
Yes
Torrent (P2P)
Yes
Data Limit
N/A

Our Verdict

NordVPN

AdGuard VPN

AdGuard VPN is better than NordVPN. NordVPN's kill switch leaks some unencrypted traffic when your device restarts, whereas AdGuard's kill switch works correctly. Additionally, while neither VPN service has good business practices, NordVPN's are a little more concerning thanks to its confusing corporate structure and its aggressive marketing. That said, while Nord's third-party infrastructure audits aren't of the highest quality, AdGuard hasn't published any.

GIFT THIS COMPARISON

0 

Variants

  • NordVPN (Basic)
  • NordVPN (Complete)
  • AdGuard (VPN)

Review

See NordVPN Review
See AdGuard VPN Review
5 
1 

Check Price

Basic
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
VPN
AdGuard
SEE PRICE
AdGuard
Complete
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 
Plus
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 
Ultra
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 

Main Differences for
Torrent

Threshold 

0.10

Torrent 
 

7.8
8.5

Kill Switch Robustness 
 

2.0
8.0

Full Comparison

Security

IP And DNS Leaks 
 

9.0
9.0

IPLEAK.net Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN IPLEAK.net Screenshot
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN IPLEAK.net Screenshot

Wireshark IP And DNS Leak Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Wireshark IP And DNS Leak Screenshot
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Wireshark IP And DNS Leak Screenshot

Leak Detected 
 

No
No

In-Browser IP 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

In-Browser DNS 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

System DNS 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

System Traffic 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

Kill Switch Robustness 
 

2.0
8.0

Wireshark Kill Switch Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Wireshark Kill Switch Screenshot
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Wireshark Kill Switch Screenshot

Leak Detected 
 

Yes
No

During VPN Software Crash 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

During Loss Of Internet 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

During System Reboot 
 

Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

Man-In-The-Middle Attacks 
 

8.5
8.5

Man-In-The-Middle Attacks Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Man-In-The-Middle Attacks Screenshot
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Man-In-The-Middle Attacks Screenshot

TLS Interruption Risk 
 

No Evidence
No Evidence

Proper BGP Implementation 
 

No
No
Privacy

Privacy Policy 
 

3.0
2.0

Privacy Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Privacy Picture
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Privacy Picture

Investigation Notes 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Investigation Notes
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Investigation Notes

No-Log Policy 
 

0
0

Privacy Policy Audit 
 

4.5
0

Legal & Security Events 
 

8.0
10

Last Review Date 
 

2025-OCT-15
2026-APRIL-02

Company Practices 
 

5.0
6.3

Company Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Company Picture
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Company Picture

Investigation Notes 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Investigation Notes
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Investigation Notes

Parent & Affiliate Companies 
 

6.4
10

Marketing Claims & Practices 
 

8.2
6.2

Communication Transparency 
 

3.2
8.0

Security Audits 
 

5.0
0

Privacy By Default 
 

7.0
10

Terms Of Service 
 

1.0
0

Last Review Date 
 

2025-OCT-16
2026-APRIL-02

Registration 
 

6.1
6.1

Payment Options 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Payment Options
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Payment Options

Email Required 
 

Yes
Yes

Password Required 
 

Yes
Yes

Cryptocurrency 
 

Yes
Yes

Cash 
 

No
No
Performance

Download Speed 
 

7.6
6.6

Without VPN 
 

1,057 Mbps
933 Mbps

With VPN 
 

233 Mbps
81 Mbps

Speed Difference 
 

-823.9 Mbps
-852.1 Mbps

Download Speed Graph  

 Preview Graph
NordVPN Download Speed Graph
 Preview Graph
AdGuard VPN Download Speed Graph
 Compare in Graph Tool

Upload Speed 
 

7.7
6.9

Upload Speed Graph  

 Preview Graph
NordVPN Upload Speed Graph
 Preview Graph
AdGuard VPN Upload Speed Graph
 Compare in Graph Tool

Without VPN 
 

1,016 Mbps
942 Mbps

With VPN 
 

274 Mbps
109 Mbps

Speed Difference 
 

-742.0 Mbps
-833.5 Mbps

Latency 
 

5.5
9.5

Download Latency Graph  

 Preview Graph
NordVPN Download Latency Graph
 Preview Graph
AdGuard VPN Download Latency Graph
 Compare in Graph Tool

Upload Latency Graph  

 Preview Graph
NordVPN Upload Latency Graph
 Preview Graph
AdGuard VPN Upload Latency Graph
 Compare in Graph Tool

Download Latency Without VPN 
 

149 ms
153 ms

Download Latency With VPN 
 

343 ms
139 ms

Download Latency Difference 
 

194 ms
-14 ms

Upload Latency Without VPN 
 

153 ms
154 ms

Upload Latency With VPN 
 

476 ms
109 ms

Upload Latency Difference 
 

323 ms
-45 ms

Combined Latency Consistency 
 

±56 ms
±32 ms
Features

Downloads 
 

9.5
9.5

Torrent Test Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Torrent Test Picture
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Torrent Test Picture

Torrent (P2P) 
 

Yes
Yes

Data Limit 
 

N/A
N/A

Platform Support 
 

9.3
9.3

Windows 
 

Yes
Yes

macOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Linux 
 

Yes
Yes

Protocols 
 

Protocol Results Table 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Protocol Results Table
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Protocol Results Table

WireGuard 
 

No
No

OpenVPN Over UDP 
 

Yes
No

OpenVPN Over TCP 
 

Yes
No

IPSec With L2TP 
 

No
No

IPSec With IKEv2 
 

Yes
Yes

Proprietary Protocol(s) 
 

NordLynx
TrustTunnel

Simultaneous Devices 
 

9.1
9.1

Tested Simultaneous Connections 
 

10
10

Simultaneous Locations 
 

Yes
Yes

Advertised Max Simultaneous Connections 
 

10
10

Destinations 
 

8.6
8.7

VPN Destination Selection Example 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN VPN Destination Selection Example
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN VPN Destination Selection Example

Countries 
 

118
48

Countries With Multiple Cities 
 

9
4

Server Choice 
 

No
Yes

Split Tunneling 
 

8.0
8.1

VPN Disabled For App Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN VPN Disabled For App Screenshot
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN VPN Disabled For App Screenshot

VPN Enabled For App Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN VPN Enabled For App Screenshot
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN VPN Enabled For App Screenshot

Disabling Of VPN For Specific Apps 
 

Yes
Yes

Enabling Of VPN For Specific Apps 
 

Yes
No

Splitting Based On Address 
 

No
Yes

Ping Local Address - Same Subnet 
 

Yes
Yes

Ping Local Address - Different Subnet 
 

No
Yes

Headless Setup 
 

7.0
0.0

Headless WireGuard Connection Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Headless WireGuard Connection Screenshot
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Headless WireGuard Connection Screenshot

Headless OpenVPN Connection Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
NordVPN Headless OpenVPN Connection Screenshot
Compare High-Res
AdGuard VPN Headless OpenVPN Connection Screenshot

Headless WireGuard Connection 
 

No
No

Headless OpenVPN Connection 
 

Yes
No

Check Price

Basic
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
VPN
AdGuard
SEE PRICE
AdGuard
Complete
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 
Plus
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 
Ultra
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 
Back to Top

NordVPN

AdGuard VPN

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 1 month ago

NordVPN vs AdGuard VPN: Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Members have direct access to buying advice on our member forum.

See All Networking Discussions
 Share
0 
PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
No comments yet, refresh to see new ones
We make money directly from you via Membership (which gives you access to extra features) and when you buy a product after clicking a link to a retailer. Learn more about how we work.
We buy our own products, just like you, mostly from the United States. When a product is discontinued or no longer popular, we sell the review units locally. See what products we currently have for sale.
© 2026 9298-5266 Quebec Inc. All Rights Reserved.