Question 1 — Do you already pay for a password manager or an ad blocker?
If yes, Plus replaces both for less than they cost alone, and adds malware blocking that keeps working when the VPN is off. If no, Basic is a complete VPN and nothing is held back from it.
Question 2 — Do you need encrypted cloud storage?
Complete adds 1 TB of zero-knowledge storage. Worth it if you would otherwise pay for Dropbox or iCloud at a similar size; unnecessary if you already have a storage plan you like.
Question 3 — Are you protecting against identity theft, or against tracking?
Tracking and privacy stop at Plus. Identity theft recovery, dark-web monitoring and credit monitoring start at Prime. Different problem, different product — most people do not need it.
The four tiers side by side
Plus
Everything most people need
2-year plan · $118.53 total
- Full VPN, 8,000+ servers
- 10 devices at once
- Threat Protection Pro
- Password manager
- Data-breach scanner
Basic
The VPN, nothing missing
2-year plan · $94.23 total
- Full VPN, 8,000+ servers
- 10 devices at once
- Threat Protection Lite
- All protocols incl. NordLynx
- 30-day money-back
Complete
VPN + your files
2-year plan · $145.53 total
- Everything in Plus
- 1 TB encrypted cloud
- Zero-knowledge storage
- 10 devices at once
- 30-day money-back
Prime
VPN + identity cover
2-year plan · $199.53 total
- Everything in Complete
- Identity theft recovery
- Dark web monitoring
- Credit monitoring
- 30-day money-back
What every plan includes, without exception
- The complete server network: 8,000+ servers in 149 countries, including obfuscated and double-VPN servers
- Every protocol, including NordLynx, OpenVPN and IKEv2
- Ten simultaneous devices on one account
- A no-logs policy audited by an independent firm
- 24/7 live chat support
- The 30-day money-back guarantee
Pick the plan and be done in five minutes
The discount is applied automatically — no code to hunt for.
The mistakes that cost people money
- Buying monthly to "stay flexible". You pay $12.99 instead of $3.49 for the same thing, and you still get 30 days to change your mind on the long plan.
- Upgrading for device count. You never need to — ten devices is the cap on every tier, and a router installation covers unlimited devices behind it.
- Adding storage you already have. Complete only makes sense if you are not already paying for cloud storage elsewhere.
Questions about choosing
Can I switch plans after buying?+
Yes. Upgrades are prorated from the account dashboard, and downgrades take effect at the next renewal — no penalty either way.
Is Basic missing anything important?+
No. Basic is the full VPN with the full server network. What it lacks is the add-on security bundle (password manager, full ad blocking, malware scanning), not VPN capability.
Does the more expensive plan get faster speeds?+
No. Speed comes from the protocol and the server you choose, not the tier. Every plan uses the same NordLynx protocol and the same hardware.