NordVPN Review

UPDATED Mar. 2024
This website features affiliate links. For purchases made via these links, we earn commissions that allow us to keep producing helpful content. To find out more click here. Close

NordVPN was launched in 2012 in Panama with the idea of making Tim Berners-Lee’s vision of a truly open Internet a reality. Thanks to its advanced features, solid security, and excellent customer service, the company quickly became one of the most famous VPN providers on the market with more than 12 million customers across the globe.

Our comprehensive NordVPN review will go over this popular VPN’s general performance, explore its server network and overall security setup, check how it handles geo-restrictions on popular streaming platforms, discuss its pricing model, and much more.

NordVPN Review Homepage

Speed & Performance

Historically, NordVPN did not provide great speeds, but it made up for average performance with other aspects of its service. However, our testing circuit for this NordVPN review showed significant improvements in this area, so it is safe to say that it has become one of the fastest VPN services out there.

nordvpn speed test without vpn servers

Our benchmark testing ping and download/upload speed recorded in Belgrade, Serbia.

Our team tested more than 50 NordVPN servers located in Europe, the Americas, and Asia & Oceania – and the results were much better than those in 2018. However, you should note that activating the double VPN layer significantly reduces Internet speed simply because traffic is being routed through two different servers. Having said that, if you are using NordVPN just to unlock Netflix US or download torrents, you do not need this feature. 

nordvpn speed test with vpn new york location

Connecting to the New York server provided us with 86.70% of our original download speed, which is excellent news for all streamers in Europe.

nordvpn speed test with vpn frankfurt location

The Frankfurt server was among our top-performing European locations, maintaining 78.27% of the original download speed.

According to the official FAQ, you can expect up to a 30% decrease in speed when you connect to one of the closest servers, which is what our test showed as well. Here are the results of our tests:

LocationPing (ms)Download (Mbps)Upload (Mbps)
Americas
New York, US13133.633.3
San Francisco, US19519.422.8
Miami, US14921.73.69
Denver, US17119.343.35
Vancouver, CA18512.792.85
Toronto, CA13417.433.9
Mexico2071.940.98
Europe
London, UK5126.436.59
Amsterdam, NL4931.576.23
Frankfurt, DE4130.404.43
Kiev, UA897.855.27
Paris, FR5224.36.49
Stockholm, SE6330.856.82
Oceania
Perth, AU30426.712.52
Sydney, AU30325.92.03
Auckland, NZ3177.870.67
Asia
Tokyo, JP31716.770.97
Hong Kong20418.920.97
Singapore21223.491.02
India3090.210.36

When it comes to stability, we did not experience any sudden disconnects or service failures and our check showed no IP or DNS leaks.

Supported Platforms

Being one of the top VPN providers on the market, NordVPN covers all the popular platforms and devices and then some. Apart from dedicated extensions for Chrome and Mozilla, the company currently offers native apps for Windows 7, 8, and 10, Android, iOS, and macOS. You can also set it up on Windows Vista/XP, Linux, DrayTek, FlashRouters, Tomato, Synology, Asustor, ASUS WRT/MERLIN/PADAVAN, OpenWrt, QNAP, Blackberry, Raspberry Pi, Kodi, Amazon Firestick, and many other platforms and devices. Platforms like Roku, Chromecast, and gaming consoles do not have an integrated VPN functionality, so you either have to set up your router with a VPN or share the VPN connection from your PC.

NordVPN Devices

Servers

NordVPN currently operates over 5400 servers in more than 60 countries around the world. The company has 2,300+ servers in Europe, 540+ in the Asia Pacific, 2,100+ in the Americas, and around 80 servers in Africa, India, and the Middle East.

Apart from its VPN servers, NordVPN features proxy servers that solely obfuscate your actual location without offering any protection. This makes them ideal for streaming and accessing popular online platforms in spite of any geo-blocking measures. HTTP proxy servers are compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Internet Explorer.

NordVPN Servers

NordVPN features one of the largest server networks on the market, operating more than 5,100 servers across 60+ countries.

In case you do not want to limit yourself to streaming and geo-spoofing, you can use NordVPN’s SOCKS5 proxy servers that offer more flexibility and compatibility with all kinds of Internet traffic, including SMTP and POP3 for emails, P2P, and FTP for uploading files to websites. Naturally, they are a perfect match for software like uTorrent, BitTorrent, Deluge, Vuze, Skype, and more. SOCKS5 servers are slower than HTTP proxies but considerably faster than services with encryption. NordVPN has 1 SOCKS5 and HTTPS proxy at each of its server locations.

NordVPN has obfuscated servers in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, France, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, the US, Canada, Turkey, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. These servers utilize the XOR encryption algorithm to go under VPN censorship. Yes, XOR is usually used to hide malware from detection, but that is what makes it perfect for hiding your VPN ciphers too.

NordVPN keeps all ports open on its servers except SMTP (you can use ports 456 and 587 instead) and NetBIOS for outgoing connections. Since the company does not offer port forwarding, no incoming connections can go through. Additionally, they’ve just added a cool new feature, NordLynx making their servers faster and more secure at the same time. You can read all about it here: With NordLynx, NordVPN is the fastest VPN on the market.

Finally, if you are not sure about the optimal server for your geographical location, NordVPN software will automatically connect you to the best option at any given moment.

Safety & Security

NordVPN is one of the rare providers that offer the option of using double encryption, also known as server chaining. The principle behind this tech is rather simple – instead of hiding your online traffic behind a single server (and encryption), NordVPN sends the already encrypted data through yet another server and encrypts it one more time. The connections are also mixed between TCP and UDP protocols, which increases the overall level of security even further.

 

nord vpn interface settings options

NordVPN General Settings allow you to activate CyberSec, Internet/app killswitch, and LAN invisibility and set your client to boot up with your system.

Having said that, you will only require this kind of security if you are a journalist, political activist or person who works with sensitive data on a daily basis. It is also a great tool if you are trying to avoid government surveillance. Keep in mind, however, that this feature will have a significant impact on your speed so you should avoid using it for everyday browsing or surfing the Tor network since NordVPN features Onion Over VPN specifically for that purpose.

When it comes to the type of encryption, NordVPN utilizes AES-256, which is what companies refer to when they mention “military-grade” or “bank-grade” encryption. AES with 256-bit keys is officially recommended by the NSA for securing classified data, which includes the TOP SECRET level. To put things into perspective, in order to break it, hackers would require a supercomputer (which cannot be built with our current tech) that would still need to decrypt it for billions of years in order to find the right key.

As NordVPN puts it, “There is not enough time in the Universe to crack AES 256-bit encryption.”

At the moment, NordVPN uses OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec protocols. OpenVPN is used as the default option on Windows and Android apps and it comes with AES-256-GCM encryption with a 2048-bit DH key. On the other hand, IKEv2/IPsec is the default option on iOS and macOS apps and it features NGE encryption. Linux users also have the option of activating the so-called NordLynx, which is a technology based on the WireGuard protocol. The service does not support IPv6 at the moment.

NordVPN also comes with CyberSec that allows the software to block ads and malware automatically by restricting your access to suspicious websites. Additionally, your device will be able to resist DDoS attacks even if it already got infected with malware. In other words, you will be secure from ever joining a botnet zombie army.

nordvpn Safety Security

The Advanced Settings tab enables you to switch between TCP and UDP protocols, set a custom DNS, run diagnostics (in case of any technical issues), and activate obfuscated servers if you live in a country with extreme censorship measures in place (China, for example).

Finally, NordVPN features a reliable auto killswitch that will automatically detect any connection drops and block your apps or devices from accessing the Internet without VPN protection. Once a secure tunnel has been re-established, the killswitch will restore your Internet connection. Note that NordVPN implements different variations of the killswitch feature in its Windows/macOS and Android/iOS apps.

Apart from VPN protection, the company offers NordLocker, which allows you to encrypt files on your Windows/macOS devices or in the cloud so that you can prevent any privacy breaches even when offline, and NordPass, a proprietary password manager that remembers all the important keys for you.

IPleak.net-Results for NordVPN

Ipleaks.net did not show any IP or DNS leaks, which means our ISP cannot identify our originating IP address and monitor our online traffic.

 

nordvpn IPleak.org IP Test Results

During our testing circuit, we were connected to the New York server from Belgrade, Serbia and did not experience any IP leaks, according to Ipleaks.org.

Logging & Privacy

NordVPN has a strict no-logging policy and will never track, collect, and share your private data with any third parties. In other words, the company and its employees do not have access to your incoming/outgoing IP addresses, connection dates and duration, amount of transferred data, used VPN servers, visited websites, downloaded files, and software used.

If the company does not store your sensitive data, it will have nothing to share with any outside parties, including governments and international spy networks. Its headquarters in Panama have put it outside of EU and US jurisdictions, which translates to no mandatory data retention laws or any legal obligation to collect and hand your data over to anybody.

NordVPN has been audited by four different independent auditors and they all confirmed the company’s no-logging claims. On top of this, there is a warrant canary on the official website, where you can see a grand total of ZERO warrants, gag orders, and National Security Letters.

NordVPN Security Features

If you decide to purchase one of the available NordVPN plans, the company will collect the following data:

  • Email address Necessary for creating and managing your personal account, making a VPN connection, and resetting your password.  
  • Payment data The company collects the bare minimum to make payments and refunds. Alternatively, you can also make an untraceable purchase by using cryptocurrencies. 
  • The timestamp of the latest session status NordVPN allows up to 6 simultaneous connection per user and needs to connect the username with the timestamp of the last connection status in order to enforce this limit. The data is deleted 15 minutes after you disconnect.  
  • Customer service data This includes chats and emails sent to the NordVPN customer support team. These communications help the support staff keep your “VPN medical history” in order to help you with any potential difficulties and problems. The data is deleted after 2 years, but you can request its deletion at any given moment.  

Apart from this, NordVPN also uses Google Analytics, affiliate cookies, and some cookies in charge of personalizing the content of the website (setting your default language, for example). 

Streaming

As we already mentioned in this NordVPN review, the speed of the service has improved significantly over the years so streaming your favorite online content in full HD is not a problem anymore. Additionally, if you are not overly worried about your online security, you can use the company’s proxy servers that geo-spoof your location without encrypting your online traffic.  

Apart from bypassing geo-restrictions implemented by Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and BBC iPlayer, NordVPN’s Smart Play service (an encrypted Smart DNS) allows you to unblock more than 150 services, including HBO GO and Showtime as well as websites like Twitch, Instagram, VKontakte, AskFM, Tumblr, Reddit, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and many more. If you are interested solely in Netflix US, you can read our full report on Nord’s Netflix-unlocking abilities and find some useful troubleshooting tips here.

nordvpn server for Netflix

NordVPN features numerous servers in the US, which is ideal for streaming geo-restricted content on services like Netflix US and Hulu outside the United States.

Since NordVPN provides its users with unlimited bandwidth, speeds, and server switching, you never have to worry about any speed drops and buffering issues. Furthermore, the servers are never allowed to overcrowd so you will not experience diminished performance due to “server overselling.”

Torrenting

As stated in this NordVPN review, the company does not impose any limits on bandwidth, speed, and server switching. It allows P2P traffic and has hundreds of dedicated P2P servers. They are located all over the world and optimized for P2P filesharing. The solid security setup will prevent your ISP from detecting your P2P traffic and identifying it as such, which means you will not have to deal with any speed throttling on their part. This also goes for prolonged streaming marathons.

nordvpn-server for P2P

P2P-optimized servers allow you to download torrents from all corners of the world without your ISP flagging your P2P traffic.

Note that NordVPN does not support downloading copyrighted material and advises its users against such behavior. Having said that, the company does not actually have a way of knowing what you are downloading due to its strict no-logging policy.

Plans & Pricing

1 Month
3 Months
6 Months
1 Year
2 Years

1 Month
$11.95
3 Months
/
6 Months
/
1 Year
$6.99
2 Years
$3.99

You can purchase Nord’s monthly subscription for $11.99 per month, but if you plan on sticking with this VPN for months/years to come, longer plans save more money. With that in mind, the subscription for an entire year costs $4.99 per month ($59.88, billed every year), you pay $3.69 per month for 2 years ($99.63, billed every 2 years).

NordVPN Pricing New

The company accepts all major credit cards (MasterCard, VISA, Discover, American Express), Alipay, WeChat Payments, PaymentWall, and major cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH, XMR, LTC, Dash, XRP). There is no free trial, but all subscriptions come with a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Note that NordVPN cannot issue refunds for purchases made through Apple’s App Store, but you can contact the store instead. The monthly payment will be charged automatically if you do not cancel recurring payments (there is a tutorial on Nord’s website).

PayPal was discontinued as a payment option since NordVPN wanted to unify all the payment methods on its official website instead of relying on a third party.

When you create your personal account and purchase one of the available subscriptions, you will also have the option of buying a dedicated IP address for an additional fee of $70. The official FAQ section also has a tutorial on how to do this since it requires registering another account and applying a coupon code, which may be too complicated for some users. NordVPN currently offers dedicated IP addresses in the US (Buffalo, NY; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Matawan, NJ), the UK (London), Germany (Frankfurt), and the Netherlands (Amsterdam).

If you are a business user, you should contact NordVPN’s customer support to learn more about extra features offered to companies and how they differ from regular VPNs.

Lastly, Nord also allows you to download a receipt or an invoice for your company.

Support

NordVPN’s customer support team is available 24/7 via email or live chat on the official website. Unlike many other companies, Nord employs a support team made of knowledgeable analysts that will be more than capable of answering any questions you might have.

NordVPN Pros & Cons

As we wrap up this NordVPN review, here’s a quick overview of the features that wowed us and the aspects of the service that could use some improvement.

Pros
  • Double military-grade encryption (AES-256)
  • Onion Over VPN
  • CyberSec
  • Auto killswitch
  • No IP or DNS leaks
  • Strict no-logging policy
  • Based in Panama
  • More than 5,100 servers in 60+ countries (+ HTTP and SOCKs5 proxy)
  • Smart Play for streaming
  • P2P filesharing with dedicated P2P servers
  • Excellent speeds
  • Unlimited bandwidth and server switching
  • More than 40 platforms supported
  • Up to 6 simultaneous connections
  • Dedicated IPs
  • Crypto payments accepted
  • Budget-friendly
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
  • No 3 or 6-month plans
  • No port forwarding

User Reviews (26)

NordVPN customer rating based on 26 user reviews.

The NordVPN reviews listed below reflect the opinions and experiences of real users and are in no way influenced by the VPN provider reviewed here. Before publishing each review, our team checks whether it was submitted by an actual user in an effort to prevent false or spammy reviews.

  1. Hector | July 20, 2020

    TBH when I bought a VPN I wasn’t too concerned with online privacy, I just wanted to use torrents and stream US Netflix. I’ve been using nord VPN for the past six months and it’s been OK, the speed is good, no warnings or letters from my ISP, I do get disconnects once in a while, but the killswitch feature helps out with that.

  2. JAMES MANN | April 25, 2020

    I have been using NordVPN for over a year. I wanted a VPN that would allow me to have security, when I am doing online banking or paying my state and federal estimated taxes. Unfortunately, the answer no to both. When I emailed support (because in the typical Norton fashion there is no one to telephone) they tell me to select another location. But other locations do not work. I am looking for another VPN.

  3. Michael | March 30, 2020

    DOES NOT let you into us netflix from UK! Waste of money….tried for 2 hours following all their tips and other things on the internet. nothing works. Dont buy!!

  4. Yaretzi Peterson | December 4, 2019

    Usually, I stick to what I know and nordVPN happens to be just one of the examples of a reliable company that always delivers what’s promised. I really didn’t want to waste time or money on trying out some unknown brand and possibly ending up with a bad product. But what made me choose Nord yet again is that I use multiple brand devices and platforms for my job and Nord supports every one of them… it was really a no brainer.

  5. Al Gonzalez | November 29, 2019

    I moved from ExpressVpn to Nord to save money and got the 1 year deal. Initially Nord has good performance in the first three-four months. Then there servers started disconnecting frequently sometimes the servers would stop working and you had to reconnect to a new one. This can be inconvenient if do stream or download a lot. After the security fallout with Nord where they had one of their servers hacked for almost an year, more Nord servers started having issues such as a missing password or otherwise you couldn’t connect to them. The US servers were alright but they can sometimes stop working after a period of time. Express never had this problem. I spent nearly a month in one of their servers. With Nord you’d be hard pressed to stick with the same server for a day or two.

    Overall Nord is okay. The Kill Switch works. I did checks with Ipeaks both on my computer and phone Ive seen no DNS leaks so far. Comes with anti-adware/malware and it works. Autoconnect on phone is like the kill switch. Has potential overall to recover from the embarrassing security gaffe but Nords biggest challenge will be server stability. This seems to be a problem with a lot of new name and affordable vpns. Nord been in the game for a while but longevity of servers is very important. Hope they get their game together or otherwise might have to go back to Express or an equally good alternative.

  6. Magnus | October 26, 2019

    Since the beginning of October, NordVPN does not work in Hangzhou AT ALL! I can’t vouch for other cities. Their support team is polite but useless. They conceded they needed to *invent* a new protocol to get their VPN to work here. Even though a refund was requested by me within 30 days (for a renewal–they were great for a year!), they refused to answer my request and kept stalling my support ticket. I’m still awaiting my refund. USE THEM AT YOUR PERIL IF YOU LIVE IN CHINA! Caveat emptor!!

  7. Sammi | September 17, 2019

    Love these guys even after having it for 2 years. Super fast and makes me feel safer online.

  8. Nome Loplagies | September 2, 2019

    NordVPN with USA servers, using it from Mexico with Netflix, EPIX, STARZ, Dish, and Roku channels:
    Pioneer TV 50” 4K, software version: V8-MS86MNA-LF1V136, flawlessly working Netflix App 4.3.5 since I bought it
    Roku devices, every two weeks VPN client server needs to be change because Netflix add it to its blacklist.
    Other Apps in Roku devices like STARZ, CBS All access, NBC, Epix, Pandora, PBS, etc. from Dish subscription are working without a flaw
    Local network (wired and wireless) is through an Asus router RT-AC3100
    ISP is TelMex, fiber optics link, DMZ port designated on primary router from ISP for Asus router
    Routine as follows:
    1) Download latest UDP servers from NordVPN
    2) Find optimal USA servers with phone VPN app
    3) Choose from newest UDP servers on list, matching better performance ones
    4) Apply new profile to Asus or edit and upload .ovpn file
    5) Reset Roku to test new VPN settings

  9. GLV | August 19, 2019

    I just spent 3 weeks in China. (July-August 2019). I was able to access Google and banned sites without problems. (Option: “Obfuscated Servers”).
    I used my Android smartphone and my Windows 10 ultrabook with NordVPN applications.
    I was using Wi-Fi and a Chinese 4G LTE SIM card from “China Telecom”.
    Obviously the connection was sometimes lost. But overall I am very happy to have chosen NordVPN. This goes through the Great Firewall of China (GFW) !
    My only concern was during very big download (+1GB) on Western servers. Very slow, if not impossible. (This being more a concern for server redundancy in Asia than VPN).
    But to surf normally, for music or YouTube, WeChat, Signal, etc. no problem.
    [GLV – Switzerland]

More user reviews

Leave a review

Your email address will not be published.

* All the prices on this website are subject to change without notice. While we put a great deal of effort into making sure that all the prices are accurate, one or more products may have outdated prices. Please visit the specific product’s official website for exact prices.