NordVPN Review (2022) – No Logs, Fantastic Encryption, and Fast Speeds!
NordVPN is considered one of the top VPNs in the industry. In fact, NordVPN became the market leader back in 2019. This is in part due to their efforts in promoting their service on popular social media such as YouTube. In our NordVPN review, we will see if it deserves a place at the top, or if it’s just marketing. What is NordVPN bringing to the table exactly?
Since its inception in 2008, NordVPN has been working hard to cultivate a reputation for being a trustworthy and fast VPN provider with lofty privacy standards. In our NordVPN review, we gave it top marks for streaming, as it generally manages to circumvent Netflix’s VPN defenses so their users can fully experience the possibilities of a proxy network while also being able to watch American Netflix. In our NordVPN review, we’ll discuss the speed, safety, user-friendliness, server network, safety protocols, and added features of NordVPN, such as their password manager, NordPass, and their secured cloud storage, NordLocker.
NordVPN Review – At a Glance
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Netflix generally works | Their WireGuard version (NordLynx) is custom-built, thus less transparent |
| No-log policy (very good privacy settings) | Web-based login instead of in-app login |
| Strong encryption and high speeds | Knowledge of support agents varies |
| Clean and uniform user interface with a great interactive world map | The NordVPN app should be available in more languages |
| Has a kill switch | |
| Relatively cheap | |
| Offers special P2P, torrent, and Tor VPN servers | |
| Offers VPN servers with a double VPN connection | |
| Dedicated IP available |
NordVPN US is registered by Tefinkom & Co. With the company’s headquarters in Panama, NordVPN and its user base enjoy a high level of freedom regarding internet legislation. Having their headquarters in Panama also means that NordVPN is not susceptible to data-sharing across the “14 Eyes” alliance.
Is NordVPN good? Well, yes. For starters, NordVPN does not keep any logs. That’s a good thing to hear if you value your privacy. NordVPN also has servers that work with several streaming platforms. NordVPN is fast, has military-grade encryption, servers all over the world, and is reasonably priced.
You can read our comprehensive Nord VPN review below.
- 6
- Torrenting allowed
- Works with Netflix
- Zero logs
- OpenVPN
- ,
- IKEv2
- ,
- Wireguard
- Other
- ,
- Credit card
- ,
- Cryptocurrency
- Yes
Speed – How Fast is NordVPN?
Speed is very important for a good VPN. If you use a VPN, you don’t want it to slow down your internet connection too much. It’s the first thing we checked in our NordVPN review. We tested NordVPN on a variety of devices for long periods to gauge its speeds. The potential loss of internet speed was assessed using speedtest.net. Here are the results:
- NordVPN is really fast
- The speed tests showed a small decrease in speed, but speeds remain really fast. You won’t notice that expected drop in speeds when you connect to NordVPN.
- During daily use, there is no noticeable difference in speed, not even while gaming.
- NordVPN automatically connects to the fastest possible server available.
- P2P downloading was also incredibly fast with NordVPN.
Speed test results for NordVPN
NordVPN’s exceptional performance took us by surprise. Previously, NordVPN couldn’t hold its own against the major VPN providers. Now, it has established a place amongst them. We tested both NordVPN servers on a local server and a US server. Keep in mind that your personal speed results with NordVPN may vary depending on your internet speed and location.
Internet Speeds without VPN (Speedtest.net):
These are the speed test results without the use of a VPN. We’ll use these numbers as a base measurement to compare all our other results with.
Speed with a local server (Speedtest.net):
Above you can see the speed test results of our network when connected to one of NordVPN’s local servers. There are decreases in both download and upload speeds, but in practice, these differences are negligible because the drop-off is relatively low compared to other servers. So, is NordVPN good in terms of speeds? Absolutely!
Speed on a USA server (Speedtest.net):
The results above detail the speeds our network reached when we connected to the fastest US server. The upload speed in particular shows a significant decrease. The download speed, however, is the most important factor for most VPN users. The latter isn’t affected as much, hence we still consider the performance of NordVPN to be excellent. However, remember that we tested from the Netherlands, so if you are in the US yourself, you will get better results connecting to a US server.
Speeds during daily use
Is NordVPN as fast in daily use as you’d expect? The answer is a definitive yes! We tried out this VPN during several everyday activities, including simple browsing, hard-core gaming, and downloading a few files. Downloading via P2P networks (torrenting) and dedicated platforms such as Steam was remarkably fast. After all that testing, we can safely conclude that there is no noticeable difference in speed between a connection through NordVPN and one without a VPN. For us, everything ran just as smoothly.
Most modern VPN providers automatically allow you to connect to their fastest possible server on a specific location, and NordVPN is no exception. This system, combined with NordVPN’s numerous servers, guarantees a stable and fast connection.
Download speeds dipped by 35 percent, based on our tests in September 2021. Upload speeds were affected by 23.9 percent. However, the impact on latency was negligible (from 2 ms to 9 ms). This is one of the fastest VPNs we have tested in 2021. They have dramatically improved in performance compared to our previous testing.
Safety – Is NordVPN Safe?
Another important part of our VPN review process is checking the safety and privacy policies. This is most definitely NordVPN’s strong suit. As mentioned earlier, NordVPN’s headquarters are located in Panama. In this section, we’ll explain why that’s a definite advantage. Moreover, we’ll delve into the protocols NordVPN supports, their logging policy, and their kill switch option.
Here’s what we think about NordVPN’s safety in a nutshell:
- NordVPN’s headquarters are situated in Panama
- NordVPN offers strong AES 256-bit encryption
- NordVPN supports several encryption protocols: OpenVPN TCP/UDP, IKEv2/IPSec, and NordLynx
- The company has a strict no-logs policy
- You can use their kill switch option for increased protection
- You only need an email address and password to create a NordVPN account
Protocols
NordVPN has military-grade encryption when it comes to safety. Most notably, NordVPN uses 256-bit AES data encryption. This, along with their well-protected servers and excellent firewall, makes NordVPN incredibly secure.
Moreover, NordVPN uses several renowned VPN protocols:
- IKEv2/IPSec
- OpenVPN TCP
- OpenVPN UDP
- NordLynx (based on Wireguard, with NAT to increase security)
The popular and fast encryption protocol IKEv2 uses IPSec for safe and high-quality encryption. OpenVPN (either TCP or UDP) is generally considered to be the safest protocol, so we’d recommend this for maximum safety.
NordVPN also supports NordLynx. This protocol, developed by NordVPN, is based on the relatively new, fast, and efficient Wireguard protocol and looks very promising. NordVPN has combined Wireguard with its “custom double Network Address Translation (NAT) system” to address security issues that critics have expressed regarding WireGuard. As such, NordVPN claims to have created a safe and fast encryption protocol. Currently, NordLynx is the default VPN protocol when using NordVPN. It seems to work pretty well, but because it’s not an exact copy of WireGuard, information on the protocol is less transparent.
The flexibility and the variety of options available make NordVPN one of the most secure VPNs that you can use today.
Logging and privacy
As mentioned earlier, NordVPN is registered in Panama. In this country, they have great privacy legislation, which means that NordVPN is not compelled to keep logs on their users.
In order to ensure their “no logs” policy and avoid server hacks, NordVPN runs on diskless RAM servers. This type of server can not store data, which means it can’t contain any sensitive information at all. In case of a hack, there will be no data or configuration files to be found: there simply won’t be any information to steal.
Moreover, NordVPN also supports obfsproxy. This (Tor) technique is meant to prevent Deep Packet Inspection, which allows data packets sent through the VPN tunnel to remain hidden. This could allow users in countries like China and Turkey, where VPN use is generally banned, to get a VPN to work. NordVPN also offers additional protection against IP leaks.
NordVPN also supports split tunneling, which is great for people who want to divide their internet traffic.
Finnish server hacked
In 2019, the company revealed that one of NordVPN’s Finnish servers had been hacked the previous year. An unauthorized person managed to get access to the system of the data center that owned the server.
Although this was a serious issue and came as a real shock, NordVPN handled the situation well. No personal data or customer logs were leaked since the provider doesn’t keep any logs. The affected server is no longer in use and NordVPN ended its contract with the data center. Needless to say, NordVPN takes safety and security seriously.
Since the hack, NordVPN has done everything in its power to increase its security. None of their other servers were affected. Regardless, the provider has been checking and auditing its servers closely. In July 2020, NordVPN announced that PricewaterhouseCoopers AG completed another full infrastructure audit confirming the NordVPN no-logs policy.
Moreover, NordVPN has joined the VPN Trust Initiative along with other well-regarded providers such as Surfshark and ExpressVPN. NordVPN also started a bug bounty program, encouraging ethical “white hat” hackers to search for bugs in NordVPN’s system, which further boosts NordVPN’s security.
Finally, they’re building their own network of servers, exclusively owned by NordVPN. All of this shows how seriously they take the safety and security of their customers.
Despite the hack, NordVPN remains one of the safest premium VPNs on the market. Their location and strong no-log policy prove that NordVPN will keep your personal data safe and protect your privacy.
Kill switch
For additional protection, NordVPN also offers a kill switch option. This option is very similar to the kill switch of other VPN services. It prevents personal data leaks when you temporarily lose your connection to the VPN server. Instead, your internet connection will be completely terminated until the VPN connection is back up and running. This won’t usually happen if you just use NordVPN for Netflix, but it can come in handy.
Aside from that, NordVPN allows you to place certain apps and programs on a special app kill list. This way, just those specific apps will be shut down if the VPN connection drops.
Here’s an example of how that’s useful: if you usually use one browser for private activities, while you use another for less sensitive online surfing, you can add the first browser to the kill list. This way, the first browser will be shut down once the safe VPN connection is lost, while the other browser keeps running. You’ll have full control over what you can and can’t do while your VPN is down. In other words: this kill switch is extremely useful and safe. This is also quite handy for NordVPN torrenting.
If you don’t want your ISP to know that you are downloading torrents, it’s best to activate the kill switch.
What information does NordVPN require when creating an account?
One of the things that we really liked during our NordVPN review was the company’s focus on anonymity. To create an account with NordVPN, you only need an email address and a password. You could choose to use a disposable email address if you want to remain more anonymous. NordVPN won’t ask for additional information like your phone number or home address.
They also provide the option of paying with cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. This way you can stay (almost) completely anonymous while creating your NordVPN account. Note that, if you use any other form of payment, you’ll have to give NordVPN some of your personal details, such as your bank account number.
A recent update to the app automatically redirects you to NordVPN’s webpage in your browser when you log in before the app starts running. NordVPN says that this increases security, as they can focus their protection on a single access point. However, many users have indicated that this causes issues with log-ins. The NordVPN website is blocked in some countries, and users are therefore unable to log in even if they have already installed the software. Also, opening the browser for the first time is not yet protected by NordVPN’s service, because you need to be logged in for their protection to kick in.
For most users, this new login system will not be a problem, but in some specific cases, it could prove to be an issue. Although we see the security potential of the new login system, it could definitely be better.
Usability – How user-friendly is NordVPN?
Usability was a primary factor that we wanted to check during our NordVPN review. NordVPN tries to simplify its software and apps, but not at the expense of the possibilities and settings. They have managed to create a perfectly balanced look that is also pleasing to the eye without sacrificing options.
Below you can read our conclusion about NordVPN’s usability, design of their apps, and the different payment methods they offer:
- The NordVPN website is clear and organized
- The NordVPN software is easy to install on most operating systems and devices
- NordVPN has a large database of frequently asked questions and manuals
- The software has a clean look and works very intuitively
- You can pay for a NordVPN plan with a credit card, cryptocurrency, and other payment options like iTunes cards
- The NordVPN customer support is easy to reach and gets back to you quickly
- The level of knowledge between support agents varies (as expected)
The NordVPN website
NordVPN has a simple and clear website. They use soothing colors that are easy on the eyes and provide the user with just enough information. This combination makes it one of the best VPN websites on the web. It also makes NordVPN appear more trustworthy.
The personal account page is also very clear. All the essential information is under the “dashboard” tab.
Installing NordVPN
Installing NordVPN is a piece of cake. Through your account page, you can download the necessary software for most operating systems. You can also download the NordVPN installer on your device. This way, you only need to log in to start using their service. On mobile devices and tablets, you can download the NordVPN app from the App Store or Google’s Play Store. Nowadays, downloading a VPN is quite easy. All big VPN providers have easy-to-install software and special apps for different devices. NordVPN is no exception.
Additionally, they offer a browser extension for Chrome, Brave, and Firefox.
If, however, you run into problems while installing NordVPN, you can take a look at their website. Here they provide you with manuals for the installation of their software, among other things. You can also find a guide there to set up NordVPN to watch Netflix or ask any other questions that you may have.
NordVPN’s appearance and ease of use
NordVPN’s software interface is easy to understand and visually pleasing. In the app, there are different ways to select a server. One option is to choose your server location on a world map. Alternatively, you can also select your server based on a specific feature, such as P2P downloading or watching Netflix. You can find these special servers under the tab “specialty servers”. Another option is choosing a server that is the fastest for your location through quick connect. You can also create a list of servers based on the country you want to stream from.
NordVPN automatically shows the servers you last connected to in the left column.
The app is stable and fast. There’s no option to view download speeds from within the app. But, given how fast it is, you probably won’t miss it.
Apart from the world map, you can also just select your server from an alphabetical list of servers. If you select a country, you can then choose between the different servers within the region. This way, you can manually select another server if you are blocked on one server by a website or streaming service. The server list also shows the distance between your location and the location of the server. Additionally, they also tell you about specific server loads.
The NordVPN iOS app is also easy to use and creates a stable connection. Do not forget to allow the app to gain access to your device, however. The app can manage the connections for you. Connecting to a VPN server will be quick and easy. Select the type of server you want to connect with, and NordVPN will do the rest. It’s very nifty.
There is little to no difference between the mobile app and the desktop app that NordVPN offers. Both are intuitive, user-friendly, and present all options without cluttering the screen. During our NordVPN review, we really liked how the company has kept its interface simple, yet functional.
NordVPN and Linux
More and more people are starting to use paid VPNs on Linux distros. NordVPN has realized this and put in the extra effort to create a clear and concise guide on how to use its VPN on Linux. Their support staff is also well-versed to answer any Linux-related questions.
NordVPN servers can be installed for Debian-, Fedora-, and openSUSE-based distros. It’s also possible to use NordVPN on QubesOS, CentOS, and RHEL. This means your system will most likely be able to run on their servers. Server management must be done through the terminal, however. Of course, most Linux fans won’t mind this at all.
No matter what system you use, you’ll first have to download the NordVPN servers repository. They are available in .deb and .rpm format. You can install them by either clicking the download and running it through a package manner or via commands in the terminal. You’ll also find step-by-step guides for each of the distros on the NordVPN website.
Finally, it’s also possible to easily change the DNS servers in Linux to NordVPN DNS servers in case you’re worried about any DNS leaks.
Pricing and methods of payment
NordVPN offers the same options, with the duration being the only variable. This means that if you get a subscription for a longer period, your monthly fee will be lower. All the plans give you access to nearly 5200 servers worldwide and you can use one subscription on six devices at the same time. Finally, all subscription plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try out their service.
Below you can get an overview of NordVPN’s pricing and plans for 2022.
If you sign up for a two-year plan, NordVPN is currently offering a 70% discount. That comes in at $3.29 per month for two years. There is a countdown timer involved, so you’ll have to claim it within a certain amount of time. Here are their other pricing plans:
- One-month plan: With this plan, you get the NordVPN service for one month. This is especially nice if you want to try out this VPN. You can get this plan for $11.99 a month.
- One-year plan: This plan will allow you to use the NordVPN services for 1 year. You can get this for only $4.99 a month.
- Two-year plan: To enjoy the NordVPN protection even longer, you can get this subscription for 24 months. This subscription comes with a high discount and costs $3.29 per month. This discount is only available for a limited time. Once the countdown ceases, the price increases to $99.48 for one year.
NordVPN offers several different payment options. You can pay for your subscription with your credit card, Google Pay, AmazonPay, ACH Transfer, or UnionPay. Finally, they also have the option of paying with different cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ripple, and Monero. These options are especially nice if you want to stay (almost) completely anonymous.
How can I get NordVPN for free?
NordVPN is a premium VPN provider and well worth its affordable price. However, if you want to get NordVPN for free, you can take advantage of its 30-day risk-free trial! To do this, sign up for a plan on the NordVPN website as usual and pay the respective amount. Then, if you’re not satisfied with the service, you can cancel your subscription anytime within 30 days for a full refund. Essentially, this reduces the NordVPN cost to zero.
Either way, when you compare NordVPN’s cost with other VPN providers, it’s an absolute bargain. You can’t get NordVPN free, but it’s still one of the most affordable VPNs out there. However, if you do want to try NordVPN free, just use their money-back guarantee to claim a refund. For some more detailed instructions on how to do this, you can read this step-by-step plan to use NordVPN for free.
When we tried it during our NordVPN review, we found that the support staff was incredibly helpful in processing refunds.
Customer service
NordVPN has great customer service. If you cannot find the answer to your question in the large database on their website, you can get in contact with them through email and a live chat option that you can find easily on their homepage. This way, you can always get a quick answer to all your queries. For the live chat, you do need to give a name and email address, however. This is to prevent people or spammers from abusing the option.
The answers to most questions can be found on their FAQ page. When we tested the customer support, we noticed that you could get an answer through the live chat within a minute. Earlier, we came across some NordVPN employees that weren’t up to date on all the goings-on in the company. For instance, one of the people we talked to wasn’t aware of NordVPN’s service for businesses. This wasn’t really a big problem anymore in our latest test, but we wanted to mention it. The expertise of customer service employees might still vary.
All in all, we were happy with the NordVPN customer service for the purpose of this NordVPN review. They are easy to reach and will help you out immediately.
NordVPN’s Server Network
Below you can read our take about the company’s updated server network during our NordVPN review.
- NordVPN currently has 5155 servers across 60 countries.
- You can get a dedicated IP address on a limited amount of server locations.
- NordVPN offers different specialty servers for extra protection, the use of Netflix, and downloading through P2P networks.
As of September 2021, NordVPN has 5155 servers in 60 countries. As opposed to many other VPN providers, they also have specialty servers.
There are some specialty servers that offer a double VPN connection for extra safety. Double VPN connections route traffic through two VPN servers instead of one. Essentially, your data is encrypted two times instead of the usual one. It’s a bit slower, but ideal for maximum privacy.
Another specialty server type you can choose from is the “Onion over VPN” server. These provide additional protection against DDoS attacks. Moreover, NordVPN also offers “obfuscated servers”. These servers are great at “hiding” the fact you’re using a VPN, for instance, if you live in a country with internet censorship that is opposed to VPN use, such as China.
Additionally, NordVPN has servers that are specifically designed for Netflix or P2P traffic. A lot of people use NordVPN for torrenting. Finally, they also offer dedicated IP servers for those who want a static IP address. The NordVPN server network is ideal for unblocking any restricted content online.
Bonus tip: NordVPN offers a huge number of manually selectable servers
The following might have gone unnoticed with a lot of users, but NordVPN allows its members to manually choose from a large selection of servers within many countries it has servers in. This really sets it apart, even from some premium providers which only allow you to choose from a few servers in every region/country, or don’t even allow for manual server selection at all. Moreover, this makes NordVPN even better for streaming and unblocking geographically blocked content: if one server doesn’t work with your stream or isn’t fast enough, you simply choose another one of potentially tens or even hundreds of available servers!
To do this, simply scroll down within the smaller grey portion on the left side of the NordVPN interface. You’ll now see a long list of countries with their corresponding flags. Simply hover over one of these countries until an ellipsis appears next to it. By clicking on these you can manually select a server. It’s probably no surprise that NordVPN has a huge number of servers in the US, but even in a relatively small country like the Netherlands NordVPN has tons of servers, as you can see below!
This can be useful for things like using NordVPN with Netflix, as it will bypass regional restrictions. Keep reading our review if you want more information about using NordVPN and Netflix.
Number of servers and locations
NordVPN currently has just short of 5200 servers spread across 60 server locations. You can find their servers in the following countries.
- America: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States.
- Europe: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxemburg, Moldova, The Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
- Asia-Pacific: Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- Africa, The Middle East, and India: India, Israel, South Africa, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
Dedicated IP address
NordVPN has a dedicated IP service. This means you can get dedicated IP addresses alongside your NordVPN subscription. NordVPN’s dedicated IPs all work with the OpenVPN protocol and cost $70 a year. You can use their dedicated IPs on up to two devices at the same time.
To get a dedicated IP with NordVPN, just follow these steps:
- Create a new account on the NordVPN website (alongside the normal account you already own).
- Choose a payment method.
- Click the text “Got a coupon?” on the payment page and add the NordVPN coupon code “norddedicatedip”. You’ll now automatically get a discount on your subscription, making the payment $70 a year.
- Complete the remaining steps of the process.
- Contact the NordVPN team via live chat or email and ask them to give you your dedicated IP address.
At the moment of writing, they only offer IP addresses on servers in the following server locations:
- The U.S.
- Germany
- The U.K.
- The Netherlands
- France
It’s important to understand that this will increase your overall NordVPN cost on a yearly basis.
Additional Options Offered by NordVPN
After looking at the speed, safety, user-friendliness, and server network during our NordVPN review, we will now delve into some of their additional options. Below you can find an overview of these extras that make NordVPN special.
NordVPN and Netflix
With NordVPN you can access your Netflix account, as well as your subscriptions with many other streaming services. Moreover, it is also easy to get access to US Netflix content. Their Smartplay feature makes it incredibly easy to stream content from a different country. Simply by connecting to a server in, for instance, the US you will get access to the American Netflix content. Some Netflix content is specific to the US or UK, which means you won’t be able to see those movies or series if you are in Japan or Germany. However, with a VPN like NordVPN, Netflix US is accessible regardless of your location.
We tested this from the Netherlands and could stream Netflix without any difficulties. Depending on your location you could encounter some lag. If this happens you can always try out different servers to see if it gets better.
Netflix is trying really hard to stop VPNs from helping us change our IP address. We noticed over the last couple of months that Netflix will sometimes see we are using a proxy or VPN when we are trying to use NordVPN for Netflix. However, once we pick another server in the NordVPN app we are able to stream. Sometimes it can also help to simply refresh the page a few times. This is slightly annoying but certainly not the end of the world.
As of August 2021, NordVPN is aware of the increased scrutiny and efforts by Netflix to block the known IP addresses of VPN providers. NordVPN’s customer support acknowledges that offering NordVPN users access to Netflix is increasingly difficult. But NordVPN has a team working around the clock to keep Netflix accessible.
NordVPN and torrents
NordVPN also has special servers for downloading torrents. These P2P servers allow the downloading and uploading of torrents. With the easy NordVPN software you can select one of these servers and start downloading torrents safely and anonymously. Because most of the NordVPN servers are very fast you can download files in no time. In our experience, NordVPN torrenting was fast, with barely any hitches.
NordVPN is without a doubt a good VPN service for P2P traffic. For this reason, it is often used by those who want to prevent fines for illegal downloading.
CyberSec
CyberSec is an additional security feature NordVPN provides to block any ads and protect you against malware, phishing, and other online threats. This nifty safety feature by NordVPN makes sure your device cannot be used in DDoS attacks. Nor can it get infected by malware. NordVPN keeps an eye on your online safety.
Onion over VPN and double VPN connections
NordVPN offers two types of VPN connections that make your online experience even safer and more anonymous: double VPN connections and Onion over VPN connections. The first option is pretty self-explanatory: you’ll be connected to two VPN servers at the same time and your traffic will go through both of these, making it even more difficult to determine the origin of your data traffic (you). While this option is great for privacy, we don’t recommend using this type of connection for streaming or downloading. After all, guiding your traffic through two distinct VPN servers can really slow down your connection.
The second option, Onion over VPN, connects you to a NordVPN server, after which your traffic will also go through 3 nodes (as is customary) of the Tor network. This means that authorities or other parties which try to spy on you online generally won’t even be able to determine the VPN server your traffic passed through. This is great for people who fear their VPN provider – even when they’re very reliable and have a no-logs policy like NordVPN – could, in rare cases, give information about their users to authorities or other parties. NordVPN’s Onion over VPN feature makes this virtually impossible.
Moreover, the fact this feature connects you to a VPN server first provides a great extra layer of protection in the (extremely rare) event that your Tor entry node, or any other node(s) you’re using, has been compromised. This feature might seem a bit overkill for most, but it might be useful nevertheless to real privacy aficionados.
Threat Protection feature
The Threat Protection feature was released in 2022, and is a new feature designed to further improve users’ cybersecurity. Even when you’re not connected to a VPN server, you can leave Threat Protection enabled via the NordVPN app.
The Threat Protection feature shields from you malware online, preventing you from visiting harmful or websites and showing a warning message. It also automatically scans every website you download, and if malware is detected, it deletes the file instantly.
Threat Protection also blocks malicious ads and intrusive trackers, protecting you from any kind of tracking altogether.
The NordVPN browser extension for Chrome, Brave, and Firefox
NordVPN has easy browser extensions for Chrome, Brave, and Firefox. This extension will essentially enable HTTPS for most websites and secure your traffic with the CyberSec feature.
NordVPN Teams – VPN for Businesses
Apart from their regular VPN service for private use, NordVPN also has a specific service for businesses called NordVPN Teams. With NordVPN Teams, you will get priority support and a dedicated account manager. Moreover, the administration is very easy and you can apply for a dedicated IP for all your accounts. This package makes it extremely attractive for businesses to start using a VPN to protect their data. You can get the NordVPN safety standard for all the devices in your office!
Most VPNs are now starting this option, but many consider NordVPN to be the pioneer. We tried it out during the course of our NordVPN review, and are happy to report that the Teams feature works flawlessly.
NordLocker – Secured Cloud Storage
NordVPN has its own secure cloud storage called NordLocker. NordLocker functions similarly to Dropbox, in that it is cloud storage that you can use to share files with other people. One of the added benefits of NordLocker is that you can also use it as an encrypted storage locker. Everything on NordLocker is encrypted and you can even use NordLocker to store encrypted copies of your other files. At the moment you get 3GB if you use NordLocker free, but you can upgrade that to 500GB if you get NordLocker Premium.
Interested in NordLocker? You can add NordLocker at checkout when purchasing NordVPN, or you can get it standalone by going to NordLocker’s website by clicking on the button below.
NordPass – Password Manager
NordVPN also has its own password manager, NordPass. This password manager is very easy-to-use and provides users with a simple tool to manage and keep track of their passwords. NordPass can also be used to generate safe passwords so that you don’t have to rely on using the same password across different sites.
Currently, NordPass is available for $35.76 for a two year plan. That savings of 70% means your monthly subscription fee is only $1.49 per month.
Want to try out NordPass? You can add it to your cart when getting a subscription to NordVPN, or you can click the button below to visit the NordPass website and get it separate from NordVPN’s other tools.
Merger with Surfshark
In 2022, Nord Security, which owns NordVPN, merged with Surfshark. The merger was confirmed and announced by both parties. Both Surfshark and NordVPN reiterated that the two VPNs would operate independently.
Both companies also stated that the merger would have no impact on the way they process user data. According to the press release, the merger would allow both parties to share technical knowledge and focus more on market diversification.
Conclusion: Our NordVPN Review Overview
So what is NordVPN all about? As you might have figured out during our NordVPN review, we like this provider very much. Their no-logs policy is solid, and their extensive selection of servers makes it very attractive for any user. Moreover, the VPN is ideal for people who want to stay anonymous online. NordVPN has lots of extra options to improve your online safety which definitely makes them the safest premium VPN service. Moreover, it comes with many options to make your internet experience the best one, allowing you to unblock the libraries of different streaming services. They provide this awesome service for a more than reasonable price, which truly makes it one of our favorites.
NordVPN: A Quick Comparison
Compared to other VPNs, NordVPN does quite well. Not only is NordVPN decently priced, but it’s also one of the better VPNs on the market, period. If you want to find out how good NordVPN is in comparison with other top VPNs, take a look at the articles below:
- NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN – (Winner: ExpressVPN)
- NordVPN vs. CyberGhost – (Winner: NordVPN)
- NordVPN vs. Surfshark – (Winner: NordVPN)
Looking for a quick answer to your question about NordVPN? Have a look at our FAQ below. Click on a question to see the answer.
No, unfortunately, NordVPN does not offer a free version. However, NordVPN does have a 30-day money-back guarantee which allows you to try it out for 30 days. Also, free VPNs are not always suitable compared to paid VPN options. Free VPNs often have a data or speed limit, which makes them less suitable for streaming for example. Still want to try out a free VPN? Then take a look at our article: the best free VPNs.
NordVPN is one of the very best VPNs when it comes to security. This provider uses OpenVPN, among other VPN protocols. According to many cybersecurity experts, this encryption protocol is the most secure VPN protocol at this moment. Furthermore, NordVPN’s no-log logging policy provides the highest level of privacy. Lastly, NordVPN offers several extra safety features, such as a kill switch, double VPN connections and Onion over Tor.
NordVPN works well with Netflix and allows you to watch Netflix content from several countries. As such you can use NordVPN to watch the US version of Netflix when you’re abroad for business or leisure, or to get access to the Italian version of Netflix, for instance.
If you do, for whatever reason, encounter a problem with accessing Netflix, you can try to connect to a different server, contact NordVPN’s customer support or try an obfuscated server or dedicated IP-address.
You most definitely can. In fact, NordVPN offers special P2P servers, optimized for peer to peer traffic, for this very purpose. You’ll find these in the main menu of the NordVPN app (on the left).
Yes, NordVPN offers dedicated IP addresses in the following countries: the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France. In order to get a dedicated IP, you’ll have to create a new account with a special coupon code, then contact the NordVPN support team to activate your dedicated IP.
NordVPN is a very affordable VPN provider, especially if you take the excellent quality and many extra features they offer into account. The cheapest NordVPN subscription is the 2-year plan that costs just $3.29 a month. A 1-year plan costs $4.92 dollars a month, while the monthly plan is pricier at $11.95.
What Our Experts Have to Say
I bought the subscription last year and ended up not useable for me. I thought I canceled but apparently not. Anyway, I was charged $99 a few days ago via PayPal. I immediately emailed paddle.net and asked the subscription to be canceled and my money to be refunded. They canceled it but was told that I cannot get a refund because they have a 30 day refund only from the ORIGINAL subscription policy. Really???
We’re sorry that happened to you! It might be worth checking whether your subscription was renewed at the VPN itself, or at Paddle, which is essentially a third-party. It might be worth contacting NordVPN’s customer service support if it’s the first. Perhaps they can help you out, although they, too, might consider the first 30 days of the original subscription period the official money-back guarantee.
Just purchased a premium membership from NordVPN. While processing my payment a NordPASS membership was added to the bill without my doing anything to add this. So an extra $35 showed up on my bill. Incredibly deceiving and dishonest.
I have asked for a full reimbursement.
NordVPN plays fast and loose with their provided software, provides ineffective customer support and their system has cost me several hours of lost work due to hanging and killing the Internet connection randomly, requiring a reboot.
I have a large LAN system (for a home system) and when I signed on I installed NordVPN on my bastion firewall server and my Android Pixel 3 smartphone. All was well.
Then NordVPN “upgraded” their system causing my router to be non-functional, leading me to install ‘apps’ on devices on my LAN (4). Installing their ‘app’ on my Linux workstation was problematic, required several hours but a particularly helpful NordVPN CS got it running. Then they updated their Linux ‘app’ (3.0 ⇾ 3.1), and the Linux system started failing frequently, usually while doing something requiring Internet connectivity. That makes it a prime target for deprecation.
As it stands now my rating would be “User-friendliness 1.5” and because failing while connected “Servers 1.0”.
After today’s repeated fiasco, I believe I’ll wait a few months before trying again.
Doing ‘alpha’ testing in a production environment reaches the foolhardy status
Our experiences with NordVPN so far have been pleasant, however, we’re sorry to hear that yours hasn’t. Hopefully NordVPN fixes your troubles soon enough, and, if not, maybe compensate you in some other form or manner. If you still want to try out another VPN, maybe you could try FastestVPN or our top 5 VPN page for some suggestions, thanks for letting us know about your experience with NordVPN!
I Purchased nordvpn because one site that I accessed required this vpn in order to receive some of their content. After activating nordvpn, I noticed that the site stated that I did not have the vpn. I contacted nordvpn who said that they would get back to me. This continued for several days, and nordvpn reply only concerned buffering and disconnections.
I am done. I need a refund.
Sorry to hear your experience with NordVPN wasn’t satisfactory. If you would like to get a refund, you’ll have to contact NordVPN on their website.
I am running an ASUS AC5300 router. I was thinking about connecting the router to NordVPN that way all my clients connected to the router go through the VPN. I am wondering about the speed for all connected clients. I would like to know if you have configured a router this way.
Used Nordvpn on Win 10 for over a year during which time the app & support has always been inconsistent & unreliable. Initial auto-connect randomly doesn’t work requiring turning off auto-connect, blocking internet without Nord & other settings leaving my data vulnerable while connecting to the internet, logging into Nord & turning on. A few weeks ago the program wouldn’t update. Per support’s instructions I deleted the program & reinstalled via a link they provided because the website download didn’t work. It still didn’t update until a few days later a message said to update. The new version 6.38.15.0 will not auto-connect at all. Their current recommendation seems to verify what I’ve always experienced: it doesn’t work at all with the new version. How can I trust that the program protects my data as it does in your review. I realize my experience is different from the review.
Email support has been useless in my experience. On 8-2-21 I found on the website to TRY the following settings which seem to verify they don’t work. Turn off ‘Auto-connect on app launch’ & off on ‘Auto-connect on unsecured Wi-Fi”. Disable the Choose a VPN protocol and server automatically option. Select the OpenVPN (UDP) or OpenVPN (TCP) protocol.
Can I trust my personal data & patient medical records with NordVPN?
Our experience with NordVPN has been mostly positive, so we would trust them with our data. However, we do realize not everyone has the same experience with a VPN for various reasons. If you’re not 100% sure NordVPN is for you, maybe one of the other VPNs we have in our top 5 VPNs is better suited for your needs.
very user-friendly app that does not require much of a knowledge to use, especially on my smartphone. I usually keep it on at all times as I wander a lot and use it only on my computer to access websites that would be locked. It’s a nice compromise for the price of the product with all the feature included, really cant complain about it.
As the title says, it’s a great tool for accessing Netflix catalogs. I remember when we could travel back then that I was using it mainly for that. Like I was going overseas to Europe and was always interested by watching their Netflix, it was so different from ours. Apart from that, I didn’t use the VPN much, thanks Miss Rona… because I would have loved to explore the features they have… From my experience, I really liked it and can’t wait to explore it more.
I bought NordVPN few weeks ago before realizing I don’t need much of a VPN so I contacted the support to ask for a refund as it was not yet 30 days after the purchase. The person who replied to me was kind enough and everything went smooth. It was a good but short experience. One sure thing, if I need a VPN in the future, I know which one I will choose.
We’ve been using nordvpn for few years and everything was fine until we recently renewed with a discounted 2 year offer. Things worked fine for a few weeks then suddenly we were disconnected for no reason. We tried everything to reconnect but couldn’t even login to nord account. We had this problem on multiple devices. Nothing worked no matter what we tried. We tried support for help but no joy. We wanted refund but they said after 30 days they don’t refund. They took our money, gave vpn for few weeks then disconnected! Very dodgy! I don’t recommend nordvpn. We feel disappointed and conned.
We’re sorry to hear that, after being able to use NordVPN without problems for a few years, for some reason it doesn’t seem to work as well anymore. We’re pretty sure NordVPN already tried to solve it, but did you perhaps try to change the protocol to OpenVPN? NordVPN recently switched to WireGuard (NordLynx) and made it its default protocol. This might cause a problem for some people. Hopefully, it does end up being resolved by Nord, whether that’s through a refund or a working VPN.
What are your takes on Nord’s latest update that changes the log in method? You don’t log in directly within the app. It makes you go through a browser then back to the app. I’m seeing a lot of complaints about difficulty connecting and undermining security.
We’ve recently updated our review and put some of our thoughts on this in the “What information does NordVPN Need?” section. We asked NordVPN about it and they say it will help with security, because they only have to protect one point of access. However, we have also read that quite a lot of users aren’t as happy with the change and making valid points. The most important one being: because it’s on a webpage, it’s easy for countries and ISPs to block access to NordVPN. They simply have to block the login page or site altogether. Most users seem to not have any problems with the new login, but for other users it makes NordVPN unusable.
It seems good in theory, but in practice, there are a lot of issues that still need to be fixed. So, all in all, it has potential, but at the moment it isn’t great because of the usability and security issues.
This review will be some kind of feedback after few months of using Nord VPN. I like to read lots of different reviews on a product before getting it, and it took me some time to read reviews about this provider. I decided to go for it simply because they were running a sale and didn’t want to miss it. One sure thing, I don’t regret going for Nord VPN as it has met my expectations. To be honest, this VPN review represents the most what it is in reality with many key points like servers wise or the simple interface (yes I hate when it is difficult to use).
Regarding my use, I mainly turn it ON it at home to bypass some geo-blocked movies but it happens that I keep it ON with my phone while I hang out with family & friends. Until now, everything has been pretty easy and smooth.
I have always been used to torrent until the day I received a notice telling me to stop or it could be the fine. I didn’t want to stop I had to find a way, well I guess I found it with NordVPN! Honestly, it’s been few years and I never received any notice. The best is to check if the server is not leaking and so far it never happened. The reason why I choose them is mainly because they are no-logs, that was my nr. 1 reason.
Have been using Hola for years to unblock certain sites and video streams, but recently someone warned me that it may not be the best or safest VPN to use. I’m thinking about giving NordVPN a try. They show TV ads about Nordvpn in my country and that made me curious. They seem to be getting pretty good reviews. I am just interested in unblocking content, is it still worth dropping Hola and trying out NordVPN just for that purpose?
HolaVPN and NordVPN have very different philosophies when it comes to protecting and safeguarding users. Hola prioritizes paying users at the expense of free users, while NordVPN is a premium provider that takes security and privacy seriously for all its users.
So with the current political climate some of us are more concerned about our privacy, especially with big government allying with corporations. Does this review still hold up
We update our VPN reviews monthly to ensure that we give people the most up-to-date information available. Our most recent update was about a week ago, so the review should still be up-to-date.