Is a NordVPN Free Trial Safe?
Yes. By taking advantage of the NordVPN free trial and money-back guarantee, you will be using the exact same product as paying subscribers.
This means you’ll benefit from NordVPN’s world-class security performance. The VPN service doesn’t log any user data, it encrypts traffic using AES-256 with perfect forward secrecy, and it doesn’t leak IP or DNS credentials.
NordVPN has further improved its security by introducing bug bounty programs and diskless RAM servers.
Should I Just Use a Free VPN Instead?
Sadly, the vast majority of free VPNs are not safe to use.
There are a handful of safe free VPNs, however. The problem is they do come with activity limitations.
We currently rank Windscribe as the best free VPN.
It’s the only free VPN that unblocks streaming platforms like Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Netflix in 6 different locations.
However, its free plan comes with a 10GB monthly data allowance — allowing you to stream just four hours of HD video per month.
On the other hand, despite giving free users unlimited bandwidth, Proton VPN comes with just three server locations. It also doesn’t unblock streaming services and it actively blocks torrenting traffic.
As a result, we recommend you stick to NordVPN’s free trial if you can’t afford a monthly VPN subscription. NordVPN doesn’t impose any restrictions on free trial users, so you can connect to servers in 59 countries and don’t have to worry about a monthly data allowance.
Can I Get NordVPN Free Trial Without a Credit Card?
No, NordVPN no longer allows you to sign up for a free trial without a credit card.
NordVPN previously offered a three-day free trial that didn’t require a credit card or other payment method, but it’s now been discontinued.
A NordVPN representative told us that it terminated the free trial plan due to “widespread abuse.” Users were apparently signing up for the free trial multiple times using fake email accounts. This was overloading the VPN’s server network and worsening the experience for paying subscribers.
Although we hope it reintroduces this in the future, you currently need a valid payment method to make use of NordVPN’s free trial.
How Much Does NordVPN Cost?
NordVPN is a superb VPN service, so it’s certainly worth paying for a full subscription if you want to use it for longer than 30 days.
NordVPN comes with three subscription plans, allowing you to pay monthly, yearly, or every two years. The monthly plan costs $11.95 and the yearly plan works out at $4.92 a month. The two-year plan comes with a 68% discount and costs just $3.29 a month.
The large discounts available on the longer-term plans make them a much better deal than paying monthly. The only drawback is that you have to pay the total subscription cost upfront, which is common practice.
For context, read our guide on VPN prices.
What Payment Methods Does NordVPN Accept?
NordVPN accepts the following payment methods:
- Credit and debit cards
- Direct debit
- Amazon Pay
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- Ripple
- Alipay
- UnionPay
When signing up on mobile, you can use your usual payment method on the App Store or the Google Play Store.
Disappointingly, NordVPN does not allow you to pay via PayPal. The VPN provider claims this is to reduce security risks, but we don’t find that claim very convincing. To simplify the signup process, we’d like NordVPN to reintroduce PayPal payments.
Can I Get a Discount on a Paid NordVPN Subscription?
Disappointingly, NordVPN does not allow you to save money through a referral scheme. Some other VPNs, like ExpressVPN, allow you to get 30 days free for every friend you refer to the service.
NordVPN does offer six months free to people “in extreme cases of censorship or online privacy violations.” However, this only applies to journalists, activists and politicians.
If you’re located in a country with aggressive online censorship, notify NordVPN by filling in the form on its emergency VPN assistance page.