Simon Migliano is a recognized world expert in VPNs. He's tested hundreds of VPN services and his research has featured on the BBC, The New York Times and more.
NordVPN achieved an impressive rating of 9.4/10 based on our tests. It’s a versatile option that excels when it comes to speed and the ability to bypass geo-restrictions on streaming websites. It has fewer server locations than its competitors and can feel less user-friendly, but these issues are offset by its affordable price.
Ranked #2 out of 65 VPNs
NordVPN Category Ratings
9.8/10
9.0/10
8.8/10
9.7/10
9.6/10
6.7/10
9.9/10
9.5/10
9.7/10
8.5/10
NordVPN Pros & Cons
Regular privacy policy & security audits
Works with US Netflix, Hulu & more
Fast connection speeds with NordLynx
Excellent Firestick app and Smart DNS tool
7-day Android free trial and 30-day money back guarantee on all platforms
Supports torrenting traffic on the vast majority of servers
Servers in fewer countries than alternatives
Retains connection timestamps for 15 minutes
Dedicated IP feature is a privacy risk
Renews at a much higher subscription price
No GUI app for Linux
Why Trust Us?
We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our ratings are based on our own testing results and are unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.
Since its launch in 2012, NordVPN has become the most well-known VPN service. Based in Panama, it’s a highly-trusted VPN with over 14 million paying customers worldwide.
NordVPN is operated by Nord Security, which also owns Atlas VPN and shares a holding company with Surfshark. Despite this, all three VPN services run independently.
Recently, NordVPN has expanded into other cybersecurity tools, including a file encryption feature and a secure password manager. As VPN experts, we’ll only focus on the features included in the VPN subscription in this NordVPN review.
Who Should Get NordVPN?
Get NordVPN if:
You want to access geo-blocked streaming services. NordVPN works with 17 Netflix libraries, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, and more.
You need more than standard VPN functionality. NordVPN includes lots of additional technical features, including an ad and malware blocker, the ability to create your own NordVPN server, and Onion over VPN.
You want fast internet speeds. Using NordLynx, its WireGuard-based protocol, we recorded quick download speeds across NordVPN’s entire server network, with only a speed loss of 2% when connecting to a nearby server.
Avoid NordVPN if:
You haven’t used a VPN before. With its wide range of functionality, NordVPN can feel difficult to use if you’re unfamiliar with VPN apps.
You want an IP address from many different countries. NordVPN has servers in fewer countries than other top VPNs, so you won’t be able to connect to a server in popular locations like Russia and India.
You plan to install a VPN on your internet router. NordVPN doesn’t have a dedicated app for routers, making it difficult to modify settings and switch server locations.
This rating is calculated by how many different streaming services and regional content libraries the VPN can unblock, and how consistently it can access them.
We test access to Netflix, Disney+, Max, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and many more platforms on a weekly basis.
NordVPN performed superbly in our streaming tests, successfully unblocking Netflix, HBO Max, and every other popular streaming platform. It reliably streamed geo-blocked video content in HD to 4K video quality, and it has a Fire TV Stick app and a Smart DNS feature so you can use it on a range of streaming devices.
Ranked #2 out of 65 VPNs for Streaming
Here’s a list showing some of the most popular streaming services that NordVPN can access:
Streaming Platform
Works with NordVPN
Amazon Prime Video
Yes
BBC iPlayer
Yes
Channel 4
Yes
Disney+
Yes
Hotstar India
No
Hulu
Yes
ITVX
Yes
Max
Yes
Netflix US
Yes
NordVPN itself and other VPN review websites credit NordVPN’s excellent streaming performance to its branded SmartPlay feature, which switches between DNS servers when you access geo-blocked content.
However, this feature is not unique to NordVPN. All of the top VPNs for streaming, including Windscribe and PrivateVPN, use a similar DNS-based method to access streaming services, often with a higher success rate across various content platforms.
Read on to find out more about our NordVPN streaming tests.
Reliably Streams 17 Netflix Libraries
NordVPN is currently one of the best VPNs for Netflix. In every test over the past three months NordVPN has always been able to access the US content library. This marks a significant improvement from our previous experience, where Netflix often blocked NordVPN’s IP addresses.
Our hands-on analysis found that, unlike competitors such as ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN, NordVPN automatically connects you to a server that’s compatible with US Netflix. This means you don’t have to waste time finding a working server.
NordVPN works reliably with US Netflix.
We also tested NordVPN servers in 60 countries to see if it could access popular Netflix libraries.
NordVPN unblocked almost all of the most popular Netflix libraries. You can view NordVPN’s compatibility with popular Netflix libraries in the table below:
Netflix Library
Works with NordVPN
Australia
Yes
Brazil
Yes
Canada
Yes
France
Yes
Germany
Yes
India
No
Japan
Yes
Mexico
Yes
Netherlands
No
Switzerland
No
UK
Yes
US
Yes
However, NordVPN is currently unable to access Netflix’s India and Netherlands libraries. We hope to see improvements in this area, especially considering that competing VPN services like Windscribe and PrivateVPN successfully provide access to these regions.
Works with US Streaming Services
NordVPN is one of the best VPNs for accessing HBO Max, Hulu, YouTube TV, Peacock, and all other US-based streaming websites from abroad.
The first server we tried was successful with each platform, but NordVPN also has multiple servers in 16 US cities to switch between if you encounter any issues.
When connecting to a US NordVPN server from Europe, videos always loaded instantly in 1080p (Full HD) and performance was comparable to our home non-VPN connection.
NordVPN can bypass HBO Max’s geo-blocks
Unlike Surfshark, the VPN doesn’t come with a fake GPS feature for Android. We couldn’t bypass location checks on our Android phone to stream blackout games on NBA League Pass or MLB.tv.
Accesses BBC iPlayer, Sky Go & Other UK Streaming Services
NordVPN is our top-rated VPN for BBC iPlayer. Over years of testing, the VPN has consistently bypassed geo-blocks on the platform. Using NordLynx and connecting to a UK server from the US, we didn’t experience any buffering and videos displayed at the maximum resolution.
NordVPN is one of the most reliable VPNs for streaming BBC iPlayer.
Impressively, the VPN could stream BBC content on all of its UK servers. This contrasts with other leading VPNs, including ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access, where we had to contact customer support to find a compatible server.
NordVPN also worked to unblock Channel 4 from overseas, ITVX, and every other streaming service that requires a UK IP address. Our speeds even remained fast enough to stream live Premier League games on Now and Sky Go without any issues.
Works Well with Kodi
NordVPN is a good choice for hiding your Kodi activity from your ISP due to its excellent streaming performance and private logging policy.
With its Fire TV and Android TV apps, NordVPN is compatible with all popular Kodi boxes. Using it on an Nvidia Shield, we accessed popular geo-restricted Kodi add-ons, like Adult Swim, without encountering any error messages or detecting data leaks.
NordVPN concealed Kodi traffic from our ISP.
Speed
Fast Speeds, Regardless of Server Location
9.7/10
How is this calculated?
We calculate the VPN’s speed rating using our download speeds, upload speeds, and ping (latency) measurements.
We regularly test the VPN’s local and international speeds using a dedicated 100Mbps internet connection in New York, USA.
Using its NordLynx protocol, we recorded fast connection speeds on every NordVPN server we tested. On our 100Mbps baseline connection, we measured an impressive average download speed of 95Mbps when connected to a nearby server and as quick as 90Mbps for international connections.
Ranked #5 out of 65 VPNs for Speed
Here’s a table showing NordVPN’s speed test results:
As you can see, even in locations as far away as Australia, NordVPN maintained incredibly fast speeds — well above what we typically see from other VPNs.
NordVPN can sustain this excellent speed performance as it has more servers than other VPNs. It also automatically connects you to a less-congested server, preventing overloaded servers and throttled performance.
In the chart below, view how NordVPN’s local and average international download speed compares to other top VPNs:
These results show that NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs you can get. It’s quick enough for streaming content from international libraries, quickly downloading torrent files, and general web browsing.
Low Latency for Lag-Free Gaming
NordVPN maintains a low ping rate across its server network. While connected to a nearby server, we recorded a ping of just 8ms, making it one of the best VPNs for gaming.
Using it, we were able to play fast-paced games, like CS:GO, without encountering any lag or performance issues. As you’d expect, ping was a lot slower when using it to access easier gaming lobbies in Brazil. But 119ms was still low enough for a smooth experience.
Our ping never exceeds 8ms on NordVPN servers.
NordVPN’s low latency can be credited to its NordLynx protocol, which is based on WireGuard. WireGuard is built to optimize data transmission, which reduces the time it takes to send packets between your device and the VPN server.
Price & Value
Excellent Value on Most Subscription Plans
8.5/10
How is this calculated?
While we do assign a ‘Price & Value’ rating, it doesn’t contribute to the Overall Rating. We believe the reader should decide what is or isn’t a reasonable price.
A good rating isn’t just based on how cheap the VPN is, but for the overall value it offers.
NordVPN offers great value considering the quality of the product. At $3.29 per month on a two-year plan, it’s less than half the price of its main rival ExpressVPN. However, we recommend avoiding its annual plan as the fee increases substantially after the initial payment period. We’d also like to see its free trial extended to desktop and iOS in the future.
Note: We are only reviewing NordVPN’s ‘Standard’ subscription plans, which include the VPN, malware protection, and Threat Protection. To get access to other features, like cloud storage, you’ll have to pay more for a ‘Plus’ or ‘Complete’ subscription.
The two-year NordVPN plan represents great value, considering you can use it on up to six devices at once and have access to its many advanced features. You’ll have to pay $78.96 upfront, which increases slightly to $99.48 after the initial subscription period.
However, the $55.98 one-year plan renews at a much higher price of $99.48. This is almost exactly the same price as its closest rival ExpressVPN and 66% more expensive than Surfshark.
To compare NordVPN’s initial subscription prices and renewal rates with other VPNs, see the table below:
VPN Service
Initial Annual Subscription Price
Renewal Annual Subscription Price
NordVPN
$59.88
$99.48
ExpressVPN
$99.95
$99.95
Surfshark
$47.88
$59.76
IPVanish
$47.89
$89.99
In all, NordVPN is still worth the money on its monthly and two-year plans. But, if you’re interested in an annual subscription, we recommend opting for ExpressVPN, our top-ranked VPN, instead.
NordVPN Free Trial
You can get a seven-day NordVPN free trial by downloading its Android app and signing up for an annual subscription. Once registered, you can log in to the account on any of your other devices.
All of its main competitors, including ExpressVPN, PIA, and Surfshark, offer free trials on iOS as well as Android. We’d like to see NordVPN do the same in a future update.
You can get the equivalent of a 30-day NordVPN free trial on every platform by taking advantage of the service’s money-back guarantee. It’s a no-questions-asked refund promise, so if you cancel your subscription within 30 days, you’ll receive your refund.
If you want a completely free VPN service, the best alternative to NordVPN is Atlas VPN. Owned by Nord Security, Atlas VPN has a 5GB monthly data cap but doesn’t require any payment information to use and is one of the best free VPNs for plenty of online activities.
Payment & Refund Options
Here’s a full list of payment methods that NordVPN accepts:
Alipay
American Express
Bank Wire / Direct Transfer
Bitcoin
Mastercard
UnionPay
Visa
NordVPN has stopped accepting PayPal. However, it may offer additional region-specific payment methods depending on where you are in the world.
Server Locations
IP Addresses Available from 60 Countries
9.6/10
How is this calculated?
The key factor for calculating this rating is the global spread and coverage of the VPN’s server network.
We also consider the total number of servers, the number of city-level servers, and the number of IP addresses available.
Although NordVPN has the fifth-largest server network in terms of server count, it provides IP addresses from only 60 countries. While this is still a good figure, it’s the lowest among our top 10 rated VPN services and 40% less than Surfshark.
NordVPN’s servers are spread out in the following continents:
Continent
Countries with Servers
Europe
37
Asia
12
South America
5
North America
3
Oceania
2
Africa
1
Using NordVPN, you can browse as if you’re located in the most popular countries, including the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. These locations also include city-level servers, so you can connect to a specific city within the country.
NordVPN’s US city servers on iOS.
But as you can see in the table above, there are few options for users in South America and Africa. You won’t be able to get an IP address from many other popular locations, like Egypt or Russia.
To put this in context, while NordVPN has servers in 60 countries, Surfshark has servers in 100 countries, and ExpressVPN in 106 countries.
NordVPN has relatively few server locations because it only uses physically located servers in the country, as opposed to virtual server locations. As a result, IP addresses are only available from countries where NordVPN can set up physical infrastructure.
Although this approach has the minor advantage of letting you know the exact location of the server you’re connected to, we’d prefer if NordVPN offered a broader range of countries via virtual server locations.
Ease of Use
Simple Enough Interface for Most Users
9.5/10
How is this calculated?
This rating mainly consists of the user-friendliness and intuitiveness of setting up and regularly using the VPN.
We also factor in customization settings, as well as device and OS compatibility (see section above).
NordVPN strikes a good balance between user-friendliness and technical complexity. Its applications include a lot of extra features without too steep of a learning curve. The main downside is its use of unlabelled buttons for activating most features, making it unclear how to enable them. The interface is also inconsistent across devices, which might lead to confusion when switching between platforms.
Ranked #3 out of 65 VPNs for Ease of Use
To start using NordVPN, simply visit its website and click ‘Get NordVPN’ to create an account. Then download the appropriate software for your device.
Once installed, NordVPN provides a below-average onboarding experience. Unlike most other VPNs, it doesn’t give you a tutorial on how to use the app’s features when you open it for the first time.
All of NordVPN’s apps were given a refresh in December 2022. However, we preferred the older interface as fewer settings were hidden behind unlabeled buttons.
Across its apps, NordVPN has several features designed to make using it easier and more convenient. Here’s a quick summary of them and their impact on the app’s usability:
Auto-connect initiates a VPN connection any time you connect to WiFi. With this, you get the benefits of NordVPN without having to even open the app. We found this useful when using the VPN solely for encrypting traffic, but not for accessing geo-blocked sites.
Pausing allows you to temporarily disconnect from NordVPN for 5, 30, or 60 minutes. We didn’t find this feature useful for any purpose. We’d prefer it if it removed it rather than giving it a dedicated button on the app’s home screen.
Presets lets you create a customized shortcut to add to the app’s home screen. You can choose a server location, VPN protocol, and which website you’d like to open automatically. This saved us some time when connecting to a Japan server to access Japanese Netflix, for example.
Split Tunneling lets you choose which apps to route inside and outside of the VPN tunnel. This is useful for keeping compatibility with apps that require your true IP address, like smart home devices, without having to disconnect from the VPN.
Here’s a more detailed overview of our experience using NordVPN on different devices and operating systems:
Desktop & Laptop (Windows & Mac)
NordVPN has easy-to-use apps for both Windows and Mac. While the two versions look similar, we prefer the Mac version because of a minor difference.
On macOS, the full server list is always visible in alphabetical order. The Windows app requires you to click a drop-down icon and scroll through a long list that starts with specialty and Meshnet servers. This becomes frustrating when you change server location frequently, meaning NordVPN has a much slower experience than ExpressVPN and other competitors.
The main issue that applies to both desktop clients, though, is that the minimum window size is too large due to the server map. In our experience, this made it difficult to use other apps side-by-side with NordVPN on our 13-inch Lenovo ThinkPad or MacBook Pro. We’d prefer it if you could collapse the window down to a single column, similar to Proton VPN.
As stated previously, we also dislike how many of the app’s features, like server options and Threat Protection, are hidden behind undescriptive icons. You’ll have to hover over each of them to understand their purpose.
More positively, NordVPN recently added a dark mode to its Windows app, although we do wish the app would automatically match the system settings. This isn’t available at all on Mac.
Mobile (iPhone & Android)
NordVPN’s mobile apps are easier to use than its desktop clients. To allow simple connections to the fastest server, the app displays a ‘Quick Connect’ button in the middle of the home screen. This layout is identical on iOS and Android.
Unlike on Windows, you can simply scroll to access the full list of countries, making it a lot easier to find your desired IP address. We also like how you don’t have to tap to access more server locations, as you do with ExpressVPN or PIA.
The app’s bottom tabs allow you to switch between the VPN, Meshnet, Statistics, and Profile. We don’t find the statistics feature useful in our experience, so we’d like the ability to customize the tabs to suit individual preferences.
Disappointingly, the kill switch is difficult to set up on NordVPN’s Android app. To enable it, you’ll have to go to Settings > Wireless and networks > More > VPN > Always on VPN. We’d prefer it if it could be toggled on or off from within the app’s settings.
Linux
NordVPN still does not offer a graphical user interface (GUI) app for Linux. It’s controlled solely via the Linux command line interface (CLI), making it difficult to use.
This is far from ideal, and for a service of NordVPN’s scale and reputation we expect much better. That said, as far as Linux CLI VPNs go NordVPN is one of the most user-friendly.
It clearly spells out what commands you can use to control it, it gives you access to a range of advanced features, and it even lets you log in via a browser link rather than leaving you to fumble around entering account details into the Terminal.
We strongly feel a proper Linux GUI app that matches the ones on offer for Windows and macOS needs to be introduced in the near future.
Streaming Devices (Amazon Fire TV, Android TV & Apple TV)
NordVPN provides user-friendly and fully-featured apps for Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV. It looks different from its other apps, though, so it won’t be immediately obvious how to use it.
Unlike NordVPN’s other software, the TV app doesn’t include a map interface. Instead, you’ll have to scroll through a horizontal list to select the server location, which was time-consuming when using the TV remote, especially as they’re not ordered alphabetically or by continent.
We also believe the ‘Disconnect’ button should be larger and more prominently placed on the home screen. Currently, disconnecting from the VPN server requires scrolling to the far left rather than simply clicking the location or a standard ‘Off’ button.
Despite these drawbacks, NordVPN’s TV apps are still easier to use than its competitors’. For instance, PrivateVPN has not updated the user interface for larger screen sizes, making them uglier and more difficult to use.
Instead of a map interface, like in the regular desktop apps, the NordVPN extensions let you quickly search for server locations. We found this to be a more user-friendly and efficient experience than using the Windows or Mac app.
The extensions are made easy to use as all the important privacy-protecting features, like WebRTC leak protection, are enabled by default. You can start using the extension right away without dealing with complicated settings or customization options.
Privacy & Logging Policy
Doesn’t Log Any User Information
8.8/10
How is this calculated?
We analyze and dissect the VPN service’s logging and privacy policy. A VPN should never log and store:
Your real IP address
Connection timestamps
DNS requests
Headquarters outside of 14 Eyes or EU jurisdictions are also preferable.
NordVPN is a trustworthy VPN service. It’s based in Panama, a country without data retention laws, and it doesn’t log any data that can link your web activity back to you. Though its privacy policy has undergone an audit, it hasn’t been proven through a court case or law enforcement request.
Ranked #15 out of 65 VPNs for Privacy & Logging Policy
Here’s a summary of the user data that NordVPN logs:
As you can see, despite advertising itself as a “true no-logs VPN,” NordVPN does retain a small amount of user data. The VPN logs your username and a connection timestamp for 15 minutes after a session ends.
Importantly, though, no third party can use this to link any of your online activities to you as an individual. NordVPN’s privacy policy has been audited four times, as recently as December 2023, to confirm it does not retain any personally identifiable information.
NordVPN is headquartered in Panama, a privacy-friendly jurisdiction with no affiliation to any international surveillance alliances. Panama has strong data privacy protection, allowing NordVPN to only retain minimal user data without being subject to government interference.
Cyberspace, the company behind NordVPN, is registered in the Netherlands. After contacting it, a NordVPN representative confirmed this does not affect NordVPN’s Panama jurisdiction. NordVPN still operates in Panama and continues to benefit from its privacy-friendly laws.
Dedicated IP Feature Is a Privacy Concern
NordVPN provides a dedicated IP feature for an additional $3.89 per month. However, we’ve found that it contains a serious privacy issue as the dedicated IP address is directly connected to your NordVPN account.
Consequently, if law enforcement suspects any criminal activity associated with a dedicated IP address, NordVPN would be obligated to provide the user’s full details. As a result, the dedicated IP feature doesn’t offer any privacy advantages over a regular ISP connection.
NordVPN’s dedicated IP address is linked to user accounts.
Other VPNs, like CyberGhost and PIA, have addressed this issue by using a token-based system. In short, this prevents the VPN service from linking the dedicated IP address to the user’s account.
Given NordVPN’s reputation as a privacy-focused VPN, we trust that it will fix this vulnerability soon, now that we’ve alerted it. But for now, we strongly recommend avoiding its dedicated IP feature.
Excellent Privacy-Enhancing Technical Features
NordVPN includes many technical features that make it a top choice for protecting web privacy. Here’s a quick summary of them and how well they worked in our tests:
First-party DNS servers to prevent DNS leaks and hide traffic from your ISP. Over years of testing, we’ve never recorded any DNS leaks or unencrypted DNS traffic while using NordVPN.
Anonymous payment methods using Bitcoin. To further improve this, we’d like to see more options, like Monero, and for the VPN to not require an email address at sign-up.
Diskless VPN servers to ensure no user data is stored on the VPN server, making it impossible for an unauthorized person to extract any information. Similarly to ExpressVPN, we’d like to see a third-party verify that its servers don’t use storage devices.
Threat Protection ad blocker that prevents advertisers from tracking your activity around the internet. This is superior to almost all of the other VPN ad blockers we’ve tested, preventing 60% of adverts from loading on our device.
Kill switch that conceals your real IP address from websites if your connection drops. We found that NordVPN’s kill switch didn’t leak our credentials when forcibly dropping the connection or when changing the server location.
Torrenting
A Safe Choice for Torrenting
9.0/10
How is this calculated?
This rating is determined by the VPN’s torrenting speeds, the percentage of servers that allow P2P file sharing, the service’s privacy and trustworthiness, and useful settings like port forwarding.
For speed specifically, we calculate the VPN’s average download bitrate using our bespoke torrenting setup.
NordVPN permits torrenting activity on over 85% of its 5,754 servers. Even without port forwarding, it provides an impressive average download bitrate of 9.8MiB/s on our 10MiB/s connection. Although torrenting is restricted on servers in 14 countries, it is unlikely to impact your experience.
Ranked #8 out of 65 VPNs for Torrenting
Here’s an overview showing how NordVPN performed in our torrenting tests:
Torrenting Attribute
Result
Average Download Bitrate
9.8MiB/s
No. of P2P Servers
4,771
Logging Policy
No Identifying Data
Kill Switch
Yes
Port Forwarding
No
NordVPN is compatible with all popular torrent clients, including uTorrent, qBittorrent, and Vuze. We also verified that it works with magnet links, allowing us to instantly start downloading the torrent file.
NordVPN’s best-in-class security features, like the kill switch and safe NordLynx protocol,
conceal your torrenting activity. Additionally, its private logging policy means that NordVPN has never forwarded DMCA requests to its users.
Sadly, NordVPN doesn’t allow you to torrent while connected to servers in 14 countries, including Argentina, Israel, and South Korea. However, the VPN app automatically reroutes P2P traffic through dedicated servers in Canada or the Netherlands, causing minimal impact on speed.
To connect to one of these servers, simply select P2P from the top of the server list.
NordVPN includes servers optimized for torrenting activity.
In the table below, you can compare how fast NordVPN could download a 20GB torrent versus other VPNs:
VPN Service
Download Bitrate
Time to Download 20GB Torrent File
No VPN
10MiB/s
32 minutes
NordVPN
9.8MiB/s
34 minutes
IPVanish
9.9MiB/s
32 minutes
PureVPN
8.1MiB/s
39 minutes
CyberGhost
3.9MiB/s
1 hour 21 minutes
As you can see, NordVPN downloads files faster than most competing services. However, to further improve its performance, we’d like to see NordVPN add port forwarding. This advanced P2P feature typically boosts torrent download speeds and is included with some other VPNs, like Proton VPN and PIA.
EXPERT ADVICE: We strongly advise against using NordVPN’s SOCKS5 proxy feature. While it’s faster than a VPN, it’s less secure. Although a SOCKS5 proxy masks your IP address, it doesn’t encrypt your traffic, which compromises your online privacy and security.
Security & Technical Features
Best-in-Class Security Features
9.9/10
How is this calculated?
A secure VPN must offer OpenVPN or WireGuard protocols, AES-256 encryption, and a working kill switch.
To calculate this rating, we also factor in additional security settings and features.
Our tests showed that NordVPN is a highly secure VPN service with more technical features than almost every alternative. It secures web traffic using WireGuard and ChaCha20 encryption, and it prevents unauthorized access to its network using colocated diskless servers. In all, NordVPN can be trusted to secure your online activity from third-party monitoring.
Ranked #1 out of 65 VPNs for Security & Technical Features
In the table below, you can see all the VPN protocols, encryption ciphers, and technical features that NordVPN offers:
You can read our analysis and findings of NordVPN’s security and technical features in the following sections.
Uses Safe & Open-Sourced Tunneling Protocols
NordVPN uses cutting-edge VPN protocols to protect your personal data from third parties.
All of NordVPN’s software uses NordLynx by default, which is simply WireGuard with the addition of double NAT. This is no different from every other VPN that uses WireGuard, but NordVPN has chosen to brand it to try and differentiate itself.
WireGuard is our preferred VPN protocol as it’s open-source and widely used. This makes NordVPN’s security protocols more trusted than ExpressVPN, NordVPN’s top competitor, which uses an exclusive protocol instead of WireGuard.
Secure Encryption Prevents Third-Party Monitoring
NordVPN secures traffic using trusted encryption algorithms. The VPN uses ChaCha20 to encrypt the traffic in its VPN tunnel and establishes the connection with a 2048-bit DH key.
To verify this worked as advertised, we analyzed the packets passing through our network using Wireshark. As you can see in the screenshot below, NordVPN’s encryption meant that our internet traffic was shown as random text, preventing any third party from monitoring our activity.
NordVPN kept our internet traffic private and secure.
Strong Server Security Prevents Unauthorized Access
Following a minor server vulnerability in 2018, NordVPN now includes more server security protections than almost any other VPN.
In contrast to the vast majority of other VPNs that rent servers from third-party data centers, over 10% of NordVPN’s servers are colocated. This means they are owned by NordVPN and only it has access to them, avoiding any vulnerabilities caused by third-party providers.
NordVPN has pledged that all 5,754 of its servers will be colocated in the future.
In addition, NordVPN only uses diskless VPN servers. These servers don’t contain any storage devices, making it almost impossible for a third party to extract any user data from the server.
Kill Switch Stops Data Leaks
In our tests, NordVPN successfully prevented our IP address from leaking both when our connection dropped and when we switched between server locations.
NordVPN passed all of our kill switch tests by concealing our IP address.
The internet kill switch works by blocking your device’s connection to the internet if the VPN connection drops suddenly. The app kill switch — available on Windows and macOS only — lets you apply kill switch protection to selected apps only.
We recommend using the system-wide internet kill switch for added security, especially if you’re torrenting files.
Multi-Hop Servers Provide Double Encryption
NordVPN is one of only a few VPNs to include a multi-hop feature. Unlike a standard VPN connection, this routes your internet traffic through two separate VPN servers and encrypts the traffic twice.
This improves your network security by making it more difficult for an attacker to track your traffic and identify your real IP address.
Based on our tests, NordVPN has the best multi-hop feature of any VPN. It is compatible with WireGuard and, unlike Proton VPN, encrypts traffic twice instead of merely routing it through an additional location.
To enable it, find the ‘Specialty servers’ option in the app’s server list and select Double VPN.
NordVPN’s multi-hop servers are easy to discover.
However, we would like for NordVPN to provide multi-hop servers in more locations. As it stands, they’re limited to just nine countries, all in either Asia, North America, or Western Europe. Broadening this would improve performance for users in other regions.
Threat Protection Blocks Malicious Websites & Ads
NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature is one of the best VPN ad and malware blockers we’ve used. According to our research, Threat Protection blocked 60% of ads and 66% of analytic trackers. You can see an illustration of our findings in the chart below:
NordVPN blocks the majority of ads and analytic trackers.
An ad blocker improves security as malicious ads are sometimes used to infect your device with malware. By preventing most ads from loading, Threat Protection reduces the risk of your device being compromised.
As well, on Windows and Mac, Threat Protection can scan any files for malware before you download it. When using it, the feature correctly flagged all tested unsafe files as malware.
Meshnet Allows You to Get Another IP Address for Free
Meshnet is a unique feature of NordVPN. Available for free, it allows you to route internet traffic through a regular internet-connected device, like a laptop, rather than a VPN server.
NordVPN primarily promotes Meshnet as a tool for file-sharing and LAN gaming, but those are both rather niche. Instead, we recommend using Meshnet as a way to get a residential IP address for free.
If you’re overseas, you can connect to your PC at home to get your regular ISP IP address. That way, you can access your local streaming services from anywhere. Using Meshnet, we were able to access geo-blocked streaming services more often than when using a standard VPN server.
We got a residential IP address for free using Meshnet.
Technical Features We’d Like to See
NordVPN includes more extra technical features than almost every other VPN service. But here are some features we’d like the VPN to add in a future update:
IPv6 addresses, similar to Atlas VPN, to route all traffic through the VPN tunnel, reducing the chance of IPv6 leaks more than basic IPv6 leak blocking.
GPS spoofing, similar to Surfshark, to obfuscate your GPS location as well as your IP address, making it more difficult for apps to pinpoint your location.
Open-sourced apps, similar to Proton VPN, to enhance transparency and security by allowing all users to inspect the VPN’s code.
In all, NordVPN is a fully-featured VPN that enhances network security in almost every way. Given that NordVPN has continuously improved its product over the years we’ve tested it, we’re sure it’ll add the above features sooner rather than later.
Bypassing Web Censorship
Not Usable in China
6.7/10
How is this calculated?
We routinely test if the VPN can bypass strict internet restrictions in China using our remote-access server in Shanghai.
Other important factors we consider include obfuscation technologies and the availability of servers in neighboring countries (for faster connections).
NordVPN does not work in China. Despite attempts to connect through both its application and manual configuration, in every case we were unable to access the open internet from Shanghai.
Ranked #30 out of 65 VPNs for Bypassing Web Censorship
Although it has stated its issues in China will be fixed “as soon as possible”, NordVPN has failed to bypass The Great Firewall since March 2022.
Previously, NordVPN offered a manual setup option for Android, Mac, and iOS devices, which was generally reliable. Disappointingly, though, this workaround is no longer available.
For context, here’s how NordVPN’s performance in China compares to similarly-priced VPN services:
VPN Service
China Uptime (12 Months)
NordVPN
5%
PIA
77%
Windscribe
85%
As you can see, there are far better options than NordVPN for bypassing web censorship.
Device & OS Compatibility
Apps for All Popular Devices & Platforms
How is this rated?
A high-quality VPN should maintain functional, fully-featured applications and browser extensions for as many platforms and devices as possible.
Our ‘Device & OS Compatibility’ assessment contributes to the Ease of Use rating.
NordVPN has apps for desktop, mobile, and Fire TV. It can also be used on devices that don’t support VPNs, like Smart TVs, via its Smart DNS feature, and compatibility can be extended to Roku and Chromecast by installing it on a router. NordVPN allows simultaneous use on six devices, which is slightly above average.
Apps
NordVPN offers dedicated applications for the following platforms and devices:
Windows
Mac
iOS
Android
Linux
Router
ChromeOS
Disappointingly, unlike ExpressVPN, you have to manually install NordVPN on a router because it has no dedicated app.
Games Consoles & Streaming Devices
NordVPN can be used on PS5 and the other following devices by using its Smart DNS functionality or by manually installing it on a router:
Apple TV
Amazon Fire TV
Chromecast
Nintendo
PlayStation
Roku
Smart TV
Xbox
Browser Extensions
NordVPN has extensions for these web browsers:
Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Firefox
Six Simultaneous Connections
NordVPN allows you to use it on up to six devices at once. This is marginally better than the industry standard of five, but still less than competitors like Surfshark that offer unlimited device connections.
To bypass the simultaneous connection limit and secure all devices in your household, install the VPN on your home router.
Customer Support
Helpful 24/7 Live Chat Support
9.7/10
How is this calculated?
This rating is based on our assessment of the VPN’s:
Live chat support
Email support
Online resources
Not every VPN offers all these support options, and they often vary in quality and response times.
NordVPN offers superb customer service with a range of support options, including an automated chatbot, 24/7 live chat, email, and self-help guides. We also found NordVPN's support agents to be more knowledgeable than those from other VPN services and you don’t need to provide a valid email address to contact it.
Ranked #2 out of 65 VPNs for Customer Support
You can get support from NordVPN in the following ways:
Customer Support
Available in NordVPN
24/7 Email Support
Yes
24/7 Live Chat Support
Yes
Chatbot
Yes
Email Support via Online Form
No
Online Resources
Yes
Tutorial Videos
No
For most issues, you can make use of NordVPN’s excellent self-help resources rather than contacting it directly. Its FAQs and video tutorials were sufficient for resolving over 90% of the issues we encountered when using the VPN.
If you need extra help, you’ll initially be greeted by the ‘NordVPN chatbot’.
We typically find chatbots, like Windscribe’s Garry, to be unhelpful and a waste of time. However, NordVPN’s automated agent is helpful and very good at interpreting questions.
The chatbot responds instantly, making it a lot more efficient than VPNs that only use human support. On average, we received answers from NordVPN in just 38 seconds, compared to 126 seconds with ExpressVPN and 297 seconds with Private Internet Access.
NordVPN’s automated chatbot is fast and helpful.
For the times we did require human assistance, we found NordVPN’s support team to be more knowledgeable than typical VPN support staff. Each agent was able to quickly solve technical issues, like identifying why our IP address differed from the selected country.
The Bottom Line
Is NordVPN Worth It?
Given its competitive price, NordVPN provides more than enough features to make it a great choice for many users.
It’s a well-rounded VPN with fast connection speeds using NordLynx, best-in-class security using ChaCha20, and it can unblock popular streaming websites with SmartPlay.
It’s ideal for advanced users due to the range of advanced technical features it offers. You can set up your own network of encrypted tunnels using Meshnet, route traffic through two encrypted servers using Double VPN, and safeguard against malware using Threat Protection.
However, it does have some tradeoffs that might make other VPNs a better fit for you. Its apps are more difficult to use than competitors and you can’t use it to get an IP address from many popular locations due to its server network.
We strongly recommend NordVPN — it ranks as the second-best VPN overall according to our testing methodology. If you don’t think it’s the right choice for you, though, you can see the best alternatives in the section below.
Alternatives to NordVPN
ExpressVPN is the only VPN we rate more highly than NordVPN. ExpressVPN offers servers in 46 more countries than NordVPN and its apps are a lot easier to use.
Unlike NordVPN, ExpressVPN allows you to download torrent files on every server, rather than a limited selection. It’s also a much better option if you plan to install the VPN on a router because of its dedicated router app.
However, ExpressVPN is significantly more expensive, costing $6.67 per month compared to $3.29 with NordVPN. But this price gap narrows after the initial payment period.
Surfshark is the best alternative if you want a cheaper alternative to NordVPN. Surfshark costs just $2.21 on its two-year plan, 30% cheaper than NordVPN.
Like NordVPN, Surfshark is part of the Cyberspace company and is subject to regular security and privacy audits. As a result, both VPNs are equally as trustworthy.
However, Surfshark has slower internet speeds than NordVPN and lacks many of the advanced features that NordVPN offers, like Meshnet. It’s an inferior product overall, so we only recommend choosing Surfshark if you’re on a tight budget.
Compare NordVPN with its alternatives in more detail in the table below:
FAQ
Is NordVPN Safe?
NordVPN is extremely safe as it uses secure and open-source security and encryption protocols, like ChaCha20 and WireGuard (NordLynx). NordVPN also has a private logging policy, which means it does not track your online activities or personal information, and it protects you against malware with its Threat Protection feature.
Which Is Better: ExpressVPN or NordVPN?
On the whole, ExpressVPN is better than NordVPN. ExpressVPN has servers in 35 more countries and has faster connection speeds. But NordVPN has more features, like an ad blocker and malware protection, appealing to advanced users.
How Much Does NordVPN Cost per Month?
NordVPN’s monthly plan costs $11.99 per month. However, the annual and two-year plans have a lower cost per month but require an upfront payment of $59.88 and $79.20 respectively.
History of Major Updates to NordVPN
13 December 2023: Deloitte publish a logging policy audit, backing up the claims NordVPN makes in its privacy policy.
31 July 2023: Updated desktop app design.
22 September 2022: Updates app design on Windows.
11 July 2022: Adds support for NordLynx on its multi-hop servers.
26 June 2022: Removes its servers in India in response to government data collection request.
20 June 2022: Introduces Meshnet, allowing any device to act as a NordVPN server.
28 January 2022: Renames CyberSec to Threat Protection.