NordVPN review: More than just a VPN, it’s a privacy powerhouse

Best Prices Today: NordVPN for Mac

NordVPN is one of the most well-known VPN services with an absolutely massive user-base. The trusted premium service is notable for its excellent speeds, an enormous server network, and unrivaled set of security features. 

In its aim to be a one-stop-shop for all your security needs, the service has expanded into a larger umbrella organization known as Nord Security, offering other tools such as the NordPass password manager, NordLocker for secure file storage, and business tools like NordLayer and NordWL—many of which are offered with subscriptions to the higher tiers of NordVPN. 

Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best VPN services for comparison.

NordVPN in brief:

• P2P allowed: Yes, on dedicated servers
• Simultaneous device connections: 10
• Business location: Panama
• Number of servers: 8,000+
• Number of country locations: 118
• Cost: $12.99 per month, $59.99 for one year, or $83.43 for two years

What are NordVPN’s features and services?

Let’s get this out front right away, NordVPN is one of the largest and most well-funded VPNs around. NordVPN has a user base in the tens of millions and is only one part of the larger conglomerate known as Nord Security. 

There’s no doubt that it’s a premier VPN service with resources most competitors could only dream of. A subscription comes with not just a VPN, but a whole slew of top-quality privacy and security features. But for the purposes of this review, and to compare apples to apples, I’ll be focusing mainly on the VPN portion.

The VPN itself is supported by most major platforms such as Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, smart TVs, and browser extensions. It also allows for 10 simultaneous device connections.

Its customer support services are available 24/7 via chat or email and it also has an extensive blog and FAQ section on its website should you run into trouble and want to solve the problem on your own.

Sam Singleton

When you first open NordVPN on Windows, you’re presented with an information hub showing the status of your VPN connection, Threat Protection, and File Sharing. The left-hand rail includes quick links for a VPN map, Threat Protection, File Transfers, Meshnet connectivity, and Dark Web Monitoring. At the bottom you also have interface options for Contact Us and Settings. 

When you click on the VPN option, the app window changes to a world map that you can drag around and select a specific country and server to connect to. There is also a small box with options for quick connect, allowing you to automatically connect to the fastest available server, and a history of the last few servers you connected to for reference.

Sam Singleton

Digging deeper into the Settings menu, you’ll find a ton of power user options including a Kill Switch and App Kill Switch. The latter stops any app from connecting to the internet if an active VPN connection drops, while the former does that for the entire device.

There are also options for Split Tunneling and Auto-connect. Split Tunneling allows you to choose which apps you specifically want to run through a VPN connection and which you do not. This is really useful if you want to surf the web while protected with a VPN, but also play games without the potential extra latency that comes with an active VPN connection.

Auto-connect is also a nice feature that comes standard with most VPN services. However, what makes NordVPN’s auto-connect feature stand out is the ability to customize the connection itself. You can, for example, automatically connect to a double VPN or a specific country. You can also choose whether to connect whenever the app starts or only on “unsecure networks” like public Wi-Fi.

Sam Singleton

Heading back out to the main menu, you’ll be able to check out the other features that come included in NordVPN’s Plus, Complete, or Prime subscription plans. Under the Threat Protection menu you’ll have options to  enable Nord’s built-in security features such as real-time protection against malware, as well as advanced browsing protection, ad- and tracker-blocking, and file download protection. Its proprietary Line Checker tool even checks website URLs for any signs of malware or phishing threats and warns you before they load.

NordVPN also offers its Meshnet feature. Powered via NordLynx (ie. NordVPN’s version of WireGuard VPN protocol), Meshnet essentially allows you to connect to another device instead of connecting to a VPN server thereby routing online traffic through another machine. Device pairings are required to be authorized by any and all parties and once connected, traffic between devices is still encrypted. 

It’s a really interesting and unique feature that allows users to collaborate with remote file sharing, or resurrect old-school LAN parties, or even gives users the option to connect to the internet via a home computer from a different location.

Overall, NordVPN is easily the most feature-rich VPN on the market. While most other competitors are just trying to catch up, Nord continues to forge ahead year after year. You might not need everything it offers, but you can’t argue with the value it provides thanks to this extensive tool set.

How much does NordVPN cost?

NordVPN offers four levels of subscriptions: Basic, Plus, Complete, and Prime. The Basic plan ($12.99 per month, $59.88 for 1-year, or $83.43 for 2-years) provides you with just the VPN. The Plus plan ($13.99 per month, $71.88 for 1-year, or $107.73 for 2-years) gives you the VPN plus access to malware protection, an ad- and tracker-blocker, a password manager, and data breach scanner. The Ultimate plan ($14.99 per month, $83.88 for 1-year, or $134.73 for 2-years) adds to that with 1TB of cloud storage. Then the new Prime plan ($17.99 per month, $107.88 for 1-year, or $188.73 for 2-years) adds NordProtect features including access to both its identity-theft monitoring and recovery, credit monitoring, and cyber extortion-protection services.

The month-to-month subscription price for all plans is definitely on the high side compared to other VPNs—especially when you opt for just the Basic plan with VPN only. Other top VPNs can be had for less than half the price per month.

However, when you go up to the Plus and Ultimate—or even the Prime—plans, the extra services that are offered help make up for the steep prices. If you can swing it all at once, these higher subscription tier prices drop significantly when purchased in 1-year or 2-year plans, making them much more affordable.

NordVPN also has a habit of offering great limited-time discounts throughout the year on its subscription plans, especially during the holiday seasons. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of these VPN deals then you can get these higher-end plans for next to nothing.

When you sign up, NordVPN only requires an email address. Paying for the service can be done via credit card, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, or various cryptocurrencies.

How is NordVPN’s performance?

During my testing I measured connection speeds across NordVPN’s servers in different countries around the world and then compared them to my baseline internet speed. NordVPN’s server speeds came through with flying colors. I noted an impressive average of 75 percent of the base download speed and an outstanding 81 percent of the base upload speed. Both of those scores are improvements from the last time I tested the service and they further solidify NordVPN at the top. It continues to have the fastest average connection speeds of any VPN I’ve ever tested.

With those speeds, users should have zero issues streaming HD video or playing games across any NordVPN server. Please note however that connection speeds are dependent upon a number of factors both inside and outside of the VPN itself and your experience may vary.

NordVPN also advertises that it works with Netflix, and during testing I found that this was true for all of the servers I tried. However, even with top VPNs, it’s not uncommon to experience streaming service issues. This is because there’s a continual cat-and-mouse game between Netflix’s anti-VPN enforcement and VPN service providers that try to maneuver around blockages. Still, NordVPN seems to be winning this game at the moment.

How is NordVPN’s security and privacy?

NordVPN uses standard AES encryption with 256-bit keys. It also uses diskless RAM-only servers which don’t store any information on them at all. Since everything runs on RAM, data is deleted after each server boot making it extremely difficult to pull any user data from these servers.

Sam Singleton

The service offers four internet protocols: IKEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN, NordLynx (NordVPN’s proprietary version of WireGuard VPN), and the new NordWhisper. NordVPN recommends NordLynx as the go-to protocol due to its potential for better speeds and security. 

NordVPN also added post-quantum encryption to NordLynx connections on most platforms including Linux, Windows, Android, iOS, and some smart TVs. This feature protects VPN connections against potential quantum computer attacks. It may seem superfluous now, and it mostly is, but it’s good to see Nord trying to stay ahead of the game regardless.

NordWhisper is the latest offering from the service and uses web tunnel technology to imitate traditional web traffic. This can be handy as some network filters attempt to catch and block other VPN connections. NordWhisper will provide a slower average connection speed, but may be a good option for those in countries that restrict VPN usage or on locked-down networks like school Wi-Fi.

NordVPN is based in Panama, and therefore it’s not subject to mandatory governmental data retention laws nor is the country a member of any international data-sharing alliances.

Additionally, NordVPN states that it has a “strict no-logs policy” meaning that it doesn’t store timestamps, browsing data, used bandwidth, traffic logs, IP addresses, or any other personally identifiable information on users. 

This no-logs policy has been confirmed five times over the years, most recently at the end of 2024 by independent security auditing firm Deloitte. The assessment found that NordVPN stays true to its privacy policy and found no evidence of user-data logging.

There’s been a lot of effort to get users to trust NordVPN since it was hacked back in 2018, and I’m happy to see all of the great strides it’s made. The no-logs independent audits, the diskless servers, and the increased transparency of its company structure as a whole have all been extremely positive in helping repair trust among its user base.

Is NordVPN worth it?

NordVPN continues to be a fantastic service that only keeps getting better with each new added feature. It’s no longer just a great VPN, but a privacy and security powerhouse. Admittedly, you pay a rather hefty price for the extras. But with such a rich feature set, NordVPN users will undoubtedly feel they’re getting their money’s worth.

Despite all of its value, there are other competitors with specific individual features that rival NordVPN’s. Mullvad VPN, for example, does more to maximize anonymity, while services such as Surfshark VPN and IPVanish offer unlimited simultaneous device connections.

However, in an ultra-competitive market, what ultimately makes NordVPN stand out is its consistent growth and optimization. It’s continually upgrading its security features and incorporating new technologies such as its latest web address checker and NordWhisper protocol. If you add this perpetual improvement to a service that already has the fastest speeds, admirable security features, and full Netflix capability, then NordVPN deserves its place as one of the best VPNs around.

Editor’s note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article.