The "1-Minute" Review
Verdict
If you’re looking for a flexible, capable VPN service -- and don’t mind signing up for a year or two at a time -- NordVPN is an excellent value that competes with the best VPNs on the market.What's good
- Huge server selection
- SmartPlay streaming
- Multiple security options
- Apps for PC, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
- User-friendly interface
- Affordable multi-year pricing
- Automatic kill switch
- Zero log policy
- P2P support
- Based in Panama
What's bad
- No phone support
- Abundance of options might feel confusing
- So-so monthly pricing
- Slow email support
As one of the biggest names in VPN services, NordVPN has a reputation you can trust. But reputation doesn’t mean much if the service isn’t up to your liking. Let’s look at what the Internet has to say about NordVPN.
Pricing
Pricing for NordVPN ranges from average to great. If you buy a monthly or one-year plan, rates are close to the average these days for a full-featured VPN service. But if you’re willing to commit to two or three years, the prices drop substantially. This makes NordVPN a great option for the budget conscious.
Supported Devices
The service also includes access to a range of apps for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. There are even browser extensions for Firefox and Chrome to allow you to secure your connection on computers where you can’t install software.
Ease of Use
Nord’s apps are all simple to use. Start the app, choose a location, set any particular features you’re interested in, and start browsing on a protected connection. You can even just hit the quick connection button to let them choose the specifics for you if features aren’t a major consideration.
VPN Ranks says they were “ blown away by how intuitive and immersive the overall experience was. ”
Simultaneous Connections
Each account allows up to 6 simultaneous connections on a single account -- you just can’t use the same server and connection protocols for each connection. This means you can keep your phones, tablets, and computers all connected without having to worry about switching settings or disabling and enabling your VPN all the time.
Included Features
Along with the ease of use comes a bounty of features. Popular features include:
- Automatic Kill Switch protection
- Multi-hop VPN support
- SmartPlay video streaming (Netflix, BBC iPlayer, etc)
- Tor over VPN
- Military-grade encryption
- P2P (Bittorrent) support
- DNS leak protection
- CyberSec browsing protection
SmartPlay allows you to use the VPN to access streaming content -- such as Netflix -- from a region where streaming is typically blocked. Reviews indicate that NordVPNs service is one of the best available for this use.
CyberSec works to block ads, warn you of potential phishing attempts, and steer you clear of malicious sites and downloads.
Privacy and Logging
Their service scores well on privacy and location options as well. Based out of Panama and owned by TelFinCom, NordVPN’s network includes more than 5000 services in 62 countries. As a zero-log service provider, none of these servers track your activity or store information regarding how you use your VPN or when you access the servers.
Mashable praises them for this, saying, “NordVPN checks all the privacy boxes you need in a VPN. It has a no log policy, there are multiple options for additional security, and there are no leaks. ”
Performance
With so many servers, speeds appear to stay snappy as well. Most reviews found that speeds only reduced by a few percentage points compared to when they were not using a VPN. Even then, streaming HD video or sharing large files with others was no problem. If you find your server is slow, having 5000 others to try out means you’ll always find a fast connection just a few clicks away.
Support
Should you ever run into trouble, chat and email support offers flexibility in finding help and their on-site help pages offer in-depth guides to fixing common issues or configuring common programs and applications to work with their VPN. However, since email responses may take up to 48 hours, we recommend using chat.
_
Summary
Overall, if you need more than a basic VPN -- or you need a lot of bandwidth -- NordVPN receives high marks.
The abundance of features might seem intimidating at first, but their apps make setting up and using the service approachable.
TechRadar calls the service “... an appealing VPN which is fast and (mostly) user-friendly. ”
Mashable says, “... NordVPN should be considered by anyone serious about privacy. ”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Ian Paul, PCWorldNordVPN offers a lot with its service. There are specialized servers for multi-hop connections, P2P file sharing, and dedicated IP addresses at an extra cost. It also offers a ton of country connections, and the ability to drill down to a specific server if you want. It also works with Netflix (thou...
- Anthony Spadafora, IT ProIn addition to a large server network, NordVPN covers all the VPN necessities for a fraction of the price of some other providers. It unblocks popular geo-restricted services, supports torrenting, provides strong security mechanisms, and has opened its doors to independent auditors who confirmed its...
- Rae Hodge, CnetNordVPN stays on our list of best 2020 mobile VPNs for many reasons, including its status as the reigning champion of the bang-for-buck ratio. Hands down, you aren't going to get a VPN anywhere else that can do more than NordVPN does, as cheaply as NordVPN does it. Despite a security breach reported...
- Mike Williams, TechRadarNordVPN's Netflix-unblocking, P2P-optimized servers, malware blocking and Bitcoin support make for an appealing service. The app interfaces need work and we'd like more configurability and control, but overall this is a quality VPN with plenty to offer all levels of user.
- VPNGuruWith award-winning customer support, very respectable speeds and strong encryption and privacy features, it’s hard to find something to dislike about NordVPN. While it’s on the expensive side compared to other VPNs on the market, even if you pony up for the three-year plan, you do get what you pay f...
Details
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Panama |
| Pricing/Sign Up | |
| Starting Price (per Month) | $3.49 |
| Plans and Pricing | Visit Site |
| Free Trial | No |
| Money Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
| Payment Options | Credit Cards, PayPal, Bitcoin |
| ID Required | Valid email address |
| Features | |
| Server Locations (# of Countries) | 59 |
| Number of Servers | 5700 + |
| Devices Per License | 6 |
| Simultaneous Connections | 6 |
| Unlimited Bandwidth | Yes |
| Double-Hop / Double VPN | Yes |
| Accesses Netflix | Yes |
| P2P / Torrenting Allowed | Yes |
| Accepts Bitcoin | Yes |
| Non-US Company | Yes |
| Protected | |
| Protocols | IPSec, IKEv2, L2TP, OpenVPN, PPTP, SSTP |
| Encryption | AES-256 |
| No Logs / No Tracking | Yes |
| Dedicated IP Available | Yes |
| VPN Over Tor | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Leak Protection | Yes |
| Private DNS Server | Yes |
| DNS Leak Protection | Yes |
| IP Leak Protection | Yes |
| WebRTC Leak Protection | No |
| IPv6 Leak Protection | Yes |
| Kill Switch | Yes |
| Supported Platforms | |
| Operating Systems | Windows, Mac OSX, iOS, Linux, Android |
| Mobile App | Yes |
| Router | Yes |
| Browser Extension | Yes |
| Customer Support | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes |
| Live Chat Support | Yes |
| Telephone Support | No |
| Email Support | Yes |
| More | |
| Additional comments |
Other Names (AKA): Nord VPN |
| Terms & Conditions | Official Terms & Conditions |
| Suggest a correction |
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Critic Reviews
Incredible service with a transparency problem
NordVPN offers a lot with its service. There are specialized servers for multi-hop connections, P2P file sharing, and dedicated IP addresses at an extra cost. It also offers a ton of country connections, and the ability to drill down to a specific server if you want. It also works with Netflix (t...More
NordVPN offers a lot with its service. There are specialized servers for multi-hop connections, P2P file sharing, and dedicated IP addresses at an extra cost. It also offers a ton of country connections, and the ability to drill down to a specific server if you want. It also works with Netflix (though not consistently) and has malware and ad blocking, NordVPN is expensive, but you get a lot of options with this service.
You get what you pay for… and more
In addition to a large server network, NordVPN covers all the VPN necessities for a fraction of the price of some other providers. It unblocks popular geo-restricted services, supports torrenting, provides strong security mechanisms, and has opened its doors to independent auditors who confirmed its no-logs claims.
In addition to a large server network, NordVPN covers all the VPN necessities for a fraction of the price of some other providers. It unblocks popular geo-restricted services, supports torrenting, provides strong security mechanisms, and has opened its doors to independent auditors who confirmed its no-logs claims.
Still the best value for security and speed
NordVPN stays on our list of best 2020 mobile VPNs for many reasons, including its status as the reigning champion of the bang-for-buck ratio. Hands down, you aren't going to get a VPN anywhere else that can do more than NordVPN does, as cheaply as NordVPN does it. Despite a security breach repor...More
NordVPN stays on our list of best 2020 mobile VPNs for many reasons, including its status as the reigning champion of the bang-for-buck ratio. Hands down, you aren't going to get a VPN anywhere else that can do more than NordVPN does, as cheaply as NordVPN does it. Despite a security breach reported last year (more on that below), you'd still be hard pressed to find another VPN that can do what NordVPN does at all.
An easy-to-use VPN with some unusual extras
NordVPN's Netflix-unblocking, P2P-optimized servers, malware blocking and Bitcoin support make for an appealing service. The app interfaces need work and we'd like more configurability and control, but overall this is a quality VPN with plenty to offer all levels of user.
NordVPN's Netflix-unblocking, P2P-optimized servers, malware blocking and Bitcoin support make for an appealing service. The app interfaces need work and we'd like more configurability and control, but overall this is a quality VPN with plenty to offer all levels of user.
One of the best VPNs money can buy
With award-winning customer support, very respectable speeds and strong encryption and privacy features, it’s hard to find something to dislike about NordVPN. While it’s on the expensive side compared to other VPNs on the market, even if you pony up for the three-year plan, you do get what yo...More
With award-winning customer support, very respectable speeds and strong encryption and privacy features, it’s hard to find something to dislike about NordVPN. While it’s on the expensive side compared to other VPNs on the market, even if you pony up for the three-year plan, you do get what you pay for. And NordVPN is undoubtedly one of the better VPNs out there.
Read full review
A fast, good-value and powerful VPN
While not the most intuitive VPN for first-timers, NordVPN is a great choice for more experienced or expert users. It’s fast, effective and crammed with useful features, and does a great job of safeguarding your privacy. Whatever your line-up of devices, NordVPN is one of the best VPN services around.
While not the most intuitive VPN for first-timers, NordVPN is a great choice for more experienced or expert users. It’s fast, effective and crammed with useful features, and does a great job of safeguarding your privacy. Whatever your line-up of devices, NordVPN is one of the best VPN services around.
Great speeds and a slew of handy features
With 24/7 live chat support, reliable, fast connections, an audited no-logs policy and the extra security offered by Double VPN, NordVPN ticks all the boxes. It'll keep you anonymous and safe online, and it's also one of the cheapest VPN services when you sign up for three years. What's not to like?
With 24/7 live chat support, reliable, fast connections, an audited no-logs policy and the extra security offered by Double VPN, NordVPN ticks all the boxes. It'll keep you anonymous and safe online, and it's also one of the cheapest VPN services when you sign up for three years. What's not to like?
A strong choice for Linux
A standout on other platforms, NordVPN does equally well under Linux. While you'll have to use the command line to get it running, you'll be mollified with great support and an exceptional privacy policy.
A standout on other platforms, NordVPN does equally well under Linux. While you'll have to use the command line to get it running, you'll be mollified with great support and an exceptional privacy policy.
An excellent way to keep your mobile traffic secure
While the Android version doesn't have all of NordVPN's desktop features, it does have a top-notch interface, a large number of servers (including specialized servers), and strong results in our speed tests.
While the Android version doesn't have all of NordVPN's desktop features, it does have a top-notch interface, a large number of servers (including specialized servers), and strong results in our speed tests.
Packs an excellent VPN service into a reliable and friendly iPhone app
It's easy to make the case for the NordVPN iPhone app, despite its relatively high price. It offers the most servers the world over, letting you choose where your connection appears to come from and providing a nearby choice wherever you might travel. NordVPN's inclusion of specialized servers me...More
It's easy to make the case for the NordVPN iPhone app, despite its relatively high price. It offers the most servers the world over, letting you choose where your connection appears to come from and providing a nearby choice wherever you might travel. NordVPN's inclusion of specialized servers means that you can easily find the right one for your needs, and its excellent design means you won't mind using it. We wish it directly supported OpenVPN, but that's really an Apple issue.
User Reviews
Used this for a while and was able to watch contents from Netflix US and visit some websites that are blocked in my country. Speed is pretty good too.