NordVPN is probably one of the most popular VPN services in the world. You can easily find many positive reviews on the Internet, which note the platform’s high speed, online security features, streaming and torrenting capabilities, and web browsing tools. The service’s average rating on the world-renowned Trustpilot reaches 4.5 out of a possible 5 stars. Not a bad score, but does this product really deserve so much attention, and why is the audience of NordVPN users primarily positive about this provider?
Let’s find it out.
Pros & Cons
- High performance and speed
- Intuitive apps for most devices
- It unlocks quite a few streaming services to watch
- 24/7 customer support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 30-day free trial
- Linux client has no visual interface
- Log in via the web page instead of logging in via an app
- No free plan
- Lack of annual reports showing the company's transparency
- Significant problems with transparency of the company's ownership structure
Security
Despite the lack of annual reports and problems with the company’s transparency, the service uses a reliable 256-bit encryption and a combination of exceptionally secure VPN protocols (OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec). And it’s all wrapped up in intuitive applications that are nice and easy to work with.
This service has successfully passed the DNS leak test.
The company is registered in Panama. The absence of any mandatory data storage laws in the jurisdiction of Panama allows Nord VPN to adhere to a no-logging of user activity or no-log policy.
In 2022, NordVPN also began moving to diskless, memory-based servers. Simply put, user data cannot technically be stored on the server as there is no place to store it. All information is deleted every time the server is rebooted.
In total, taking into account minor issues with the transparency of the company, we can safely estimate security at 4.5/5.
Speed
To be as objective as possible, we’ve chosen the same server on the speed test, thus leveling out the ping-related speed loss to calculate the potential gain/loss when using NordVPN.
Without NordVPN:
With NordVPN:
The download speed of the Athens location on NordVPN dropped by 17.64%, and the upload speed to the network increased by 7.53%.
Considering the figures from this test, we can say that NordVPN has shown a decent result and has been awarded a 5/5 rating, as the average performance on the market of VPN providers shows a 10-20% loss in download and upload speed.
Features
An extensive list of servers
NordVPN has an impressive list of servers located in all major continents. The company claims to have over 5,522 fast servers in 59 countries worldwide, so you always have multiple servers in different regions. An interesting fact is that Nord VPN also has a server in Africa, specifically South Africa, which usually goes unnoticed among other VPN providers.
NordLynx Protocol
NordVPN’s NordLynx protocol is based on WireGuard. The Wireguard protocol has been gaining popularity as of late due to its use of the latest encryption methods, which offer faster speeds than traditional protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2.
NordVPN also offers you options for OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols if you prefer them to NordLynx.
Threat Protection
Like most good VPN services, NordVPN offers a threat protection service that blocks ads and trackers while you browse websites. It can detect and block many types of ads, including inline and pop-up ads, keeping your browsing clean.
Dark Web Monitoring
This is a simple but valuable service with which NordVPN will alert you if your credentials have been compromised online through hacking or data leakage. If you receive such a warning, you can immediately change your account details, such as your password, to secure your data and the account itself.
No-log policy
NordVPN boasts that it has a no-log policy. In fact, this is a pretty standard policy for user data among VPN providers. This means that your personal data, such as browsing history, traffic information, or IP address, is never logged on to their servers.
Double VPN
Double VPN allows your traffic to be routed through not one but two VPN servers (also known as VPN chaining). This means that your data is encrypted twice, making it harder for hackers or attackers to access your online activity.
Meshnet
Meshnet is an exciting feature from NordVPN that allows you to securely connect to another device to access its files and data. This allows for helpful usage scenarios such as virtual gaming on your local network, accessing your colleagues’ local web servers for development, or even remote file sharing.
NordVPN is constantly evolving, expanding its technical and functional capabilities to allow its audience to use the essential, high-quality features of the VPN and additional tools to ensure and maintain the security of their personal data and preserve anonymity. It definitely deserves a 5/5 rating.
Price
NordVPN is relatively inexpensive if you choose one of the multi-year plans. And if you share the account with a close friend or loved one, it’s not a penny at all. At the current price point, it’s hard to find a better all-in-one VPN.
NordVPN offers three subscription levels: Standard, Plus, and Complete. The screenshot below lists the differences between them.
The differences include other NordVPN security products such as a password manager, data leak scanner, and encrypted file storage service.
For this money, you get a quality user experience on all platforms, such as Windows, macOS, Android, and even iOS.
2-year plan:
- Standard: $3.69/month
- Complete: $4.69/month
- Plus: $5.99/month
1-year plan:
- Standart: $4.49/month
- Complete: $5.49/month
- Plus: $6.79/month
Monthly plan:
- Standart: $11.99/month
- Complete: $12.99/month
- Plus: $14.29/month
All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the service without risk and cancel if you’re not completely satisfied.
You can pay for the service with a credit card, cryptocurrency, PayPal, AmazonPay, Sofort, prepaid card, and many others. You can also pay via iTunes or Google Pay.
Streaming
NordVPN is a very reliable VPN choice for streaming – if you find suitable servers, it unblocks all major streaming platforms. SmartPlay technology plays a significant role here – we haven’t found a single video platform we couldn’t get into. Considering NordVPN’s pricing, all of these premium features offer very good value.
When it comes to choosing servers, this VPN doesn’t disappoint either. Many of NordVPN’s servers are in countries with the best streaming libraries. You’ll be able to access content from users in the US, UK, Canada, and many other places.
Conclusion
NordVPN’s strength has always been that it offers all the best features of its competitors in one flexible package. With NordVPN, you have access to advanced tools and features, or you can just install it and forget about it. The company also benefits from incorporating new technologies such as WireGuard into its core products and is looking to expand with new consumer features such as Meshnet. The functionality of the app is top-notch, but still, there are many services that offer much better subscription deals, in terms of the cost to functionality provided. This fact aside, if you take it all together, a decent, quality product adds up.