Value
67% off + 3- month VPN coupon with each 2-year plan purchased
Newest exams
No leaks detected, 11% pace loss in 2024 exams
Community
6,000-plus servers in over 60 international locations
Jurisdiction
Panama
Execs
- Minimal pace loss
- Characteristic-rich
- Person-friendly apps
- Sturdy concentrate on privateness and transparency
- RAM-only servers, Double VPN and Onion VPN choices
- Nice for streaming service geo-unblocking
- Plenty of fee choices together with cryptocurrency and in-store purchases
Cons
- Inconsistent pricing construction
- Not as clear as different VPN rivals
A digital non-public community tunnels your internet site visitors by means of an encrypted server, granting you an additional layer of privateness from web service suppliers, authorities businesses or your faculty’s community administration. The additional safety comes with a trade-off: Utilizing a VPN slows down your web pace.
NordVPN boasts dependable and aggressive speeds, in line with CNET’s hands-on VPN testing, ensuing within the least web pace degradation of any supplier we’ve analyzed.
It’s not simply quick. NordVPN brings much more to the desk: It’s safe, competitively priced and loaded with user-friendly apps. That well-rounded efficiency makes Nord a strong VPN for everybody from privacy-concerned customers to leisure fans. In our 2024 hands-on evaluation of NordVPN, we ran over 250 web pace exams, streamed hours of movies and examined its apps on a smorgasbord of units. We additionally analyzed its value and in contrast NordVPN’s worth to rivals.
Whereas NordVPN tops each VPN we’ve examined within the pace class, it scored decrease than a few of its rivals on transparency (it has undergone fewer impartial audits) and accessibility (there are cheaper choices with extra simultaneous connections). General, NordVPN is among the prime three finest VPNs beneficial by our knowledgeable reviewers. See right here for more information on how we take a look at VPNs.
Velocity: Blazing quick
- Velocity loss: 11.1% common
- Variety of servers: 6,200-plus
- Variety of international locations: 111
All VPNs decelerate your web add and obtain speeds to a point, however something below 20% impresses us.
In our January 2024 exams, CNET Labs clocked a best-in-class common pace lack of 11.1% when utilizing NordVPN, incomes it the accolade of CNET’s quickest VPN. For comparability, different prime VPNs we’ve examined embrace Surfshark which noticed a 17% common pace loss, and ExpressVPN, with a 24.8% common pace loss.
With NordVPN, you’ve got two units of guidelines, referred to as VPN protocols, which you should use to determine a connection. Utilizing Nord’s proprietary protocol, referred to as NordLynx, CNET clocked a median web pace lack of simply 3.19% on Home windows and 12.56% on MacOS. Nord recommends that most individuals persist with NordLynx, and that is my most popular VPN protocol when utilizing NordVPN. NordLynx makes use of double NAT to create a safe connection with out storing probably figuring out data like IP addresses. For those who’re a NordVPN person, its NordLynx protocol ought to preserve the quickest doable web speeds with out compromising on privateness and safety.
Utilizing OpenVPN on Macs, our pace loss was an impressive 10.08%, and it averaged 18.57% with Home windows. Whether or not you select NordLynx or OpenVPN, Nord ensures blazing-fast speeds which are nice for bandwidth-intensive purposes like 4K video streaming, Zoom calls or importing YouTube movies.
NordVPN has a strong roster of worldwide servers
NordVPN has over 6,200 servers — extra total than rivals together with ExpressVPN (3,000-plus) and Surfshark (3,200-plus servers). With servers in 111 international locations, Nord’s international attain is barely greater than Specific (105) and Surfshark (100). ProtonVPN and PIA ship fewer worldwide areas with 69 and 91 accessible international locations, respectively. Common globetrotters will discover that Nord is among the finest VPNs for journey as a result of it supplies beneficiant server community.
Key takeaway: NordVPN is hands-down the quickest VPN we benchmarked, with minimal pace loss no matter which VPN protocol you choose. Its in depth server community ought to work for a lot of of us, with servers in as many, if no more, international locations than most rivals.
Value: Candy introductory pricing, however industry-standard value hikes
- $13 month-to-month, $60 yearly (then $99 per yr) or $96 for 2 years (then $99 yearly)
- Cash-back assure: 30 days
- Fee choices: Bank card/debit card, PayPal, AmazonPay, Google Pay, cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum and so forth) and retail shops
- Apps accessible: Home windows, MacOS, Linux (command line), Android/Android TV, iOS/iPadOS, TVOS, Amazon Fireplace TV, Kindle Fireplace, Meta Quest and browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
At $13, NordVPN’s month-to-month value aligns with most of its rivals. Its $60 annual plan begins cheaper than many different VPN suppliers, together with its neck-and-neck rival, ExpressVPN. That attractively priced $60 plan is simply the introductory price; Nord renews after your first 12 months at $100 for the subsequent yr, which is in keeping with ExpressVPN’s annual pricing.
Though its two-year tier (which units you again $96 complete) gives the most cost effective annual price, we don’t advocate signing up for greater than a yr at a time due to how rapidly issues change within the VPN area. Your initially quick VPN that’s nice for unblocking Netflix is perhaps slower, endure an information breach or get acquired by a disreputable firm over a yr.
Value hikes are the {industry} normal, with many VPN firms renewing at increased charges after your introductory interval. Whereas I perceive value hikes, they’re disappointing for customers who then must babysit their subscriptions. To be truthful, Nord consists of high quality print on its checkout web page informing you about renewal costs and guarantees to e mail you earlier than your new subscription begins.
Regardless of its increased upfront price, I favor ExpressVPN’s value transparency — you renew on the similar price as you signed up at. Non-public Web Entry follows go well with with its $40 per yr pricing. The worth-packed Surfshark units you again $48 on your first yr, then $60 yearly. Finally, NordVPN’s beginning prices are nice, however will increase for subsequent subscriptions aren’t ultimate. Finally, it’s much less value-packed due to the underside line — you do get a variety of options, however a lot of these are overkill for the common individual.
For those who’re unhappy together with your service, Nord gives a 30-day money-back assure. You’ve bought loads of fee choices, as nicely. Apart from the standard suspects (credit score or debit playing cards, PayPal, AmazonPay and Google Pay), Nord consists of cryptocurrency and retail purchases. Paying with crypto delivers pseudo-anonymity, making it harder to hint that transaction again to you, a pleasant bonus for privacy-focused shoppers. The flexibility to purchase a NordVPN subscription on-line or boxed subscription codes in-store at brick-and-mortar retailers comparable to Greatest Purchase or Walmart makes it probably the most accessible VPNs in the marketplace.
App efficiency
NordVPN runs on nearly any system you may consider, together with Home windows, MacOS, Linux, Android/Android TV, iOS/iPadOS, Apple TV and browsers. I admire that its apps stay uncomplicated with out sacrificing usability. You may hearth up Nord and connect with an optimum server utilizing its Fast Join characteristic. Alternatively, you may choose any of its over 6,200 servers unfold throughout greater than 110 international locations. Different rivals, together with ExpressVPN and Surfshark, boast much more intuitive apps. Nord’s apps aren’t troublesome, however I discovered ExpressVPN’s apps even simpler with their minimalist design.
I liked the Apple TV app, which helps you to watch overseas content material libraries on Netflix, Disney Plus and different streaming providers. At the moment, just a few different VPN suppliers, together with ExpressVPN and IPVanish, have TVOS apps.
I favored Nord’s feature-packed apps. You may choose from completely different VPN protocols, comparable to OpenVPN and NordLynx (a WireGuard-based proprietary protocol). There are many superior choices, like cut up tunneling, which helps you to use a VPN with some purposes however not others. For instance, I used cut up tunneling to stream an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Disney Plus in my Chrome browser whereas excluding my Steam video games consumer from utilizing my VPN. This let me set up Halo: The Grasp Chief Assortment with out throttling my obtain pace in Steam, however keep entertained whereas ready to play. Sadly, Nord’s Apple consumer lacks cut up tunneling, though MacOS doesn’t play properly with that characteristic anyway.
You may set up NordVPN on as many units as you want, however you’re restricted to a still-generous 10 simultaneous connections. Basically, you may solely have a VPN actively operating on 10 devices without delay. A lot of our favourite VPNs, like PIA, Surfshark and IPVanish, present limitless connections. ProtonVPN additionally offers you 10, whereas ExpressVPN limits you to eight, so NordVPN is among the many most magnanimous VPN suppliers. Granted, most folk gained’t want to make use of a VPN on 10 units on the similar time, and should you do, a VPN in your router gives whole-home protection. Working example: Even whereas testing Nord on a bevy of units for this overview, I by no means ran right into a scenario the place I wanted greater than six simultaneous connections. Even households searching for to share a VPN account and energy customers needs to be high quality with 10.
I’d even have most popular a graphical person interface Linux app as an alternative of Nord’s present command line interface possibility, though that’s admittedly a distinct segment request and didn’t issue into my total evaluation.
NordVPN is sweet for unblocking geographically protected content material
Streaming with NordVPN is usually strong. Throughout my testing, I didn’t expertise any buffering or stuttering, even when watching 4K movies. NordVPN runs on a slew of streaming units together with Android TV, Fireplace TV and Apple TV, though you may also use Home windows, MacOS, Linux and Chrome OS.
NordVPN unblocked US and UK Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus libraries on most units. I encountered a number of points watching Prime Video on Home windows and MacOS as a result of Amazon detected a VPN operating — nonetheless, Android/Android TV, Fireplace TV and Apple TV labored swimmingly. The Apple TV app was a bit uneven; CNET reviewers had no points streaming Netflix on US and Canadian servers, however Japanese and UK streaming didn’t work. Fortunately, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu had been strong. Due to how current Apple TV VPN assist is, we’ve had points with different VPN apps, so we count on and hope the streaming expertise improves with digital non-public networks on TVOS. Whereas Nord isn’t any slouch, ExpressVPN performs barely higher with streaming service unblocking in my expertise.
Meshnet and devoted IPs are good to have
NordVPN’s feature-rich apps embrace some helpful choices for energy customers. Meshnet helps you to create your individual private VPN server in a extra intuitive method than going the do-it-yourself route (talking from expertise). You may set up your individual native space community with units situated wherever. For instance, Meshnet lets you host distant LAN events or entry recordsdata on a house server whereas overseas.
Whereas Meshnet is free, Nord gives devoted IP addresses as paid upgrades. When connecting to a VPN server, your site visitors will get rerouted by means of a distinct IP handle, so this works a lot the identical manner — besides solely you’ve got entry to this IP handle. The advantages of a devoted IP handle embrace avoiding blocklists (which often occur with public VPN servers) that will end in CAPTCHAs or restricted entry to sure streaming providers and web sites.
Customer support is sweet… when you get to an individual
Though NordVPN is fairly intuitive, you may need billing questions or need assistance troubleshooting. Fortunately, Nord has complete assist guides, together with steadily requested questions and setup tutorials for putting in a VPN on varied units. NordVPN doesn’t provide over-the-phone buyer assist, however you may contact Nord through e mail or 24/7 reside chat.
I spent a little bit of time leaping by means of hoops with the reside chat device earlier than reaching an precise consultant. Initially, I requested whether or not there was an Apple TV consumer (there’s) and bought a canned response that there wasn’t one. From there, I politely typed “Hello, can I speak to an actual individual?” at which level the chatbot directed me to the right assist consultant. The method for getting in contact with an precise human requires choosing the right division, then connecting to a NordVPN server and operating a DNS leak take a look at, screenshotting the outcomes and importing these. I suppose the bot-first interplay and screenshot proof of current Nord subscription weeds out spammers, however the preliminary incorrect data I obtained wasn’t useful.
As soon as I bought in contact with a human, the shopper assist consultant was educated and useful. They satisfactorily directed me to the data I wanted, offered a coupon code (certainly one of my questions was about paying with cryptocurrency) and even requested how I used to be doing. Professional tip: For those who reside chat with Nord, begin with “Can I speak to an actual individual?” to expedite the method of reaching a human.
Key takeaway: Nord gives polished apps, stellar streaming service unblocking and distinctive, helpful options. Its introductory pricing on the annual and two-year plans makes Nord a terrific deal, though future value hikes diminish its worth.
Privateness and transparency: Nord will get so much proper whereas persevering with to make enhancements
- Jurisdiction: Panama (Not within the 5 Eyes or Fourteen Eyes)
- Encryption: AES-256-GCM
- RAM-only server infrastructure
- No DNS leaks detected
- Independently audited
- VPN protocols accessible: NordLynx, OpenVPN
NordVPN is headquartered in Panama, which lies exterior of the 5 Eyes and Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing communities. Though the common individual searching for to observe overseas Netflix libraries or conceal torrenting exercise from their ISP may not must care about that, of us with severe privateness considerations — like investigative journalists or political activists — will admire Nord’s jurisdiction.
Like most VPN suppliers, Nord touts a strict no-logs coverage, which means that it doesn’t retailer probably figuring out details about you, comparable to your IP handle or on-line searching exercise. Though zero logging is hard to show — you may and needs to be skeptical — Nord continues shoring up its transparency. A 2023 audit by Deloitte, its fourth impartial audit total, discovered no proof of logging by NordVPN. Notably, Nord contracted Deloitte for audits in 2022 and 2023, a pattern I hope continues. Extra transparency fosters extra peace of thoughts.
Not like a few of its rivals, together with PIA and Proton, Nord at the moment doesn’t have sturdy transparency studies. Differing from zero-log audits, transparency studies present perception into authorized requests a VPN supplier receives from legislation enforcement or authorities businesses, and accordingly reveal how a VPN firm dealt with these conditions. In a February 2024 weblog put up, Nord introduced a transfer away from a warrant canary technique to publishing its transparency studies. I like this strategy so much, however for the time being, its report stays barebones. As Nord fleshes this out, it’s poised to solely grow to be a stronger VPN contender, particularly for people with important privateness considerations.
Different VPN suppliers showcase extra annual audits — ExpressVPN, as an illustration, underwent a powerful 12 impartial audits in 2022, versus Nord’s single annual audit. After we requested NordVPN representatives in regards to the seemingly smaller scope of its annual audits, Nord commented: “Outdoors companions have audited NordVPN servers, infrastructure, and NordVPN desktop purposes for Home windows, Linux, and macOS in addition to the cellular purposes for Android and iOS. … From our expertise, much less audits with larger scope higher cowl components that interconnect completely different options and providers. These components in any other case may get ignored.”
I perceive Nord’s perspective. Extra complete audits analyzing servers, apps and infrastructure can provide perception into the ecosystem as a complete. I agree with Nord’s remark in regards to the interconnectedness of options, though such a large audit in a brief timespan — Nord’s Deloitte audit lasted per week — is only a snapshot of the 365-day calendar yr. The VPN {industry} is shifting towards extra all-encompassing audits, which I like; Surfshark and PIA additionally partnered with Deloitte for annual audits, for instance. As a compromise, I’d wish to see these grow to be extra frequent than annually.
You’ll discover a sturdy slate of privateness and safety facilities, together with a kill swap (which cuts off your web connection in case your VPN disconnects), double-hop, obfuscated servers and Onion over VPN (Tor). Nord’s kill swap labored brilliantly. My IP handle remained hidden even when my Wi-Fi went out and whereas switching VPN servers. I additionally didn’t detect any DNS leaks.
NordVPN supplies beefed up privateness with superior options
Onion Over VPN and Double VPN are neat inclusions for privacy-focused customers — assume investigative journalists or political activists. (For those who simply need to entry overseas Netflix libraries or torrents, you in all probability don’t want both characteristic). Onion Over VPN makes use of Tor for bolstered privateness by encrypting your site visitors much more than an ordinary VPN connection, making it harder to hint again site visitors to its supply (your IP handle). A Double VPN equally shores up your privateness by tunneling your internet site visitors by means of a second VPN server as an alternative of the usual one. Each choices provide extra privateness versus a typical out-of-the-box VPN connection, with the core distinction being the underlying expertise used to bolster encryption: A Double VPN makes use of a second VPN server, whereas Tor Over VPN depends on the Onion community.
NordVPN’s privateness coverage is normal fare
As a part of CNET’s VPN critiques, we learn by means of each a part of an organization’s privateness coverage to verify there’s nothing sneaky ready to shock customers. A number of components of NordVPN’s privateness coverage made me unsure about Nord’s dedication to defending person information, so I reached out to Nord for extra data. The responses from Nord put my thoughts relaxed, signaling that a lot of my preliminary concern stemmed from the issue of making legalese in a digestible manner for shoppers. Whereas I believe Nord has a chance to make clear some factors in its privateness coverage, its explanations basically convey that it is legally defending itself as just about all firms do.
One part reads:
“We typically might course of your private information below the authorized foundation of our or third events’ reliable curiosity. Such instances embrace: i) to correctly administer enterprise communication with you; ii) to detect, forestall, or in any other case handle fraud, abuse, safety, or technical points with our Companies and Web sites; iii) to guard towards hurt to the rights, property, and security of Nord, our customers, or third events; iv) to enhance or preserve our Companies and supply new merchandise and options; v) to obtain data of how our Web sites and purposes are getting used (crash studies, app retailer critiques, details about the channel from which our app was downloaded, and many others.).”
As Nord stated through e mail, “For [our] privateness targeted clients — not solely is the gathering of private data very restricted, it is usually not linked with any of their Web actions whereas linked to VPN. We merely don’t monitor or have such data.”
I additionally had a number of questions on this portion of Nord’s privateness coverage:
“We share your private information with different Nord group firms to hold out our every day enterprise operations and to allow us to keep up and supply our Companies to you. We may additionally share the contact data of Nord enterprise clients (i.e., our clients which use our merchandise as a device for his or her enterprise) with Nord group firms for advertising and marketing of their B2B merchandise functions (enterprise customers have a proper to object to such switch at any time).”
Nord instructed us through e mail, “This provision is important as a result of as in (in all probability) all international firms, there are a number of authorized entities inside the group constructed for various functions, e.g. fee processing, improvement, act as gross sales factors and comparable and information needs to be shared between them.”
Lastly, about enterprise transfers, the privateness coverage states:
“We might share your private information in these instances the place we promote or negotiate to promote our enterprise or undergo a company merger, acquisition, consolidation, asset sale, reorganization, or comparable occasion. In these conditions, Nord will proceed to make sure the confidentiality of your private information.”
When requested for additional clarification, Nord stated, “This can be a normal clause, utilized by the authorized staff to cowl some theoretical prospects in edge instances.”
I’m unsure I absolutely agree about its enterprise transfers part being an ordinary fare. Sure, acquisitions are frequent in cross-industry, significantly within the VPN area. Working example: Nord Safety merged with Surfshark in 2022. To assuage customers with extra severe privateness considerations, I believe a easy answer can be clarifying the overall extent of what private information is shared, why and below what circumstances (comparable to primary account data to proceed service within the occasion of a merger). By making its privateness coverage simpler to know for its clients, it nonetheless maintains authorized safety with out worrying its customers.
General, I used to be happy with Nord’s explanations, though I nonetheless assume Nord might enhance its privateness coverage language to be even clearer for customers. For example, PIA’s privateness coverage consists of the authorized jargon you’d count on however provides summaries synthesizing sections into extra digestible data. ExpressVPN does a terrific job with its privateness coverage, explicitly clarifying the way it protects your private information, even within the occasion of a sale or merger:
“Any private data related to ExpressVPN accounts is managed solely by ExpressVPN, together with being saved on methods, servers, and providers owned or leased by ExpressVPN and its subsidiaries. Within the restricted circumstances the place this information might must be processed by different associated entities, it could be shared solely when required, and for the length required, for processing solely associated to the needs and bonafide pursuits outlined on this Privateness Coverage, whereas guaranteeing always the identical information safety requirements. For avoidance of doubt, these circumstances don’t embrace any conditions the place management of private data of ExpressVPN customers might be transferred to every other associated entities, together with however not restricted to our final holding firm, Kape Applied sciences PLC, for any length of time.”
ExpressVPN’s privateness coverage is significantly clearer about its person information coverage.
Key takeaway: NordVPN gives a slew of privateness facilities and printed its first transparency report in February 2024. Its privateness coverage isn’t as reader-friendly as these of some rivals, and I’m desirous to see its transparency report acquire extra complete particulars. General, Nord is taking steps in the best course.
NordVPN is quick, non-public and feature-packed
NordVPN is a well-liked alternative, as a result of it strikes a pleasant steadiness between remaining user-friendly and full-featured, all with out sacrificing pace on most platforms. Our CNET Labs exams clocked a class-leading 11.1% common web obtain pace loss. The service’s concentrate on privateness means you’ll get area of interest however helpful options like a Double VPN and Tor over VPN for enhanced encryption. As well as, common no-logs audits foster transparency.
Whereas Nord’s one- and two-year upfront pricing is cheaper than rivals together with ExpressVPN, value hikes imply that after a yr or two, Nord isn’t the most effective worth. Moreover, Nord’s apps, whereas intuitive sufficient, might be much more streamlined and user-friendly. I’d additionally like even stronger transparency, notably improved readability in its privateness coverage.
Finally, NordVPN stays a superb VPN for energy customers searching for quick web speeds and cutting-edge options, catering to everybody each informal VPN newcomers and people with severe privateness considerations alike.