NordVPN Review: Is It Worth It?
In this NordVPN review, we will be examining whether or not NordVPN is worth your money.
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Background and History
With over a decade of experience, NordVPN is one of the world’s leading VPN providers, owned by Nord Security — the same company behind NordPass (password manager), NordLocker (file encryption and storage), NordLayer (business VPN), Saily (eSIM), NordProtect (identity theft protection, US only), and NordStellar (threat exposure management platform).
Headquartered in Panama, NordVPN benefits from a jurisdiction with no mandatory data retention laws and no ties to intelligence-sharing alliances like Five Eyes or Fourteen Eyes. NordVPN was the first VPN provider to launch a public bug bounty program on HackerOne, is a founding member of the VPN Trust Initiative, and has undergone four independent no-logs audits (the latest in 2023 by Deloitte). Security expert Troy Hunt, creator of HaveIBeenPwned, sits on Nord Security’s advisory board. In 2022, NordVPN was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions for combining strong security with exceptional speed.
Privacy
NordVPN does not store any logs about its users. However, there’s some of its user's information it needs to keep:
- The user's email address to send the latest NordVPN news and retrieve a forgotten password.
- A username to establish a VPN connection.
- Payment information. NordVPN needs to store the transaction or order ID in case the user requests a refund.
NordVPN is based in Panama, the country has no mandatory data retention laws and does not participate in the Five Eyes or Fourteen Eyes alliances.
Speed
NordVPN does not apply any speed or bandwidth limits but using it will decrease your internet speed to a certain degree.
When you are connected to NordVPN, your connection speed depends on several factors, including the physical proximity of the server, its load, your original internet speed, the VPN protocol you are using, and more. If you are connected to the closest available server through OpenVPN UDP, you can expect around a 30% drop in speed. If that’s too slow, you can use the NordLynx protocol instead, which provides much better speed.
The results we got with NordVPN were very decent, below you can compare how NordVPN impacted our internet connection.
Results without NordVPN:
- Ping: 45 ms
- Download: 65.74 Mbps
- Upload: 22.28 Mbs
Results with NordVPN:
- Ping: 43 ms
- Download: 38.04 Mbps
- Upload: 24.43 Mbps
In our test, Ping had a very minimal decrease, the download speed decreased quite a bit, and the upload speed actually saw a small increase.
With these results in mind, we can conclude that speed isn't NordVPN's strongest asset.
Torrenting and Streaming
Streaming
We've gone ahead and tried to access some of the most popular streaming services while connected to one of NordVPN U.S. servers, below you can check which services worked, and which didn't.
- Netflix: Yes
- Hulu: Yes
- Amazon Prime: Yes
- HBO Max: Yes
- Disney Plus: Yes
- FuboTV: Yes
In what streaming is concerned, we got every platform we tested to work, that's very impressive!
NordVPN also offers a feature called SmartPlay.
SmartPlay is a NordVPN feature that helps you securely access content that would otherwise be unavailable. Best of all, it does it in a way that you never even have to think about it. It’s implemented in every NordVPN app seamlessly, so there’s nothing to set up, update, or activate.
All that is possible because SmartPlay combines the best features of VPN and Smart DNS technologies. If you used a regular Smart DNS service, you would set its server as the preferred DNS server in your router or network settings. That would give you more access to various streaming content but add no extra security to your connection. Besides, it would involve manual setup on your router or separate devices, which may be complicated depending on your tech skills.
NordVPN also offers a free SmartDNS, but as mentioned, SmartPlay is even better than Smart DNS.
Torrenting
NordVPN is one of the best VPN providers for torrenting, it even offers a special server to which you can connect when you want to upload or download torrents, simply head over to the “specialty server” area in the NordVPN app and you will see a server named P2P.
Features
NordVPN is built with military-grade security at its core, using the AES encryption standard with 256-bit keys — a level of protection considered impossible to crack through brute force. This is paired with robust VPN protocols, giving users flexibility and performance depending on their needs:
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OpenVPN (TCP/UDP) – An open-source, industry-standard protocol offering strong security with AES-256-GCM encryption and a 4096-bit DH key.
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IKEv2/IPsec – A stable, mobile-friendly protocol that uses AES-256-GCM encryption, SHA2-384 authentication, and Perfect Forward Secrecy with 3072-bit Diffie-Hellman keys.
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NordLynx – NordVPN’s custom implementation of WireGuard, adding a double NAT system to remove potential privacy risks while delivering exceptional speed.
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NordWhisper – A protocol designed to bypass network filters and firewalls, ensuring smoother, more reliable browsing in restricted environments — perfect for travelers, remote workers, and public Wi-Fi users.
Infrastructure Security
All NordVPN servers now run on diskless RAM (volatile memory), meaning no data is stored locally and all information is wiped with every reboot. Additionally, NordVPN has begun rolling out colocated servers, which are owned and maintained exclusively by NordVPN staff, further reducing third-party access risks.
Specialty Servers
NordVPN’s network includes several types of specialty servers for specific use cases:
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Double VPN – Routes your traffic through two separate VPN servers, adding an extra encryption layer.
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Onion Over VPN – Combines VPN encryption with the anonymity of the Tor network.
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Obfuscated Servers – Mask VPN traffic to bypass strict network firewalls in heavily censored regions.
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P2P Servers – Optimized for secure, fast file sharing.
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Dedicated IP – A unique IP address assigned exclusively to you, useful for banking access, remote work, or avoiding CAPTCHA blocks.
Privacy Audits
NordVPN is a five-times independently audited no-logs provider, most recently verified by Deloitte in 2023, ensuring that it never records or stores your online activity.
Additional Privacy & Security Features
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Kill Switch – Automatically blocks internet traffic if your VPN connection drops, preventing accidental IP leaks.
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Split Tunneling (Windows & Android) – Route only specific apps or websites through the VPN while keeping others on your regular connection.
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CyberSec – Blocks malicious websites and intrusive ads (fully available on iOS, macOS, Windows, and Linux).
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Dark Web Monitor – Scans the dark web for leaked credentials linked to your email.
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SmartPlay – Merges VPN and Smart DNS technology to securely access geo-restricted content without manual configuration.
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Presets – Create custom VPN configurations paired with shortcuts to specific apps or websites.
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Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Add extra protection to your Nord Account, with the option to log in via Google credentials.
With its combination of cutting-edge encryption, secure infrastructure, and specialized servers, NordVPN offers one of the most comprehensive security toolkits available from any VPN provider today.
Usability and App
NordVPN’s apps are modern, intuitive, and available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android TV, tvOS, browser extensions, and even routers — securing every device connected to your network. One subscription now covers up to 10 devices simultaneously.
The app automatically selects the fastest available server in your chosen country. While server sorting and filtering could still be improved, setup is fast and user-friendly across all supported platforms.
Servers
NordVPN operates 8000+ servers in 165 locations worldwide, including popular hubs such as the United States, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. In many countries, users can choose servers from specific cities — for example, multiple US states, Canadian provinces, French and German cities.
Specialty servers include:
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Double VPN — routes traffic through two VPN servers for extra encryption.
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Onion Over VPN — routes traffic through the Onion (Tor) network for maximum anonymity.
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Obfuscated Servers — disguise VPN traffic to bypass firewalls in VPN-restricted regions.
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P2P Servers — optimized for fast, secure file sharing.
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Dedicated IPs — unique IP addresses purchased for individual or small-group use.
Customer Support
NordVPN offers 24/7 customer support via live chat and email. While there’s no phone support, the company maintains an extensive Help Center with FAQs, setup guides, and troubleshooting tips.
Three main support teams handle:
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General Info — product features, setup guidance, streaming access.
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Billing — subscriptions, payment issues, dedicated IP purchases.
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Connectivity — router setup, advanced troubleshooting, and support in restricted regions.
Payment Methods
Below you can see which payment methods you can use when subscribing to NordVPN.
- Credit Card: Yes
- PayPal: Yes
- Google Pay: Yes
- Apple Pay: Yes
- Cryptocurrencies: Yes
You can pay with a credit card, cryptocurrency, PayPal, AmazonPay, Sofort, prepaid card, and many more. You can also make a payment through iTunes or Google Pay.
If you want to pay in cash, you can also purchase a NordVPN subscription in a retail store.
Plans and Pricing
How much is NordVPN? Pricing depends on your subscription length and chosen tier (Standard, Plus, or Complete).
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Standard Plan — VPN only.
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Plus Plan — Adds password manager (NordPass) and data breach scanner.
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Complete Plan — Adds 1TB cloud storage and next-gen file encryption.
Best value: 2-year Complete Plan with 73% off + 3 free months.
Example pricing (at time of writing):
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Monthly: $12.99/mo
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Annual: $4.99/mo (61% off)
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2-Year: $3.09/mo (73% off)
All plans now include up to 10 devices per account, apps for all major platforms, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
NordVPN Pros & Cons
NordVPN: Pros
- Based in Panama (privacy-friendly jurisdiction).
- Owned by Nord Security, with strong ecosystem of products
- 8000+ servers in 165 locations
- Multiple specialty servers (Double VPN, Onion Over VPN, Obfuscated,
- P2P, Dedicated IP)|
- AES-256-bit encryption & multiple secure protocols.
- Five independent no-logs audits.
- Great streaming compatibility
- 10 simultaneous device connections
- Threat Protection Pro & Meshnet features
- Accepts cryptocurrency payments
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 24/7 live chat support
NordVPN: Cons
- Speeds can vary depending on server distance/load
- No free trial (only money-back guarantee).
- Server sorting/filtering in app could be improved
NordVPN Review: Verdict
NordVPN remains one of the most popular VPNs in the world — and for good reason. It combines top-tier privacy and security features, extensive server coverage, advanced extras like Threat Protection Pro, Meshnet, and NordProtect, plus audited no-logs compliance.
Streaming performance is excellent, specialty servers offer flexibility, and the expanded 10-device limit makes it even better value for families and power users. While speeds aren’t always industry-leading, and the app’s server sorting could improve, NordVPN delivers a complete package for security-conscious users.
If you want a VPN that blends performance, security, and innovation, NordVPN is worth it — especially on the 2-year plan with 73% off + 3 free months.
Nuno
As a filmmaker with extensive experience across multiple areas of content creation, my work has been featured internationally, and I’ve had the honor of serving as both a speaker and jury member at numerous prestigious events. However, in recent years, I’ve grown increasingly disillusioned with the direction of the art world, prompting a shift in my focus toward disciplines I believe will be pivotal for the future: cybersecurity, self-education, web design, and investing. These interests have culminated in the launch of RushRadar, a platform dedicated to exploring these vital topics and empowering others to navigate the evolving digital landscape.