Detailed NordVPN Review 2024 | Why People Trust on It

NordVPN Review

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Possibly the finest VPN available right now is NordVPN. For an affordable price, it offers the best geo-unblocking tools, unbeatable security, and the quickest speeds available.

Perhaps one of the best VPN providers, if not the best, is NordVPN. I made the decision to conduct this in-depth NordVPN assessment in order to learn where it stands in 2024 and to uncover the reputation’s hidden truths.

With so many restrictions on OTT services and threats to internet privacy, I want to make sure this provider can keep its word by providing the following information:

  • Is it safe to use NordVPN?
  • Is NordVPN able to unblock Netflix and other OTT services?
  • Do the features live up to the price?
  • How is the speed?

Honestly speaking, yes the service lives up to the hype. For further details, keep on reading further!

NordVPN Overview

NordVPN Product Imge
Number of VPN servers6100+ in 74 countries
ProtocolsNordLynx, IKEv2/IPSec, OpenVPN
Data collectionNo-log policy
Online protectionBlocks malware, trackers, dangerous websites, malicious ads
Devices per account6
Money-back guarantee30 days
Advanced featuresThreat Protection, Kill Switch, Dark Web Monitor
Support24/7 live chat, email
Websitehttps://nordvpn.com/

NordVPN Features

Speed and Performance

  • Average download speed: 1,131 Mbps
  • Number of servers available: 6040+
  • Number of countries: 61
  • Dedicated IP Addresses: $81/year, available in the US, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, France

According to our most recent performance testing, NordVPN is the fastest VPN service available. That can be attributed to the brand-new NordLynx tunneling technology, a for-profit upgrade to WireGuard that addresses its speed and privacy issues. But exactly how fast is NordVPN?

In order to gather long-term statistics for this question, we started using our in-house connection speed testing program. The next step was to install NordVPN as well as additional US, UK, and German service providers.

After that, we connected to VPN servers in those nations and regularly verified the speeds. None of the top VPN services could equal NordVPN’s performance, as shown by the findings.

With Netflix and other streaming services, I also evaluated the connection speed. In the end, there is more than enough content to watch in 4K UHD without buffering.

The results will, of course, depend on your location, ISP, and hardware, but NordVPN is unquestionably the best choice.

If you still have questions, I advise you to look at the findings of NordVPN’s through tunneling protocol speed test. It is evident that NordLynx significantly improves performance.

Additionally, they requested that an impartial IT firm, AV-TEST, analyze the speeds of the Top 7 VPN services. Unsurprisingly, NordVPN excelled above all rivals.

Finally, to further boost performance, NordVPN has begun introducing additional 10 Gbps servers all over the world.

Servers and its locations

It’s hard to find a better server list than the one offered by NordVPN. It enables the business to offer trustworthy connections and genuinely global coverage everywhere.

NordVPN can choose the optimal server for you based on load and distance even if you don’t have a specific location in mind.

Currently, NordVPN has 5500+ servers spread over 59+ nations. While the majority of them are in North America and Europe, there are also possibilities for other regions.

Every server for NordVPN is made of bare metal. This indicates that the hardware is indeed present in the nation to which you want to link. Virtual servers, however, can be placed anywhere, which lowers performance. These can be grouped into:

  • Standard servers: are simple servers designed for everyday tasks like secure online browsing.
  • Non-standard servers: Particular servers set aside for particular purposes like torrenting, getting around VPN restrictions, Double VPN, etc.

Additionally, all Standard servers are RAM-only, which means that no data is stored on hard disks. Each time the server restarts or goes down, all data is immediately erased.

The likelihood of someone tampering with user information in data centers is drastically decreased by this technology.

Additionally, NordVPN is upgrading its 1 Gbps servers to 10 Gbps. There are currently 10 Gbps connections available in the US (New York, Seattle, Miami, Atlanta), the UK (London), and Japan, accounting for more than 20% of the server fleet (Tokyo).

Every other week, new spots are being added, so this provider will be prepared to manage greater traffic when 5G is introduced.

Not to mention, NordVPN is expanding its selection of privately held servers. The majority of the time, the fleet of VPN servers is maintained by outside data centers, although this has problems of its own. One of NordVPN’s servers in a colocation facility was compromised back in 2018.

Although it included no valuable information, this incident made the provider decide to look for a more secure option.

Speaking of the locations of the servers, with the exception of Antarctica, NordVPN’s server network spans the entire world.

Although the majority of them are in North America and Europe, other continents have not gone unnoticed. The list of servers organized by location is shown below.

LocationNo. of countriesCountriesServers
The Americas5+Argentina, Canada, USA, Costa Rica, Brasil, Mexico, Chile2,500+
Africa, The MiddleEast and India5+India, Israel, South Africa, Turkey, UAE100+
Europe30+Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Pomania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, The United Kingdom.2,200+
Asia Pacific10+Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam600+

There are also specialty servers in addition to the normal ones that are tailored to meet certain user needs. Your options with NordVPN are as follows:

  • Onion over VPN: when utilizing the Tor Network in tandem with a VPN
  • Double VPN serves: for enthusiasts of multiple hops who want to pass their connection through two servers for increased security as well as double encryption
  • P2P servers: without bandwidth restrictions or ISP throttling, best suited for torrenting
  • Obfuscated servers: when you’re in a region where access to the internet is limited
  • Dedicated IP servers: for customers that purchased dedicated IP addresses

Not all server types are accessible in all countries, therefore you might want to visit their website for the most recent coverage changes.

Security and Privacy

Although many VPN providers make the promise to offer the highest level of internet anonymity, few can support it with data and the necessary resources. As a result of having these security and privacy features, NordVPN is one of the few reliable VPN services that can:

  • Kill-Switch
  • Latest tunneling protocols
  • Minimal logging
  • Military-grade encryption
  • Privacy-friendly jurisdiction

Is using NordVPN actually safe? Yes, NordVPN is among the safest VPN service providers available. It makes use of AES-256 encryption, RAM-only, industry-standard servers with frequent data deletions, and a number of protocols to keep you concealed.

Both individuals looking to access unblocked streaming content and sensitive user groups like journalists and political activists use it because it is secure enough.

By introducing a bug bounty program, the corporation has made a significant effort to increase the security of all servers. It has entered into a cooperation with renowned cybersecurity consulting company VerSprite for vendor risk evaluations, thorough penetration testing, and assessing incursion handling.

Encryption

AES-256 encryption, which is used by banks and other governmental organizations to protect sensitive information, is a feature of NordVPN.

It is a very strong cipher, so strong that it would take billions of years for a hacker to break it using a brute force assault (where they try many different combinations to unlock encryption keys).

Furthermore, NordVPN raises the bar using the SHA-512 hashing algorithm. The shorter and simpler SHA-256 algorithm is still used by the majority of rivals.

As opposed to eight 32-bit words, NordVPN uses eight 64-bit words to encode your login information. It becomes much more difficult to break because the number of possible combinations is greatly increased.

Tunneling Protocols

The following tunneling protocols are supported by NordVPN:

  1. IKEv2/IPSec
  2. OpenVPN (TCP and UDP)
  3. NordLynx (WireGuard)

On significant platforms, NordVPN provides its own NordLynx tunneling technology. A customized variation of the cutting-edge WireGuard protocol enables lightning-fast speeds and even greater security. Right now, out of the three, NordLynx is the best choice.

There are two versions of OpenVPN, which has a solid track record. UDP offers faster speeds, whereas TCP is more stable and secure.

It still lags behind NordLynx, though, by a wide margin. As a result, you should only use OpenVPN when there is no other viable option.

With the exception of Android and Windows, all major systems support IKEv2/IPSec. Because it allows users to keep a VPN connection when switching from cellular to Wi-Fi, this protocol is popular among mobile users. Although speedier than OpenVPN, it still falls short when compared to NordLynx.

PPTP and L2TP/IPsec are no longer supported. As these protocols are no longer effective or secure, it’s a good thing NordVPN doesn’t offer them. Alarmingly, a few VPNs still employ them; stay away from them at all costs.

NordVPN Kill Switch

By cutting off your internet connection if the VPN stops operating, a kill switch keeps you safe. Your actual IP address won’t mistakenly be disclosed to third parties in this manner.

If the connection drops or the client abruptly stops functioning, NordVPN will turn off the internet. In the event of a VPN failure, the app kill switch will, however, only disconnect a select few apps. Without a VPN, you would still be able to use the other browser to surf and watch YouTube even if you were using one to conduct online banking.

This VPN provides both an app kill switch and a basic internet kill switch. By default, the kill switches are not activated. You must click the tiny Settings cogwheel in the bottom-left corner to accomplish this.

Privacy–friendly jurisdiction

The firm that owns NordVPN, nordvpn s.a., is situated in the small Central American nation of Panama, which is known for its respect for individual privacy and lack of data retention regulations for online service providers.

It is essential since VPN providers are required to abide by local legal requirements and comply with government demands in order to operate.

Additionally, Panama is not a member of any extensive intelligence coalitions like the Five Eyes global surveillance network. Due to its honest no-logs policy, NordVPN knows very little about you and your online activities.

No – Logs Policy

Nord guarantees a strict no-logs policy for NordVPN Services, meaning that your internet activity while using NordVPN Services is not monitored, recorded, logged, stored, or passed to any third party. We do not store used bandwidth, traffic logs, IP addresses, or browsing data. From the moment a NordVPN user connects to one of our VPN servers, their internet data becomes encrypted.”

This VPN offers a clear Privacy Policy that demonstrates the provider’s dedication to maintaining no logs of its users.

They go a step further than anyone else on the market, though. Users are unable to observe what occurs behind closed doors, thus NordVPN opted to request an outside audit to support its no-logs policy.

This audit was conducted by the reputed accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers AG Switzerland (PwC), which discovered no inconsistencies between the company’s actual practices and the no-logs policy. As a result, NordVPN is one of the only services with a no-logs policy that has been independently audited.

Other Mentionable  Features:

  1. Dark Web Monitor
  2. Invisibility on LAN
  3. Free SOCKS5 proxy
  4. Meshnet
  5. Device support on Windows11, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, browser extensions for Chrome, Brave, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

Is NordVPN Good For Streaming, Torrenting and Gaming?

The best VPN for streaming, torrenting, and gaming is NordVPN. It offers fantastic speeds and unblocks several services from around the globe.

Streaming

Best VPN Streaming

This implies that you will be able to stream-free view your preferred UHD (4K) TV shows and movies. In 2022, the following content platforms will be accessible with NordVPN from anywhere:

  1. Netflix: US, UK, Canada, Netherlands, Japan, Australia
  2. BBC iPlayer
  3. Hulu + Live TV
  4. Amazon Prime Video
  5. Disney+
  6. HBO Max

To view your favorite movies or TV series on a big screen, NordVPN also offers apps for Android TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick. Additionally, you may use its unblocking features on a range of smart TVs, game consoles, and streaming devices like Roku by configuring it on a router.

Use the SmartPlay feature instead, which combines Smart DNS and VPN security. It will also aid in preventing bandwidth throttling, which ISPs frequently employ. Finally, depending on your level of competence, utilizing SmartPlay may be simpler than manually configuring your router and streaming device.

Torrenting and Gaming

Best VPN for Gaming

The best VPN for torrenting and gaming is NordVPN. It even features industry-leading encryption, limitless bandwidth, and P2P-optimized servers in more than 50 nations.

You will benefit from the fastest P2P-sharing speeds imaginable, allowing you to quickly complete all downloads and no lagging while gaming, thanks to NordLynx, a patented WireGuard tunneling technique!

Devices Protected by NordVPN

Which devices do you use like Windows, Android, iOS, Linus, MacOS? You will enjoy privacy and security on every platform. There is an app for every device.

You can even use extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. You can connect up to 6 devices at the same time.

Plans, Pricing and Payment

I’ve observed that NordVPN has a great price-to-feature ratio, so I’ll start by addressing the pricing issue. When you make long-term plans, it is evident. The price ranges for the various subscription plans are listed below.

Plan TypePrice
Standard – 1 month$12.99/month
Standard – 1 year$4.99/month ($59.88 for a year)
Standard – 2 years$ 3.39/month ($81.36 for two years)
Plus – 1 month$13.99/month
Plus – 1 year$5.99/month ($71.88 for a year)
Plus 2 years$4.39/month ($105.36 for two years)
Complete – 1 month$14.99/month
Complete – 1 year      $6.99/month ($83.88 for a year)
Complete – 2 years + 3 months (FREE)$5.39/month ($129.36 for two years)

The NordPass password manager and a data breach scanner are included in the Plus package. The Complete package also comes with 1 TB of NordLocker-encrypted cloud storage in the meantime.

Naturally, there may also be seasonal sales that provide a lower NordVPN pricing throughout the year. Additionally, there are unique NordVPN promo codes that offer greater discounts than usual.

For those concerned about privacy, there are anonymous payment options accessible, such as cash or cryptocurrency. However, there are other traditional payment options you can use, however the list differs from one nation to another:

  1. Prepaid cards
  2. Apple Pay
  3. Google Pay
  4. Sofort
  5. Direct Debit
  6. Ayden
  7. Any Major Credit Card

PayPal payments are sadly no longer accepted by NordVPN. Users who want to continue buying subscriptions through it must use Paddle, a different payment processor.

By using the 30-day money-back guarantee, you may test NordVPN risk-free. There are no conditions or small print included. You should be informed that if you paid using Bitcoin or another similar currency, you cannot receive a NordVPN refund. Another thing to note is that the Apple App Store is the only place where purchases made there can be returned.

The overall pricing of NordVPN may not be the lowest in the VPN industry. Having said that, no other service provides the same value for your money that you are receiving by choosing this supplier.

NordVPN Customer Support

The majority of your questions will be answered by NordVPN’s exceptional customer care. You have several ways to get in touch with NordVPN support. They are listed below:

  • Chatbox
  • 24/7 live chat
  • Email
  • FAQ

FAQs

Does NordVPN work with Netflix?

Yes, NordVPN is one of the best VPNs for unblocking Netflix in various regions.

Does NordVPN offer a free trial?

There’s no free trial, but they have a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Is NordVPN legal?

Yes, using a VPN is legal in most countries, including the US and UK. However, certain activities like illegal downloading may not be.