NordVPN Review 2024 – Does it live up to the Hype? (December 2024)

NordVPN Review — Quick Summary Quick Summary

NordVPN is one of the most secure VPNs on the market, and it also provides very good speeds. I have been using it regularly while traveling over the past few years, and have always had a very good experience with it. Some of this review is based on that experience, but I also ran additional tests for streaming, torrenting, gaming, and more. 

I can confidently say NordVPN is an excellent pick for anyone looking for a very secure VPN. It has all essential VPN security features (kill switch, military-grade encryption, no-logs policy, and DNS leak protection), and it also provides IPv6 and WebRTC leak protection, RAM-only servers, and PFS. What’s more, it also has an ad blocker that even protects you against malware-infected downloads, and a data breach monitoring tool. 

In addition, the VPN comes with other perks — it works with top streaming sites like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video, it allows torrenting on all of its servers, it has very good speeds on nearby and distant servers, and its apps are super easy to use. 

NordVPN only has a few minor issues — it doesn’t consistently work in restrictive countries like China, and its macOS app has 2 versions (it might be confusing for some NordVPN users to know which ones to use). 

But, overall, this VPN provides very good value. It has tier-based subscriptions with really affordable plans, and it also comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. I've ranked it in the top 5 of my best VPNs list for a few years already.

Quick NordVPN Review
Rating	4.8
Overall rank	5 out of #19
Works with Netflix
Server Network	6,000+ servers in 110+ countries
Number of Devices	10
Starting Price	$3.99/month
Money-Back Guarantee	30 days
Coupons	NordVPN Coupon 74% OFF

NordVPN Security Features Security Features

NordVPN comes with the following essential VPN security features: 

• 256-bit AES encryption — Makes all of your web traffic completely unreadable. This is the same level of encryption that the military uses. 
• Kill switch — Disables your internet access if the VPN connection drops to prevent any data leaks. There’s also an app-based kill switch that shuts down selected apps when you disconnect from the VPN.
• No-logs policy — NordVPN doesn’t collect any connection and usage logs. So it doesn’t know what your IP address is, and it also doesn’t know what sites you visit or what files you download. 
• DNS leak protection — The provider runs its own DNS servers to prevent DNS leaks (which would allow your ISP to see your web browsing even if you’re connected to the VPN).

NordVPN offers access to the following protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, and NordLynx. OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec are pretty good, as they’re both secure and fast. NordLynx is the provider’s proprietary VPN protocol, which is based on the WireGuard protocol — so it provides very good security and really fast speeds. Here’s also a list of which apps have which VPN protocols:

In addition to DNS leaks, NordVPN also protects against WebRTC and IPv6 leaks. I tested NordVPN for leaks by running leak tests on servers in 10+ countries, and I never experienced any issues. 

Furthermore, NordVPN offers other advanced security features as well. It has perfect forward secrecy, which changes the encryption key for each VPN session to prevent hackers from trying to spy on your traffic using old compromised keys. And it also has RAM-only servers, which only save data to the RAM — so every reset wipes everything. 

Finally, NordVPN also lets you secure your account with multi-factor authentication (MFA). This requires you to validate each login attempt with a time-sensitive code or text message. So even if a hacker manages to steal your account login details, they won’t be able to use them.

NordVPN Privacy Features Privacy Features

NordVPN is one of the most privacy-friendly VPN services out there. It has a strict no-logs policy that doesn’t collect your IP address, your browsing traffic, your connection timestamps, and your bandwidth usage. The VPN only records your email address (to set up your account and communicate with you) and your payment information, which it needs to process your transactions. 

The provider’s no-logs policy has been audited 3 times, which is really good. Plus, it has also been proven true when one of the servers it hosted in a data center was compromised, and no user data was leaked. Due to that incident, the VPN now also only uses colocated servers — it houses them in third-party data centers, but only NordVPN’s staff has access to them. 

Also, its NordLynx protocol and some of its apps have also been independently audited. What’s more, the provider also open-sourced its Linux app, meaning anyone can inspect the code for security issues. 

Finally, NordVPN is headquartered in Panama, which is outside the jurisdiction of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances (countries that share surveillance data with each other). In addition, Panama also doesn’t have any mandatory data retention laws. 

NordVPN Additional Features Additional Features

NordVPN has the following extra features:

• Split-tunneling. 
• Threat Protection. 
• Dark Web Monitor. 
• Obfuscation. 
• Double VPN. 
• Tor Support & Onion Over VPN.
• Meshnet. 
• Smart DNS.
• Dedicated IP Addresses. 

Split-Tunneling

NordVPN’s split-tunneling tool lets you pick which apps use the VPN and which apps don’t. For example, you can use this tool to only route traffic from an online game through NordVPN, which could increase your gaming speeds. 

NordVPN offers split-tunneling on Windows and Android, which is pretty good. That said, if you’re interested in using split-tunneling on macOS, I’d recommend checking out Private Internet Access — on top of having split-tunneling on macOS, it also lets you split-tunnel IP addresses in addition to apps (so you can split-tunnel individual sites, which is very convenient).

And the provider’s split-tunneling feature works very well. I tested it by only routing Netflix traffic through it, and it improved my streaming speeds by about 10%. 

Threat Protection

Threat Protection is NordVPN’s ad blocker, which gets rid of ads, stops ad trackers from spying on you, and blocks connections to malicious sites. On top of that, it even protects you from malware-infected downloads (very few VPN ad blockers can do this). I also find it very convenient how Threat Protection runs in the background even if you’re not connected to the VPN. And, on Windows, it even runs app vulnerability scans and alerts you if you need to run any urgent updates.

Threat Protection is only available on Windows and macOS. There’s also Threat Protection Lite, which is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android — this version blocks ads and shady sites (but not malware), and only works when you’re connected to the VPN. 

I tested the provider’s Threat Protection, and it worked very well in my tests — it was able to get rid of 90% of ads on websites, prevent me from accessing shady sites, and it aced all the third-party ad blocker tests I tried it out on. If you’re looking for a 100% ad-blocking rate, check out Private Internet Access’ MACE, but keep in mind it won’t block malware-infected downloads.

Just keep in mind this feature doesn’t come with all of NordVPN’s subscriptions. It’s not available via its cheapest subscription (called Basic) — it’s only included in the Plus, Complete, and Ultra subscriptions.

Dark Web Monitor

Dark Web Monitor is essentially a data breach scanner. It sends you alerts if the data linked to your NordVPN account is leaked on the web. If you use the same credentials for other accounts (like for streaming sites), you can basically use this feature to keep track of them too. This feature is available on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

I think this feature is really good, but I like CyberGhost VPN’s Identity Guard more — it has a data breach monitor that allows you to monitor 2 email addresses, and it also has a password checker and generator.

Obfuscation

The VPN service comes with obfuscated servers, which mask your VPN traffic. This adds an extra layer of privacy, in case you don’t want your ISP or government to see that you’re using a VPN connection. Obfuscation should also help you access the web in restrictive countries, but unfortunately, NordVPN doesn’t guarantee that its obfuscated servers work in places like China and Russia. 

The provider has obfuscated servers in 20+ countries, which is pretty decent. That said, I think you get much better obfuscation with ExpressVPN, as it allows obfuscation on all of its servers, which are located in 100+ countries. What’s more, ExpressVPN’s obfuscation is guaranteed to work in restrictive countries. 

Double VPN

NordVPN has double VPN servers that send your data through 2 VPN servers instead of just 1 server. That way, your traffic is encrypted twice, so you enjoy more security. 

The double VPN servers work well, but they will slow down your speeds. On average, I experienced a 15% slowdown when using a double VPN connection instead of a regular one. 

The VPN service has double VPN servers in 5+ countries. This is pretty good, though Surfshark’s Dynamic MultiHop feature is much better — it allows you to use multihop VPN servers in 95+ countries, and you can choose whichever entry and exit server you want. 

Tor Support & Onion Over VPN

All of NordVPN’s servers allow Tor traffic, which means you can first connect to one of the provider’s servers before using the Tor browser to access the dark web. That way, if Tor suffers a leak, it won’t expose your real IP address — only the VPN’s IP address will be leaked.

Keep in mind that using Tor over VPN connections will cause noticeable slowdowns, as the Tor network is already pretty slow on its own. When I used NordVPN to access an .onion link, it took about 9 seconds for it to fully load.

I also really like that NordVPN has Onion Over VPN servers, which are located in 2 countries (the Netherlands and Switzerland). These servers automatically route your traffic through the Tor network, which means you won’t need to use the Tor browser. So, you can access dark web sites in normal browsers like Chrome and Firefox

Meshnet

Meshnet allows you to link up to 60 devices over encrypted VPN connections. This is really useful for securely sharing files between devices — I often use this feature while traveling to share photos and videos from my phone to my laptop that I leave back at the hotel. 

This feature is also really good for gaming, as it allows you to remotely host secure LAN parties with your friends. Even better, Meshnet is powered by the provider’s NordLynx protocol, which provides very fast speeds. 

And Meshnet is actually 100% free to use, as you can download it without needing to subscribe to NordVPN. Also, Meshnet is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

Smart DNS

Each NordVPN subscription includes access to a smart DNS, which is a streaming tool that allows you to access streaming sites on devices that don’t work with VPN apps (like certain smart TVs or gaming consoles). 

You need to manually configure the smart DNS, but NordVPN offers simple-to-follow tutorials for that. On average, it won’t take you more than 8–10 minutes to set up the provider’s smart DNS on your device. 

I also like how NordVPN also comes with SmartPlay, which is a feature that mixes smart DNS and VPN technology. That makes it much harder for streaming sites to detect and block your VPN connections. SmartPlay is enabled by default across all of the provider’s servers.

Dedicated IP Addresses

For a small extra cost, NordVPN will provide you with a dedicated IP address. This is an IP address that only you use — it’s pretty useful for bypassing reCAPTCHAS on search engines, and accessing bank sites (most of them block shared VPN IP addresses). 

And I also like how much variety you get, as there are dedicated IPs in 15+ countries — including the US, the UK, Hong Kong, Germany, France, and Denmark. Most top competitors that have dedicated IP addresses usually only provide a selection of up to 5 countries. 

NordVPN Streaming Support Streaming Support 

NordVPN is very good for streaming, as it works with top sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and Disney+. I asked the support reps how many streaming services the VPN service works with, but they couldn’t provide me with a number — they said the number of supported streaming services changes too often. 

I also like that the VPN provider has a smart DNS, as it allows you to enjoy streaming content on devices that don’t support VPN apps — for example, I always use NordVPN’s smart DNS when my accommodation has a smart TV that doesn’t run the Android or Fire operating system.

What’s more, NordVPN also comes with SmartPlay, which is very good for streaming. The feature mixes smart DNS and VPN technology across all of the provider’s servers. That way, it becomes much harder for streaming platforms to detect and block your VPN connections. 

And finally, this VPN provider is also very good for Netflix since it works with 30+ libraries, so you get tons of variety. Plus, it’s compatible with popular libraries like Netflix US, Netflix UK, and Netflix Japan. 

NordVPN Torrenting Support Torrenting Support

NordVPN offers very good torrenting support, as it has P2P servers in 110+ countries. So it’s pretty easy to torrent on a nearby server to ensure you get the fastest download speeds. 

What’s more, the provider has SOCKS5 proxy support, which means you can configure its SOCKS5 proxy servers with your P2P client. If you do that, the SOCKS5 server will hide your IP address, but it won’t encrypt your traffic — so you’ll still enjoy privacy while torrenting, while also getting very fast download speeds. 

And NordVPN offers very good P2P speeds too — in my tests, it only took about 16 minutes to download a 12.7 GB file, which is pretty good. Plus, you can also use the provider’s split-tunneling tool to increase your torrenting speeds. 

Also, the VPN provides excellent security for torrenting. It has a kill switch (including an app-based kill switch for shutting down selected P2P apps), an audited no-logs policy, and full leak protection. Plus, its Threat Protection tool can block connections to shady P2P sites and protect you from malware-infected torrent downloads.

NordVPN Gaming Support Gaming Support

In my tests, NordVPN provided me with a very smooth gaming experience. During my online games, I didn’t experience noticeable lag and I always had average, stable ping. Plus, my connections to the gaming servers never dropped. 

And the VPN also protects you against DDoS attacks, as it hides your IP address so wannabe hackers can’t use it to DDoS your network. Additionally, all of the provider’s servers come with anti-DDoS protection — so if someone tries to DDoS your connection to the VPN server, they wouldn’t be able to do it. 

What’s more, I also think NordVPN’s Meshnet feature is great for gaming with your friends. It allows you to link up to 60 devices over encrypted VPN connections, which makes it very easy to securely host virtual LAN parties. 

Also, NordVPN allows manual setups on tons of routers. This means you can use the VPN to game on devices that don’t support VPN apps, like Xbox and PlayStation consoles. 

However, the provider doesn’t come with cloud gaming support, so there’s no guarantee it will work with platforms that stream video games to portable devices. I was able to use NordVPN with GeForce Now without any issues, but I can’t guarantee you’ll have the same results. If this is an issue for you, try ExpressVPN instead since it has cloud gaming support.

NordVPN Server Network Server Network

NordVPN has a huge server network, with 6,000+ servers in 110+ countries. It has servers in virtually all parts of the world, so it’s pretty simple to connect to a nearby location for fast speeds.  Its impressive number of countries is on par with top competitors like ExpressVPN, (100+ countries) and CyberGhost VPN (95+ countries).  

NordVPN also has a large P2P server network. The provider doesn’t mention how many P2P servers it has, but it allows torrenting on servers in 110+ countries, which is really good. 

There are also other different types of NordVPN servers: 

• Obfuscated servers — Add a layer of obfuscation to your VPN connection to make it undetectable. 
• Onion Over VPN servers — Automatically route your traffic through the Tor network, allowing you to access .onion sites in regular browsers, like Chrome for example. 
• Double VPN servers — Send your data through two VPN servers instead of just one, providing more security. 

And you also get access to dedicated IP addresses for a small additional cost, which you can use to avoid reCAPTCHAs and securely access bank sites. The provider has dedicated IPs in 15+ countries. 

NordVPN Speed Tests Speed Tests

I travel very often, so I can’t provide consistent speed test results. My baseline speeds change very frequently, which impacts the VPN speeds I get. 

Due to that, I asked my friend from Romania to handle the speed tests for me. Since he doesn’t travel as often as me, his baseline speeds stay the same. For these tests, he told me he used the NordLynx protocol. 

First, he ran a speed test without being connected to NordVPN to determine his baseline speeds. These were his results: 

Next, he tested the speeds on a nearby server in Bulgaria. He said he barely noticed any slowdowns — websites loaded instantly just as before, and so did HD and 4K videos. Plus, the videos never buffered, and he also didn’t experience any lag while playing online games. 

After that, he ran a speed test on a distant US server. Again, he barely noticed any slowdowns, which is really impressive — websites continued to load instantly, HD videos loaded instantly and never buffered, and 4K videos took only 2 seconds to load and there was no buffering while skipping through them. 

Finally, he tested another distant server, this time in South Korea. Again, he had very fast speeds — sites loaded in under 2 seconds, HD videos loaded instantly, and 4K videos took just 3 seconds to load (and there was only very minor buffering at the start). Also, my friend reported that his Zoom calls never froze or dropped.

I can confirm that I always have a similar experience when using NordVPN while traveling. I always enjoy very smooth speeds on both nearby and distant servers, and my browsing, streaming, and torrenting activities are hardly impacted. 

NordVPN Censorship Bypassing Censorship Bypassing

NordVPN isn’t the best option for accessing the web in restrictive countries. I talked with 10+ customer support reps, and they all confirmed that the provider can’t guarantee the VPN service will work in restrictive regions like China, the UAE, and Turkey. 

If that’s a dealbreaker for you, try ExpressVPN instead — it’s the best provider on the market for countries like China, as it works in such regions without any issues.

NordVPN Apps and Ease of Use Apps and Ease of Use

NordVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, and Fire TV. On top of that, it allows manual router setups and also has browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. 

I think it’s super easy to install NordVPN. It only takes about 2 minutes to install both its mobile and desktop apps, and the installation clients offer all the information you need. 

And NordVPN allows 10 simultaneous connections. This is on the higher end of the industry average of 5–10 connections, which is great. That said, if it’s not enough for you, try Private Internet Access or Surfshark instead, as they both allow unlimited connections. 

Android & iOS 

NordVPN has very intuitive mobile apps. Both the iOS and Android apps are some of the best out there, as they are simple to navigate, come with a quick-connect feature that automatically connects you to the fastest server, and provide helpful explanations for all settings and features. 

Both mobile apps are feature-rich as well, as they come with Threat Protection Lite, Dark Web Monitor, and Meshnet. Still, the Android app is a bit better because it also has split-tunneling and tapjacking protection (warns you if a malicious app adds a screen overlay).

Windows & macOS

The provider’s Windows and macOS apps are really intuitive, and some of the best desktop apps on the market, really. It doesn’t take more than 5 seconds to find and connect to a server. What’s more, I really like how there’s a digital map you can use to quickly connect to a server location.

And both the Windows and macOS apps come with many features, including Threat Protection, Dark Web Monitor, and Meshnet. However, only the Windows app also comes with split-tunneling. Also, only the Windows app has Threat Protection’s app vulnerability scanner. 

If you’re a macOS user, keep in mind NordVPN has 2 macOS app versions. One version can be sideloaded from the provider’s site, it comes with an app-based kill switch and Threat Protection, and it works on earlier versions of macOS. The other version can be downloaded from the app store, and it comes with a standard kill switch.

Linux

NordVPN has a dedicated Linux app that works on several distros, including Ubuntu, Debian, Elementary OS, CentOS, openSUSE, and more. Unfortunately, there’s no GUI, so you’ll need to use the app via command lines. 

The provider’s Linux app is also secure and has several useful features, including Threat Protection Lite and Meshnet. The app also provides access to obfuscated and double VPN servers. 

If you don’t want to use command lines, there are better options out there. For example, both ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access have GUI Linux apps that are also feature-rich.

Browser Extensions

NordVPN provides access to a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. The extension’s interface is really straightforward, and it only takes a few seconds to find all the settings you want to change. 

I really like how secure the extension is — it automatically prevents WebRTC leaks and it also has Threat Protection Lite, which gets rid of ads and stops you from connecting to shady sites. In addition, the extension alerts you if you’re visiting an unsafe site (and it automatically enables the VPN connection when you’re on it). 

In addition, the extension also comes with split-tunneling, which allows you to pick specific IP addresses and domains to be excluded from the VPN tunnel. 

That said, the provider’s extension has some limitations — for example, it doesn’t provide access to obfuscated, double VPN, and Onion OverVPN servers. 

Router Support

NordVPN allows manual router setups, and it works with tons of router models and firmwares. Examples include OpenWRT, DD-WRT, ASUS Merlin, Tomato, pfSense, Sabai, and more. 

I also like how the provider has setup tutorials for all router models. What’s more, the tutorials come with helpful screenshots, and the content is formatted very well — so they’re very easy to follow. It generally shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes to perform this setup.

That said, if you’re mainly interested in using a VPN on your router, I’d try ExpressVPN instead. It’s one of the only VPN providers on the market that comes with a router app that’s very simple to install and use.

NordVPN Pricing and Refund Policy Pricing and Refund Policy

NordVPN has 4 tier-based subscriptions with prices starting at $3.99/month. All subscriptions come with a 1-month, a 1-year, and a 2-year plan. The longest plan usually provides the best savings, and it also often comes with extra months of service for free. 

The VPN service comes with the following tier-based subscriptions: 

• Basic — Provides access to all of the provider’s VPN features, except Threat Protection. 
• Plus — Includes the VPN and adds access to the Threat Protection feature and a password manager.
• Complete — Includes the VPN (with Threat Protection) and password manager and adds encrypted cloud storage.
• Ultra — Includes the VPN (with Threat Protection), password manager, encrypted cloud storage, and adds a personal data removal tool.

NordVPN accepts multiple payment methods, including credit/debit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, and cryptocurrencies (provide better privacy than traditional payment methods). 

Finally, the provider backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee. I really like that it’s a risk-free refund policy, meaning you don’t need to meet any requirements to qualify for it — just simply ask for your money back within 30 days.

NordVPN Customer Support Customer Support

NordVPN has multiple customer support channels, including 24/7 live chat, email support, and a very in-depth support library that’s full of FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and setup tutorials. 

I’m really happy with the provider’s live chat support. It usually takes less than 5–10 seconds to be connected to a support rep. What’s more, all the reps I talked with were very friendly, and they were always able to answer all of my questions correctly. 

In addition, NordVPN also provides very good email support. It only took about 10–12 hours to get a reply in general. And all the replies I got always answered all of my questions and provided me with accurate answers. 

And finally, NordVPN’s support library is also really good. Its FAQs provide answers to almost all questions, and the setup guides are easy to follow, come with screenshots, and some even have video guides.

NordVPN Review 2024 — Final Words Final Words

NordVPN is one of the top VPNs on the market. I really like how secure it is, as it comes with RAM-only servers, PFS, a tool that blocks ads, malicious sites, and even malware, and a data breach scanner. On top of that, it also works with tons of popular streaming platforms, it has very good gaming and torrenting support, it’s really fast, and it has user-friendly apps.

There are only a few minor drawbacks to highlight. One, it doesn’t consistently work in restrictive regions like China and Egypt. And two, its macOS app has 2 different versions, so it could be confusing for NordVPN users to know which one to install. 

NordVPN Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions