NordVPN review: Consistent speed and performance from one of our favorite VPNs

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• I tested the very popular NordVPN, and it checks all the VPN boxes of reliability, performance, and features.
• As advertised, the NordLynx protocol has fast and secure connections worldwide, and features like specialty servers, an antivirus (offline malware scanner for PCs), and a Dark Web Monitor are welcome.
• NordVPN isn’t without its disappointments. There is no split tunneling feature on iOS, and it doesn’t have the IKEv2/IPSec protocol on most (if not all) devices. Sometimes the app can also interfere with other applications.

You will come across NordVPN quite often when shopping around for the best VPN service. The VPN appears in almost every recommendation list, not by luck or chance, but because it’s truly a top contender, and ZDNET’s pick for the best VPN overall, as well as the best VPN for streaming and the best VPN for iPhones. That said, experiences will always vary. Some users prefer NordVPN’s closest rival, ExpressVPN.

This review is solely to put NordVPN in the spotlight. If you want a sneak peek before committing financially to the service, we have all the details. I’ll cover the experience on NordVPN connection speeds, server network, streaming/gaming/torrenting capabilities, protection and privacy, user-friendliness, and more. I’ll also review the pricing and let you in on which NordVPN deal plan has the best value proposal. (Read more about how we test and review VPNs here.)

View at NordVPN

Many server locations, but which one should you choose?

NordVPN has 6,400+ servers spread across 111 countries, slightly more than ExpressVPN or Surfshark. A good server distribution network means easy access to secure IP addresses for watching content anywhere or finding nearby servers with better connections (the shorter the distance to the server, the faster the speed). 

Should you get stuck on which server to use, you can tap the Quick Connect button and the app will automatically select the fastest and most optimized server for your location.

The infrastructure also includes additional specialty servers, such as;

• Double VPN: These are different from the standard servers in that they bounce traffic through multiple servers for extra privacy.
• P2P: These are optimized for secure and faster torrenting (you can’t torrent with the regular servers).
• Obfuscated servers: These are designed to camouflage your VPN usage, enabling you to bypass geo-restrictions with ease.
• Onion Over VPN: These servers not only route your traffic through the VPN but also via the Tor Network, adding a layer of privacy to your browsing.
• Dedicated IP: You can purchase a private IP address, say to use on your website, if you don’t want the shared ones.

Speed and streaming performance: Is NordVPN fast?

VPNs will generally slow down your connections, mainly because of the underlying secure data transfer processes, like encryption. 

NordVPN isn’t an exception to this rule. We saw an average 15% dip in download speeds from multiple server locations. Still, NordVPN was the fastest. It was marginally faster than ExpressVPN in North America and Europe, but the latter did better in South America, Australia, and some Asian Pacific locations. I used the Ookla Speed Test tool online to record speeds before and after connecting to NordVPN.

Notably, using a VPN affected both download and upload speeds. It wasn’t much of a concern, since speeds were just slightly below the baseline connections without a VPN. Servers near my location didn’t register speed losses beyond 7%. You thus shouldn’tt have problems using NordVPN for high bandwidth streaming or gaming on any fast connections.

NordVPN’s high speeds can be attributed to an in-house protocol called NordLynx, which is optimized to minimize speed losses. It’s built on the WireGuard protocol that many VPN apps in the industry already use, due to its fast speeds.

Streaming

NordVPN worked with most platforms, including Disney+, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Netflix around the world. I didn’t receive any of that “you seem to be using a VPN or proxy” error message. If you encounter problems accessing geo-restricted sites, you can switch to the OpenVPN protocol. It integrates an obfuscation tech that disguises VPN traffic to avoid detection by platforms that block VPNs.

While streaming with NordVPN, I could easily switch to the best video streaming quality. It supports ultra-HD content streaming without any buffering. 

I didn’t quite like that streaming servers aren’t clearly marked, like they are in CyberGhost. The differentiation saves you from  manually testing servers to find one that works better with streaming.

Gaming 

Gaming enthusiasts can play smoothly with NordVPN. Its robust features, like encryption, greatly help to avoid ISP throttling and DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks, both of which can cause game stuttering while playing online.

You should always try to connect to server locations close by for the best gaming experience. As noted in my earlier speed test results, latency increased significantly on distant servers. Latency, or ping, refers to the time it takes a signal to travel between your device and the service, and then back again, and can result in lag during gaming if it’s too high (above 150ms). 

If you’re always inviting friends over to play games, you might fall in love with NordVPN’s Meshnet feature. It allows you to set up an encrypted local area network (LAN) for all your gaming devices and enjoy multiplayer games online without experiencing lag.

Online protection features: How secure is NordVPN?

NordVPN has plenty of security features. I’m impressed by the developers’ efforts, consistently adding sophisticated protection features you won’t find in other VPNs. Here’s what you can expect.

Encryption and IP protection

NordVPN uses AES 256-bit encryption – currently the best standard for data security. Encryption refers to the process by which data transiting to and from your device is transformed into unreadable characters. This makes it hard for internet service providers (ISPs), Wi-Fi owners, or hackers to see or track your online activities.

There are also identity protection features, including a kill switch that instantly cuts off internet access if the VPN connection accidentally fails, preventing your IP address from being exposed. 

Plus, you can route your traffic through its private domain name servers (DNS) instead of the ones issued by your ISP. This acts as leak protection, blocking third parties from seeing your DNS requests and monitoring your activities. 

NordVPN passed all the leak tests I performed on it. My IP address, DNS, and WebRTC requests weren’t exposed on any site. The VPN can prevent leaks on both IPv4 and IPv6 connections, while most VPNs only offer IPv4 protection.

Protocols

You can choose between two protocols, NordLynx and OpenVPN. The provider no longer supports IKEv2/IPSec on most devices, including iOS and MacOS. IKEv2 works well on smartphone devices and was previously available to iPhone users.

I often recommend NordLynx because of its fast speeds. OpenVPN is also convenient and customizable, allowing you to choose between UDP (which is fast) and TCP (which is reliable for most use cases). 

Threat protection

NordVPN goes beyond securing your connections, offering advanced tools for blocking ads, malware, and hidden trackers used by third-party websites and apps to spy on you. Threat Protection also checks the safety of URLs and warns you from opening risky sites. The PC version, Threat Protection Pro, also has antivirus capabilities, scanning any downloaded files for trojans, spyware, and viruses.

There are even more security features:

• Split tunneling: You can easily choose some apps or websites to tunnel to using the VPN, and exclude others.
• Dark Web Monitor: NordVPN constantly checks if your sensitive details, including emails and passwords, have been leaked on risky sites. You can then act swiftly before cybercriminals take full control of your compromised accounts.
• Meshnet: This feature allows you to create a virtual network (similar to a LAN network) and safely transfer files.

Privacy

NordVPN has stringent measures to protect your privacy. Its no-logs policy has been audited by independent parties for transparency (the most recent audit was done by Deloitte in 2024). Essentially, this means the VPN strictly adheres to a policy of not collecting or storing users’ private data, including browser searches. Plus, all NordVPN servers are RAM-only, meaning they’re wiped clean during regular server reboots.

Considering the company is headquartered in Panama, it’s much more difficult for third parties to access your data. Business entities in Panama aren’t obligated to collect and store their customers’ information. Also, the country doesn’t belong to the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances, referring to countries that share surveillance data and intelligence on their citizens.

Still, you need to be aware that NordVPN can share your information in some instances. I came across these quotes while going through its privacy policy;

“We share your personal data with other Nord group companies to carry out our daily business operations and to enable us to maintain and provide our Services to you. We may also share the contact information of Nord business customers (i.e., our customers which use our products as a tool for their business) with Nord group companies for marketing of their B2B products purposes (business users have a right to object to such transfer at any time).”

Also:

“We may disclose personal data to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against any legal claims or other complaints. We may also share such information if we believe it is necessary in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, and violations of our General Terms.”

What I gathered from these clauses is that NordVPN isn’t completely tamper-proof, but this is a privacy limitation you’ll note in some VPNs as well. Thankfully, providers like Private Internet Access (PIA) have in the past stuck to their guns and bravely refused to comply with orders to share a user’s information. We’ve yet to see NordVPN pass this test.

Pricing: Which is the best NordVPN deal for you?  

NordVPN offers tiered subscriptions from different plans, namely Complete, Plus (without cloud storage), and Basic (missing some features like ad/tracker/ malware protection). The cheapest (basic) plan costs $3.59/month – amounting to $96.93 for the entire two-year (plus three months free) period. The next most affordable subscription, which I highly recommend because it’s packed with elite features, costs $4.49/month (coming to $121.23 for the entire two-year plus three months free period). Here is a list of the available plans as of the time of writing:

All NordVPN subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, including the one-month plans. This allows you to try the service risk-free and ask for a refund if you change your mind. The VPN doesn’t have a free version or a trial. Android users, however, can get a seven-day free trial if they download the app from the Google App Store. 

You can simultaneously connect up to 10 devices with a NordVPN subscription, and purchases can be made using supported debit or credit cards, Google Pay, PayPal, or cryptocurrencies.

Great user experience, but some things you may not like…

NordVPN apps are convenient even for less tech-savvy users. You can easily download a native app for your device and connect within minutes. The app has a map interface where you can simply tap a location and connect. As I noted in my NordVPN and Proton VPN comparison, the Linux app isn’t as straightforward since it’s only controlled through the command line interface (CLI).

NordVPN is compatible with:

• Mobile devices: Android, iOS, and iPadOS
• PCs: Windows, MacOS, Linux, ChromeOS
• Browsers: Extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge 
• Smart TVs: Android TV and Apple TV
• Gaming consoles: PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch
• Routers
• Media boxes: Fire TV Stick and Chromecast

I noticed some issues with the NordVPN app. Most notably, it likes imposing itself over other applications. The VPN insists on running in the background even after you’ve disconnected it (you can turn this off under Settings > Connections). It can also interfere with the functioning of some apps or access to websites, mistakenly identifying them as a threat.

ZDNET’s buying advice

NordVPN has great service that’s worth your money. It’s not one of the cheapest VPNs, but the remarkable list of advanced protection features is beyond most VPNs. You can travel anywhere and still access geo-blocked content or digital services with ease, thanks to the expansive global server network and speedy connections.

The service isn’t without its shortfalls. The company has done away with the IKEv2/IPSec protocol, which was quite efficient on mobile devices. Also, the app frequently asks to install secondary add-on features, which can be annoying. The drawbacks are, however, easily overshadowed by the app’s seamless performance. 

What to do if NordVPN isn’t connecting or working?

You can try some things to troubleshoot NordVPN. If you can’t open the app, log in, or connect (or you keep getting disconnected), there may be several causes, from server failure to app malfunction.

First, confirm that your internet is working properly. Also, check if any new updates are available and install them. For login challenges, ensure you’re using the right credentials.

The issue might also be the specific server you’re connecting to, so try different servers and see if that helps. Remove other VPNs running on your device since they could also interfere with NordVPN. Check whether your antivirus or firewall (like Windows Defender) is blocking VPN connections. 

Restarting the app or your device might also help, or you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the app. If nothing seems to work, reach out to the NordVPN support team for assistance.

How can I cancel my NordVPN subscription?

You can cancel your NordVPN subscription on the company’s website. Sign in to your account, navigate to the billing section, and can cancel auto-renewal. This will not only terminate your subscription but also stop future recurring payments. You can ask for a refund if 30 days haven’t lapsed since your purchase by contacting the support team on chat or email.

What are the best alternatives to NordVPN?

ExpressVPN is one of the best alternatives to NordVPN. It offers a proprietary protocol with fast connections (just like NordLynx), works with geo-restrictions, and has lots of safety features, including a tracker and malware blocker. Surfshark and Proton VPN are also solid options, providing great features to secure your online activities.

Does NordVPN work in China?

No, NordVPN doesn’t work in China. The company has made this clear and many people who have traveled to China have confirmed as much. Most VPN services are either blocked or restricted by the Great Firewall of China.