| VPN | NordVPN |
| Based in | Panama |
| Logs | No logs (audited) |
| Price | $3.71/mo. |
| Support | 24/7 Live chat |
| Refund | 30 days |
| Website | NordVPN.com |
Can one of the most popular VPNs on the market also provide premium speeds, fully-featured VPN apps, and strong security, despite the below-average price?
In this updated NordVPN review for 2020, I put the service through extensive testing to see how it compares to the competition. All test results are backed up with screenshots posted below in the review:
- Numerous speed tests conducted with NordVPN servers around the world
- Leak tests conducted on the desktop applications (checking for IPv4, IPv6, and DNS leaks)
- Testing the kill switch and leak protection features
- Streaming compatibility checks with Netflix on US servers
- Testing the specialty servers, including the Double-VPN and P2P servers
This NordVPN review is an in-depth summary of test results and research. Here is a brief overview of my findings:
Pros of NordVPN
- Strong privacy and security features
- Premium performance: fast speeds, great reliability, and instant connections
- Secure apps with no leaks
- Large and secure server network
- Great customer support
- Verified no logs VPN provider (audited)
- NordVPN based in Panama (good privacy jurisdiction)
- Extra security upgrades
- Full WireGuard support with NordLynx
- Excellent support for Netflix and other streaming services
- Fully-featured mobile clients
- Low prices and good refund policy
Cons of NordVPN
- Big discounts only available for longer subscriptions
- No dedicated router app (but still works on routers)
Additional research findings
- Is NordVPN good for torrenting?
- Does NordVPN work in China?
- Can you get a Dedicated IP address with NordVPN?
So now let’s cut to the chase.
Pros of NordVPN
Here are the pros (advantages) of NordVPN.
1. Strong privacy and security features
NordVPN offers some solid features to enhance user privacy and security – above and beyond most other VPNs. Let’s take a look at NordVPN’s encryption and some of these enhanced features.
Strong encryption standards and VPN protocol selection
NordVPN’s OpenVPN clients use an AES-256-GCM cipher and HMAC SHA256 hash authentication. Additionally, NordVPN utilizes Perfect Forward Secrecy through a DHE-4096 key exchange. The AES-256-GCM cipher is also used to encrypt traffic with the IPSec/IKEv2 protocol.
In addition to OpenVPN and IPSec/IKEv2, NordVPN also supports the WireGuard VPN protocol directly in all VPN apps. NordVPN’s implementation of WireGuard is called NordLynx. You can easily switch between VPN protocols under Settings:
NordLynx (WireGuard protocol) offers serious performance and security advantages, which we will see further below.
NordVPN CyberSec to block ads
NordVPN CyberSec is a security feature that blocks trackers, ads, and malware domains. I found it to work well in testing, effectively blocking all advertising/tracking domains on different sites I visited.
CyberSec is activated directly from within the NordVPN client, as you can see below.
There are three distinct benefits of CyberSec for NordVPN users:
- More privacy – In today’s world, ads are advanced tracking tools that record your online activities and match this up to your data profile. This is how ad networks come up with targeted advertising. Blocking ads via CyberSec is crucial for privacy reasons.
- More security – The CyberSec feature is also critical for security. Online ads are usually fed in through third-party domains, which can be malicious (see malvertising). These malicious domains will use ads as an attack vector to infect your device – even if you don’t click them. CyberSec protects you against this by blocking domains based on a real-time threat list.
- Faster page load speeds – Ads can eat up a lot of bandwidth and really slow down page load speeds, especially on mobile devices. Blocking ads can significantly improve performance, and help conserver your data plan.
NordVPN’s CyberSec feature is one of the best VPN ad blockers you will find.
Note: CyberSec uses real-time filter lists that are blocked via DNS requests. Therefore this feature is only active when connected to the VPN.
Double VPN (multi-hop)
NordVPN is one of a handful of VPN providers that offer multi-hop functionality – or in this case, double-VPN servers. With NordVPN’s double-VPN servers, your traffic is encrypted across two separate VPN servers before exiting onto the regular internet. This also offers some advantages.
- Double-VPN gives you an extra layer of encryption between your device and the regular internet.
- This could also protect you against a compromised data center. In a double-VPN setup, no single server can see both your IP address and sites you visit.
- Distributes trust across two different servers.
Using a multi-hop VPN is certainly not a bad idea. Surprisingly, performance with the double-VPN servers was excellent, with speeds ranging from 195 Mbps to 214 Mbps (screenshots posted below).
NordVPN currently offers 31 double-hop VPN configurations. These can easily be selected from within the NordVPN client. For those wanting a higher level of privacy and security, the double-VPN servers are a great option to consider.
Onion-over-VPN servers
If you are looking for additional encryption and anonymity beyond a single-hop VPN server, another option is to use an Onion-over-VPN server. NordVPN currently offers two locations for this: Netherlands and Switzerland.
The Onion-over-VPN servers encrypt traffic with the Tor Network, in addition to the regular VPN server. However, because the Tor network is very slow, your speeds will slow to a crawl. I’d recommend the Double-VPN servers instead, which offer extra encryption with great performance (around 200 Mbps).
2. Premium performance: fast speeds, great reliability, and instant connections
For this NordVPN I ran dozens of speed tests using different VPN protocols and also various servers around the world. My baseline speed for testing was about 480 Mbps on a wired ethernet connection (no WiFi). Overall, the NordVPN speed test results were phenomenal.
To get the best performance, I selected the NordLynx protocol in the Settings, and then tested different server locations.
First, I tested a nearby NordVPN server in Seattle, which gave me 445 Mbps.
This is the fastest VPN speed test result we’ve gotten on Restore Privacy. It is much faster than OpenVPN, and is not far from my baseline speed.
Next I tested a NordVPN server in Los Angeles, which give me about 304 Mbps:
At over 300 Mbps, it is clear that NordVPN is in the “fastest VPNs” category. It even came out on top in the NordVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison.
Then I tested a NordVPN server in New York, and it was again very fast at 280 Mbps.
Next, I tested a NordVPN server in the UK, with speeds around 295 Mbps:
Without a doubt, these are the best speed test results I’ve ever gotten with NordVPN. It is clear that the WireGuard VPN protocol is a big factor. In my WireGuard vs OpenVPN comparison, I found WireGuard to be about 58% faster than OpenVPN in my tests.
NordVPN Double-VPN speeds
Lastly, I also ran a few tests with NordVPN’s double-VPN servers to check for speeds.
To access the Double-VPN servers, you’ll need to switch to the OpenVPN protocol.
First, I tested the double-VPN server configuration for USA > Canada and was able to get about 214 Mbps.
For a double-VPN connection, these speeds are excellent. Not only is traffic getting encrypted and routed over two servers, but this is also with the OpenVPN protocol, which is slower than WireGuard.
Next, I tested the double-VPN servers for Switzerland > Sweden and again got great speeds: 195 Mbps.
NordVPN significantly outperforms other VPNs that offer double-VPN configurations. You can see this in the NordVPN vs ProtonVPN review.
Reliability and connections
On the topic of performance, it’s also important to discuss reliability and connections:
- Reliability – I found NordVPN to be very reliable. The servers were consistently fast and I did not experience any dropped connections.
- Connections – When using the WireGuard VPN protocol, I found that NordVPN was extremely fast at establishing a connection — nearly instantly. While OpenVPN can take a few seconds (or longer), WireGuard offers near-instant connections. This makes switching VPN servers all the more quick and easy.
Conclusion on performance – With the latest round of speed tests for this review, I can conclude that NordVPN offers fast, consistent, and reliable speeds. This is the fastest I’ve seen NordVPN in all my years of testing it. It also consistently comes out on top in comparison with other VPNs, such as in the NordVPN vs IPVanish comparison.
3. Secure apps with no leaks
NordVPN also offers a nice lineup of secure apps (clients) for all major operating systems and devices:
- Windows
- Mac OS
- Linux
- Android and iOS (mobile)
- Android TV
Here were my main takeaways from testing and reviewing the NordVPN clients on Windows and Mac OS:
- Fully-featured – The NordVPN apps are loaded with features, to include specialty servers, leak protection, and startup/connection settings.
- Easy to use – Whether you are new with VPNs or a seasoned pro, you should find the NordVPN clients user-friendly and intuitive. Adjusting settings and selecting features is simple.
- Secure – Aside from the strong encryption we discussed above, NordVPN also secures data with a kill switch. This blocks traffic (or closes applications) if the VPN connection drops for any reason. We’ll examine this more below.
NordVPN Windows client
The NordVPN Windows client utilizes the OpenVPN and WireGuard VPN protocols and offers all features.
To connect to a server in the NordVPN Windows client, you can use the list on the left or click a location on the map. In the screenshot below, I’ve selected the double-VPN servers from the list of “Specialty Servers”.
I found connection times to be very good, with NordVPN quickly connecting to servers (no long delays). If you use the NordLynx (WireGuard) protocol, you’ll enjoy near-instant connections. After lots of testing and comparison, we have rated NordVPN as one of the best VPNs for PC.
NordVPN Mac OS client
For this NordVPN review, I also tested out the Mac OS client. The Mac OS client offers all of the same features and a built-in kill switch that automatically blocks traffic if the connection drops.
With the Mac OS client, you can select between the following VPN protocols: IKEv2, OpenVPN UDP, OpenVPN TCP, and NordLynx (WireGuard).
You can also check out our top-rated VPNs for Mac for additional options.
NordVPN kill switch
NordVPN is one of the few VPNs that offers two different kinds of kill switches. A kill switch is important because it blocks traffic if the VPN connection drops, which protects you from de-anonymization and your regular traffic being exposed.
In the screenshot below you can see the two different kill switches on the NordVPN Windows client:
- Internet Kill Switch – This will block all traffic if the VPN connection drops via the firewall (recommended).
- App Kill Switch – This will close applications if the VPN connection drops, but will not block traffic.
If you are concerned about IP address leaks, it would be best to use the “Internet Kill Switch” as this will block non-VPN traffic via the firewall. And if you are using the Internet kill switch, then you probably don’t need to use the App kill switch.
NordVPN leak test results: no leaks found
I ran the NordVPN Windows and Mac OS clients through some basic VPN tests and checks to identify any leaks or problems. Additionally, I also tested out NordVPN’s kill switch to see if it was effectively working in both clients.
With the NordVPN Windows client, I did not find any IP address leaks or DNS leaks. In the screenshot below, you can see:
- the IPv4 address matches up with the VPN client (no IPv4 leaks)
- IPv6 is effectively being blocked (no IPv6 leaks)
- No WebRTC leaks (but this is blocked in your browser)
- DNS requests are being handled by NordVPN’s server (no DNS leaks)
I also found the Internet Kill Switch and App Kill Switch to work well – no issues or problems to report.
Mac OS leak tests – I ran the Mac OS clients through the same tests as above with the Windows client. The results were the same in that I did not find any leaks or problems. Additionally, the Mac OS kill switches worked correctly without any issues.
Android leak tests – Heinrich tested out the NordVPN Android client when working on the VPN for Android roundup. He found it to perform very well without any leaks or issues.
4. NordVPN’s large and secure server network
NordVPN boasts a huge server network, which currently includes over 5,400 servers in 59 countries. With a large server network, it is easy for NordVPN to unblock websites and other digital content.
NordVPN has announced significant network upgrades to further improve performance and also security. We’ll cover these more below in the security upgrades section, but first touch on one exciting area…
Colocated servers being deployed now
Most VPNs rent servers from third parties. While this is standard practice, NordVPN has decided to raise the bar by deploying their own hardware (colocated servers). The first location to receive NordVPN colocated severs was Finland. Here’s a description of the task from NordVPN’s website:
Colocated servers are fully owned, maintained, and managed by NordVPN. The complete ownership of our servers guarantees that we stay in control of their configuration and security.
Our partners provide the facilities for storing the servers, along with a continuous power supply, stable internet connectivity, and strict security.
This project began in late 2020 and we will continue to update this NordVPN review with new developments. Colocated servers would really set NordVPN apart from most other VPN providers. The only other VPN to offer this is VyprVPN.
NordVPN obfuscated servers
We have already covered the Double-VPN and Onion-over-VPN servers above. In addition to these specialty servers, NordVPN also offers Obfuscated servers.
The Obfuscated servers are available directly in the VPN client when you are using the OpenVPN protocol. These servers hide (obfuscate) VPN traffic to appear as regular HTTPS traffic and are useful in the following situations:
- When you need to get around VPN blocks at work, school, or restricted networks.
- To evade state censorship efforts and VPN blocks in certain countries, such as in China, UAE, and others.
The selection of obfuscated servers make NordVPN a great option if you need a VPN for China or any other restricted country.
Does NordVPN use virtual server locations?
In the past, we have investigated the issue of virtual server locations. This is when a VPN claims to have a server in one country, but it’s actually in a different location. While there are justifiable reasons for doing this in some cases, transparency is also important.
In the case of NordVPN, we did not find any virtual server locations. Additionally, a NordVPN representative confirmed with me that no virtual locations are in use. In other words, NordVPN truly has servers in all of the advertised locations.
5. Great customer support
NordVPN offers 24/7 live chat support and the representatives are quite helpful.
Chat support is always available through the NordVPN website in the bottom-right corner. You don’t have to log in, simply click on the chat icon and you’ll be connected with a representative.
I tested out the NordVPN chat support a few different times for this review and it worked well without any issues.
In all my interactions with NordVPN support, it did not take long to connect with a representative (under a minute). The support staff was helpful in answering all my questions.
Support with some of the larger VPN providers can be hit or miss. This is especially the case because support is often outsourced to third parties. NordVPN handles all support in-house with trained technicians (no external third parties).
6. NordVPN no logs policy (audited twice)
Another important aspect in terms of privacy is NordVPN’s logging policy. NordVPN is one of the few VPN services that has had its no-logs claims audited and verified. First, in 2019, NordVPN underwent a full audit to examine all aspects of the service and verify the no-logs policy. The audit was performed by PricewaterhouseCoopers AG in Zurich, Switzerland.
To further verify privacy claims, NordVPN recently completed a second audit that was published in July 2020. For this second audit, NordVPN expanded the scope with full access to servers, employees, and VPN infrastructure. Here were the key findings:
- NordVPN was audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers AG, a reputable auditing firm based in Zurich, Switzerland.
- The auditors had full access to examine all NordVPN servers, interview employees, observe operations, and inspect configurations, databases, and any other relevant areas deemed necessary.
- The audit officially verified NordVPN to be a “no-log service” that remains true to its privacy policies.
- NordVPN does not store connection logs, IP addresses, traffic logs, or any internet activity information.
Here is a further explanation of NordVPN’s logging policy from their privacy policy:
NordVPN strictly keeps no logs of your activity online. That means we do not track the time or duration of any online session, and neither do we keep logs of IP addresses or servers used, websites visited or files downloaded. In other words, none of your private and secure data is logged and gathered at any time. As a result, we are not able to provide any details about your behavior online, even if you request it yourself.
NordVPN is based away from the EU and US jurisdiction and is not required to collect your personal data and information– it means nothing is recorded, monitored, stored, logged or passed to third parties.
Overall, NordVPN is a solid choice if you are looking for a no logs VPN provider that has been verified and proven to be true.
7. NordVPN based in Panama (a good privacy jurisdiction)
Another advantage of NordVPN is that it is based in Panama. Panama is not a member of any international surveillant alliances (see the Five Eyes) and it remains an excellent jurisdiction for privacy.
As NordVPN explains this issue further on its website:
We are based and operate under the jurisdiction of Panama. There is no mandatory data retention law in Panama so we do not need to store logs which is perfect for a VPN provider.
Being based in Panama is indeed a good jurisdiction that gives NordVPN advantages over other VPN providers, as I also explained in my NordVPN vs PIA comparison.
8. Extra security upgrades
NordVPN is currently investing significant resources to improve security and network infrastructure, going beyond what most other VPN services offer. Here’s an overview of NordVPN’s security upgrades:
1. Ongoing security audit
NordVPN is one of the few VPNs that has undergone a full third-party security audit. Here is an overview of the security audit, conducted by Versprite, and the results:
We invited VerSprite, a leading security research group specializing in software vulnerabilities, to search our apps inside and out with total access to ensure they found everything possible.
After analyzing our infrastructure, their team simulated malicious attacks on the apps from every angle (a penetration test) while also identifying internal architecture that could make the apps vulnerable to those attacks. As soon as they found and documented a vulnerability, they reported it to us so our team could get to work. Every single potential vulnerability they found was meticulously eliminated and then tested again.
NordVPN is continuing to work with Versprite and their in-house team of penetration testers to ensure the highest security standards:
- Comprehensive penetration testing;
- Intrusion handling;
- Vendor risk assessment;
- Source code analysis.
The main audit (and findings) were completed in late 2019, but it is a continual process going forward.
2. Bug Bounty Program
NordVPN has officially launched a bug bounty program and it is now live. They will reward anyone who finds security vulnerabilities with NordVPN.
Our job is to anticipate and prevent bugs before they ever go live. If one does slip past us, the next best line of defense is a vigilant and engaged cybersec community prepared to help catch and fix it before it puts anyone at risk.
3. Infrastructure security audit
Another aspect of NordVPN’s security upgrades is a full infrastructure audit. This includes all physical infrastructure of their VPN service, as they explain:
We are setting the groundwork for a full-scale third-party independent security audit in 2020.
This will include and may not be limited to: infrastructure hardware, VPN software, backend architecture, backend source code, and internal procedures.
4. Vendor security assessment and higher security standards
This part of the security plan deals with the third-party data centers where NordVPN servers are physically located. This is a two-part plan. First, NordVPN will be upping their requirements for data centers. Second, they will also be implementing their own (self-owned) servers.
Right now, the majority of the datacenters we work with meet or exceed numerous stringent security standards. As we continue to review our infrastructure, however, we will hold the datacenters we work with to even higher standards than before.
At the same time, we will also begin to build a network of collocated servers. While still located in a datacenter, collocated servers are wholly owned exclusively by NordVPN.
5. Diskless servers
NordVPN has already delivered on their promise to convert all servers in their network to run in RAM-disk mode (without hard drives). This is a smart move that we’ve already seen with other VPN providers, such as ExpressVPN and also Perfect Privacy.
We are preparing a plan to upgrade our entire infrastructure (currently featuring over 5500servers) to RAM servers. These will allow us to create a centrally controlled network where nothing is stored locally.
NordVPN completed this network transition in September 2020 and now all of their servers run in RAM-disk mode.
9. Full WireGuard support with NordLynx
Some people are looking to use the (relatively new) WireGuard VPN protocol. There are many reasons for this:
- WireGuard is the fastest VPN protocol available (much faster than OpenVPN)
- WireGuard will connect faster and offer better reliability, especially on mobile devices
- Updated encryption algorithms are used with WireGuard
NordVPN is one of only a few VPNs that offer full WireGuard support directly in the VPN apps.
As we’ve already covered above, WireGuard speeds with NordVPN are amazing. The upgraded security and encryption with WireGuard are additional benefits to consider.
In terms of privacy, NordVPN has gone to great lengths to ensure NordLynx ensures user privacy remains protected. To do this, they have implemented a “double NAT (Network Address Translation) system” with NordLynx. NordVPN explains the benefits as follows:
The double NAT system allows us to establish a secure VPN connection without storing any identifiable data on a server. Dynamic local IP addresses remain assigned only while the session is active. Meanwhile, user authentication is done with the help of a secure external database.
To use WireGuard with NordVPN right now, simply go into the settings and select NordLynx from the available VPN protocols.
10. Excellent support for Netflix and other streaming services
As is the case in all of my VPN reviews, I ran NordVPN through a number of tests to see how well it works with Netflix and streaming services.
I used NordVPN servers in the US to access my American Netflix account. Everything worked perfectly without any issues.
In the screenshot above, you can see the Netflix movie I was streaming with the connected NordVPN app in the background (right). NordVPN did well in all these tests. It unblocked Netflix without any issues and gave me fast speeds for HD streaming without interruption.
With NordVPN you can get full access to the following Netflix regions: US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Japan, Australia, India, and Italy. (Other regions may also work, but were not tested for this review.) With full regional support, NordVPN is definitely one of the best VPNs for Netflix.
Other streaming services – NordVPN works with other streaming services, such as BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and others. It is also a great VPN for Disney+, which offers lots of content in 10 different regional libraries. After examining and testing NordVPN with different streaming services, we gave it the title ‘best VPN for streaming‘.
Note: If you have any trouble getting Netflix to work with NordVPN, simply ask support. The live chat representatives will tell you exactly what servers to use.
11. Fully-featured mobile clients for Android and iOS
Many VPNs skimp on their mobile VPN apps. That is not the case with NordVPN.
The NordVPN clients for Android and iOS offer full support for the following features:
- OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols
- Specialty servers (Double-VPN, Onion-over-VPN, Obfuscated, and P2P servers)
- Built-in leak protection settings
Here is a look at the NordVPN Android client:
It took the top spot as the best VPN for Android, even beating out ExpressVPN.
12. Low prices and good refund policy
NordVPN is one of the cheapest VPN services you will find that is still good quality.
At the time of this review, NordVPN is offering a discounted two-year subscription price. The savings here are indeed significant, dropping the price down to only $3.71 per month.
Below are the NordVPN subscription prices:
- $3.71/month for the 2-year plan
- $9.00/month for the 6-month plan
- $11.95/month for the 1-month plan
The longer plan at only $3.71 per month makes NordVPN the best cheap VPN that is under $4 per month.
You can pay with all major credit cards, Amazon Pay, Alipay, UnionPay, and even a variety of cryptocurrencies. One drawback, however, is that NordVPN is no longer supporting PayPal payments in the US.
If you are hesitant about the two or two-year subscription plans, NordVPN also offers shorter duration subscriptions, but they are more expensive. (I’m also maintaining a NordVPN coupon page to track the latest offers and deals.)
NordVPN refund policy (30 days)
NordVPN provides a 30 day money-back guarantee, which is quite generous for VPN standards. The refund policy does not include any hidden clauses or restrictions.
Cons of NordVPN
Now we’ll examine the cons of NordVPN.
1. Big discounts only available for longer plans
One gripe I have with NordVPN is that the discounted rates are only available with the two-year subscription. Three years is a long commitment to make for a VPN service. Although the 30 day refund window gives you plenty of time to test everything.
Along these same lines, the one-month deal is rather pricey at $11.95 per month. This is more than three times the monthly price of the two-year plan. But steep discounts for long subscriptions are becoming more common in the industry – so it’s not surprising.
2. No VPN router app (but still works on routers)
Some VPN services, such as ExpressVPN and VyprVPN, offer a dedicated router app for certain router models. This makes it easier to get a VPN up and running on your router.
Currently, NordVPN does not offer any VPN router app. Nonetheless, you can still use NordVPN with a router. Here are three ways to do that:
- Get a pre-configured router from an outlet such as Sabai Technology or FlashRouters. These will be somewhat expensive, but it will be ready to use with NordVPN right out of the box and pre-configured with the router firmware you need.
- Get a VPN-enabled router that can be used with a VPN without any flashing required. The best selection of VPN-enabled routers comes from Asus. Asus offers numerous routers that can be easily loaded with OpenVPN configuration files (from any VPN provider) and be working in just minutes.
- Flash your existing router. This can be tricky and somewhat risky (bricking your router), so you will want to proceed with caution if you go down this route. The degree of difficulty will depend on the router you are using.
Tip: When using NordVPN on a router, connect to the nearest server with the lightest load.
Overall, not having a router app is not really a dealbreaker since there are still many ways to use NordVPN on a router. And as always, NordVPN support can help you get everything set up correctly.
Additional research findings
Here are the additional research findings for this NordVPN review, based on my own tests.
Is NordVPN good for torrenting? (Yes)
NordVPN is an excellent choice if you need a good VPN for torrenting. Here are three reasons why.
- Fast and consistent speeds – This will be useful when torrenting large files.
- Leak protection – The NordVPN apps come with built-in leak protection settings. This allows you to torrent for hours without worrying about your IP address being exposed.
- Safe jurisdiction – NordVPN is based in Panama. Unlike the US and Europe, Panama does not have draconian copyright laws. NordVPN can simply ignore DMCA/copyright requests from other countries.
Additionally, NordVPN also has dedicated P2P servers. These servers are listed under the “Specialty servers” and are fast and ideal for torrenting. I tested out the NordVPN torrenting servers and everything worked well.
The NordVPN app will automatically connect to the fastest P2P server for a given country you select. Additionally, you can also manually connect to certain torrenting servers through the NordVPN app.
When torrenting with NordVPN, be sure to enable the kill switch to protect your IP address in case the connection drops. You can also find guides showing you how to setup NordVPN with uTorrent and BitTorrent clients on the NordVPN website.
Does NordVPN work in China? (Yes)
Many people are looking for the best VPN for China that will provide privacy and access to online content. In this case, NordVPN is a great choice. It offers built-in obfuscation features that will conceal VPN traffic and get around the Great Firewall of China.
To use NordVPN in China, simply connect to one of the Obfuscated servers in the VPN client. When you use one of these servers, the NordVPN client will automatically obfuscate your VPN traffic to make it appear as regular HTTPS encryption. This makes NordVPN a great choice for China or anywhere else that VPNs are blocked.
Can you get a dedicated IP address with NordVPN? (Yes)
Yes, NordVPN offers dedicated IP addresses which can be added on to your VPN subscription.
NordVPN also gives you the option to get a dedicated IP address, which may be beneficial in some use cases. They offer dedicated IP addresses for the following locations:
- United States (Buffalo, Los Angeles, Dallas)
- Germany (Frankfurt)
- United Kingdom (London)
- Netherlands (Amsterdam)
The cost for a static IP address from NordVPN is $70 per year, regardless of the location you choose. NordVPN is probably the best VPN for a static IP. You can purchase a dedicated IP address by contacting NordVPN support to arrange the IP location you want.
NordVPN review conclusion
I’ve been testing NordVPN for about five years now, as both a personal user and also for VPN reviews. This NordVPN review for 2020 is one of the best I’ve published, simply because of the good test results. With this level of performance, NordVPN is a premium VPN at a very reasonable price.
NordVPN has made major improvements over the past six months in many areas and continues to get better. Here’s what stands out to me with the latest review:
- Faster speeds and better reliability throughout the server network
- Improved application stability and features (CyberSec)
- Big security upgrades, to include an ongoing third-party audit and bug bounty program, rolling out self-owned servers, and converting the network to run only in RAM-disk mode
- Full support for the WireGuard protocol directly in the VPN apps
- More support for Netflix and other streaming services
While there are a few minor drawbacks, NordVPN is a solid choice and is one of our top recommendation in the best VPN report.
It’s great to see NordVPN continuing to improve and upgrade their service with the latest developments. If you want to test-drive this VPN, give it a shot with the coupon below.
NordVPN Cyber Deal for November 2020
Get 68% off NordVPN (drops the price down to $3.71 per month) plus a free gift.
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(Discount is applied automatically.)
Alternatives to NordVPN
Click the VPN name below to read our full review – or grab the discount for the best savings. Both of these VPNs have a 30 day money-back guarantee.
You can also check out our guide on the Best VPN Services for other recommendations.
If you have used NordVPN, feel free to share your honest review (good or bad) below.
NordVPN Review
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Sven. How did you get those speeds? I just signed up with NordVPN thanks to your review but i got bad news. Not sure how did you get those 400Mbps speed or even 200Mbps. That’s NOT possible with NordVPN in Midwest, USA. Torrent download speeds are terrible 5 MiB/s. Their NordLynx protocol makes DNS stop working. I’ve tried different servers. With UDP dns works. UDP speeds drop in half of Lynx to 1-2 MiB/s. This is terrible! I’ve had vpn.ac and PIA and both were faster and had no dns issues. I’ve tried different servers for speed, nothing changes. Unless i can fix this i will be canceling with them. Signed up for 3 years. I will probably go to PIA.
Hi Sebastian, I’m consistently getting these speeds, easily over 200 Mbps, even with OpenVPN from the Western United States. Are you running Windows? That could be your problem because the Windows TAP adapter issues often interfere with getting the best speeds. Your ISP may also be interfering with the VPN connection, but that’s less probable. I’d say keep tinkering with variables, trying different protocols, servers, etc. until you can diagnose the issue.
I cant see the images on this site when connected to NordVPN when disconnecting the images pops up again, strange 🙁
Hi,
did you try disabling cybersec? It worked for me 🙂
yes thanks that made it 🙂
I’ve been a Nordvpn user on and off for around 3 years now. I used to buy it for a shorter time, since I never had a long-term need for it. However, I’ve started freelancing and will working at various places around the country. Do you think I should buy it now or hold off until Black Friday?
Good question. NordVPN usually runs a Black Friday deal, but I suspect the deal will be the same price you can get on NordVPN now (with this 68% off coupon), but they will add in a few months of NordLocker or NordPass for free. This is what they did last year. So to answer your question, there shouldn’t be a huge difference in prices, but we’re keeping an eye out and will update this review right away with any price changes!
Many people have complained about problems watching Netflix, YouTube, etc. This is largely due to these services having issues with the EU’s privacy laws. Not with NordVPN’s systems. I too have had similar issues on servers located in the EU. But when I log onto a non-EU server, the problem disappears.
I do, however have some niggling issues with Nord. One being the lack of servers in various countries. An example is Canada. Nord has maybe 100 servers in Canada. But they are all located in only 3 cities, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. That level of centralization invites interception by government agencies.
You also mentioned the Nord Windows and Mac client. Any chance we’ll see a Linux client any time soon?
I’m not sure on a timeline for a Linux client, given that Linux is probably a very small percentage of Nord’s user base. So that would be a question for NordVPN.
Hi Sven,
you mention 3 independent audits for NordVPN but you did include no links for them.
I like these claims, but unless I can see the original sources, claims remain just beautiful words.
Any chance you can possibly include the links to the original papers?
Thanks
The third-party auditing firms restrict distribution of the audit reports, which prevents me from just sharing the PDF, but NordVPN makes them available to paid users in the dashboard. With that being said, this blog post discusses the two no-logs verification audits, and this blog post discusses the security audit from Versprite.
NordVPN may also provide the audit reports to you directly, but I’m not sure. You could ask a chat representative here.
Works in Hong Kong, but not in mainland China
Try the Obfuscated Servers.
I need a VPN that allows manual selection of servers within a given city. I understand Nord has removed this functionality within their apps. I also need a lot of servers in a particular city. If there is another VPN service that has as many servers (virtual or physical) please let me know.
Is there a snowball chance in h*** that NordVPN will ever go on sale under $3 month again?
NordVPN is probably your best bet here, and I think you can manually select server numbers the last time I checked, and hopefully support can get you squared away on which numbers match the city you need.
No, I don’t see them going under $3 again. But this 68% discount link will still drop the price down to $3.71 per month.
Hey Will,
actually, you can manually choose a server, I don’t think Nordvpn has servers in every city, but it has a lot of them. You can either type the city in the search bar or you can find a country you want, click the 3 dots and choose a region and server you would like.
This might’ve been the case of being a good vpn in the past, but Nord fell seriously short in my book. I just spent well over an hour with the NordVPN online chat support over serious issues on utilizing my firestick. In that time, I’ve found that the service won’t enable me to use youtube tv (they’ve admitted that they don’t have an answer for it, they’re working on it), netflix is painfully slow and/or buffers when starting a show, if it starts at all. I’ve had to go back and click the show again to try a couple times, before it would try and load the show. At times, when I do get a show to load, the sync is off the audio (haven’t seen that happen in years and that’s me trying to play compressed movie files on my pc). But that’s not all. The major deal for me was the fact that they couldn’t fix why I was having dns leaks. Yes, dns leaks! They had me try connecting to a few different servers in as many countries, to no avail. Person walked me through setting their “custom dns” only to have same issue. Sorry. But NordVPN needs to get it together. I’ll pay extra for ExpressVPN.
Yes, ExpressVPN remains the best VPN for Netflix, and it also works with Firestick.
Although it is more expensive than NordVPN, right now they have a three months free coupon here.
You admitted your shortfalls and didn’t respond to the bad press from Keith D. and even went so far as to tell him about getting a 3 month deal. In my book, that spells integrity. I will be switching to you in the near future.
Great Article & Info well presented!
Fortunately, I subscribed to NordVPN while they still offered 3 year plans for the cost of now 2 years. This was a very recent change as of this post, as I’ve been a customer for only 2-3 months. Don’t see the 3 year deal anyway today & have looked hard.
The good thing, is once subscribed, that’s the renewal term and rate until the customer cancels the service, or NordVPN finds one is in violation of their Terms of Service. I was going to go for it when 3 years for $2.79/month, was tight on funds, still just over $125 for 3 years is a great deal for a top rated VPN. Most articles has NordVPN scored in the top or #2 position, so that’s good enough for the everyday user.
BTW, I’m not sure if I ‘need’ a VPN, just wanted for any security offered, as well as near 100% privacy & the toggling of the CyberSec option gets rid of lots of ads. SuperAntiSpyware, which used to find a half dozen or more trackers every day (full scan of ‘C’ drive), many days now catches none & this with often 30+ pages of Google Chrome open much all the time.
Just a note, opinions vary, I decided to also install the WebRTC anti-leak browser extensions on Chrome, Firefox & MS Edge. A little extra to be on the safe side, along with more common extensions such as HTTPS Everywhere, Privacy Badger, uBlock Origin, Malwarebytes Browser Guard (this one is almost as good as having MBAM Pro installed) & Emsisoft Browser Security. Sounds like a lot (& may not need all), yet my still high powered i7-4790K with 32GB DDR3-2400 MHz RAM plows through work.
Love NordVPN!
Just checked, their website lists the price at $5.75/mo paid yearly. That’s pretty expensive to be honest.
Yes, that is the price without the discount coupon. Use this to get NordVPN for $3.71:
68% Discount on NordVPN >>
Thank you!
I originally began using Nord to try out their Onion Over VPN servers, and while I liked the idea of adding layers of anonymity to my whole system I got super worn out setting up burner emails/phone numbers, deleting accounts and setting up new ones, etc. I never really needed to do any of that as I am just an ordinary Joe surfing the web, wanting to do the best I can to be as anonymous as possible (Due to everything going on in the U.S.). I don’t have any use for the dark web beyond curiosity. Those OOVPN servers were not very reliable, often incredibly slow. Many times my messaging apps like Signal or WhatsApp would display a notification saying I have a new message but nothing would actually be delivered until after I disconnected from those servers. One thing to consider when using those servers is to stay logged out of any app or service connected to personally identifiable info, especially Google services. Even with sync disabled I never really felt comfortable with this connection as I don’t trust my mobile to not run those services in the background. I am not super knowledgeable with subject of anonymity on the web, but it seemed common sense to use pseudonyms/burner numbers and emails for apps and services on my device, the effort outweighed the need. Very cool idea but now I prefer to use the double vpn feature instead.
Overall I am very pleased with the service. It’s fast and reliable, and I don’t mind paying a bit extra for it.
Many thanks for this website. I’ve implemented most of the recommendations published here. Thank you for what you do.
Excited to hear about the disk-less servers, this is a really nice practice that seems to be becoming an industry standard. Happy to be using a provider that is one of the first to do this.
Lovely review Sven. I was about to buy Nord but their pricing has changed considerably. It’s now $89 for the first two years, and then $80 annually, which is a bit out of my budget. Is Mullvad any good? It’s $60 a year I believe.
Yes, the updated pricing is in the review. But if you use our discount link here, you can still get the discounted two-year rate. Without the discount link, the cheapest price for NordVPN is $4.04 per month with the annual plan.
NordVPN is actually cheaper than Mullvad long term. Mullvad is €5 per month, which is $5.90, and they do not offer any kind of discount for longer subscriptions. So two years of Mullvad is €120, or about $141, while two years of NordVPN is only $89.
Mullvad used to stand out as one of the only VPNs supporting WireGuard, but now NordVPN offers that too. NordVPN has quite a few more features than Mullvad, more servers, and much better support for streaming services. I’ve tested out Mullvad, but don’t have a review up yet for it.
I ended up going with VPN.ac based on your review. Thanks!
Hi Sven, very thorough review. I stumbled upon it looking for a VPN to stream the new Spongebob movie for my kids. Should serve my needs just fine, if it works the same way it did for you.
I’m in the market for a VPN right now and saw that Nord just raised the prices astronomically. They’ve eliminated their 2 and 3 year plans. Their only plan now is $50 for the first year and $80 annually thereafter, which makes them one of the most expensive VPNs on the planet, right after ExpressVPN. Doubt it’s worth it anymore, with their Norway server hack and links to data-mining companies. I’ll probably end up going for ExpressVPN instead. It is $100 for 15 months which is definitely worth the extra $2 a month.
Correct, they did end the big sale. BUT, If you use the links on this page, you can get NordVPN for 2 years at 68% off, which comes to only $3.71 per month. See here:
68% off NordVPN link >>
(I don’t know how long this will last.)
Nord is decent and thanks for the comprehensive review.
Any thoughts on this latest interview by the Nord founders, that confirms Nord and Tesonet are closely related and run and owned by the same guy? Something that Nord was denying for ages and now has done a flip on?
https://www.zdnet.com/article/meet-nordsec-the-company-behind-nordvpn-wants-to-be-your-one-stop-privacy-suite/
NordVPN is incorporated in Panama, and this protects NordVPN users, as Panama is outside of the US and EU, and not a member of surveillance alliances. NordVPN always maintained that fact, and that remains a fact, regardless of where personnel may be located in the world. So nothing has changed, other than the fact that the NordSec team is being more transparent about ownership. And by the way, to understand the importance of jurisdiction, check out my article on the different “Eyes” surveillance entities.
I was hesitant to post this comment since I’ve seen NordVPN competitors go and carpet bomb comment sections across all the review sites in an attempt to attack the biggest and most popular VPN service.
Thank you for not censoring that comment (and for replying)! The best answer to undesirable free speech is not censorship but more free speech. I was about to post a similar comment with the same article link that i found which was very helpful in elucidating ownership information about the company.
However, I don’t understand how your reply answers the commenters question. The “flip” he referred to is not about where Nord is incorporated but about the ownership ties between two companies.
NordVPN has always been under Panama jurisdiction and that continues today. From a legal and jurisdiction perspective, nothing has changed. However, they have “flipped” and are now more transparent in acknowledging the people behind the company simply because they have gotten so large and it is more difficult to remain an anonymous VPN service at this level.
Quite an interesting article. Thanks for sharing. I’ve never had a problem with Nord but the admission by the founder on the Tesonet incident is making me rethink the renewal. Let’s see.
Keep up the good work Sven. Also, please review AtlasVPN and VeePN when possible. Merci!
Very informative review! I used free vpn’s, but after I’ve heard about that big leak recently I decided to invest and get a paid subscription. Nordvpn is definitely one of the top picks on my list, I think i’ll try out a few and see which one I like best.
OUTDATED Pricing information!
Just a heads up to everyone. Nord has just lowered prices on two year subs. See here:
For a limited time, the 2-year NordVPN plan is as cheap as the 3-year plan
OUTDATED Pricing information!
Nope. That was a temporary promotion.
Hi Sven,
I think your site is great — very informative.
Quick question : I live in Japan. Which VPN (Express VPN v Nord) is best for streaming The Criterion Channel?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Andy, I think either would work fine for that.
I wanted to set up my own home vpn server in the past, but creating your own product requires skilled staff to set up, and it has some drawbacks… so I decided that it would be still better to use a professionally supported product and finally opted for Nord vpn. So it’s been a year since I’ve been using Nord’s android app and it defeats most of the content restrictions that I’ve came across..also recently updated the software with their new wireguard protocol and I can say that it’s a real game changer..
My feedback is going to be very short. During this pandemic being stuck at home in Canada, I have taken advantage of different VPN providers. Nord Vpn is slow for me on Windows 7, 10 and Linux systems plus Android and iPhones to be sustainable and useful.
I’ve had issues with Netflix streaming from other countries and all-around slow speeds. The providers with the best and significant speeds I was able to obtain on a steady regular basis was with Perfect Privacy and Express VPN. In comparison with Nord Vpn, my speeds are like night and day. If IP Vanish is good I might grab a subscription when they’re on sale. However, if you need many servers too choose from and don’t mind the very slow speeds, Nord Vpn is probably your best choice now.
You probably heard that they recently started rolling out wireguard protocol.. so I’ve been trying ‘nordlynx’ for the past few days now and it has stayed up the entire time without any loss in speed.. finally, some good updates from nord
Yes, this feature is really impressive. I’ll be covering it more in the next review update.
I have been able to use my choice of servers for .onion access . I can connect to almost any server and still connect to Tor !!!!. I know its working because of where my entry node is . I can connect in Finland lets say , and my entry node will be in the US for example .
@John, it seems you’re the one and only who can can access the .onion servers. But, hey. If you think it works that’s all that matters, right?
I am using Linux , not Windows . That could be the reason why .
Nord has randomly disconnected many, many times in my years with the company. I’ve followed their support team’s advice each time, but the problem remains. Slow speeds, finicky connections–all these things I’m familiar with from other VPN’s. But when a VPN service fails and discloses your online activity unpredictably, then to me that service is a liability. It’s like depending on condoms to work but not knowing when they’re going to commonly fail. It only takes one error…
No more NordVPN for me. (Yes, I’ve told their tech support for years. They’ve never offered a reliable solution.)
Nord might as well take there .onion feature off there site . There onion servers have not been functioning in close to 3 months .
How should the virtualbox software setting be for NordVPN ?
I’m not sure what you mean by this. Virtualbox is a free tool to create virtual machines, and you can run VPNs within an operating system on a virtual machine, like on any other operating system.
The better question is how does one set-up a virtual box? The online instructions never seem to work and they are overwhelming. I think this is something you should pursue because a virtual box is privacy related if done correctly.
VirtualBox > Settings > Network
1. Attached to : NAT
2. Advanced > Adapter typ : Paravirtualized Network
https://windowsreport.com/vpn-not-working-on-virtualbox/
Hello, Nord VPN does not seem to provide split tunneling like Express VPN. That’s a feature I would use when upgrading my router to choose which device should not go through the VPN connection. What is your advice regarding this feature that seem to be a big Minus?
I’ve never used a split tunneling feature and do not see much use for it if the VPN is not getting blocked on the websites you frequently use. So it shouldn’t be an issue.
I have used NordVPN for about two years now . What I am about to say will be interesting to some readers . Some of there servers have issues at times . This is understandable as there servers run in RAM disk now . I am also a Linux user .
One day I was having trouble connecting to one of there double vpn servers . The first server was not passing it to the second server was the issue . I contacted support to notify them of the issue . During troubleshooting , they needed some connection logs . However , they did not have said connection logs on there servers , and needed those that my machine had . They had me enter a few commands and it sent all my connection logs to a text file on my desktop . I sent them the file , and eventually figured out that there server was indeed having issues .
The moral of this story is : They dont keep connection logs , but your app on your machine does . I have no issues with that .
Yes, the VPN client (app) running on your computer will have connection stats/logs, but this is not the VPN server, which does not collect any logs (NordVPN is zero logs). This allows you to see what’s going on with your connection and troubleshoot issues. All VPNs I’ve tested have this ability.
Wouldn’t this allow anyone snooping on your PC to see it too unless it’s also encrypted?
If some remote adversary has complete control over your computer, they can already see everything you are doing and you have way bigger problems on your hands that a VPN can’t solve anyway.
I use Nord VPN on my Xiaomi Mi 9T pro and am happy with its performance. However, one huge problem, it’s using well over 50% of my phone’s battery power. WHY?
That’d be a good question for NordVPN. I’ve never noticed this issue.
Hi. I have a question. I have a couple of months using nordvpn to unlock us netflix, but today is not working anymore. I dont know what happen, but now netflix detects my vpn on android. Any help will be deeply thanked
Ask NordVPN support, they should be able to help. Sometimes Netflix will block certain servers, but NordVPN will tell you which ones to use that are not blocked. This is normal for VPNs unblocking Netflix, since Netflix will roll out updates to block certain IP addresses VPNs are using.
If you can choose between ExpressVPN or NordVPN, what would you recommend? I’m in a pickle between these two and don’t know which one to choose.
Yeah, that’s a tough call, and they are pretty much neck-in-neck right now with the latest testing. The ExpressVPN vs NordVPN comparison guide goes into more details.
One drawback – NordVPN on MacOs does not allow creation of a VPN Wi-Fi hotspot, as ExpressVPN or vyprVPN do. NordVPN is very good in my experience. And it does allow creation of a Wi-Fi hotspot in Windows. They have a “Sharing” guide, but the output is only allowed on Ethernet, using Wi-Fi as an input, not output. Only on MacOs though. So if you want to use your Mac as a VPN hotspot, e.g. for giving VPN to devices that won’t run a VPN (Roku, etc.), or to be 100% sure the devices isn’t leaking internally (Firestick), NordVPN is not that kind of solution. Otherwise a fantastic service. Thanks a million Sven – superb work.
NordVPN is an excellent VPN company – just to be clear about that, never mind my little niggle about the hotspot. Their apps are very smooth, clear user interface, quick, reliable, and speeds are high. They offer both IKEv2 and OpenVPN apps, and they’re converting all their servers to be Ram-based. Their servers are “real” servers, in the locations that they say. Customer response is good, both chat and email. It’s a high quality service.
Is NordVPN just for browsers? Does it work also on programs calling home server?
NordVPN encrypts all traffic on your operating system, not just browsers.
Great, thanks for response.
I would agree with your 5 point – their customer support quality is good. Once I’ve had an issue that required to be solved immediately. I’ve explained the situation and they understood the level of risks I was in. Btw, I was a bit petty and unprofessional with them…. but they still kept their composure and assisted me quickly.
No longer works in Turkey. You will inevitably be forced to engage them via their site’s chat function, but you will be provided with an endless stream of useless alternate protocols whose seeming purpose is to give the impression that there might be a workaround. There isn’t. And when you review here, a company spokesperson will respond in the comments with what they know to be a foolish fiction that if you do so-and-so and recontact, it will help. It will certainly not. It is a variation of the the same comment they post to your review, chosen from a preselected crop of comments from which they conveniently copy-paste for your benefit lol. Despite the disinformation they proffer, which they know to be disinformation, they are apparently not seriously working on circumventing the Turkish state’s admittedly new stance against VPN’s. But again, this is why I purchased a three year subscription cause of regular site’s blocked in Turkey, such as Wikipedia, and previously, Youtube. You would think that since this is quite literally Nord’s job, and since it’s services are most critical in countries where VPN’s are under attack by the state itself, not by corporate outfits like Netflix or Comcast that simply don’t want you watching from abroad, it would be especially concerned with overcoming such bans (read: antidemocratic states, not rapacious corporations, both bad, but hey). But no, they will feed you a bunch of dissimulation since you have already purchased a subscription. Waiting, but probably to no avail as other commenters from Turkey have noted long before me.
Interesting. And I’m sure you’ve tried the Obfuscated servers, right?
Hi Sven! There was a controversy a few years ago about NordVPN’s potential ties to a company named Tesornet based out of Lithuania. Tesornet stands accused of being involved in data mining. Do you know anything about this? Can you provide some information if any of the accusations are accurate? Thank you.
Hey Mike, I really need to address this issue in a long article that dives into this topic more. But basically, many VPN owners choose to be anonymous for the following reasons:
– liability protection
– to help ensure the owners and staff are not targeted by government agencies demanding user data (this is a bigger problem than you think)
– to protect the individuals and staff running the VPN
You also need to remember that VPN technology is the enemy of governments that want to censor and restrict the internet, such as in China, Russia, and other countries. This puts the people behind the VPN in potentially dangerous situations. I have also heard of VPN owners who have been arrested and jailed when traveling in China. So these are serious issues.
I also run Restore Privacy in the same way. I have a corporate entity (LLC) that protects my privacy and I publish honest information behind a pen name.
So we see that NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Perfect Privacy, and other owners/managers of these VPNs choose to be anonymous for these (and other) reasons.
Regarding your questions specifically about NordVPN, the official company is indeed in Panama and that is clear. But like nearly all VPN services, they probably have employees all over the world, as I would suspect. I don’t know too much about Tesonet, but it does not appear to be a “data mining” company from the research I have done.
Also, you need to remember that these allegations were initiated by a rival VPN service (Private Internet Access) against NordVPN and ProtonVPN, and the person behind those accusations has formally retracted his claims. You can see this here, where “rasengen” (who is Andrew Lee at PIA) has “retracted and removed” his previous allegations.
Hi Sven,
I am completely new to this VPN thing and it is all so intimating, but I am terrified of people seeing my personal information. I was wondering. If I put this NordVPN on this laptop, can I transfer it to a new one laptop?
Thank you,
Kelly
Hey Kelly, NordVPN gives you six simultaneous connections. In other words, you can be using NordVPN on up to six different devices (computers, phones, tablets, etc.) at the same time, and install the VPN software on as many devices as you wish.
Really glad I found your articles. I appreciate the details and time you put into them. I’ve read a lot of reviews on different sites but it seems that these ones are the most detailed, in my opinion. Thanks to you, I’ve chosen to use NordVPN and for the first week that I’ve used it, it reaches practically every “advantage” they are marketing.
I recently signed up with NordVPN and have not been impressed at all. Especially after reading many reviews that state “how fast” it is compared to other options.
I am with Comcast’s Gigabit Tier. On a hard-wired connection, straight to the modem, I am averaging 930 Mbps down/45 Mbps up with three different computers. With NordVPN, I am only able to get 25Mbps down if I am lucky. I live 30 miles away from the nearest servers and have tried them all as well as many others. Absolutely do not understand how others are getting faster speeds. I’ve even tried changing the protocol from UDP to TCP. I haven’t seen a difference no matter what I am doing.
Hey Jacob, perhaps this is an OS issue. NordVPN has had excellent performance on Windows 10, Mac OS, and iOS in my testing. But you should know that OpenVPN is also not the fastest VPN protocol and you won’t get anywhere near 930 Mbps, because OpenVPN can’t do that. You may want to try NordLynx if you use a Linux operating system because it uses the WireGuard protocol, which is faster than OpenVPN.
Also bear in mind, that when using OpenVPN, the client uses only 1 core of your CPU for encrypting and decrypting. I ran into that when i tried this on an ASUSWRT router. Turned out that the CPU simply couldn’t handle it and i only got 10Mbit where my connection is 100Mbit. I switched to using PfSense on a fast dual-core Intel processor at 3Ghz and now i get decent speeds. But still, this CPU also gets to 100% quite often. So, my advice is to take a real close look at the CPU-load when using a VPN, because it can bring your CPU to it’s knees.
My only issue with Nord is that it seems like every other day they publish an upgrade, which requires re-installation, and thus, the service does not connect automatically with its servers. It is somewhat of a pain to check whether it is connected, then do an install at least a couple of times per week.
When i use the obfuscated servers i can even download torrents with fast speed, the government can’t track or punish us now , no connection drops ever, never had any issue with the service, works great on android, highly recommend NordVPN!
Its not working from Doha since couple days, its showing auth failed while service still active until 2021 🙁
Yes, Qatar blocks VPNs. Try using the Obfuscated servers through the NordVPN desktop client (not on a mobile device). These obfuscated servers use the XOR protocol to hide VPN traffic. That should allow you to get through Qatar’s VPN blocking efforts.
Does Nord work from Bahrain? If so, what should i use on a Macbook using Chrome OS?
Yes, NordVPN works from Bahrain. Use the Obfuscated Servers directly in the VPN app.
when talking with nordvpn support i was shocked to find out they do not give support a list of what servers are rented and which are owned, even worse, they will not even tell you what data center the servers are in and force you to check yourself with a ip check.
When asking these questions to support i got these replies :
Mayson
This information is only known to our technicians and developers.
That is why I do not have a list that I could provide for you.
Mayson
It was a decision from the higher-ups, sadly, I will not be able to comment it further.
They will not tell their customers what servers are owned or rented and what ISP/data center they are in
this is more than a red flag, what are your thoughts?
NordVPN is right now in the process of updating and auditing their entire network. Here’s what they told me:
Infrastructure security audit
We’re planning to begin it in 2020. It will include the audit of infrastructure hardware, VPN software, backend architecture, backend source code, and internal procedures. I will have more details about it in upcoming weeks.
Vendor security assessment and higher security standards
We are in the middle of assessing the datacenters we work with since we have increased the security standard their providers have to meet. We’re also building a network of collocated servers that are exclusively owned by NordVPN. We are still collecting data about providers and 90% of them are checked. Choosing US hardware providers is also in progress, but I can already tell you that first Nord owned servers will be launched in Seattle.
Diskless servers
We have already upgraded a part of our servers to RAM servers and we’ll continue doing so until we reach 100% diskless servers. Why is that a huge deal? Well, a diskless server is immune to physical seizure. Once removed from its physical location, a RAM server becomes an empty box without any data or configuration files on it. As far as I know we are currently running and monitoring ~50 RAM servers. They work the same as regular ones, however once they get restarted – new processes come in. So, we are working on that part to ensure stability and we also need to adapt our automation, monitoring and other procedures so everything would work smoothly once whole server farm goes to RAM. Everything is going as planned and we should be able to start full scale migration in the end of February.
I’ve only had a speed issue with NordVPN once or twice in two years, and their tech support helped me out with some settings that I tried changing myself once. I never tried any other VPN services as I’ve never really had the urge to, so I can’t really say if it’s the best in the industry. As my personal opinion about the company is positive and I’m a user of NordVPN, so this might be biased, but I think Nord is one of the better choices, considering the price and quality. While it works flawlessly with Netflix, I’ve never tried it with other streaming services or torrenting, but I heard it works well too. Their holiday deals are really well thought out too, I bought the subscription two years ago for about 80% off.
NordVPN was very decent to me: fast, reliable, with many servers and locations, with good security features like CyberSec and Double VPN connection, with quick customer support, and available for iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS, and Linux.
There are few drawbacks but I hope Nord would address them accordingly. In Windows, being a user (not an admin), I am not able to start and sign into the application before getting connected to internet. In regard to Linux, the only issues are with the lack of system-wide kill-switch in Ubuntu and the lack of some other features that are available in Windows.
I use Nord for over 2 years for Netflix and it’s good. I think it’s great when you can purchase high-quality service at a reasonable price and watch whatever you want. I am not a tech gal, so I can’t say much, but from average users side – it’s good enough for me.
NordLynx WireGuard NordVPN option is live.
Hi to all,
for nordvpn subscribers
[https://nordvpn.com/blog/nordlynx-protocol-wireguard/]
Tested on ubuntu no ip and no dns leaks at the moment.
Regards
Love the security when using my phone away from home. But when attempting to use it on my Android box that uses Kodi for movies, tv shows and live streaming my speeds drop to DSL levels. Was in chat with one of their csr’s and he recommended that I change my dns server so I did and my speeds when using NordVPN continued to stay very slow; meanwhile my local isp is a cable/broadband company and my speeds without NordVPN are normally around 80-85mbps on average my monthly plan that I pay for is 150mbps. I have used another service called EasyVpn which is free and it responded faster than NordVPN. So with that being said I don’t understand why they are rated number 2 overall in vpn’s when their streaming speeds are basically non existent. My box needs to run at a minimum of 50mbps.
I’ve had NordVPN for about a year now, it serves its purpose for using through my windows PC and iphone.
My beef is that they have not gone into supporting the Apple TV as yet.
Unfortunately I have Bell’s Fibe modem which does not allow me to set up the vpn through the router (Home3000).
It looks like I will be having 2 vpn services.
NordVPN (I’ve subscribed for 2 years)
ExpressVPN (Because I have Apple TV)
NordVPN has been my #1 favourite VPN for over a year now. I almost never have any issues with it whatsoever, and the few issues I do have are addressed in a timely manner by their courteous and professional support staff. I use NordVPN every single time I use the internet, even from within my own home. I mostly use their servers in North America and Europe. The speeds of their servers do vary from place to place, but in general the speed I get is nearly the same as what I get from my ISP, making NordVPN’s servers fast enough to be connected to even when I’m playing online games or streaming. They use only the most well-vetted and secure protocols (OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, support for PPTP and L2TP/IPsec is being discontinued by NordVPN on the 1st of December, 2018) and show a strong commitment to protecting user privacy, demonstrated by their strict no-logs policy. Their privacy policy even states that “your activities using NordVPN Services are provided by automated technical process, are not monitored, recorded, logged, stored or passed to any third party.” The fact that they are based in Panama (which lies comfortably outside 5/9/14-eyes jurisdiction) is icing on the cake.
Overall, I genuinely do not have any complaints to speak of with NordVPN, and I STRONGLY recommend it to anyone. It’s super inexpensive too, especially if you get their one or two year subscriptions. It’s quite rare for me that I have such an incredible experience with any VPN service, but NordVPN has thoroughly impressed me time and time again.
I don’t understand people crying about the speed. Every review site does testing and none of the reviews mention speed drops as big as some people in the comments below. I use Nord for ages and I never had issues like this. It’s normal for any vpn provider to reduce speed by about 30%, and that’s when you’re connecting to the most random server you can find. Normally, if I connect to a server which is relatively close to my location I barely notice any drop. Speed depends on various factors and you should try contacting CS, most likely problem exists on your end and they might be able to point out exactly what’s causing issues. Sometimes it just appears these comments are rigged and as a frequent tech sites visitor I’ve seen stuff like that about most of the providers, especially the ones on top of the recommended lists.
I find this review accurate and similar to the experience I had with them. I’ve tried a few other providers before but when I went to customer support, it always seemed like I was getting an automated response rather than getting a response from a real person. However, when I contacted Nord about the Netflix issue I had at the time (it seems that Netflix blocks VPN servers all the time), they were professional and quick to solve the problem. It does take a bit of time to find a server that works with netflix but once connected, the speed is fine.
I’ve tried quite a few different providers in the past and there definitely were some good ones. I’ve changed services merely by looking for a better price or some certain features and right now I have a subscription with Nordvpn. I find it quite reliable and the service is consistent. Regarding speed – it’s very easy to switch through some servers to find the quickest one depending on your location, but I didn’t notice major slowness on any of the servers so far. I’d prefer to be able to select a server by city rather than by number though.
You CAN select Nord servers by city; don’t need to specify a server number. There’s a list of countries and if you click on the ellipses (three dots) after the country, you will be taken to a list of cities. At least that’s how my android Nord app works… I imagine all platforms would allow the same though.
A year ago I bought a Nordvpn subscription and now since it’s about to end I was doing some research on VPNs trying to find a reasonable deal. As far as I can remember Nord had just around 2000 servers at the same time last year(correct me if I’m wrong), and now it’s over 4000 and a few more features have been added. Of course over a year had some minor problems connecting to Netflix which was solved when I reached out to their customer support, but still, the price seems to be by far the best proposition taking into consideration how secure and reliable their product is – at least better than some of the others.
Thanks for all your excellent reviews Sven, good stuff.
There is currently still a problem accessing Amazon while connected to NordVPN. I initially thought this was just a problem with my connection or with Amazon. Then I read multiple other posts about this problem. The recommended solution from Nord is to switch to the Canadian servers, but that is what I do by default (and I’m in Canada), and there are still tons of page loading errors and problems. Nord is aware of this on their US servers but the Canadian issue is a new thing. Amazon is blocking Nord in an attempt to fight fraud as people have been apparently connecting to different Amazon domains form different Nord IP’s to spoof locations for better pricing on purchases. The Amazon problem didn’t exist for me with other VPN’s I’ve used.
My first week with Nord has been hit and miss. It’s inconsistent. What works for one hour doesn’t seem to work the next. I’ve tried both their native client and setting it up on OpenVPN client 2.45. I’ve spent a fair bit of time troubleshooting.
Having used VPN’s for about 7 or 8 years there are pros and cons to each I’ve tried that are particular to setup and geographic location. So Nord is iffy at best in my situation, while others report great success with it.
One thing I’d say about Nord … by introducing so many servers Nord has solved the server load problem, but it sets up potential site verification problems as a site ID’s a user accessing from so many different locations as they are switching to find better speed, lower latency, avoiding site site blocks on shared IP’s etc. It’s a constant balancing act. For me I’d even take a small speed hit for something that’s more reliable that doesn’t require constant server switching.
I’m considering going the refund route with Nord and trying ExpressVPN next.
I am admittedly new to all of this online security stuff, but I downloaded ExpressVPN and NordVPN on my laptop and cellphone to try each out. I live in Dallas, TX., so having servers in my area for speed is important to me. You, and most other reviewers elsewhere online praise ExpressVPN for having faster servers than NordVPN and other VPN providers, but my experience has been significantly different.
As a baseline, without VPN, my home router speeds on my laptop and cellphones were typically around 120 mbps (laptop) and in the mid 50s mbps (smartphone), and Express REALLY struggled vs Nord. Express typically averaged in the 70s on my laptop and in the 30s on my phone, whereas Nord averaged 113 mbps on my laptop and in the low 50s on my phone. I did, on average, five tests with each device and VPN provider.
I really preferred Express’ simple interface on my laptop and smartphone apps, so I wanted Express to win, but Nord absolutely demolished Express in terms of speed. On Nord’s apps, there appear to be almost 70 servers in Dallas, whereas with Express there are just 2, from what I saw on the apps. Perhaps this contributes to the large discrepancy in speed.
Granted, I’m a total newb at all of this, but for my money, NordVPN kills Express in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
I agree that the service has made improvements. At least to me, the server speeds are great, all of my streaming is not buffered and throttled. Also, they managed to add hundreds of servers in very short notice.
I’m using it mostly for torrenting and it appears to be really reliable and fast. Usually, I’m getting around 80-85 on 100 line what is IMHO very good. For browsing, I use chrome extension. So far all good and I would recommend. Btw customer care is really friendly and responsive with the chat.