Nord VPN – The Nerd of VPN’s

For years NordVPN has been dominating everyone’s list of top VPN providers. With over 14 million clients worldwide, a diverse and ever-growing server network, and tons of unique features that is certainly justifiable. But the real question is — is NordVPN worth it?

We’ve decided to put NordVPN through the wringer with our honest, thorough, and in-depth review. We ran the service through multiple extensive speed, performance, and security tests, tried it out on all the popular devices, systems and with all of our favorite services, checked out all of its extra features and tools. And now we feel we have the definitive answer to that question.

An introduction

NordVPN was founded in 2012 and is based in Panama — the Internet privacy haven perfect for a leading VPN provider’s headquarters. Since the country does not have any censorship or data retention laws, nor is it a member of any international surveillance alliances, you can be sure all of your data is well protected and won’t be handed over to a third party.

However, a 2018 US patent infringement lawsuit filed by Luminati Networks Ltd. (the company behind the infamous HolaVPN) alleged that NordVPN, in fact, belongs to a Lithuanian business solutions company Tesonet:

NordVPN has since debunked those rumors stating that its relationship with the Vilnius-based company was purely business. By 2022, when VPNs have become a bit more transparent with how they do things, it has become known that Tesonet is a local incubator that has released several VPN providers over the years.

NordVPN servers and server locations

Local laws aside, a VPN provider is only as good as its server network. And, boy, does NordVPN have you covered.

As of October 2020, NordVPN had a network of over 5 500 servers across 59 countries all over the world. This isn’t just great for speed, which is affected by how far away you are from the nearest server. With hundreds of servers across Europe, North and South America, Australia, and a rapidly expanding network in the Pacific, Middle East, and even Africa NordVPN basically guarantees you will never miss your favorite Netflix shows wherever you are.

NordVPN also claims that it is one of the few providers that doesn’t use virtual servers. And while there is some controversy regarding whether that is completely true, the information mostly checks out and it might be comforting for some to know they are paying for an actual physical server.

NordVPN Speed Test

So NordVPN has servers and locations covered, but what about speed? It really won’t matter if you can connect to an American, Canadian, or Australian server if most of your time is spent waiting for the video to buffer.

The provider proudly calls itself ‘the fastest VPN experience’, but is that true?

Well, this really depends on the server you choose to connect to, how far away it is, what you use it for, and how much traffic it’s getting. During our tests, we’ve encountered an average speed loss of 32% which is pretty impressive and shouldn’t affect your streaming or gaming experience. But if what you’re looking for is constant online protection without sacrificing your online performance, NordVPN delivers like no other.

Here are the results we got when connected to the provider’s fastest and closest server:

This has basically left our regular connection without any kind of negative impact and has actually improved our download speed by 2.4%! And that’s actually more than you can ask off a VPN provider.

But that’s not to say that the rest of NordVPN’s European servers are not performing at their peak capacity! 

Barely any change in performance with just a 1.3% drop find download speeds.

Impressed by Nord’s performance so far, we’ve decided to take it to the US and see how well the American servers do. And, as you would expect, the results were as great as ever:

Sure, the speeds dropped and the ping increased. But all things considered, this is an amazing performance and very few other providers can actually outdo Nord when it comes to speed.

In a nutshell: NordVPN generally provides consistent speeds and maintains a strong connection without any game-breaking issues. We haven’t encountered any problems with streaming content with any of the popular services, browsing went smooth, Torrenting was a breeze and most of the servers seem very reliable and stable. That being said, your personal experience with NordVPN may be very different and depend on tons of factors.

NordVPN offers the user a ‘Quick Connect’ option which automatically chooses an optimal server to ensure high speeds and a stable connection. So unless you are looking for something specific or trying to bypass geo-blocks, we suggest using that feature to ensure the best possible experience.

Bottom line: NordVPN is definitely one of the fastest VPNs today.

Futureproofing with faster servers

In the second part of 2020, NordVPN started a massive update of its server park, replacing its 1 Gbps servers with new and improved 10 Gbps ones.

This was a massive and rapid step up as until then the provider only had two 10 Gbps servers placed in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) and Tokyo (Japan). But by December 2020 NordVPN had already upgraded 20% of its server park.

While most providers are still doing fine with 1 Gbps servers, NordVPN looks to the future and plans to stay one step ahead. With VPNs becoming more common, and faster networks, such as 5G, turning into the new standard, speed is becoming even more crucial to any VPN provider. If they won’t keep up, they will fall by the wayside. And NordVPN’s upgraded server park, combined with its NordLynx protocol is sure to keep it ahead of the curve.

NordVPN security and privacy features

In this day and age privacy is everything. With governments looking to know everything you do and hackers breathing down your neck to steal your personal information, reliable protection should be at the top of anybody’s list when choosing a VPN.

Luckily, NordVPN has got your back. With its strict ‘no-logging’ policy, military-grade encryption on par with the systems some government agencies use, and a bunch of special privacy and security features NordVPN has proven time and again to be one of the most reliable VPNs out there.

Where do we begin?

Encryption and supported protocols

NordVPN uses bleeding-edge AES 256-bit encryption which is the best possible option available today. This pairs well with the ‘Perfect Forward Secrecy’ (PFC) technology that assigns you a new key every time you log on so you appear to be a new user every time. This doesn’t only mean that all the data of your previous sessions is completely erased and unrelated to the following ones, but in the unlikely event of you being hacked there simply won’t be any personal information or history to steal.

NordVPN uses two of the most popular and secure encryption protocols today: the ever-popular and highly secure OpenVPN TCP/UDP which is the default, and IKEv2/IPSec (immediately available for Mac OS, but can be manually installed on the Windows client). On top of that, NordVPN is currently in development of its own NordLynx protocol built around the revolutionary WireGuard. It packs a serious punch in terms of security, speed, and flexibility and is already available to use with some of the servers.

Kill Switch

NordVPN is the only VPN that comes with not one, but two whole kill switches to ensure the best possible protection against de-anonymization and exposing your traffic:

• Internet Kill Switch – this will block all of your traffic if the VPN connection drops.
• App Kill Switch – it will close the apps you use, but will not stop the traffic.

Mobile Apps

Mobility is everything. So how does NordVPN keep up with today’s fast-paced world?

As you would expect, NordVPN has apps for both Android and iOS devices. Both versions are optimized for use with their respective platforms for a smooth and seamless experience.

Both apps also employ the use of dedicated Android and iOS servers to always ensure great speeds and an optimized connection.

Interestingly enough, the mobile apps also have all of the desktop client’s advanced features, including Double VPN, Onion Over VPN, a Kill Switch, and Custom DNS.

Unlike the desktop clients, though, the apps also feature split tunneling, giving you even more options for all your Internet needs.

Does NordVPN work with Netflix and other streaming services?

Streaming is the #1 reason people look into getting a VPN subscription. Why should you settle for the shows available with your local Netflix or limit yourself to the streaming platforms available in your country? And with the streaming services clamping down on VPNs it is fair to ask, whether NordVPN is any good at bypassing geo-blocks and unblocking streaming services?

NordVPN has a SmartPlay function specifically designed to bypass geo-blocks and other restrictions, allowing you easy access to otherwise inaccessible content.

Here’s a rundown of streaming services that NordVPN is compatible with.

Netflix

Even though Netflix has begun an all-out war against VPNs, blocking several of their IPs, NordVPN cuts through all of those restrictions with ease. We found out that 95%+ of NordVPN’s servers still work with Netflix and allow you to stream all the content you want.

Disney Plus

While some are already over the Mandalorian, others still have several months to go before Disney+ in launched their respective countries (and some may even never get it). NordVPN allows you to connect to a variety of servers where Disney+ is already available and enjoy all of its content with consistent speeds and without any restrictions.

BBC iPlayer

Even though the popular British streaming service has some of the toughest geo-blocks, NordVPN knocks them all down with ease. Simply connect to a UK server and enjoy a weekend of binge-watching the best Britain has to offer.

Amazon Prime Video

The variety of Amazon Prime Video content is incredible. And NordVPN lets you watch all of it wherever you are and whichever library you prefer.

Apple TV Plus

Apple TV+ offers a lot of unique content you won’t find anywhere else. And NordVPN lets you watch all of it!

Hulu

NordVPN does grant you access to the popular Hulu streaming service. However, A VPN is not enough to stream Hulu. We suggest checking out our full guide on how to unlock Hulu using a VPN.

ESPN Plus and ESPN3

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs out there to stream your favorite sports. Whether you prefer ESPN+ or ESPN3 this provider has got you covered.

Is NordVPN good for gaming?

If you’re a hardcore gamer chances are a good connection means the world to you. With the tendency of VPNs to lower internet speed and increase ping, a VPN may not be the best option for a smooth gaming experience where twitch reflexes are key.

That being said, NordVPN is still one of the most reliable VPNs out there for gaming. Even though Xbox and PlayStation do not support the built-in NordVPN functionality it is fairly easy to set up. And with consistently high speeds and a lot of dedicated gaming servers, NordVPN is sure to provide you with a silky-smooth, buffer- and lag-free experience.

In some cases, if you are playing with a bad connection, NordVPN can actually increase your Internet speed and make your gaming experience that much more enjoyable. It is also one of the top tools to use against bandwidth throttling, as well as DDoS attacks (but you are probably safe there).

But the single best feature NordVPN offers gamers is unlimited access to the world of gaming as well as the opportunity to take advantage of the best deals on the market.