NordVPN review

If you know VPNs, there’s a pretty good chance you know NordVPN. Even if you’re new to the world of Virtual Private Networks, you’re probably aware that Nord have well cemented themselves into the online privacy conversation. For quite some time now, NordVPN has been praised for being one of the best providers in the game, internet users are famously divided between Nord and its fiercest competition - ExpressVPN.

There’s a reason Nord’s at the top, right? It does have some serious credentials to say the least, and it’s no fluke that there’s now over 14 million subscribers worldwide. NordVPN operates out of privacy friendly Panama, meaning users don’t have to worry about any prying government surveillance, not on Nord’s behalf that is.

This is a VPN provider that won’t settle for anything other than 1st place, and it wants to deliver nothing short of the best experience of online privacy for its users. Wants and wishes are nothing without results though, that’s why at What’s the Best we’ve taken the liberty of testing NordVPN in a full-fledged investigation to figure out if this VPN really has earned that top spot that it’s so desperately chasing.

Online security on a serious scale

Privacy and Security

When all’s said and done it all boils down to privacy, doesn’t it? The private in Virtual Private Network is a fundamental. I have to say, NordVPN really does live up to its namesake in the security department – it’s Viking strong. I felt more than safe while I was online and had Nord watching my back, and there’s plenty going on behind the scenes as to why I felt that way.

A VPN is nothing without an effective encryption protocol, and I was very excited to try out NordVPN’s signature protocol Nordlynx. Very few VPNs have their own dedicated flagship encryption, so I definitely had high hopes for Nordlynx. Fair to say I was happy with the results, I was taken back by Nordlynx because of just how seamless it made the whole VPN shtick. ExpressVPN’s Lightway Protocol is Nordlynx’s only real contest for encryptions, and after using both, I have to say I could hardly tell any difference.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to playing about with Nord’s security features too, it has been acclaimed for being one of the most secure VPNs after all. I found the privacy foundations to be very solid with Nord, I had the typical leak and breach trackers, ad blockers, and a kill switch. After a little check, I did find that I had to enable the Windows kill switch myself as opposed to it being auto-enable (not my first rodeo).

I’ve figured out by now that the special VPNs offer something that’s perhaps unheard of from the greater majority of brands. Surfshark boasts unlimited simultaneous devices, ExpressVPN has a dedicated router app, and Nord also has some sweet exclusive features of their own.

I got to use Nord’s exclusive Dark Web Monitor, pretty self-explanatory really but this scanned the deepest, darkest corners of the web to check if my information had been leaked. Fortunately, these scans always came back squeaky clean too.

Speed and connectivity

The makings of a great VPN involve a bit more than just security though. I know that even if I had the most secure VPN available, I’d resent it if it had subpar speeds. I was thankful to find out that Nord definitely didn’t have this issue, not once did I feel that speeds were making way for security, or vice-versa.

Configuration is a huge selling point for VPNs nowadays, most promote an all-encumbering level of personalisation. While Nord certainly does have this, I was pleased to find some VPN presets to choose from. NordVPN has specialty servers, these are VPN servers designed for specific functions. I got to play around with P2P, obfuscated, and double VPN servers.

Connecting to Nord was simple enough too, the activation slider sits at the top of the interface. Activating never took me more one or two seconds, this was surprisingly consistent when I was using both Wi-Fi, as well as mobile data. Like all good VPNs, Nord allows you to enable auto-connect; meaning NordVPN will connect as soon as your device is launched. I found this to be the most necessary on desktop (who really turns their phone of these days).

A capable companion

NordVPN on the day-to-day

The best VPNs fit in with any lifestyle. I’ve always likened Virtual Private Networks as a service to virus protection, you want it to work in the background on the day-to-day, not impeding on other device functions. NordVPN just gets it. My experience was as seamless as seamless gets; rarely did I experience a speed drop significant enough for me to question Nord’s presence.

This VPN can really give you the best of both worlds. If I wanted to be left alone and not have to think about my Virtual Private Netwok, Nord let me get on with it. On the other hand, If I did need to keep my VPN handy at all times, tweak some security features or configure a new preset, NordVPN gave me the platform.

Arguments can (and have) been made for NordVPN’s interface, is it too convoluted, and is that a make or break? The world map graphic is probably one of the most subjective VPN interface designs out there, users tend to either love it or hate it with no in between. Nord opts for the map display, and it fully commits.

A VPN powerhouse

NordVPN can talk the talk, but could it walk the walk? It was time to see how Nord performed under different levels of world wide work. I tested this VPN in a range of different online scenarios in order to get a real gauge of what Nord had in its locker. It was truthfully an absolute delight to use as a daily VPN, for daily tasks like social media, online banking, and light video streaming (YouTube, Tik Tok) Nord didn’t break a sweat. NordVPN’s presence went completely unnoticed on both mobile and desktop versions during casual usage.

I then decided to turn things up a notch; it was time to tackle some streaming. I was impressed by how well Nord handled this across multiple services. Not only could Nord unblock these streaming services without any issue, but it could deliver a near flawless viewing experience. From shorter TV episodes to full feature length films, Nord could facilitate it. Was there any difference in streaming and connectivity? Barely. Yes, a piece of media might take an extra second or two to start up, but it’s splitting hairs really. Once your movie or TV binge has commenced, you can have no concern for buffering of any kind.

For most internet users there might not be a step up from streaming, but I for one recognise a glaring instance where connectivity and a reliable VPN is vital; and that’s multiplayer gaming. The best and one of the only ways to connect a VPN to a gaming console is through router setup, so I was pleased to find this a possibility with Nord. After an easy router set up, I was able to assess just how NordVPN could handle online gaming.

Considering Nord’s reputation I expected the best, and the reality really wasn’t too far off. This is a VPN that’s gotten a lot of praise for being able to handle data heavy tasks, it’s a first choice for many when it comes to torrenting, streaming, and yes, gaming too. That praise does not seem to have been misplaced, I had a splendid time gaming while my Xbox Series X was connected to NordVPN. Very rarely did I experience a drop in latency or had trouble finding multiplayer servers. If I ever did, I never thought to blame this on Nord and just assumed it was an unavoidable connection drop.

Downsides?

Let’s talk app biases. There’s a handy favourite servers tab which is available on Mac and iOS devices, but it’s no where to be seen on any other operating system. Split tunnelling is a terrific VPN feature and NordVPN supplies it, but iOS users don’t get such luxury. Windows users should be careful when first getting NordVPN, the kill switch tool is not automatically enabled, and it seems this is only the case for Windows.

The standard paid version of NordVPN doesn’t provide users with the data breach scanner or a password manager, I don’t think I’d be the first to find that a little bit cheeky considering most providers do offer this as standard.

Of course, there’s no avoiding the elephant in the room, and that’s Nord’s highly subjective app interface. This one’s hugely down to preference, if you like a map interfaced VPN app, you’ll probably love Nord. If you don’t, well, you might not so much. There’s a bit too much going on for me, an unnecessary amount sometimes.

Competition

There’s no doubt that NordVPN is at the top of the online privacy market. It’s matter of deciding where it sists amongst its fellow providers. It’s a premium VPN and there’s no disputing that fact, but it’s not without differences from the competition.

Pricewise, NordVPN sits in between Surfshark and ExpressVPN. Express is widely considered the best provider out there, but for around £2 less, Nord delivers a service that’s not far off at all. Nord shares a lot of similarities with Surfshark, from interface to features but frankly, Nord just does it all better.

Verdict

NordVPN is a purpose tailored machine of a Virtual Private Network. For anyone demanding power and precision out of a VPN, you won’t find a better option that Nord. Whether it’s for some serious TV binging, long multiplayer gaming sessions, or large file torrenting, NordVPN is wholly capable.

Security is robust and speeds are sublime, for the majority of internet users this’ll be more than enough. Those with more refined VPN preferences might not receive Nord particularly well depending on these preferences. If you don’t like the map VPN interface, Nord fully commits to theirs across all operating systems (there’s no escape). Speaking of operating systems, there is some favouritism to be found, even if there are some inconsistencies. Basically if you choose Apple devices, you’ll get some extra benefits, but you’ll also miss out on a few too. Seriously Nord, just let everyone eat at the table.

Score: 4.5/5

More VPNs to consider

Who tested it?

Jack Barrell is our Commercial Content Writer for everything VPNs. He is constantly in the loop when it comes to Virtual Private Networks and can be found writing reviews, rankings, or how-to-watch articles for the world of online privacy.

How we tested it

I tested NordVPN for several weeks, on iPhone and Windows desktop. I trialled the VPN in a range of different scenarios, testing how it fared under tedious circumstances as well as the extremities. I dipped between connecting the VPN through Wi-Fi and mobile data.

I thought it was important to test absolutely every feature that NordVPN had to offer.

Jack Barrell is the Commercial Content Writer for VPNs. He's hands-on when it comes to producing best-of articles, how-to guides, and product reviews for Virtual Private Networks. On his off-days, Jack can be found in the gym, at the movies, or flicking through a car mag.

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