Hey Reddit. I’ve spent around 6 years trialing everything from freebies to premium VPN offerings. In this journey, I’ve used services like ExpressVPN, which I dropped following the acquisition by Kape Technologies, and ProtonVPN (I’ll share a review on this one later, there’s much to say).
Yet for the past three years, my go-to has been NordVPN. So here’s my honest NordVPN review - a deep dive into my experience, moving beyond the surface-level praise.
NordVPN Review: Cost Overview
Before we dive into the pricing details, it’s important to note that NordVPN frequently offers discounts and promotions. So, instead of buying it for full price, be sure to use a coupon code like redditoffer (this one is taken from the Best VPN List on this subreddit) for additional savings.
Overall, NordVPN’s pricing structure is straightforward, featuring three primary plans: Standard, Plus, and Ultimate. Costs vary based on the length of your subscription, with longer plans offering better savings. For instance:
Basic: $3.09/month for 2-year, $4.99/month for 1-year, $12.99/month for 1-month plan.
Plus: $3.99/month for 2-year, $5.99/month for 1-year, $13.99/month for 1-month plan.
Ultimate: $5.99/month for 2-year, $7.99/month for 1-year, and $15.99/month for 1-month plan.
NordVPN Review: Key Elements
NordVPN No-Logs Statement: The company’s commitment to security is evident. NordVPN’s no-logs policy has been audited four times (2018, 2020, 2022, 2024), each time reaffirming their commitment to user privacy.
Security Strengths: NordVPN’s security framework is robust, anchored by AES-256 encryption - the standard in the industry. This level of encryption ensures that your data is virtually impenetrable. My personal extensive tests found no DNS leaks.
NordVPN Speed Test Results: Performance is a high point with good speeds across various global servers. Even on servers located far from my physical location, I experienced minimal speed loss, which is essential for activities like streaming, gaming, and large file downloads. Basically, NordVPN delivers high performance with minimal latency.
Ease of Use: The interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy for beginners to navigate while still offering advanced options for seasoned VPN users. Features like the Quick Connect button, which instantly connects you to the fastest server, make it user-friendly. The settings are straightforward to adjust, and the app provides helpful tips, enhancing the overall user experience.
Global Reach: One of NordVPN’s standout features is its vast server network. With over 6,400 servers spread across 111 countries, it offers a wide range of geographical options.
Customer Support: NordVPN’s customer service is exemplary. Available 24/7, the support team can be reached via live chat or email. In my interactions, I found them to be accessible, knowledgeable, and professional. They provide prompt and efficient solutions, ensuring that any issues are resolved quickly.
NordVPN Protocols
OpenVPN: Great for all-around security.
IKEv2/IPsec: Best suited for mobile devices.
NordLynx (adaptation of WireGuard): The top choice overall for speed and security.
NordVPN: Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Fastest VPN as of September 2024
Limited city options in smaller countries
Strong no-log policy, backed by multiple audits
The Linux client lacks a graphical interface
Meshnet feature for remote device access
High praise for its Threat Protection feature
A variety of payment options, including cryptocurrencies
Concluding Thoughts
Despite the minor cons, NordVPN is still a top-tier choice for those seeking reliable, fast, and secure VPN services. The quality and range of features justify the pricing it offers.
Would I Recommend NordVPN? Yes indeed. It’s a well-rounded service that checks most boxes for VPN needs. That’s my in-depth NordVPN review, but I’m eager to hear about your experiences!
I agree on the fact that Nord is definitely the VPN provider which proposes the easiest and most convenient feature-rich service. No doubt on that.
This was my first ever provider and technically speaking, they’re good in my experience. However, I can’t stand their marketing practices. I don’t have a clear memory of what I’m talking about so bear with me but I can remember some marketing messages popping up once in a while for their other services like password management and what not. Also, the process to unsubscribe or to close your account was kinda weird back then.
If you’re looking for the be-all and end-all VPN, don’t look at Nord. If you’re looking for cheap and easy tho… I encourage everyone to do some research into finding alternative ways of getting cheap deals. Because NordVPN is so popular there are just loads of deals to be found. Recently scored a 2-year plan for 35 euros. At that price point, NordVPN is undeniably the best option available.
Valid NordVPN review. It’s been my go-to for a few years now, and I’m really happy with it. The server options are ok and the app interface is user-friendly. Plus, I love that I can use it on multiple devices with just one account. Definitely worth checking out even if it’s your 1st VPN ever.
The things written in this NordVPN review actually match my experience. It’s the fastest without the doubt (slight speed drops are totally normal with any VPN, it’s the nature of the product).
I travel a lot, so it’s been a lifesaver for accessing content and staying safe on public networks. Recommend Nord too.
That’s a nice NordVPN review. Ofc there can be various opinions and user experiences but one thing about NordVPN is that they give the quality as promised… And for just a couple of dollars per month.
There are some other providers who scrape way more from you and you can’t even stream normally because that VPN doesn’t unlock anything. With Nord though, I always succeed.
They suck for WireGuard and Linux, avoid. Use only if using OpenVPN protocol and windows apps. Otherwise, this product is not keeping up.
I have been with NordVPN a very long time. And I renewed last time because I didn’t want a disruption, because I still have not figured out where to go. This time I hope to have done more research and chose better. This is around Linux and WireGuard support mostly. If you just want some GUI, in windows then yea this is ok. If you want something more, I say keep looking as this last year they really borked Linux.
To say the problem with linux is no GUI, is not really it. It just never works unless you use OpenVPN protocol and not nordlynx(wireguard). And you need that connection to extract keys and use in WireGuard apps.
NordVPN support for WireGuard and Linux are lacking and not enough distinctino is being done in these threads around protocols in general. Who is the best for WIreguard right now and not in a 14 eyes district would be keen info. Nordlynx is rubbish they should support wireguard in general more. Use the basic app instead of Nords that phones home every second. Its just crap really. And that is why this customer probably stop using Nord before my paid service expires. Just doesnt offer what I am looking for. Thankfully was able to extract some keys inbetween all their linux distribution problems. Wireguard just is way to good to cripple it like that.
Still the same old connectivity issues you guys had years ago. Slows my connection right down until I have problems accessing websites, apps, etc. Once the VPN is disable everything works normally again. I request a refund and nothing happens. I go to check it and oh look at that…no refund happening and the option for it is no longer there even though I’m within 30 days. Terrible.
Have you ever used a VPN to be able to play on various poker sites that are more European based? I have some poker buddies who have recommended I play on some other sites, but due to me being in the USA I cannot.
Been using nord for the past 2-3 weeks, I was originally on 350mbps for virgin getting around 250mbps through wifi and with Nord vpn around 85-110mbps through Nord connecting to Manchester, Netherlands, Germany, still buffers on streaming, upgraded my mbps to 500 with virgin without the vpn getting 350-400 through wifi, with vpn on I’m getting 100-130 still struggling to stream good quality resolution.
If I may, what are the Cons? You’ve at least implied their existence, but don’t see them listed. I get that per your recommendation, the pros outweigh the cons, but I am curious as to what the Cons are?
So I checked this post before trying out NordVPN, and will add some things for other people considering Nord:
I am from an area that is relatively remote, but also still has good internet connection (a small city in an otherwise rural area). Whenever I used the service, I had about a 50-50 chance of Nord VPN actually connecting to a server. The other 50% of the time it would permanently buffer, with the app saying that it was “Finding a server”, and while it was doing that my internet connection (which otherwise was stable) was completely unusable unless I turned off the VPN and app entirely. On iOS I couldn’t turn off the VPN from the Settings, because Nord would simply turn itself back on, so I had to go into app itself to turn it off. When it did connect, it had negligible impact on internet speed and I was actually very satisfied with the service. This was true on both iOS and my Windows PC, and persisted after restarts and the usual troubleshooting.
The Nord App also significantly slowed down my Windows PC at start up, and also impacted performance noticeably while just running in the background after startup was fully complete. This was extremely frustrating and ultimately what drove me to cancel my subscription and get my 30 day refund.
That cancellation and refund process is, incidentally, deliberately convoluted and frustrating. You can cancel the auto-renewal, but there is, of course, no button to press to say “hey, it hasn’t yet been 30 days and I would like to cancel and get my money back, per the guarantee”. You have to contact customer support via email (or an online chatbot) after answering some questions, and after they ask you the questions and you tell them “no, I’d just like to cancel. Not interested in troubleshooting”, then they can get you your refund. Not a terribly painful process or anything (it took me about 30 minutes all told), but a non-negligible one.
Nord also bills annually, so you have to put ~$100 down initially and then navigate the refund process to get your money back. If you’re beyond the first 30 days, tough luck, you’ve paid for it for the entire length of the plan.