NordVPN is one of the best VPN providers, hands down. With a diverse network of over 5,416 servers in 59 countries, including 1,970+ servers in the USA and 190+ in Asia Pacific, with Double VPN, Dedicated IP, P2P, Anti DDoS and Obfuscated services. Whats more with NordVPN you can be confident that you have access to Netflix, Torrents and other geo-restricted content.
Rated #1st out of 35 VPNs
Nord VPN is our customer and survey choice for the best VPN currently available. With a strong investment in their server network, cutting-edge security protocols, intuitive software, fast streaming score and excellent access to geo-restricted content i.e. Netflix, BBC iPlayer and more. For these reasons its hard not to sign-up!
So if you’re in the market for a new VPN or you’re frustrated with your current VPN access, then read this review and please feel free to leave any questions or comments.
NordVPN monthly and annual packages are listed below. These offers change on a regular basis, however the longer you sign-up for, the cheaper the monthly rate. It’s our recommendation that you take at least a 1-year package, or higher, as the rates are very favourable and you get a 30-day money back guarantee.
For a limited time only enjoy NordVPN for $3.69 a month, plus 3 months FREE with our exclusive VPNExplained promotion.
NordVPN uses a range of protocols and technology to keep your data secure. In fact, they use AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with 256 bit-keys, which is used by the U.S. government to secure classified information and by the NSA to protect national security data. This technology includes IKEv2/IPSec, with added NGE (Next Generation Encryption), which at the moment cannot be decoded even by the most powerful computers.
What’s more, NordVPN supports OpenVPN, which is a sophisticated open-source software application that implements virtual private network techniques. It is a clever protocol and can be used with TCP and UDP ports. However, if you’re looking for a reliable protocol for accessing the web for online gaming and live streaming, then we recommend the TCP port.
Lastly, all NordVPN security protocols have advantages and disadvantages in certain situations. However, what’s nice to see is that NordVPN supports all common protocols, meaning the more advanced users can tailor their settings to get the right experience.
Streaming and accessing geo-restricted content is one of the key features of any VPN, but not all VPNs are made equal. Slow streaming speeds or intermittent access to your global content is a major frustration. However, with NordVPN they have everything covered.
Firstly they have 5,416 servers in 59 countries, so you can mask your IP to the UK, USA, Australia and more. What’s more, NordVPN has a decent number of dedicated IP address, which can only be used by one customer at a time. This means you get a steady upload and download speed, that is a stable connection with no buffering or annoying dropped connections.
*The number of server location always fluctuates as NordVPN continually improve and tweak their infrastructure to keep up with local governments and privacy rules.
Furthermore, with dedicated P2P servers, you can choose from hundreds of servers optimized for P2P sharing via torrents, with no bandwidth limits and no activity logs.
To further add to the Nord VPN toolbox, all users get to enjoy the recently launched Smartplay or Dynamic DNS service. The SmartPlay feature is implemented by default at a server level, so there’s nothing to set up, update or activate. So you can enjoy secure access to 400+ streaming services wherever, whenever.
Applications – You can enjoy a range of features with NordVPN, including their range of delightfully simple applications that run across multiple devices – Android, Windows, Mac OS, Chrome and Firefox. *Whatsmore the helpful team at NordVPN will happily help, manually setup any device you require, including your Amazon Fire TV.
Multiple Devices – With NordVPN you can secure up to 6 devices with a single account, this includes computers, smartphones, routers, and more. So now you can protect the whole family and all your connected devices, with one provider.
Money Back Guarantee – NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with any new subscription to their VPN plans.
Proxy Extensions for Chrome and Firefox – With multiple ways to ensure your connected, NordVPN also offers a new lightweight browser extension. This smart plugin will keep you safe even when you’re not protected by HTTPS, as your data is encrypted and your real IP address gets replaced with one of 4,300+ available IPs in over 59 countries.
Whenever we review a VPN, we always make multiple speed tests to ensure a smooth and stable connection. With NordVPN we enjoyed a very good speed, it even delivered a quicker upload connection then directly via the ISP (intent service provider)!
The following test was done with a 75Mbps fibre broadband line, with a base speed reading (without a VPN) delivering the below results.
Our team is strongly independent and our reviews and speed tests are impartial. We are openly transparent about receiving referral fees from certain providers when you click our links and sign up for a VPN. However, these commercial relationships have no bearing on the contents of our reviews and recommendations.
Unlike so many VPNs around the world, NordVPN has chosen not to register its company with the Chinese government following the introduction of the 2017 CyberSecurityoty Law. This is a fantastic move by NordVPN, as it means they are not liable to requests for government data requests. However, it does mean the NordVPN server network needs to work harder at keeping your internet traffic secure and invisible to the China Firewall.
The system used to camouflages your OpenVPN traffic as regular HTTPS traffic is referred to as Stealth Mode, which is available across the Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android operating system. However, you will need to manually configure the OpenVPN or L2TP protocol with specific settings on your iOS (iPad, iPhone).
Remember – Before you visit China, to download the latest version of the app across all your devices and to set up any configurations manually before you go. Otherwise, you might find yourself speaking with the NordVPN tech team via email.
With NordVPN they run a strict policy of keeps no activity logs. This means they don’t track the time or duration of an online session, and neither do they keep a log of IP addresses or servers used, websites visited or files downloaded.
Luckily, even requests for information can’t happen, as NordVPN is based in Panama. This is far away from EU and US jurisdiction and is common practice by all the top VPNs, which are based in independent countries that don’t share information (Switzerland, Singapore, Caymans, British Virgin Islands and so on). In addition, NordVPN offers traditional payment methods, including credit cards and Paypal. However, you can also buy NordVPN using alternative payment options i.e. Bitcoin.
NordVPN is one of the only VPN services in the world to open up their system to a 3rd party auditing firm (PricewaterhouseCoopers AG) to verify they are a 100% no log service.
No IP or DNS Leaks Found – Whenever we review a VPN, we always make multiple tests to see if they’re leaking any DNS or IP information. A DNS Leak is when your software or manual settings default to your ISP’s DNS settings, rather than your VPN providers DNS Servers.
How can this happen?
Luckily for you, NordVPN passed with flying colours, but do make sure to check your setting periodically using DNS Leak Test.
We’ve all been in this situation before, where a software update has had a knock-on effect on other programs, or a family member has played around with your settings.
Either way, a good, solid customer support team is a necessity with any good VPN provider. NordVPN runs an award-winning customer service, with agents that are ready to help you all day, every day.
You can content them directly via email or live chat, or find the answers you’re looking for in the detailed Help Center.