Best Overall

NordVPN Review 2025

Last updated: January 2025

9.5
out of 10
Price $3.69/mo
Servers 5,500+
Countries 60
Devices 6

Our Verdict

NordVPN is our top pick for most users. It offers the best combination of speed, security, and features at a reasonable price. The NordLynx protocol delivers consistently fast speeds, and the massive server network ensures you'll always find a fast connection.

Pros

  • Excellent speeds with NordLynx protocol
  • 5,500+ servers in 60 countries
  • Double VPN for extra encryption
  • Threat Protection blocks malware and ads
  • Audited no-logs policy
  • Works with Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and more
  • 24/7 customer support

Cons

  • Occasional slow connections on distant servers
  • 6 device limit (competitors offer unlimited)
  • macOS app less feature-rich than Windows

Overview

NordVPN has established itself as one of the most trusted names in the VPN industry. Based in Panama, a country with no mandatory data retention laws, NordVPN offers a compelling combination of security, speed, and ease of use that makes it suitable for both beginners and power users.

Speed Performance

NordVPN's proprietary NordLynx protocol, built around the WireGuard protocol, delivers impressive speeds. In our tests, we experienced only a 10-15% reduction in download speeds compared to our baseline connection. This makes NordVPN one of the fastest VPNs we've tested.

Upload speeds and latency were equally impressive, making NordVPN suitable for gaming, video calls, and other latency-sensitive applications.

Security Features

NordVPN takes security seriously with the following features:

  • AES-256 encryption - Military-grade encryption standard
  • Double VPN - Routes traffic through two servers for extra protection
  • Onion over VPN - Access Tor network through VPN
  • Kill switch - Blocks internet if VPN connection drops
  • DNS leak protection - Prevents DNS requests from leaking

Privacy Policy

NordVPN operates under a strict no-logs policy that has been independently audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The audit confirmed that NordVPN does not log user activity, connection timestamps, session duration, IP addresses, or bandwidth usage.

Streaming and Unblocking

NordVPN excels at unblocking streaming services. During our tests, it successfully accessed:

  • Netflix (US, UK, and multiple other regions)
  • BBC iPlayer
  • Amazon Prime Video
  • Disney+
  • Hulu

Server Network

With over 5,500 servers in 60 countries, NordVPN offers one of the largest server networks in the industry. Specialty servers include:

  • P2P-optimized servers for torrenting
  • Obfuscated servers for restricted countries
  • Dedicated IP servers
  • Double VPN servers

Apps and Ease of Use

NordVPN provides apps for all major platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and browser extensions. The apps are well-designed and intuitive, with a map-based interface for server selection.

Customer Support

NordVPN offers 24/7 live chat support, which we found to be responsive and knowledgeable. There's also an extensive knowledge base with guides and tutorials.

Pricing

NordVPN offers competitive pricing, especially on longer-term plans:

  • Monthly: $12.99/month
  • 1-year plan: $4.99/month
  • 2-year plan: $3.69/month

All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.