NordVPN Review 2025

Quick Facts

Overview

NordVPN, established in 2012, was originally founded in Lithuania but is now headquartered in Panama. Known for its strict no-logs policy, NordVPN offers a range of features designed to enhance online privacy. The service is often touted as one of the fastest VPNs on the market, although we’ll put that claim to the test. It also includes a SmartPlay feature to help users access region-restricted content, a custom VPN protocol based on WireGuard called NordLynx, and a wide selection of apps across various platforms.

Privacy and Security

NordVPN operates with a strict no-logs policy, ensuring that they do not store any identifiable information, such as IP addresses, connection dates, durations, amount of data transferred, or servers used. This policy has been independently audited by Deloitte, and their server and infrastructure security has been tested by Cure53. However, these audit reports are only available to NordVPN subscribers.

While some of NordVPN’s servers are colocated, meaning they are physically owned and managed by the company, the majority of their infrastructure is built on third-party data centers. This approach helps with scalability and global reach but may raise questions about the complete control over their physical hardware.

NordLynx, NordVPN’s custom VPN protocol, is based on the open-source WireGuard protocol but with some key modifications. WireGuard’s inability to dynamically assign IP addresses means servers need to maintain a static IP table to route traffic accurately. NordVPN has implemented a double NAT (Network Address Translation) system to address this, allowing each user to share the same IP address while assigning a unique IP for each VPN tunnel. This ensures that no identifiable user information is stored on the server. 

However, because NordLynx is a proprietary protocol, it is not compatible with existing WireGuard clients. This limitation can be an issue for users looking to set up NordVPN on a router, as they will need to use OpenVPN, which could lead to reduced performance compared to WireGuard.

Compatibility

NordVPN provides a wide array of apps for various devices, including desktop and mobile operating systems, browsers, and even smart TVs. The apps come equipped with several useful features, such as the ability to automatically connect to the fastest server based on download speed, upload speed, or ping. Additionally, NordVPN includes a selective kill switch that can automatically close specific apps if the VPN connection drops. Users can also enable DNS filtering to block ads at the domain level.

However, not all of NordVPN's apps are open source. Only the Linux app and Libtelio, a networking library used by other apps, are open source. It would be great if NordVPN made all of its apps open source for better transparency.

Performance

For our performance testing, we connected to three different servers, both within Australia and internationally. We simulated a typical home internet setup with a 100 Mbps download and 40 Mbps upload speed limit. Each speed test was conducted five times, and the average results are summarized below.

The connection times to both OpenVPN and NordLynx servers were impressively quick. On the local Australian server, there was a 53% reduction in download speed, while international servers experienced more significant drops. The Los Angeles server showed a 69% decrease in speed, and the London server saw a 79% drop. Despite these drops, the Australian server had only a slight increase in ping, making it ideal for activities like browsing, streaming, and gaming.

In contrast, international servers had a more noticeable increase in ping, which might affect browsing performance, though they should still be sufficient for video streaming. Additionally, servers using the NordLynx protocol generally outperformed those using OpenVPN, delivering faster speeds and lower latency. This makes NordLynx the preferred option for users seeking better performance, particularly on international connections.

Streaming

NordVPN offers a Smart DNS feature called SmartPlay, which redirects DNS requests to servers in the region where you're streaming content. This creates the illusion that your requests are coming from a different location, effectively unlocking content that would otherwise be restricted based on your geographic region.

NordVPN provides seamless access to most major streaming platforms in regions like Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The only notable exception is Prime Video, which was not accessible through the service. Despite this, NordVPN remains a top choice for anyone seeking to unblock region-restricted content and enjoy a wide range of streaming options.

Pricing

NordVPN provides a range of payment options, including credit cards, PayPal, and popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, though it does not accept privacy coins like Monero.

The service offers several subscription plans, with the most basic VPN-only option priced at around $12.99 per month, which can be considered on the pricier side. However, longer-term plans offer much better value, with prices dropping to as low as $3.39 per month for a two year plan. For users seeking additional features, higher-tier plans include extras such as a password manager and cloud storage.

TL;DR

NordVPN

Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and free months

Visit NordVPN