NordVPN Review (2025): Is it the right choice?

NordVPN Review

NordVPN is the best VPN of 2025. It offers perfect privacy, high download speeds, advanced security, and top-tier streaming. It is the most advanced VPN you can buy.

• Privacy: 100%. NordVPN has a strict no-logs policy, verified in multiple audits. You’ll be completely anonymous online.
• Streaming: 100%. Netflix, Disney+, Max, Hulu, Prime, and BBC iPlayer all worked perfectly in our tests.
• Speed: 100%. NordVPN delivers lightning-fast speeds. It’s one of the fastest VPNs we’ve tested.
• Security: 100%. With advanced protocols, RAM-only servers, and threat protection, NordVPN is a leader in online security.

Thanks to the 30-day return policy, you can try it risk-free.

Privacy

NordVPN takes your privacy seriously. Its strict no-logs policy, independent audits, and Panama-based operations make it one of the most secure VPN services available. However, there are some details worth considering.

No-Logs Policy

NordVPN does not track your browsing activity, traffic, or connection IP addresses. The only data it collects includes:

• Your email address (for account setup).
• Payment information (for subscriptions).
• Country details (for VAT purposes).

In addition, the service temporarily records session timestamps for up to 15 minutes after disconnection, but this data is minimal and non-invasive. Independent audits by firms like Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers have confirmed NordVPN’s adherence to its no-logs policy. This ensures your online activities cannot be traced back to you.

Privacy-Friendly Jurisdiction

Headquartered in Panama, NordVPN benefits from the country’s privacy-friendly laws. Panama does not mandate data retention and lies outside international surveillance agreements like the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances. Though its parent company, Cyberspace, is registered in the Netherlands, NordVPN has clarified that its operations in Panama remain unaffected.

Dedicated IP: A Mixed Bag

NordVPN offers dedicated IPs, but this feature has privacy trade-offs. Since the IP is tied to your account, it could theoretically connect your identity to your online activity. Competing VPNs like CyberGhost use token-based systems to prevent this link, a solution NordVPN has yet to implement. For maximum privacy, it’s best to avoid the dedicated IP option until improvements are made.

Advanced Privacy Features

NordVPN offers a robust suite of tools designed to keep your online activities private and secure:

• Diskless Servers: All servers run on RAM, ensuring no data is stored permanently. A simple reboot erases all information.
• Kill Switch: This feature prevents your IP from leaking by cutting off your internet connection if the VPN disconnects. Tests confirmed it performs reliably even in sudden drops.
• First-Party DNS Servers: To protect against DNS leaks, NordVPN routes all queries through its own secure servers. Years of testing have shown no DNS leaks.
• Threat Protection: An advanced ad blocker that prevents trackers and malicious sites from accessing your data. It blocks up to 60% of unwanted content, outperforming most competitors.
• Anonymous Payments: You can pay with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for added anonymity. Support for privacy-focused coins like Monero would further enhance this feature.

Independent Audits and Transparency

NordVPN has undergone four independent audits since 2018, with the latest in December 2023. These audits validate its no-logs policy and server security practices. The company also publishes transparency reports, confirming it has never shared user data with governments or law enforcement.

Final Thoughts on Privacy

NordVPN stands out in the VPN industry for its strong privacy framework. Features like its no-logs policy, diskless servers, and commitment to independent audits ensure a high level of security. However, areas like the dedicated IP feature and temporary session logging could be improved.

NordVPN is a reliable choice for a secure, private online experience.

Streaming

NordVPN excels when it comes to streaming, offering seamless access to virtually all major platforms. In our tests, it successfully unblocked Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer, making it a versatile choice for entertainment enthusiasts.

One of the standout features of NordVPN is its high-speed performance. Its fast and stable connections make it possible to stream content in HD and even 4K resolution without interruptions. This means no buffering or lag, even when streaming on multiple devices.

For added convenience, NordVPN offers a dedicated app for Amazon Fire TV Stick, allowing you to secure your streaming directly on the device.

Additionally, it provides Smart DNS functionality, which enables you to access region-locked content on devices that don’t support VPNs, such as certain smart TVs and gaming consoles.

Whether you’re a casual viewer or a dedicated binge-watcher, NordVPN’s combination of speed, compatibility, and advanced features makes it a top choice for streaming.

Speed

NordVPN is exceptionally fast. Powered by its custom NordLynx protocol (built on WireGuard), NordVPN combines speed with security, ensuring minimal lags whether you’re browsing, streaming, or gaming.

In our speed tests conducted over a 100 Mbps connection, NordVPN impressed with only a 4% drop in download speeds in New York and a 5% drop in Frankfurt. This negligible slowdown is barely noticeable during everyday activities.

The service’s global network of thousands of servers further boosts its speed. By automatically directing users to less congested servers, NordVPN avoids slowdowns caused by overcrowding.

Whether you’re streaming HD or 4K videos, downloading large files, or playing online games, NordVPN delivers consistently fast and reliable performance.

Security

When it comes to securing your online activity, NordVPN consistently ranks among the most trusted VPN providers. Its blend of advanced encryption, privacy-focused policies, and innovative server technology ensures that your data stays private and secure. Let’s break down what makes NordVPN a top choice for protecting your online presence.

State-of-the-Art Encryption

NordVPN uses advanced encryption to shield your internet traffic from prying eyes. By default, it employs the NordLynx protocol—a custom implementation of the highly efficient WireGuard protocol—secured with ChaCha20 encryption.

For those prefering other protocols like OpenVPN or IKEv2/IPSec, NordVPN ensures equally strong protection with AES-256 encryption, a standard trusted by governments and security experts worldwide.

Our tests confirmed the effectiveness of these measures using tools like Wireshark, which showed no data leakage while connected to NordVPN. The NordLynx protocol also adds an extra security layer with double NAT (Network Address Translation), offering both speed and privacy advantages.

Independent Audits and Ethical Hacking

NordVPN emphasizes transparency by undergoing regular independent security audits. These audits examine its applications, infrastructure, and practices to ensure they meet the highest standards. To further fortify its defenses, NordVPN runs a bug bounty program that invites ethical hackers to discover vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

A Secure and Evolving Server Network

NordVPN’s vast network includes over 6,800 servers across 111 countries. Importantly, the company has been transitioning to private servers—hardware it owns and manages directly—since a 2018 security incident highlighted the risks of third-party server control.

To eliminate potential data storage risks, NordVPN employs RAM-only servers. Unlike traditional hard drives, these servers do not store data permanently, and all information is wiped the moment power is cut. This design, coupled with DNS leak protection, ensures user activity remains private, even in extreme circumstances.

Kill Switch

NordVPN’s Kill Switch ensures your data doesn’t leak if your VPN connection unexpectedly drops. Two versions are available:

• Internet Kill Switch: Blocks all internet traffic until the VPN reconnects.
• App Kill Switch: Restricts specific apps from accessing the internet if the VPN disconnects (available on Windows and macOS).

In our tests, these features worked flawlessly, preventing IP address leaks even during abrupt connection drops.

Specialty Servers

NordVPN offers specialized servers tailored to various privacy needs:

• Double VPN: Encrypts your data twice for extra protection.
• Onion Over VPN: Combines VPN encryption with the anonymity of the Tor network, no additional software needed.
• Obfuscated Servers: Disguises VPN traffic, allowing you to bypass internet restrictions in countries like China and the UAE.
• P2P Servers: Optimized for fast and secure torrenting.
• Dedicated IP Servers: Provides static IP addresses for users needing consistent access to restricted networks.

Threat Protection

NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro adds an extra layer of security by blocking malicious websites, ads, and trackers. It also offers DNS filtering, scans downloaded files for malware, and can run deep scans in a cloud sandbox.

For added protection, the Dark Web Monitor notifies users if their credentials appear in data breaches found on the dark web, helping them take swift action to secure their accounts.

Final Thoughts on Security

NordVPN’s advanced encryption, regular security audits, and forward-thinking infrastructure make it one of the most secure VPN options available. Whether you’re browsing at home, torrenting, or trying to bypass internet restrictions abroad, NordVPN provides a comprehensive suite of tools to keep your data safe and your online activities private.

Servers

NordVPN has dramatically enhanced its global presence, now providing IP addresses from 111 countries.

This network expansion, which includes servers in 46 European countries, 27 in Asia, and 15 in North America, enables users to simulate browsing from popular regions like the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. For added flexibility, city-level servers are available in several countries, allowing precise geographic selection.

Compared to competitors, NordVPN offers significantly broader coverage, surpassing Norton by 82 countries and Bitdefender by 58. This growth represents an 80% increase since 2023, largely enabled by the addition of virtual server locations rather than real servers.

Real servers are physically located in the country they represent, providing authentic IP addresses. Virtual servers, on the other hand, simulate being in a specific country but are often physically located elsewhere, like a server in Singapore representing Indonesia.

NordVPN also supports a range of specialized servers tailored to specific privacy and performance needs:

• Double VPN for enhanced encryption.
• Onion Over VPN, combining VPN protection with Tor’s anonymity.
• Obfuscated Servers to bypass censorship in restrictive regions like China.
• P2P Servers optimized for secure file sharing.
• Dedicated IP Servers offering static IPs for restricted network access.

This expansion solidifies NordVPN as a top choice for users seeking comprehensive geographic coverage and advanced privacy features.

Prices

NordVPN strikes a compelling balance between cost and quality, positioning itself as a premium VPN with competitive pricing.

Compared to similarly advanced options like ExpressVPN, NordVPN is notably more affordable, making it a standout choice for those seeking top-tier performance without breaking the bank. Meanwhile, its feature set far surpasses that of competitors in the same price range, such as Bitdefender VPN, offering more robust security and functionality.

While there are even cheaper options on the market—such as Norton VPN, CyberGhost, or Surfshark—NordVPN justifies its slightly higher cost with an impressive array of advanced features. With benefits like double VPN, threat protection, and an extensive server network optimized for speed and privacy, the value it delivers makes it well worth the investment.

For users seeking a VPN that blends affordability with premium features, NordVPN stands out as a smart and reliable choice.

User reviews

When evaluating a VPN service, user reviews provide valuable insights into real-world experiences. We analyzed Trustpilot ratings across the top VPN brands to understand how NordVPN stacks up.

NordVPN has earned a solid 4.2 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot, reflecting the satisfaction of many users. Positive feedback highlights its intuitive design, user-friendly interface, and responsive customer support. However, a common concern is the high renewal pricing, which some users feel could be more competitive.

In comparison to the top 10 VPNs on our list, NordVPN’s rating is on par with industry leaders, demonstrating its strong reputation and consistent performance in the VPN market.

Ownership

NordVPN was founded in 2012 by Tom Okman and Eimantas Sabaliauskas with the mission of providing secure, private, and unrestricted internet access.

Since its inception, the company has grown into a major player in the cybersecurity space and now serves as a cornerstone of Nord Security. This umbrella organization oversees a suite of privacy and security products, including:

• NordLayer for network access security,
• NordPass for password management,
• NordStellar for threat intelligence,
• NordProtect for endpoint protection, and
• NordLocker for encrypted cloud storage.

The growth of NordVPN has been remarkable. After launching its first app in 2013, the company steadily expanded, culminating in a merger with Surfshark in 2022. This partnership solidified Nord Security’s position as a tech unicorn, achieving a valuation of $1.6 billion.

In 2023, NordVPN reached another milestone, securing $100 million in funding to further develop its services and expand its offerings.

Today, NordVPN is recognized as a key player in the global cybersecurity landscape, blending technical innovation with a steadfast commitment to user privacy and security.