NordVPN is a fast and versatile VPN service with more than 5,600 servers suitable for P2P, Torrents, Netflix, Hulu and security. Find out if it's worth participating in this updated review of NordVPN 2020.
NordVPN is undoubtedly one of the most popular online VPNs in the world. But what makes it so special? Why is it so much more famous than PureVPN?
After thoroughly testing the VPN service for a month, we wrote this review of NordVPN.
I found it to be a fairly well designed VPN application that worked perfectly with Netflix torrenting and streaming. Besides being very easy to use on various devices. From the mobile with your native app, to the computer by configuring the Windows options to install a VPN.
Regarding privacy, NordVPN is in the data retention free jurisdiction of Panama, follow strict no registration policy, comes standard with features like strong encryption, Kill switch, Double VPN and also applications optimized for Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS, and more.
On the surface, NordVPN deserves a 5 star rating for his More than 5,600 network servers
However, when I dug a little more, I discovered that does not unlock Netflix on Android boxes and BBC iPlayer on Firestick and Roku devices. This is exactly why I have given it 4.3 / 5.0 stars in this NordVPN review.
My Evaluation of NordVPN
To keep things clear and simple, I tested and rated NordVPN using my direct rating criteria mentioned below:
- Jurisdiction – In which country is NordVPN based?
- Security – Is it safe to use NordVPN?
- Servers – Does NordVPN work in China?
- Speed – How fast is NordVPN?
- Prices – How much does NordVPN cost?
- Veredict – Is NordVPN reliable?
Jurisdiction: In which country is NordVPN located?
NordVPN is based in Panama.
What is a country no data retention laws. In fact, Panama is a safe haven for privacy conscious users who value their privacy.
Panama does not fall low either 5 eyes countries that share intelligence, In this way, Panama is not responsible for sharing user information with any other country or authority if necessary. This is great since NordVPN does not have to comply with any mandatory data retention law.
Security: is NordVPN safe to use?
Judging from the fact that NordVPN is based in the secure jurisdiction of Panama and offers AES-256-CBC with a 2048-bit DH key encryptionNordVPN is actually safe to use. This type of encryption has around 1.1 × 1077 possible combinations. Unless someone uses a supercomputer, their confidential data can't decipher.
For even more robust security, NordVPN also uses OpenVPN (TCP / UDP), IKEv2 / IPsec and more recently we have added WireGuard. If we talk about encryption, NordVPN uses AES-256-CBC with a 2048 bit DH key, Which is the strongest encryption in the industry.
Another thing I really like about NordVPN is the fact that it uses Perfect direct secret for each session This means that NordVPN uses unique session keys to ensure better privacy and even stronger encryption.
Additional security features
In addition to basic security features like encryption, NordVPN offers some other powerful features that are really hard to find elsewhere. To start, let's take a look Double VPN …
Double VPN, double privacy
As its name suggests, the Double VPN feature routes your traffic through two jumps that give you additional security. With standard VPN encryption, your Internet traffic travels through a single remote VPN server. That change your IP address and number All your data that is sent and received through the Internet. Simple, straightforward and just what most people need.
Double VPN encryption, on the other hand, adds an additional layer of protection. It does everything a single VPN does, however, encrypts your network traffic twice by passing it through a second remote VPN server. While it makes your data more secure, your internet speeds are going to suffer a bit.
NordVPN WireGuard
In addition to standard VPN protocols, NordVPN has also recently introduced WireGuard protocol. The WireGuard protocol consists only of 4000 lines of code, which is considerably less than OpenVPN. Instead of going through 400,000 lines of code, WireGuard is incredibly easy to implement and audit for errors.
At the moment this protocol is only available for Linux operating systems through NordLynx and iOS. However, the provider plans to launch the WireGuard protocol for other platforms later this year.
Dedicated IP / Private IP
In addition to Double VPN, NordVPN also offers dedicated IPs for $ 70 / year You can get dedicated IPs from NordVPN for United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands and France. Here is the list of locations you can choose from:
- The United States – (Los Angeles, Dallas, Matawan, Buffalo)
- Germany – (Frankfurt)
- United Kingdom, London)
- Netherlands – (Amsterdam)
- Paris France)
If you don't know what a private IP is, it's basically a unique IP address assigned to a single user. This is a premium feature and it will extra cost over the standard VPN account you buy.
NordVPN Onion over VPN
If you have ever used TOR, you probably know what Onion over VPN means. Tor over VPN is a foolproof strategy to guarantee maximum anonymity on the web. NordVPN is among the few VPNs that support Onion over VPN technology.
This feature is super secure as it restricts even your TOR browsers from capturing your real IP address. Frankly, Onion over VPN is one of NordVPN's most innovative features.
Ad blocker: how does NordVPN CyberSec work?
For added protection online, NordVPN also offers malware protection by the name of CyberSec. CyberSec works like malware and ad blocker ensuring that you are protected against accidental opening of malicious sites and other cybersecurity dangers lurking on the web. It is a great tool to have to add an extra layer of security to your web presence.
It is also super easy to enable. You can go to the General configuration and toggle on the option that says CyberSec.
NordVPN Kill Switch
NordVPN Offers two different types of death switches, one for desktop computers (Windows and Mac) and others for mobile devices (iOS and Android).
The desktop version has two options. The first option is called “Application removal switch” and the other one is called Internet kill switch. App Kill Switch restricts the specified apps, while Internet Kill Switch disables all your internet connection.
In comparison, the mobile version of NordVPN's Kill Switch is pretty primitive. The mobile version does not support selective removal of applications and is limited to just disable all your internet connection completely.
Registration Policy: Does NordVPN record activity?
No, NordVPN does not store records. In fact, NordVPN's registration policy follows a strict zero record rule, ensuring that no personal identification information of users is recorded. More specifically, NordVPN does not legitimately withhold IP address, connection time stamps, bandwidth or your traffic data. In fact, it is clearly mentioned in the NordVPN registration policy.
The reason NordVPN can guarantee zero registrations is because of its Panamanian jurisdiction. The only thing NordVPN keeps records of is email address, payment details and server performance data. However, don't worry, this type of information is fairly standard and would not actually compromise your true identity. And also, you can only use one pseudo email and cryptocurrency for total anonymity.
Can NordVPN be tracked?
No, since NordVPN does not lose DNS, IP and WebRTC, it may be almost impossible to trace it. Even after multiple tests NordVPN passed without a problem.
IP leak test:
First, I tested the IP leaks. To do that, I connected to a US Server USA since it is the most popular server to use. As you can see in the screenshot below, my original IP address is nowhere to be seen.
DNS leak test:
As for DNS leaks, NordVPN went through without a problem. Even after multiple tests NordVPN showed no signs of obvious DNS leaks. Check out the screenshot below:
WebRTC leak test:
Finally, I also check for WebRTC leaks and NordVPN also passed this test without any effort. As you can see in the screenshot below, my default IP address is nowhere to be seen.
Overall, NordVPN performed exceptionally well. However, it doesn't surprise me, since NordVPN actually comes with built-in leak protection.
Servers: Does NordVPN work in China?
NordVPN offers around More than 5,600 servers in 58 countries all over the world. These servers are compatible with obfuscation technology and many of them work in china too. Speaking of obfuscation, I found it quite useful, especially when accessing Chinese websites like Bilibili. Although it doesn't actually offer servers in China, I managed to use the Hong Kong servers to access most Chinese content.
This is really impressive considering that many popular VPNs no longer work in China. However, NordVPN's obfuscation technology gives it an advantage over other VPNs. But if you are going to travel to China, I suggest downloading the app before your visit there.
Obfuscated servers
Obfuscation may sound like a full mouth, it is a great powerful feature. NordVPN's obfuscation feature basically camouflages encrypted VPN traffic to look like ordinary HTTP traffic. By doing so, your VPN traffic can use port # 443 and pass firewall.
If you live in a region with strong geographic restrictions like China, NordVPN's obfuscated server may be extremely useful. Is really a sophisticated technology and one that you will appreciate very much.
Is NordVPN good for Torrenting?
Well actually NordVPN works great with torrents. In fact, one of the reasons you'll love NordVPN is because large number of P2P servers and torrenting This provider offers. Outside More than 5,600 servers, finished 4,000 servers are optimized for torrents. Literally no other VPN provider in the industry currently offers as many P2P servers.
In addition to a massive count of P2P serversNordVPN has no annoying data limit or bandwidth restrictions that could speed up your internet connection speeds. In my tests, NordVPN performed exceptionally well and I easily managed to download a large torrent file without major speed drops or connectivity issues.
In my tests NordVPN performed exceptionally well and I easily managed to download a large torrent file no major drops in speed or connectivity problems. To read more about it, check out our NordVPN torrent blog.
Speed: How fast is NordVPN?
NordVPN done pretty fast on my speed test and I managed to achieve impressive speeds in my 30 Mbps Connection. Here are the speed test results presented in a nice neat table:
| Server location | Ping (MS) | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Reject by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S | 183 | 26.92 | 22.64 | 19% |
| United Kingdom | 131 | 27.44 | 24.15 | 17% |
| Canada | 201 | 25.97 | 26.05 | 21% |
| Australia | 115 | 28.18 | 26.16 | 18% |
| New Zealand | 144 | 28.79 | 24.99 | 25% |
Here is a screenshot of my internet connection speeds without NordVPN:
Here are the results of the NordVPN speed test for USA USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand servers in me 30 Mbps Connection:
US server speeds USA:
NordVPN server in the US USA just fell off any speed at all. I managed to achieve 24.91 Mbps download speeds which is not bad at all.
UK server speeds:
UK servers also offered excellent speeds with download speeds peaking 25.41 Mbps. This is super awesome considering how small the speed drop is.
Canada server speeds:
The Canadian server offered slightly slower speeds, however, nothing too important. To the maximum, NordVPN managed to get out 23.97 Mbps download speeds.
Australia server speeds:
The Australian server also worked quite well. In fact, this server location offered better overall speeds maximizing in 27.11 Mbps.
New Zealand server speeds:
Last but not least, I also tested speeds using the New Zealand server and also it worked very well. On average, this server location managed to generate 22.75 Mbps download speed
Streaming: Does NordVPN work with Netflix?
Yes, NordVPN can unlock Netflix. In fact, I was able to easily unlock the American Netflix library and stream in Ultra HD image quality. Below are the performance results from my NordVPN Netflix test:
- Decreased speed – 13%
- NordVPN speed (US server): 27 Mbps
- Average US server speeds USA 15 Mbps to 25 Mbps
That being said, NordVPN currently only unlocks Netflix on mobile applications and Windows. In my tests, it didn't work with Android based Fire TV / Stick boxes, televisions and devices.
Apart from Netflix, NordVPN worked amazingly with BBC iPlayer and Hulu too. As always, everything flowed into HD image quality.
That said, keep in mind that will not be able to stream BBC iPlayer on Firestick and Roku devices since it is currently not supported. Performance wise, here are some of the best NordVPN servers to watch BBC iPlayer:
- 481
- 483
- 717-720
- 745-752
- 757-764
- 974-977
- 1022-1025
- 1044-1045
As for Hulu, I tried to connect to multiple servers in the US USA and they all managed to offer fast and consistent overall performance.
You can expect similar streaming performance on most other streaming platforms primarily because NordVPN servers are equipped with a built-in feature. SmartPlay DNS function to help you overcome geographic restrictions.
Compatibility: What devices can I use NordVPN with?
NordVPN is compatible with almost every device you can imagine. You can use it in Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and on a lot of the other devices. There are even NordVPN Chrome extensions and Firefox extensions that can help you secure your connection without even opening the app.
NordVPN applications for Windows and macOS
The NordVPN app for Windows has improved considerably since the launch of its new updated app. The same is true for your macOS application which also works just as well. One thing I really like about the new version of NordVPN is the option to pause your VPN connection. This saves a lot of time disconnecting and reconnecting.
The applications are well designed, are pretty light and I didn't experience connectivity problems or sudden failures during my test I really like the fact that their servers are conveniently listed on the left side of the screen.
Another thing I like about Windows and NordVPN's macOS app is the settings menu. Protocols are easy to find and find, and so is the option to enable or disable features like CyberSec and Kill Switch.
Overall, NordVPN offers great apps and the fact that it can be used in 6 devices simultaneously it does it even better considering its price.
NordVPN apps for Android and iOS
The usability of NordVPN's mobile apps is exceptional. NordVPN's Android app has a 4.4 star rating in Google Play Store and a 4.6 stars about him Itunes store. Whether you are an iPhone or Android user, you will have no trouble discovering how to use the applications. In fact, the applications are extremely simple and easy to use.
It is self explanatory when it comes to changing the basic settings and establishing a connection to the servers of your choice. As such, no user should have trouble figuring out how to use NordVPN. If you're having trouble with these apps, here are some solutions to apply when NordVPN doesn't work.
Pricing: How much does NordVPN cost?
NordVPN offers 4 plans, and each of them is quite affordable. In addition, it also offers a free trial. In addition to the NordVPN free trial, NordVPN's current subscription plans are listed below:
If we talk about additional value-added features, you can also get plugins like Dedicated IP or NordVPN Lifetime Offer. If you want a dedicated or static IP from NordVPN, you will have to pay an extra $ 70.00 per year.
- United States – ($70 / year)
- Germany – ($70 / year)
- United Kingdom – ($70 / year)
- Netherlands – ($70 / year)
- France – ($70 / year)
Regarding payment methods, NordVPN accepts Credit cards, Amazon Pay, cryptocurrencies, Ali Pay and Union pay.
All subscription plans are covered by a 30 day refund policy. Best of all, NordVPN gives you the freedom to use a subscription plan on 6 devices simultaneously.
Reliability: Is NordVPN Reliable?
Yes, NordVPN is one of the most trusted names in the industry.. In fact, NordVPN doesn't just offer excellent customer service but he has also openly revealed his records and security audits. If that's not reliable, I don't know what is.
NordVPN Trustpilot classification
NordVPN currently has a 4.4 / 5.0 stars at Trustpilot. NordVPN has seriously returned as in 2018 NordVPN's Trustpilot score dropped to just 2 stars.
If you actually review Trustpilot, you will notice that 69% of users I have rated the service as Excellent. Only 12% of users I have rated the service as Bad which is pretty good
NordVPN Reddit review
NordVPN has quite mixed reviews on Reddit. Some users either you love him or you hate him completely. Here is a Reddit comment indicating how good NordVPN really is.
Here's another comment praising NordVPN for its fast speeds.
Naturally, I also came across some negative comments. Here is a comment from Reddit complaining about slow and unreliable service.
NordVPN Customer Service
One of the biggest complaints I have with most VPN providers is with their customer service. Not only are they often technically uneducated, but they are also extremely slow. Fortunately, I did not encounter any problems with Nord.
NordVPN support can be contacted in two ways, either through NordVPN Live Chat or Email Ticket System. Either way, the VPN support staff are competent and have first-hand knowledge of the brand.
Verdict: Is NordVPN worth it?
Yes, NordVPN is totally worth it. After compiling this NordVPN review, I found it to be a very well done product. After all, it offers good performance, affordable plans, and excellent features I like Onion over VPN, obfuscationand CyberSec that only a few VPN providers offer.
Not only that, I was surprised at how well NordVPN works with streaming and torrent services. Despite simultaneous streaming and downloading, NordVPN still managed to solve considerably fast speeds. That being said, since NordVPN cannot unlock Netflix on Android boxes and BBC iPlayer on Firestick and Roku devices, NordVPN earns a 4.3 / 5.0 star rating In this review Interested in other VPNs, leave me a comment or read our unbiased VPN reviews for 2020.