NordVPN review: Is it the best VPN in 2025?

NordVPN: A quick overview

Across most metrics, NordVPN is one of the best VPNs currently available. The price is reasonable, its speeds are excellent, and the app comes with a host of extra features to boost online safety. Later in this article, we’ll dive into all of NordVPN’s pros and cons, plans, price details, and special features, but let’s look at the broad strokes first.

The longer the plan you sign up to, the cheaper NordVPN will be. At the time of writing, the cheapest two year plan currently available works out at USD 3.09 per month or USD 83.43 in total. You can get a monthly plan for USD 12.99, but most users are going to find more value for money in a longer contract.

NordVPN is among the fastest VPNs on the market, thanks to its NordLynx protocol (based on the lightweight, superfast WireGuard framework). The app provides rapid throughput while also maintaining a really high level of encryption with standards like AES-256 and ChaCha20. For the uninitiated, that means anyone intercepting your encrypted data would need literally billions of years to brute force it. Hackers might have a lot of time on their hands — but not that much.

When it comes to infrastructure, NordVPN has a major advantage over some of its less established competitors. The company’s network of 7,400 servers covers 118 countries, giving users a lot of choice in where their IP address is based and lowering the chances of overcrowding issues. 

Pros and cons of NordVPN

It’s time to go a little deeper on all aspects of the app and its functions, both positive and negative. 

Pros

NordVPN has a lot of pros, from great browsing speeds to robust security features. Users can expect:

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  Fast speeds. NordVPN is really, really fast. This might be the biggest selling point for many users, because VPN technology has a reputation for slowing down internet connections. VPN usage always impacts your connection slightly — you’re adding an extra step for your data to take on its journey to and from the wider internet. But NordVPN’s protocols are so fast and its server network so extensive that you’ll almost never notice any slowdown in your daily online experience.

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  Advanced encryption protocols. NordVPN uses the AES encryption protocol, with 265-bit keys, to keep your browsing traffic safe. Technically speaking, no protocol is 100% impregnable, but AES with 256-bit keys offers an incredibly high standard of security. At the moment, no method is known for cracking it. To brute force it (guessing every possible decryption key until one works), a hacker would need to run their algorithm for billions of years using an advanced supercomputer.

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  An extensive server network. The bigger a VPN’s server network, the better. More servers means greater choice in server location and less likelihood of overcrowded servers slowing internet speeds. NordVPN’s network is made up of 7,400 servers covering 118 different countries.

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  User-friendly apps. Despite the complexity of the encryption processes running behind the scenes, NordVPN’s apps are simple and easy to use on all available operating systems. Connecting, switching between servers, changing protocols, and enabling extra features can all be done with just a few taps in the app.

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  Strong privacy. NordVPN offers increased privacy for its users. The company has been independently audited multiple times, confirming that they do not keep records of user activity. Because they offer a premium service, they also have no incentives to monetize user data — its revenues come from paying customers, unlike free VPNs that sometimes sell information on their customers to advertisers. 

Cons

NordVPN does come with a few drawbacks, though these probably won’t be relevant to most users. Before purchasing a plan, potential customers should know that NordVPN has:

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  A device limit. With one NordVPN subscription you can cover up to 10 separate devices with the VPN. If you want to protect more than 10, you’ll need an additional plan. The thing is, this isn’t really an issue for the vast majority of people, since most households don’t actually have ten devices. Even if yours did, you could just configure your router to use NordVPN, encrypting all traffic from connected devices while still only counting as one device out of your possible ten.

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  Full price renewals. Your initial NordVPN plan will probably be competitively priced, especially if you get it on a deal. NordVPN regularly holds sales and offers discount codes through the many online creators they work with. That’s great when you first sign up, but keep a close eye on your potential renewal costs. If you start with a massively reduced two year plan, it might renew two years later at a higher price. 

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  No port forwarding. NordVPN doesn’t let you set up port forwarding. In simple terms, port forwarding allows external devices to connect to specific machines within your network, bypassing the router's usual traffic screening processes. Because of potential security risks, NordVPN doesn’t facilitate port forwarding, but the app does include a system called Meshnet. With Meshnet, you can create an encrypted tunnel between devices inside and outside your network, somewhat making up for the lack of port forwarding. 

NordVPN review: An in-depth look

Speed, security features, pricing details — what really makes NordVPN…well, NordVPN? Let’s pop the hood and see what’s going on underneath. 

Speed and reliability

Here’s the headline news — NordVPN is fast. It’s probably one of the fastest VPNs currently available. As we’ve already covered, all VPNs will technically slow down your internet speed slightly, but NordVPN does this so minimally that you’re unlikely to notice any actual slowdown.

NordVPN can offer these speeds for two main reasons. The first is its use of NordLynx, a WireGuard®-based protocol. VPN protocols govern the process by which your data is encrypted, moved, and decrypted, so the faster the protocol, the better your internet speed will be.

The second reason behind NordVPN’s market-leading speed is their massive server network, which helps in two ways. When a VPN has a lot of servers around the world:

1. Your data has less distance to travel. Because NordVPN has servers covering 118 countries globally, the chances are high that they’ll have a server near you when you connect. Assuming you’re just looking to get online with a VPN and don’t mind what destination your data is being routed through, you’ll be able to keep the distance between your device and the server relatively small, allowing for a faster data transfer. Companies that don’t maintain large server networks might not have a server in your part of the world, so with them you’ll need to connect to a distant location and deal with slower speeds.

2. Your server is less likely to be overcrowded. If a server has too many users running data through it, those users are going to experience slower internet speeds. That’s why a lot of free VPNs are slower than NordVPN — less money means fewer servers. If a lot of devices are trying to move their data around a smaller server network, throughput is the first victim. NordVPN users don’t have this problem, because the company has an impressive 7400 servers available at all times. 

Reviewers who have speed-tested NordVPN report consistently fast data throughput, especially when using NordLynx. In the UK, NordVPN’s average download speed in the morning reached 780 Mbps. In the evening, it was over 950 Mbps. This data is taken from an independent review by Tom’s Guide in 2025. 

Of course, speed alone doth not a great VPN make. For a great VPN experience, you also need a high level of privacy and security, which NordVPN also offers.

Security and privacy features

We’re going to get pretty technical here, so lock in! The TL;DR is that NordVPN scores straight As on security and privacy, but for the tech-heads who are still reading, we’ll dig a little deeper than that. 

NordVPN uses an encryption algorithm called AES-256 to scramble your data while it’s in transit. AES-256 (named partly for the 256-bit keys it uses) is mind-bendingly difficult to break. To crack this level of encryption, a hacker with a supercomputer would need billions of years. Breaking AES-256 is technically possible. Practically? Not so much.

As long as NordVPN is switched on, all your internet traffic is going to be wrapped in top-tier encryption. Adding to that security, the app includes a kill switch feature. This function instantly cuts your internet if your VPN connection drops unexpectedly, so you won’t accidentally expose your online traffic in the event of a VPN malfunction. This can be particularly useful to those working in countries with authoritarian, censorious regimes, where accidental data exposure puts individuals at risk. If you find yourself operating in that kind of environment, you can also use NordVPN’s obfuscated servers to conceal the fact that you’re using a VPN from your Internet service provider. If you want to really tighten your security, NordVPN’s Double VPN feature will encrypt your traffic twice by routing it through two VPN servers.

Does that mean your data is completely private while using NordVPN? Well, not quite. It’s important to understand that you cannot keep your personal data completely private online; it’s possible to limit your digital footprint with a VPN, but there’s no such thing as perfect privacy. That said, NordVPN goes a long way to ensuring that user data is safer and harder to steal. For example, NordVPN does not keep any records of its users or their activities. Even though it controls the servers through which your data moves, NordVPN’s independent assessments have confirmed that it doesn’t access that information in any way.

App availability and user experience

NordVPN offers a pretty accessible user experience. You can download the NordVPN app on all major operating systems — Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux. A NordVPN browser extension is also available for all the most popular browsers. 

The app itself is easy to use, with intuitive design and, on Windows and macOS, an onboarding wizard to help you get set up. One of the big benefits of NordVPN is how friendly its app is towards people with no previous experience with online security products — all you need to do is log in, tap “Quick connect,” and start using your VPN. Sure, if you want to you can start experimenting with different protocols and locations, but for most people the user experience is incredibly simple. 

One area where the customer experience seems to be a little below par is on NordVPN’s Amazon Fire TV Stick app. User reports suggest that the app is a little less polished than NordVPN’s clients on other systems, with a marginally higher propensity for technical problems. To some extent, though, this contrast just goes to underline the stability of the other NordVPN apps. 

Of course, no app is perfect. It’s possible that you’ll run into technical problems while onboarding or using NordVPN’s client, but if that happens you can take advantage of their 24/7 customer support. With that in mind, the overall user experience for NordVPN customers adds a lot of value to the app. And speaking of value…

Overall value and pricing

NordVPN is a premium VPN, so you’re not getting anything for free (except for the app’s Meshnet feature, which is available to everyone). That’s not a bad thing — free VPNs, by and large, cannot be relied on for consistently fast speeds and secure connections. With NordVPN, you’ll be paying for access to its 7,400 servers, superfast encryption protocols, and extra security features. 

The best value option offered by NordVPN is usually its two year Basic plan, priced at USD 83.43, or USD 3.09 per month. Compared with other VPN providers like ExpressVPN and Proton VPN (both with monthly plans starting from USD 4.99) that’s a great deal. Just remember that after your two years are up you’ll automatically renew at a higher price, specified during your initial purchase.

NordVPN isn’t the cheapest VPN out there by a long shot. Its basic monthly plan is USD 12.99, and although you can significantly reduce this cost by investing in a longer contract, there’s no denying that many VPN providers offer more affordable plans. If we’re talking about value, however, NordVPN still comes out on top.

Remember, with a two year plan your costs are dramatically reduced, and you still get access to a host of great features that other providers just don’t offer. NordVPN’s Plus plan, coming in at USD 107.73 for two years (USD 3.99 per month) includes malware protection, ad and tracker blocking, a password manager, and a dark web monitor that can alert you when your information is involved in a data breach.

Sealing the deal, all NordVPN plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you decide you don’t like the experience, you’ve lost nothing. With all that in mind, the slightly higher price point of the service starts to look a lot more reasonable. 

Customer support

NordVPN offers a good baseline of customer support. You can contact the team via email (at [email protected]) or through the live chat function on the NordVPN website. Alternatively, the company’s social media accounts are responsive to tags and messages.

This is pretty much the standard for most premium VPNs, but one of NordVPN’s particular advantages in customer support is the enormous amount of useful (completely free!) material available through its website. NordVPN’s support center includes extensive information about VPNs and how they work, operational details for different operating systems, FAQs, tutorials, and helpful information on the company’s billing and payment processes. 

It’s also worth checking out the NordVPN blog, where hundreds of articles can be read (again, entirely free). The blog covers VPN-related topics, but also delves into tech news and information on cybersecurity, digital products, hacking, and privacy issues. 

How NordVPN compares to other top VPNs

Let’s see how NordVPN measures up against its competitors in the VPN market.

This information was gathered in April 2025 and was accurate at the time of publication. 

NordVPN vs. Surfshark

NordVPN is more expensive than Surfshark, with its cheapest plans starting at USD 3.09 per month, compared to Surfshark’s monthly USD 1.99. That’s not really surprising though, because NordVPN has more servers and server locations than Surfshark. Both offer 24/7 support, but NordVPN has a much larger collection of online resources (both text-based articles and videos) to help users solve potential problems. Surfshark is definitely a more budget-friendly option and offers unlimited simultaneous connections, but with a smaller server network it’s likely you won’t get the same level of speed and stability that NordVPN offers. 

NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN’s cheapest option is still noticeably more expensive than NordVPN’s, despite having fewer server locations and allowing for less simultaneous connections. They also lag behind NordVPN on server locations, with 105 to NordVPN’s 118. One area where it’s harder to compare is the total number of servers, since ExpressVPN doesn’t specifically list how many servers are in its network. Other review sites have reported estimates on this subject, but we couldn’t independently confirm them. As one of the major VPNs on the market, we can assume they probably have at least a similar number of servers to NordVPN. 

NordVPN vs. Proton VPN

In a lot of ways, NordVPN and Proton VPN are similar. Both services have almost the same number of server locations, though Proton VPN boasts a higher total server count. Each service offers 27/7 customer support, ten simultaneous connections, and extra security features. Where NordVPN streaks ahead, though, is the price. Proton VPN’s cheapest monthly option comes out as USD 4.49 — USD 1.4 more than NordVPN’s most affordable plan.  

NordVPN vs. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access, sometimes referred to as PIA, is one of the cheapest VPN options out there, with one of its plans working out at just USD 1.98 per month. That’s obviously a lot less than even NordVPN’s most affordable two-year plan. The downside is that Private Internet Access has notably fewer server locations than NordVPN — compare their 91 countries to NordVPN’s 118. Overall, this is probably a good option for users looking to save money, albeit on a slightly more restricted service.

The verdict: Is NordVPN the best in 2025?

Weighing up the extremely reasonable price of its two year plan (working out at USD. 3.09 per month) alongside its sprawling server network, wealth of server locations, and extra security features, NordVPN leads the VPN pack in 2025.

You’ll find cheaper options with some other companies, but most come with trade-offs. Alongside providers like Proton VPN and ExpressVPN, NordVPN is still a pretty affordable choice for most consumers, as long as they’re willing to take a longer contract.

If you decide to get NordVPN, we’d strongly suggest taking the two year plan to maximize your savings, while still getting access to all the app’s essential features.