For several years in a row, NordVPN has maintained its position as one of the leading VPN providers, receiving consistent recognition and acclaim
NordVPN boasts a range of compelling features that make it an attractive choice for users. With its fast speeds, P2P-optimized servers, Bitcoin support, and ability to unblock Netflix, it stands out as a top-notch VPN service.
Although there is room for improvement in terms of interface layout and support, NordVPN remains a high-quality option that caters to users with diverse needs and preferences.
As a company registered in Panama, NordVPN serves approximately 12 million customers across different countries. In addition to their VPN products, they also provide encryption solutions. Recently, they have expanded their offerings as a privacy software provider by introducing a password manager, demonstrating their commitment to enhancing privacy and security for their users.
NordVPN’s feature set includes:
NordVPN’s premium package is competitively priced at just $2.99 per month for a 36-month subscription, amounting to a total cost of $107.64.
The company focuses on providing robust features in their products, evident in their VPN service, which grants access to a vast network of over 5,450 servers spanning 60 countries. NordVPN offers dedicated client software for multiple operating systems, including Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and more.
With NordVPN, you can enjoy up to six simultaneous connections, allowing you to use multiple devices concurrently. The VPN service encompasses essential technical features like OpenVPN support, ensuring robust encryption and protection for your online activities.
To bolster security, NordVPN safeguards against DNS leaks and includes a kill switch feature, further safeguarding your online identity. Their unique offerings also include dual-layer encryption for data and support for Onion, enhancing overall security. Additionally, their CyberSec technology provides protection against ads, malware, and phishing attempts.
A notable and appreciated feature is their support for P2P connections. NordVPN’s “No Logging Policy” and registration in Panama offer reassurance to users that their online activities will remain private and inaccessible to third parties.
NordVPN continually improves its service, making updates to enhance speed, app interface, and encryption. The recent third-party audit of their “No-logging” policy conducted by Price Waterhouse Cooper further solidifies their commitment to user privacy. They are also in the testing phase of a new protocol named “Wireguard,” but no official release date has been announced.
If you encounter any issues or find the updates overwhelming, NordVPN’s customer support is available 24/7 to assist you. Moreover, their reasonable pricing and 30-day money-back guarantee provide an opportunity to try out the software risk-free and request a refund if it fails to meet your expectations.
Privacy-Prioritizing Features
NordVPN prioritizes user privacy through its implementation of diverse encryption technologies. Notably, it excels in supporting IKev2/IPsec encryption, providing users with 256-GCM encryption, strong forward secrecy, and 3072-bit Diffie-Hellman protection. This level of encryption ensures that any attempts by attackers to breach the system are confined to a single session, thwarting their access to subsequent sessions. This encryption system is now NordVPN’s default for iOS, Mac, Windows, and other operating systems.
NordVPN has also made significant improvements to its OpenVPN apps, transitioning from AES-256-CBC to AES-256-GCM encryption. Although not a complete security overhaul, this upgrade enhances protection, granting NordVPN a technical advantage over competitors. Additionally, once connected, NordVPN offers privacy-boosting features like Onion over VPN, which directs user traffic through NordVPN’s network, then through the Onion network, and finally to its destination.
Despite the slight slowdown caused by NordVPN’s double-layer obfuscation, it significantly enhances security by making it harder for attackers to trace the origin of each action. Importantly, users do not require any knowledge about the Onion network to utilize this service; no downloads, installations, or configurations are necessary. Simply connect your device to one of NordVPN’s specialized Onion over VPN routers, and the system handles the rest.
NordVPN’s Double VPN feature further augments security by routing traffic through two NordVPN servers. While not essential for all users, it provides an added layer of reassurance without significantly affecting connection speeds. During our own test, we observed download speeds of 70 Mbps without enabling the feature and 45 Mbps when utilizing Double VPN for UK to France servers.
