The award-winning NordVPN has always been one of the most trusted VPN service providers in the industry. They have more than 12 million users including prominent security experts to show for it.
The service has plenty of privacy and security features: Double VPN, Kill Switch, Onion over VPN, and CyberSec, just to name a few. But your safety isn’t the only focus of NordVPN. Recently the service added yet another accolade to their awards shelf — the world’s fastest VPN.
But is it enough to make them the top dog in the VPN market? Let’s take a look.
Overview
Security
Security and privacy are where NordVPN shines. It uses AES-256 encryption to secure your connection and offers OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, and NordLynx protocols.
NordVPN has a strict no-logs policy, meaning it doesn’t collect or sell your sensitive data. The provider’s claims have been confirmed twice by industry-leading independent auditors.
The VPN service also offers many additional security features, some of the biggest selections in the VPN industry. Certainly the most for the price you pay. But more on that a bit later.
Servers
This is another area where NordVPN stands out. The VPN service offers a staggering 5500+ servers in 59 countries. While the number of locations provided is not the biggest among VPNs, the number of servers makes up for it. Whichever region you connect to, the wide variety of servers in each location ensures that none of them is ever overcrowded, which brings us to speed.
Speed
This is where NordVPN stepped up the most. While it was never a slow service, it was never the fastest either. Until last year.
NordVPN introduced a brand new NordLynx protocol based on the lightweight architecture of WireGuard. The new protocol brought significant speed improvements and accolades. AV-TEST, an independent IT security institute, compared the biggest brands in the VPN industry and named NordVPN the winner.
Features
Speciality servers
NordVPN offers plenty of options to customize your security. Looking to encrypt your traffic and change your virtual location? The app’s Quick Connect button will pick the most optimal server for you. But it offers so much more.
P2P servers. NordVPN is not only peer-to-peer friendly. They offer speciality servers that enable you to share files in a fast and secure way.
Double VPN. The Double VPN servers offer extra security. When you connect to the Double VPN server, your IP is changed, and data is encrypted twice. While not necessarily something you’d use daily, this option is great if you’re travelling to more restrictive areas.
Obfuscated servers. Speaking of restrictive countries, NordVPN’s obfuscated servers hide the fact that you are using a VPN in the first place. So, you can safely surf the net, even in countries like China.
Onion Over VPN. Another excellent speciality server if you’re looking for robust privacy. NordVPN’s Onion over VPN servers combines the strong security of NordVPN encryption and the ultimate privacy of the Onion network.
Kill Switch
Now all of these robust security features mean nothing if your VPN connection drops, even for a second. So, NordVPN has another great feature to keep your data protected — Kill Switch. When you enable Kill Switch, it will cut your access to the internet if the VPN connection drops.
The feature is handy when travelling to more restrictive areas, dealing with sensitive information, accessing your bank account, or simply surfing the net on public Wi-Fi.
CyberSec
One of the best NrdVPN features isn’t even VPN-related. It’s the CyberSec feature that functions as an ad and malicious site blocker. So, on top of a VPN, you can also enjoy your favourite websites without annoying pop-ups or, even worse, malware. Speaking of your favourite content what about streaming?
SmartPlay
It’s no secret that many of us consider getting a VPN to access international content. So, how well does it get around geo-restrictions? NordVPN has a unique SmartPlay feature for that. It ensures that you can stream your favourite content on Netflix, BBC iPlayer, or Amazon Prime smoothly without interruptions.
The feature works really well, so you can watch plenty of international TV shows if you’re stuck on your couch during the pandemic.
Cost
So, great service with plenty of features to boast about, but what about its price? Well, it’s not the cheapest service out there, but NordVPN is by no means expensive. And considering the bulk of special features you get, it’s probably one of the best VPN prices on the market.
Not to mention, you can use NordVPN on up to six devices with one account. That should be enough to equip your whole household. So, if you’re considering getting a VPN, whether it’s for security or to stream your favourite shows, NordVPN is one of the best services currently available.
NordVPN is currently offering a limited-time discount.