Using a virtual private network (or VPN) is the simplest way to protect yourself against network-based attacks, especially when you're traveling abroad. With NordVPN, you can ensure that your information isn't being intercepted and you're not being served bogus websites. The company has servers across the globe, including high-speed servers for video streaming and extra-secure servers for enhanced anonymity online. NordVPN wraps all that up in a snazzy Windows client, and it didn't interfere with Netflix viewing in testing. For all that, it's one of the best VPN services and a PCMag Editors' Choice winner.
What Is a VPN and Who Needs One?
Why do you need a VPN? Because when you switch one on, it creates an encrypted tunnel between your computer and a server controlled by the VPN service. All your web traffic is routed through this tunnel, meaning that no one on the same network as you can sneak a peek at your data. It also prevents malicious network operators from intercepting your information, or using DNS poisoning techniques to trick you into visiting phishing pages. This technology can even guard against your ISP gathering data on your activities.
Simply put, VPNs make connecting to the internet safer. When you connect through a VPN, the service changes your IP address, prevents anyone from eavesdropping on your online activity, and makes it harder for online advertisers to track you. It's especially useful for using the internet while traveling, or performing important activities—like online banking—while connected to public Wi-Fi networks. There are also political activists and journalists who rely on VPN services to get around government censorship and communicate with the outside world.
You can also use them to watch streaming content in other countries by changing your IP address. For example, if you jump to a VPN server in Canada, you may find you're able to watch MLB games for free. It's worth noting that services like Netflix are working to fight VPN trickery, so a VPN that works for IP spoofing a given service one day may be blocked the next.
Pricing and Features
NordVPN supports Windows, macOS, and Linux. I have also reviewed the NordVPN iPhone app and the NordVPN Android app. The NordVPN mobile clients both allow you to purchase full subscriptions through their respective app stores. You can also configure some routers to connect via NordVPN as well, and doing so supplies coverage for all the devices on your network.
NordVPN offers three pricing tiers: $11.95 per month, $42.00 every six months, or $69.00 annually. The company accepts credit cards, of course, but also Bitcoin, PayPal, Paysera, or Webmoney. NordVPN does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, but it applies only if the NordVPN service doesn't work. Not liking the service does not entitle you to a refund. There is also a three-day free trial, but activating the trial is more than a little convoluted. The company has offered the free trial for years, but still hasn't made it easy to access.
The more technically inclined will appreciate that while NordVPN still supports PPTP and L2TP protocols for legacy devices, it has mostly moved over to newer, superior options. NordVPN representatives tell me that all servers now support IKEv2, so you can manually configure your Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux to connect using this protocol. Phase 1 keys are generated for AES-256-GCM for encryption and SHA2-384 hashing. The company is also able to implement perfect forward secrecy with 3072-bit Diffie Hellmann keys. Currently, the macOS and iOS clients support IKEv2 by default, and the Android client will soon follow suit. The company also supports OpenVPN and uses it by default in the Windows client. I prefer OpenVPN in general, for its security and for being open-source.
That's a lot of security alphabet soup, but the big takeaway is that NordVPN is using the best and latest technology and isn't afraid to talk about it. That's something I really appreciate, especially when it comes to companies that stake their reputation on security.
You can use up to six devices simultaneously on NordVPN, though there are some limitations concerning connecting devices to the same server.
NordVPN lets you select one of the company's 733 VPN servers located in 58 countries. That's a solid selection, but Private Internet Access has over 3,000 servers available the world over. NordVPN operates under Panama's jurisdiction, where there are no laws requiring data retention. The company doesn't collect log data, so it has no information it can actually hand over in response to a subpoena. The client does let you view some local log information, however. The client also includes a Kill Switch that shuts off access to the internet for specific applications, should your computer be disconnected from the VPN.
NordVPN's best feature, however, is the variety of specialized servers it offers. These include a double-encryption option (which effectively routes your traffic through a second VPN server), easy access to the TOR anonymization network through VPN, P2P and BitTorrenting on specific servers, anti-DDOS servers, and servers intended to be ultra-fast for optimum video streaming. I like these options since they help users solve specific problems. I also appreciate that the NordVPN client makes it easy to find these servers.
NordVPN also includes the Domain Name System Leak feature to ensure that your operating system uses the VPN service to look up the actual machine address of the site you are trying to visit, and not a default DNS server (typically belonging to your ISP). If the OS uses the default servers, someone watching could learn what sites you were visiting, or try to intercept your traffic between those two sites. NordVPN runs its own DNS servers so that, when you are connected, all the lookups are handled by anonymous DNS servers. You also have the option to configure the software to use the DNS server of your choice.
One of the perks of using a VPN is that your actual IP address is hidden from the outside world. But some may require a specific IP address, which NordVPN can provide. For a $70.00 fee, you can secure a dedicated IP address on a NordVPN server in Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, or the United States. That wide selection of US and western European IP addresses means that you're unlikely to be blacklisted when using your new static IP. Other services, such as TorGuard VPN $9.99 at TorGuard, also offer static IP addresses and other add-ons.
Hands On With NordVPN
For this review, I used a Lenovo ThinkPad T460s $1,019.95 at Amazon laptop running the latest version of Windows 10. Some VPN services prefer to just use the VPN client software built into the operating system instead of creating a stand-alone application. NordVPN offers both options. I performed all of my tests with the NordVPN Windows client.
NordVPN has always offered an above average user experience with its apps, and it has only gotten better. The current Windows client looks nearly identical to the NordVPN mobile apps, with a monochrome blue map as its focus. It's a bit whimsical, with submarines and ships on the cartoon seas, but it's an easy way to select the server you want. A search bar at the top of the screen makes short work of finding a server if your geography skills are lacking, or you can view the servers as a list. This last option places the specialized servers at the top, and it
provides useful analytics about the load on any given server.
Top center in the screen is the Quick Connect slider, which is perfect for when you just need VPN protection from the fastest server available. Tap it, or select Quick Connect from the System Tray, and you'll be online in no time. That's a great option for people unfamiliar with VPN services, as is the Settings option that forces NordVPN to launch and connect on startup.
I had no trouble using NordVPN to connect to both nearby and far-flung VPN servers. Best of all, I found that I could still watch Netflix while connected to a US VPN server. That's important, because we shouldn't have to sacrifice security just because we also want to watch something fun.
Using security tools of any kind can sometimes feel scary, since you must trust that the company will place your privacy and protection ahead of its own monetary gain. In the past, some VPN companies have injected advertisements into your web traffic, for example. NordVPN told me, plainly, that it does not interfere with customers' web traffic in any way.
Speed and Performance
Using a VPN adds physical distance and other limiting factors to your otherwise normal internet connection. The result is, usually, a slower experience with increased latency. To measure this effect, I perform two tests using the Ookla speedtest tool. (Note that Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, which also owns PCMag.)
First, I establish a baseline average result without the VPN in use. Then, I do the same thing with the VPN active, and compare the results to find a percent change. This first test uses a nearby VPN server, and I perform a second test looking at the performance between Ookla's test server in Anchorage, Alaska, and a VPN server in Australia. This is an extreme example, using two points as far apart as I can manage. Keep in mind that networks are fickle things and can change depending on where and when you connect, so your mileage may vary.
In the domestic VPN tests, I found that NordVPN increased latency by 8 percent. This is an extremely good score, but the best goes to Hide My Ass VPN $9.99 at Hide My Ass VPN, which increased latency by only 5.6 percent. Using NordVPN also reduced download speeds by 4 percent, and upload speeds by 5.4 percent—also good scores. Editors' Choice winner PureVPN, the fastest VPN I've tested, actually improved download speeds by an astounding 346.4 percent. PureVPN also edges out NordVPN in the upload test, but just barely. PureVPN reduced upload speeds by a mere 4.9 percent.
In the international VPN tests, NordVPN increased latency by 268.5 percent. Hotspot Shield comes out on top in this test, increasing latency by 155.4 percent. With NordVPN, download speeds were reduced by 74.7 percent, and upload speeds curtailed by 56.1 percent. PureVPN again has the best scores for downloads. It actually improved download speed by an incredible 403.8 percent in this test. For uploads, Hotspot Shield eked out a close victory, improving upload speeds by 1.4 percent.
Highly Recommended VPN
One reason for NordVPN's success is that its coders seem to understand that network security is probably not foremost on the mind of the average person. It presents a simple face, yet doesn't skimp on a powerful core service. The addition of Kill Switch is welcome, as are the specialized servers for video streaming, Tor-Over-VPN, and double encryption. The recent updates to the Windows client make an already approachable service downright friendly. Taken together it's more than enough to justify its comparatively high monthly cost. It's a smart choice, and it remains a PCMag Editors' Choice, along with KeepSolid VPN Unlimited Private Internet Access, and the fastest VPN I've tested, PureVPN.
NordVPN lets you select one of the company's 733 VPN servers located in 58 countries. That's a solid selection, but Private Internet Access has over 3,000 servers available the world over. NordVPN operates under Panama's jurisdiction, where there are no laws requiring data retention. The company doesn't collect log data, so it has no information it can actually hand over in response to a subpoena. The client does let you view some local log information, however. The client also includes a Kill Switch that shuts off access to the internet for specific applications, should your computer be disconnected from the VPN.
NordVPN's best feature, however, is the variety of specialized servers it offers. These include a double-encryption option (which effectively routes your traffic through a second VPN server), easy access to the TOR anonymization network through VPN, P2P and BitTorrenting on specific servers, anti-DDOS servers, and servers intended to be ultra-fast for optimum video streaming. I like these options since they help users solve specific problems. I also appreciate that the NordVPN client makes it easy to find these servers.
NordVPN also includes the Domain Name System Leak feature to ensure that your operating system uses the VPN service to look up the actual machine address of the site you are trying to visit, and not a default DNS server (typically belonging to your ISP). If the OS uses the default servers, someone watching could learn what sites you were visiting, or try to intercept your traffic between those two sites. NordVPN runs its own DNS servers so that, when you are connected, all the lookups are handled by anonymous DNS servers. You also have the option to configure the software to use the DNS server of your choice.
One of the perks of using a VPN is that your actual IP address is hidden from the outside world. But some may require a specific IP address, which NordVPN can provide. For a $70.00 fee, you can secure a dedicated IP address on a NordVPN server in Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, or the United States. That wide selection of US and western European IP addresses means that you're unlikely to be blacklisted when using your new static IP. Other services, such as TorGuard VPN $9.99 at TorGuard, also offer static IP addresses and other add-ons.
Top center in the screen is the Quick Connect slider, which is perfect for when you just need VPN protection from the fastest server available. Tap it, or select Quick Connect from the System Tray, and you'll be online in no time. That's a great option for people unfamiliar with VPN services, as is the Settings option that forces NordVPN to launch and connect on startup.
I had no trouble using NordVPN to connect to both nearby and far-flung VPN servers. Best of all, I found that I could still watch Netflix while connected to a US VPN server. That's important, because we shouldn't have to sacrifice security just because we also want to watch something fun.
Using security tools of any kind can sometimes feel scary, since you must trust that the company will place your privacy and protection ahead of its own monetary gain. In the past, some VPN companies have injected advertisements into your web traffic, for example. NordVPN told me, plainly, that it does not interfere with customers' web traffic in any way.