NordVPN Review: NordVPN is likely the most well-known VPN in the world. Positive reviews of the product can be found all over the internet. These reviews highlight the platform’s fast speeds, online security tools, ability to stream and torrent, and web browsing tools.
NordVPN is one of the best VPNs you can use in 2023. This VPN service, whose headquarters are in Panama, uses the NordLynx tunnelling protocol made by the company itself to ensure top speeds. For complete anonymity, there is encryption that can’t be broken and a policy of not keeping logs checked by a third party. With apps like Meshnet that are easy to use and full of unique features, NordVPN is an excellent choice for new and experienced users.
There are a few known problems with NordVPN, though. For example, annoying bugs that show up after software updates can cause users to doubt the software.
But let’s look at this NordVPN review to see how well it works for new and experienced users. Is NordVPN safe? How well does it work for streaming and torrenting? Read on to find out.
NordVPN’s pros and cons
Pros
- Speed and performance that are top-notch
- Apps that are easy to use and work on most devices
- Security features that are reliable and have been checked by people outside of the company
- Many streaming sites can be accessed.
- excellent customer service around the clock
- low price
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 7-day no-cost trial
Cons
- The Linux client does not have a user interface with pictures.
- No app for the router
Is NordVPN safe?
NordVPN is one of the safest VPN providers. Your data is secure because NordVPN uses the business’s best encryption and tunnelling protocols, and all of its servers run on RAM. RAM servers are very helpful for a VPN because the data is erased every time it restarts so that no one can steal it. A lot of NordVPN servers use this technology.
Also, NordVPN’s privacy policy has been checked by a third party. Overall, both legally and technically, NordVPN is safe.
Encryption
After setting up your client and making an account with NordVPN, you can connect to any server. Over this connection, your traffic is encrypted, which means that no one else can read it. NordVPN does this with the AES-256-CBC cypher, still the standard in the VPN industry. Also, NordLynx uses the ChaCha20 protocol, improving security and privacy.
SHA-512 is the hashing algorithm that the server will use to let you in. Your login information is turned into 512 binary digits that no one outside the system can understand. Then, you can get in if they match the cryptographic hashes made and kept on their servers when you created your account.
This hash is more secure than the standard for VPNs. Many rival VPN service providers use SHA-256. NordVPN is pushing the limits of what is possible here. The SHA-512 function is more secure and gives users much better safety. It is also much harder for unauthorised users to break.
Tunnelling protocols
Tunnelling protocols are used to send your data from your device to the VPN server. NordVPN lets you choose from these three main options.
Here are what they are and some ideas for how to use them:
OpenVPN (UDP/TCP) is an open-source VPN protocol used by many big VPN providers. It works on many different platforms and is safe. On NordVPN, you can choose the option that works best for you. You can choose between a faster method (UDP) or a safer method (TCP). Accessible on all of the devices NordVPN users use.
IKEv2/IPsec works best on phones and tablets. It’s great for switching between wifi and cellular data because it uses less CPU power and reconnects quickly. It works with iOS, Windows, Linux, and macOS.
This is how NordVPN’s new VPN technology, WireGuard, is used uniquely (NordLynx). It is better than older protocols because it gives you more options for speed and security. Accessible on all of the devices NordVPN users use.
When manually setting up a VPN connection on Windows, watch out for DNS leaks. During testing, IKEv2 on Windows gave out DNS addresses. This was fixed by making my Ethernet and IKEv2 adapters use NordVPN’s DNS addresses instead of Cloudflare’s. So, if you decide to set everything up by hand, use their DNS servers, and you should be ready.
Colocated servers
Most VPN service providers rent out their servers to serve their clients. This usually means that they can only manage them by installing custom software, which gives some control to the third party who owns the data centre. This could go wrong quickly.
After a third-party data centre was hacked in 2018, NordVPN took significant action and turned most of their rented servers into a network they own, maintain, and run. Because of this, there is little chance of an outside data breach.
All of their servers only store information in RAM, so when a server is restarted, all its old information is lost. There is no way to store data that will last if there are no disc drives.
Even though NordVPN wasn’t the first VPN service to offer servers in the same place as each other, it is by far the most popular. Here’s how NordVPN stacks up against other services that provide this feature.
Kill switch
A good kill switch can make a world of difference. Assume your connection to the VPN server is lost, even though you tried to stay anonymous. If you do that, you might give out your IP address and location without knowing it.
NordVPN has both an app kill switch and a system kill switch because of this.
If the client sees you are not connected to a VPN, the Internet Kill Switch will cut off all Internet access.
If you use a VPN for torrenting and don’t want any P2P traffic to go through your ISP, you can use the App Kill Switch to only affect that one app. The app kill switch on the BitTorrent client would close the app to stop data from getting out.
The system-wide kill switch is turned on by default, and iOS and macOS apps downloaded from the App Store have it built into the client. You won’t see an icon if the VPN connection drops, but your connection will still end. On both Windows and macOS, you can change the kill switch for each app (sideload app). You can only turn on a kill switch for the whole system on Linux and Android.
The way they handle their features could be more consistent. Still, users can use a helpful system-wide kill switch on every platform. On some, you can even change it to work better with certain apps. That’s a technical feat in and of itself, especially when you consider that some platforms, like iOS, get such features infrequently.
How much does NordVPN cost? Which plan is the best?
There aren’t many complicated plan options or pricing structures with NordVPN. There are only three main plans: Standard, Plus, and Complete. The price is based on how long your subscription is. You can choose between one month, one year, or two years.
Also, remember that the savings get more prominent as the plan continues. Take a look at how much it costs to subscribe for one year and one month, for example:
- Standard: $4.49/month (1-year plan) and $11.99/month (1-month plan)
- The Plus costs $5.49 a month (on a plan for a year) and $12.99 (1-month plan)
- The Whole: $6.79 per month (for a year) and $14.29 (1-month plan)
So, NordVPN suggests the best option: if you want the most features for your money, the 2-year subscription to the Complete plan is the best choice.
There are a lot of different ways to pay. Credit cards are one option, but you can also use AmazonPay, Sofort, PayPal, ACH Transfer, and even prepaid cards. You can also pay with Google Pay or iTunes if that works better for you. There are also ways to buy with cryptocurrencies and even in person for people who care most about their privacy.
Can NordVPN be used for free?
Yes, you can get NordVPN for free with a 7-day trial. With this method, you can use NordVPN on any device you want.
For this to work, you must have NordVPN on your Android device. Also, this account can’t be connected to any other NordVPN account.
After you download the app and make an account, you’ll get a free 7-day trial. Then, you can use NordVPN on more devices by downloading the app and signing in with your current login information.
Even if you’ve downloaded the VPN to your phone, you can use the same credentials on all your devices.
As soon as the trial period is over, the regular plan starts. A 30-day money-back guarantee gives you a month to request your money back. Because of this, you could get 37 days of NordVPN for free. You’ll have a lot of time to try it.
Both the free and paid versions of NordVPN are just as safe. It also uses strong encryption and more advanced tunnelling protocols. Also, you can connect to any server you want, just like when you buy the paid version.
How does NordVPN work?
Like every other VPN service, NordVPN hides your IP address and encrypts the tunnel your data travels through. This is no longer a way for your ISP, the government, or other third parties to watch what you do online. You can quickly get to your favourite streaming libraries, unblock content blocked in your country, and do much more.
NordVPN does many things for you, such as using strong encryption, giving you the proper tunnelling protocol, keeping your data safe while it’s being sent, and so on. But this provider has a VPN service that is geared towards the customer. This means that a VPN app is made to handle all the technical stuff for you so that you can be safe with just a few clicks.
This VPN can be used on many devices, like streaming sticks, smart TVs, and desktop and mobile operating systems. Also, setting up and using the app afterwards is the same and easy on all devices. Below, you can find information on how to download and use NordVPN.