Of course you've heard of NordVPN. The Panama-registered, Lithuania-headquartered VPN giant spends obscene amounts of money advertising its software. However, that tells us nothing about its true quality – just look at the state of disgraced YouTube sponsors like BetterHelp, Honey, and FTX.
No. You need hands-on, impartial experts to test every inch of a product and cut through that marketing fluff. As VPN Editor at Tom's Guide, that's exactly what I do, day-in, day-out.
I can't deny that there are a number of other high-quality VPNs available – take a look at my guide to the best VPN services for a detailed comparison of the top 10. But, from our testing, NordVPN does take the crown.
To explain why, I could go on about things like AES-256 encryption and the bespoke NordLynx protocol, but I won't. You can read my comprehensive NordVPN review if that's what you're looking for. Instead, I'm going to explore the real-life reasons NordVPN is both well-reviewed by experts and very popular with its customers. That's what really matters, right?
1. It's the full package
It's nice to get value for money, and NordVPN includes a fair wedge of features even on its cheapest plan. As you'd expect, there are no data caps, and you'll have unlimited access to servers in 118 countries. That's more than only other reputable VPN I've used – although some dodgy providers do claim more.
The apps are pleasant to use, and cater well for both absolute newbies and seasoned pros. If you're really into tinkering with your software you're going to be disappointed, but if you just want one-click connection and simple menus where you can adjust the essentials like your kill switch, protocol, and DNS settings, you'll be satisfied.
If you fancy splashing out, higher tiers of subscription begin to throw in some tasty extras. Threat Protection Pro is a malware and fraud prevention tool, and also includes an ad blocker. It has been rated the most effective VPN malware protection of its kind – although I still think dedicated ad blockers like uBlock are more effective for cleaning up webpages. Either way, Threat Protection Pro is a great little tool, and I keep it on all the time.
The top tiers of subscription – superfluous for most, tempting for some – include big-ticket add-ons like cyber insurance and cloud storage. It's nice to have the option there, and whichever plan suits you best, you won't be left wanting.
2. Class-leading privacy
Although there's a huge range of VPN uses, many of which have nothing to do with protecting your identity, privacy should always be the core. This is true of NordVPN, and thankfully, you don't have to take parent company Nord Security's word for it – or mine, for that matter.
Independent VPN audits have become a must-have in the industry in the last few years, and they are a way of proving any claims made by a VPN provider. The process involves inviting a reputable and experienced auditing firm – Deloitte, Cure53, and PricewaterhousePeters are three examples – to inspect various aspects of a VPN's code, infrastructure, and policy.
NordVPN has had almost everything audited, ranging from its no-logs policy to its servers. Results have invariably been positive. Good stuff.
When testing the apps myself, I've also found no problems. Encryption is strong and reliable, failsafes like a kill switch are present and correct, and we detected no DNS leaks that could identify you. All this comes together to make a VPN you can genuinely trust to protect you online.
3. The best VPN for streaming
Remember when I said there are plenty of uses for VPNs that aren't privacy-related? Well, accessing streaming content from around the world is the biggest.
Even if you pay for Netflix, you won't get the full catalogue, because the streaming giant only owns the rights for some shows and movies in certain countries. If you use a VPN to globetrot, you can get access to every show, from every country.
The same goes for watching sites like BBC iPlayer in the US. If you're a Brit who pays for their TV licence, you'll find that when you go abroad you'll be blocked from watching. Connect to a UK VPN server, and you'll have access again.
The thing is, only the very best streaming VPNs can do all of this reliably. Due to the fact streaming sites work tirelessly to stop this from happening, many VPNs don't invest the time and money to ensure all locations are working.
In our testing, NordVPN was the most reliable VPN for streaming, bar none. If unblocking content is your biggest concern, it's the best choice.
4. Excellent speeds
NordVPN isn't the fastest VPN we've tested – but it's close. We test VPNs on an ultrafast 1 Gbps connection, which is 1000 Mbps. NordVPN delivered peaks of over 950 Mbps. 4K Netflix needs 25 Mbps.
It's safe to say that even if you do have internet that's as fast as our testing center, NordVPN won't be slowing you down.
In our last round of testing, Surfshark just edged NordVPN in terms of speed. But, both almost hit what our connection was capable of, and results vary slightly day-to-day. If you're looking for incredible VPN speeds at the lowest price, Surfshark may be the better choice.
5. Fair pricing
Talking about pricing, NordVPN isn't expensive in the grand scheme of things. Currently, it's $3.39 per month on the two-year plan, which works out at about $80 all-in. It's not the cheapest VPN, but lower-priced options generally don't offer as much.
However, do be aware that NordVPN does engage in some slightly dubious pricing tactics.
NordVPN offers Tom's Guide readers a special price – $3.39 per month – which is available by clicking on links in our articles. However, these pages have an artificial timer which, when it runs out, will raise the price. If you're not seeing the same price as the one we're quoting, right-click the link and open it in Incognito, or Private Browsing. You should then see the right price.
Be wary when it comes to auto-renewing your account, too – NordVPN's price won't be the same as you first paid. Instead, cancel your plan, find the best price you can, and resubscribe. This ensures you won't pay over the odds.
Bottom line
There are, of course, a few cases in which you might pick a different VPN – Surfshark is very cheap, ExpressVPN is a great VPN for beginners – but I consider NordVPN the best pick for most people. For once, a product really does live up to the hype.
