NordVPN
Founded way back in 2012, NordVPN is one of the most experienced brands in the business and remains an industry-leader to this day, standing out for its ease-of-use and strong security features. But is NordVPN the best choice for you? Read our NordVPN review to find out.
- 1 Ease of Use
- 2 VPN Location
- 3 Price
- 4 Privacy
- 5 Speed
- 6 Customer Support
1 Ease of Use
Let’s start off by talking about ease-of-use, as this is one of the first things that you’ll notice when working with NordVPN.
Put simply, NordVPN is an absolute breeze to use. Everything about this VPN has clearly been designed in a clever way to help users have a simple and stress-free time.
The sign-up process, for example, is really quick and convenient with NordVPN. You just have to visit the Nord site, choose a pricing plan, make your account, and then download the software to your device;
NordVPN works on a wide range of devices from Windows systems to Macs, Linux computers, and Android and iOS phones and tablets.
Once the software has been downloaded to your device, you can safely log in and click to connect to any server around the world, using either the map screen or the server list provided. It’s all really quick and easy, and NordVPN comes with useful browser extensions for popular browsers like Chrome and Firefox.
Back to top ↑2 VPN Location
One of the things that makes every VPN unique is its server network. The way VPNs work is by having lots of secure servers in different places around the world, and users can connect to those servers to mask their identity, change their online location, access restricted sites, and more. However, the size and scope of server networks can vary.
So, how big is the NordVPN server network? Well, at the current time of writing, NordVPN boasts of more than 5,000 secure VPN servers worldwide, and those servers are located in a grand total of 59 countries.
This includes major locations like the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, and so on.
In the US, 15 different cities are covered, and Nord has servers in lots of other key locations and urban centers around the globe. It also has obfuscated servers for extra security. The network is vast enough for almost all of your needs, although it’s not quite as big as some other VPNs out there, like ExpressVPN or Cyber Ghost.
3 Price
Price is another big factor to think about when choosing a VPN, and some VPNs are significantly cheaper than others, offering better value for money. So, how does NordVPN rank in terms of its pricing? Well, it is possible to get this VPN for a very low price, if you choose the right plan.
There are three different types of plans available at NordVPN, and several sub-types to choose from, as well.
You can opt for a monthly plan, with prices starting at $11.99 and going up to $14.29, a yearly plan costing between $4.49 and $6.79 a month, or a two-year plan which can cost as low as $2.99 for standard VPN protection.
The $2.99 two-year plan is arguably the best option of all, and it’s quite a lot cheaper than many other leading VPNs out there, which typically charge around $5 to $8 a month. You can also pay $5.29 per month for NordVPN’s Complete plan, which gives you VPN access, along with a password manager called NordPass and 1TB of cloud storage for your files.
Back to top ↑4 Privacy
Security and privacy are two of the most-cited reasons why people buy and use VPNs in the first place, and any good VPN needs to be able to protect user data and respect their privacy. NordVPN is often hailed by experts as one of the most private and secure VPNs of all, but does it live up to those lofty titles?
Well, we’re glad to report that NordVPN is indeed one of the toughest around right now. It has almost impenetrable levels of internet encryption, using military-grade security technology to hide your connections and keep you safe from hackers, trackers, prying eyes, and even governmental agencies. In other words, this VPN truly lets you use the internet anonymously.
In addition, NordVPN goes even further. It offers tracker and ad blockers to stop companies spying on your online activities or bombarding you with tailored ads. In addition, it comes with a kill switch feature, as well as obfuscated servers and even the ability to connect to two separate servers for a whole extra layer of online safety.
And, if you pay a little extra for the Plus or Complete plans, you also get a strong password manager to secure your login info, a data breach scanner to let you know about any occasions where you data might have been leaked, and a full TB of encrypted cloud storage where you can store photos, personal documents, and more.
Back to top ↑5 Speed
Speed is not an issue with NordVPN. You won’t have to worry about this VPN letting you down when it comes to browsing the internet, downloading files, streaming videos, or playing games. It’s lightning-quick, and even if one or two of the servers might be a little laggy sometimes, all you have to do is reconnect to a different one to restore your usual speeds.
Therefore, you can count on NordVPN for almost any kind of online activity, and you won’t need to worry about speeds slowing down or any kind of delays affecting your device’s performance.
Back to top ↑6 Customer Support
Last up, let’s talk about customer support, as there might come a time where you want to get in touch with the NordVPN team to ask a question, request some technical assistance, or send some other kind of message. Luckily, Nord offers both email and live chat support systems, so there are a couple of ways to get in touch.
The live chat is usually very responsive, with agents standing by most of the time and a handy chatbot that can help you too. Email responses are quick, too, and usually come the same day, within a few hours of your original message. Plus, if you have an issue with something simple, you can just head over to the Help section of the Nord website and browse through the FAQs and guides to potentially solve it yourself.
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