“NordVPN 2025 is one of the best and fastest VPNs, offering excellent privacy and threat protection, but renewal costs could make you think twice about subscribing.”
- Quick, reliable server connections
- Plenty of fast servers worldwide
- Easy-to-use design
- Fast, helpful live chat support
- Renewal price are high
- Threat Protection doesn't replace antivirus
NordVPN is already recognized as one of the best VPNs, and it keeps getting better. The 2025 version boasts better speed and security. Of course, there are plenty of competitors, so it makes sense to shop around and read reviews that delve into particular features and limitations.
I went hands-on with NordVPN Plus and researched Nord Security’s other plans to find out which subscription has the best features and most value. I also compared NordVPN to competing services.
Tiers and pricing
NordVPN offers four tiers, bundling various cybersecurity services together with monthly, annual, and biannual subscription options for each.
The most affordable plan, NordVPN Basic, has everything you need in a VPN with unlimited data, high speed, and great privacy on up to 10 devices at once. If you pay for two years in advance, Basic costs $81 ($3/mo.), which is a great deal on a fast VPN. The annual plan is $60 ($5/mo.) and if you go month-to-month it’s $12.
While a long-term subscription is the best deal, it’s important to note NordVPN Basic renews at $139 per year, which is nearly as high as the monthly cost. The best streaming VPNs aren’t always so expensive, but a bargain could come with tradeoffs.
The higher tiers include the same VPN but bundle additional Nord Security services in monthly, annual, and two-year plans. There are three bundles each with initial/renewal costs.
NordVPN Plus adds anti-malware, the NordPass password manager, and blocks trackers costs for $72/$180 annually. NordVPN Complete includes 1TB of encrypted storage for $84/219 per year. NordVPN Prime, for $120/372, adds identity theft and cyber extortion insurance, along with dark web monitoring for data breaches and credit monitoring.
If you choose a bundle plan with a two-year subscription, NordVPN includes bonus months for additional savings. Plus and Complete come with six free months while Prime includes a third year for free.
I tested NordVPN Plus to explore the quality of its malware Threat Protection. I covered the included NordPass password manager in a detailed, hands-on review, so I’ll just briefly mention that it’s among the best available.
Design
When I installed NordVPN’s Windows app, a checkbox made it easy to add the browser extension. The app protects my privacy system-wide, while the extension limits the VPN to my browser. I can use either, but using both at once would slow connection speed.
If I connect to NordVPN via the extension and open an incognito window, the private tab bypasses the VPN. That can be a little confusing, so make sure to use the app for complete protection everywhere.
The app is the most powerful option, letting me protect my location and identity when browsing, even in a private window. For more refined control, the app’s split-tunneling feature lets me specify apps to exclude from the VPN and the extension. The browser extension also has a split-tunneling feature that excludes particular websites from VPN use.
I didn’t have to understand or use these advanced features. NordVPN’s app and the extension are easy to use in the most basic way. I could simply select a quick connect server location and start using the VPN immediately with no hassle.
The extra options are there if I want to dig deeper. Since I tested NordVPN Plus, I explored the Threat Protection tab and switched on web, file, and vulnerability protection.
Features
NordVPN has always had good performance but the latest updates have pushed it to new heights, making it the fastest VPN I’ve ever tested. While AdGuard VPN’s super-speedy custom protocol beat NordVPN in two tests, NordVPN download speeds were 5% to 30% quicker at most servers in tests I ran at servers around the world.
I checked the most popular countries for streaming and browsing, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, and Australia. There were no delays or drops in the connection and I never had to try other servers to find one that was fast and reliable. It just worked.
I’m located in Canada, and without the VPN my computer gets 900 Mbps download and upload speeds according to SpeedTest.net.
The fastest server I tried, a U.S. server, was an impressive 862 Mbps download (38 ms ping) and a nice 94 Mbps upload speed. Canada was nearly as quick at 859 Mbps down / 91 Mbps up.
Most VPNs slow significantly for overseas connections. NordVPN wasn’t entirely immune, but it still posted impressive scores: 692 Mbps in Germany, 891 in France, and 668 in the U.K. Pings were about 100 ms and uploads were relatively quick, ranging from 6 Mbps to 18 Mbps.
Reaching around the globe to Australia cut downloads to a still fast 337 Mbps download (278 ms ping), while upload speeds were just 3 Mbps. That’s good enough for streaming high-quality video and downloading files quickly.
NordVPN works across devices and supports up to 10 at a time. I installed it and enabled Threat Protection on my Windows PC, iPhone, MacBook, and Android phone. NordVPN’s malware blocking is good, but can’t compete with the full-fledged Surfshark Antivirus software included with Surfshark One VPN.
I tested it on my PC and iPhone, visiting the Wicar malware test website. NordVPN successfully identified threats and blocked the page. However, NordVPN’s Threat Protection doesn’t scan your computer for malware and hasn’t undergone the ongoing and rigorous evaluation that’s common for the best antivirus software.
Support
NordVPN offers live support 24 hours a day, every day. When I tested customer service last year, a chatbot answered first, directing me to a related support document. I said I needed more help, and a live agent came on in seconds.
I tested the live chat feature again to get a sense of how consistent support was over time. This time the chatbot decided on its own to connect me to an agent after a couple of in-depth questions. The intial response was quick, but there was a two-minute delay before the agent actually engaged.
Still, I found NordVPN support to be quick, friendly, and informative.
Privacy and security
Since a VPN was the first product Nord Security developed, privacy has always come first. NordVPN doesn’t log your activity and doesn’t share data with third-party advertisers.
Since NordVPN’s legal location is in Panama, the minimal data used to provide VPN services is exempt from scrutiny by government intelligence alliances like Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes.
NordVPN uses a custom protocol called NordLynx with security and speed upgrades to quickly encrypt your internet traffic while hiding your IP address and location. NordLynx also helps in breaking through administrative firewalls, making it a good VPN to use in school.
NordVPN’s cybersecurity track record is good, but there was an incident in 2018 when a hacker breached one server, though NordVPN said “no user credentials were affected.” One server of the more than 3,300 servers in use at that time is a small but notable issue.
We looked into NordVPN’s security and consider it to be safe and reliable to use.
Is NordVPN right for you?
NordVPN is one of the best VPNs, offering bundles that provide good value if you need a password manager, encrypted cloud storage, and extra malware protection. NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs available, but there are strong alternatives, including the low-cost Surfshark, AdGuard VPN, and other top VPNs with a great balance of performance, security, and features.
You can score big savings with NordVPN’s deals on one-year and two-year subscriptions, but the cost to renew is much higher than the initial bargain. If you’re looking for better long-term value, check out our comparison of the best VPN deals to see several options with consistent annual pricing.
Overall, I recommend NordVPN as a great privacy solution, but I wish the renewal prices were more reasonable.
