NordVPN Review 2025: The Full Picture
We tested NordVPN for 30 days across multiple devices. Here's everything you need to know — the good, the bad, and the renewal price reality.
📊 Quick Stats
👍 Pros & Cons
What We Like
- ✓ Fastest VPN we've tested (891 Mbps)
- ✓ Excellent streaming unblocking
- ✓ Threat Protection blocks ads/malware
- ✓ Meshnet for private networking
- ✓ Panama jurisdiction (no 14 Eyes)
- ✓ 4x independently audited
- ✓ Beautiful, polished apps
What We Don't Like
- ✗ Renewal price jumps to $14.99/mo
- ✗ No port forwarding
- ✗ Only 10 devices (not unlimited)
- ✗ Occasional CAPTCHA prompts
- ✗ Linux app is CLI-only
⚡ Speed Test Results
We tested NordVPN on a 1 Gbps connection using the NordLynx protocol:
Only 11% speed loss — you won't notice any slowdown during normal use.
📺 Streaming Test Results
NordVPN's SmartPlay feature makes streaming unblocking almost effortless.
🔒 Privacy & Security
✓ Strong Points
- • Panama jurisdiction (no data retention)
- • 4 independent audits (PwC, Deloitte)
- • RAM-only servers (no persistent storage)
- • Bug bounty program
- • No-logs policy verified
Security Features
- • NordLynx (WireGuard-based)
- • OpenVPN (UDP/TCP)
- • IKEv2/IPsec
- • AES-256 encryption
- • Perfect forward secrecy
💰 Pricing (The Honest Truth)
⚠️ Renewal Warning
All plans renew at $14.99/month (+401% increase). Set a calendar reminder before renewal to cancel and re-subscribe at promo rates.
📌 Final Verdict
NordVPN is our top pick for most users. It's the fastest VPN we've tested, unblocks virtually every streaming service, and has strong privacy credentials backed by multiple audits. The renewal price is aggressive, but you can game the system by canceling and re-subscribing.