If you’re looking for a VPN, you’ve probably heard great things about NordVPN already. It ranks amongst the best Virtual Private Networks in nearly every publication. It’s safe, secure and has a lot of features you will struggle to find elsewhere.
What’s more, NordVPN is mobile-friendly. So, whether you surf the Internet primarily through your Google Tablet or iPhone, you can trust the company to keep you secure. When compared to other top-rated VPNs, here’s what NordVPN does differently.
High-Standard Security
NordVPN is a secure VPN. It’s located in Panama, a privacy-oriented country. To expound more, Panama doesn’t share data or interfere with Internet Security companies like many countries in North America and Western Europe do.
The company uses AES-256 for data encryption, a hackproof technique used by the National Security Agency (NSA) in the US to safeguard classified information. To transmit your data from your computer to its servers and all over the Internet, NordVPN uses several tunneling protocols:
- OpenVPN
- IPsec/IKEv2
- Wireguard
- SSTP
OpenVPN is arguably the most secure protocol. As a result, it’s the protocol NordVPN uses by default. It’s a tad complicated and slow, though, which is why NordVPN uses IPsec for data transmission on mobile devices.
On the flip side, Wireguard promises improved security and speed but it’s still in development. Finally, SSTP is great but it’s owned by Microsoft, meaning VPNs can’t use its code freely.
Top Speeds
It’s true—many VPNs reduce your Internet speed. Some companies reduce your connections by more than half. That means if you ISP provider is terrible, you’re likely to experience even slower connections when you activate a VPN.
NordVPN is designed to provide consistently fast speed to ensure you surf, download and stream content with no disruptions. The company supports Internet speeds of up to 98Mbps according to independent tests, making it one of the fastest VPNs out there.
As a tip, you can increase your VPN speed by changing the data tunneling protocol it uses. NordVPN used OpenVPN by default—arguably the safest protocol. However, it impacts speed significantly. Switching to IPsec can improve speed but lower the level of security offered.
Specialty Features
If there’s one thing NordVPN excels at, it is providing specialty features that improve your experience. Let’s start with CyberSec. This VPN online service protects you from phishing scams, malware, spyware and DDoS attacks. It also hides the ever-annoying pop-up and autoplay ads.
Another specialty feature is a kill-switch. It helps protect your identity and data if your connection breaks down. This is common when you run out of data or power goes out. With some VPNs, there’s a chance your data could leak. But while using NordVPN, your data stays secure.
NordVPN features 5300+ servers in 59 countries. Almost no other client has as many servers. The advantage is that you can use the VPN in numerous cities while getting fast speeds. That said, some of Nord’s servers are specialty servers.
For example, you can select a dedicated VPN to improve your privacy. Or you can choose a server dedicated for torrent sites or securing your connections with Tor browser. Then there’s double encryption, a service that ensures your traffic goes through servers to increase anonymity.
Neat, Mobile friendly Interface
NordVPN is designed for ease of use regardless of whether you are tech-savvy or someone using a VPN for the first time. First, you need to download the client for your device: Windows, Mac, iOS, android, Raspberry Pi and WiFi routers are the main supported devices.
The beauty of NordVPN is that it only requires you to create one account and then you can use it to secure all your devices. Being one of the best providers out there, NordVPN isn’t the cheapest VPN out there. Some operators are free albeit their services are substandard.
With that in mind, NordVPN charges $11.95/month. If you pay for a one-year plan, the cost reduces to $4.92/month. Get a two-year plan and you could pay as little as $3.71/month. There are no hidden fees and if you’re not satisfied by NordVPN, you can claim a 100% refund within the first month.
No Logs Policy
A no logs policy is something experts always look at while rating VPNs. The explanation is that security tools like VPNs shouldn’t collect sensitive data about what you browse or download on the Internet. If they do, then they can easily hand this information to governments at your expense.
VPNs with a no logs policy can’t expose you because of an obvious reason. They don’t collect your data. Scratch that. They don’t collect sensitive data. See, VPNs need an email address to give you an account. Some of them also collect information about your payment methods to better improve your services.
However, they shouldn’t collect sensitive data like your IP address, your traffic data or even how long you browse. This way, they wouldn’t give out information that could be used to track you down the line.
Zero Leaks
One common challenge among many VPNs is that they leak users’ data from time to time. This shouldn’t happen at all. Because when it does, it can put users’ data and, in some cases, people’s lives in jeopardy. NordVPN doesn’t leak user data, and multiple studies show this.
What’s more, it doesn’t provide room for viruses to infiltrate its installer. Usually, some hackers compromise VPNs by attacking their installers. Then they can send malware and steal customers’ sensitive data. While using NordVPN, you can rest assured that you’re protected from these issues.
Reliable Customer Service
VPNs are notorious for providing poor customer service. But NordVPN is different. It provides quick customer help through email and live chat. The latter is more convenient because you send a message and receive a reply within a few minutes.
The company’s support agents are pretty knowledgeable about its services. Due to this, they tend to resolve customers’ issues quickly. Email support is also helpful. It just takes more time before you get a reply.