{"id":19623,"date":"2026-02-05T22:48:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T22:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/innovative-features-a-few-missteps\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T22:48:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T22:48:34","slug":"innovative-features-a-few-missteps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/innovative-features-a-few-missteps\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovative features, a few missteps"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/p>\n
\n
When we say that NordVPN is a good VPN that’s not quite great, it’s important to put that in perspective. Building a good VPN is hard, as evidenced by all the shovelware VPNs flooding the market. NordVPN may not be perfect, but it’s easily top-five caliber and excels in certain use cases.<\/p>\n
First, the bad: NordVPN’s apps could all stand to undergo a little more quality control, with elements distracting from other elements and inconsistent designs from platform to platform. At least one of its FAQ pages directly contradicts itself. And while all the server locations could unblock Netflix, the one in Nigeria still showed U.S. content, indicating that our real location might have leaked.<\/p>\n
However, there’s a lot of good to balance that out. Speeds are fantastic and we saw no other hint of any kind of leak. Its server network is expansive and not overly reliant on virtual locations. The vast majority of servers are ideal for unblocking foreign websites. The real draw, though, is the extra features, including the innovative and flexible Meshnet, plus a malware blocker that acts more like a full antivirus and forward-looking quantum resistant encryption.<\/p>\n
Editor’s note (9\/24\/25): We’ve overhauled our VPN coverage to provide more detailed, actionable buying advice. Going forward, we’ll continue to update both our <\/em>best VPN list<\/em> and individual reviews (like this one) as circumstances change. Most recently, we added official scores to all of our VPN reviews.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Check out <\/em>how we test VPNs<\/em> to learn more about the new standards we’re using.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
NordVPN<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
NordVPN is a fast service with a powerful content scanner and built-in file transfer features.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
<\/default:svg>Pros<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n
Excellent download speeds<\/li>\n
Useful exclusive features<\/li>\n
Extensive server network<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
<\/default:svg>Cons<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n
Clunky interface choices<\/li>\n
Collects device info by default<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Table of contents<\/h2>\n
Findings at a glance<\/h2>\n
Check out a summary of our NordVPN review in the table below.<\/p>\n
\n
\n\n
\n
\n
Category<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n
Installation and UI<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Connections happen quickly and features are easy to use on all platforms<\/p>\n
UI sometimes gets in the way; map screens can be clunky and apps come with unnecessary notifications<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, the best UI may be in the browser extension<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n
Speed<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Extremely fast download speeds with only a 6.4-percent average drop<\/p>\n
Good latencies on nearby servers, but farther ones have some lag<\/p>\n
Fast upload speeds, but losses spiked in a few locations<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n
Security<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Uses acceptable protocols with uncracked encryption<\/p>\n
NordWhisper obfuscated protocol recently implemented on Windows, Android and Linux<\/p>\n
No DNS, WebRTC or IPv6 leaks on five test servers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n
Pricing<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Best plan is the 2-year Basic for $81.36, or $3.39 per month<\/p>\n
Basic gives you the complete VPN<\/p>\n
If you get a multi-year plan, be sure to manually renew in order to keep the promotional rates<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n
Bundles<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Plus tier adds advanced malware protection and NordPass password manager<\/p>\n
Complete plan adds NordLocker cloud storage<\/p>\n
Prime tier adds ID theft protection and insurance features<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n
Privacy policy<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NordVPN does not log user activity on the VPN, a policy backed up by several third-party audits<\/p>\n
However, it does log potentially identifiable device information unless you opt out in settings<\/p>\n
Some concerning liberties taken in the overall Nord policy, but no documented malfeasance<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n
Virtual location change<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Four out of five test servers unblocked Netflix three times running, including virtual India location<\/p>\n
Location in Nigeria got into Netflix, but didn’t change available titles<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n
Server network<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
153 server locations in 117 countries and territories<\/p>\n
Server network is about 40 percent virtual, including all locations in Africa<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n
Features<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Extra servers grant additional privacy (double VPN, Onion over VPN, obfuscation) or specific optimizations (P2P, dedicated IP)<\/p>\n
Threat Protection blocks dangerous domains and the Pro upgrade has some antivirus capability<\/p>\n
Dark Web Monitor reports to you when any sensitive information has appeared on clandestine leak sites<\/p>\n
Presets let you activate several settings with one click<\/p>\n
Post-quantum encryption is nice, but not necessary yet<\/p>\n
Kill switch is a useful safety feature on all apps<\/p>\n
Split tunneling by app on Windows and Android, and by URL on browser extensions<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n
Customer support<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Written FAQs, live chat and email support<\/p>\n
Live chat connected to an expert human within a minute<\/p>\n
FAQs are poorly organized and contain some conflicts, but well-written on average<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\n
Background check<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NordVPN is headquartered in Panama, while its parent company Nord Security is based in the Netherlands<\/p>\n
2018 theft of public keys was a mistake, but NordVPN did almost everything right in response<\/p>\n
Claims of law enforcement collaboration are overblown \u2014 NordVPN will comply with requests, but that doesn’t mean they’ll have information to provide<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
Installing, configuring and using NordVPN<\/h2>\n
NordVPN’s biggest strengths are its speeds and the range of options it puts at your fingertips. User experience is important, but it’s not quite as front-and-center as it is with ExpressVPN and Proton VPN. Here’s how the apps run on all the major platforms.<\/p>\n
Windows<\/h3>\n
The Windows app is the first instance of NordVPN’s UI being not bad enough to complain about, but not good enough to be considered excellent. The initial connection process is a little slow, and it’s far easier to connect than it is to disconnect (click the power button while connected to shut the VPN off). The map takes up space that would have been better allocated to the server list.<\/p>\n