Over the past year, I’ve traveled to quite a few places, some with the shadiest unsecured internet you can imagine, from Starbucks to hotels in different countries, and I gained a bit more peace of mind thanks to my virtual private network, or VPN of choice – NordVPN.
I spent the better part of three weeks before my trip to London in March of 2018 researching a way to better secure my data when connecting to my hotel’s internet, and after trying out a few others that won’t be named, I settled in on NordVPN. In the months since, I’ve seen more and more commercials about the brand which initially scared me because like others products in the past with the same premise once you start seeing public commercials for a product that’s sole functionality is to protect the user, especially with pretty bad CGI and voiceovers you feel as though they may compromise their original intentions. Luckily however this hasn’t been the case with NordVPN.
Your ISP can see every single website that you visit, and for me privacy is paramount, so I wanted a solid VPN that was not US-based (looking at you Verizon WiFi VPN). Why wouldn’t I want a US-based VPN? In a nutshell, most (if not all) US VPN services block streaming services like Netflix and DirecTV. No thanks.
NordVPN has absolutely blown me away with its features and overall performance. My reasons may be a bit different from others, so allow me to list what I personally like about NordVPN and why I’ve finally found my favorite VPN service:
- Simplicity – NordVPN’s app is clear-cut and to the point of downloading to initial use. You’re initially greeted by a simple “quick connect” button to start out which allows you to not only browse connections from various locations but gives you a list of your favorite/most recent connections. This is super helpful when you know that the locale you chose has less congested servers, which I tend to find difficult in other apps I’ve used in the past.
- Cross-Platform – Self-explanatory here, as I’ve been able to use NordVPN on every single device that I own with ease, to the point my wife is able to use this as well on her devices, making it helpful when we are both using hotel internet on travel.
- p2p speeds – In my personal testing, Nord has the fastest speeds out of any VPN I’ve used. Despite not working with my banking app of choice (which I’ve opted to just use NordVPN’s “Kill Switch” when I need to), the app is one of few that allows me to watch Netflix with ease. Having no limit on how many devices you can do this on is also worth its weight in gold
- DDOS and Hacker Protection – This should actually be number one on my list, but it since there is no true numerical order for my liking NordVPN this will do. Being able to essentially be “shielded” from hackers, VPN’s claim to do this well, but Nord is the only one that remained consistent through my continuous use from Wi-Fi connectivity, working to route traffic directly through my VPN. You can have multiple browsers with different proxy configurations, as well as server-side settings for both ad and tracker blocking.
- Price – NordVPN’s price is actually relatively cheap compared to the competition. You can purchase it for $2.99 a month, but if you do a quick Google search for NordVPN deals, you’ll see they frequently have deals for say three years for $100, sometimes being even cheaper.
- Available for Android, Android TV, iOS, MacOS, and Windows
Overall, I find it hard to truly suggest any other VPN services right now, and after multiple months of using NordVPN, I plan on getting the three-year deal for the service. If you’d like more information about NordVPN, head over to their website for 75% off a 3-year plan of NordVPN; the deal comes down to only $2.99 per month!
01/22/19 Update: After our review was posted, we were asked if we would like to be a NordVPN affiliate. If you sign up for a plan, we will get a share of the revenue. Thank you!
Source: NordVPN gave me an access code for a discounted 6 months service term
What I Like: Simplicity of use, price model affordable, works with multiple apps (streaming included)
What Needs Improvement: Commercial marketing seems to be a bit forced and gimmicky, could throw off plenty of potential buyers
