NordVPN Review: A Top-Class VPN Software

A VPN software can protect your online traffic from being snooped on by anybody while also making it a lot harder for advertisers and spies to track your online usage. Unlike other VPN services, NordVPN gives a little bit of everything added to the basic protection. The software has a big and diverse selection of servers, robust security, privacy practices, and rarely seen tools. It also utilizes the latest WireGuard tech. Despite its price tag, it still manages to impress.

Our NordVPN review was done on an Intel rig with the Windows 10 platform. The software of NordVPN is great, regardless of the platform being used. The Windows client echoes the mobile apps of NordVPN, with a monochrome blue map as the main focus. It is a little whimsical, with ships and submarines on cartoon seas, but it is also a great way to choose the server you desire. It is a lot more polished than some of its closest rivals, but they have a charm that this software cannot match. During our NordVPN review, we enjoyed that the software searches for a middle ground between set-and-forget simplicity and fine-grained control. You can control the servers by choosing a place on the map. You may even utilize the search bar at the top of the display if your geographical skills leave a little desired.

You can also connect to the fastest server, a particular nation’s fastest server, or a specific server. The software gives you information regarding the load on each, trying to move you towards a less burdened choice. This is good for spoofing your location but lets you browse around if any server is blocked. The only complaint was that it was all done through a series of small drop-down menus. We would rather that the software take over some more real estate of the display to not stress our eyes.

The Android app of Nord VPN gives a grey header when the software is disconnected and a green header when it is connected. When it comes to the features of the software, that is where things looked really good in the NordVPN review. The Android version gives the Dark Web Monitor, tap jacking protection, a Kill Switch, and split-tunneling. It also permits you to develop a custom DNS setup. The app gives the user some more options when it comes to the servers than the iPhone app. But the servers still fall short of what is seen in the Windows version. You can select the town where the VPN server is situated, but there is no list of servers to select from. The software will connect to the fastest server in the town. Using Android 10, we also tested for DNS leaks in the NordVPN review by utilizing the DNS Leak Test Tools while connected to a server in the United Kingdom.

The server did not leak the DNS info and hid the true IP address. While connected to that server, we successfully played YouTube videos and streamed videos from Twitch. But the websites took a little time to load, and the video got a little pixelated and was not the optimum quality. But this makes sense due to the distances involved.

The software also supports Linux. Users can configure several routers to connect via this VPN. Doing so gives coverage for all the equipment on the network, including the smart home devices that cannot access a VPN on their own. The software also gives plug-ins for Chrome and Firefox. Like all the proxy browser plug-ins, the plug-ins of this software only secure the traffic of their respective browsers. The firm has also introduced the Dark Web Monitor. This function scans the dark web repositories that deal in stolen login info. If the software gets a hit, you will get an alert and change your password on the affected services. Presently, the Dark Web Monitor has been only available on iOS. But it may arrive on other platforms in due course. The Dark Web Monitor seeks the credentials associated with the email id used to sign up for NordVPN. This restricts the scope of this protection. We are looking forward to examining this function in the future.

NordVPN faces stiff competition from its industry rivals. Services such as Mullvad undercut the software on costs, while Proton VPN gives all the features at a lower price point. SurfShark does not limit the number of simultaneous connections. CyberGhost took over NordVPN to get the title of the biggest server network. The strength of this software has always been that it gives all of the top features of the rivals in one package. It has an enormous number of servers across the planet, and it does this while still giving a top-class user experience. The firm is also getting the advantages of instilling new tech such as WireGuard into its main products. With all this, NordVPN is a great software and continues to be one of the top VPNs in the industry.