NordVPN review 2026: is the market leader still worth it?

TechRadar measured 1,427 Mbit/s with the NordLynx protocol on a 10 Gbit line and 633 Mbit/s with OpenVPN (review last updated on 6 October 2026). In the same test, Proton VPN and Surfshark were faster still with WireGuard.

Tom's Guide averaged 1,249 Mbit/s within the USA and 688 Mbit/s between the USA and the UK (as of 17 June 2026).

For streaming, video calls and downloads that is far more than you need. On a typical home connection, your own line is the bottleneck rather than the VPN.

In its retest of 27 March 2026, Tom's Guide was able to unblock Netflix in five countries, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer. YouTube from the USA and Prime Video Australia did not work – TechRadar names the same two exceptions.

For smart TVs without a VPN app there is SmartDNS (part of «SmartPlay» at NordVPN). It is switched on in your Nord account, but it does not encrypt your traffic the way a VPN does.

Streaming services change their blocks all the time; there is no guarantee for any particular service. If in doubt, the 30-day money-back guarantee helps.

NordVPN is based in Panama and has had its no-logs promise audited externally six times: in 2018 and 2020 by PwC Switzerland, and every year from 2022 to 2025 by Deloitte. The most recent audit ran from 10 November to 12 December 2025 (NordVPN, 3 February 2026). According to NordVPN, the servers run without hard drives (RAM-only).

Check the plan when it comes to malware protection: Basic only includes a filter against phishing and scam sites that works while the VPN is connected. The antivirus for Windows and macOS (formerly «Threat Protection Pro») is only included from Complete upwards. In the AV-Comparatives phishing test of August 2026 it detected 94% and ranked 3rd of 9 (Tom's Guide, 4 September 2026).

In January 2026 an attacker claimed to have obtained data from NordVPN. According to NordVPN, it came from an isolated third-party test environment and contained only test data (BleepingComputer, 5 January 2026).

NordVPN is developed and run by Nord Security, with its legal seat in Panama and its operational headquarters in Vilnius. Whether you need a VPN at all: (→ Do you really need a VPN in 2026? The honest guide).

All plans include the VPN for 10 devices at once and a 30-day money-back guarantee (nordvpn.com, 22 October 2026).

Complete adds the password manager NordPass, 1 TB of encrypted storage (NordLocker) and the antivirus on your computer. Prime additionally brings insurance and identity-protection services that are geared towards the USA.

The former «Plus» plan is no longer on the pricing page. Depending on the country, NordVPN shows different top-tier plans – according to the NordVPN blog of 25 September 2026, for example «Ultra» in Switzerland and Austria.

Our take: for the VPN alone, Basic is enough. Complete is worth it if you are looking for a password manager anyway.

On nordvpn.com, the 2-year plan with three extra months costs $3.49 (Basic), $3.99 (Complete) and $6.99 (Prime) per month as of 22 October 2026. The full amount is paid upfront: $94.23, $107.73 and $188.73 for 27 months. No code is needed for this.

These are the Black Friday prices, which according to NordVPN apply from 21 October to 9 December 2026. Basic costs the same as before the promotion; Complete and Prime are $0.50 per month cheaper (regular price before the promotion: $4.49 and $7.49). The 1-year plans also come with three extra months during the promotion and cost $4.99, $5.99 and $8.99 per month ($74.85, $89.85 and $134.85 for 15 months). Which prices will apply after 9 December 2026 is not known. What the promotion really gets you: (→ NordVPN Black Friday 2026: what the promotion really gets you).

The amounts are taken from the US dollar view without taxes. Depending on your location, NordVPN shows a different currency and adds VAT – the amount in your basket is what counts.

NordVPN advertises «up to 78%» off. That is measured against the crossed-out amounts, which correspond to the later renewal price. The total amount is more telling – and so is what comes next: Basic renews at $139.08, Complete at $219.48 and Prime at $296.28 per year (as of 22 October 2026). Switch off auto-renewal in your account in good time if you do not want that.

On 9 October 2026, NordVPN's coupon page also listed a 20-month offer at $4.49 per month. Per month, the 2-year Basic plan on the pricing page is cheaper.

For comparison: in October 2025, Basic cost $2.99 per month on the 2-year plan and Complete $4.89 (NordVPN price overview of 24 October 2025). So Basic has become more expensive and Complete cheaper.

On Trustpilot, NordVPN stands at 4.2 out of 5 from 50,628 reviews (as of 9 October 2026): 72% give five stars, 12% only one. The negative reviews are mainly about auto-renewal, the higher renewal price and cumbersome cancellations.

TechRadar criticises the price jump after the first term, the lack of port forwarding and the lack of split tunnelling on Mac and iPhone. The full malware protection only runs on computers.

According to TechRadar (6 October 2026), lawsuits over auto-renewal are pending in the USA. The outcome is not known.

Prices: nordvpn.com/pricing and nordvpn.com/black-friday, accessed on 22 October 2026 (US dollar view). Plan contents: nordvpn.com and the NordVPN blog, accessed on 9 October 2026.

Measurements and criticism: TechRadar (review last updated on 6 October 2026) and Tom's Guide (as of 17 June 2026, phishing test of 4 September 2026).

Ratings: Trustpilot, accessed on 9 October 2026. January 2026 incident: BleepingComputer, 5 January 2026.