Is NordVPN still worth buying?

NordVPN
(Image credit: NordVPN)

If you're familiar with VPNs, chances are you've heard of NordVPN. It's been the top of our VPN recommendations for a while now, even taking the coveted best VPN slot – and it's easy to see why.

In our latest round of testing, NordVPN has retained this top spot. Read on to find out why NordVPN is still worth buying.

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NordVPN | $3.09 per month | 24-month plan
NordVPN is our top-rated VPN for a reason, with not only excellent privacy, but superb unblocking capabilities and super-fast speeds, too.

Nord also offers amazing privacy extras, like malware blocking and Double VPN, as well as top-of-the line encryption to make sure that your data stays safe.

Prices start from just $3.09 per month, and there's even a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it our risk-free.

Why is NordVPN worth buying?

If you're wondering if NordVPN is worth getting, then the short answer is yes, absolutely. It's our top recommended VPN for a reason. We'll get into these reasons below.

Its speeds are still top-notch

NordVPN has had a reputation for being one of the fastest VPNs for a while now, and in our latest round of testing it has held on to this reputation.

In order to check its speed, we tested NordVPN's connection 20 times in both the morning and the evening to provide a snapshot of what its connection speeds look like at this time. At its peak, NordVPN maxed out our connection at 950 Mbps.

To put in perspective, you need speeds of just 50 Mbps to stream in 4k, and most US homes have speeds of around 100-200 Mbps, with these speeds being advertised as "superfast" or "ultrafast".

While a VPN cannot improve your connection speeds, speeds like this will mean that NordVPN shouldn't impact your internet use.

Its unblocking skills are unparalleled

NordVPN unblocking UK Netflix

(Image credit: Future)

If you're after one of the best streaming VPNs on the market, look no further than NordVPN. 

In our VPN testing we put its unblocking skills to the limit, making sure it could unblock multiple Netflix libraries, as well as both global and regional streaming sites, to make sure that you can watch anything you want wherever you are.

What did we find out? That NordVPN is still the best VPN for streaming, unblocking streaming sites (including multiple Netflix libraries, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, ITV, Channel 4, 9Now and 10 Play) with ease. Plus, with its top-notch speeds, you won't have to deal with pesky buffering.

It's got incredible security and privacy

One thing that has always made NordVPN stand out is its commitment to user cybersecurity beyond a VPN. While some VPNs may just offer a way to safeguard your data, NordVPN goes above and beyond, offering what is essentially an entire cybersecurity suite with just one subscription.

This includes a dark web monitor which allows you to keep an eye on any data breaches that may have exposed your data, as well as malware and phishing blocking services. If you want more comprehensive cybersecurity, you can upgrade to a Plus plan and get Threat Protection Pro, which does all this as well as scanning downloads for malware and warning you of zero-day phishing attempts.

On top of this, NordVPN is one of the most private VPNs out there, with all the essentials in place like a robust kill switch (that did not fail in our testing), strong AES-256-GCM encryption and a no-logs policy that has been independently audited on four separate occasions. All this together means you can use NordVPN safe in the knowledge that your data is, and will stay, private.

It's excellent value for money

You may think that to get a VPN with all the added extras and sheer quality that NordVPN has, you'll have to pay top-dollar for it. This isn't actually the case, with NordVPN being one of the cheapest VPNs available.

While there are a couple of VPNs that are cheaper (namely Surfshark and Private Internet Access), Nord still has some of the best prices out there.

Prices start from just $3.09 per month on a 24-month-contract, however this is an up-front cost of $83.43. It's also worth mentioning that this price is only available to those who referred to the service from sites like Tom's Guide.

Olivia Powell
Tech Software Commissioning Editor

Olivia joined Tom's Guide in October 2023 as part of the core Future Tech Software team, and is the Commissioning Editor for Tech Software. With a background in cybersecurity, Olivia stays up-to-date with all things cyber and creates content across TechRadar Pro, TechRadar and Tom’s Guide. She is particularly interested in threat intelligence, detection and response, data security, fraud prevention and the ever-evolving threat landscape.