NordVPN Review For Australians: Features, Pros And Cons

NordVPN has been one of the most popular VPNs on the market for over a decade. The service allows you to connect to as many as six devices and can be used on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS as well as PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.

NordVPN boasts several security features, including a kill switch and split tunnelling, that can help protect your internet activity from prying eyes.

The company allows users to install its VPN directly on their Wi-Fi router, which can help them connect all devices and bypass Nord’s maximum device limit.

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Overall, NordVPN offers solid specs and features. However, we think it’s a bit too expensive month-to-month for personal use. We also would prefer to see more transparency on the privacy and security front.

A VPN, or virtual private network, provides online privacy and security by masking a user’s IP address and encrypting their internet activity. A VPN will secure an encrypted connection between your device and a remote server, which hides your location and allows you to choose an alternative geographic login.

A VPN has many uses, including keeping your browsing data anonymous and enabling the sending of sensitive information over public Wi-Fi. It can also enable you to view country-restricted content regardless of your location. Additionally, some subscription services adjust their prices based on where customers are located, so setting a VPN to a certain location could help you save.

NordVPN offers a number of competitive features, including:

• Threat protection: A feature that blocks malware, trackers and ads when you browse the internet. This adds an extra layer of security when browsing the web.
• Dark web monitor: A feature that will notify users if their information is leaked to the dark web.
• Meshnet: Allows you to connect to other devices directly through encrypted private tunnels, which is useful for file sharing and gaming.
• Kill switch: A feature that automatically blocks your device from accessing the internet should the connection drop. This way, you don’t have to worry about a potential vulnerability when your VPN disconnects.
• Split tunnelling: Allows you to select which apps and websites require VPN protection and which ones are safe to browse without it. This is helpful for websites that block access with a VPN, such as bank websites.

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NordVPN is more expensive than other VPN options, particularly in monthly costs, coming in at $19.59 AUD per month for the Basic plan. This may be an issue if you’re interested in trying out the service before committing to a longer-term plan.

Thankfully, the company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Note, however, that when Forbes Advisor Australia took a subscription with NordVPN and attempted to cancel within the 30-day period, we were met with some pushy sales tactics to retain our services. After a firm email restating our intention to cancel, the company quickly refunded the cost.

If you are ready to purchase a longer-term plan, NordVPN offers discounts on its annual and two-year plans, but these discounts aren’t significantly more generous than those of competitors.

While all the basic features are available across all plans, some of the more specialised features outlined above are only available at higher tiers.

You can also purchase NordVPN with multiple payment options, including Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Does NordVPN Offer a Free Trial?

NordVPN does not offer a free trial but a money-back guarantee instead within 30 days of purchasing the product.

However, a free seven-day trial is available through the Google Play Store for Android users. To take advantage of this offer without being charged, you will need to make sure you cancel through the Google Play Store.

NordVPN’s Quick Connect feature automatically connects you to the best VPN server. It has more than 7,000 servers in more than 100 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia. This helps ensure you’ll have a fast, stable internet connection wherever you are located while masking your IP address.

In addition to a regular VPN server, NordVPN offers different types of servers at select locations. Here are the other servers the company offers:

• Peer-to-peer (P2P): Meant specifically for fast file sharing through P2P connections. This is great for torrenting and certain kinds of gaming. Fighting games, such as Mortal Kombat 1, can also benefit from peer-to-peer VPN support.
• Obfuscated: Designed to prevent your traffic from being blocked in countries with high restrictions.
• Double VPN: Obfuscates your traffic twice, providing double encryption.
• Dedicated IP: A user can purchase their own IP for faster connection.
• Onion Over VPN: Allows users to access The Onion Router (TOR) network, a free and open-source network for anonymous communication, without a dedicated TOR browser.

NordVPN offers the full range of servers listed above in the US, Canada, U.K., Netherlands and France. In Australia, dedicated IP and P2P servers are available, as well as standard servers in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

If you know in advance that a dedicated IP or a double VPN is essential to your business, it is worth considering where the servers are located to ensure that they align with your intentions.

VPNs are considered one way to make your internet activity more private and secure. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure the VPN is also safe. NordVPN uses a range of security features and also undergoes independent audits of its security.

• Double VPN: A security feature that routes your connection through two servers instead of one.
• Threat protection: This is NordVPN’s anti-malware solution. It scans files as you download them for potential threats and blocks them before they can harm your PC. We are currently unable to fully test this feature as we don’t have a proper virus lab for the work, and we do not recommend potentially infecting your device with a virus to test if a threat-protection feature works.
• Obfuscated servers: As mentioned above, these servers conceal the fact that you’re using a VPN, allowing you to access otherwise restricted web pages.
• Onion Over VPN: Allows users to access TOR network, a free and open-source network for anonymous communication, without a dedicated TOR browser.
• 24/7 support: NordVPN offers email and live chat support in addition to an online knowledge base.
• Dark web monitor: A cybersecurity feature that monitors dark websites for any exposure of your information.

These features are certainly nice to have, although none of them particularly wowed us. The obfuscated servers offer the most impressive security, allowing users to use a VPN even in areas where VPN use is heavily restricted or outright banned. The Onion Over VPN servers are also a plus, as TOR is a great way to browse the internet anonymously.

NordVPN uses three different internet security protocols.

• NordLynx: NordLynx is NordVPN’s proprietary version of WireGuard, a popular open-source VPN protocol known for its fast, consistent speeds.
• OpenVPN (TCP): OpenVPN is a free and open-source security protocol commonly used by most VPN providers. Released in 2001, it is one of the oldest security protocols in the VPN space. This version of OpenVPN uses the Transmission Control Protocol. Essentially, when your computer sends a piece of data (called a network packet) to the network, TCP forces your computer to wait for confirmation that the packet was delivered before sending the next packet or resending the current packet.
• OpenVPN (UDP): This version of OpenVPN uses the User Datagram Protocol, which does not ask your computer to wait before sending the next packet of data. This makes UDP faster than TCP but less reliable.

If you’re looking for the protocol with the fastest speeds, NordLynx trumps the rest. WireGuard is currently the best open-source protocol, and Nord’s proprietary version offers equivalent speeds. Check out our speed test table below for a more by-the-numbers look at these protocols.

No Log Policy

Like many VPN providers, NordVPN claims to have a no-logs policy, meaning it does not store user data or internet traffic. The company has undergone several audits to verify its no-logs promise and its server configurations. The most recent independent audit was conducted in 2022 by Deloitte. The audit confirmed NordVPN’s no-logs assurance and tested multiple server types, though the report notably did not cover dedicated IP servers.

While this is a step up from other providers that don’t undergo audits, we would have liked to have seen more transparency regarding how Nord’s servers store, for example, user payment and login information. These extremely sensitive types of user data must be stored for the company’s login and auto-renewal systems to function properly and, if not stored correctly, can be vulnerable to data breaches and leaks.

There is no reason to assume that such a leak will occur in Nord’s case, but when it comes to data, such as credit card information, it’s best to be cautious about those you share that information with. Nord’s no-logs policy seems legitimate, but we would prefer more information from both Nord and many others in the VPN space.

Our Experience Testing NordVPN’s Security

As best as we can tell, NordVPN is solidly secure. When using websites such as IP Leak and DNS Leak Test, our IP and DNS addresses match consistently. Its kill switches and split tunnelling features work as intended.

That said, we couldn’t safely test all of the VPN’s features. Properly testing its threat protection and dark web monitoring features, for example, would require directly engaging with both malware and the dark web, something we lack the resources to do safely. When we do get those resources, we will be sure to test these and similar features.

Overall, NordVPN more than meets our standard of security for a VPN. Security and cybersecurity are areas where being boring is good, meaning nothing potentially catastrophic is occurring. Our experience reviewing NordVPN’s security was the exact kind of boring we’re looking for in a cybersecurity solution.

Many users find that a VPN can slow down their internet speed. However, the actual speeds you experience when using a VPN will depend on various factors, including your location, internet service provider (ISP), where the servers are located, the distance between the server and your devices, and the specific device and VPN protocol you are using.

In any case, NordVPN is highly rated for providing a high-speed encrypted internet connection. If you’re experiencing a slow internet connection when using NordVPN, read these tips on the company’s website on improving internet speed.

Methodology: Our VPN speed comparison is tested on a Windows 11 machine using Cloudflare’s public speed test. Each protocol was connected to the nearest possible server and tested multiple times by our staff writers before we came up with these averages.

Overall, NordVPN’s speeds are some of the fastest when using NordLynx. When using other protocols, however, the speeds drop considerably. This can be an issue as some servers only support one protocol type. If, for example, you’re trying to use a server in Austria and the only protocol supported is OpenVPN (TCP), your performance will take a massive hit. Be sure to choose your server carefully with this in mind.

Featured Partner Offers

1

NordVPN

Learn More

On NordVPN’s Secure Website

Plan costs

$7.33 AUD per month or $87.95 for the first year

Number of Servers

5,500

Encryption

AES-256

2

Surfshark

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On Surfshark’s Secure Website

Price

Starting From $3.07 AUD Per Month

Number of Servers

3000+

Encryption

AES with 256 -bit keys

3

Private Internet Access (PIA)

Learn More

On Private Internet Access’s Secure Website

Dedicated IP address

Yes

Number of devices

Unlimited

Starting price

$19.79 AUD

Offering unlimited bandwidth and usage on up to six devices, NordVPN is a good option for users who want to protect their data no matter their platform.

What Platforms Does NordVPN Support?

NordVPN works with a wide array of hardware and software, including:

• Desktops and laptops: NordVPN is compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems.
• Smartphones and tablets: NordVPN is compatible with Android and iOS devices.
• Routers: NordVPN can be installed on certain routers to protect all devices connected to the router.
• Streaming devices: NordVPN is compatible with Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Chromecast.
• Gaming consoles: NordVPN is compatible with gaming consoles including PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X.

How Many Devices Can You Use at Once?

Each account covers up to six devices at once. However, you can also install NordVPN on your router, which ensures that every device connected to your router is protected with the VPN.

Installing NordVPN on your router only takes up one of the six available devices available for each account, which means you’ll still have five remaining slots available for other devices (or another router if you have more than one internet connection). In short, if you configure the VPN to your router, one account is more than enough to cover as many devices needed in one household.

Our Experience: NordVPN on Windows

NordVPN works well on Windows. The service is easy to set up and use, and the only issues we encountered were when we had multiple VPNs installed on the same device.

We didn’t love that the app requires you to open a web browser to log in, as that creates more unsecured internet traffic than we want to see out of a VPN. Connecting to a specific city also required searching for the city manually instead of being able to select it from a drop-down box when picking a country.

The speeds NordVPN offered were some of the best of the VPNs we have reviewed, but we weren’t entirely impressed by the service as a whole. It does most things you’d expect from a VPN well, but we didn’t find that it exceeded our expectations in any category. Some providers, such as Mullvad VPN, have a better security and privacy pedigree while others, including IVPN, are more affordable. However, its status as one of the most popular names in the VPN space is well-earned, and its features do exactly what they’re supposed to.

Our Experience: NordVPN on Mac

NordVPN’s Mac app works in a very similar fashion to its Windows counterpart. Once you’ve downloaded it directly from the company’s website, you only need to log in with your credentials, and you’ll be up and running with the service.

One thing to keep in mind with the Mac version of the VPN is that you will need to authorise the app’s usage on your machine and enter your Mac’s device password. We had no trouble connecting to different servers around the world, and we found configuring the settings to be every bit as easy as it is on Windows.

Our Experience: NordVPN on Android

NordVPN’s Android app gave us some trouble. When first attempting to log in, we were met with several login errors. Whatever the issue was, we were eventually able to access our account, and our experience on the app was similar to that of the Windows platform. The interface was relatively clean, although we would have preferred a ‘Settings’ button on the main screen. Instead, we had to tap through several screens to find it.

As with the Windows app, Nord’s Android offering supports the Wirelynx, OpenVPN (TCP) and OpenVPN (UDP) protocols, as well as providing many of the same features as its desktop counterparts. While we didn’t do a full table for Android testing, we still ran the protocols through our usual speed test. We found that our speeds, while fast, were still slower than on the desktop. This could be a difference in hardware performance, however, and nothing to do with the NordVPN app.

Overall, after a couple of hiccups with logging in, the NordVPN Android app met our expectations. If you already have a NordVPN subscription and room in your simultaneous connections limit for your mobile device, it’s a fine mobile VPN.

Our Experience: NordVPN on iOS

NordVPN’s iOS app had a similar interface to its Android counterpart, including the slightly tedious need to click through multiple screens to reach ‘Settings’. Unlike Android, however, we had no issues logging into the app. That said, we ran into some trouble connecting to a server, with multiple error messages popping up. This seemed to be an issue with the iOS app specifically, as NordVPN worked fine on other devices and other VPNs worked on iOS during our testing period.

Eventually, we connected Nord to the server we needed and conducted a speed test. Similar to Android, the results were roughly equivalent to our desktop tests, if slightly slower. We didn’t notice any lag while generally browsing the internet and streaming videos on websites, such as YouTube, either.

Once we got it working, Nord’s iOS app performed well as a mobile VPN, even if we hit a few snags during the review. We wouldn’t go out of our way to purchase a subscription just for the iOS app, but if you already have a NordVPN subscription, it’s worth picking up.

VPNs can often slow down an internet connection, so many users might avoid using them for streaming. However, your internet speed when using a VPN is based on multiple factors, including the location of your server, the distance between you and the server you are using, your VPN protocol, as well as your original internet speed.

NordVPN’s server count and relatively high speeds make it a good choice for streaming with a VPN, though whether it can successfully access region-locked content will change depending on how streaming services combat the practice of using VPNs to access their geo-blocked content.

Our Experience: Streaming Netflix With NordVPN

From our U.S. location, NordVPN worked well with Netflix. It easily unblocked multiple different streaming libraries, including in the U.K., Japan, Argentina, and Hong Kong. However, we were not able to get Canada to work. Speeds varied wildly depending on which country you were connecting to, but they were mostly in line with the results we received from our speed tests.

Our Experience: Streaming Hulu With NordVPN

NordVPN successfully unblocked Hulu in the U.K., and we were able to stream with no issues. Speeds were about the same as they were on other streaming platforms when using Nord, though this can be different depending on where you’re located.

Our Experience: Streaming Disney+ With NordVPN

NordVPN worked great for Disney+. With it, we were able to stream content from the U.K., Germany, Japan, Canada and Spain. Speeds were similar to Netflix and depended on the country, but still in line with speed test results.

As with most other digital service providers, NordVPN offers a sizable technical library for customers to browse. This isn’t as helpful as user forums, where you can potentially troubleshoot with other users or find threads of people struggling with similar issues. However, Nord’s knowledge base is expansive enough to cover most customer support questions we came up with. It also has an email support option.

NordVPN claims to offer 24/7 customer support. Similarly to other companies, it accomplishes this in part through live chatbot support. Nord’s particular chatbot comes from Canada-based automated customer support company Ada, presumably named after computer pioneer Ada Lovelace. As of late 2022, Ada “leverages” technology from OpenAI, creators of ChatGPT, for its chatbots. So, if you prefer talking with ChatGPT, you might enjoy talking with NordVPN’s chatbot.

The experience of our US writer, however, was disappointing and unhelpful and, after about five minutes of dithering with the chatbot, they were finally transferred to a presumably human support agent, whose responses were as scripted as its automated predecessor.

Unfortunately, the human support agent was not much more helpful than the chatbot and, after about 10 minutes of troubleshooting, they linked us to a knowledge base article we had already browsed. We left the conversation not entirely sure if we’d been speaking to one bot and one human or two bots.

During our review, we also noticed that Firefox blocked the chatbot feature on Nord’s website. So, if you’re having issues and need live support, use a different browser, such as Chrome or Edge.

When our Australian-based staff writer requested a refund on the VPN within the 30-day money-back period, a Nord representative responded promptly by email. However, they initially attempted to convince our writer to give the NordVPN a try despite clear instructions to cancel the purchase. Once the writer insisted on cancellation, the staffer immediately processed the refund.

Overall, NordVPN’s customer support was a letdown. If you’re less tech-savvy or well-versed in troubleshooting, we would advise you to look for a VPN provider with more helpful customer support options.

While NordVPN is meant for individuals, NordLayer (formerly known as NordVPN Teams) is a security solution for businesses and teams of all sizes. Business owners can easily set up and manage the VPN connection for their team members, including remote workers.

Here’s how the cost breaks down for different plans:

• Lite: $US10 ($15.92 AUD) per user, per month, or $US8 ($12.75 AUD) per user, per month, billed annually.
• Core: $US14 ($22.29 AUD) per user, per month, or $US11 ($17.51 AUD) per user, per month, billed annually. Offers basic network access control solutions and a suite of advanced internet access security options.
• Premium: $US18 ($28.65 AUD) per user, per month, or $US14 ($22.29 AUD) per user, per month, billed annually. Provides network access control solutions with more granular network segmentation and the ability to interconnect devices and sites.
• Enterprise offer: $US10 ($15.92 AUD) per user, per month, or $US7 ($11.14 AUD) per user, per month, billed annually. Custom-fit network security for teams with more than 50 members, offering flexible pricing.

All four tiers offer shared gateway locations in more than 30 countries, while the top three plans also offer virtual private gateway locations. Frustratingly, NordLayer’s business plans are priced without a clear currency, even when clicking on the Australian country page. You need to click through to check out before you realise that the pricing is in US dollars.

Setting up NordVPN is straightforward. Once you purchase the subscription of your choice, you will download the software on your device. From there, you’ll be able to turn the VPN on with a toggle switch and set your preferred location for the VPN server.

If you use NordVPN on Windows like we did, you will be taken to a web browser to login. While this isn’t a big issue, it can be a bit annoying to do every time you log into the app.

If you want to install NordVPN to your router, you’ll need to follow the instructions of your router’s firmware. You can find a list of tutorials from different companies on NordVPN’s website.

To install NordVPN on an Amazon Fire device, you’ll download the NordVPN application from the Amazon Appstore and log in. For more instructions, follow this tutorial.

While NordVPN is one of the most popular VPNs on the market, the right VPN for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences.

To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compared some of Nord’s key features with those of its competitors. The table below will help give you a sense of how NordVPN stacks up in terms of price, the number of servers, support and other important features.

NordVPN vs. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is slightly more expensive than NordVPN bit it offers more servers. CyberGhost’s dedicated IP address option is also more affordable. However, it’s worth noting that NordVPN includes some additional features in its plans, such as antivirus and malware protection, that CyberGhost offers as add-ons. Whether this is a deciding factor will depend on if you already have an antimalware solution, such as Malwarebytes.

We like that CyberGhost displays its prices in Australian dollars.

NordVPN vs. ProtonVPN

When it comes to monthly pricing, Proton VPN is the clear winner. It also has more servers than Nord, although across a similar number of countries. You can connect up to 10 devices with ProtonVPN—compared to Nord’s six—although we don’t like the fact that ProtonVPN doesn’t disclose the price of its dedicated IP upfront but refers you to the sales team.

NordVPN vs. IPVanish

IPVanish is slightly more expensive than NordVPN on a month-to-month basis, but the difference is negligible. IPVanish also has a single-tier pricing plan, meaning you won’t need to worry about sacrificing features for affordability. While IPVanish allows you to connect to an unlimited number of devices, NordVPN is limited to six (with a workaround in the form of installing the VPN to your router).

With that said, IPVanish does not offer the option of a dedicated IP, so if this is a priority, go with Nord or consider one of the other top 10 VPN services that do.

IP Vanish also allows you to select your currency from a drop-down menu, and the pricing page immediately updates to reflect your choice.

NordVPN is a popular VPN suited for both business owners and individuals looking to increase their internet security. But it won’t be right for everyone.

NordVPN for Personal Use

While NordVPN has a lot going for it, think twice before you sign up for personal use. The high month-to-month cost makes it a tough sell, and the additional features, while nice, aren’t worth that price when compared to other VPNs. It certainly is not a bad choice and, if you do go with NordVPN, you will not be disappointed. That said, we would recommend more affordable VPNs for individuals.

NordVPN for Business Use

NordLayer (formerly known as NordVPN Teams) is a solid option for business owners and teams looking to monitor the security level of their company and encrypt all of their team members’ accounts through one portal. You’ll be able to protect every device connected to your network. If privacy is key to your business and there are multiple people working at your company, NordLayer provides a convenient solution.

While NordVPN offers great features and solid speeds, it may be too expensive for individual use. There are cheaper options available that work about as well, if not better, in certain aspects. For business use, NordVPN can be worth the cost, thanks to its ability to be installed directly on a router, the dedicated IP add-on, and NordLayer options specifically for business use.

The greatest let-down for Australian users is NordVPN’s opaque pricing page. While NordVPN has started pricing its VPNs in Australian dollars, the page often defaults to the global pricing page, with no clear currency or currency selection. The new AUD pricing is difficult to locate.

When you consider that less-established VPN providers, such as IP Vanish, offer a drop-down menu of currency selection options, it’s clear that NordVPN needs to do better. Australian consumers should not have to click through all the way to purchase to determine how much they are being charged and in which currency.

Additional editing: Jim McNett

Featured Partner Offers

1

NordVPN

Learn More

On NordVPN’s Secure Website

Plan costs

$7.33 AUD per month or $87.95 for the first year

Number of Servers

5,500

Encryption

AES-256

2

Surfshark

Learn More

On Surfshark’s Secure Website

Price

Starting From $3.07 AUD Per Month

Number of Servers

3000+

Encryption

AES with 256 -bit keys

3

Private Internet Access (PIA)

Learn More

On Private Internet Access’s Secure Website

Dedicated IP address

Yes

Number of devices

Unlimited

Starting price

$19.79 AUD