Great UI, Some Download Hiccups

NordVPN’s interface is one of the best I’ve used. It’s simple, modern, and works seamlessly across devices. That said, downloading the Windows app wasn’t smooth—I had to restart my laptop after it froze during installation. Not ideal for a first impression.

No Free Trial for a Month-plan, Just a Money-Back Promise

You won’t get a free trial with NordVPN for the 1-month plan. However, there is still a 30-day money-back guarantee.  It works, but you still have to pay first, which might turn off casual testers looking for Non-Premium servers.

Features That Stand Out

• Meshnet lets you link and view your devices securely.
   

• Specialty servers: P2P, Onion Over VPN, Obfuscated, Double VPN.
   

• Threat Protection blocks malware, trackers, phishing, and even runs when the VPN is off.
   

• Server icons make things easy to spot.
   

• One oddball: a "security score" notification icon that doesn’t do much.

Multiple Protocols, Flexible Connections

You can choose from Auto, NordLynx (fast), NordWhisper, and OpenVPN (TCP/UDP). Whether you're streaming or just browsing, there’s something for every use case.

Speed: Mostly Fast, Sometimes Flaky

NordVPN is generally fast, especially with the NordLynx protocol. Streaming and browsing felt snappy.
However, speeds can vary by server location—and at times, I had to manually switch servers due to drops or sluggish connections. Overall solid, but not always consistent.

Streaming Unblocking: Mostly Works

NordVPN successfully unblocks Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+, even in tougher regions. Most servers tested worked well for streaming, though I occasionally had to try a few before finding one that wasn’t blocked. Reliable enough, but not flawless.

REAL Price: What You Actually Pay

NordVPN’s pricing can be misleading if you’re not paying attention.

Take the 2-year plan: it starts at $105.36 for 2 years (a little over $4/month).
But after that, it renews at $179.88 per year—a whopping 70% increase. Now you're paying more yearly than you did for two full years combined.

It’s not quite a bait-and-switch, but if you don’t read the fine print, renewal time might come with sticker shock.

Add-ons: NordPass (password manager), NordLocker (cloud backup), Threat Protection.
 

Feedback on Add-ons: While the ecosystem feels integrated, many users may already have free tools like Bitwarden or Google Drive that serve the same purpose—making the extras feel unnecessary.

Now, the Catch: Privacy Trade-Offs

Here’s where things get tricky.

When you activate Threat Protection, Nord installs a local root certificate to inspect your encrypted traffic. This means it can see your Internet data inside-out, even when the VPN is off.

ExpressVPN, by contrast, blocks bad sites at the DNS level—and only while the VPN is running. It doesn’t peek inside your traffic. (please check my stand alone blog RE:ExpressVPN)

Is That a Dealbreaker?

Using this kind of “man-in-the-middle” (MITM) approach is powerful for blocking threats—but it breaks end-to-end encryption and adds new security risks.

If you trust NordVPN’s software fully and like the extra protection, that’s fine—just be aware of the trade-offs. You might want to disable it or create exceptions for sensitive sites like banking or work apps.

Final Thoughts

NordVPN looks and feels like a premium product and in many ways, it is.  But it also asks for a lot of trust, especially if you use Threat Protection.

If you’re big on privacy, it’s worth asking whether all those features are worth what you’re giving up behind the scenes.