# NordVPN

> Subscription VPN with threat protection and Meshnet device links

NordVPN is a subscription VPN from Nord Security with apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, plus proxy extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. One account covers up to 10 devices at a time. Higher tiers such as Complete bundle Nord's NordPass password manager and NordLocker file storage with the VPN.

- **Category:** VPNs
- **Made by:** Nord Security
- **Website:** https://nordvpn.com
- **Runs on:** macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 17, 2026

## Pricing

NordVPN is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $139.08 per year at renewal (Basic 1-year plan).

- **Pricing model:** Free trial
- **Free plan:** None.
- **Free trial:** 7-day free trial of 1- and 2-year top-tier plans for new users in the US and 14 other countries.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic 1-year | $139.08 per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan | The VPN-only tier. Nord's first-term price for new customers could not be read, so only the renewal price is shown. |
| Standard 1-year | $149.88 per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan | Priced between Basic and Plus at renewal. Nord's first-term price for new customers could not be read. |
| Plus 1-year | $179.88 per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan | Priced between Standard and Complete at renewal. Nord's first-term price for new customers could not be read. |
| Complete 1-year | $219.48 per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan | Adds NordPass and NordLocker to the VPN. First-term price not readable; this is the 1-year renewal price. |
| Ultra 1-year | $269.88 per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan | One of the top tiers that the 7-day free trial covers. First-term price not readable; this is the renewal price. |
| Prime 1-year | $296.28 per year, the US renewal price of a 1-year plan | The dearest US tier on Nord's renewal list, and one the free trial covers. First-term price not readable. |

Read from https://my.nordaccount.com/legal/pricing/ on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with NordVPN before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **Student discount for ages 18 to 26** (Education): Nord's help center says students and apprentices aged 18 to 26 can get an additional discount. The size of the discount is not stated there. Source: https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/19477702164369-How-to-get-NordVPN-cheaper

## Key features

- **Protocols:** Choose between NordLynx (built on WireGuard), Nord's own NordWhisper, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec, with an automatic kill switch and DNS leak protection.
- **Real-time protection:** Scans files for malware and blocks harmful websites; the App Store listing adds tracker and ad blocking, depending on device and plan.
- **Specialty servers:** Double VPN sends traffic through two servers, Onion Over VPN adds the Tor network, and obfuscated servers make VPN traffic look like ordinary traffic.
- **Meshnet:** Links your own devices into a private network so they can reach each other without exposing your real IP address.
- **Dark Web Monitor:** Watches for your email address and other personal details turning up in data leaks and alerts you when they do.
- **Dedicated IP:** A fixed personal IP address, bought on its own or in a bundle, for services that only accept allow-listed addresses.

## Good for

- Households covering up to 10 devices on one account
- People who want ad and malware blocking in the VPN app
- Linking home devices to each other privately with Meshnet

## Worth knowing

- Nord's pricing page turned away automated readers, so the first-term prices it advertises are missing here; only the US 1-year renewal prices could be read.
- Nord's renewal list also names an Ultimate 1-year tier at $256.68 for the US; plan names vary by country.
- The 30-day money-back guarantee covers the first purchase only; renewals are not refundable under it, and App Store purchases go through Apple.
- The free trial is limited to new customers in 15 countries and needs a credit card or PayPal.

## ToolGPA grades

**GPA: 2.4 out of 4**, graded Oct 17, 2026. NordVPN is the all-rounder most people have heard of: apps for every computer and phone, 10 devices on one account, ad and malware blocking, and Meshnet to link your own devices. On what we could read, it's also the dearest VPN here, renewing at $139.08 a year for Basic. Its first-term price for new customers couldn't be read.

- **Value for money: D.** Only Nord's renewal prices could be read: Basic renews at $139.08 a year, so two years on record come to $278.16, about $11.59 a month, the dearest in this category. The first-term price for new customers wasn't readable, so a first purchase may cost less.
- **Free plan and trial: D.** A 7-day free trial of the 1- and 2-year top-tier plans, but only for new customers in the US and 14 other countries, and it needs a card or PayPal. The 30-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial.
- **Features: B.** NordLynx, NordWhisper, OpenVPN and IKEv2 with a kill switch, malware and ad blocking, Double VPN, Onion Over VPN, obfuscated servers, Meshnet, Dark Web Monitor and dedicated IPs. Nothing in the listing is missing from a VPN's job.
- **Ease of use: A.** 4.7 from about 709,000 App Store ratings, the biggest crowd in this category. Install, sign in, tap connect.
- **Platforms and integrations: B.** Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B.

These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Nord's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Nord's pricing page showed no prices to our reader when we checked it again that day. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

## Where it stands among VPNs

- NordVPN's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 16 other VPNs we grade, and level with 3.
- It stands best on ease of use (A, above 15 of 16) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
- Its paid plans start at $11.59 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 15 of the 15 others that charge start lower.
- On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.

The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/vpn

## Keep it, or make your own?

**Keep it.** To replace NordVPN you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It costs $139.08 a year.

- You could make: Ad and tracker blocking: an app builder makes this well.
- You could not: Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
- You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- You could not: The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it.

## What people say

- **App Store rating of the iPhone and iPad app:** 4.7 out of 5 from 709,340 ratings in the United States, read Oct 17, 2026. This is the store's rating of the app, not a score from ToolGPA. Source: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id905953485

**Tags:** VPN, Ad and tracker blocking

## Alternatives

- [Surfshark](https://toolgpa.com/tools/surfshark): VPN with no device limit, sold alone or in security bundles. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/nordvpn-vs-surfshark)
- [ExpressVPN](https://toolgpa.com/tools/expressvpn): VPN with its own Lightway protocol, sold in three yearly tiers. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/expressvpn-vs-nordvpn)
- [Proton VPN](https://toolgpa.com/tools/proton-vpn): Open-source Swiss VPN with a free plan that has no data cap. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/nordvpn-vs-proton-vpn)
- [Private Internet Access](https://toolgpa.com/tools/private-internet-access): Open-source VPN with unlimited devices and servers in all 50 US states. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/nordvpn-vs-private-internet-access)
- [CyberGhost](https://toolgpa.com/tools/cyberghost): VPN for seven devices with a 45-day money-back window on long plans. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/cyberghost-vs-nordvpn)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026:

- https://my.nordaccount.com/legal/pricing/
- https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/19744251757841-How-to-check-the-plans-and-prices-of-NordVPN
- https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/19477173269265-How-much-will-I-need-to-pay-upon-renewal
- https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/19744837091217-Does-NordVPN-have-a-free-trial
- https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/19476991311121-What-is-your-refund-policy
- https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/19559429814545-What-features-does-NordVPN-have
- https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/19476515228305-How-many-devices-can-I-use-with-NordVPN
- https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/19476182512273-Does-NordVPN-charge-all-at-once
- https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/40147955261713-I-was-charged-the-wrong-amount
- https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/19477702164369-How-to-get-NordVPN-cheaper
- https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us/articles/23191235440657-Dedicated-IP-Renewal-and-cancellation
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nordvpn-vpn-fast-secure/id905953485

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/nordvpn
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).