NordVPN falls into our top 5 VPN's for Kodi thanks in large part to it's impressive security, privacy and reliable (yet fast) speed and performance.
Best For Kodi Because:- Privacy: If you're concerned about whether what you're streaming is at risk in Kodi, NordVPN is situated in Panama which provides zero surveillance.
- Geo-UnBlock: If you use Kodi to stream sports and have issues with blackouts NordVPN is one of the few services with the capability to automatically bypass that. This also opens up Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and more thanks to it's Smart DNS service.
- 30 Day Money Back Guarentee:Try it and if you don't love it NordVPN will give you your money back within 30 days of signup.
- P2P Enabled:Unlimited bandwidth on both P2P and torrents for those Kodi addons that use this technology.
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NordVPN For Kodi Review
Almost always a top 5 VPN recommendation NordVPN is incredibly affordable, well subscribed and quite possibly provides the best privacy currently for a Kodi VPN. But when Kodi users suggest a VPN to use NordVPN doesn’t seem to be mentioned as frequently as IPVanish, Private Internet Access and ExpressVPN.
Why?
Partly because of the incredible marketing behind providers like IPVanish but also because NordVPN had a few criticisms towards customer support. Since our last review though NordVPN has implemented a lot of changes towards providing better customer support but also they’ve managed to increase performance, speed and security on an already robust VPN.
As a Kodi VPN it just works. As it’s based in Panama the chances of ever having any peering eyes from government spying into your Kodi streaming is almost next to none. It also comes with a 30 day money back guarantee so you can try it for 30 days before making a decision.
Pricing and Plans
NordVPN offers some of the most competitive pricing options for Kodi. It currently comes in just a tad bit more expensive than the likes of Private Internet Access but not much.
NordVPN is currently offering a promotion for just $3.49 per month, click here to learn more.
Like most other VPN providers NordVPN offers just one pricing plan but offers discounts on any subscriber who commits to a longer term.
On a Month to month plan you’ll be paying significantly more at $11.95 which is almost double what you would pay month to month with PIA. However, you start to see significant discounts when you sign up for a year ($6.99 a month) and three years ($3.49 a month). They also offer a free three day trial with no questions asked (learn more).
Payment can be made a handful of ways. Paypal and credit card are traditional payment options but NordVPN also accept Bitcoin and a handful of other payment processors (like Alipay, Yandex, Webmoney and more).
Features
NordVPN comes with a handful of features and even separates itself from some of our other popular VPN providers.
Some unique and some of our favorites include:
- Up to Six Connections
- Double VPN
- Smart DNS
- P2P Enabled
- Kill Switch, NordVPN provides an automatic kill switch should the VPN get disconnected.
- Multiple Extensions, they offer encrypted proxy extensions for browsers like Chrome and Firefox.
- Built in Adblocker
- WifiSec, this feature automatically enables NordVPN the moment a connection is made to a WiFi network.
- Works in ALL COUNTRIES, NordVPN works in every country including those that have internet access restricted with strong censorship.
Six Simultaneous Connections
If you’re a heavy user of Kodi and have multiple devices connected you’ll be happy to hear that up to 6 devices can be connected at the same time. This isn’t without it’s limitations though as you’ll need to select these devices to different servers. Otherwise if you do connect to the same server location you’ll be forced to connect with different protocols.
We don’t believe this to be an issue as it’s rare to have 4 devices streaming simultaneously let alone 6.
Double VPN
If you wear the tin hat in regards to your user privacy then the Double VPN feature might just be for you. An uncommon feature it works by allowing your data to be chained together to multiple VPN servers meaning your data gets encrypted and then re-encrypted.
The downside to this is the obvious speed drop that will occur so if you’re streaming content without a premium subscription like Premiumize then you may want to steer clear of using this feature. Still...a nice touch for added security.
Smart DNS
One of the best features, and not directly related to Kodi, is NordVPN’s smart DNS. According to the NordVPN website this allows subscribers to access over 150 streaming services by enabling you to geo-spoof your location. Services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc are all fully functional thanks to this Smart DNS technology.
Setting this up is easy as it runs straight from the NordVPN app and helps automate the process by detecting whether or not the streaming service requires it before rerouting you.
P2P Enabled
With more and more torrent and P2P addons becoming popular we’re happy to see NordVPN allows unlimited bandwidth on such connections.
Security and Privacy
Situated in the country of Panama bodes will for NordVPN. The country provides uncensored internet and (more importantly) zero surveillance from government. No influence from the U.S, UK or pressure from the likes of the NSA.
For potential subscribers who put privacy as their number one priority, the fact that NordVPN is based in Panama makes it one of the best choices.
Security is second to none and uses OpenVPN for most of its connections.
Performance
We were pleasantly surprised by the speed improvements and performance from NordVPN. On our 150Mbps connection we seen (or speeds typically reach 180 despite are connection being purchased at 150):
Highest Download Speed: 115 MBps
Lowest Download Speed: 92 MBps
Speed and performance will ultimately come down to your internet connection. It’s suggested that you should expect to see around a 30% drop in speed from your internet connection when connected to OpenVPN but this isn’t always the case.
At times we never noticed we were connected to a VPN. Streaming and watching premium sports there was little to no buffering at all. Even more so impressive, when used in conjunction with services that don’t see constant user abuse, services like Real Debrid or Premiumize will make any speed concerns negligible.
How To Install NordVPN on Kodi
When looking to use with Kodi, NordVpn comes with apps for Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, the Raspberry Pi, Chrome OS and dozens of custom software for anyone looking to install at the router level (usually the best solution for multiple Kodi boxes).
Windows
Installing NordVPN on Windows is simple and straightforward. Simply put all you’ll need to do is to signup for the service and download the app. Once installed simply login with your new user account and click Quick Connect or choose a server location from the map.
Fire TV & Firestick
One of the bigger disappointments at this time is the lack of a FireOS app for the Amazon Fire TV and FireTV Stick. Other providers have already adapted this so if you’re a Fire TV user we recommend checking into ExpressVPN or IPVanish as they have prebuilt apps ready for use.
Still, if you are intent on wanting to use NordVPN you can sideload the NordVPN Android app onto your Fire TV and install it that way.
Tutorial Coming soon!
Android
Installing the NordVPN on your Android box is easy if you have access to the Google Play Store. Simply signup for NordVPN and download the client onto your device. Enter in your username and password and choose a server and you’ll be off and running with a VPN encryption.
If you don’t have access to the Google Play Store then you’ll need a tutorial on how to sideload.
The NordVPN website has dozens of well written tutorials with images to help guide you through the process.
NordVPN and Kodi Conclusion
Streaming content from third party addons in Kodi can be hit or miss at any time of the week and any hour of the day. It’s important to remember to keep this in mind when choosing a VPN provider.
NordVPN provides a rich, fully featured product and is one of the best options for anyone concerned about their privacy when using Kodi. This is largely in part due to the company being based in Panama. No logs and no concern about outside influence in giving up user information due to the countries uncensored internet laws.
Speed and performance has improved over the course of the last year and should be more than capable for streaming content in Kodi. Again, it’s important to keep in mind the source you’re streaming from but if you’re using Real Debrid or a service like Premiumize you shouldn’t have any performance issues in Kodi with NordVPN.
Choosing NordVPN will provide you with a secure, no logs, fully featured VPN service that is capable of keeping up with your streaming needs.
