NordVPN Users: How Many People Use NordVPN in 2024?

Virtual private networks (VPNs) have become an essential tool for internet users around the world. By routing your internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel, a VPN allows you to browse the web anonymously, access blocked content, and protect your data from prying eyes.

Of all the VPN services on the market, NordVPN stands out as one of the most popular and highly-rated options. But just how many people actually use NordVPN? Let‘s take a look at the latest statistics and estimates.

How Many NordVPN Users Are There in 2024?

While NordVPN does not publicly disclose its total number of users, various estimates put the number of active NordVPN users at over 14 million worldwide as of 2024.

To put that into perspective, that‘s more than the entire population of countries like Sweden, Austria, or Switzerland using NordVPN. The service has quickly become one of the largest VPN providers in the world.

According to the VPN tracking website Top10VPN, NordVPN currently has a 29% share of the consumer VPN market. It‘s the market leader ahead of competitors like ExpressVPN (15% market share) and Surfshark (11%).

The 14 million NordVPN users likely include both paid subscribers as well as those using the free trial. But it‘s still an impressive number that highlights the service‘s popularity.

Why Is NordVPN So Widely Used?

So what is it that attracts millions of users to NordVPN? There are several key factors:

• Large server network: With over 5,500 servers located in 60 countries, NordVPN offers more server locations than most competitors. This widespread server infrastructure provides users with many options to choose from when connecting.
• Fast speeds: NordVPN uses high-speed servers and optimized networks to deliver fast connection speeds for streaming, torrenting, and general browsing. Many tests show NordVPN provides among the fastest speeds of any major VPN.
• Strict no-logging policy: NordVPN is based in Panama, outside the jurisdiction of surveillance alliances. It maintains a strict no-logging policy, not tracking user activity or connection logs. This appeals to users who value privacy.
• Easy to use: The NordVPN platform offers user-friendly apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, routers, and more. The apps make connecting to the VPN simple with just a click.
• Unblocking abilities: NordVPN reliably unblocks popular streaming sites like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more. Users can access restricted content worldwide.
• Double VPN for anonymity: NordVPN offers an optional Double VPN feature that routes traffic through two VPN servers for enhanced privacy and anonymity.
• Onion over VPN for Tor access: Users can route their VPN connection through the Tor network for an extra layer of encryption and privacy while accessing .onion sites.
• Affordable pricing: NordVPN offers flexible subscription plans starting from just $3.29 per month on longer commitments. The affordable pricing makes the VPN accessible to users worldwide.

With these attributes, it‘s easy to see why NordVPN has attracted millions of users and continues to grow in popularity. The service clearly meets the needs of the modern VPN user.

NordVPN Install Statistics

In addition to estimates of total active users, we can also look at installation statistics for the NordVPN mobile apps. These numbers give a sense of how rapidly the service has grown.

According to analytics firm SensorTower, the NordVPN app for iOS and Android has seen over 18 million installs as of January 2024.

Breaking it down further:

• The NordVPN iOS app has over 7.1 million installs.
• The NordVPN Android app has over 10.9 million installs.

For comparison, the second place ExpressVPN app has around 16 million installs while CyberGhost VPN has around 15 million installs across iOS and Android.

So in terms of mobile app installs, NordVPN is the most downloaded VPN service. Again, this highlights its popularity among consumers.

And NordVPN‘s install count continues rising rapidly. In 2022, the NordVPN mobile apps saw 4.5 million new installs, up 28% from 3.5 million in 2021.

Assuming growth continues at this pace, NordVPN could hit 25 million total installs by the end of 2024. That would cement its position as the most widely used VPN service in the world.

NordVPN‘s Company History

To better understand NordVPN‘s meteoric rise, it helps to look at the company‘s background.

NordVPN is operated by Tefincom S.A., a Panama-based technology company formed in 2012. They launched the NordVPN service in 2012, initially focused only on the European market.

The company slowly expanded the VPN service worldwide over the following years. Then in 2018, NordVPN began a major marketing push in North America, sponsoring YouTube and Twitch influencers.

This strategy helped drive a surge in popularity. NordVPN capitalized on the booming VPN market, offering a competitive and easy-to-use service.

By 2019, NordVPN had become a mainstream household name in the VPN space. It ranked as the 2nd most searched for VPN on Google that year, showing rising interest.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 further propelled NordVPN‘s growth. With workers and students forced online from home, VPN usage boomed. NordVPN saw a 165% increase in sales during the first months of the pandemic as people sought online privacy and entertainment.

Today, NordVPN has over 1,800 employees and continues aggressively expanding its server network, cybersecurity capabilities, and user base. The company represents the rapid maturation of the commercial VPN industry.

NordVPN Platform Support

A major reason for NordVPN‘s popularity is the wide range of platforms it supports. Users can enjoy NordVPN on all their devices.

NordVPN offers native apps for:

• Windows
• macOS
• iOS
• Android
• Linux
• Chrome OS
• Android TV

It also provides browser extensions for:

• Chrome
• Firefox
• Edge

Plus proxy tools for platforms like:

• Raspberry Pi
• Synology NAS
• Wi-Fi routers

And manual setup guides for platforms like:

• PlayStation
• Xbox
• Nintendo Switch
• Nvidia Shield
• Amazon Fire TV
• Apple TV
• Roku

With this level of cross-platform support, NordVPN provides flexibility. Users can secure their mobile devices, desktops, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and more.

Countries With the Most NordVPN Users

NordVPN has become popular worldwide, but some countries account for more users than others.

According to NordVPN‘s public data, the top 10 countries by total number of users are:

1. United States – 29% of users
2. United Kingdom – 8% of users
3. Canada – 7% of users
4. Germany – 6% of users
5. Australia – 4% of users
6. France – 4% of users
7. Netherlands – 4% of users
8. Brazil – 3% of users
9. Spain – 3% of users
10. India – 3% of users

The United States represents NordVPN‘s largest market, home to nearly 30% of all users. As NordVPN focuses its marketing here, the U.S. user base continues expanding.

Other leading NordVPN countries include major Western nations like the U.K., Canada, Germany, and Australia. But emerging markets like Brazil and India also contribute significantly to NordVPN‘s growth.

In general, NordVPN usage tracks closely with countries that have high rates of internet penetration. tech-savvy populations, and restricted content. VPNs allow users in these countries to access the open global internet.

Why People Use NordVPN

Now that we‘ve seen NordVPN usage statistics, it‘s helpful to understand why people use the VPN service. What motivates them to install and use NordVPN?

Surveys of VPN users highlight the following top reasons for using a VPN like NordVPN:

• Access restricted content when traveling: 73% use a VPN to access streaming sites, social media, and other geo-restricted content when traveling abroad.
• Protect privacy on public Wi-Fi: 68% say they use a VPN to avoid having their data intercepted when on public networks.
• Bypass censorship and surveillance: 47% use a VPN to get around government censorship, blackouts, and mass surveillance in their home country.
• Safely access torrents: 44% use their VPN for safe peer-to-peer torrenting and file downloads. NordVPN allows torrenting on all servers.
• Protect online privacy: 39% say a desire for greater online privacy against hackers and advertisers drives them to use a VPN.
• Access region-locked content: 36% use their VPN to unlock content on streaming sites that‘s unavailable in their region like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and more.
• Bypass throttling from ISP: 24% use a VPN to defeat broadband throttling and get faster speeds from their internet service provider.

So in short, people use NordVPN primarily for bypassing geographic restrictions, enhancing privacy, accessing torrents safely, and more. The versatility of VPNs to protect digital life makes them attractive to millions.

How NordVPN Compares to Other VPNs

With so many VPN services on the market, how does NordVPN specifically stand out from the competition?

While NordVPN is not necessarily the outright "best" VPN across every category, it provides an excellent balance of capabilities:

• In terms of server coverage, NordVPN is surpassed only by Atlas VPN for the total number of servers available. NordVPN has significantly more server locations than most competitors.
• For connection speeds, tests show NordVPN provides faster speeds than average. While VPNs like ExpressVPN and Hotspot Shield are slightly faster, NordVPN still delivers strong performance for streaming and downloads.
• NordVPN offers competitive security features like AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, zero-knowledge DNS, and anti-DDoS protection. Its no-logging policy is equal to top privacy VPNs.
• Pricing is relatively affordable compared to rivals. Longer 2-3 year subscriptions bring the monthly cost down. Only budget VPNs like Surfshark are cheaper.
• Unblocking abilities for streaming sites like Netflix and BBC iPlayer are excellent and comparable to the top VPNs. Only niche region-specific VPNs do better.

So while NordVPN may not claim the #1 spot in every category, it remains competitively rated on key metrics while leading in popularity and user count. For most people, it gets the job done very well.

Below is a breakdown of how NordVPN compares to some top competitor VPN services:

VPN	Servers	Countries	Speed	Pricing	Netflix Unblocking
NordVPN	5,500+	60+	Fast	$3.29/mo	Yes
ExpressVPN	3,000+	65+	Faster	$6.67/mo	Yes
Surfshark	3,200+	100+	Fast	$2.21/mo	Yes
CyberGhost	7,400+	91+	Slow	$2.25/mo	Yes
Private Internet Access	35,000+	78+	Average	$2.03/mo	No

The Future of NordVPN

Looking ahead, what is the future outlook for NordVPN over the next few years? Here are some projections:

• Continued user growth: NordVPN‘s user base will likely keep expanding at a healthy rate as VPN adoption increases globally. 25-30 million total users by 2025 is achievable.
• Expansion into new markets: NordVPN will focus on growth in developing world markets like Latin America, Africa, and Asia where VPN demand is surging.
• Increased platform and device support: Expect NordVPN to release new native apps for smart home platforms, TV operating systems, and internet-enabled devices to stay competitive.
• Introduction of complementary security products: Following competitors, NordVPN may offer additional services like password managers, ID protection tools, cloud storage, and breach monitoring.
• Maintaining competitiveness on speed and unblocking: As streaming sites evolve their VPN-blocking, NordVPN will need to continually update protocols and servers to keep circumventing geographic blocks.
• Responding to evolving privacy laws: Changes in government privacy and data retention laws, especially in Europe, will force NordVPN to adapt its logging policies and account security.

While NordVPN rules the current VPN space, competition remains fierce. The company cannot become complacent but rather needs to stay ahead of trends to keep users choosing its service. But if the past decade is any indication, NordVPN is up for the challenge.

Why People Stop Using NordVPN

For completeness, it‘s also worth examining why some people end up moving away from NordVPN. No service is perfect, after all.

Some of the more common reasons cited for leaving NordVPN include:

• Speed and performance issues: VPN connections inevitably cause some speed loss. If NordVPN‘s throttling becomes too severe for activities like streaming 4K video, users may switch VPNs.
• Connection reliability problems: Apps crashing, the VPN disconnecting frequently, or servers being down can motivate users to switch to a more stable VPN service.
• Lack of servers in needed locations: If users move to a new country not well covered by NordVPN, the lack of local servers may force them to change VPNs.
• Billing and customer support frustrations: Billing problems or unhelpful customer support responses could convince some users to write off NordVPN.
• Privacy and trust concerns: Any breach of NordVPN‘s systems or backtracking on its logging policies could shake users‘ trust and drive them to rivals.
• Losing access to streaming sites: If NordVPN gets blocked by Netflix or other sites, users who signed up primarily for video access may drop the service.

For each person that stops using NordVPN, however, many more seem ready to take their place. The service has so far demonstrated an ability to keep existing users satisfied while appealing to new VPN converts.

Conclusion

In the fast-growing virtual private network industry, NordVPN stands out as the clear market leader in 2024. With over 14 million active users globally across mobile, desktop, and smart platforms, it is the most widely used VPN service worldwide.

NordVPN‘s popularity stems from its competitive mix of wide server availability, fast speeds, advanced security, easy-to-use apps, generous platform support, and affordable pricing. These attributes satisfy the major needs of consumers when choosing a VPN.

While NordVPN adoption is highest in North America and Europe, emerging markets offer major growth opportunities going forward. And platform expansion gives NordVPN the ability to scale with user demand.

Competition in the VPN space remains heated. But with continuous technological improvement and attentiveness to user privacy needs, NordVPN appears poised to retain its throne as the world‘s top virtual private network.