Service overview
Windscribe
windscribe.com
Canadian VPN with open-source apps, a free tier and crypto payment
Open source
Privacy 6.8/10
Safety 8.1/10
Read the evidence
NordVPN review
Large Panama-registered VPN that takes cryptocurrency but requires an email account
Privacy score
5.8/ 10
FairHow much you reveal
See the score breakdown Safety score
5.2/ 10
CautionHow well you’re protected
See the score breakdown Identity policy
1/ 4 KYC level
No ID mentioned Read the policy Evidence
Documentation reviewed Grades based on published terms and documentation.
0 published tests Two grades. Different questions.Understand the methodology
The overview
The essentials, at a glance.
NordVPN is a VPN. Its terms put it at KYC level 1 of 4: no ID mentioned. NoKYC Score grades it 5.8/10 for privacy (fair) and 5.2/10 for safety (caution). In its favour: no-logs policy and company named. To watch: it requires an email address and is closed source. No incidents are on record.
What stands out
- No-logs policy
States that connection or activity logs are not kept.
- Company named
The operating company and its jurisdiction are published.
Before you use it
- Email required
An email address is required to use the service.
- Closed source
The code is not public, so its behaviour cannot be checked.
No test transactions published yet.
About NordVPN
NordVPN is a commercial VPN service whose terms name nordvpn S.A. in Panama City, Panama, as the contracting company, with Panama as the governing law and regional payment processors listed for the EU, UK, Japan, Australia and other markets. Using the service requires an account set up with an email address and password. Checkout offers cards, PayPal and other regional methods, and the no-log page says cryptocurrency is accepted; the terms say crypto purchases are refunded in the same cryptocurrency. The no-log page says the no-logs policy has been reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers AG Switzerland and later by Deloitte, but the reports are not posted publicly on that page. The Linux client is published on GitHub under GPL-3.0; the other apps are not open source.
Cite this review or read as plain text
NoKYC Score, "NordVPN review", reviewed 23 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/nordvpn
Open plain-text review ↗The feature review
Privacy, without the guesswork.
2 / 14 features confirmed2 warnings in the recorded terms
Identity
0 / 4 confirmed
- ID never requiredNot stated
The terms rule identity checks out, or the design makes them impossible.
- No account neededNo
Usable without creating an account, or the account is only a random number.
- No email neededNo
An email address is not required to sign up or use it.
- No phone numberNot stated
A phone number is never required.
Payment
0 / 3 confirmed
- Accepts MoneroNot stated
Monero hides sender, receiver and amount, so the payment cannot be traced to you.
- Accepts LightningNot stated
Bitcoin Lightning payments: fast, cheap and more private than on-chain.
- Accepts cashNot stated
Cash by post or in person: no bank and no blockchain record.
Access
0 / 2 confirmed
- Tor onion addressNot stated
An official .onion address, reachable only through Tor.
- Works without JavaScriptNot stated
Core functions work with scripts disabled, as in Tor Browser on its safest setting.
Trust
2 / 5 confirmed
- Open sourceNo
The code that matters is public and can be inspected.
- No-logs policyYes
States that connection or activity logs are not kept.
- Independent auditNot stated
A third party audited the code or the no-logs claim, and the report is public.
- Company namedYes
The operating company and its jurisdiction are published.
- 5+ years operatingNot stated
Has operated continuously for five years or more.
Warnings
2 flagged
- May ask for IDNot in terms
The terms reserve the right to demand identity documents, often after a risk flag.
- Email requiredYes
An email address is required to use the service.
- Phone number requiredNot in terms
A phone number is required to use the service.
- Closed sourceYes
The code is not public, so its behaviour cannot be checked.
- Nobody accountableNot in terms
No company or person is publicly responsible for the service.
“Not stated” means the service’s own pages do not say. Expand a group to see every check.
Identity requirements
Does NordVPN require KYC?
Level 1 of 4
No ID mentioned
- 0 Never
- 1 Not mentioned
- 2 Rare
- 3 On risk flag
- 4 Mandatory
No ID requirement appears anywhere in NordVPN's terms or documentation. Checked against its own terms.
- Account required
- Email may be asked
- Phone may be asked
- No ID documents
KYC level 1: No ID mentioned. No identity requirement appears anywhere in the terms or documentation.
The terms require an account with "certain information (such as your email address and password)" and allow card verification for fraud prevention; no identity-document requirement was found.
Transparent by design
Every point, explained.
Both grades start at 50 points and move by fixed, published amounts. Nothing is adjusted by hand. The total is divided by ten.
Privacy
5.8/ 10
- Starting points 50
- KYC level 1: No ID mentioned +12
- Requires email -4
- No-logs policy +2
- Closed source -2
- Total, clamped to 0–100 58
Safety
5.2/ 10
- Starting points 50
- Legal entity disclosed +5
- Closed source -3
- Total, clamped to 0–100 52
Evidence, not promises
Test ledger 0
Published test transactions, with the route, amount and outcome available to inspect.
No test transactions published yet
The grades above rest on NordVPN’s terms and documentation. Tests will appear here with the date, route, amount band and result as they are run.
The track record
Incidents 0
No incidents on record
We have no documented cases for NordVPN. An empty record does not guarantee a service is risk-free.
Community experience
What users are saying 0
Reviews never change a grade. Reviews with a transaction reference are marked.
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Alternatives to NordVPN
All alternatives → Service overview
Mullvad VPN
mullvad.net
Swedish VPN using numbered accounts; accepts cash by post and Monero
Open sourceAccepts Monero
Privacy 9.7/10
Safety 7.6/10
Read the evidence
Service overview
AzireVPN
azirevpn.com
Swedish-founded VPN with no-email sign-up; now card and PayPal payment only
No email needed
Privacy 7.2/10
Safety 7.4/10
Read the evidence
Service overview
Proton VPN
protonvpn.com
Swiss VPN with a free tier; paid plans payable in Bitcoin or cash
Open sourceAccepts cash
Privacy 6.4/10
Safety 7.3/10
Read the evidence
NordVPN vs WindscribeNordVPN vs Mullvad VPNNordVPN vs AzireVPNNordVPN vs Proton VPN
NordVPN: common questions
Does NordVPN require KYC?
NordVPN is rated KYC level 1 of 4 on this site: no ID mentioned. The terms require an account with "certain information (such as your email address and password)" and allow card verification for fraud prevention; no identity-document requirement was found.
Is NordVPN safe to use?
NordVPN has a Safety grade of 5.2 out of 10 and a Privacy grade of 5.8 out of 10. No incidents are on record. Evidence level: documentation reviewed.
Is NordVPN legit?
NordVPN is a working VPN. It publishes the company that runs it, in Panama. Being real is not the same as being safe: its Safety grade here is 5.2 out of 10, built from custody, liquidity, track record and incidents.
Is NordVPN a scam?
NoKYC Score does not label services as scams; it records documented incidents with their sources and outcomes. No incidents are on record for NordVPN.
Do I need an account or email to use NordVPN?
Email required.
What fees does NordVPN charge?
Subscription plans; prices vary by plan and region. Fees were recorded from NordVPN's own pages and can change; check before you send.
Does NordVPN have a Tor onion address?
No official onion address was found on NordVPN's own pages.
Can I use NordVPN over Tor?
NordVPN does not publish an official onion address.
Listing history
- Listing added. Facts and KYC level set from the service's own terms and documentation.