West Coast Labs’ complete VPN performance and security analysis
West Coast Labs structures its VPN evaluations to show how a service behaves in real-world conditions, not controlled lab scenarios. The assessment looks at the functions that shape a VPN user’s experience: connection stability, privacy protection, browsing reliability, and overall responsiveness.
Each provider is tested side by side with competitors, following AMTSO guidelines, which gives WCL a clear view of how well a VPN performs when measured against real alternatives. The goal is to produce a complete picture of the challenges users encounter daily and how each service holds up against them in practice.
Methodology
West Coast Labs’ latest VPN evaluation tested five leading VPN providers, including NordVPN, across six core categories:
- VPN functionality
- Speed performance
- Security and leak protection
- Website accessibility
- VPN time to connect
- System resource impact while connected to VPN
The tests were conducted on Windows 11 Pro and macOS Sonoma applications using a high-speed 1 Gbps fiber uplink, ensuring that speed and reliability were measured under conditions that reflect typical home and office networks. As in previous years, the assessment covered the main areas of VPN performance and followed an AMTSO-aligned testing framework, which is commonly used for evaluating security and network-protection tools.
Key findings
The West Coast Labs report showed that NordVPN scored near-perfect results in each of the research categories and finished first overall with a score of 58/60 — the highest of all VPNs tested.
Still strong, still reliable
NordVPN passed every functionality test, including kill switch performance, split tunneling behavior, and secure startup. The app stayed responsive and handled settings changes without issues.
Fastest VPN tested
NordVPN proved itself to be the fastest VPN in the entire study, outperforming all competitors in every speed category. With the average speed of 817 Mbps across all regions (29-92 Mbps faster than competitors), and ~95% of baseline speed, NordVPN consistently performed even under demanding conditions. WCL also recorded impressively low latency, which is exactly what gamers need for smooth, responsive gameplay without lag spikes.
Air-tight security and leak protection
WCL found no IP and DNS leaks across 455 network transitions. IPv6 leak protection stayed active, and all traffic remained inside the VPN tunnel even during 62 forced network switches. These results placed NordVPN in WCL’s tier 1 — the Perfect Security group.
Near-perfect website accessibility
NordVPN reached all 100 tested websites without blocks and triggered only two CAPTCHA prompts. Services known for strict filtering still loaded quickly. Fewer CAPTCHA triggers mean fewer interruptions for users.
Connection in the blink of an eye
A smooth VPN experience starts with a quick connection, and NordVPN delivered the fastest times in the study. WCL measured an average connection time of 0.66 seconds, with the fastest connection hitting 0.57 seconds — 2.4x faster than second place and nearly 5x faster than the slowest competitor.
System resource-friendly impact
During heavy browsing sessions, NordVPN added only +0.64% CPU usage and +510 MB memory usage on both Windows and macOS. The app remained stable even with 25 tabs open and multiple regions selected.
To see the complete breakdown of every test, read the full WCL report.
Previous WCL evaluations: NordVPN’s earlier results
This report is not the first time WCL has tested NordVPN’s performance and compared it to its competitors. In an earlier VPN evaluation, WCL measured NordVPN against three undisclosed providers across functionality, speed, leak protection, website access, connection time, and system impact. NordVPN delivered near-perfect results in every category.
Compared to that earlier report, the newest WCL assessment shows that NordVPN not only maintained these strengths but improved in several areas. Connection times are now significantly faster, leak protection remained flawless even during more demanding network transitions, and overall speed performance increased to the top position among all providers tested.
With a higher overall score and stronger results across broader testing, NordVPN’s latest WCL evaluation demonstrates clear progress while reinforcing the consistency highlighted in previous years.
WCL also evaluated NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro™ feature in a separate test, where it earned the highest AAA anti-malware rating and a 99.8% detection score. This earlier result adds another layer of independent confirmation that NordVPN’s security tools work reliably under real pressure.
The big picture
The latest WCL report shows that NordVPN continues to deliver strong and consistent performance across all AMTSO-approved VPN testing criteria. With strong online safety capabilities, the service is well equipped to protect users against even complex threats. Meanwhile, 100% website accessibility and speeds that outdo the industry average guarantee a swift and seamless connection.
NordVPN’s accessibility doesn’t end there. The service offers attractive 2-year deals and even a 30-day money-back guarantee for every client. Users can also enjoy advanced safety features such as Threat Protection Pro™, Meshnet, and Dark Web Monitor. With these protections in place, users have a reliable way to safeguard their online traffic from potential cyber threats.
About West Coast Labs
West Coast Labs (WCL) is an independent security testing and research organization based in the USA. Known for evaluating and certifying cybersecurity products, the organization assesses the effectiveness of security solutions against real-world threats. The company strives to perform its tests “in a secure, real-world test environment and within a framework of confidentiality that ensures integrity of information and test data.” Its assessments often follow AMTSO-aligned testing practices, which help ensure fairness and consistency across the entire evaluation process. The cybersecurity industry widely regards certification by WCL as a significant achievement.
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