NordVPN places products under open source license

What will be open source?

• The entire NordVPN application on Linux.
• Libtelio, a networking library used across NordVPN apps on all operating systems.
• Libdrop, a library used to share files over Meshnet.

What does this mean, exactly? We’re opening these elements up to be examined, altered, and distributed by anyone who wishes to do so.

If, for example, you think the Linux NordVPN application could be improved upon or its functionalities changed in some way, you can experiment with the code and create your own version.

Why are we doing this?

We’re making these products open source as a sign of our commitment to transparency and accountability. We want the input and scrutiny of the coding community and to show you that we have confidence in our own software.

This step also underlines our strong belief in collaborative progress. The app development and cybersecurity community is full of talented coders and pentesters who can bring their own unique perspectives to our applications.

Open sourcing Libtelio is a particularly important step because this code forms the backbone of all our NordVPN applications, not just our Linux client. Putting this material into the hands of the Linux community — one of the strongest open source communities currently active — encourages talented coders and developers to scrutinize our code and make our service better.

Fundamentally, we want as many people as possible to benefit from the products we develop, and by making this code open source, we can further that mission. This is the same motivation that led us to make our Meshnet feature completely free to all users.

The benefits of open source

Making software open source yields a range of benefits. Foremost among them is the chance to have our code examined and strengthened by the community.

Remember, this isn’t just about our Linux client — the assets we’re releasing from the Libtelio library underpin all of our NordVPN apps. Any input on our code will greatly benefit our service as a whole, since the underlying architecture is the same across many applications.

Open source software is the bedrock of innovation and collaboration in the software development space, and we want to be part of that community.

In addition to Libtelio and the NordVPN application, of course, we’re also making Libdrop open source. It’s a library of files integral to our Meshnet file sharing system, and here again is room for creative input from the coding community. The more eyes we have on our software, the better we can make it.