NordVPN Free Trial: 7 Days Free, Who Qualifies and the Catches

NordVPN runs both a free trial and a refund guarantee, and they work differently, which is where most of the confusion comes from. Here's exactly what NordVPN says about each.

NordVPN free trial: the key facts

Question	NordVPN's answer
Length	7 days
Plans	1-year and 2-year Prime plans
Who qualifies	First-time customers who register a new Nord Account, once only
Countries	US, Canada, Australia, UK, France, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Italy and Poland
What's included	The full NordVPN experience, including its antivirus and Dark Web Monitor
Charged during the trial?	No; you're charged the plan price at the end unless you cancel
App store sign-ups	The 7-day trial isn't available when buying through the App Store or Google Play

How to start the 7-day trial

1. Go to NordVPN's free trial page on its website, not the app store.
2. Pick a 1-year or 2-year plan. Shorter plans don't carry the trial.
3. Enter your payment details. NordVPN says you won't be charged anything before the trial period ends.
4. Download the app on any device you want to test: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android or Linux.
5. Note the date. NordVPN says you need to cancel before day seven to avoid a charge.

Can you try NordVPN without a credit card?

Yes, with one specific route. NordVPN says you can start the trial with no credit card by choosing PayPal at checkout. If you pick other methods, including Google Pay, Union Pay, Sofort or cryptocurrencies, the free trial option greys out. So PayPal or a card are the two ways in.

The Android trial is a different offer

If you download NordVPN from Google Play, you get a separate 3-day free trial that Google Play itself runs, one per customer. NordVPN says it follows Google Play's terms, so questions about it go to Google, not Nord. It's available to first-time users around the world except Bangladesh, India, South Korea and Sri Lanka.

That's a useful option if you live outside the 13 trial countries, but it's shorter, and you cancel it in Google Play rather than your Nord Account.

Free trial vs the 30-day refund guarantee

These are two separate things, and NordVPN is clear about it:

• The free trial costs nothing at all if you cancel within 7 days. No refund needed, because no charge is taken.
• The 30-day refund guarantee lets first-time customers ask for a refund within 30 days of purchase. You've paid, and you contact customer support to get it back.

If you're in a trial country and buying on the website, the trial is the cleaner option. If you're outside those countries, the guarantee is your safety net.

Can you try NordVPN more than once?

No. NordVPN says that for reasons of fairness the free trial is only available once, to first-time customers who register a new Nord Account. If you've bought NordVPN before, even years ago, you won't see the trial option. In that case your safety net is the 30-day refund guarantee instead.

1-year or 2-year plan for the trial?

The trial only works on those two plan lengths, so you have to pick one at sign-up. The choice matters more than it seems, because NordVPN says that if you don't cancel, it charges the price you saw when you entered the trial, including any savings shown at the time. After that first term, NordVPN says the price depends on the offers available and the length of your new term, and it notifies you before any automatic renewal charge.

So before you click, read the total on the checkout screen for both options and decide which you'd be happy to pay if you keep it. If you'd only commit for a year, choose the 1-year plan for the trial.

How to cancel the NordVPN free trial

1. Log in to your Nord Account on the NordVPN website.
2. Open Subscriptions.
3. Click Cancel next to Free trial.
4. Check for the confirmation email before the trial ends.

If you don't cancel within the seven days, NordVPN says you'll be subscribed to the plan you chose and charged the price you saw when you started the trial, including any savings shown then. It also says it emails you a reminder of that price before the subscription starts.

Is the NordVPN trial worth using?

For a business owner, the honest test is simple: install it on every device you'd use, including your work laptop and phone, and use it for a normal working week. Check it doesn't slow your video calls, break your banking logins or upset any work tools. Seven days is enough to find out. If you want a second opinion before you start, I've covered whether NordVPN is safe and how it compares in NordVPN vs ExpressVPN.

My verdict

The NordVPN free trial is a real trial, not a refund promise, and it's one of the better ones: full features, no charge if you cancel inside 7 days, and PayPal accepted. The catches are that it only covers 1-year and 2-year plans, only 13 countries, and not the app stores. Sign up on the website, test it hard, and cancel in Subscriptions before day seven if it isn't for you.

If you're still choosing between providers, see how ExpressVPN handles its trial.

Frequently asked questions

Does NordVPN have a free trial?

Yes. NordVPN offers a free 7-day trial for 1-year and 2-year Prime plans to users who have never subscribed before, in 13 countries including the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

Can I get a NordVPN free trial without a credit card?

Yes. NordVPN says you can try it with no credit card by selecting PayPal as your payment method at checkout.

Is the NordVPN free trial available on Android?

The 7-day trial isn't available through Google Play. Google Play runs a separate 3-day free trial for first-time Android users, except in Bangladesh, India, South Korea and Sri Lanka.

How do I cancel the NordVPN free trial?

Log in to your Nord Account, go to Subscriptions and click Cancel next to Free trial. NordVPN says you need to cancel before day seven to avoid a charge.

Is the NordVPN free trial the same as the refund guarantee?

No. The trial costs nothing if you cancel within 7 days. The 30-day refund guarantee is separate and lets first-time customers request a refund within 30 days of purchase.