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NordVPN has announced the addition of 30 new virtual server locations, taking its total to 79.
Virtual server locations allow VPNs to provide users with local IP addresses without having to operate a physical server in that location. Many of the best VPNs operate virtual servers as they allow for a greater number of server locations to be offered to users.
30 new virtual locations
In a blog post, NordVPN announced that 30 new virtual server locations were added in December 2025.
This saw its total number of virtual servers rise to 79 and forms part of NordVPN's total location count of 178 – second only to ExpressVPN among the major VPN companies.
NordVPN said "locations were handpicked from around the globe in response to our clients' rising demands and needs" and more will be added in the future.
It said the new locations all presented challenges that restrict NordVPN from "establishing high-quality physical servers." Virtual servers were described as an "optimal solution," with their speeds and quality "equal to that of a physical server."
Why use virtual servers?
As mentioned above, virtual servers allow VPNs to offer users a wider range of locations worldwide. Authoritarian governments, conflicts, data laws, and limited infrastructure can all make it difficult to establish a physical server in many areas.
For example, data laws passed in India meant any VPN with physical servers in the country had to log and store data on users for five years. This undermined strict VPN no-logs policies and as a result, all reputable VPN providers withdrew their physical servers from India. Indian IP addresses are now provided via a virtual server.
The physical servers hosting virtual locations and configuring IP addresses are often located nearby – or as close as possible. For example, NordVPN's Armenian virtual server is hosted in Bulgaria, its Moroccan server is hosted in Spain, and its Vietnamese servers are hosted in Hong Kong.
Virtual servers aren't inherently a bad thing. They are just as secure and perform just as well as physical servers. Issues arise when the use of virtual servers is obscured.
NordVPN publishes a list of its virtual server locations. If a virtual server is physically located further away, you might encounter some speed and performance issues, but these shouldn't be too bad.
NordVPN clearly states in its apps which servers are virtual and separates these from the rest of its server locations. To see where it's physically hosted, however, you have to visit its website.
Some virtual and physical servers are rented, or may have multiple companies using them. It's always better for a VPN company to control the entirety of its physical servers. For example, Proton VPN controls all of its physical servers.
How do NordVPN's competitors compare?
Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN all operate virtual servers to some degree.
Of Surfshark's 142 locations, 47 are virtual. It clearly states which servers are virtual when you're selecting a location from its list. What Surfshark doesn't disclose is where those locations are actually hosted.
Out of ExpressVPN's 188 locations worldwide, 91 are virtual. A large chunk of these are in the US. ExpressVPN now offers a server in every US state, but many are virtual. ExpressVPN has multiple physical servers in the US, so you shouldn't experience any performance issues when connecting to a virtual server.
Within its app, ExpressVPN lists some of its virtual locations and where they're hosted, but not all. For example, it clearly states its two Indian servers are hosted in the UK and Singapore.
Argentina is a virtual location, hosted in Brazil, but it doesn't make this clear within the app. However, ExpressVPN does list all of its virtual locations, and where they're hosted, on its website.
Proton VPN doesn't give a clear indication of which of its servers are virtual and which are physical. But as mentioned above, Proton VPN controls all of its physical servers. So any virtual location, such as India, will be physically hosted on a Proton VPN-controlled server. Tom's Guide has reached out to Proton VPN for a complete list of its virtual locations.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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