One of the best VPN companies

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are notoriously troublesome to work with. Possibly you’re a distant employee who has to register to at least one every day to entry firm companies, otherwise you tried it as soon as since you heard you might use it to entry worldwide content material, however had been met with laggy service and frequent disruptions. Right this moment’s VPNs don’t have to come back with these complications. We examined 9 of the very best VPN companies obtainable now to give you our prime picks, and lay out what it’s best to know earlier than paying for one.

We examined 9 of the preferred VPN companies obtainable now to give you our prime picks, and lay out what it’s best to know earlier than paying for one. Our prime decide stays ProtonVPN due to its easy-to-use interface, no-logs coverage and open-source framework, whereas different in style choices like NordVPN did not fairly make the reduce. Whereas we predict ProtonVPN is the very best VPN for most individuals, we lay out different good choices you possibly can think about, too.

Editor’s word (5/30/25): We’re within the means of revamping our VPN protection to offer extra in-depth, actionable data and shopping for guides. Our suggestions, and all the information on this web page, are topic to vary because the replace continues. Try our revamped ExpressVPN review to see the brand new path, or study extra about how we test VPNs.

Desk of contents

Greatest VPNs for 2025

Proton

Simultaneous connections: 10 | Variety of units: 10 | Platforms: Home windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux | Browser extensions: Chrome, Firefox | Devoted IP addresses: Sure, for enterprise customers solely | Trial/Cash-back assure: None/30-day money-back assure

Learn our full ProtonVPN review

The VPNs we tried out ranked fairly constantly throughout all of our exams, however ProtonVPN stood out as a robust choice due to its total safety, usability and privateness options. The Proton Applied sciences suite of companies contains mail, calendar, drive and a VPN recognized for its end-to-end encryption. This makes it a robust contender for total safety, however its VPN particularly got here throughout as a well-rounded impartial service.

ProtonVPN’s no-logs coverage has handed audits, and the corporate has confirmed to not adjust to legislation enforcement requests. As a result of it’s primarily based in Switzerland, there are not any compelled logging obligations, in accordance with the corporate, making it a safe VPN choice. Plus, it’s primarily based on an open-source framework, and has an official vulnerability disclosure program together with clear definitions on what it does with private data.

Whereas ProtonVPN presents a free model, it’s restricted in comparison with different choices, with entry to server networks in simply three international locations. Its paid model usually begins at round $5.39 per thirty days, and contains entry to VPN server places in additional than 65 international locations on 10 units at a time. Whereas we would not think about it an affordable VPN, it is a comparatively reasonably priced worth for primary safety. For devoted Proton Applied sciences customers, they will pay nearer to $8.63 for a month-to-month plan to entry your complete suite.

ProtonVPN handed our geoblock, streaming and gaming exams with solely a really small toll on connection speeds. It additionally comes with malware-, ad- and tracker-blocking as an extra service, plus it has a kill change characteristic on macOS, Home windows, Linux, iOS and the newest model of Android. It’s obtainable on most main working methods, routers, TV companies and extra together with Firefox, Linux and Android TV. For devoted Linux customers, ProtonVPN added a new Linux-specific app to assist its companies in August.

Execs

Straightforward to make use of
No-logs coverage
Based mostly on open-source framework
Kill change characteristic on macOS, Home windows, Linux, iOS and Android

$3.39/month at Proton

Windscribe

By signing up for Windscribe’s free plan along with your e-mail, customers can entry 10GB per thirty days of information, limitless connections and entry to greater than 10 international locations. We chosen it as the very best free VPN due to its excessive safety and wide selection of server places in comparison with different free VPNs. It has over 500 servers in over 60 international locations, in accordance with the corporate, and could be configured to routers, sensible TVs and extra on prime of the same old working methods.

Windscribe doesn’t have a current impartial safety audit, nevertheless it does publish a transparency report exhibiting that it has complied with zero requests for its knowledge, runs a vulnerability disclosure program encouraging researchers to report flaws and presents a number of protocols for customers to attach with.

On prime of that, it’s straightforward to make use of. The arrange is intuitive and it handed our geoblock, streaming and gaming exams. The paid model prices $5.75 to $9 every month, relying on the plan you select, and contains limitless knowledge, entry to all servers and an advert/tracker/malware blocker. Or, for $1 per location per thirty days, customers can construct a plan tailor-made to the VPNs they wish to entry. Windscribe continues to be increasing its attain, adding Japan to its record of accessible spots.

Execs

10GB of information per thirty days with free model
Limitless connections with free plan
Wide selection of server places
Straightforward to make use of

Cons

Doesn’t supply devoted IP addresses

$0 at Windscribe

ExpressVPN

Learn our full Express VPN review

We picked the very best VPN service for journey, gaming and streaming primarily based on which one had entry to probably the most places with quick connections and no lag. ExpressVPN met all these standards and was probably the most premium VPNs we tried, to not point out one of many quickest VPNs, too. Now, it even comes with an in-house password manager, ExpressVPN Keys, to handle and autofill logins throughout websites included with the subscription. That may make it simpler to toggle between streaming and gaming accounts whereas looking securely.

An web velocity take a look at measured quicker add and obtain velocity in comparison with utilizing no VPN, virtually unprecedented in comparison with the opposite VPNs examined. However being this quick is probably going a fluke because of the VPN service circumventing site visitors shaping by the ISP or one other disparity as a result of even top VPNs will in some way slow down speeds. With 2,000 servers in 160 cities, in accordance with the corporate, it had one of many broadest international reaches. It additionally handed our geoblock, streaming and gaming exams, and it does regular security audits. Plus, Community Lock is its kill change characteristic, which retains your knowledge protected even in case you lose connection to the VPN. Subscription prices vary from $8.32 to $12.95 per thirty days relying on the time period of the plan, and embrace a password supervisor.

With ExpressVPN, customers can hook up with as much as 5 units without delay, which is on the decrease aspect in comparison with different companies. That mentioned, it really works on a bunch of units from sensible TVs to recreation consoles, not like another companies that lack assist past the same old suspects like smartphones and laptops.

Execs

Excessive velocity connections with no lag in lots of places
Helps Community Lock kill change characteristic
Works on quite a lot of units like sensible TVs and recreation consoles

$8.32/month at ExpressVPN

CyberGhost

Simultaneous connections: 7 | Variety of units: 7 | Platforms: Home windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux | Browser extensions: Chrome, Firefox | Devoted IP addresses: Sure, extra buy required | Trial/Cash-back assure: 2 free months/45-day money-back assure

As a result of a number of of the very best VPN companies hook up with routers, cross-platform accessibility isn’t all the time essential. By connecting a VPN to your property router, you possibly can really hook up with limitless units in your family, so long as all of them entry the web by way of that router.

However in case you use VPNs on the go, and throughout a number of units, with the ability to hook up with a variety of platforms shall be indispensable. CyberGhost presents simultaneous connectivity on as much as seven units for $2.11 to $12.99 per thirty days relying on subscription time period. It helps a number of kinds of devices like routers, computer systems, sensible TVs and extra. It’s just like the assist that ExpressVPN presents, however CyberGhost supplies detailed directions on the way to arrange the cross-platform connections, making it a bit extra user-friendly for these functions. Plus, it simply expanded its community of servers from 91 to 100 international locations, including Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic to its obtainable places.

From a safety perspective, CyberGhost accomplished an independent security audit by Deloitte earlier this yr, runs a vulnerability disclosure program and supplies entry to a transparency report explaining requests for its knowledge. An updated version of its transparency report went reside in August. Whereas it did cross all of our exams, it’s value noting that we had hassle connecting to servers in the UK and needed to decide to run our gaming take a look at by way of an Eire-based server as an alternative.

Execs

Works nicely throughout totally different sorts of units/platforms
Gives detailed directions for setting service up on totally different units

Cons

Devoted IP addresses come at an extra price

$2.11/month at CyberGhost

Surfshark

Simultaneous connections: Limitless | Variety of units: Limitless | Platforms: Home windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux | Browser extensions: Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Devoted IP addresses: Sure, extra buy required | Trial/Cash-back assure: 1 free month/30-day money-back assure

Learn our full Surfshark VPN review

As we talked about earlier than, connecting to a router can present practically limitless entry to units in a single family. However Surfshark VPN is certainly one of few VPN companies that provide use on a limiteless variety of units with out bandwidth restrictions, in accordance with the corporate. And also you get that comfort with no vital improve in worth: Surfshark subscriptions price about $2.49 to $12.95 for a month-to-month subscription, and the corporate just lately carried out its first independent audit. It added QR-code-enabled login throughout units and expanded assist for various ID profiles since our preliminary assessment, a characteristic that a few of its opponents already had.

We bumped into some hassle connecting to Surfshark’s WireGuard protocol, however examined on an IKEv2 protocol as an alternative. The VPN velocity was a bit sluggish and struggled to attach for our geoblock take a look at at first, however in the end handed. What makes it totally different from different VPNs with limitless connection choices is that it has entry to a bigger variety of servers and is obtainable on extra kinds of units.

Execs

Limitless simultaneous connections
Massive variety of servers obtainable

Cons

On the costly aspect
Slower speeds than the competitors

$2.49/month at Surfshark

What’s a VPN?

VPNs, or digital non-public networks, masks your IP handle and the id of your laptop or cell system on the community and creating an encrypted “tunnel” that forestalls your web service supplier (ISP) from accessing knowledge about your looking historical past. VPNs are usually not a one-size-fits-all safety resolution, although.

As an alternative, they’re only one a part of conserving your knowledge non-public and safe. Roya Ensafi, assistant professor of laptop science and engineering on the College of Michigan, advised Engadget that VPNs don’t shield towards frequent threats like phishing assaults, nor do they shield your knowledge from being stolen. A lot of the info or data is saved with the VPN supplier as an alternative of your ISP, which signifies that utilizing a poorly designed or unprotected community can nonetheless undermine your safety. However they do come in useful for on-line privateness whenever you’re connecting to an untrusted community someplace public as a result of they tunnel and encrypt your site visitors to the subsequent hop.

Meaning sweeping claims that appear promising, like military-grade encryption or whole digital invisibility, is probably not completely correct. As an alternative, Yael Grauer, program supervisor of Client Reviews’ on-line safety information, recommends on the lookout for security measures like open-source software program with reproducible builds, up-to-date assist for industry-standard protocols like WireGuard (CR’s most well-liked protocol) or IPsec, and the power to defend towards assault vectors like brute pressure.

Learn extra:

Understanding VPNs and your wants

Earlier than contemplating a VPN, make sure that your on-line safety is updated in different methods. Meaning complicated passwords, multi-factor authentication strategies and locking down your knowledge sharing preferences. Even then, you most likely don’t should be utilizing a VPN on a regular basis.

“When you’re simply frightened about someone sitting there passively and taking a look at your knowledge then a VPN is nice,” Jed Crandall, an affiliate professor at Arizona State College, advised Engadget.

That brings us to a number of the commonest makes use of circumstances for VPNs. When you use public WiFi networks quite a bit, like whereas working at a espresso store, then VPN utilization might help provide you with non-public web entry. They’re additionally useful for hiding data from different folks in your ISP in case you don’t need members of your family to know what you’re as much as on-line.

Geoblocking has additionally develop into a well-liked use case because it helps you attain companies in different elements of the world. For instance, you possibly can entry reveals which might be solely obtainable on streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime, in different international locations, or play on-line video games with folks positioned all around the globe.

There are additionally just a few frequent VPN options that it’s best to think about earlier than deciding if you wish to use one, and which is greatest for you:

What’s break up tunneling?

Cut up tunneling means that you can route some site visitors by way of your VPN, whereas different site visitors has direct entry to the web. This will come in useful whenever you wish to shield sure exercise on-line with out shedding entry to native community units, or companies that work greatest with location sharing enabled.

What’s a double VPN?

A double VPN, in any other case often called multi-hop VPN or a VPN chain, passes your on-line exercise by way of two totally different VPN servers one proper after the opposite. For VPN companies that assist this, customers are usually ready to decide on which two servers they need their site visitors to cross by way of. As you may count on, this supplies an additional layer of safety.

Are VPNs value it?

Whether or not or not VPNs are value it relies upon how usually you might use it for the above use circumstances. When you journey quite a bit and depend on public WiFi or hotspots, wish to browse outdoors of your property nation or wish to maintain your site visitors hidden out of your ISP, then investing in a VPN shall be helpful. However, remember that even the very best VPN companies usually decelerate your web connection velocity, in order that they is probably not excellent on a regular basis.

In immediately’s world, we suggest not counting on a VPN connection as your primary cybersecurity device. VPN use can present a false sense of safety, leaving you susceptible to assault. Plus, in case you select simply any VPN, it is probably not as safe as simply relying in your ISP. That’s as a result of the VPN may very well be primarily based in a rustic with weaker knowledge privateness regulation, obligated at hand data over to legislation enforcement or linked to weak person knowledge safety insurance policies.

For VPN customers working in professions like activism or journalism that wish to actually strengthen their web safety, choices just like the Tor browser could also be a worthwhile various, in accordance with Crandall. Tor is free, and whereas it is much less user-friendly, it’s constructed for anonymity and privateness.

How we examined VPNs

To check the safety specs of various VPNs and identify our prime picks, we relied on pre-existing tutorial work by way of Consumer Reports, VPNalyzer and different sources. We referenced privateness insurance policies, transparency studies and safety audits made obtainable to the general public. We additionally thought of previous safety incidents like knowledge breaches.

We checked out worth, utilization limits, results on web velocity, attainable use circumstances, ease of use, normal performance and extra “additional” VPN options like multihop. The VPNs had been examined throughout iOS, Android and Mac units so we may see the state of the cell apps throughout varied platforms (Home windows units are additionally supported normally). We used the “fast join” characteristic on the VPN apps to connect with the “quickest” supplier obtainable when testing web velocity, entry to IP handle knowledge and DNS and WebRTC leaks or when a fault within the encrypted tunnel reveals requests to an ISP.

In any other case, we carried out a take a look at of geoblocking content material by accessing Canada-exclusive Netflix releases, a streaming take a look at by watching a information livestream on YouTube through a Hong Kong-based VPN and a gaming take a look at by taking part in on servers in the UK. By performing these exams on the identical time, it additionally allowed us to check claims about simultaneous system use. Listed below are the VPN companies we examined:

Learn extra: The best password managers for 2023

Different VPN companies our consultants examined

NordVPN

NordVPN didn’t fairly make the reduce as a result of it’s overhyped, and underwhelming. As I’ve written in our full review of NordVPN, the pricing, as much as $14.49 for a “full” subscription, appeared excessive in comparison with different companies, and its free or decrease price plans simply didn’t have the identical extensive number of options as its opponents.

TunnelBear

Regardless of the lovable graphics and person friendliness, TunnelBear wasn’t a best choice. It failed quite a few primary safety exams from Client Reviews, and had restricted availability throughout platforms like Linux. It did, nonetheless, get a serious safety enhance in July when it up to date to support WireGuard protocol throughout extra of its platforms.

Bitdefender VPN

Bitdefender doesn’t supply assist for units like routers, which limits its cross-platform accessibility. It additionally lacked a transparency report or third-party audit to substantiate safety specs.

Atlas VPN

Atlas ranked decrease on our velocity exams in comparison with the opposite VPNs examined, with a notably slower distinction on net looking and streaming exams. It was an excellent choice in any other case, however may simply trigger complications for these chasing excessive velocity connections. Safety-wise, an Atlas VPN vulnerability leaked Linux users’ real IP addresses.

VPN FAQs

What are some issues VPNs are used for?

VPNs are historically used to guard your web site visitors. When you’re related to an untrusted community like public WiFi in a restaurant, utilizing a VPN hides what you do from the web service supplier. Then, the proprietor of the WiFi or hackers making an attempt to get into the system can’t see the id of your laptop or your looking historical past.

A typical non-textbook use case for VPNs has been accessing geographically restricted content material. VPNs can masks your location, so even in case you’re primarily based in the US, they will make it seem as in case you’re looking overseas and unblock entry. That is particularly helpful for streaming content that’s usually restricted to sure international locations, like if you wish to watch Canadian Netflix from the US.

What data does a VPN conceal?

A VPN doesn’t conceal your whole knowledge. It solely hides data like your IP handle, location and browser historical past. A typical false impression is that VPNs could make you completely invisible on-line. However remember that the VPN supplier usually nonetheless has entry to all of this data, so it doesn’t grant you whole anonymity. You’re additionally nonetheless susceptible to phishing assaults, hacking and different cyberthreats that try to be aware of by implementing robust passwords and multi-factor authentication.

Are VPNs protected?

Typically, sure. VPNs are a protected and dependable strategy to encrypt and shield your web knowledge. However like most on-line companies, the protection specifics differ from supplier to supplier. You need to use sources like third-party audits, Consumer Reports reviews, transparency studies and privateness insurance policies to grasp the specifics of your chosen supplier.

Are you able to get a VPN in your cellphone?

Sure, you should utilize a VPN in your cellphone. Most main VPN companies have cell apps you possibly can set up on iPhones and Android units so you possibly can join in your cellphone to guard your cell looking.

What about Google’s One VPN?

Google One subscriptions embrace entry to the company’s VPN, which works equally to different VPNs on our record, hiding your on-line exercise from community operators. Nevertheless, Google introduced just lately that it plans to shut down the One VPN as a result of “folks merely weren’t utilizing it.” There is no particular date for the shutdown, with Google merely saying it’s going to discontinue the service someday in 2024. Pixel cellphone homeowners, nonetheless, will proceed to have entry to the free VPN obtainable on their units.