TechRadar has tested over 200 of the best VPN providers to see whether ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Windscribe or somebody else has the outright #1 service.
A VPN – short for ‘virtual private network’ – is a piece of software that helps to make you more anonymous online, encrypts your internet use, and lets you effectively trick your laptop or mobile device into thinking it’s in another location entirely. And it’s the versatility of the best VPN services that have made them such a game-changing bit of kit for laptops, desktops, tablets, smartphones, streaming devices, Smart TVs – even games consoles. If you’re entirely new to the world of VPNs, you’ve come to the right webpage. In this guide, you’ll get a full explainer of what they are, what they do, how they work and why they’re such handy, affordable everyday tools. While if you’re already in the know, this is also the place to discover which is the best VPN in 2021 – in May we released the results of our latest round of full testing, so you can be confident that what you read below is accurate and up-to-date. For many, downloading a VPN service will be all about privacy. You may want to use them to help keep your online life completely anonymous from prying eyes of your ISP (handy for keen torrenters) or even your government. And because the best VPNs also let you change your IP address to one in a completely different city or country, these services have taken on a much wider use. VPNs are fantastic for streamers, for example, who want to have access to a whole world of shows and films on Netflix and more. While if you’re on holiday and find your favorite app is banned (think about some of the internet censorship in Cuba, Turkey, China – even Canada), an online VPN will let you use the internet in the way you’ve become accustomed. And that’s just for starters… There’s more information on all that further down this article, but first up is our definitive list of the best VPNs in the world. Get TechRadar’s #1 rated VPN risk-free and with 3 months extra free In May 2021 we completed our latest round of in-depth VPN service testing and, once again, ExpressVPN came out on top of the pile. It impressed in every test we threw at it and the 5-star rating we’ve given it is testament to the fact it can barely be improved upon. So let’s get in to some specifics. It starts well right from the off, as you you’ll immediately note that ExpressVPN gives you the choice of over 3,000 servers in 160 locations across 94 countries. Its five simultaneous connections will be more than enough for most subscribers (although most other VPN services on this list to permit more) and in addition to fantastic apps on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Linux (and dedicated extensions for Chrome and Firefox), it’s also really easy to use on the likes of Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, smart TVs, PlayStation, Xbox and routers, too. The service already used industry-standard encryption and a choice of various other protocols (including IKEv2, OpenVPN and L2TP/IPsec) to keep your data safe. But perhaps most exciting is that it has now begun rolling out its very own Lightway protocol that seeks to increase speed and reliability even further. But away from the numbers and specifications, it’s in our real-life testing where ExpressVPN really shines. For starters, it’s fast. Really fast, with fantastic connection speeds across servers in multiple countries. And that’s even when we’re using the default OpenVPN protocol in our tests – they get even quicker with the aforementioned Lightway option turned on. We also love just how easy to use this service is. That might seem obvious, but not every VPN provider out there has worked out how to make its tools intuitive, regardless of what device you’re using it on. From desktop and mobile, to TV streamers and browser extensions, ExpressVPN is a doddle to set up and operate for both pros and inexperienced users. For many people looking for a VPN, it all comes down to how good a service is at unblocking banned websites/services and getting around TV streaming hurdles. So we check to see whether they can unblock geo-restrictions that stop you watching services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ from abroad – ExpressVPN unlocks them all without a hint of difficulty. In terms of additional features, ExpressVPN goes above and beyond. Bitcoin payments, P2P support, kill switch, DNS leak protection, solid and reliable performance and a clear no-logging policy that’s been verified by independent auditors. It’s all there. It’s really worth knowing about this VPN provider’s excellent levels of customer support. Its support website is stuffed with detailed guides and tutorials to get you up and running. And if you do have any trouble,24/7 live chat support is on hand to answer your questions. It really works, too – we got a helpful response from a knowledgeable support agent within a couple of minutes of posting our question. Frankly, we don’t mask the fact of how highly we rate ExpressVPN. It’s very simple… it is the best VPN you can get in virtually every scenario. Don’t believe us? You can always take advantage of ExpressVPN’s quibble-free 30-day money back guarantee that you can use like a free trial – not that we imagine you’d need to use it. NordVPN ‘s current product matches or beats virtually all of the competition in just about every area. When it comes to our overall title for the best VPN, ExpressVPN should watch its back! For starters, the levels of security NordVPN has to offer have been impressing us for some time now. While it too offers AES-256 as standard, you also have the option to turn on its Double VPN system where all your internet traffic is encrypted not once, but twice. Handy to know where your internet anonymity is paramount like when you’re on public Wi-Fi or, perhaps, torrenting. It actually bests ExpressVPN on pure server count, cranking things up to an eye-watering 5,000 (in roughly 60 countries) and it allows for one more simultaneous connection at six. Like its main competitor above, other features include strong DNS leak protection, kill switches (application-specific and system wide), proxy extensions for Chrome and Firefox browsers, and payment options that include Bitcoin, PayPal and credit cards. And it is also strong on unblocking Netflix and other services – although Brits abroad do have to resort to a workaround to access iPlayer. The steps to take are all explained out in one of NordVPN’s myriad troubleshooting articles. Not only are they plentiful, these guides are also really useful. And there’s always chatbot and excellent live customer support on hand 24/7 if you’re still struggling. We also have a lot of love for Nord’s dedication to putting the tarnishing news of historic data breaches behind it. It now brings in PricewaterhouseCoopers to carry out a thorough audit of its no-logging policy every year. Last year’s introduction of the provider’s custom NordLynx protocol was certainly eye-catching. It has helped to make Nord’s connection speeds even faster and more reliable, even from servers that are further afield. That said, this is one category where Express pips it to the post. If we have one other quibble, it would be with the user experience that NordVPN supplies. Just little things like the destination cities not being listed in alphabetical order or searching through menus for specialist task functions left us wishing for tweaks. That’s especially the case when it comes to its otherwise effective mobile apps. But, these are pretty minor minus points and, as with any reviews you’ll find on the internet, we understand that this ultimately comes down to personal preference. NordVPN has a few options available included monthly subscriptions and an excellent value two-year special offer. If you want to give the service a whirl before you commit, NordVPN provides a 30-day money back guarantee. Making up our top 3 best VPN services right now is Hotspot Shield. This premium package gives you full access to 1,800+ servers in more than 80 countries, support for connecting up to five devices,24/7 customer support and, of course, absolutely no ads at all. It’s yet more evidence that taking the plunge and paying just a few dollars a month gets you a far superior VPN experience – especially when you read more below about its exclusive pricing just for TechRadar readers. Yes, some of those specs on paper are fairly unspectacular in the context of what some other providers give. But it’s what our in-depth testing revealed that really stands out – and that’s pure speed. If your main consideration when picking a VPN is speed (perhaps you’re a gamer, streamer or torrenter) then Hotspot should be towards the very top of your shortlist. Performance was a big highlight in our tests, with Hotspot Shield’s proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol helping to deliver some of the fastest and most consistent download speeds we’ve seen and an average of 360-380Mb when using US or UK servers. Speeds remain high to some of the most distant locations, too. As well as being able to run the service on devices where you can use its native Windows, Mac, Android or iOS apps, Hotspot has added functionality to support use on routers, Linux and TV streamers, too. A SmartVPN feature – that let’s you select websites on which the VPN will be bypassed – is another welcome addition, especially if you only really wanted to keep your VPN on when shopping, banking, streaming, etc. Really just want a VPN to help you stream more and varied content? Then this is another area that Hotspot really impresses. In our testing, we found that this service is pretty much on a par with Express and Nord when it comes to unblocking geo-restricted apps and services. So from watching foreign Netflix catalogs, to accessing HBO Max from outside the US, to using social media apps that your school or office might block, Hotspot Shield is a reliable tool. If Hotspot uses 2021 to bring in some independent auditors to verify its logging practices, we’d be happier still. Especially as the provider does admit to logging VPN sessions, bandwidth, domains accessed and IP addresses. All of these are reasoned out on Hotspot’s website, but we’d welcome an auditor’s view on things. There’s also room for improvement on its iOS app, which just doesn’t quite match the high quality desktop or Android experience. Subscribe for more than just a month at a time, and Hotspot Shield becomes one of the best priced premium VPNs on the market. And if you try it and still aren’t impressed, then there’s a generous 45-day money back guarantee that will let you get your money back without issue. Surfshark may have lost its place on the best VPN podium (we’ll explain why below) but it remains a service we really like and with a couple of very attractive USPs. We’ll come on to features, spec and the like in a moment. But there’s no getting away from the fact that the main draw here is Surfshark’s scarcely believable pricing. Sign up to its annual plan and the effective monthly cost comes in at less than $2.50 USD / £2 GBP / $3.50 AUD. And that’s for unlimited connections, too. So if you plan to use your VPN on your laptop, desktop (compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux), tablet, a couple of mobile phones (iOS and Android both covered) and Amazon Fire TV Stick for watching overseas TV, the one account will cover you on all of them simultaneously. And theoretically you could even let friends and family members use your sub, too. But the success of this VPN isn’t exclusively based on cost. We’d also let Surfshark’s laid-back and playful branding take some of the credit, which helps to make a potentially scary sounding bit of software look like a really user-friendly product. If you’re somebody who is easily bamboozled and, ultimately, put off by complicated menus and myriad options, Surfshark – like ExpressVPN above – could be the ideal VPN for you. It keeps its interface completely stripped back and free from complication. All you’ll really see are options for ‘Quick connect’ and ‘All locations’, accompanied by a Settings icon, and nothing else at all really. Whether that level of detail (or lack thereof) is a boon or a drawback entirely depends on your perspective. That all said, when it comes to keeping you and your online identity secure, Surfshark is all business. It has now added the new protocol in town WireGuard to its OpenVPN UDP and TCP and IKEv2 options. In addition, Surfshark boasts a private DNS and an extra security blanket via a double VPN hop. And we found it successfully gets to grips with unblocking geo-restricted access to Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and others. Surfshark offers a 30-day money back guarantee, giving you plenty of time to give it a try before committing for a longer period. So where does it lose marks? Not too many places, but competition is tough these days – especially when Express and Nord have managed to improve their server speeds so substantially, while Surfshark’s have remained merely ‘good’. Surfshark is also now lagging behind in terms of audits of its no-logging policy, too (it had a partial one carried out back in 2018) and we’d welcome a more obvious alert on Windows when the connection drops or disconnects. But hey…a place in the top five out of the 200+ VPNs we’ve reviewed isn’t bad going! And the above considerations are unlikely to put off the bargain hunters among you. It may not be quite the fastest VPN, or the cheapest, or the most powerful, but Private Internet Access (often stylized as simply PIA) is still a likeable VPN provider with more than enough features to justify a place on your shortlist. Its most notable claim of recent times is a huge increase in PIA’s server count. It’s taken things from mediocre 2,000ish to an almost unfathomable 30,000+. That puts it way ahead of the rest when it comes to pure server numbers, and the network only seems to be growing.
