Using a VPN, or virtual private network, is one of the best ways to protect your online privacy. We’ve tested and reviewed dozens of them, and these are our top picks.
Everyone from governments to advertisers wants your data, and plenty of people—including your ISP—might be willing to sell it. The good news is that more of us than ever understand the dangers of letting corporations and governments monitor everything we say and do online, and more want to do something about it. But what can be done?
While there’s no easy fix for the problem of surveillance capitalism, a VPN service can help you regain a modicum of privacy. We’ve tested plenty, and these are the top choices we’ve reviewed so far, followed by what to look for when choosing the best VPN app.Why We Picked It
Proton VPN does it all. It includes multi-hop connections and access to the Tor network via VPN, in addition to the usual VPN capabilities. It also sports a reimagined app interface for a pleasant user experience. While the core paid VPN service has a dead-on average price, it also has the best free VPN subscription we’ve yet seen.
The company behind Proton VPN recently revamped its entire product line. Now, an account with Proton VPN will also grant you access to other products in the Proton, including Proton Mail and Proton Drive. This includes free accounts. It’s an excellent value-add. We are also impressed by its recently released Stealth feature, which is designed to provide additional security to particularly endangered users in countries like Iran and Russia. Proton VPN receives a rare 5-star rating. Who It’s For
Proton VPN is truly a strong overall option. Experienced users will find the features they’re looking for, and first timers will find a straightforward experience. It has a great free option, and its paid subscriptions are still an excellent value despite a recent price increase.Why We Picked It
NordVPN has long taken a « kitchen sink » approach to its VPN and includes a little bit of everything. From the start, it has included features such as multi-hop connections and access to Tor over VPN, both of which are still rare among competitors. In the still-newish world of VPNs, NordVPN has also managed to set itself up as an established player that now buys other companies and adds entirely new products in addition to improving its VPN.
NordVPN has always been a solid product to use and has kept up a consistent and modern design across all its platforms. It’s not afraid to change, however, being one of the first VPN companies to fully embrace the new WireGuard VPN protocol and RAM-only servers. All this comes at a price, though, as NordVPN charges quite a bit above the average monthly price we’ve seen across the industry.Who It’s For
NordVPN’s greatest strength is that it has something to offer everyone. Privacy wonks appreciate its set of rare tools. People looking to access an otherwise blocked streaming service are empowered by NordVPN’s large selection of servers and the ability to select server locations and even specific servers. First-time users should have no trouble getting started, and they may also be intrigued by NordVPN’s growing list of additional services—including storage protected by encryption and a password manager.Hide.me VPNWhy We Picked It
Hide.me VPN is a bit of an all-rounder, offering a compelling price alongside a user-friendly client and server distribution that would make lesser services blush. Plus, if you’re new to VPNs, the free Hide.me client is on par with some of the better for-pay options we’ve reviewed. Who It’s For
If you’re on a tight budget, tepid about VPNs, or unsure if using one will protect you in the way you need on your network, Hide.me is an excellent choice. By not requiring a credit card to sign up or use the service, all you need is an email address, and you can encrypt your connection for up to 2GB per month. If you decide you like the service and want to get more VPN protection than the free tier offers, Hide.me’s premium plan still costs less than average, at $9.95 per month.Why We Picked It
Surfshark is a relative newcomer, but it hit the ground running with a slick product that has iterated quickly. While it doesn’t have all the features of its competitors, it does offer multi-hop connections and supports WireGuard. More interesting, though, are the innovative things Surfshark is doing behind the scenes, such as transforming its server fleet into a single network called Surfshark Nexus. This allows you to jump to a new VPN server without completely disconnecting. This, in turn, enables another cool feature, IP Rotator, which assigns you a new IP address periodically without ever breaking your connection.
Surfshark’s blue color scheme and higher-than-average monthly cost invites comparison to another blue VPN: NordVPN. That company recently purchased Surfshark VPN, but both continue to operate independently. Surfshark VPN has also expanded and now offers antivirus protection at an additional cost.Who It’s For
Surfshark is a good all-around VPN, with its unlimited device protection, appealing app, and rich collection of privacy tools. But it will be especially interesting to those who are looking for cutting-edge features, not only for the privacy and flexibility they deliver but also because they are just plain cool.Why We Picked It
It’s easy to dismiss TunnelBear VPN with its funny bear-themed app, bright colors, and limited feature set. It lacks much of the muscle found amongst our top choices. But that does TunnelBear VPN a grave disservice. This VPN is extremely easy to use and features a limited free subscription option, making it an excellent choice for anyone unfamiliar with VPNs. TunnelBear VPN also has one of the most transparent audit processes in the industry, making it a name you really can trust.Who It’s For
TunnelBear VPN is a great choice for anyone new to VPNs, thanks to its simple and friendly interface. It’s also a strong option for anyone who just needs a general purpose VPN and isn’t going to fuss with network settings.Why We Picked It
ExpressVPN recently redesigned its app, but it’s not just a pretty thing to look at. ExpressVPN has a very large presence that stretches across 94 countries, and uses very few virtual servers in the process. While it has eschewed the new WireGuard VPN protocol, it instead uses its own technology called LightWay along with the open-source OpenVPN protocol.Who It’s For
With numerous server locations, ExpressVPN is an excellent choice for anyone living or traveling outside the US. Anyone keen on spoofing their location (to listen to the BBC iPlayer, perhaps) should be well served, too.Why We Picked It
Given that the average VPN protects five devices per subscription, VPNs like IPVanish that put no cap on the number of devices protected provide an invaluable service. Furthermore, IPVanish is among the top ten fastest VPNs we’ve tested, has impressive global server coverage, a good number of added features, and broad platform support. Who It’s For
Anyone predominately concerned about device count limits should have IPVanish near the top of their list. While its actual count of available servers could be higher and its price lower, IPVanish checks all the right boxes for those searching for a widely available VPN that protects all their devices.
(Note: IPVanish is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag.com’s parent company. For more, see the ethics policy in our Editorial Mission Statement.)Why We Picked It
PureVPN has a lot to love inside its snazzy, beautifully designed package. It’s fast, has a ton of servers around the world, plenty of add-ons, a transparent privacy policy, and excellent results unblocking Netflix, all of which make it an appealing, well-rounded VPN. Who It’s For
PureVPN’s global Netflix compatibility, massive list of servers to choose from, and excellent scores in our speed tests make it an ideal choice for privacy-conscious users who stream a lot of video. Its pricing structure is a bit convoluted, but once you’ve paid, you’ll find this VPN a pleasure to use. Why We Picked It
As we said above: Mullvad VPN and IVPN share two unique features: a privacy-protecting account system and the ability to purchase the service with anonymous cash payments. Mullvad VPN goes further than IVPN, however. Mullvad VPN no longer accepts recurring payments, meaning that they know nothing about their customers. Mullvad VPN is also radically transparent, giving customers an enormous amount of information about how their service works. Best of, Mullvad VPN is flat rate and extremely affordable—just 5 Euro ($5.09 at time of writing) per month.Who It’s For
Mullvad VPN’s service is all about knowing as little about its customers as possible, and that does come with some drawbacks. It also doesn’t have the best interface we’ve seen. But it’s a great price for an excellent service that packs all the features of the best VPNs on the market.
