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Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Best VPN for Netflix in 2025: Easily Unblock Its International Libraries
What is the best VPN for Netflix? ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Netflix overall, with a generous server network, outstanding international geographical content unblocking and fast speeds. Whether you're a seasoned VPN expert or a new user, Express's streamlined applications help you hop on a server and start streaming quickly. Express unblocked almost all international Netflix libraries I tried, including Netflix Egypt, which proved tricky for many other VPNs. With servers in all 50 of the United States, ExpressVPN is a great choice for streaming US Netflix and unblocking regional sports content, like NFL games. NordVPN is the fastest VPN for Netflix streaming. Its class-leading 3% average internet speed loss results in silky smooth, buffer-free 4K video streaming quality. Capable of unblocking dozens of popular international Netflix libraries, Nord is an excellent choice for power users. Although Nord didn't provide access to some worldwide Netflix content -- notably Egypt -- it never failed to load Netflix, and its exceptional internet speeds make it a fantastic VPN for streaming in 4K ultra high definition. Surfshark is a budget-friendly VPN for watching Netflix. Its generous server network provides access to dozens of international Netflix libraries, fast speeds make for slick 4K video playback and the company offers unlimited simultaneous device use so you can stream on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, your phone, computer and any other gadget all at once. Proton is the best free VPN for streaming Netflix and the only zero-dollar VPN CNET recommends. Despite a few limitations, the no-cost tier doesn't compromise your data or inundate you with ads and you can still stream Netflix. You'll find apps for all major streaming platforms, including Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV. The paid Proton Plus plan provides 13,600-plus servers in 122 countries and outstanding geo-restricted content unblocking capabilities (Proton unblocked all of the Netflix countries I tried), so it's a compelling upgrade for cinephiles. About VPNs for Netflix A virtual private network, or VPN, can be like a skeleton key for unlocking region-restricted content from all over the globe, including regional Netflix libraries. VPNs hide your public IP address, which can make streaming sites think you're in a different city, state or country. For instance, if you're in the US, but want to make Netflix think you're in the UK, you can simply hop on a UK VPN server. Netflix filters the movies and TV shows you can see according to your country, so if you want to stream a movie or show from your home country's library while traveling abroad, you may need a VPN. On the flipside, you may be able to find movies and television series that you want to watch on foreign Netflix libraries that aren't available to stream in your home country. The more global servers a VPN provider offers, the greater the amount of choice you have. With the right virtual private network, you'll be able to stream films and shows from other countries that aren't in your home country's Netflix roster. With a VPN, you may be able to cut down on the number of streaming services you pay for. There's no need to worry about breaking the Netflix terms of service either, as thankfully, Netflix allows the use of VPNs. But you still can't stream live content on Netflix with a VPN enabled. You'll want a VPN capable of unblocking many regional Netflix libraries, and one that offers high-speed servers so you can enjoy buffer-free 4K video playback. We tested over a dozen VPNs on a slew of devices, including computers, smartphones, tablets and streaming boxes such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV dongles. Whether you want to watch The Old Guard 2 or Dept. Q, the best VPNs for Netflix can help you stream with ease. Factors to consider in a VPN for Netflix Streaming support When you're selecting a VPN to stream Netflix, you'll want to consider how many international content libraries it unlocks. Generally, we found that most servers in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Romania and South Africa worked flawlessly. Servers in other countries, such as Egypt, occasionally didn't show geo-specific movies and shows -- while Netflix never failed to load, on some VPNs, it simply continued showing the US version. Aside from Netflix, think about the other streaming services you want to unblock with a VPN, such as Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, Hulu, Sling, YouTube TV and other providers. Server network The more individual country servers a VPN provider offers, the greater potential it provides for unblocking international Netflix libraries. At the high end, VPN companies, including ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Proton VPN and Surfshark, sport 100 or more nations. We recommend at least 60-plus countries, which gives you plenty of options. Notably, you may not be able to access global Netflix content on all servers. But if a VPN offers multiple servers in a particular country -- such as several choices in the UK -- you can try changing servers within that region to see if one successfully unblocks Netflix. The best way to see if a provider unblocks the content you want to watch is to take advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee. You'll know for sure if a provider can actually give you access to Netflix in the region you want when you test it for yourself. If not, you can issue a request for a refund. Aside from the total number of servers available and a diverse set of countries, think about specialty servers for other purposes. Some VPN providers, including ExpressVPN, let you torrent on any server, while others, like Proton VPN and NordVPN, have P2P-optimized servers for file-sharing. Device compatibility Think about the devices you want to stream Netflix on using a VPN. Most VPNs offer Windows, MacOS and Linux applications for desktops or laptops. Likewise, you'll find Android and iOS/iPadOS apps for mobile devices, including phones and tablets. Many VPNs feature Android TV apps that run on streaming boxes, like the NVIDIA Shield TV or Chromecast with Google TV. A growing number of VPN companies, including ExpressVPN, NordVPN, PIA, IPVanish, Proton VPN and Surfshark boast Apple TV apps, which are great for Apple aficionados. (Disclosure: IPVanish is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Speed All VPNs slow down your internet connection somewhat, with the best-performing VPN dropping your speed by an average of 25% or less. A reliable connection is a must, especially for streaming in 1080p high-definition or 4K ultra-high-definition. Look for a VPN with a minimal internet speed loss for buffer- and lag-free streaming. Netflix recommends a minimum 15Mbps or higher internet connection for a single 4K UHD video stream, but faster is better. Generally, if your internet service provider delivers 50Mbps or greater download speeds, you should be fine streaming in 4K or 1080p while using a fast VPN. But if you're using a slower, higher-latency ISP, like a satellite internet provider, you'll want the fastest VPN available so as to retain as much of your base internet speed as possible. Privacy Aside from entertainment such as streaming video and gaming, many people use VPNs for additional privacy. When connected to a VPN, apps, websites and your internet service provider view your traffic as coming from a different location -- such as another state or even country. At a minimum, I recommend a VPN service with AES 256-bit encryption (with the OpenVPN and IKEv2 VPN protocols) or ChaCha20 with WireGuard. If you need obfuscation, which tries to hide the fact that you're using a VPN, look for a provider that offers proprietary obfuscation-focused VPN protocols, like NordVPN's NordWhisper or Proton VPN's Stealth. I also suggest getting a VPN that has a kill switch (which cuts off your internet connection in case your VPN unexpectedly disconnects) and split tunneling (which lets you use a VPN with some apps and websites but not others). Additionally, make sure your VPN provider maintains a strict no-logs policy and undergoes annual third-party audits to verify its zero-log claims. While audits don't paint a full privacy picture, they're helpful trust signals that can verify that your VPN provider isn't logging VPN session data. However, more privacy-conscious users, such as investigative journalists or political activists, may want advanced privacy features such as a double VPN or multihop, which uses two VPN connections rather than one or Tor over VPN, The Onion Router and a VPN simultaneously. Onion over VPN servers and double VPN servers both make it even harder to trace your web traffic back to your device than with a standard VPN connection. Likewise, privacy buffs may want RAM-only servers, which theoretically don't log any VPN session data. Price You can sign up for a monthly, bi-annual, yearly or multi-year VPN subscription. VPN plans run you anywhere from $40 to $100 per year. Typically, the more you commit to the more you save, so an annual plan breaks down to a lower price per month than a monthly plan (but you're paying upfront). We recommend sticking to an annual plan for the maximum savings with the lowest risk. A lot can change in a year: Your fast, private VPN might suffer a data breach or get acquired by a shady company during a 12-month span. Notably, many VPN providers hit you with price hikes, so you might pay $60 for your first year of service, then get slapped with an auto-renewal of $100. Pay attention to the checkout page when purchasing a VPN, and take advantage of any early renewal discounts you get to avoid a costly subscription renewal. I never pay full price for my VPN subscription, and you shouldn't either. Why you should use a VPN with Netflix Netflix libraries vary by your location, so available movies and TV shows vary by country. For instance, if you're a US Netflix subscriber traveling throughout the UK and pull up Netflix, you'll find certain content unavailable in other regions. For instance, you can stream Star Trek: The Next Generation on UK Netflix but not US Netflix. Therefore, a VPN lets you watch many movies and TV shows previously unavailable in your region. Moreover, foreign film fans can access popular movies and shows from other areas. Using a VPN to stream Netflix at home lets you maximize your subscription by accessing a vast library otherwise unavailable to watch in your area. Conversely, you can set a VPN to your home country while abroad. For instance, while traveling in the UK, you could continue binge-watching Gilmore Girls even though it's not available in the United Kingdom by tunneling through a US server. How to use a VPN for watching Netflix Streaming Netflix with a VPN only requires a VPN subscription, an active Netflix plan (excluding the ad-supported tier), a compatible device and an active internet connection. Here's how to watch Netflix with a VPN: Download your VPN provider's app on your device. If there's no available app, you can run a VPN on your router. Once you've installed a VPN on your device or router, fire up your virtual private network. Choose a server from the country you want to unblock. Open the Netflix app or head to Netflix in a browser. Start streaming videos from the international Netflix library you unblocked. You should now be able to view movies and shows from your region of choice. But if that doesn't work, you can try switching Netflix profiles. Occasionally, especially on streaming boxes or mobile devices like phones and tablets, I had to change profiles to get the correct region to load. Alternatively, on a phone, tablet or streaming device, you can try force-closing the Netflix app, then reopening it when you're still seeing a country in Netflix that doesn't match the VPN server you selected. I even had to force quit the Netflix app, clear my cache and data, enable my VPN, then restart the Netflix app on some Android phones and tablets to load the correct region. Best VPNs for Netflix ExpressVPN ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Netflix, and CNET's Editors' Choice as top VPN overall. I easily unblocked dozens of international Netflix libraries thanks to Express's 3,200-plus servers throughout 105 countries. Using ExpressVPN, I watched Final Destination on Netflix UK and Friends on Netflix Germany (normally on Max in the US). Unfortunately, its French servers didn't work -- Netflix loaded, but it showed only a US library. Why we like it You can stream movies or shows at home and while traveling because of ExpressVPN's Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android and iOS/iPadOS apps. Plus, ExpressVPN's Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV apps make watching on a TV or projector a breeze. In our 2025 benchmarks, ExpressVPN clocked a reasonable 18% average internet download speed loss, which should be fast enough for most users with a reliable internet connection. During my tests, I had no issues watching 4K ultra-high-definition videos. If you're trying to stream Netflix on a smart TV that won't allow you to load VPN apps, ExpressVPN has another solution: MediaStreamer. It's a smart DNS service that lets you unblock region-restricted content, so you can watch BBC iPlayer, foreign Netflix libraries and other streaming videos. Essentially, it gives you some of the unblocking capabilities that ExpressVPN offers, but using DNS settings rather than a VPN app. However, it won't provide the privacy benefits of a VPN because smart DNS services, like proxies, lack encryption. Still, MediaStreamer can be handy for streaming smart TV operating systems that don't support VPN apps, as well as gaming consoles, in situations where you don't want to install a VPN on your router. Outside of streaming, ExpressVPN is a top-notch VPN provider that demonstrates a steadfast commitment to privacy and transparency. It's a safe choice for privacy-conscious VPN users, and also a fantastic option for casual users because it's extremely simple to use, fast and excellent for streaming. With ExpressVPN, you'll get a simple interface and consistent user experience across platforms, making ExpressVPN an ideal choice for beginners. Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV Stick and even a newly released GUI app for Linux. But the catch is that you'll pay a premium. The monthly subscription plan costs $13 per month, which is pretty standard across the industry. If you choose the yearly subscription, you'll pay $100 for the first year and $100 annually upon renewal. The two-year plan costs $140 total for the first two years combined, but renews $117 per year after the initial two-year term. Additionally, Express limits you to eight simultaneous connections -- which is fewer than most VPNs we tested -- although most people should be okay with that allowance. Pro tip: You can run a VPN on your router or use ExpressVPN's Aircove router to circumvent that restriction. It's a great time to try Aircove out, as ExpressVPN updated its Aircove router firmware for significant speed boosts and added the ability to create segmented guest networks. This means you can stream content through ExpressVPN without needing to hassle with installing a VPN on a router, which may void the warranty. Ultimately, ExpressVPN unblocked nearly every international regional library we threw at it while remaining uncomplicated, making it a terrific Netflix companion. Also featured in: Best VPN 2025, Best VPN for Streaming See at ExpressVPN NordVPN NordVPN is the fastest VPN we tested. Its best-in-class 3% internet download speed loss was a step above the competition -- the next fastest VPN was Proton, with a 16% speed loss. Accordingly, NordVPN is a fantastic choice for buffer-free Netflix streaming, even at more bandwidth-demanding 4K resolutions. In my experience, Nord unblocked a modest slate of international Netflix libraries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and Romania. I watched Law & Order SVU on a UK server (typically on Peacock in the States) and M3GAN on a Canadian server (normally on Starz in the US). Why we like it I appreciate Nord's great app support for Windows, MacOS, Linux, browsers, Android, iPhone, iPad, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV and routers. Nord's Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV apps are particularly convenient for watching Netflix on your TV or projector. With a sizable roster of 7,800-plus servers scattered over 125 countries, NordVPN is excellent for international travel and streaming -- its global reach is slightly more than Proton VPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN, but its unblocking capabilities fell slightly short of the competition. I accessed foreign Netflix content on servers in countries including Egypt on rivals Proton, PIA and ExpressVPN. Luckily, Netflix never failed to load -- it simply showed US Netflix content when connected to servers in some regions, such as Egypt. Although Nord didn't show as many worldwide Netflix connections as other VPNs, it still handled geo-unblocking for dozens of global locales and is no slouch for streaming. Initially, NordVPN is a great value at $13 per month, $60 for the first year or $83 total for the first two years. However, the one- and two-year plans renew at an astronomical $140 per year, which is considerably more than the $79 to $80 that Surfshark and Proton VPN renew for, but in the same ballpark as ExpressVPN. Its blazing-fast speeds are exceptional for watching Netflix and streaming from other services. But other VPNs unblock more worldwide Netflix libraries and may therefore be a better choice for cinephiles seeking the most international movies or shows. Also featured in: Best VPN for Smart TV, Best VPN for Fire TV See at NordVPN Surfshark Surfshark is a budget-friendly, privacy feature-rich VPN with fast connectivity. On paper, Surfshark works swimmingly for Netflix streaming. You'll enjoy an exhaustive 3,200 servers in more than 100 countries and fast speeds perfect for streaming -- we measured a respectable 21% average internet download speed loss. At those speeds, Surfshark lets you stream Netflix movies or shows in buttery smooth 4K, even on geographically distant servers. Why we like it Surfshark also offers dedicated IPs in several popular streaming regions, including the US, UK, Japan, Canada and Australia. Not only are you less likely to encounter a blanket VPN ban from a streaming site because you're the only one using that IP, but it also comes with the added benefits of fewer sites serving you annoying CAPTCHAs and less frequent IP bans by websites. A dedicated IP address from Surfshark costs $3.75 per month as an add-on to your existing plan. Additionally, Surfshark supports nearly every platform available: Android, iOS/iPadOS, Windows, MacOS and Linux, complete with a graphical user interface, or GUI, on Linux. For use with a TV, Surfshark offers Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV apps. Best of all, if you're in a house full of streaming aficionados who all want to watch content from different countries, Surfshark is more than capable of dealing with it because of its unlimited simultaneous connections. You won't need to pay extra to cover every single device in your household with Surfshark. In my testing, Surfshark worked flawlessly on a bevy of international servers, notably the US, UK, Canada, South Africa, France, Germany, Japan and Romania. Accordingly, I enjoyed streaming some episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation using UK, South African and Romanian servers. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to load up the Egyptian Netflix library -- but neither were many other VPN providers, including NordVPN. Only a few, like Proton VPN and ExpressVPN, were able to load Egypt's Netflix library. Overall, Surfshark is a value-packed VPN provider at $15 per month, $48 for your first year or $60 total for your first two years of service (the one- and two-year plans spike to $79 annually after your introductory term). Also featured in: Best VPN for Apple TV, Best VPN for Xbox See at Surfshark Proton VPN Proton is the best free VPN for Netflix and the only no-cost virtual private network that CNET recommends, for that matter. Unlike most unpaid VPNs, Proton doesn't sell your data, plaster your screen with ads or impose strict use restrictions. You can connect to servers in five countries and use the free VPN as much as you like -- but you can't manually select a server, so it's worth upgrading to the paid plan for greater control over your VPN connection. In our testing, Proton's zero-cost tier was great for streaming. With Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android and iOS/iPadOS apps, you can stream on PCs or mobile devices at home and on the go. Its Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV apps are great to use with a smart TV. Additionally, you can run Proton on your router for whole-home coverage, letting you use a VPN with Netflix on devices without Proton apps, such as Roku streamers or game consoles like an Xbox. Why we like it While Proton's free plan is fantastic, it does come with a few drawbacks compared to the paid version. You'll only get access to server locations in Romania, Poland, Japan, the Netherlands and the US. It's also not possible to specify which one of these servers you'll be automatically connected to. Proton does this to ensure proper load balancing for free users, which helps deliver faster connections -- but it also makes it harder to access specific streaming sites since you can't choose which country's server you tunnel through. Finally, while it's likely you'll be able to access Netflix through Proton's free servers, there's no guarantee, as only the paid servers are regularly updated to get around VPN bans. If you want to know for sure that you'll be able to stream Netflix around the planet, it's best to upgrade to Proton's paid plan. It's well worth it, as it gives you more than 13,600 servers across 122 countries and was the second-fastest VPN in our testing, with a mere 16% speed loss on average. I was even able to access content on Netflix Egypt using Proton VPN, a regional Netflix library that proved difficult to unblock for many VPN providers. I successfully unblocked international Netflix libraries on nearly any server I tried, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and a slew of others. I enjoyed Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix using an Egyptian server -- at the moment, it's traditionally available on Paramount Plus in the US. All VPNs slow down your internet connection somewhat, but Proton performed swimmingly even for 1080p high-definition and 4K ultra-high-definition video streaming. The Fall of the House of Usher was buttery smooth in 4K with Dolby Vision HDR. Proton charges $10 per month, $60 for your first year or $108 for your first two years of service for its premium Proton VPN Plus tier (the one- and two-year plans renew at $80 per year). Because of its superb Netflix streaming support, Proton Plus more than justifies its price. Also featured in: Best VPN for Amazon Prime Video, Best VPN for Travel See at Proton VPN How we test VPNs for Netflix I tested VPNs for Netflix streaming by watching movies and TV shows on dozens of global servers to determine each virtual private network's international Netflix libraries. While researching, I used servers in a bevy of countries, including Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Japan, Romania, South Africa, the US and UK. I tried VPNs on a host of platforms, including Windows, MacOS and Linux PCs, Android and iOS/iPad mobile devices, plus Android TV and Apple TV streaming boxes. In addition to geo-restricted Netflix content unblocking, I tested each VPN's connectivity -- officially with hundreds of internet speed tests per provider and anecdotally by streaming videos in 4K to assess lag or lack thereof. Other VPNs we tested PIA Private Internet Access, or PIA, is a wallet-friendly VPN provider. I was impressed with its superb Netflix unblocking capabilities -- PIA provided access to all the worldwide servers I tried. PIA is one of the cheapest VPNs on the market, at $12 per month, $40 for the first year (renewing at $50 per year) or $79 every three years. Despite its modest price, PIA doesn't cut corners. It boasts a massive roster of 35,000 servers across more than 90 countries. I streamed The Naked Gun via a Canadian server (traditionally, that title is on Paramount Plus in the US). An unlimited simultaneous device policy means that Netflix's concurrent streaming is the only thing keeping you from streaming on all your devices at once. However, PIA's middling connectivity -- I experienced an average 49% internet speed loss in our benchmarking -- might impact streaming quality, particularly on a slower internet connection (think less than 50Mbps or unreliable connections such as satellite internet). Video quality was occasionally blocky when first starting out and sometimes buffered. Also, when using PIA in general, I ran into considerably more CAPTCHAs than I'd like to see on a VPN. Nevertheless, PIA brings a lot to the table. Its diverse device support includes Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS/iPadOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV. I liked the Linux graphical user interface app, which is easier for beginners than a command line-only app. The Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV apps simplify streaming Netflix with a VPN in the living room on your television. Plus, its relative affordability compared with competitors helps PIA overcome its internet speed loss. If you're on a budget, PIA is a value-packed VPN with strong privacy chops and robust device compatibility. Read our PIA review. IPVanish IPVanish is a decent VPN for casual VPN users. (Again, IPVanish is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis). While I was able to unblock Netflix in most regions, including the US, UK, Canada, Japan and Germany, streaming on an Australian server didn't work at all. You do get 2,400-plus servers in 108 countries for decent Netflix international library options. But with its high 44% average internet download speed loss that we clocked in our 2024 testing, IPVanish isn't ideal for streaming videos in 4K or even 1080p. IPVanish costs $13 per month, $40 for the first year or $53 total for your first two years (the annual plan renews at $90 and the two-year plan goes to $180 total after your introductory period). While IPVanish's upfront prices are easy on the pocketbook, its future price hikes and high internet download speed loss mean you're better off with other VPNs for watching Netflix. Read our IPVanish review. Best Netflix VPN FAQs Which VPN is best for watching Netflix? ExpressVPN is the best VPN for watching Netflix, with its superb region-restricted content unblocking, fast internet speeds and large server network. However, NordVPN is a great choice for 4K video streaming thanks to its blazing-fast speeds. Surfshark is the best cheap VPN for Netflix streaming. And Proton's exhaustive international server network and reliable connections make it a solid VPN for unblocking geo-protected international Netflix libraries. Does any VPN work with Netflix? Yes, any VPN works with Netflix. However, some VPNs unblock more international Netflix libraries than others, so your mileage may vary when trying different countries. Which country should you choose when using a VPN for Netflix? When using a VPN for Netflix, you should choose a server from a country whose content you want to watch. To stream videos from your nation of origin while traveling internationally, pick your home region. For unblocking foreign Netflix libraries, pick a worldwide server. Does Netflix block VPNs? No, Netflix doesn't block VPNs, although you'll see only films and television shows that Netflix has the rights for in that region. Furthermore, Netflix doesn't allow VPNs with its ad-supported plan, and you can't stream live events, just on-demand content. What is the best free VPN for Netflix streaming? Proton VPN is the best free VPN for streaming Netflix. You'll gain access to servers in five countries -- the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, the US and Poland. Whereas many other free VPN services sell your data or plaster your screen with ads, Proton's free tier doesn't. While Proton's no-cost plan is limited -- you can't select a server manually -- it's a worthy trade-off considering how strongly Proton maintains privacy. While Proton VPN's zero-cost tier is a great choice, upgrading to the paid Proton Plus package provides access to a generous international server network of over 12,000 servers spread across 117 countries with superb Netflix worldwide library region-restricted content unblocking.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Best VPN Service for 2025: Our Top Pick in a Tight Race
What's changed in 2025 We've updated this page after retesting all of our previous top VPN picks for speed loss, leaks, usability and more. Our hands-on testing process involves running over 250 internet speed tests per provider, checking for DNS leaks, streaming content from popular providers like Netflix and BBC iPlayer and poring over privacy policies. ExpressVPN remains our pick as the best overall VPN by a razor-thin margin over NordVPN, thanks to its excellent privacy, transparency and usability. In July, ExpressVPN announced that its server network had been expanded to offer connection options in all 50 states. However, NordVPN once again emerged as the fastest VPN, posting a virtually unnoticeable 3% speed loss in our testing. Surfshark offers similar privacy features and functionality to ExpressVPN and NordVPN at a substantially lower cost, especially when it comes to renewal prices. Mullvad and Proton are worthy privacy-focused competitors, offering similar pricing to Surfshark. PIA's high speed loss and constant CAPTCHAs led us to remove it from our top recommendations and list it as another option to consider instead. What is the best VPN in 2025? ExpressVPN is the best VPN overall thanks to its streamlined apps, fast server speeds, excellent streaming service unblocking and strong privacy. All told, ExpressVPN is an outstanding VPN for beginners and privacy experts alike. Its intuitive apps are a breeze to use, and we appreciate ExpressVPN's forward-thinking approach to privacy. You'll even find servers across all 50 of the United States, making it a great choice for travel within the US and unblocking regional sports, like NFL games. However, ExpressVPN charges a premium for its service at $13 per month, $100 for the first year or $140 total for the first two years (the one- and two-year plans renew at $117 annually). While you do get some extra goodies bundled into your plan -- including a password manager and identity protection services -- we wish that ExpressVPN offered a cheaper basic package for people on a budget or who just want the VPN. NordVPN is an exceptional VPN that's extremely fast, great for streaming and packed with privacy features. Its connection speeds were the fastest we tested -- coupled with its extensive international server network and fantastic streaming service unblocking, Nord is one of the top VPNs for streaming. Plus, its massive global server footprint means NordVPN works well for travel. While NordVPN is initially a superb value at $13 per month, $60 for the first year or $81 total for the first two years, auto-renewal price hikes jack the cost up to an extortionate $140 annually on the one- and two-year plans. So we recommend monitoring your subscription to avoid a costly price increase. Surfshark is a great choice for folks seeking unique privacy features on a budget. It offers connection speeds and features comparable to ExpressVPN and NordVPN, but at an annual rate that's considerably cheaper at $48 for the first year or $60 total for the first two years (then $79 a year after the promotional period for both the one- and two-year plans). Surfshark gives you unlimited simultaneous connections, a benefit that most pricier competitors lack, including ExpressVPN and NordVPN. Despite its relative affordability in comparison with VPN rivals, Surfshark packs a privacy punch, offering unique features like split tunneling on MacOS and Dynamic MultiHop. Still, Surfshark doesn't quite match ExpressVPN's commitment to privacy, making it less suitable for people with critical privacy needs. Mullvad VPN is the most private VPN. While you'll find the privacy basics, Mullvad goes above and beyond what most VPNs provide. Its unique privacy approach means you don't need to give the company any personal information if you don't want to -- not even an email address -- and you can even pay with cash. All of its apps are open-source, meaning anyone can inspect their source code for bugs or vulnerabilities. What's more, Mullvad's transparency extends to its pricing -- you'll pay 5 euros per month (about $6) whether you sign up for one month, one year or more with no price hikes at all. If you're seriously concerned about privacy, Mullvad is the VPN for you. Proton VPN is the most versatile VPN on the market. It's privacy-forward, with neat features like discreet app icons on Android to disguise your VPN app as a notes, weather or calculator app. An obfuscation-focused VPN protocol focuses on masking your VPN connection as standard web traffic to slip through firewalls. But Proton VPN works equally well for casual users seeking an excellent VPN for streaming -- it even unblocks tough-to-access regional content like Netflix Egypt. At $10 per month, $60 for the first year or $108 total for the first two years (the one- and two-year plans renew at $80 annually), Proton is a great value. Each VPN service we recommend has excellent value for a specific use case, and we point out the ideal customer for each one. The array of options available means there's a VPN service suited to your needs, whether your privacy needs are casual or critical. Also, consider jumping on one of the best VPN deals currently available, which many of our top picks are offering. Factors to consider in a VPN When shopping for a virtual private network, you'll need to figure out the best VPN for your needs and budget. Here's what to look for. Internet speed loss VPNs somewhat lower your internet speed because you're routing your traffic through an encrypted server before communicating with apps, websites and other internet services rather than a direct connection. The fastest VPNs feature an average download speed loss of 25% or less. Generally, even folks with slower connections -- like satellite internet -- won't notice a marginal 25% or under dip. For bandwidth-intensive applications like gaming, 4K video streaming or uploading large files, you'll want a VPN with minimal speed loss. Casual users with faster internet speeds should be fine with more than 25% speed loss, but we look for VPNs that keep speed loss below 50%. In our 2025 testing, NordVPN came out on top with an impressively low 3% average internet speed loss. Mullvad, Surfshark, Proton VPN and ExpressVPN all clocked an average internet download speed loss of 25% or less. Privacy VPNs bolster your privacy by masking your public IP address, which -- like your physical address -- contains identifying information about your geographical location. So when you connect to the internet while having a VPN enabled, your public IP address is hidden from your ISP, as well as apps you use and websites you visit. But the best VPNs provide robust privacy protections. At a minimum, we recommend a VPN with 256-bit encryption (for OpenVPN and IKEv2 VPN protocols) or ChaCha20 (with WireGuard), a strict no-logging policy and DNS leak protection. Because logging is tough to verify, look for regular third-party audits. You can and should be skeptical of your VPN provider's zero-log claims. Still, VPN audits are important even if they don't provide the full privacy picture. Additionally, transparency reports offer peace of mind. We also suggest sticking with a VPN that includes a kill switch, which shuts your internet off in case your VPN unexpectedly disconnects. For granular control over your VPN connection, you may want split tunneling, which lets you use a VPN for some apps and websites but not others. For instance, you can use split tunneling to route your Netflix app through a VPN to unblock foreign content libraries while excluding your Google Chrome browser to avoid CAPTCHAs when logging into your email. More privacy-concerned folks like investigative journalists or political activists will appreciate advanced features such as obfuscation (which makes it harder for ISPs to determine that you're using a VPN), Tor over VPN (for additional encryption using the Tor network) and a double VPN (which relies on a second VPN server connection to enhance encryption). Folks with critical privacy needs should consider a VPN provider with jurisdiction outside of the Five, Nine or Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing communities for even stronger peace of mind. Whether you're just curious or you suspect your VPN isn't working, you may want to perform a VPN test. Server network When considering VPN server networks, look at the overall number of servers, as well as the individual country locations. For instance, one virtual private network company may have twice the total number of servers as a competitor but half the different country locations, meaning you've got fewer international choices. At the high end, the best VPNs for travel offer 90-plus individual countries, but anywhere over 60 countries will work for many folks. Outside of country locations, some VPNs allow file sharing across all servers, whereas others feature dedicated P2P (peer-to-peer) options. For purposes like torrenting, check whether your desired provider permits file sharing on all servers or select ones. Additionally, you'll sometimes find specialty servers, like Tor (The Onion Router) over VPN, Double VPN or obfuscated servers. Onion over VPN and Double VPN servers provide extra privacy by bolstering your encryption even further when compared with a standard VPN connection, with Tor using the Onion network while a double VPN relies on a second VPN tunnel. On the other hand, obfuscated servers make it more difficult for apps, websites or internet service providers to determine that you're using a VPN. Device support Think about your devices and what you'd like to run a VPN on so that you can check for an available virtual private network app. Most virtual private network services offer apps for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android/Android TV, iOS/iPadOS and web browsers. Apple TV apps are increasingly common, with ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, PIA, NordVPN, PrivadoVPN and IPVanish featuring TVOS applications. A graphical user interface application may be easier for Linux users than a command-line interface option. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton and PIA boast Linux GUI apps, making them compelling choices for Linux VPNs. Windows for Arm support is available with some VPNs, including NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, ExpressVPN and PIA. You can typically install a VPN on your router for whole-home coverage and use it on devices that don't support native VPN apps, like Xbox consoles, although this will typically void the warranty on the router. Most VPN companies let you install an app on as many gadgets as you wish, but you're sometimes limited to simultaneous devices. ExpressVPN allows eight, while NordVPN and Proton give you 10. Surfshark, PIA and IPVanish are unlimited. Even with a provider like Express, Proton or Nord, you can still install a VPN on as many devices as you wish, but you'll be able to have only a handful of active sessions at once. Most folks should be fine even with eight to 10 simultaneous connections, but families or hardcore power users may feel constrained. If you've got a lot of gadgets you want to install a VPN on, you may want to consider one of the best VPNs for multiple devices, including Surfshark, NordVPN, PIA and ExpressVPN. Streaming capabilities VPNs can be great for privacy. They're also helpful for unblocking region-restricted entertainment content. A VPN lets you stream services like Peacock (for NFL games), Max or Hulu from your home country while traveling abroad. Conversely, VPNs also unlock access to foreign libraries on platforms like Netflix (to watch Squid Game), Disney Plus (for Marvel's What If viewings) and Amazon Prime Video (currently featuring Cross). You may even be able to save money by using a VPN for streaming. For more info, check out the best VPNs for Amazon Prime Video and the best VPNs for streaming. Cost With most VPNs, you can buy virtual private network service on a monthly, bi-annual, annual or multi-year plan. Although multi-year deals typically net you the most savings, we usually recommend sticking with an annual plan for the best savings with the lowest risk. The virtual private network you sign up for may initially be fast, private and great for geo-unblocking, but may become slower, suffer a data breach or stop allowing access to foreign Netflix libraries over a year. On the high end, VPNs such as Express cost around $100 per year, with value-packed providers like Surfshark and PIA offering introductory year-long prices from $40 to $48. Some companies include price hikes: NordVPN normally charges $60 annually for your first year, then your plan renews at $140 per 12 months. Similarly, Surfshark goes for $48 a year upfront, then renews at $79 annually. Make a budget, then find a VPN provider that fits the bill while being mindful of price hikes. Notably, there are plenty of ways to save money on your VPN subscription, like avoiding raised renewal rates by taking advantage of seasonal discounts like Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals. If you're on a budget, you may want to consider one of the best cheap VPNs, like Surfshark, PIA or Mullvad. Additional VPN factors to consider when selecting the best VPN for your needs and budget Don't use free VPN providers: Except for Proton -- the best free VPN on the market -- you'll find only paid VPN options on this list because they're the only ones we recommend. Look for a no-logs VPN but understand the caveats: The best VPNs keep as few logs as possible and make them as anonymous as possible, so there's little data to provide should authorities come knocking. Even "no-logs" VPNs aren't 100% anonymous. There are limits to the privacy VPNs currently provide to iOS users: Recent independent research has surfaced suggesting iPhones and iPads running iOS 14 or later may be vulnerable to device-only VPN leaks, regardless of which VPN is used. Apple users concerned with potential leaks can take extra precautions by installing their VPN on a home router to ensure their entire Wi-Fi network is encrypted. Some iOS users may potentially reduce the likelihood of leaks while outside of a home network by enabling their VPN's kill switch and selecting OpenVPN protocols. You can also try closing all apps, activating your VPN and then enabling and disabling Airplane Mode before using your device normally. Apple advises users to activate their device's Always On VPN profile for additional protection. VPN transparency is important, but warrant canaries are only the beginning: Many services use "warrant canaries" to passively note to the public whether or not they've been subpoenaed by a government entity. This is because many investigations from national security agencies can't be actively disclosed by law. Like the no-logging issue, warrant canaries aren't always as straightforward as they seem. You should spend more time investigating whether your prospective VPN has cooperated with authorities in the past, and how and when it's disclosed that fact. Think twice about using a US-based VPN: The Patriot Act is still the law of the land in the US, and that means US-based VPNs have little recourse if and when the feds show up with subpoenas or national security letters in hand demanding access to servers, VPN user accounts or other data. Yes, they may have little data to access if the service has a strong no-logs policy, but why not just choose a service that's based outside Uncle Sam's jurisdiction? (If this is a concern for you, you'll also want to avoid countries with which the US has intelligence-sharing agreements.) VPN speed test data Although VPN speeds aren't the only important criteria, you'll need a virtual private network provider with fast speeds. If all servers severely hinder your internet speeds, then streaming, browsing the web or hopping on Zoom calls may be be frustrating. Here's how VPN provider speeds stacked up. About VPNs A virtual private network, or VPN, enhances your privacy by masking your public IP address, which is like home address, but on the internet. With a VPN enabled, your internet service provider or mobile carrier can't tell what apps you use or websites you visit, so you can hide your internet browsing activity and torrent privately. Because VPNs encrypt your web traffic by routing it through secure servers, you can make it look like you're connecting from a different city, state or country, which allows you to stream foreign content libraries from streaming providers like Netflix or BBC iPlayer. VPNs are also useful for travel because you can access services like email from your home country while abroad for a summer vacation without dealing with annoying CAPTCHAs. Because of their diverse applications, VPNs are excellent additions to your app arsenal. Since VPNs can bypass regional content blocks, they're useful in various scenarios, including streaming service unblocking, international travel, circumventing throttling and avoiding censorship. Whether you want to stream Dept. Q on Netflix, get around video traffic-shaping on mobile devices or avoid CAPTCHAs when logging into your email while traveling internationally for a summer vacation, a VPN is a nifty app to have installed on your devices. The best VPNs provide strong privacy protections without compromising on performance, notably internet speeds. At CNET, we rigorously test each VPN across all major platforms to determine the ones that provide exceptional privacy, reliability, speed, streaming service unblocking and value. We actively test VPNs and review the latest research, so expect this guide to change as we put each VPN through its paces. We've recently retested ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, Private Internet Access and Mullvad from the ground up and are in the process of retesting IPVanish, CyberGhost and PrivadoVPN. ExpressVPN ExpressVPN retains its spot atop CNET's list of the best VPNs and its Editors' Choice award for the Best VPN overall, thanks in large part to how the company continues to improve and innovate year after year. It consistently demonstrates a solid commitment to privacy and transparency and continuously shows that it's willing to push the boundaries of what a VPN can do. In addition to being a top choice for privacy-conscious VPN users, ExpressVPN is a fantastic option for casual users because it's extremely simple to use, fast and excellent for streaming. In July 2025, ExpressVPN updated its server network to include locations in all 50 of the United States, making it great for streaming regional sports like WNBA and NFL games, as well as traveling to or within the US. However, ExpressVPN is also one of the most expensive VPNs on the market. The monthly subscription plan costs $13 per month, which is pretty standard across the industry. However, if you go for the yearly subscription, you'll pay $100 for the first year or $140 total for the first two years (the one- and two-year plans renew at $117 annually). ExpressVPN's prices are somewhat in line with NordVPN's pricing structure, which costs $13 per month, $60 for the first year or $81 for the first two years combined (the one- and two-year plans renew at $140 per year). You can get other top VPNs for much cheaper -- Surfshark is $48 for the first year while Proton VPN is $60 for the first year -- and both renew at $80 per year. But ExpressVPN's current pricing structure is messy and forces customers to pay for extra features even if they don't want or need them. That said, the company is currently working on cleaning up its pricing structure to be more consumer-friendly and offer more value to budget-conscious people. Also featured in Fastest VPNs, Best VPN for Streaming ExpressVPN speeds We measured an 18% average speed loss in our latest speed tests with ExpressVPN. That's following initial tests earlier this year where we measured a speed loss of 35% -- slower than what we'd normally expect from a top VPN provider. But recent upgrades made Express the third-fastest VPN we tested. As long as your base internet speeds are fast enough, you'll have no issues streaming, gaming, torrenting or hopping on video calls while connected to ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN was able to remedy its recent speed woes with some inventive solutions on both Lightway and OpenVPN protocols on its latest Windows app. With the introduction of Lightway Turbo, ExpressVPN is now able to run your connection through multiple tunnels simultaneously, allowing for more data to be sent at once and significantly boosting speeds. With OpenVPN on Windows, ExpressVPN implemented Data Channel Offload (DCO), which boosts speeds by handling data packets more efficiently. In our testing, speed loss through Lightway went from 40% in January 2025 to 17% in March 2025 and 64% to 18% through OpenVPN over the same period, following ExpressVPN's speed upgrades. Lightway Turbo will be rolled out soon to other platforms as well, potentially boosting the VPN's speeds even more. Privacy and transparency Few VPN providers do privacy and transparency as well as ExpressVPN does. ExpressVPN's industry-leading 23 independent audits since 2018 leave other VPN providers in the dust and demonstrate its strong commitment to being as transparent as possible. The company announced the completion of its latest audit, performed by KPMG, in June 2025, and the results found no evidence of logging. In addition to being one of the most transparent VPNs, ExpressVPN is a privacy leader that continues to consistently roll out innovative privacy improvements. ExpressVPN was one of the first VPN providers to implement post-quantum protections, which help protect against potential future threats from quantum computers, such as hacking. And as post-quantum security standards have evolved, ExpressVPN has kept pace with those changes by integrating ML-KEM into the Lightway protocol to beef up its post-quantum protections. ExpressVPN's Shuffle IP feature is another recent privacy enhancement that works in the background and automatically assigns you a different IP address for each site you visit, making it even more difficult to track you online. And ExpressVPN still does the basics well: Its kill switch works as advertised and we encountered no leaks whatsoever in our latest round of tests. Usability ExpressVPN is perhaps the easiest VPN to use, thanks to its simple interface and consistent user experience across platforms. There's practically no learning curve, making ExpressVPN an ideal choice for beginners. You'll get apps for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV Stick and even a newly released GUI app for Linux. If you want an excellent VPN for streaming, ExpressVPN is a solid bet. In our latest tests, we had no issues accessing content from a variety of streaming sites, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Max and Amazon Prime Video across all devices we tested. You can connect up to eight devices simultaneously with ExpressVPN, which is fewer than what many other VPNs offer, but should still be enough for most users. ExpressVPN offers a seven-day free trial, followed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have the opportunity to try the service before buying or fully committing. See at ExpressVPN NordVPN NordVPN is once again head-and-shoulders the fastest VPN we tested, making it an excellent choice for bandwidth-intensive activities, like 4K video streaming, competitive online gaming or file sharing on remote teams. The versatile NordVPN does just about everything well, from its fantastic content unblocking to its advanced privacy features. If you primarily want a VPN for activities like streaming video or competitive gaming, NordVPN should be your first choice. But Express barely edges out Nord for usability and privacy, and VPNs like Surfshark and Mullvad will be easier on your wallet. It's initially a great value at $13 per month, $60 annually or $81 total for the first two years of service, but aggressive price hikes on the one- and two-year plans drive the renewal up to $140 per year. Thankfully, you can save money on your VPN service by stacking subscriptions, meaning you can buy a discounted NordVPN plan at Black Friday and add that to your existing account to avoid an extortionate price hike. But we'd like to see the same transparency that Nord has with its privacy assurances extend to its pricing model. Also featured in Best VPN for Netflix, Best VPN for Streaming NordVPN speeds In our 2025 speed tests, NordVPN emerged as the uncontested fastest VPN with a 3% average internet download speed loss. We find anything under an average 25% download speed loss perfectly acceptable, so Nord's blisteringly fast server performance should be virtually unnoticeable. Its proprietary WireGuard-based NordLynx VPN protocol delivered the best performance, with a mere 11% average speed loss on Windows compared to a still-solid 21% speed loss on OpenVPN. On MacOS, both NordLynx and OpenVPN speed test results were faster than my base internet speed, which is extremely uncommon, but can happen in cases where internet providers are limiting bandwidth. Privacy and transparency NordVPN ticks all of the privacy basics and then some, providing unique features for privacy-critical users. Although we'd like to see improvements in its privacy policy, and more transparency in its pricing structure, Nord is great for casual users who want to stream Netflix or BBC iPlayer and privacy-critical folks like investigative journalists alike. You'll find standard options, like NordLynx and OpenVPN protocols, a kill switch and split tunneling. Additionally, Nord packs advanced privacy amenities, like its NordWhisper VPN protocol which masquerades as standard web traffic, Onion Over VPN servers (which rely on Tor to make it even more difficult to trace your traffic back to you) and double VPN servers (which beef up your privacy using a pair of VPN connections). There's a strict no-logs policy that undergoes annual audits by a reputable third party. Its RAM-only servers reset after each VPN session, so theoretically, none of your browsing data should be saved to a disk anyway. For future-proofing, NordVPN rolled out post-quantum protection to all of its apps, which may guard against threats from quantum computers -- only a handful of VPN providers, including ExpressVPN, have post-quantum encryption. One of Nord's most useful, albeit niche, features is Meshnet, which lets you create a virtual local area network and even use a PC as a personal VPN server for accessing your home network from anywhere. Meshnet allows you to securely share files, host remote LAN parties, manage home servers from afar and access Netflix while traveling without triggering two-factor authentication. While Nord gets most things right, its privacy policy isn't quite as reassuring as its main rival, ExpressVPN, especially regarding business transfers. Most folks shouldn't be worried, but anyone with serious privacy concerns about having their user data transferred in the event of a merger may want to consider a different VPN provider. Usability Whether you're a VPN beginner, seasoned privacy enthusiast or somewhere in between, NordVPN remains intuitive. It's easy to perform all essential tasks, like changing servers, switching VPN protocols or enabling different settings such as the kill switch. NordVPN offers apps for nearly every available platform, including Windows, MacOS, Linux (with a GUI), Android, iOS/iPadOS, Apple TV, Android TV and the Amazon Fire TV. Visually, Nord's app is busier compared to ExpressVPN's minimalist app, but it's not overwhelming or clunky like the PrivadoVPN and PIA apps. We wish split tunneling on Android were a little more flexible -- you can exclude individual apps from your VPN, but not use a VPN connection for only some apps. Still, that's a minor quibble about an otherwise polished app. See at NordVPN Surfshark Surfshark is a solid option for folks who want a premium VPN experience that rivals higher-priced providers like ExpressVPN or NordVPN. Its impressive roster of useful premium features delivers a lot of value even though the service isn't quite as budget-friendly as it once was. While it can't quite keep up with NordVPN's speed and ExpressVPN's usability and overall privacy, it comes pretty close at a significantly cheaper cost than those two, especially when looking at renewal rates. Nonetheless, Surfshark is a top-notch VPN that demonstrates consistent improvement in all areas of its service year after year. Most VPNs charge about $10 to $13 for a monthly subscription, but Surfshark's $15.45 per month rate makes it one of the most expensive monthly subscription prices in the industry. Pricing for Surfshark's longer-term plans is much more reasonable. You'll pay $48 for the first year or $60 total for the first two years combined (the one- and two-year plans renew at $79 annually). Although Surfshark's renewal prices increased this year, its introductory and renewal prices are still significantly cheaper than ExpressVPN and NordVPN's $60 renewal prices. Also featured in Best Cheap VPNs, Best VPNs for Streaming Surfshark speeds Surfshark's overall speed performance has been remarkably consistent and fast over the past few years, with an average speed loss hovering in the high teens. In our most recent speed tests, we measured an average speed loss of 21%, which is technically slower than previous years, but shouldn't result in a noticeable difference in practice. Surfshark has a vast network of over 3,200 servers across 100 different countries, which can help ensure fast speeds and stable connections by minimizing congestion and offering more options for more users to connect to servers nearby their physical location. Privacy and transparency Surfshark has some really cool privacy features in addition to standard privacy protections like its kill switch, no-logs policy and DNS leak protection. Surfshark's Dynamic Multihop lets you tunnel through any two server locations for an added layer of privacy and its Rotating IP makes it harder to track you online by switching your IP address every few minutes. We also like Surfshark's Alternative ID, a suite of unique privacy features that allows you to create an alter-ego complete with full name, physical address, and email address that you can use online without divulging your true identity. An alternative phone number is also available for an extra $3 per month. Surfshark also plans to roll out post-quantum protections this year to protect against potential future threats from quantum computers, a move that follows other top VPNs including ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Mullvad. Surfshark still has some catching up to do in terms of transparency, but we're encouraged by company representatives telling us that a no-logs audit has been commissioned for this year (its first since 2022) and that the company is committing to an annual audit cadence. Additionally, Surfshark has begun publishing a quarterly transparency report, which details the number of legal requests the company receives each quarter and states that Surfshark has no useful information to disclose to authorities, in line with its no-logs policy. Usability Surfshark's apps are slick, simple to use and deliver a consistent user experience across platforms. Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV. If you're into streaming, Surfshark is a good bet because it does well to unblock content on most platforms and streaming services and offers apps for smart TVs as well as streaming devices. We experienced slow loading times with Netflix on MacOS and Hulu detected the VPN when we tried streaming content on Hulu through Surfshark's Fire TV Stick app. Otherwise, the streaming experience was solid and what we would expect from a top-tier VPN service. Surfshark is also a great choice if you live in a large household or have lots of connected devices because you'll be able to connect an unlimited number of devices simultaneously. That's generous, considering that most VPNs limit the number of simultaneous connections to anywhere from five to 10. And like many other VPNs, Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you're not satisfied with the service. See at Surfshark Proton VPN Proton VPN is the best free VPN, and the only zero-dollar virtual private network on the market that we wholeheartedly recommend. While Proton VPN's free plan is excellent, its premium plan holds its own against the likes of ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark, and is a fantastic upgrade path for anyone who needs more servers for streaming and travel. Its nifty privacy features, like discreet app icons and guest modes, coupled with fast speeds and outstanding streaming service unblocking, make Proton VPN a solid option for casual users and privacy buffs alike. Proton also costs $60 for the first year or $108 for two years with a renewal price of $80 annually for the one- and two-year plans, making it cheaper than most competing VPNs, even if you're paying the higher renewal price. Despite a few shortcomings with Proton's free plan -- you can't manually select a server, and you're limited to one connection at a time -- it doesn't sacrifice privacy, sell your data or plaster your screen with ads. By contrast, PrivadoVPN lets you pick a server on its free tier, but limits you to 10GB of monthly usage, which is barely enough for streaming a 4K movie. Moreover, Privado hasn't been audited and doesn't publish transparency reports, so unlike Proton VPN, it's unsuitable for folks with serious privacy concerns. Also featured in Best Free VPN, Best VPN for Amazon Prime Video Proton VPN speeds Boasting a blazing-fast 16% average internet download speed loss in our 2025 benchmarking, Proton VPN remained snappy even on geographically distant servers. Its performance falls comfortably under our recommended 25% average speed loss maximum, and is slower than the pack-leading NordVPN (3%) but slightly faster than our best overall, ExpressVPN (18%). Regardless of the VPN protocol or server we used, Proton provided usable speeds for bandwidth-demanding activities like streaming ultra-high-definition and high-definition videos or online gaming. Privacy and transparency While Proton is great for casual users who want to stream Netflix or travel the world, its unique, helpful privacy features make it an outstanding choice for anyone with serious privacy concerns, like political activists. In addition to the industry-standard WireGuard and OpenVPN VPN protocols, Proton packs its proprietary Stealth protocol, which attempts to slip through firewalls disguised as normal web traffic. Stealth could be helpful in situations where VPNs are frowned upon, such as on school Wi-Fi or when traveling to certain countries. Like most VPN companies, Proton undergoes annual third-party audits, which have verified its no-logging policy. Its privacy policy is also one of the most reader-friendly we've ever seen, directly addressing concerns about user data and privacy. Proton VPN's discreet app icons let you hide the fact that you've got a VPN installed on your phone or tablet, making the Proton VPN app icon instead look like a notes or weather app. Proton's hidden app icons could prove helpful if you're worried about your device getting seized and searched. For beefed-up privacy, you'll find Secure Core servers, which use a second VPN connection, and Tor Over VPN servers, which use a VPN in conjunction with The Onion Router. Both Secure Core and Tor Over VPN servers make it even more difficult to trace your web traffic back to its source (your computer). Usability Whether you've never used a VPN before or you're a privacy buff, Proton VPN is fairly easy to use, although its apps aren't as streamlined as the minimalist ExpressVPN. In particular, power users should appreciate Proton's customizable apps with features like connection profiles to specify certain servers or protocols. Although Proton VPN is privacy-forward, it's not all work and no play. We were impressed with Proton's excellent streaming chops. It effortlessly unblocked many foreign Netflix libraries, including Netflix Egypt, as well as BBC iPlayer, CBC, Max, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus. We had no issues performing VPN basics with its apps across all platforms -- switching servers, changing VPN protocols and toggling on or off the kill switch. While the kill switch works on Windows, Android and MacOS, a design flaw doesn't properly inform you that your public IP address may be exposed when switching servers on Mac, even with the kill switch enabled. (An issue that plagues most VPNs on Mac.) Especially considering Proton VPN's strong focus on privacy and transparency, we were disappointed by its unintuitive MacOS kill switch notification functionality. Nevertheless, Proton VPN is a great choice for power users, especially power users, thanks to its unique privacy features and excellent streaming service unblocking. See at ProtonVPN Mullvad Mullvad is a small but mighty VPN that holds its own against the top players in the VPN industry. It's fast, easy to use across platforms and boasts some innovative privacy features. With Mullvad, you'll get a VPN that offers some of the best privacy protections in the industry, sometimes at the expense of certain casual use cases like streaming. So if you're a VPN user who has heightened online privacy needs and will be using your VPN predominantly to protect your privacy, Mullvad is the way to go -- and especially if you're on a budget. But if you're more of a casual VPN user who just wants to stream content internationally from various streaming providers, then you'll be better off with ExpressVPN, NordVPN or Surfshark. Mullvad's pricing is about as straightforward as it gets: 5 euro (about $6) per month, whether you use it for a month, six months or indefinitely. There are no discounts or recurring subscription plans available and you only need to pay for the months that you need the VPN, which allows for maximum flexibility. That said, you can pay up front for as many months as you need at any time. If you purchase 12 months, it'll cost you 60 euro upfront, which is cheaper than the yearly rate that many other top VPNs charge. Also, Mullvad is unique in that it requires no personal information to purchase or use, which is part of what makes it the best VPN for privacy. At signup, you'll be assigned a randomly generated numerical code that you use to purchase the subscription and sign into the apps, eliminating the need for a username or password. Also featured in Best Cheap VPNs, Fastest VPNs Mullvad speeds We measured a 24% speed loss in our latest Mullvad speed tests. While that's a drop from the 13% speed loss we measured last year, it still makes Mullvad one of the fastest VPNs available. And considering Mullvad's relatively small network of 732 servers across 49 countries, the VPN's speed performance is commendable. There are other VPNs that have thousands of servers in over 100 countries that don't perform nearly as well as Mullvad does in terms of speed. Mullvad's speed performance is plenty fast enough for data-heavy activities like streaming, torrenting or gaming. Privacy and transparency Privacy and transparency are where Mullvad really shines. Everything Mullvad does is based on the company's uncompromising commitment to protecting user privacy, from its innovative privacy features to its anonymous sign up process, always-on kill switch and lack of recurring subscriptions. On top of getting the basics right, Mullvad offers some additional privacy features that go above and beyond what many other VPNs deliver. Mullvad was one of the first VPN providers to offer post-quantum protections, a forward-looking privacy feature that helps protect users against potential future threats from quantum computers. And unique to Mullvad is another innovative privacy feature called Defense Against AI-guided Traffic Analysis (DAITA) which helps protect users from having their encrypted web traffic identified using artificial intelligence. The feature does this by sending dummy packets while making each data packet the same size in order to prevent adversaries from leveraging AI to identify the patterns of data packets that users send and receive through the VPN tunnel and match it to actual web traffic. Mullvad also undergoes regular external audits and its apps are open-source, meaning that its source code is publicly available online for anyone to scrutinize. Additionally, Mullvad is working on a way to make its server infrastructure fully user-auditable at any time and in real time. Usability Mullvad's apps deliver a consistent experience across devices and are extremely simple to use. With Mullvad, you'll get apps for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Android TV, along with browser extensions and router support (which can help you bypass its restrictive limit of five simultaneous devices). Features are easy to access and work as expected on all platforms we tested, but it would be nice to see wider support from Mullvad for streaming devices. While most top VPNs have native apps for Apple TV and Fire TV Stick, Mullvad doesn't yet. Also, Mullvad's streaming capabilities overall are hit or miss: We were able to stream content on sites like Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu in our tests last year, but were denied access to content on all of those sites in our latest tests. In our spring 2025 tests, we were able to access content only on Netflix and Max. Other top VPNs typically offer access to a wide array of streaming services and on a larger selection of dedicated streaming devices. Mullvad has a 14-day money-back guarantee, so you can give it a try before fully committing to see if it's the right VPN for you. See at Mullvad How we test VPNs Our hands-on testing and review process is designed to cut through the hype and determine the best VPNs of the bunch. When we look at each VPN service, we're not just examining them for their technical weaknesses, but we're also scrutinizing their individual performance strengths in various areas, like privacy, streaming or value for the money. We want to know what each service does best. We test each VPN across over 20 factors, and we continually improve our methodology as we learn more. Our rigorous testing process involves running over 250 internet speed tests across multiple worldwide servers to determine accurate internet speed loss averages. We test VPNs for browsing and streaming speed in multiple countries, as well as their connection stability and even the smallest potential privacy leaks. By testing across multiple devices and platforms, we're able to assess which VPNs are best for gaming versus those best for streaming, torrenting or sharing sensitive information. Most importantly, we focus on doing the deep-dive research necessary to vet each VPN's historical credibility and its ownership in a notoriously murky market. The VPNs on this list earn our recommendation for more than just boosting their digital privacy strengths -- they enable easy streaming to overcome geo-blocked media, have torrenting-friendly servers and are fast enough to support gaming globally. Based on those continued evaluations, you'll see a few bullet points on each entry in our list, highlighting each VPN's strengths and the uses we recommend it for most. Because we strive to keep on top of a fast-changing market, you'll notice that the rank of each VPN service changes as we learn more and retest. How to choose the right VPN for you Picking the best VPN requires knowing two basic things to start with: What you want to use it for, and what you're willing to pay. The range of VPN offerings is vast, but those two things will help you find a VPN that has the right blend of speed, security and cost. Below, you'll find specific FAQ sections on picking a VPN based on the most common needs: gaming, streaming media, working from home and privacy-critical professions. In general, you'll want a VPN that provides sufficient encryption, doesn't log your activity, offers essential security features like DNS leak protection and a kill switch, has server locations where you need them and can give you fast connection speeds. Our top five VPNs have all these features, although connection speeds will vary based on your internet provider and the server you connect to. For a deeper dive, check our detailed walk-through of how we evaluate and review VPNs. If you're looking for some quick pointers, here are universally applicable advice guides for beginners: VPN Red Flags to Watch Out For How to Identify a Good VPN What to look forward to in 2025 The biggest change we're seeing is that VPN companies have started going beyond just offering VPNs, and are striving to be one-stop cybersecurity shops by including services like password managers, antivirus software and identity theft protection in bundles. Many of our top VPN picks now let you bundle antivirus software, password managers and identity theft protection services. There are pros and cons to bundling. On the one hand, it may be more convenient to have one bill rather than several to keep track of, and it might also be more cost-effective. However, on the other hand, you might end up paying for services you don't use, and it may be cumbersome to transfer out of that ecosystem in the event of a data breach or price increase. All of our top-rated VPNs now offer user-friendly Linux graphical user interface apps, which is refreshing since it makes using a VPN on Linux more accessible, particularly for beginners. With an increased concern about threats from quantum computing, like hacking, providers are adding post-quantum resistance to VPN apps. In 2025, NordVPN added post-quantum protection to all of its apps, joining ExpressVPN and Mullvad in providing quantum-resistant encryption. Other VPNs we've tested Not every VPN can be a favorite. These are the ones we reviewed, but they're not full-throated recommendations for one reason or another, including limited features and concerns over adequately hiding your identity, ultimately falling short to other picks we selected as the best VPNs. In addition to the more recently tested VPNs below, we also looked at Hotspot Shield and TunnelBear a few years ago and were left disappointed at the time. PIA Servers: 35,000-plus Number of countries: 91 Country/jurisdiction: US Platforms: Windows, MacOS, Linux (GUI), Android, Android TV, iOS, iPadOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, browsers, routers Price: $12 per month, $40 for the first year (then $50 annually) or $79 total for three years Private Internet Access is a budget-friendly VPN that undercuts most of the competition at $12 per month, $40 for the first year (renewing at $50 annually) or $79 total for three years. It's privacy-forward with open-source apps, meaning anyone can inspect the source code for vulnerabilities or bugs, and one of the most reader-friendly privacy policies we've encountered. PIA was largely good for streaming service unblocking, letting us watch Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer, Max and a slew of other sites. It's suitable for international and US domestic travel -- you'll get 35,000 servers in 91 countries, including servers in all 50 of the United States. PIA is a compelling choice if you want to stream regional US sports, like NFL games. While PIA largely sticks to the privacy basics, its highly customizable VPN apps should satisfy power users who want lots of control over VPN connections. Apple users will appreciate split tunneling on MacOS -- a rarity among VPN providers that few providers besides PIA and Surfshark include. However, PIA's sluggish server speeds make it unsuitable for folks with slower or more unreliable internet connections. We clocked an underwhelming 49% average internet speed loss in our 2025 speed testing. That might be fine if you're using Google Fiber or cable, like Spectrum, but satellite internet users should opt for a faster VPN. Moreover, we encountered a lot of CAPTCHAs using PIA, even when trying to perform a basic Google search. For a little more money, you can get a lot more value with faster speeds and more advanced privacy features by opting for a VPN like Surfshark or Proton. IPVanish Servers: 2,400-plus Number of countries: 108 Country/jurisdiction: US Platforms: Windows, MacOS, Linux (CLI), Chrome OS, Android, Android TV, iOS, iPadOS, Fire TV, Apple TV Price: $13 per month, $40 for the first year (then $90 annually) or $52 for the first two years combined (then $90 annually) IPVanish is a decent beginner-friendly VPN for folks seeking basic privacy. It does a good job of unblocking geographically protected streaming content on multiple services, such as providing access to foreign Netflix libraries (IPVanish is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis). We liked its intuitive VPN apps which, while easy to use even for novices, weren't quite as streamlined as apps from NordVPN or ExpressVPN. While you get privacy fundamentals from IPVanish, its US jurisdiction makes it unsuitable for people with critical privacy needs, like political activists, investigative journalists or asylum-seekers. Its comparatively slow speeds -- we measured a 44% average internet speed loss -- severely lagged behind NordVPN (11%), Surfshark (17%), Proton VPN (21%) and ExpressVPN (25%). But its servers peppering 108 countries mean you get an international reach close to NordVPN (117 countries), ExpressVPN (105) countries, Surfshark (100 countries), Proton (117 countries) and PIA (91 countries). IPVanish sets you back $13 per month, $40 for your first year or $53 for two years combined -- but the one- and two-year plans jump to $90 annually after your introductory pricing period. For the price, you can get a VPN with faster internet speed maintenance. Read our IPVanish review. CyberGhost Number of servers: 11,500-plus Number of countries: 100 Jurisdiction: Romania, with UK parent company Platforms: Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV $13 per month, $42 every six months, $57 for the first two years (then $57 annually) If you need a VPN with a massive number of servers in tons of different locations, or if you're a streaming enthusiast who likes to stream a wide variety of streaming content, then CyberGhost is a serviceable choice for casual use cases. If you're a journalist, activist, dissident, physician, attorney or anyone else with critical privacy needs looking for a solid privacy-focused VPN, you won't find it in CyberGhost. We like that CyberGhost publishes extremely detailed quarterly transparency reports (far outdoing all other VPNs in terms of detail and frequency) and operates a RAM-only server infrastructure, but the company's overall approach to user privacy needs some major attention. CyberGhost's privacy policy outlines some questionable data-sharing practices, and we were perplexed by how the VPN's website and onboarding process reinforces the dangerous falsehood that VPNs can make you totally anonymous online. We were also disappointed to see how CyberGhost attempts to trick users into agreeing to share additional data with the company through its apps. Besides CyberGhost's dubious approach to user privacy, the VPN's apps are a mess. Throughout our testing process, we ran into numerous bugs and choppy performance on nearly all of CyberGhost's apps across the platforms we tested. In our testing, all of CyberGhost's apps consistently took an abnormally long time to connect to a server. At times, the apps would become entirely unresponsive, requiring an app restart and sometimes even a full system restart. CyberGhost's apps also don't offer much in the way of helpful bonus features like many others, including Surfshark and NordVPN, do. If you need a fast VPN, you'll probably be disappointed by CyberGhost's mediocre speed performance (30% speed lost in CNET's testing). Overall, CyberGhost is a sub-par VPN provider with buggy apps, middling speed performance and questionable privacy practices. It costs $13 per month, $42 every six months or $57 for the first 24 months (then $57 annually). For a similar price or even cheaper, you can choose several VPNs that are far superior to CyberGhost. Read our CyberGhost VPN review. Norton Secure Number of servers: 1,500 Number of countries: 29 Country/jurisdiction: US Platforms: Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS Price: $40 for the first year for 5 devices (renews at $80), $50 for the first year with Norton antivirus for 5 devices (renews at $110) or $60 for the first year for 10 devices including antivirus (renews at $130) Norton LifeLock, long known for excellence in security products, has a relatively limited offering in its VPN product. Norton Secure VPN does not support P2P or BitTorrent, Linux, routers or set-top boxes. It's Netflix and streaming compatibility is somewhat limited. Even worse, during testing, we experienced privacy-compromising data leaks. During CNET's testing, Norton Secure VPN speeds were comparable to other mid-tier VPNs but not particularly competitive. Although its VPN is only available on four platforms -- Mac, iOS, Windows and Android -- Norton gets points for its 24/7 live customer service phone support and 60-day money-back guarantee. Norton Secure VPN costs $40 for the first year, rising to $80 upon renewal. For that price, you get protection for five devices, which is well below ExpressVPN's eight simultaneous devices, Nord and Proton's 10 or Surshark and PIA's unlimited. Most VPN providers let you install a VPN on as many devices as you like but limit your simultaneous usage, Norton restricts how many total devices you can download a VPN on. This stingy device allowance is well under the competition. If you need more, you can always upgrade to Norton's Ultra VPN Plus with its 10-device policy. Norton Secure VPN Plus and Ultra VPN Plus bundle antivirus software, so if you need a VPN with antivirus, it's a consideration. Read our Norton Secure VPN review. PrivadoVPN Number of servers: Hundreds Number of countries: 48 Country/jurisdiction: Switzerland Platforms: Windows, MacOS, Android, Android TV, iOS, iPadOS, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Linux, routers Price: Free, $8 per month, $20 for the first year (then $60 annually) or $30 total for the first two years (then $96 total for two years) PrivadoVPN is a decent no-frills VPN provider. Its free plan limits your monthly usage to 10GB, but you can pick from servers in 13 cities. By contrast, Proton VPN doesn't limit your data consumption, but you can't choose a server manually. You won't get the fastest internet download and upload speeds or the largest server network with its paid tiers, but Privado is a solid VPN for streaming. Privado has privacy-friendly Swiss jurisdiction, but it hasn't been audited. All of its privacy features work, including split tunneling, DNS leak protection and a kill switch, although its kill switch was almost too aggressive, keeping your internet cut off even after manually disconnecting from a server or closing the PrivadoVPN app. Because of its lack of audits, it's hard to recommend Privado for privacy-conscious users, like investigative journalists, political activists, asylum-seekers or even worried torrenters. Privado is one of the best VPNs for casual users, with a premium plan available as a convenient upgrade path. Read our PrivadoVPN review. Best VPN FAQs In today's hyper-connected world, online privacy and security are increasingly critical. From online banking to communicating remotely with colleagues, we're transferring more data on our computers and smartphones than ever before. Much of that data is confidential information that we need to keep safe from hackers and snoops, so VPN use is on the rise as people take steps to secure their digital lives. Do I need a VPN? Anyone who accesses the internet from a computer, tablet or smartphone can benefit from using a VPN. You don't have to be an activist, government dissident or journalist to need a VPN; the rise of third-party data brokers, cross-site advertising trackers, IP address collection and mobile geo-targeting have all combined to create an online browsing environment that poses significant threats to everyday people's basic privacy. Because a VPN encrypts your connection, your browsing data is protected from your internet service provider (and any government entities that request your ISP data), and your network administrator in most cases. A VPN can also shield your private information — like passwords, usernames and bank or shopping details — from anyone snooping on your network. What is the best free VPN? Proton VPN's free tier is the only free VPN we've come across so far that's worth using. It costs a lot of money to operate a VPN, and free VPN services usually make up for the lack of subscription revenue by selling user data. In addition to being limited in usability and light on security, many free VPNs are fronts for malware distribution, which is why it's generally best to avoid them. Proton VPN's unlimited free tier is fast and secure and can be used for most online activities, including streaming Netflix. PrivadoVPN also offers a free plan that's great for casual customers. But its uneven internet speeds, modest server network and lack of third-party audits hold back a recommendation as one of the best VPNs. If you're on a budget and want access to a premium VPN solution, you can also take a look at our picks for the best cheap VPNs. What is a mobile VPN? A mobile VPN is simply a VPN you can use on your mobile device like your iPhone or Android phone. All of the providers we recommend have mobile versions of their desktop clients. You can use a mobile-focused VPN app to ensure greater data privacy, designed for your whole device. Mobile VPNs also generally have a smaller memory footprint and require less processing power than desktop VPNs, so they tend to yield faster connection speeds and don't eat up your battery as quickly. Keep in mind that most mobile VPN clients will use a lighter form of encryption than a desktop client to achieve those smartphone speeds. Be sure to check your VPN apps' settings to ensure you're using the apps' strongest encryption if your privacy needs are heightened. Our top three VPN picks all have excellent, easy-to-use mobile VPN app options for their services. Some VPNs will only work with one type of mobile platform — like iOS or Android — and some are universally compatible. To find the right mobile VPN for you, check out our mobile-specific VPN guides below. We routinely update them with our retesting information, so check back often. How to Set Up a VPN on Your Smartphone Best Android VPNs for 2024 Best iPhone VPNs of 2024 Are VPNs legal? VPNs are perfectly legal to use in most countries. There's nothing wrong with taking steps to protect your privacy online, and you shouldn't have to worry that using a VPN as part of that process will get you in any kind of legal trouble. There are countries where VPNs are either banned or outright illegal. If you're using a VPN in a country like China, Iran, Oman, Russia, Turkmenistan, UAE or Belarus, you may find yourself in legal trouble. The irony here is that these are the countries where internet censorship and surveillance are most common. In those countries, you'll need to make sure you use a VPN that provides strong obfuscation so your VPN traffic is disguised as ordinary HTTPS traffic, meaning government entities won't even know you're using a VPN in the first place. You won't run into any trouble with the law for using a VPN across most of the world. One important reminder: VPNs are legal in most places, but engaging in illegal activity online is still illegal regardless of whether you're using a VPN. How do I use a VPN for Netflix? If you live in a country that censors its media or are traveling to one, geo-restricted content is a pain. You can use a VPN to circumvent censorship or access your home country's normal media content for an online streaming service like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video or Disney Plus. Pick a VPN that lets you manually select which country you want to connect through and has something called obfuscation. (Our top three picks offer this.) You don't always need to use the obfuscation feature to unblock Netflix, but since streaming services actively try to block VPN connections, obfuscation can help because it disguises your VPN traffic as regular internet traffic. If you're looking to try out other VPNs, choose one with a large number of IP addresses, preferably 10,000 or more. This is because one of the ways Netflix and others block VPNs is by blacklisting known VPN IPs, and if your VPN has tens of thousands of IPs, there's a better chance that you'll be able to connect to an IP address that Netflix hasn't flagged. Once your VPN is installed, connect to the country whose content you wish to view, restart your browser and go to the streaming site. If your VPN is working, the site should treat you as a resident of your selected country and serve you content assigned to that audience. If you're still having trouble, you can try using incognito mode on your browser or try clearing your cookies and cache. The best VPNs for Netflix — and streaming in general — all let you access geo-restricted content buffer-free. How do I know if my VPN is working? Your first and most apparent indication that your VPN is working is that your IP address will change and your location will be registered as that of the VPN server you're connecting through. You can check this on a site like You'll also want to make sure your VPN is protecting your privacy and not leaking any of your data outside of the VPN tunnel, thus exposing it to your ISP and other entities that may be monitoring your online activity. You can check for leaks by going to a site like or If your location is registered as the VPN server location and your leak tests turn up negative, then you know your VPN is working to protect your privacy. What is a remote-access VPN? A remote-access VPN uses public infrastructure like the internet to provide remote users secure access to their network. This is particularly important for organizations and their corporate networks. It's crucial when employees connect to a public hotspot and use the internet for sending work-related emails. A VPN client on the user's computer or mobile device connects to a VPN gateway on the company's network. This gateway will typically require the device to authenticate its identity. It will then create a network link back to the device that allows it to reach internal network resources such as file servers, printers and intranets as if it were on the same local network. What is a site-to-site VPN? This is when the VPN technology uses a gateway device to connect the entire network in one location to a network in another location. The majority of site-to-site VPNs that connect over the internet use IPsec. IPsec-based encryption protocols are often considered by VPN specialists to be less secure against modern surveillance. Rather than using the public internet, it is also normal to use multiprotocol label-switching clouds as the main transport for site-to-site VPNs. VPNs are often defined between specific computers, and in most cases, they are servers in separate data centers. New hybrid-access situations have now transformed the VPN gateway in the cloud, typically with a secure link from the cloud service provider into the internal network. What's the best VPN? The best VPN for you depends on your needs when using a VPN. Generally, ExpressVPN is the best VPN overall based on our testing. But we also recommend NordVPN (the fastest VPN), Surfshark (the best value VPN), Proton (the most versatile VPN) and Mullvad (the best VPN for privacy). VPNs for crucial privacy and securityIf you're a journalist, a lawyer or a professional in any other privacy-sensitive field, forget about speed and price when choosing a VPN. Focus, instead, entirely on security. Your VPN may be somewhat slower but, for both VPNs and presidential motorcades, speed is always the trade-off for privacy. Avoid free VPNs and browser-based VPNs. If you're concerned with government monitoring in your current country, choose a VPN headquartered outside of the country you're currently in, and avoid choosing a VPN with a jurisdiction in an allied country. For example, US journalists should avoid VPNs with a jurisdiction in the US or other Five Eyes countries. Keep an eye on encryption: Your VPN should offer a protocol called OpenVPN TCP (for its mobile apps, IKEv2 is fine). Right now, the VPN we recommend most for critical privacy is Mullvad, with ExpressVPN a very close second. VPNs for working from homeIf you're working from home, you may be sharing your internet connection with multiple devices and family members or roommates. That's a lot of simultaneous connections to a VPN and a lot of drag on a network. Pick a VPN that lets you use one subscription on as many devices as possible and has excellent speeds so your Wi-Fi isn't bogged down. If your job involves handling sensitive information like financial or medical records, your priority VPN criteria is security. Our top three VPN picks are the most secure we've found, and each has a different number of connections they'll allow for a base-level subscription. Depending on your budget and home office requirements, ExpressVPN, Surfshark and NordVPN are all great options for working from home. There are a few other factors worth considering for a home office VPN, so check out our guide to picking the right VPN for working at home. VPNs for gamingMost VPNs are chosen based on having a good balance of speed, security and cost. If you want a VPN specifically to connect to game servers in another country, speed is everything. Free VPNs won't be fast enough. Fortunately, high-end security won't be a cost driver, which gives you more options at modest prices. Since all VPNs reduce speed — many by half or more — that means picking one from the set that performed best in our speed tests. In our latest tests, NordVPN took the lead as the fastest VPN, although you can get excellent speeds through Surfshark via the WireGuard protocol and with ExpressVPN. If you're focused on VPNs for game consoles, look at our best VPNs for Xbox and our primer on installing them. Before choosing the one right for your needs, visit the VPN's official website to see whether they offer servers specifically aimed at gaming in the countries where you most want to connect to other players.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Shoppers can snap up a free Amazon voucher with NordVPN deal
The online security provider is giving away Amazon vouchers when shoppers buy its two-year packages for a limited time VPNs can be incredibly useful for accessing websites whilst on holiday and streaming your favourite shows. For a limited period, Brits can snag a fantastic deal on VPNs from NordVPN. The provider is dishing out Amazon vouchers when customers purchase its two-year packages for a limited time, including the Plus and the Ultimate packages. For the Plus packages, Nord will provide its superfast VPN, an ad and tracker blocker, and its NordPass programme which is ideal for password storage - all in one convenient package. It will cost £83.76 for the Plus package but Nord will give a £20 Amazon voucher 30 days after purchasing the package. Then there's the Ultimate package, which comes with a £50 Amazon voucher. It costs £129.83 but includes 1 TB of cloud storage and Nord will offer £5000 cyber insurance. Customers will get the £50 Amazon voucher after the 30-day purchase period has ended, as the Express reports. There are plenty of alternatives to choose from as well. ExpressVPN, another one of our favourites, costs slightly less for its two-year deal at £4.03 a month with four months free. However, there's no freebies included. There's also ProtonVPN which is a similar price to Nord and ExpressVPN at £3.59 a month. Tech expert Aaron has reviewed NordVPN. He said: "NordVPN is astonishingly good. For VPN newcomers, NordVPN's gorgeous apps offer an unintimidating way to get to grips with a Virtual Private Network. "While experts will be able to unlock the true power of brilliant features like Double VPN, VPN Kill Switch, and MeshNet. "Connections with NordVPN are rock-solid, with no dropouts or timeouts during the months that we've relied on this stellar VPN to keep our personal information shielded away from prying eyes, hackers, and advertisers." Aaron did observe a slight slowdown in download speeds with NordVPN, but nothing too significant. He continued: "Sure, NordVPN has a more substantial impact on download speeds than ExpressVPN, which we'd still recommend as the best VPN for streaming. "But in normal usage, NordVPN still offers a good internet speed - even when connected to a server location on the other side of the planet."
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Online safety laws behind surge in VPN use
Apps offering VPNs, which are commonly used in authoritarian countries to get around internet censorship, made up half of the top 10 most popular free apps on the UK's App Store this weekend, according to the latest Apple rankings. Proton VPN overtook ChatGPT to become the top free app in the UK. The Swiss-based company said it had seen a more than 1800 per cent increase in daily sign-ups from UK-based users since Friday. On X, Proton said: 'We would normally associate these large spikes in sign-ups with major civil unrest. This clearly shows that adults are concerned about the impact universal age verification laws will have on their privacy'. Nord, another VPN provider, said there had been a 1000 per cent increase in UK purchases of VPN subscriptions since the new rules kicked in. Data from Google Trends also showed a significant increase in search queries for VPNs in the UK this weekend, with up to 10 times more people looking for VPNs at peak times. Rules 'not foolproof' for teenagers Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom group director for online safety, told the Financial Times that the watchdog's age verification rules would not be 'foolproof' for a 'determined teenager', just as under-18s are sometimes able to buy alcohol in UK stores. Mr Griffiths said: 'There are opportunities for people to use VPNs, but this is part of a broader system approach.' Opposition to the new rules has grown in recent days, with a petition submitted through the UK Parliament website attracting more than 280,000 signatures. The petition demands that the Online Safety Act be withdrawn, with a surge of signatures being added to the document in the past week. Under the Online Safety Act, websites that ignore the new laws could be fined up to £18m, or 10 per cent of worldwide revenue.
Tom's Guide
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
How to watch ‘The Assassin' online from anywhere
"Are you really not going to tell me why you're some kind of perimenopausal James Bond?' asks Edward (played by Freddie Highmore), the estranged son of Keeley Hawes' character Julie. And that is not even the most difficult question the retired hitwoman has to answer when her past resists her and the two of them are forced to go on the run. Below, we reveal where to watch 'The Assassin' online and from anywhere with a VPN. "The Assassin" premieres on Friday, July 25.• UK— Amazon Prime (FREE 30-day trial)• Aus — Stan Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free Ok, it might sound a bit contrived but it actually works. Hawes seem to have the most fun as the kick ass middle aged woman called out of retirement for the inevitable "one last job" while Highmore follows behind trying to assemble what he can of his own back story through the smokescreen of secrecy laid by his mother. A great supporting cast including Gina Gershon, Jack Davenport, Richard Dormer and Alan "Jim from Neighbours" Dale plus dramatic action scenes and crazy plot twists provide plenty of reasons to suspend disbelief. Set on a beautiful Greek Island, it's not exactly "Mamma Mia" but it does have a similar vibe. With added sniper rifle. Below is our full guide to how to watch 'The Assassin' online with an Amazon Prime Video 30-day FREE trial. "The Assassin" is available to stream in the U.K. on Prime Video from Friday, July 25. There's good news for new and eligible returning Amazon subscribers. They'll be entitled to a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, which includes perks like free delivery, ad-free music, and access to thousands of hit films and TV shows. After the free trial, a Prime Video subscription costs £8.99 per month or £95 per year. In addition to 'The Assassin', Prime Video is also home to hit originals like 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power', 'Fallout', 'My Lady Jane', 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' and 'The Boys'. If you try to access your Amazon Prime account from abroad, you might find that your access is restricted – and some titles might be unavailable until your return home. The solution? A VPN, which lets you access your Prime Video content as if you were in your regular region of the world. Our all-time favourite is NordVPN (save up to 70% with this deal). Here's why it's the best: NordVPN deal: FREE $50 / £50 Amazon gift card Boasting lightning fast speeds, great features, streaming power, and class-leading security, NordVPN is our #1 VPN. ✅ FREE Amazon gift card worth up to $50/£50✅ 4 months extra FREE!✅ 76% off usual price Use Nord to unblock Amazon Prime and watch The Assassin online with our exclusive deal. "The Assassin" is available to stream in Australia on Stan from Friday, July 25. A Stan subscription starts at $12 per month for a Basic plan, with features like HD/4K quality and additional devices available at higher price points. Abroad? Don't panic. If you're outside Australia make sure to use NordVPN to catch the show. There is no release date for "The Assassin" in the U.S. as yet. We'll let you know here if that changes. If you're a Brit or an Aussie traveling in the US, however, a VPN will help you tune in. We recommend NordVPN. As with the U.S., there is no release date in Canada as yet and we'll let you know here if that changes. If you're a Brit or an Aussie traveling in the Great White North a VPN will help you tune in. We recommend NordVPN. Before reading our guide to "The Assassin", you might want to check out the full series trailer, below. The show was written and put together by Harry and Jack Williams. Their Two Brothers Pictures production company was also responsible for Boat Story, Dinosaur, Baptiste, The Missing, and The Tourist. 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.
