A VPN, or virtual private network, is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve your online privacy and security. Whether you’re protecting yourself on public Wi-Fi, hiding your IP address from trackers, or accessing region-locked content while traveling, a VPN adds an important layer of protection by encrypting your internet traffic. The problem is that there are hundreds of VPNs competing for your attention, and separating the genuinely good services from the mediocre ones can be overwhelming.
Let us save you the time and effort. We’ve tested and reviewed a wide range of VPNs to narrow down the field to the very best options available today—whether you’re looking for the best overall VPN, the fastest service, the best free option, or the best choice for privacy, streaming, or travel.
When looking for the best VPN, you’ll want to look for a few things: trustworthy privacy practices, strong connection speeds, reliable streaming access, and a large, well-distributed server network. Every VPN featured below delivers on those essentials and adds something extra to help it stand out from the competition.
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It’s difficult to select the best overall VPN. For many years we chose the best VPN based purely on privacy, but VPNs have evolved to be more than just tools to browse online anonymously. Privacy is still important, to be sure, but so are speeds, extra features, server network size, and ease of use. NordVPN has it all, and that’s why it’s my top choice for VPNs and a truly solid option for everyone.
Nord is the most full-featured service on the market with tools that will appeal to power users as well as an easy-to-use app that is intuitive and straightforward even for beginners. The service also carries out regular independent audits and uses RAM-only diskless servers for increased security, so the privacy-conscious user can rest assured their data will remain anonymous.
For those who deem speed a priority, NordVPN will impress as well. Speeds in my testing averaged 72 percent of the base internet speed across all servers — making it the fastest VPN I’ve ever tested.
NordVPN’s desktop app is very easy to use and offers a ton of different features including access to the TOR network over VPN, multi-hop connections, Meshnet file sharing network, a security suite complete with ad- and malware-blocking, and Nord’s latest password manager and link-checker safety tool. Also, there will be no problems accessing any streaming service while using NordVPN and it has an extensive server network to connect to all over the world.
The only real downside is that NordVPN’s pricing can be more expensive than many other VPN services. Even with the discounts offered by long-term plans, it can still seem pricey. Still, you get what you pay for and in this case, it’s more than worth it.
Read our full
NordVPN for Mac review
Just like my other top pick, I think ExpressVPN is a great option for everyone. VPN novices will find that they can easily download the software, choose their server location, and connect — it’s as simple as that. But more advanced users will be able to choose from features such as split-tunneling, protocol optimization, kill switch, and more.
Plus, ExpressVPN has one of the most expansive device support networks I’ve ever seen. So the VPN can be used across practically any and all platforms no matter what device you’re trying to protect — with up to 14 simultaneous device connections (depending on your subscription tier).
The only reason I placed it second is due to the slight edge NordVPN has in regards to features and average speeds. Still, you can’t go wrong if you decide to go with ExpressVPN as your VPN of choice.
ExpressVPN has wide device support, as well as a smart DNS feature for set-top boxes, consoles, and more. It now offers an even more advanced version of it’s Lightway protocol called Lightway Turbo which increases speeds for many of its server connections—although not across the board as I found during my review. It’s even begun branching out to take a more holistic approach to security for users, adding ad- and tracker-blocking and, most recently, a password manager to the service, as well.
It’s not the cheapest VPN out there, but you do get excellent value for your money. Plus, ExpressVPN recently just revamped its membership model offering multiple subscription tiers so you can pick the plan that works best for your price range. The service also regularly brings in third-party auditors to validate its privacy credentials. And to top it off, ExpressVPN has proven time and time again to have a sterling user privacy record.