In my testing, TunnelBear's speeds were competitive with the other options listed here. One of my favorite parts of TunnelBear is the free trial option, making it easy to test-drive it and see what your speed is without commitment. TunnelBear has fewer geographic server locations than some of our other options, but unless you're traveling abroad or need to avoid a specific geo-restriction, this shouldn't matter for most users.
TunnelBear costs $3.33 per month if you purchase a year in advance,
fastest vpn
NordVPN has been in our guide for years, although after a few bad customer-service incidents we removed it for re-testing. After testing NordVPN over the past six months and repeatedly asking customer service to fix the problems, which they did, I'm adding it back to our list of recommendations.
In 2020 Nord Security merged with Surfshark VPN (recommended above). Both VPNs continue to operate independently, but there is considerable overlap in the services offered. Nord's parent company is based in Panama, which is outside the 14-Eyes Alliance, meaning NordVPN cannot be forced to collect user data.
NordVPN has a lot to recommend it about it, with perhaps the main highlight being speed, especially when it comes to upload speeds, making it a popular choice for sharing torrents. I like the built-in ad and tracking blockers in mobile apps, and NordVPN is great for unblocking entertainment sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Max. NordVPN apps offer a kill switch that automatically blocks your traffic if your VPN connection fails, and it supports multi-hop VPN connections. NordVPN supports a variety of protocols, including OpenVPN for mobile, IKEv2/IPsec, and what the company calls NordLynx, which is based on WireGuard.
NordVPN also has a pretty good track record when it comes to privacy. In October 2024, NordVPN received a binding warrant from the Government of Panama to provide user data, in connection with a criminal investigation. “The only information we were able to provide was payment-related data and confirmation about the existence of the account linked to the email address provided to us by the authorities,” the company says.
Best for high-risk use cases
If you're in a situation where personal security is of the utmost importance, don't rely on a VPN. Use Tor (ideally tail) instead. Using the Tor network achieves some of the same things as a VPN, but it is different. Tor provides anonymity, meaning no one can find out who you are, but not necessarily privacy. People may still be able to see what you're doing, they just won't know it's you doing it. (VPNs provide privacy because no one can see what you're doing while outside the VPN tunnel, but you don't have anonymity because the VPN provider knows who you are.)
Installing Tor is simple. all you have to do is Download Tor Browser And it will connect you to the web. Once connected to the Tor network, you can browse the web as normal. Except that everything will be slow. When using Tor, your request to a website travels around the Tor network, bouncing between servers, before emerging and connecting to the site you want to visit. This makes Tor slow, sometimes incredibly slow, but it is necessary to protect your anonymity. And yes, you can combine a VPN with Tor, although this is somewhat beyond the scope of this guide.
Other VPNs we've tried
- expressvpn, We also used to recommend ExpressVPN, but we no longer do because it has a new parent company and we haven't been able to verify anything about it.
- Google One VPN: Was part of Google One VPN google one But it is certain to be closed. We never recommended it—let's not forget that Google has been caught time and again Collecting data it said it wasn't collectingWhich is not what you want to hear from a VPN provider. Nor do we recommend the VPN that comes with Google Fi or that is available on Pixel phones. If you're not paying for your VPN, two things will happen: either it will shut down, or you'll be the thing sold. Most of the VPNs we recommend are around $5 per month; True Privacy costs $5 per month.
There are plenty of VPNs out there, but most aren't worth your money. If you just want to avoid some of Netflix's geographic restrictions, almost any of them will work (we still suggest sticking with our recommended options, but if you can't be deterred, keep going). . For anything more serious, like really protecting your privacy and data, learn how to use Tor. Yes, it's a bit technical, but trust me, if your life, family and job are at risk it's worth learning how to do.
best free vpn
As mentioned above, protonvpn There is a free version. It is limited to one device and only has three servers to connect to which means it can be slow. There are no logs, no ads and no other limitations. In my testing, it was slower than the paid account, but it works. Many other VPNs offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, here's why Details on NordVPN's refund policy,
Also, it's worth keeping in mind the saying, “If you're not paying for it, you're the product.” Don't trust a VPN that isn't taking your money (and don't trust many VPNs that do). The good news is that all of the above picks offer free trials, allowing you to evaluate how well each VPN will work in your specific situation and for your needs.