In my testing, speeds with TunnelBear were competitive with the other options listed here. One of my favorite parts of TunnelBear is the free trial option, which makes it easy to test drive and see what your speeds are like without commitment. TunnelBear has fewer geographical server locations than some of our other options, but unless you’re traveling internationally or need to bypass certain geo-restrictions, this shouldn’t bother most users.
TunnelBear costs $3.33 per month if you buy a year in advance.
Fastest VPN
NordVPN has been in our guide for years, although after a few bad customer service incidents we pulled it for retesting. After testing NordVPN for the past six months and repeatedly asking customer service to fix the issues, which they did, I’m adding it back to our recommendation list.
In 2020, Nord Security merged with Surfshark VPN (recommended above). Both VPNs continue to operate independently, but there is significant overlap in the services offered. Nord’s parent company is located in Panama, which is outside of the 14 Eyes Alliance, meaning there is nothing forcing NordVPN to collect user data.
NordVPN has a lot to recommend it, perhaps the highlight being speed, especially when it comes to transfer speeds, making it a popular choice for torrent sharing. I like the built-in ad and tracking blocker in the mobile app, and NordVPN is great for unblocking entertainment sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Max. NordVPN apps offer a kill switch that automatically stops your traffic if your VPN connection fails, and it also supports multi-hop VPN connections. NordVPN supports a wide variety of protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec for mobile devices, and what the company calls NordLynx, which is based on WireGuard.
NordVPN’s privacy record is also pretty good. In October 2024, in connection with a criminal investigation, NordVPN received a binding order from the Panamanian government to provide user data. The company says that “the only information we were able to provide was payment information and confirmation of the existence of an account associated with the email address provided to us by the authorities.”
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 through tails) instead. Using the Tor network accomplishes some of the same things as a VPN, but it’s different. Tor provides anonymity, meaning no one can figure out who you are, but not necessarily privacy. People might still be able to see what you’re doing, but they won’t know it’s you doing it. (VPNs provide privacy because no one can see what you’re doing when you leave the VPN tunnel, but you don’t have anonymity because the VPN provider knows who you are.)
Tor is easy to set up. All you have to do is download the Tor browser and it will connect you to the web. Once you’re connected to the Tor network, you can browse the web normally. Except that everything will be slower. When you use Tor, your request for a website hops around the Tor network, hopping between servers, before it appears and connects to the website 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 that’s somewhat beyond the scope of this guide.
Other VPNs we’ve tried
- ExpressVPN: We used to also recommend ExpressVPN, but we don’t anymore because it has a new parent company and we haven’t been able to verify anything about it.
- Google One VPN: Google One VPN was part of it Google One but it is scheduled to close. We’ve never recommended it – let’s not forget that Google has been caught multiple times collecting data it says it does not collectwhich is not what you want to hear from a VPN service provider. We also don’t recommend the VPN that comes with Google Fi or the one available on Pixel phones. If you don’t pay for your VPN, two things will happen: it will either shut down or you will be sold. Most of the VPNs we recommend cost around $5 per month; real privacy is worth $5 a month.
There are many VPNs out there, but most of them are not worth your money. If all you want to do is get around some of Netflix’s geo-restrictions, then almost any of them will work (we still suggest sticking with our recommended options, but if it can’t stop you, go ahead). For anything more serious, like actually protecting your privacy and data, learn to use Tor. Yes, it’s a little technical, but trust me, it’s worth learning how to do if your life, family, and business are on the line.
The best free VPN
As stated above, ProtonVPN has a free version. It’s limited to one device and there are only three servers to connect to, which means it can be slow. No records, ads or other restrictions. In my testing it was slower than a paid account, but it works. Several other VPNs offer 30-day money-back guarantees, here details on NordVPN’s return policy.
Additionally, it’s worth keeping in mind the adage: “If you’re not paying for it, you’re the product.” Don’t trust a VPN that doesn’t take your money (and don’t trust many that do either). The good news is that all of the picks above offer free trials, which allow you to evaluate how well each VPN will work in your unique situation and for your needs.