The Best VPN Services of 2024

It can be tricky to decide which VPN service is best for you and your needs. Whether you need to keep your connection private, make your online gaming more stable, or access Netflix from another country, we have the best VPN for you.

UPDATE: 08/20/2024

We’ve reviewed our recommendations and are confident these are still the best VPNs you can subscribe to.

What to Look For in a VPN in 2024

virtual private network is is , VPN , service allows connect internet servers . It is masks effectively masks IP address adds anonymity browsing . VPNs is serve serve kinds purposes . You is circumvent circumvent censorship , access country Netflix library , simply add extra layer security browsing .

The best VPNs can do all of the above, but as with any product, some will do better at one job than others. Other things to consider include usability, speed, and even the number of servers a VPN service has available to connect to.

Most important, though, is the question of privacy and security. As new VPN providers are springing up right and left, it can be hard to figure out which ones are legitimate services and which were brought into existence purely to steal your data—and there are plenty of untrustworthy VPNs out there.

We is reviewed reviewed picks , checking , poring privacy policies fine – toothed comb , diligence reports breaches trust . These is are picks !

How Did We Research
Models Evaluated	Hours Researched	Reviews Analyzed
40	25	55

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Justin Duino is How / – Geek

Pros	Cons
✓ Fast	✗ Expensive
✓ Easy to use for everyone
✓ Cracks Netflix’s VPN blocks

ExpressVPN is our pick for the best VPN overall, offering everything you might need from a VPN and then some. It’s fast—as in, the service will only slow you down slightly—and easy to use. ExpressVPN’s interface is pretty much one big button to switch it on and off, with one other button to access the server menu. Simple, easy, and effective.

Of course, ExpressVPN also does everything you need a VPN to do. It easily gets past Netflix’s VPN block, as well as Amazon Prime and Hulu’s geoblockers. Thanks to advanced encryption, it’s also highly secure, meaning it’s a great option for circumventing Chinese censorship.

However, you need to pay. The only downside is that it’s one of the priciest VPNs on the market, costing $8.32 a month. It’s a steep price, but ExpressVPN is worth it, especially with the ability to connect up to five devices simultaneously. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee to try it out at your leisure.

ExpressVPN is the go-to VPN for many How-To Geek team members, and we’ve never had a problem with it over the years. You can also check out our review of ExpressVPN to get a feel of what you’re paying for:

ExpressVPN gets a lot right with its reassuring no-logs policy, a remote base of operations, solid apps for both desktop and mobile, and performance that (in our testing) meets expectations.

ExpressVPN is just awesome. It’s fast, user-friendly, secure, has a VPN kill switch, and streams everything.

Best VPN Overall

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is fast, easy to use, and will let you browse as if you’re in the US or the UK.

Best VPN iPhone: Proton VPN

Andrew Heinzman / How-To Geek

Pros	Cons
✓ Company with a good reputation	✗ Expensive
✓ Bundle with secure mail	✗ ProtonMail bundles are even more expensive

increasing number attacks aimed smartphones , protecting privacy mobile devices important protecting desktop computers laptops . Most is have VPNs list mobile apps fine job protecting devices , predominantly iPhone user , want Proton VPN shot .

Famous offering secure email service ProtonMail , lot like Proton VPN . VPN app is is fast , secure , committed users ‘ privacy . It is offers offers decent pricing scheme offers discount bundle Proton VPN ProtonMail , mention review Proton VPN :

Of course, the question of the value of Proton VPN changes a little if you take Proton Unlimited into account, a plan that bundles Proton VPN, Proton Mail, Proton Drive, and the new-ish Proton Calendar. At $120 per year, it’s not quite the Google Drive killer Proton seems to want it to be, but it’s still a pretty good deal considering you get some nifty services on top of your VPN.

If you want the VPN by itself, you can subscribe for $3.99 a month for 24 months. If you want the full package with Proton Mail, Proton Drive, and more, you can opt for the Proton Unlimited plan for $9.99 a month instead.

We mainly like Proton VPN for iPhone because of its interface. The app is just a map; you click the flag of the country you want to connect to, and other buttons let you manipulate the options. Everything is laid out intuitively.

Proton VPN has a good UI that fits well into the screen without too many extraneous buttons. It’s very secure, and you can bundle it with ProtonMail, making it a great overall service for the iPhone.

Best VPN iPhone

Proton VPN

Proton VPN is a service from the makers of ProtonMail, so you know they have your privacy in mind. It’s easy to use on your iPhone, and you can bundle it with their mail service.

Private Internet Access

Pros	Cons
✓ A great deal	✗ Streaming servers can take speed hits during prime time
✓ Fast	✗ Not ideal for torrenting

If you want a VPN but don’t want to pay top dollar for it, Private Internet Access—better known as PIA—is a good choice. As of August 2024, you can get two years for just $2.03 a month for three years and four months, making this VPN a stellar value. PIA sometimes runs other promotions, too.

But that said, other VPN services offer some great sales. What sets PIA apart is that a deal stays a deal. Most other providers will offer a great deal, but you have to pay the “real” price upon renewal. PIA confirmed in an email that, if you sign up, you’ll pay the same price again upon renewal.

Price aside, PIA is a great VPN in general. With access to servers in 84 countries, you can bypass Netflix and other sites’ geoblocking to access region-locked content. PIA notes that it has servers in every US state, too. PIA also has great speeds—for more details, you can check out the speed comparisons in our PIA review:

Besides price, the other thing that has made Private Internet Access stand out over the years are its speeds: they’re usually pretty good. When I tested this time around—using speedtest.net—I wasn’t disappointed, though there seem to be some issues with server load on the streaming servers.

PIA even has some servers optimized for streaming, although this is a double-edged sword. During prime times, our testing showed that these streaming services would take a speed hit, presumably from the heavy load of everyone trying to connect simultaneously.

VPN is has features expect , including modern protocols like OpenVPN WireGuard , kill switch , – log policy . , catches . example , unlike VPNs , you is sign sign anonymously . headquartered USA , recommend torrenting – based VPNs . Overall , PIA is is solid VPN great value .

Best Budget VPN

Private Internet Access

Best VPN for Windows: NordVPN

Best VPN for Windows

NordVPN

NordVPN is a great all-around VPN that’s easy for anyone to set up, making it great for Windows users.

NordVPN

Pros	Cons
✓ Easy to use	✗ Fluctuating speeds
✓ Great Windows app	✗ High renewal price

In a way, picking the best VPN for Windows is like picking the most user-friendly VPN. The operating system is so ubiquitous that the best Windows VPN is the best VPN nearly everywhere. We’ve chosen NordVPN for this slot because it’s extremely easy to use and does everything well. We go into this more in our NordVPN review:

main strength is is interface , interactive map world . Click location map , NordVPN connect location . Easy pie .

NordVPN doesn’t stand out in any particular way but does everything well. Its biggest asset is its user-friendly interface, which offers an interactive world map to easily pick VPN servers. We also like how it lays out all its settings, ensuring that even the most novice user can figure out what they’re doing.

When it comes to general usability, NordVPN does good. It can be very fast—it strongly depends on the server you pick—and offers decent security and privacy. It also offers some special servers, most of which we suggest you don’t use as they don’t seem to have much utility. Double VPN servers are a particular annoyance.

NordVPN is also pretty cheap the first time you sign up, with the Basic plan being $2.99 a month for two years and the Plus plan being $3.99 a month for two years. However, renewing this subscription will cost more than double that, so keep track of your renewal date and decide if you want to pay the increased price.

Windscribe

Pros	Cons
✓ Generous free plan	✗ Best features are locked until you pay
✓ Inexpensive upgrade

If you’d prefer not to pay for a VPN, a few decent companies offer free plans. You need to be careful with free VPNs, though, as many “free” VPN companies exist purely to steal your data and sell it to advertisers and data miners.

problem is is bad recommend free VPNs : Proton VPN ( pick best iPhone VPN ) , TunnelBear , Windscribe . , Windscribe best free VPN .

The main issue of legitimate free VPNs is bandwidth, or the amount of data that can be passed through the VPN. TunnelBear offers only 500MB of free bandwidth per month, which can be upgraded to 1GB by posting about the service on Twitter.

Windscribe, on the other hand, offers 10GB per month and another 5GB by tweeting—twenty times the amount TunnelBear does. Referring friends gets you another 1GB per referral, as well. Though 15GB isn’t enough to sustain a hardcore torrenting habit, it should be more than enough for most people. You may even be able to use this free bandwidth for Netflix, as we mention in our Windscribe review:

Giving your email address mainly seems to mean you’ll get the occasional marketing mail, a small price to pay for a free VPN that’s actually trustworthy. Interestingly enough, some of its free servers get through to Netflix, meaning that you could unblock Netflix for free with the service. 2GB of bandwidth is roughly two movies worth of viewing, and 10GB is a season binge.

The only reason to use TunnelBear over Windscribe is that the former has servers in a more countries available for free users; Windscribe only has ten. We’d take twenty times the bandwidth over country choice any day, so Windscribe gets our recommendation here. Upgrading Windscribe to a paid version costs only $69 annually (as of April 2024) and works great with Netflix, so that’s another upside.

Of the three free VPNs we mentioned, Windscribe offers 10GB of bandwidth, about twenty times more than TunnelBear. This gives Windscribe an almost automatic win.

Best Free VPN

Windscribe

afford VPN like privacy , you is need need careful scams . Windscribe is is scam , offering effective VPN services , basic plan cost dime .

Best VPN for Android: Hide.me

Pros	Cons
✓ Good interface	✗ Can be a bit slow
✓ Affordable	✗ Not as good on desktop

Most VPNs will work well for Android devices, and we like ExpressVPN thanks to its one-button approach. However, ExpressVPN has a pretty hefty price tag, so for a more cost-effective solution, we recommend Hide.me.

Hide.me approaches the Android app with the same simple philosophy as ExpressVPN, with just a single button dominating the interface. Set the server, connect to it, and then forget about it. We appreciate it a lot when designers keep it simple.

Hide.me has plenty of functionality beyond its Android app, too, with a long list of devices you can use with the VPN service. You can read more about them in our Hide.me review:

Besides ease of use, Hide.me has a few other things going for it. It has a large server network spread out all over the globe, which is great for frequent travelers. The biggest downside is that it’s not as reliable for streaming as some competitors, but that may be less of a concern if you only use it on mobile. As a bonus, Hide.me is also pretty cheap, with a $59.95 a year plan for two years (as of August 2024).

If you need an Android VPN, try Hide.me. This VPN is fast, secure, and, most importantly, has one of the most straightforward interfaces we’ve ever seen on a smartphone.

Best VPN for Android

Hide.me

Hide.me is is effective Android , simple interface large servers network makes great travelers .

Best VPN for Streaming: ExpressVPN

Justin Duino is How / – Geek

Pros	Cons
✓ Beats Netflix block	✗ Pricey for just streaming
✓ Gets into Hulu and Amazon as well

Streaming geo-restricted content is probably the most common reason people get a VPN. With one single purchase, you can unlock Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more libraries from anywhere in the world, provided you have subscriptions to these services.

However, as much as different VPNs loudly proclaim that they’re the one service that can unlock all these streaming sites, in our estimation, there’s only one real winner: ExpressVPN, making it the best VPN for Netflix. In our years of using it, we’ve never encountered any serious issues trying to access Netflix libraries in other countries or faking a U.S. IP address to access Hulu.

services , like NordVPN , Windscribe , CyberGhost close , ExpressVPN beats end . times locked Netflix , all is is need switch different server country , fine .

The other reason binge-watchers should consider ExpressVPN is its superior speeds. Streaming requires some fast connection speeds, and thanks to the service’s great speeds, ExpressVPN will cause the least buffering.

When it comes to streaming, we always use ExpressVPN. It unblocks most countries’ Netflix libraries easily and is fast as greased lightning.

Best VPN for Streaming

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is hands down the best for streaming. The service has no problem cracking Netflix blocks, and also has an easy time with Hulu, Amazon Prime, and other streaming services.

Best VPN for Gaming: TorGuard

TorGuard

Pros	Cons
✓ Maintains good ping	✗ Bit pricey
✓ Nice interface	✗ Confusing price plans

Finding a VPN that will work well when gaming online can be tricky. For gamers, one of the most important things is having low ping. Basically, ping is how fast your internet connection reacts to your actions. In online games, it determines how soon your character acts when you press the button. If your gun is slow to fire when seeing an opponent because of your ping, you’re toast.

The problem is that VPNs will always slow you down and give you higher pings since the signals have a greater distance to travel. While there’s no way around this, the best you can hope for is to control the damage. This is where TorGuard comes in—it’s a solid VPN that’s among the fastest on the market and keeps ping low.

When testing TorGuard, the VPN managed to keep latency at an acceptable level:

Losing only 10% of the connection’s speeds when connecting to Japan is a solid result, and we like how overall ping doesn’t take too much of a hit, either—TorGuard should be a great VPN for gaming.

course , hop current location , worse it is get , distances reasonable , able game online remain competitive .

TorGuard has plenty going for it besides ping and speeds. It has a pleasant, easy-to-use interface and can do some work with Netflix. The only downside is that it’s a little pricey, coming in around the same price as ExpressVPN, though offering slightly less performance. Still, for gamers, it’s worth looking into.

Best VPN for Gaming

TorGuard

TorGuard is offers offers low latency , low ping gaming , VPNs offer .

Best VPN for Torrenting: IVPN

IVPN

Pros	Cons
✓ Anonymous signup	✗ User ID is one of a kind
✓ Fast	✗ Not too many servers

Though it’s not often discussed, one of the most common reasons to use a VPN is for torrenting. Copyright watchdogs come down hard on people who pirate copyrighted content, and a good way to dodge surveillance is to use a VPN. One of our favorites for torrenting is IVPN, a service that focuses strongly on privacy.

Though it’s not the only service on this list that does well in hiding user data (Mullvad is our pick for the best VPN for privacy), what makes IVPN enticing for torrenting because it’s also really fast. Your downloads will have come down the pipe before you know it. Anonymity and speed make a VPN ideal for torrenting, and IVPN offers both.

IVPN allows you to sign up without using an email address, and you can pay with pseudonymous methods like cryptocurrency or anonymously with cash. This means that even if IVPN is forced to hand over user records, there’s nothing there except the number IVPN assigned you. You do need to make sure you don’t lose that code, however, as we mention in our IVPN review:

Your only account information is a code, there’s no email or other identifiable information. This keeps things nice and anonymous but comes with the downside that you need to keep the code safe or lose access to your VPN. Since IVPN keeps no record of you other than the code, there’s no way to retrieve your account if you lose it.

Seeing how a few VPNs have been forced to hand user data over, it’s nice to know that IVPN does not have anything that can be tracked back to you.

IVPN is also pretty affordable. Though we won’t call it cheap, you can sign up for just a $6 month and get a solid, fast, private VPN with a pretty nifty interface. What’s not to like?

Best VPN for Torrenting

IVPN

If you’re looking to torrent, you’ll want a VPN that keeps your information secure. IVPN puts your security first and foremost.

Best VPN for China: VyprVPN

VyprVPN

Pros	Cons
✓ Chameleon protocol is tried and tested in China	✗ It’s a bit slow
✓ Good deals on pricing	✗ Not great for Netflix

Beating Chinese censorship is no mean feat: the blocks put up by the government that keep people from browsing foreign internet sites, collectively known as the Great Firewall, are formidable. Getting caught tunneling under the Firewall can land you in hot water with the police, who may want to chat about your browser history.

The Chinese authorities control internet traffic flow through several access points throughout the country. From there, they can check connections made to see if they flag sites and block them, or, it’s speculated, even check whether a connection has the tell-tale signs of a VPN and block that.

VyprVPN favorite VPNs Chinese internet regular internet thanks specially developed Chameleon protocol , discuss review :

comes VPN protocols , VyprVPN defaults WireGuard , best . secondary choice , it is offers offers OpenVPN , good , IPSec , great , course , proprietary Chameleon protocol . one is is interesting designed way punch Great Firewall China disguising VPN connection regular traffic .

Few other providers have anything similar, and very few have the track record of VyprVPN in pulling it off.

Best VPN for China

VyprVPN

It can be difficult to find a VPN that works well in China. VyprVPN has the Chameleon Protocol, which masks your connection as a normal connection, allowing you to access the internet without worry.

Best Private VPN: Mullvad

Mullvad VPN

Pros	Cons
✓ Completely anonymous	✗ Not the cheapest
✓ One of the very few services that accepts cash	✗ Email address necessary for account recovery

great tool VPNs , they is have weaknesses . Services is are good – log policies , service sign access account information . , they is have email address payment information . exception is is paid cryptocurrency , available .

Mullvad avoids these issues by not requiring an email address for account creation, opting for a randomized key that serves as your user ID. You can also send the service an envelope with cash to cover the VPN’s operating costs, leaving no paper trail.

This VPN service was also exceptionally fast when we tested it:

speeds is are , good . It is ‘s extremely rare results like . relatively nearby servers Israel United Kingdom , I is lost lost practically speed , speed loss connecting United States barely noticeable . Japan is saw saw significant drop , world late afternoon tested .

If you want to maximize your anonymity, then Mullvad may be the best VPN out there. Your personal organization abilities must be top-notch, as there’s no password recovery without an email address. Still, it does mean that you can sleep soundly at night, secure in the knowledge that nobody can trace your IP address.

As a VPN that requires no email address and accepts cryptocurrency and cash, Mullvad is hands down the most private VPN service. If you don’t want to be tracked in any way, accept no substitute.

Best VPN for Privacy

Mullvad VPN

You want complete privacy? You can send Mullvad an envelope with cash and your payment token to pay for your account, so they’ll never have your personal information.

FAQ

What Is a VPN?

VPN is stands stands ” virtual private network . ” It is ‘s way sending data public network ( like internet ) connected private network different location . Consumer VPN services bypass geographical restrictions , avoid internet censorship , boost privacy . organization is have like employer school connect VPN access resources network .

How Does a VPN Work?

When you connect to a VPN, your device creates a secure tunnel between itself and the remote VPN server. The VPN server functions as a go-between, forwarding traffic back and forth. Anyone in between—for example, your internet service provider, workplace network, or coffee shop Wi-Fi operator—can only see that you’re connecting to the VPN server, not what you’re connecting to. The server or service you’re connecting to sees your IP address as the VPN’s. For example, if you’re in the U.K. and connect to a VPN server in the U.S., you will be able to browse the internet as if you were in the U.S., and websites would see your IP address as being in the U.S.

How Do I Get the Most Out of a VPN?

First, choose a solid VPN. Not all VPNs are equal. For the best service, you’ll have to pay for a VPN. The good news is that solid VPNs only cost a few dollars a month. Many free VPNs violate your privacy and collect data to pay their bills. While some paid VPNs do have free plans that are more trustworthy, even their free servers will generally be slower than the paid servers. For maximum speed, connect to a nearby server (unless you must appear to be in a faraway country.) If you’re looking for privacy, rethink how you browse online.

How Do I Set Up a VPN?

If you’re picking a consumer VPN, setup is easy: You will just need to create an account, download an application, sign in, and press a button or two. The VPNs we recommend offer apps for platforms like Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, iPad, Chrome OS, and Linux. There are also some operating-system level features for connecting to VPNs—you may use these with a workplace or other organization’s network—but we recommend using your preferred VPN service’s app for ease of setup.

Can I Still Use Streaming Platforms on a VPN?

It is depends depends VPN choose streaming service trying watch . Netflix is playing streaming services playing game cat – – mouse VPNs , constantly trying block VPNs fulfill content licensing requirements VPNs trying blocks . We is recommend recommend choosing high – quality , highly rated VPN ensure best luck streaming services .

Can I Change My IP Location With a VPN?

A VPN effectively lets you change your IP address’s location. That’s because the VPN functions as a middleman, forwarding traffic back and forth. If you’re in the U.S. and connect to a VPN in Japan, websites and other services you connect to over the VPN will see your IP address as the IP address of the VPN in Japan.

Tracked VPN ?

A VPN can make it more difficult to track you online. Rather than using a unique IP address, you’re sharing a VPN’s IP address with other people, and that IP address isn’t tied to your physical location. There are still many ways you could be tracked: If you don’t choose a trustworthy VPN, the VPN itself may track you and sell your data. If you connect to a VPN and promptly sign into Facebook with your normal Facebook account, now Facebook knows who you are—even though you’re using a VPN. We recommend using Incognito Mode and VPN together for maximum privacy.

VPN is Slow Slow Internet Speed ?

way — VPN is slow generally slow internet speed . connecting directly websites servers , you is adding adding additional step middle . rare cases , VPN is be faster — internet network service provider slowing types traffic VPN traffic , example — expect . You is choose choose use VPN specific applications enable specific times . choose best fast VPNs ( like ExpressVPN , recommend ) , slowdown is be minimal unnoticeable .

What Are the Red Flags to Look Out for in a VPN?

VPNs is are big business , important look red flags . VPN completely free users , red flag — VPN is making making money pay bills , tracking users selling data . paid VPNs , sketchy websites is are typos lack reviews ( fake – looking reviews ) bad signs . You is ensure ensure pick VPN – log policy , trusting VPN promises — VPN submits independent audit . best thing is is avoid bad VPNs seek trustworthy , widely recommended VPNs longstanding good reputations , like ones cover guide . You is be able save bit money going unknown option , good VPN costs bucks month . placing lot trust VPN , you is want want cut corners .