If you're working remotely or you care about your online privacy, a VPN, or virtual private network, is key. Put simply, a VPN comes in handy if you want to keep your information secure and your online life safe from prying eyes. Here's how it works: A VPN encrypts the connection between you and the internet, keeping your browsing habits private and your data secure.
But with an ever-growing number of services to choose from, it can be challenging to find the right VPN service for your particular needs. After all, not all of them offer the same level of security, reliability and speed. That's where our best VPN guide comes in. After researching and testing a multitude of VPN services, we've rounded up our picks for the best VPN that'll keep you anonymous online and your information totally secure.
When we determine the best VPN, there are a lot of details to consider. In our current ranking and testing system, we evaluated more than 20 factors, including price, security, performance, ease of remote access, number of server locations, bandwidth caps, logging, dedicated and dynamic IP, client VPN software and customer support. Below, we've listed your best VPN options, including such popular names as ExpressVPN, Surfshark, IPVanish and NordVPN.
We're keeping a close eye on how each VPN provider stands compared with its competitors, as well as any new VPN services that may become available. We've cataloged our most recommended VPN services to date -- and listed some less viable VPN selections, too, based on our testing. We'll be regularly updating this VPN guide as new contenders hit the market.
Editors' note: Following the Sept. 13 sale of ExpressVPN to Kape Technologies, a company that has raised significant privacy concerns for us in the past, we're carefully re-evaluating ExpressVPN to determine the implications that its new ownership may have on users' privacy. We'll update our recommendations and reviews if and when warranted.
What's the best VPN in 2021?
ExpressVPN received a CNET Editors' Choice Award for best overall VPN. We evaluate VPNs based on their overall performance in three main categories: speed, security and price. Express isn't the cheapest, but it's among the fastest and, so far, is the most secure. (Note that we're currently re-evaluating ExpressVPN based on the news mentioned above in our editor's note.)Surfshark, with its lower price, is a close second among our picks, thanks to its impressive performance and unlimited devices.NordVPN, our third choice, is a die-hard heavy-hitter. It costs more than Surfshark but less than Express, has an enormous network that's constantly getting faster and more secure and is easily the most reliable service we've tested.
What is a VPN?
A commercial virtual private network is technology that allows you to create a private connection over a less private network by creating an encrypted tunnel between your computer and the internet. You can install a VPN just like you would any other app or program on your smartphone or computer. A VPN can let you get around censorship in your country or access geo-restricted media content from another country -- and prevents your internet service provider from being able to intrude on your privacy by snooping on your web browsing. VPNs do this by allowing you to appear as though you're connecting from a different location or country.
A VPN is great for anyone using public, unprotected Wi-Fi, such as what's offered in airports, bars or coffee shops. Your VPN protects your sensitive information -- from your work projects to bank account login information -- from being seen by malicious actors who trawl public Wi-Fi networks. When you browse the internet while on a VPN, your computer will contact the website through your VPN's encrypted connection. The VPN will then forward the request for you and forward the response from the website back through its secure connection.
For more beginner-focused VPN help, we've demystified some of the jargon in our guide to all the VPN terms you need to know.
Do I need a VPN?
People who access the internet from a computer, tablet or smartphone will benefit from VPN usage. A VPN service will almost always boost your privacy by encrypting your online activity. Communications that happen between the VPN server and your device are encrypted, so an internet service provider or someone on your Wi-Fi network spying on you wouldn't know which webpages you access. They also won't be able to see private information like passwords, usernames and bank or shopping details and so on. Anyone who wants to protect their privacy and security online should use a VPN.
The best VPN right now
Let's look at each of our VPN vendors below in more depth. Keep in mind that this is an evolving list: It's constantly being updated. We're actively working on more VPN testing and research, so expect this guide to change throughout the year as our VPN use continues and we put each option through its paces.
The list below presents our favorites in an overall ranking; if you want to see each top VPN judged by more specific criteria, check out the links below.
Best VPN for MacBest Android VPNBest VPN for iPhoneYou'll mostly find the same names you see here, but we'll call out when and where specific traits make for a better choice in a more narrow evaluation.
ExpressVPN
Number of IP addresses: 30,000Number of servers: 3,000-plus in 160 locationsNumber of simultaneous connections: 5Country/jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands94-plus countriesThree months free with one-year plan, plus a free year of Backblaze cloud backup (limited-time offer)
ExpressVPN is the recipient of our Editor's Choice Award for best VPN. The VPN provider tells us its network is powered by TrustedServer technology, which ExpressVPN built to ensure that there are never any logs of users' online activities. In the privacy world, ExpressVPN has a strong track record, having experienced a server seizure by authorities which proved its zero-log policy true at the time. We also like the quality of the VPN's setup guides and the detailed information in its FAQ.
While its speeds consistently compete with heavy-hitting competitors, our saw ExpressVPN produce a 52% overall loss of our normal internet speeds, representing a significant slowdown compared with its 2019 score of 2% speed loss.
Like the rest of the top five VPN services we've reviewed, ExpressVPN offers a useful kill-switch feature that prevents network data from leaking outside of its secure VPN tunnel in the event the VPN connection fails. Unlike the others, though, ExpressVPN gained points from us for its support of Bitcoin as a payment method -- something not all of our favorites offer, but which adds an additional layer of privacy during checkout.
The company has been in business since 2009, and ExpressVPN has a substantial network of fast VPN servers spread across 94 countries. Its best plan is priced at less than $7 a month for an annual package, which includes three months free.
Read our ExpressVPN review.
ExpressVPN
Competitive speeds
Solid security suite
Company is based in privacy-friendly jurisdiction.
$6.67/mo for 1-yr plan + 3 mo free
Surfshark
Number of servers: 3,200-plus
Number of server locations: 65
Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands
$2.21 a month (83% discount) for a two-year plan
While Surfshark's network is smaller than some, the VPN service makes it up on features and hydraclubbioknikokex7njhwuahc2l67lfiz7z36md2jvopda7nchid.onion speed. Let's start off with the biggest win it offers: unlimited device support. If you want to run your entire home or office on Surfshark's VPN, you don't have to worry about how many devices you have on or connected. It also offers antimalware, ad-blocking and tracker-blocking as part of its software.
And it's fast. With more than 3,200 servers in 65 countries, we lost less than 17% of average internet speed during our . That's faster than the 27% speed loss we saw in previous tests, and pushes it ahead of ExpressVPN to be the current front-runner in our speed comparisons.
Surfshark received generally high marks when its Chrome and Firefox extensions were audited for privacy by German security firm Cure 53 (PDF link of full report) -- though that audit was commissioned by Surfshark.
The company has a solid range of app support, running on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Fire TV and routers. Additional devices such as game consoles can be configured for Surfshark via DNS settings. We particularly like the feature that allows you to whitelist certain apps and websites to automatically bypass the VPN. For some business uses, this can be critically important.
Surfshark also offers three special modes designed for those who want to get around restrictions and more carefully hide their online footsteps. Camouflage Mode masks your VPN activity so your ISP doesn't know you're using a VPN. Multihop jumps your connection through multiple countries to hide your trail. Finally, NoBorders Mode "allows [you] to successfully use Surfshark in restrictive regions." Just be careful. Doing any of these three things could be illegal in your country and could result in severe penalties. During our testing, we didn't see a single IP address or DNS leak, and had no trouble accessing Netflix.
Unlike many of the other VPN providers, Surfshark doesn't offer a one-year plan. Its best offer is $2.21 a month, for its two-year plan (you pay about $60 upfront). A six-month plan is $6.49 a month (about $39 upfront), and month-by-month plans are $12.95 a month. Definitely take advantage of its generous 30-day trial to decide if you like this service (and if you choose the two-year plan, maybe set a reminder in 23 months to see if you can talk it into a continued discount rate).
Read our Surfshark VPN review.
Surfshark VPN
Market-leading speeds
Doorbuster pricing
Multihop VPN
$2.21/mo for 2-yr plan + 3 mo free
NordVPN
Number of IP addresses: 5,000Number of servers: 5,200-plus serversNumber of server locations: 62Country/jurisdiction: Panama62 countries$3.30 a month for a two-year plan plus 3 months freeNordVPN in-depth review and hands-on testing (ZDNet)
NordVPN is one of the most recognized brands in the VPN field. It offers a generous simultaneous connection count, with six simultaneous connections through its network, where nearly all other providers offer five or fewer. NordVPN also offers a dedicated IP option, for those looking for a different level of VPN connection. NordVPN offers a kill-switch feature, and the ability to VPN into Tor. We detected no privacy leaks during our tests.
The company's two-year VPN subscription plan currently costs $3.30 a month ($99 billed at once). That price is lower than most contenders, but creeps up for the one-year plan ($4.92 a month or $59 total) and the monthly plan ($11.95 a month). But it does have a full 30-day refund policy.
While NordVPN has lived on this list for a long time, we moved it to the penalty box in October 2019 to re-evaluate our recommendation after a report emerged that one of its rented servers was . Nord's actions following the discovery included -- eventually -- multiple security audits, a bug bounty program and heavier investments in server security.
While we'd have preferred it if Nord had self-disclosed the issue much earlier, the fact that the served to further verify that NordVPN keeps no logs of user activity. As a result, Nord remains on this list as a recommended vendor.
NordVPN
Reliable, competitive speeds
RAM-disk servers
Feature-rich software
$3.30/mo for 2-yr plan
ProtonVPN
Number of servers: 1,25955 countriesCountry/jurisdiction: Switzerland30-day money back guaranteePlus Package: $8 per month ($96 charged yearly)
When we speed-tested ProtonVPN, we saw an impressively small 9.6% speed loss compared with average speeds clocked without a VPN. ProtonVPN's base speeds sent it blazing past most of our roster of tested services and into second place behind
ProtonVPN
Strong reputation of parent company
Multihop and split tunneling
Open-source
$8/mo (billed as $96/yr)
IPVanish
Number of IP addresses: 40,000-plusNumber of servers: 1,600-plusNumber of server locations: 75-plusNumber of simultaneous connections: UnlimitedCountry/jurisdiction: US$3.20 a month (70% discount) for a one-year plan
A big win for IPVanish is its fun, configurable interface, which makes it an ideal client for those who are interested in learning how to understand what a VPN does under the hood. Its multiplatform flexibility is also ideal for people focused on finding a Netflix-friendly VPN.
A unique feature of the IPVanish VPN, and one we're intrigued by, is the VPN's support of Kodi, the open-source media streaming app that was once known as XBMC. Any serious media fan has used or built Kodi or XBMC into a media player, and the integrated IPVanish Kodi plug-in provides access to media worldwide.
At $10.99 per month for its monthly plan, IPVanish is obviously trying to move you toward its yearly program. We're a little disappointed that it only allows a seven-day trial, rather than a full 30 days, but it does offer a full money-back guarantee. That said, the company gets kudos for its recent increase from 10 to now-unlimited simultaneous connections. We also liked its connection kill-switch feature, a must for anyone serious about remaining anonymous while surfing.
IPVanish
Competitive speeds
Interface encourages learning
10 simultaneous connections
$4.99/mo (billed as $60/yr)
Other VPNs we've tested
Not every VPN can be a favorite. These are 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.
HotSpot Shield
Hotspot Shield
Servers: 3,200-plus in 82 locationsCountry/Jurisdiction: US (Five Eyes member)
Platforms: Windows, Android, ($40 at Amazon)Price: $8 per month or $95.88 billed annually. Month-to-month plan at $13
Hotspot Shield VPN's TLS-based Hydra Catapult protocol, US jurisdiction, 128-bit AES encryption support and large percentage of virtual servers might strip away our trust in its ability to provide more privacy protections than its competitors -- but those are all key components to its ability to achieve the blazing speeds it delivered during its most recent speed tests.
As of May 2021, it's the second-fastest VPN I've tested, effortlessly delivers smooth-streaming media and can dance between server connections without missing a beat, no matter how many interruptions you throw at it. A 26% speed loss puts it in second place, falling behind Surfshark -- which lost just 16.9% of its speed the last time I tested it -- and knocking ExpressVPN down to third place with a 51.8% speed loss at last measurement. Speed losses on UK connections were under 8%, Gaming, torrenting, browsing, streaming -- these speed-dependent services won't be slowed down for Hotspot Shield users.
We're not excited about Hotspot's privacy and security, though. Since the services uses a closed-source proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol, instead of the more transparent open-source OpenVPN protocol, we'd like to see Hotspot give the public more third-party audits -- a necessary step to bring Hotspot up to speed with routinely audited VPNs like TunnelBear. As recently as April 2021, review site vpnMentor discovered a DNS leak in Hotspot Shield's plug-in for Google Chrome. Hotspot acknowledged the issue at the time and aimed to improve the product.
We're also not thrilled about the amount of user data Hotspot collects, and its privacy policy. With its premium product, it gathers and retains much more information about users than most other VPNs. And if you're using the free version of its product, it shares that information -- along with even more finite data, including your MAC address and specific phone identifier -- with advertising companies.
While its interface is user-friendly and its speeds are thrilling, spending time with Hotspot is going to leave your wallet a little lighter than you might prefer. It's current price is higher than its nearest competitors, its speeds slightly slower and its privacy more questionable. If you're looking for a VPN purely on the grounds of speed, we still recommend passing on Hotspot until it improves.
Read more: Hotspot Shield VPN review: This speedster costs more than its faster, more private competitors
TunnelBear
TunnelBear
Average speed loss: 63% Number of servers: 1,800 in 23 countriesJurisdiction: Canada, with US parent companyPrice: $3.33 per month, or $120, for a three-year planTunnelBear's gotten a lot of hype in the last couple of years. But when we looked under its hood and compared it with its VPN competitors, our excitement waned.
TunnelBear's speeds are reasonable. We lost nearly 63% of internet speed overall when we used it, which is about average for a VPN. TunnelBear's speeds have steadily improved over the years as measured by other review and testing sites, though, and the US scores we recorded saw a speed loss of only 54%.
On the plus side, TunnelBear is holding its own in the transparency competition among VPNs by publishing the results of its independent security audits and annual transparency reports. No IP address, DNS or other potentially user-identifying data leaks were detected during our testing, but in the past TunnelBear was observed to have been leaking WebRTC information. TunnelBear's VPN encryption is standard AES-256 and it supports Perfect Forward Secrecy.
However, it's also a Canadian business owned by US-based McAfee, so if you're looking for subpoena-proof international online privacy, you're playing with fire. It holds a paltry 23 server locations from which you can't manually choose your VPN server or even a city. It doesn't offer Tor-over-VPN, it offers split tunneling only on Android and it can't even unblock Netflix.
On a per-month breakdown, the least expensive TunnelBear plan is its $120, three-year plan. You can also go month to month for $10, or pay $60 upfront for a single year. Either way, TunnelBear accepts payment via credit card and Bitcoin. Unlike other VPNs, it doesn't take PayPal. Also unlike other VPNs, it doesn't support Amazon Fire Stick or Android TV.
Read more: TunnelBear VPN review: The overpriced ursine has trouble living up to the hype
CyberGhost
CyberGhost VPN
Number of servers: Over 6,800 worldwide in 89-plus countriesNumber of server locations: 111
Jurisdiction: Romania, with UK parent companyNumber of simultaneous connections: fivereview of CyberGhost last year included speed testing, security verification and an analysis of its full suite of privacy tools. Since then, the VPN company has increased its number of servers and is prepared to roll out new privacy tools, all while remaining one of the cheapest VPNs we've reviewed -- at $2.25 per month for a three-year plan.
As we've bolstered our approach to VPN reviews in recent months, however, CyberGhost has raised some red flags. Its parent company's history warrants skepticism; our previous tests have shown it to expose your VPN use to your ISP; its website and app trackers are more numerous than warranted; and its ad blocker uses an untrustworthy method of traffic manipulation no VPN should even think about. Its low price previously made it worth considering if you needed to change the appearance of your location online, but not if you wanted best-in-class security.
While CyberGhost's connection speed and security appear to be improving, I don't currently recommend using the VPN service provider if you're in a country where VPNs are illegal. I also recommend that anyone in the US review CyberGhost's parent company before deciding whether to pay for a subscription.
On the plus side, however, CyberGhost is still faster than Norton Secure VPN and was less taxing on my device's processing power during testing. It also offers split tunneling in its Windows client and has its servers neatly organized into user-friendly categories: NoSpy servers, servers geared for torrenting, servers best for streaming and servers best for use with a static IP address. CyberGhost imposes no data caps and allows unlimited server switching.
Read more: CyberGhost VPN review: Promising improvements but its parent company concerns me
Norton
Norton Secure VPN
Number of countries: 29Number of servers: 1,500 (1,200 virtual)Number of server locations: 200 in 73 citiesCountry/jurisdiction: US$40 for the first 12 monthsNortonLifeLock, 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, and it does not support Linux, routers or set-top boxes. Its 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 midtier 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 phone support and 60-day money back guarantee.
Read more: Norton Secure VPN review: More work is needed for this privacy product to shine
Other VPNs in the mix
Below you'll find some additional VPNs. We're in the process of re-evaluating them in the coming months.
PureVPN
$10.95 a month, $3.33 a month for a 2-year plan
PureVPN does not log connection information. The company joined the "no log" movement in 2018, which was recently verified via a third-party audit by Althius IT (albeit one commissioned and paid for by PureVPN).
We like that PureVPN offers a 31-day refund policy and supports Bitcoin payments, to further extend anonymous browsing. We also like that PureVPN has both Kodi and Chromebook solutions available. In addition, PureVPN was the first VPN service we noted to fully implement the GDPR.
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