Best VPN service in 2024

We chose TunnelBear as the best service for people and businesses who are new to using VPNs and would benefit from a reliable, secure and easy-to-use platform. It has an intuitive and pleasantly designed interface, making it straightforward for users to select their location and enable a secure connection.

TunnelBear also offers a free plan that, while limited in features, offers 2 GB of data — enough for users to give VPNs a test run before committing. Additionally, it had the fastest average download speeds of all the services we tested — ideal for beginners worried about VPNs restricting their internet connection.

While TunnelBear doesn’t immediately advertise its monthly pricing, clearly preferring customers to consider an Unlimited plan, it does clarify this information on its pricing page. At $9.99, it’s still one of the more affordable VPNs, and paid plans also offer unlimited device connections. It doesn’t offer a dedicated IP, and if you’re looking for more advanced features and customization options, other providers offer more complex services.

We think TunnelBear is a great introduction to VPN services for novices and beginners — with enough core features to provide users with a speedy, secure and private connection at an affordable price. You won’t find many better ones.

Value

Looking at TunnelBear’s pricing, we think it offers great value for money, especially when compared to other providers. With a free plan on offer, if you’re new to using VPNs you’ll be able to use it almost as a proof of concept, and its simplicity can make this relatively hiccup-free.

If you’re ready to commit or even scale up, the $9.99 monthly subscription is one of the more wallet-friendly prices on our list — while signing up for a year brings the equivalent monthly price down to $4.99. With unlimited data and devices, as well as access to over 5,000 servers, it’s an economical choice for those seeking the basics.

Functionality 

If you’re using a VPN for the first time, TunnelBear’s interface is an engaging and uncomplicated introduction to securing your internet connection. Open the app, choose your country on a map, flip the switch and you’ll be connected, which is about as easy as it gets.

While it lacks additional functionality like dedicated IPs, and its selection of server locations is narrower than some competitors — meaning users with more advanced needs might be left wanting — it still offers an effective and reliable VPN service for beginners.

It’s also worth highlighting that TunnelBear is fast — it has one of the highest average download speeds of all the services we tested at 290 Mbps.

Support 

We’ve found that VPN services in general can be hit or miss with their customer support options, and most, including TunnelBear, don’t offer phone support. It also doesn’t offer live chat support, which isn’t ideal, as it means there’s no way to immediately speak to another human — but members do have access to a 24/7 online support ticket system.

However, TunnelBear’s support team has had a mixed reception online, with some positive experiences but others complaining about the lack of responses. This could be frustrating for those who want to get the most from their VPN service, so bear it in mind if you think you’ll need help getting started.

Learn more: Read our full TunnelBear review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

We like hide.me as the best choice for high-level VPN users who can benefit from its wide array of features and configuration options. With five protocols to choose from, as well as several advanced features, including split tunneling and port forwarding, it’s highly customizable. Additionally, robust security capabilities like IP leak protection and a kill switch are ideal for users who want close control over their internet privacy.

There’s a free plan on offer and the premium plan’s $9.95 monthly fee is on the more affordable side. However, it might present too much of a complex interface for beginners who won’t need to use the extensive array of configuration options. With average download speeds of 168 Mbps in our testing and the lack of dedicated IP addresses, it may not necessarily be the perfect service, but there is enough in the way of customization and security to make it our top pick for advanced users.

Hide.me’s highly configurable settings will be useful for users with the expertise and knowledge to fine-tune their VPN service. It’s a relatively affordable option, with plenty of security features, however, it’s not the fastest, and you won’t be able to use it on unlimited devices.

Value 

Hide.me’s VPN service costs $9.95 when paying monthly. There is also a free plan available for those wanting to get to know the platform first, though it is quite limited in features. We think it offers good value for money if you want a configurable VPN service that ensures security and privacy as well as performance.

Other providers do offer more in the way of features if you’re willing to pay, but for a mid-range provider, it offers a high level of customization and security. If it works for you, then committing to two years brings the monthly equivalent cost down to $2.69, one of the lowest on our list.

Functionality 

We like hide.me’s high degree of customization and functionality. You’ll have access to five VPN protocols, including WireGuard and IKEv2, allowing you to balance stability and security — as well as advanced split tunneling and port forwarding capabilities, ideal for close control and customization.

Hide.me also includes a configurable kill switch, and zero-log DNS servers to protect against IP leaks. The lack of dedicated IP addresses and mid-range download speeds may put some users off, however, as in our testing, hide.me had average download speeds of 142 Mbps.

Support 

Hide.me’s customer support availability was impressive. We were connected to an agent in under a minute and had our questions answered quickly and simply. Its live chat is available 24/7, as is email support, but like most of the VPN services on our list, there is no phone support available.

Additionally, our requests for information were answered with links to online support articles, which is okay but not particularly personable — it was difficult to have an actual discussion, so if you’re after tailored help, you may need to press home your point a little.

Learn more: Read our full hide.me review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

TorGuard’s combination of security, relatively strong download speeds and geographical locations make it our pick for those needing a VPN to support browsing and torrenting needs. With features emphasizing privacy and P2P support, including a wide selection of protocols and multiple options for torrenting, alongside relatively affordable pricing and servers in over 50 countries around the world, it’s a useful companion for heavy web browsers and downloaders.

However, with no free trial to speak of, nor any free plans available, it does represent more of a risk than other providers — and you’ll only have seven days to get your money back. Additionally, you’ll be limited to 30 devices with the highest tier Premium plan, and TorGuard doesn’t offer live chat or phone support. We think it represents good value for those who will benefit from its P2P support, but you might find better options elsewhere if you want a more well-rounded service.

Extensive privacy features and dedicated services for torrenting make TorGuard a bit more of a niche pick since it doesn’t stand out much in the way of pricing or usability, and its support options are limited.

Value 

If TorGuard’s focus on security and privacy appeals to you, then you probably won’t balk at the $9.99 monthly price tag, although committing to annual billing brings it down to $29.99 for the whole year, which is quite the discount.

All plans include unlimited bandwidth, port forwarding, ad blocking and access to over 3,000 servers, but you will need to upgrade to the Pro plan for a dedicated IP address. However, other VPNs in similar price ranges offer more well-rounded services, so it’s worth looking into other options if torrenting isn’t your main focus.

Functionality 

With a range of encryption options, access to protocols including OpenVPN and WireGuard, a strict no-logs policy and a useful SOCKS5 proxy option for anonymous, lightweight torrenting, TorGuard is a secure and reliable VPN service for P2P users.

With a dedicated IP address on paid plans, which not many services offer, you’ll get more overall reliability when browsing. This is supplemented by unlimited bandwidth and relatively high download speeds in our testing, as well as port forwarding and TorGuard’s StealthVPN option to ensure security and stability. These features cement it as our pick for users with heavy torrenting needs.

Support 

Like most VPN services on our list, TorGuard does not offer phone support. It says on its website that live chat support is available alongside 24/7 email support; however, the live chat feature wasn’t available at any point for us.

The lack of immediate support isn’t ideal, and users have mixed reviews on the quality of TorGuard’s support in general. While there is praise for its responsiveness to emails (they replied to ours in under 90 minutes) and quality of service, others have complained that it’s difficult to cancel their subscription.

Learn more: Read our full TorGuard review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

We picked out Private Internet Access (PIA) for its excellent value for money, offering a wide array of useful features for the price you pay. While it isn’t the cheapest VPN service by any stretch, it offers more bang for your buck than many others on our list.

All plans offer access to servers in 91 countries, unlimited connected devices, unlimited bandwidth and split tunneling as core features, as well as 24/7 support via email and chat.

A drawback is that you’ll need to pay extra for a dedicated IP address and antivirus software, and our testing showed PIA’s average download speeds to be relatively slow compared to others. However, for the sheer number of features on offer, from core VPN capabilities to advanced privacy and security functions like obfuscation, multi-hop and an advanced kill switch, we think you get quite a lot for your money.

We think Private Internet Access offers great functionality for a reasonable price. With impressive core features, advanced security options and no limits on devices or bandwidth, you get a lot for the $11.95 monthly price tag. PIA also offers great customer support and steep discounts for annual plans.

Value 

PIA’s monthly price of $11.95 may not be the lowest on our list, but we think it’s worth it. PIA can be useful for a range of users, and if you find it works for you, then committing to a full year gives you a hefty discount, bringing the equivalent monthly cost down to $3.33.

A 40-month contract reduces it further to $1.98 a month or $79 in total. While there is no free trial or free plan to try it out, PIA does promise a generous 30-day money back guarantee, so there is ample time to make a decision on commitment.

Functionality 

What we really found impressive was PIA’s sheer functionality — with a single pricing tier, you’ll get pretty much everything you need in a well-rounded VPN. This includes access to 91 server countries, unlimited devices and bandwidth, multiple VPN protocols and a router VPN, as well as security features such as an advanced kill switch, obfuscation, multi-hop and DNS leak protection.

While it’s not ideal that dedicated IP addresses and anti-virus are only available via add-ons, it’s still a huge set of core features for a reasonable price. Our testing did find average download speeds of 244 Mbps, which is around the average for companies we tested.

Support 

We liked our experience with PIA’s customer support team — live chat availability is a huge plus, and we were connected to a human within a minute, although you do need to provide an email address.

They confirmed some details about its features and price plan and also directed us to a help center article. We found them to be friendly and approachable. You’ll also have access to a heap of guides and knowledge base articles, as well as a news blog and community support — and you can email for further support if required.

Learn more: Read our full Private Internet Access (PIA) review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

If you need a reliable and powerful VPN for everyday use and you don’t mind paying for a premium service, NordVPN comes highly recommended. One of the most well-known VPN services out there, it offers a versatile set of features, including split tunneling, double VPN and a kill switch, as well as an easy-to-use interface. It also goes the extra mile to provide privacy and security with a dedicated IP, a mesh net that lets you build a custom encrypted network and a dark web monitor.

However, we found that NordVPN only offers real value for money on its higher-tier plans. Its basic plan is one of the most expensive on our list at $12.99 monthly, but it’s missing many of the extra features that make the service so well-rounded. Additionally, you’ll only be able to connect up to 10 devices on all plans, so while NordVPN is a powerful VPN provider, we’d only recommend it for those serious about investing in an everyday tool.

NordVPN is a popular service for a reason — it offers plenty in the way of features and is geared toward providing a high standard of privacy and security. However, it’s an expensive product if you want to get the most from it.

Value 

NordVPN offers decent value if you’re going to get regular use from it — both due to its high price and array of features only available on its premium plans. At $12.99 for its Basic plan, many of the extra features like Malware protection, tracker and ad blockers and its data breach scanner aren’t available — while the Plus plan adds these and more for $13.99.

You do however get a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is enough time for heavy users to put NordVPN through its paces, and annual commitments also do give you a fair discount — just keep an eye out for high renewal prices.

Functionality 

We think NordVPN’s wide list of features, particularly with its attention to privacy, make it the best option for anyone who wants a reliable and secure regular-use VPN. It offers a huge network of servers in 111 countries, alongside functionality like split tunneling and double VPN.

You also get impressive security features such as a dark web monitor, a dedicated IP (at an extra cost) and extras like Onion Over VPN and obfuscated servers. It will work for everyday usage, with support for streaming, a useful mobile app and extensions for Chrome, Edge and Firefox.

Support 

NordVPN offers 24/7 customer support through email and live chat, but not — as is the case with most of the companies on this list — by phone. You’ll talk to a bot first, but after asking for a human we were connected to an agent within a minute.

Interestingly, we had to disable our ad blocker and (ironically) the VPN we had enabled to find the live chat bubble. All in all, NordVPN’s responsiveness was pretty impressive — prompt contact with a human agent is ideal, and they were polite and able to answer our questions.

Learn more: Read our full NordVPN review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

We picked Surfshark as the best VPN service for small businesses, teams and households with multiple devices that require protection. It offers connections for unlimited devices and is compatible with all platforms as well as smart TVs and routers, and all plans include an ad blocker and a cookie pop-up blocker.

Surfshark’s VPN service also offers double VPN for added security, as well as split tunneling that caters to the flexible needs of small businesses or households, and one of the fastest average download speeds out of all the products we tested at 263 Mbps.

Premium plans also include 24/7 antivirus protection, however all of Surfshark’s plans are relatively expensive, with the Starter tier costing $15.45 when paying monthly. For this reason, while its feature list is impressive, it’s more likely to be of good value for those with multiple devices and device holders, like families or teams, that can spread the cost.

Surfshark offers a number of useful features that households and teams can make use of, but at quite a high cost if you don’t want to commit to a yearly plan. Multiple users will be able to get the best value from the VPN provider.

Value

There’s no getting around the fact that Surfshark is one of the most expensive services on our list, but for the $15.45 monthly cost of the Starter plan, you do get unlimited device connections. Not many of our reviewed VPN services offer this on all plans alongside features that provide valuable flexibility ideal for teams and households.

Spreading the cost across multiple users is cost-effective, but for individuals who might have less advanced needs, other options are likely to give better value for money. It does come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, however, which allows enough time for all users to stress test the service.

Functionality 

Among Surfshark’s standout features are its support for unlimited devices and simultaneous connections, alongside split-tunneling that supports the various needs of families and teams. Its CleanWeb feature ensures safe web browsing by blocking out malware and ads, and security is boosted even further with the Rotating IP and  MultiHop double VPN features.

Surfshark also offers access to servers in 100 countries and has very fast average download speeds — our testing found it to be 330 Mbps, which is great for supporting multiple devices and users. You can set up apps on all devices separately, as well as enable the VPN on your router.

Support 

As with almost every provider on our list, Surfshark doesn’t offer phone support — but it does offer 24/7 support through live chat, which is great, as not many do. We were connected to a human in two minutes, and they were immediately polite and helpful, offering to assist with a router VPN configuration if needed for a household with multiple users.

Surfshark also offers a knowledge base with plenty of helpful guides and articles and the ability to submit a request via email.

Learn more: Read our full Surfshark review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Many companies are moving away from lifetime plans in favor of more sustainable monthly subscriptions, which makes VPN Unlimited’s Lifetime plan a true rarity. It costs a one-time payment of $199.99, and an extra $200 for the lifetime security bundle, MonoDefense, which represents excellent value if you’re looking for a solid long-term investment.

The decision to participate in a lifetime plan will come down to whether its features stack up to your needs. You’ll get unlimited devices and traffic, 24/7 support through email and live chat, a wide range of protocols and military-grade encryption.

However, VPN Unlimited offers only around 80 locations with over 3,000 servers, which — while respectable — isn’t the highest on our list. Its Lifetime plan may be tempting and offers good value, but there are more powerful services available.

VPN Unlimited’s Lifetime plan is a unique offering among our VPN services, and for the one-time price you get a powerful set of features and access to 24/7 support.

Value 

The VPN services on our list range in price from $5 per month to $15. A one-time payment of $199.99 can be more advantageous for small businesses that need a reliable long-term solution without the hassle of recurring payments.

However, there is a degree of risk involved, so be sure VPN Unlimited offers enough to meet your requirements — if it does, then it could prove to be a wise investment. Fortunately, there is a seven-day free trial as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you will have time to put it to the test.

Functionality 

VPN Unlimited’s range of features will help you decide whether its one-time payment is worth it for your particular needs. You’ll get unlimited devices and unlimited traffic, as well as AES 256-bit encryption, protocols including OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard, as well as specialized servers for file sharing, which is ideal for teams and businesses.

However, there is an extra cost for a dedicated IP address. For an extra $200 payment, you get access to a range of other features in the MonoDefense bundle, including a DNS firewall and an authenticator.

Support

VPN Unlimited offers 24/7 email support and a help center with no phone number (like most providers) and also no live chat option, which is a significant drawback. However, a look at customer reviews of its support team reveals the opposite picture — many users report excellent experiences with a dedicated and professional team and an outstanding response time. While the options are limited, it looks as though VPN Unlimited does provide valuable customer support.

Learn more: Read our full VPN Unlimited review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

You might’ve spotted a pattern emerging with the customer support options offered by so many of our rated VPN services — IPVanish breaks that trend as a provider that actually offers phone support. While most companies offer online knowledge hubs and email support, and a few on our list also offer a live chat option, the ability to speak to a human is still hugely important for some.

As a VPN service, IPVanish doesn’t disappoint either — it offers some of the fastest average download speeds of all the products we tested at 339 Mbps. It’s also not short on features, offering unlimited devices, access to more than 2,400 servers in over 90 locations, as well as a configurable kill switch, split tunneling by app and domain and a range of security enhancements. If you need a powerful and reliable VPN and customer support is important to you, IPVanish won’t fall short.

IPVanish isn’t a slouch when it comes to features, although it is one of the more expensive providers on our best list. What really sets it apart is its dedication to excellent customer support.

Value 

At $12.99 when paying monthly, IPVanish isn’t one of our cheapest VPN services – however, for the features on offer we think it provides good value for money, and you do get an excellent level of customer support alongside.

IPVanish doesn’t offer a free-forever version, but you can take out a trial for seven days, and all annual plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which gives you enough time to try the service out. You’ll get a powerful VPN without breaking the bank, and if the level of service offered is important to you, then it will be worth the cost.

Functionality 

IPVanish offers a range of useful core VPN features, providing a speedy and completely unmetered connection ideal for streaming, gaming and general online activity. It also supports numerous protocols, including WireGuard, IKEv2 and OpenVPN, and enhances your privacy with an automatic kill switch and DNS leak protection.

With over 2,400 servers in over 90 locations, a verified no logs policy and no caps on data transfers, IPVanish is more than capable of functioning as an everyday household VPN. Its lack of a dedicated IP, browser extensions and multi-factor authentication are weak points, but IPVanish’s customer support might make up for some shortcomings.

Support 

IPVanish stands out for its attention to customer service, offering phone support during business hours (which is rare for a VPN service) alongside 24/7 live chat and email support. We tried its live chat option and we were connected to an agent in minutes, so it scores points already — and our agent was able to provide guidance or links to help articles for all issues we asked about.

Online customer reviews are very positive about IPVanish’s customer support team, so we’d recommend it to anyone who needs a reliable VPN service alongside helpful customer support options.

Learn more: Read our full IPVanish review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

Proton VPN is a powerful service that offers a range of useful features for both beginners and advanced users. Its focus on privacy and security alongside a strong reputation in scientific communities make it a great option for professionals needing VPN services, and its inclusion of other Proton services like mail, calendar and online storage, even on its free version, make it a valuable business tool.

It performed well in our independent testing, showing an average download speed of 317 Mbps — among the best of all providers we reviewed. You’ll be able to choose from over 4,500 servers in over 90 countries, and ProtonVPN also offers a kill switch and a stealth VPN protocol for an extra level of protection. The full suite of Proton software is a useful addition to the VPN, making it a solid all-around choice for professionals and small businesses.

If you’re a professional looking for a VPN that works seamlessly with a suite of office software, Proton offers a powerful solution. Its focus on privacy and security, range of strong features and great value for money make it an excellent choice.

Value 

At $9.99 when you pay monthly, Proton VPN is one of the more affordable services on our list, and at the same time offers a lot for what you pay. As well as access to the whole suite of Proton office software, you get a pretty powerful VPN service with high speeds and a range of useful privacy and browsing features.

Committing to a contract brings the price down by as much as 50% if you go for two years, and with a capable free version that also includes its full software suite, you’ll be able to give it a good test run before making your mind up.

Functionality 

Proton’s VPN software packs in plenty of functionality, with a focus on data protection. It offers strong encryption protocols including AES-256 and 4096-bit RSA exchange keys as well as providing full disk encryption and forward secrecy.

You’ll also get access to its NetShield ad blocker and DNS filtering feature. its unique Stealth VPN protocol and alternative routing technology that gives you enhanced browsing freedom and security.

In terms of overall functionality, the free plan is limited to only one connected device and five available countries, but the Plus plan offers the full set of 90+ locations. Unfortunately, it still comes with a connection limit of 10.

Support 

Proton does fall a little short of expectations when looking at customer support options. It’s no surprise to see a lack of phone support, but live chat isn’t accessible either unless you’re an existing customer, which isn’t ideal.

There is a contact form you can fill out, and customers will be prioritized. However, online reviews do suggest many users have had issues with their customer support team and getting timely responses. If reliable and accessible support and the ability to quickly get in touch with a human is important to you, then ProtonVPN may disappoint.

Learn more: Read our full ProtonVPN review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

If you’re looking for a solid VPN at no cost, we’d recommend Windscribe as the best free VPN service due to its feature-rich plan and relatively affordable upgrade if your needs grow. It offers a generous 10 GB of data (more than most providers’ free plans) and unlimited connections on its free service, as well as access to servers in 11 countries, which should be enough for basic day-to-day browsing needs.

Windscribe also offers a paid plan for $9 monthly, which is one of the most affordable on our list. It comes with more than 90 server locations, unlimited bandwidth, port forwarding and custom configurations. All plans come with advanced security and safety protocols, including AES-256 encryption, a firewall that acts as a kill switch and a DNS-powered ad-blocker. As far as free VPN services go, we think it’s the strongest overall.

When you look for a free VPN, you know you won’t be getting a premium product, but Windscribe offers plenty of data, generous limitations and a strong set of features. We’ve broken down what they offer and whether it’s worth upgrading.

Value 

We like Windscribe’s free VPN plan more than any other due to the sheer amount you get for absolutely no cost. It offers 10 GB of data, unlimited device connections and the same security and app features as you’ll get on the paid plan.

You’ll have the option to upgrade to unlimited data for $3 per month, and you’ll even get 2 GB per month for free if you sign up without an email. If you’re only looking for a free service for basic needs, it’ll be more than enough, but — while its paid plan stands up to premium VPN services — it isn’t the strongest overall.

Functionality 

Without any cost, you’ll get access to servers across 10 countries and the ability to favorite locations. It comes with split tunneling and manual protocol selection, while you’ll also be able to double-hop using the desktop app and browser extension.

With 10 GB of data and more available as a paid add-on, the core free VPN plan is more than capable compared to what you’ll get from other providers. Windscribe’s free plan also offers all the same security features as its paid plan, such as a kill switch firewall that prevents IP leaks and a DNS-powered ad blocker on which you can set custom rules.

Support 

Like most VPN services, Windscribe doesn’t offer phone support; however, it does have an AI-powered live chat, and we found it to be a useful source of information. If you want to get in touch with a human, you’ll only be able to submit email tickets, and — while paid plan members can expect responses within a day — free plan users will likely have to wait for a couple of days.

This isn’t the best news, especially for those looking for a free-forever plan, and reviews of its customer support online are a mixed bag.

Learn more: Read our full Windscribe review.

Our editorial team created our expert opinion scores. The expert score contributes to 10% of the data-focused methodology, which underpins our Blueprint rating for each company. The expert score combines first-person experience, subject matter expertise and extensive research to develop these metrics as another source of truth for readers during their decision-making process.

You might recognize Mozilla from its well-known web browser. The company itself has always had a reputation as one of the internet’s better brands. Its VPN service might not break any ground, but it’s functional enough for day-to-day use and it also means you’ll be supporting an independent non-profit organization that puts privacy first. Mozilla has been an advocate for a healthier internet for over two decades and often funds and supports projects related to this cause.

This may be enough of a reason to use Mozilla’s VPN service for some, but you won’t get a particularly powerful product for your money. You’ll only be able to connect five devices, which, by most standards, is quite limited, and it only has locations in around 30 countries around the world. If your priority is function over supporting a non-profit in this instance, we’d recommend consulting a company in our top 10.

Learn more: Read our full Mozilla VPN review.

Mullvad is a great option for those whose number one priority is privacy. With a strict no-logging policy, email-free signup and cash and crypto payment options, it goes the extra mile to provide real anonymity. It’s fully transparent about the locations of its servers, providing a full list online which few other providers do. Mullvad also offers a single flat rate for all subscription lengths.

However, it does have drawbacks. We didn’t find their platform especially polished, so it might be a little confusing for beginners, and — with the lack of a free trial or free-forever plan — it’s unlikely to be a starting point for many users.

Additionally, with around 658 servers spread across over 40 countries alongside a comparatively weaker feature set and limited customer support options, there are more capable VPNs available.

Learn more: Read our full Mullvad VPN review.

While TunnelBear was our best pick for beginners, CyberGhost isn’t far off as an alternative — its interface is simple and intuitive for those who’ll primarily be using the platform for browsing and streaming.

It offers easy access to a range of dedicated streaming and online apps, as well as servers optimized for torrenting, streaming and gaming. There are also over 11,000 servers throughout 100 countries around the world (more than most in our top 10) and ideally, you’ll get plenty of time to try the service out risk-free with its 45-day money-back guarantee.

CyberGhost isn’t quite top 10 material with a maximum of seven connected devices, but it does have average download speeds of 313 Mbps. However, It is one of the priciest companies we’ve tested at $12.99 monthly, and you’ll have to pay extra for a dedicated IP.

Learn more: Read our full CyberGhost VPN review.

Hotspot Shield could be a good option if you value a speedy and secure connection, particularly for things like gaming, streaming and general downloading. It uses its own VPN protocol called Hydra and offers unlimited data and average download speeds, clocking in at 239.9 Mbps in our own testing. Its free plan offers a range of useful features, including a kill switch and traffic obfuscations, however, you’ll only be able to use it on one device.

Its premium plan costs $12.99 monthly, putting it up there with the most expensive on our list, and while you do get impressive performance, there is still a cap of ten devices. Additionally, HotSpot Shield is based in the U.S. and is more susceptible to data-sharing laws, which puts a slight damper on its security credentials. We think it’s worth considering because of its high speeds, but there are better services available in our top ten list.

Learn more: Read our full Hotspot Shield review.

ExpressVPN is a well-known provider and it might be a surprise not to see it included in the top 10. It’s a good shout if you’re looking to use VPNs for streaming with a reputation for bypassing geographical restrictions, a wide network of over 100 countries, and a great average download speed of 285 Mbps. You’ll be able to use it on pretty much most platforms you’ll be streaming on, and it also offers 24/7 chat support.

However, ExpressVPN is a pricey option at $12.95 monthly while offering limited value for money with a maximum of eight devices and few advanced capabilities. You won’t get a dedicated IP address, double VPN or multi-hop connections, and its security features aren’t as complex as others.

Learn more: Read our full ExpressVPN review.