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 it and see your speeds without committing. TunnelBear has fewer geographic server locations than some of our other options, but unless you’re traveling internationally or need to bypass a specific geo-restriction, it won’t matter to most users.
If you buy a year ago, TunnelBear costs $3.33 per month.
The fastest VPN
NordVPN has been in our guide for years, although after some bad customer service incidents, we pulled it out for another test. After testing NordVPN for the past six months, and repeatedly asking customer service to fix problems, which they did, I’m adding it back to my recommendation list.
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 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 upload speeds, which makes it a popular choice for torrent sharing. I like the built-in ad blocker and tracking in the mobile app, and NordVPN is great for unblocking entertainment sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Max. NordVPN plans offer a kill switch that automatically stops your traffic if your VPN connection fails and supports multi-hop VPN connections. NordVPN supports a good variety of protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec for mobile, and what the company calls NordLynx, which is based on WireGuard.
NordVPN’s track record for privacy is also pretty good. In October 2024, in connection with a criminal investigation, NordVPN received a binding warrant from the government of Panama to provide user data. “The only information we were able to provide was payment data and account verification associated with the email address provided to us by the authorities,” the company said.
Best for high-risk uses
If you’re in a situation where personal security is of utmost importance, don’t trust a VPN. Use Tor (ideally via Tails) instead. Using the Tor network does some of the same things as a VPN, but it’s 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, but they won’t know you’re doing it. (VPNs provide privacy because no one can see what you’re doing while you’re out of the VPN tunnel, but you’re not anonymous because the VPN provider knows who you are.)
Setting up Tor is simple. All you have to do is download the Tor browser and it will connect you to the web. Once connected to the Tor network, you can browse the web normally. Except everything will be slower. When using Tor, your request for a website is bounced between servers across the Tor network before appearing and connecting to the site you want to visit. This makes Tor slow, sometimes very slow, but this is necessary to protect your anonymity. And yes, you can combine VPN with Tor, although that is somewhat beyond the scope of this guide.
Other VPNs We’ve Tried
- ExpressVPN: We also used to recommend ExpressVPN, but we don’t anymore because it has a new parent company and we couldn’t confirm anything about it.
- Google One VPN: Google One VPN was a part of Google One but is going to be shut down. We’d never recommend it—let’s not forget that Google has been caught multiple times collecting data it said it wasn’t collecting, which is something you don’t want to hear from a VPN provider. We also don’t recommend the VPN that comes with Google Fi or that comes with Pixel phones. If you don’t pay for your VPN, two things will happen: either it will shut down, or you will be the one being sold. Most of the VPNs we recommend are around $5/month. True 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, almost any of them will work (we still suggest sticking with our recommended options, but if you can’t be stopped, move on). For anything more serious, like protecting your privacy and data, learn to use Tor. Yes, it’s a little technical, but trust me, if your life, family, and career are at stake, it’s worth knowing how to do it.
The best free VPN
As mentioned above, ProtonVPN has a free version. It is limited to one device and there are only three servers to connect to which means it is slow. There are no reports, no ads, and no other restrictions. In my test, it was slower than the paid account, but it works. Several other VPNs offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, here are the details on NordVPN’s refund policy.
Other than that, it’s worth keeping in mind the saying, “If you don’t pay for it, you are your product.” Don’t trust a VPN that doesn’t take your money (and don’t trust many). The good news is that all of the options above offer free trials, allowing you to evaluate how well each VPN works in your unique situation and for your needs.
