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In my testing, speeds with TunnelBear were competitive with other options listed here. One of my favorite parts of TunnelBear is the free trial option, which makes it easy to try it out and see what your speeds are like without any commitment. TunnelBear has fewer geographical server locations than some of our other options, but unless you’re traveling abroad or need to break through a certain geo-restriction, this won’t matter to 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 some bad customer service incidents, we pulled it back for testing. After testing NordVPN for the past six months and repeatedly asking customer service to fix issues, I’m adding it 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 located 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 is its speed, especially when it comes to download speeds, which makes it a popular choice for sharing torrents. I like the ad and tracking blocker built into 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 supports multi-hop VPN connections. NordVPN supports a variety of protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec for mobile, and what the company calls NordLynx, which is based on WireGuard.
NordVPN’s privacy record is also pretty good. In October 2024, NordVPN received a mandatory warrant from the Panamanian government to provide user data in connection with a criminal investigation. The company says that “the only information we can provide is the payment information and confirmation of the existence of the account for the email address provided to us by the authorities.”
Best for high-risk use cases
If you are in a situation where personal security is very important, do not rely on a VPN. Use Tor (ideally 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 figure out who you are, but not necessarily privacy. People can still see what you’re doing, they just won’t know you did 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.)
Creating a network is easy. It’s all you need Download Tor Browser and will connect you to the internet. After connecting to the Tor network, you can browse the Internet normally. Everything else will be slower. When you use Tor, a website travels around the Tor network, bouncing between servers, before your request appears and connects to the site you want to visit. This slows Tor down, sometimes incredibly slow, but it’s necessary to protect your anonymity. Yes, you can connect a VPN to Tor, although that’s a bit beyond the scope of this guide.
Other VPNs we’ve tested
- ExpressVPN: We used to recommend ExpressVPN as well, but we no longer do as it has a new parent company and we can’t verify anything about it.
- Google One VPN: It was part of Google One VPN Google One but it is supposed to be closed. We never recommend this – let’s not forget that Google has been caught many times collecting data it says it does not collectthis is not what you want to hear from a VPN provider. We also don’t recommend the VPN that comes with Google Fi or is available on Pixel phones. If you don’t pay for your VPN, two things will happen: either it will be shut down or you will be the one being sold. Most of the VPNs we recommend are around $5 a month; real privacy costs $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 bypass some Netflix geo-restrictions, almost any of them will work (we still suggest sticking with our recommended options, but if you can’t stop, go ahead). Learn how to use Tor for something more serious, like actually protecting your privacy and data. Yes, it’s a little technical, but trust me, it’s worth learning how to do if your life, family, or job is on the line.
Best Free VPN
As mentioned above, ProtonVPN There is a free version. It’s limited to a single device and only has three servers to connect to, which means it can be slow. There are no records, ads and other restrictions. It was slower than a paid account in my test, but it works. Few other VPNs offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, here Details on NordVPN’s return policy.
In addition, it is worth remembering the adage “If you don’t pay for it, you are the 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 above options offer free trials that allow you to evaluate how well each VPN will work for your unique situation and needs.
