This is part of our complete web hosting buyer’s guide. A VPN encrypts your internet connection and routes it through a server elsewhere, protecting your traffic on untrusted networks and masking your actual location from sites you visit. The major providers differ mainly in speed, server network size, and how strictly they emphasize privacy over convenience.
NordVPN: the mainstream leader
NordVPN combines a large global server network with consistently strong speed test results and a well-regarded independent security audit history, a meaningful trust signal in a category where you’re trusting a provider with your traffic. Its broad platform support and generally intuitive apps make it a reasonable default for most users without highly specific requirements.
ExpressVPN: consistent speed and simplicity
ExpressVPN has a long-standing reputation for reliable, fast connections across a genuinely global server network, at a somewhat higher price point than budget competitors. Its apps are broadly considered among the simplest and most polished in the category, worth the premium for users who want a genuinely low-friction experience.
Surfshark: unlimited devices at a lower price
Surfshark distinguishes itself with unlimited simultaneous device connections on a single subscription, unusual in a category where most competitors cap the number of devices, at a generally lower price point than NordVPN or ExpressVPN. This makes it a strong fit specifically for a household or a small team wanting to cover many devices without paying for multiple subscriptions.
ProtonVPN: the privacy-first, transparent option
ProtonVPN, from the team behind the privacy-focused Proton Mail, emphasizes transparency and open-source components more than any competitor here, including a genuinely usable free tier, unusual in this category where most free VPN offers are worth real skepticism. Its focus is squarely on privacy and security rather than streaming access, worth knowing if that’s specifically your priority.
Comparison
| Provider | Best for | Free tier? |
|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | General-purpose default, audited security | Trial only |
| ExpressVPN | Simplicity and consistent speed | Trial only |
| Surfshark | Many devices, lower cost | Trial only |
| ProtonVPN | Privacy-first, transparency | Yes (limited) |
Why free VPNs deserve real skepticism
Running a VPN’s server infrastructure costs real money, and a free VPN with no clear, credible business model is a genuine red flag: some free providers have been caught logging and selling user browsing data, the exact thing a VPN is supposed to protect against. ProtonVPN’s free tier is a rare, credible exception specifically because it’s backed by a company with a transparent, established privacy-focused paid business. Beyond that specific case, a modest paid subscription from an established, audited provider is the safer default.
What a VPN actually protects against, and what it doesn’t
A VPN genuinely protects your traffic from being intercepted on an untrusted network, public Wi-Fi at a cafe or airport being the classic example, and it hides your browsing from your internet service provider and from sites tracking your location by IP address. It does not make you anonymous online in a broader sense, sites can still track you through cookies, account logins, and browser fingerprinting regardless of VPN use, and it doesn’t protect against malware, phishing, or a compromised device. Treat a VPN as one specific layer of protection, not a complete privacy or security solution on its own.
VPNs and streaming: a genuinely legal gray area worth knowing about
Many people use a VPN specifically to access streaming content available in another region, which technically violates most streaming services’ terms of service even though it isn’t illegal in most jurisdictions. Streaming services actively work to detect and block known VPN server IP addresses, an ongoing back-and-forth that means a provider’s streaming access can change without notice; if this is your primary use case, check current, specific user reports on a provider’s streaming reliability rather than relying on marketing claims.
The “no-logs” claim: worth some healthy scrutiny
Most VPN providers advertise a “no-logs” policy, meaning they claim not to record your browsing activity. This claim is only as trustworthy as the provider’s transparency and track record; independent security audits (which NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and ProtonVPN have all undergone in some form) provide real, external verification rather than asking users to simply trust marketing copy. Prioritize providers with a documented audit history over ones making the same claims with no independent verification behind them.
VPN protocols: a technical detail with a practical effect
The specific protocol a VPN uses (common ones include WireGuard and OpenVPN) affects both speed and security characteristics, with newer protocols like WireGuard generally offering a better balance of both than older alternatives. Most mainstream providers now default to a modern protocol automatically, so this matters less as an active decision than it once did, but it’s worth knowing the term if you see it mentioned in a provider’s settings or marketing.
Business use cases beyond individual privacy
Businesses use VPNs for a genuinely different purpose than individual privacy: securely connecting remote employees to internal company resources as if they were on the office network, sometimes called a business or site-to-site VPN. This is a related but distinct product category from the consumer VPN services covered above, worth knowing so you search for the right specific solution if this is your actual need rather than personal browsing privacy.
Common mistakes when choosing a VPN
Picking based purely on price without checking independent, audited security claims is a real risk in this category specifically, since you’re trusting a provider with visibility into your traffic. The second common mistake is assuming a VPN alone fully protects online privacy, when in practice it’s one layer among several (also including browser privacy settings, two-factor authentication, and general good security hygiene) that together provide meaningfully better protection than any one measure alone.
Related reading
Back to the full web hosting buyer’s guide, our guide to AI ethics and privacy for the broader data protection picture, and best password managers, another foundational, low-effort security upgrade.
Frequently asked questions
Does a VPN slow down my internet connection?
Some slowdown is inherent to routing traffic through an additional server, though leading providers minimize this to the point of being barely noticeable for typical browsing. Server distance and time-of-day network congestion affect this more than the specific provider in most cases.
Can I use a VPN on my phone as well as my computer?
Yes, all four providers listed here offer apps across major desktop and mobile platforms, and most subscriptions cover multiple devices simultaneously, worth checking the specific device limit if you have many devices to cover.
Is it legal to use a VPN?
Yes, in the vast majority of countries, VPN use itself is entirely legal; a small number of countries do restrict or ban VPN use specifically, worth checking local law if you’re traveling to or living somewhere with strict internet regulation.
