By Ziv Shay | Updated April 2026
Compare 10 top-rated VPNs side by side. Expert-tested speed benchmarks, real pricing, streaming capabilities, and privacy features to help you choose the right VPN.
| VPN | Monthly | Annual | Servers | Countries | Score | Streaming | Devices | Guarantee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | $12.99/mo | $4.49/mo | 6,300 | 111 | 9.6 | Excellent | 10 | 30-day | Get Deal |
| ExpressVPN | $12.95/mo | $6.67/mo | 3,000 | 105 | 9.4 | Excellent | 8 | 30-day | Get Deal |
| Surfshark | $12.95/mo | $2.49/mo | 3,200 | 100 | 9.1 | Excellent | Unlimited | 30-day | Get Deal |
| CyberGhost | $12.99/mo | $2.19/mo | 11,500 | 100 | 8.7 | Very Good | 7 | 45-day | Get Deal |
| Private Internet Access | $11.95/mo | $2.03/mo | 35,000 | 91 | 8.5 | Good | Unlimited | 30-day | Get Deal |
| ProtonVPN | $9.99/mo | $4.49/mo | 5,900 | 112 | 9 | Very Good | 10 | 30-day | Get Deal |
| IPVanish | $12.99/mo | $2.49/mo | 2,400 | 75 | 7.8 | Good | Unlimited | 30-day | Get Deal |
| Atlas VPN | $11.99/mo | $1.83/mo | 1,000 | 49 | 7.5 | Good | Unlimited | 30-day | Get Deal |
| Windscribe | $9/mo | $4.08/mo | 700 | 69 | 8 | Very Good | Unlimited | 3-day | Get Deal |
| Mullvad VPN | $5.44/mo | $5.44/mo | 800 | 47 | 8.3 | Poor | 5 | 30-day | Get Deal |
Average download speed retained compared to base connection (higher is better)
What will you primarily use a VPN for?
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is one of the most important tools for protecting your online privacy and security. With over 1.6 billion VPN users worldwide, the market has become increasingly competitive, making it crucial to understand what separates the best VPNs from the rest.
VPNs create an encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server. All your internet traffic passes through this tunnel, preventing anyone from intercepting your data. The industry standard is AES-256 encryption, the same level used by governments and militaries. Modern protocols like WireGuard offer this security with minimal performance impact.
The protocol determines how your data is encrypted and transmitted. WireGuard is the newest and fastest, offering excellent security with minimal overhead. OpenVPN is the most established and widely supported. IKEv2/IPSec excels on mobile devices with its fast reconnection capabilities. Some providers have developed proprietary protocols: NordVPN's NordLynx (built on WireGuard) and ExpressVPN's Lightway offer optimized performance.
You should use a VPN whenever you connect to public Wi-Fi, want to access geo-restricted content, need to prevent ISP throttling, or simply want to keep your browsing private. Business users benefit from VPNs for secure remote access to company resources.
A VPN does not make you completely anonymous online. It does not protect against malware (though some include ad/malware blockers), phishing attacks, or cookies-based tracking. You should use a VPN as part of a comprehensive security strategy that includes strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and antivirus software.
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