Top 10 VPNs — Top 10

Product review

NordVPN is the default recommendation for most people because it gets the basics right at scale: very fast NordLynx (WireGuard-based) connections, more than 7,400 servers in 118 countries, and apps for every platform that stay simple enough for first-time users. The Basic plan covers 10 devices at once and includes the core VPN; higher tiers add full threat protection and identity tools. Its no-logs policy has been audited repeatedly by major firms, and the whole fleet runs on RAM-only servers. The catch is pricing discipline: the low $3.49 monthly figure requires a 27-month commitment and renews at a higher standard rate.

• Among the fastest VPNs in independent speed testing
• Huge network: 7,400+ servers in 118 countries
• No-logs policy audited repeatedly (Deloitte, PwC)
• 10 simultaneous connections per account
• RAM-only servers, plus Meshnet and Double VPN extras
• 30-day money-back guarantee

• Renews at a much higher standard rate after the first term
• Lowest price requires a 27-month upfront payment
• No port forwarding for torrent seeding setups
• Higher tiers push add-ons many users do not need

The company

NordVPN is operated from Panama by the Nord Security group, whose stable also includes Surfshark, though the two brands run separately. The service launched in 2012 and grew into one of the largest VPN providers in the world. Support is 24/7 live chat and a help center; the company publishes no support phone number. Its no-logs policy has been independently audited multiple times through PwC and Deloitte engagements. After a 2018 breach of a rented server in Finland — disclosed publicly in 2019 — the company rebuilt its fleet as diskless, RAM-only infrastructure, moved toward owned and colocated hardware, and added a bug-bounty program.

Product review

Proton VPN is the privacy maximalist's mainstream option, run from Switzerland by the team behind Proton Mail. The VPN Plus plan reaches more than 20,000 servers in over 140 countries, allows 10 simultaneous connections, and adds Secure Core routes that pass through hardened servers in privacy-friendly countries before exiting elsewhere. Every app is open source and independently audited, and there is a genuinely usable free tier with no data cap — a rarity among major providers. At $2.99 a month on a two-year plan it undercuts most premium rivals, though the renewal rate climbs once the first term ends.

• Swiss jurisdiction, outside the Five Eyes alliance
• All apps open source and independently audited
• Free tier with no data cap
• Secure Core multi-hop routing
• 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries
• Port forwarding supported

• Renews at $83.88 per year after the intro term
• Month-to-month plan is pricey at $9.99
• Not always the fastest on long-haul servers
• Streaming access can be less consistent than the leaders

The company

Proton VPN is run by Proton AG of Geneva, Switzerland, founded in 2014 by scientists who had worked at CERN and launched Proton Mail the same year. In 2024 the founding team transferred its controlling stake to the nonprofit Proton Foundation, making the company foundation-owned. Support runs through the Proton help center and contact forms; no support phone number is published. All Proton VPN apps are open source and have been audited by the Polish firm Securitum, the company publishes transparency reporting, and Switzerland's position outside the EU and the Five Eyes alliance underpins its no-logs appeal.

Product review

Surfshark built its name on one simple advantage: unlimited simultaneous connections, so a single subscription covers every phone, laptop, tablet and TV in the house. The network runs more than 4,500 RAM-only servers in 100 countries, speeds are comfortably fast for 4K streaming and calls, and the apps include CleanWeb blocking for ads and trackers plus multi-hop routing. The Starter plan, at $2.49 a month on a two-year term, is among the lowest prices in this ranking. Buyers should note the renewal step-up to roughly $79 a year, and that the company sits in the Netherlands under EU law.

• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Low two-year price at $2.49/mo
• 4,500+ RAM-only servers in 100 countries
• CleanWeb ad and tracker blocking included
• Deloitte-verified no-logs policy
• Multi-hop and rotating-IP options

• Renews at roughly $79 per year after the first term
• Netherlands base is an EU and Nine Eyes jurisdiction
• No port forwarding
• Antivirus and identity tools cost extra (Surfshark One)

The company

Surfshark is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and was founded in 2018. In 2022 it merged with NordVPN's parent under the Nord Security umbrella, with both brands continuing to operate as separate services. Support is 24/7 live chat plus a help center; no support phone number is published. Deloitte has verified its no-logs policy, the entire network runs on RAM-only servers, and the company publishes its audit and infrastructure details openly. The main accountability caveat is jurisdictional: the Netherlands is an EU member and part of the Nine Eyes intelligence-sharing group.

Product review

Mullvad is the VPN for people who distrust VPN marketing. There is no email signup — your account is a randomly generated number — and the price has been a flat €5 a month since 2009, with no discounts, countdown timers or renewal traps. It runs 566 servers in 50 countries, fewer than the giants, but every app is open source and its infrastructure has been audited repeatedly. Mullvad accepts cash by post and cryptocurrency, and when Swedish police arrived with a search warrant in 2023, there was no user data to take. Streaming unblocking, however, is not its priority.

• No email or name needed — the account is just a number
• Flat €5/mo since 2009; no teaser pricing or renewal hike
• Cash and cryptocurrency payments accepted
• Open-source apps and fully published audit reports
• 2023 police search warrant produced no user data
• DAITA traffic-analysis defense and multi-hop routing

• Smaller network: 566 servers in 50 countries
• Not designed for streaming unblocking
• Port forwarding removed in 2023
• Five-device limit

The company

Mullvad is run by Amagicom AB (Mullvad VPN AB) from Gothenburg, Sweden, and has operated since 2009 under private ownership with an unusually open development model — its apps are open source and its audit reports are published in full. Support is by email at [email protected]; the company publishes no phone number or live chat. Its accountability evidence is among the strongest in the category: repeated audits by Cure53, Assured and X41 (the latest published in January 2026), and in April 2023 Swedish police visited its office with a search warrant and left with nothing, because no customer data existed to seize.

Product review

ExpressVPN is the polished, travel-friendly option: fast Lightway-protocol connections, servers in 113 countries, and apps that non-technical users rarely struggle with, backed by 24/7 live-chat support. Its TrustedServer design runs every server from RAM, so nothing persists on disk, and the no-logs policy has passed audits by firms including KPMG. The new Basic tier brings the entry price to $2.99 a month over 28 months, but it renews at $99.95 a year, and fuller feature sets sit in the pricier Advanced and Pro tiers. Ownership by Kape Technologies since 2021 also gives some privacy purists pause.

• Fast Lightway protocol, servers in 113 countries
• RAM-only TrustedServer network
• No-logs audited (KPMG, PwC, Cure53 engagements)
• Reliable in countries that restrict VPNs
• 24/7 live-chat support
• Beginner-friendly apps on every platform

• Basic renews at $99.95 per year — a steep step up
• Owned by Kape Technologies since 2021
• Best features sit in the pricier Advanced and Pro tiers
• No port forwarding

The company

ExpressVPN is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, was founded in 2009, and was acquired by Kape Technologies in 2021 in a reported $936 million deal. Support is 24/7 live chat and email through its help center; no support phone number is published. Its RAM-only TrustedServer platform means servers hold no persistent data, and its no-logs policy has been examined in PwC, Cure53 and KPMG engagements. In 2017, Turkish authorities who seized an ExpressVPN server during a criminal investigation reported finding no logs — a real-world test that few rivals can cite.

Product review

IVPN is the small, stubbornly transparent provider in a market built on hype. Operating since 2009 under the same ownership, it runs bare-metal servers in 58 locations across 41 countries — no virtual locations — with open-source apps, quantum-resistant WireGuard, and annual third-party audits published since 2019. Signing up requires no email, and cash or Monero payments are accepted. The Core plan costs $6 a month or $60 a year, with no teaser discounts. What you give up is scale and entertainment value: IVPN openly promises neither streaming access nor port forwarding, and its network is one of the smallest here.

• Annual independent audits since 2019, reports published
• Same disclosed ownership since 2009
• No email needed; cash and Monero accepted
• Open-source apps and self-hosted infrastructure
• Quantum-resistant WireGuard by default
• Honest pricing: $6 monthly or $60/yr, no fake discounts

• Small network: 58 locations in 41 countries
• No port forwarding and no streaming guarantees, by design
• Support is ticket-based; no live chat or phone
• Core plan caps at 5 devices

The company

IVPN is registered in Gibraltar and has operated since 2009 under the same, publicly disclosed ownership — a rarity in this category. Unusually, it closed its affiliate program and refuses paid placement, which is why it rarely appears on commercial best-VPN lists. Support runs through its own self-hosted help desk. The company commits to annual independent security audits (eight completed since 2019), publishes transparency reports and a warrant canary, self-hosts all of its infrastructure including email and customer service, and keeps both its apps and its website open source.

Product review

CyberGhost is the budget-and-streaming pick: at $1.99 a month for the first 26 months it is the cheapest long-term plan in this ranking, backed by more than 9,500 servers in over 100 countries and apps that label servers by streaming service. Based in Romania, outside the Five, Nine and Fourteen Eyes alliances, it publishes quarterly transparency reports and has had its no-logs policy audited by Deloitte. The trade-offs are middling speeds compared with the leaders, a slightly cluttered app experience, and ownership by Kape Technologies. Its 45-day money-back guarantee on long plans is the most generous here.

• Cheapest long-term plan here: $1.99/mo
• 9,500+ servers in 100+ countries
• 45-day money-back guarantee on long plans
• Streaming-optimized servers labeled by service
• Quarterly transparency reports
• Deloitte-audited no-logs policy

• Renews at $51.74 per year after the first 26 months
• Speeds trail the top three
• Owned by Kape Technologies
• Monthly plan is expensive at $12.99

The company

CyberGhost is based in Bucharest, Romania, was founded in 2011, and has been owned since 2017 by Kape Technologies, the group that also owns ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access. Support is 24/7 live chat and email via its help center; no support phone number is published. Romania sits outside the Eyes intelligence alliances, and CyberGhost has published quarterly transparency reports on legal requests for years. Deloitte has audited its no-logs policy, so its privacy case rests on third-party verification rather than on its parent company's reputation.

Product review

Private Internet Access is the tinkerer's VPN: fully open-source apps, granular control over encryption and ports, unlimited simultaneous connections, and a three-year price — $79 per term, about $2.03 a month — that undercuts almost everyone. Its no-logs policy is more than a promise: US court cases in 2016 and 2018 produced no usable records, and Deloitte has audited the policy since. The compromises are a US headquarters inside the Five Eyes, speeds that trail the top three, and an interface that can overwhelm beginners. It has been owned by Kape Technologies since 2019.

• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Lowest long-term cost: $79 per 3-year term
• Fully open-source apps on every platform
• No-logs policy tested in US court (2016 and 2018)
• Port forwarding and deep settings for tinkerers
• Deloitte no-logs audits in 2022 and 2024

• US-based, inside the Five Eyes alliance
• Owned by Kape Technologies since 2019
• Speeds are mid-pack
• Interface can overwhelm beginners

The company

Private Internet Access is a US company founded in 2010 and acquired by Kape Technologies in 2019 in a reported $95.5 million deal. Support is 24/7 live chat plus a ticket-based help center; no support phone number is published. Its no-logs policy carries unusually concrete evidence: subpoenas in US criminal cases in 2016 and again in 2018 yielded no connection records, every one of its apps is open source, and Deloitte audited the policy in 2022 and 2024. The accountability tension is structural — an American jurisdiction and a roll-up owner, offset by a tested track record.

Product review

IPVanish is the US-based veteran aimed at households: unlimited simultaneous connections, fast WireGuard speeds, more than 3,400 servers in over 150 locations, and 24/7 live chat on every plan. The Essential plan costs $2.39 a month over two years; the Complete tier adds antivirus software and phone support. Its accountability record is mixed — a 2016 incident under a previous owner saw logs handed to US authorities — but ownership has changed twice since, and Schellman auditors confirmed in 2025 that the current service keeps no logs. A quarterly transparency report now backs that up.

• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Fast WireGuard speeds
• 3,400+ servers in 150+ locations
• 24/7 live chat; phone support on the Complete tier
• No-logs policy verified by Schellman audit (2025)
• Quarterly transparency reports in its Trust Center

• US jurisdiction, inside the Five Eyes
• 2016 logs incident under a previous owner
• Renewal prices rise after the first term
• No cryptocurrency payment option

The company

IPVanish was founded in 2012 in the United States and is now owned by Ziff Davis, the digital-media group behind Ookla and Mashable. Support is 24/7 live chat on all plans, with phone support on the Complete tier. Its history includes the category's most-cited cautionary tale: in 2016, under a former owner, the company provided connection logs in a US criminal investigation. Ownership has changed twice since then, the network now runs on RAM-only servers, and independent audits by Leviathan Security Group and Schellman — the latest concluding in February 2025 — have verified the current no-logs policy, alongside quarterly transparency reporting.

Product review

Windscribe is the flexible independent: a Canadian, self-funded provider whose free tier is the most generous in this ranking and whose Build-a-Plan lets you pay $1 per location per month for only the countries you actually use. The yearly Pro plan works out to $5.75 a month with unlimited devices, the R.O.B.E.R.T. blocker filters ads and trackers at DNS level, and the price you sign up at is the price you keep — no renewal ambush. The downsides are a Five Eyes home base, a thinner independent-audit record than its rivals, and inconsistent speeds on distant servers.

• Most generous free tier in this ranking
• Build-a-Plan: $1 per location per month
• Signup price locked in — no renewal hikes
• Unlimited devices on Pro plans
• R.O.B.E.R.T. DNS-level ad and tracker blocking
• Self-funded and independent; does not buy reviews

• Based in Canada, a Five Eyes country
• Thinner independent audit record than rivals
• 2021 seized servers had unencrypted disks (self-disclosed; infrastructure rebuilt since)
• Speeds inconsistent on distant servers

The company

Windscribe is a self-funded Canadian company based in Toronto, founded in 2016. It says it does not pay for ads or reviews, and it locks each subscriber's price at signup rather than raising it at renewal. Support runs through its online help desk and ticket system; no support phone number is published. The company publishes transparency reporting on the data requests it receives. Its record also includes a 2021 incident in which two Ukrainian servers seized by authorities were found to have unencrypted disks — a failure Windscribe disclosed itself, and which pushed it to rebuild on diskless, in-memory server infrastructure.