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VPNs notoriously slow down even the fastest of internet connections. After testing over a dozen VPNs, we narrowed them down to the fastest, prioritizing those that come with features to help minimize the unavoidable.
Fastest VPNs: Our Shortlist
We chose Surfshark because it offers coverage in 63 countries, features extensive ports and protocols, and delivers a smooth user experience.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall
Best for Gamers
Most Reliable
Best Privacy Policy
Best for Torrenting
Best Online Privacy
Best for First-Time Users
Best Pricing
Best for Unblocking Streaming Services
Digital.com dives deep into every topic it covers to offer trusted and reliable recommendations for the best business tools. See how we review the fastest VPN services.
Tips From an Expert
Speed and privacy are the most important considerations.
“When looking for a VPN, it is important to consider privacy, minimum connections, kill switches, and speed at the absolute minimum–any extra features are a bonus.”
The Fastest VPN Services of 2023
Best Overall
Features
- Incredibly affordable pricing
- Smooth and clean user experience
- Extensive ports and protocols
#1 Top Pick for 2023
Surfshark’s accessible price point and comprehensive offering of ports and protocols makes it a great choice for just about anyone.
Lowest Price
$1.99 per month
Free Trial/Demo
30 day trial
Tech Support
Email only
Number of Countries
63+
Read More
SurfShark has much to offer as far as features, speed, and security. Offering comprehensive coverage of devices and operating systems, SurfShark came out swinging to capture a share of the market. Lastly, its flexible payment options may make you reconsider some of the veteran solutions in the industry.
Starting with the obvious, it is fast and offers unlimited bandwidth, which is a huge plus. SurfShark offers strong encryption and guarantees that it sticks to its “no logging sensitive information” policy. Streaming services have been tested and confirmed with SurfShark to work flawlessly, only having a 12% decrease in speeds within the United States. Lastly, SurfShark claims to be Cure53’s independent audit compliant.
SurfShark offers a robust global server infrastructure presence to ensure that it can keep up with its fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth demands. Offering a wide variety of protocols and a smooth user experience makes SurfShark an attractive choice for all users.
- Who is Surfshark best for?
Surfshark is best for anyone looking for a full service VPN that is quick and easy to use at an affordable price. - Recent upgrades to Surfshark
Surfshark has added cross-platform logins for iOS and Andriod. - Surfshark pricing
Surfshark’s month-to-month pricing is comparable to its competition, and truthfully it is warranted with its service offering. A few things to note is that SurfShark offers a 30-day free trial of its product and flexible yearly and bi-yearly subscriptions. When you subscribe to the two-year plan, you can get its VPN for as low as $1.99 per month. The yearly plan averages around $6 per month.
Reasons to choose Surfshark
- Affordable price point
- Clean and easy interface
- Covers 63+ countries
- Unlimited bandwidth
- No log policy
Reasons to avoid
- Customer support is slow
- Potential erratic P2P behavior
What Customers Are Saying About Surfshark
After reviewing various sources of feedback for SurfShark, the consensus is that it is a feature-packed VPN for the price. Some of the more negative reviews have reported that the customer service tends to lack in responses, and the overall P2P behavior can be erratic at high peak times.
Best for Gamers
Features
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Military-grade security & breach scanner
- Built-in password manager
Lowest Price
$3.79 per month
Free Trial/Demo
30 day trial
Tech Support
24/7 live chat
Number of Countries
59
Read More
NordVPN is popular amongst general VPN users. It’s best known for its top-of-the-line encryption methods and unlimited bandwidth plans.
NordVPN is one of the more popular amongst general users. It’s best known for its top-of-the-line encryption methods and unlimited bandwidth plans. NordVPN sets itself apart from the competition by offering the best security and privacy in the industry with military-grade encryption. A newer feature offered is Onion over VPN, which provides users with a double VPN to emphasize security further. Lastly, Nord supports all major operating systems, including the top mobile brands, to ensure users have a streamlined experience across all devices.
- Who is NordVPN best for?
If your main concerns are online privacy and fast speeds, especially if you’re a gamer, NordVPN is a great choice. Whether you game on PC, a console, or your phone, you’re good to go. - Recent upgrades to NordVPN
NordVPN has improved start-up times. - NordVPN pricing
Comparable to ExpressVPN, NordVPN is just as expensive, to say the least, although Nord offers a two-year plan that brings the monthly cost down considerably. Sometimes you have to pay a pretty penny to own the best. NordVPN is one of the more expensive solutions in the market, charging $11.95 a month for its services. Nord offers several other plans, including a two-year plan that helps thwart the monthly cost by bringing it down to $2.69 monthly. Unlike its competition, ExpressVPN, NordVPN offers a 30-day free trial of its solution to allow users to experience all it offers before committing to a payment plan.
Reasons to choose NordVPN
- Military-grade security
- Built-in password manager
- Great customer support
- Data breach scanner
- Covers 59 countries
- Unlimited bandwidth
Reasons to avoid
- Can be slow at peak times
- More expensive than others
What Customers Are Saying About NordVPN
Most of the feedback and reviews online are positive, stating that after trying numerous other VPN solutions, they landed with NordVPN due to both performance and customer support responsiveness. Also, there was a lot of good feedback on its custom NordLyn>protocol across all major devices.
Most Reliable
Features
- 3,000+ servers in 105 countries
- Receives regular updates
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Lowest Price
$8.32 per month
Free Trial/Demo
30 day trial
Tech Support
24/7 live chat
Number of Countries
105
Read More
With more than 3,000 servers in a total of 94 countries, ExpressVPN was an easy pick as the best cheap virtual private network (VPN) when it comes to servers and locations.
ExpressVPN is rated one of the best overall virtual private network (VPN) solutions for several reasons. We have found that a combination of speed, reliability, and security features play into why ExpressVPN is rated number one. While its price is more on the high side, users are getting the best bang for their buck with an easy-to-use interface, multiplatform capabilities, and generous coverage across the world. Whether you are a newbie to VPNs or a veteran user, Most will find that ExpressVPN suits all their needs.
- Who is ExpressVPN best for?
ExpressVPN is the best for anyone who prefers an established, reliable VPN service. - Recent upgrades to ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has recently released a brand new VPN protocol called Lightway, this protocol was created to help remove weaknesses and bugs that may reside in some of the legacy protocols. Lightway focuses on using a minimal code base, which allows for faster and more reliable performance as well as enhanced auditing. Lightway also includes a feature that allows for seamless transitions between VPN connections to provide persistence and uninterrupted service. - ExpressVPN pricing
ExpressVPN is one of the more expensive VPN solutions out there, but it is not without warrant. ExpressVPN backs its premium price point with top-of-the-line features, security, and speed. A year-long agreement is $8.32 per month, six months is $9.99 per month, and one month is $12.95 per month.
Reasons to choose ExpressVPN
- Wonderful customer support
- Many protocols to choose from
- Works on every platform
- Torrenting is allowed
- Up to eight devices
Reasons to avoid
- Expensive compared to others
What Customers Are Saying About ExpressVPN
We have seen, for the most part, users of ExpressVPN are delighted with the product overall. There was a wide range of reviews from all operating systems and professional backgrounds with the same messagePeople overall are satisfied with the speeds, security, streaming capabilities, and privacy controls of ExpressVPN.
Best Privacy Policy
Features
- Free version without ads
- Dynamic port forwarding
- 10 simultaneous connections
Lowest Price
$2.22 per month
Free Trial/Demo
Free plan with no ads
Tech Support
24/7 chat
Number of Countries
87
Read More
Hide.me VPN is a solution that is supported in the Microsoft store specifically for Windows. This VPN offers both paid and free versions. The paid version is advertised as a lifetime plan with no ads, trackers, or logs. Their paid version is highly touted by Microsoft, Forbes, PCmag, Techradar, and Trustpilot.
Hide.me claims to be a 99.9% uptime remark and a 100% independent ownership for ensuring a privacy-first approach. Hide.me claims to support gigabit speeds and unlimited bandwidth as well. Lastly, the VPN offers 10 simultaneous connections to coincide with unlimited speeds.
- Who is Hide.me best for?
If you want to make sure no one has access to your data, including your VPN, Hide.me offers a strong privacy policy with incredibly low pricing. - Recent upgrades to Hide.me
Hide.me recently launched the option to add multiple custom locations. - Hide.me pricing
Outside of their free basic plan, Hide.me offers three premium plans: a 2-year plan for $2.22 monthly, a six-month plan for $5.82 per month, and a monthly plan for $9.95. The model provides a sound system for gradually shifting from the free version to the paid version at a price model that works for everyone.
Reasons to choose HIDE.me
- Connect up to 10 devices
- Generous free plan for one device
- Affordable price point
- Fort Knox privacy policy
- Easy to set up
Reasons to avoid
- Speed can suffer at peak times
What Customers Are Saying About HIDE.me
Most of the customer reviews state that Hide.me provides everything that is advertised, and most were happy to pay the expensive premium version because of this. Many of the customers also started with the free version. Lastly, new users expressed how easy and quick the solution was to get up and running.
Best for Torrenting
Features
- Unlimited speeds and bandwidth
- Up to 12 devices on the Pro plan
- Add-ons to customize your experience
Lowest Price
$3.89 per month
Free Trial/Demo
7-day guarantee
Tech Support
24/7 live chat
Number of Countries
60+
Read More
TorGuard is not a VPN in the top five most popular, but it offers a solid solution with four different flexible pricing options.
Outside of pricing, TorGuard offers a unique anonymous opportunity that still allows for speed and protocol options. Lastly, its speed is worth the price of admission. Paired with the unlimited bandwidth it offers you can’t go wrong.
One of the most infamous features of TorGuard is its ability to support many tunneling protocols. These include OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, IKEV2, and SSTP, to name a few. By keeping these protocols, TorGuard can provide Socks5 and HTTP proxies as an additional offering as well.
Lastly, one important detail to note is that even though TorGuard has legitimate anonymous features, it is located in a five-eyes country, which means, if required, it could be subpoenaed for its users’ information.
- Who is TorGuard best for?
TorGuard is best for torrenting. - Recent upgrades to TorGuard
TorGuard has released an all-new iOS app. - TorGuard pricing
TorGuard is competitive with its pricing model and uses its specialized packages to encourage different users and use cases to go with its solution. It offers Standard and Pro packages at monthly, quarterly, semi-monthly, yearly, two-year, and three-year billing cycles. Pricing for the triennial standard plan is $139.99 every three years.
There are also business VPN services available, with pricing based on the number of users and email accounts needed.
Reasons to choose TorGuard
- Connect 8 or 12 devices
- Seven-day guarantee
- Unlimited speeds and bandwidth
- Fast any time customer service
- 3,000+ global servers
- Great for torrenting
Reasons to avoid
- Video streaming speed can briefly slow
- May be subject to subpoenas
What Customers Are Saying About TorGuard
TorGuard has several reviews stating how good its customer support is, including timely responses. One of the negative reviews indicated from time to time is that specific VPN locations randomly stop working; more notably, during video streaming sessions, the connection tends to seem slow for brief periods before correcting itself. Overall, the summary of the reviews was positive from long-time customers.
Best Online Privacy
Features
- Connects with ProtonMail
- Open-source solution based in Switzerland
- Up to 10 device connections
Lowest Price
$4.99 per month
Free Trial/Demo
Free plan with no ads
Tech Support
Email & ticketing
Number of Countries
65+
Read More
Getting a reliable VPN for a few dollars a month is great, but getting one at no charge is even better. While some free VPNs are unreliable, ProtonVPN is one of the top providers of both free and paid services.
You may have heard of ProtonMail, the free and secure email service that claims “privacy first.” The creators of ProtonMail have now created a VPN solution called ProtonVPN. ProtonVPN, as you might have guessed, is one of the more popular services due to ProtonMail’s success over the past decade. One expressed feature is that ProtonVPN offers a free version for public use. Let’s look closer and see if ProtonVPN is everything it is cracked up to be.
One of the more startling details is that ProtonVPN only offers a couple of Protocols for use (OpenVPN and IKEv2), which seems low for a VPN service priced towards the higher end of the spectrum. Many review sites have given ProtonVPN a lower rating because of this. Two things that ProtonVPN does have going its way: its claim to unlimited bandwidth and its server infrastructure presence in over 44 countries.
- Who is ProtonVPN best for?
If you need to stay private from the sites you visit, ProtonVPN is best for you. - Recent upgrades to ProtonVPN
Last year ProtonVPN restructured their plans to help provide better security to users. - ProtonVPN pricing
ProtonVPN offers several pricing options for its professional product as well as a free version with unlimited bandwidth and access to 100 servers in three countries. You can choose between Plus and Unlimited plans depending on the number of devices and features you need. The Plus plan starts at $4.99 per month for a two-year agreement and the Unlimited plan starts at $7.99 per month.
Reasons to choose ProtonVPN
- Great for ProtonMail users
- Connect up to 10 devices
- Includes double hop
- High-speed streaming
- Multiple tiers depending on your needs
- Unlimited plan includes password manager
Reasons to avoid
- Support is slow
- Tough to set up
What Customers Are Saying About ProtonVPN
Most public reviews on ProtonVPN touted its security and privacy first approach. Obvious complaints were around the pricing for the short-term paid plans, but some stated that the free version is great for the everyday user.
Best for First-Time Users
Features
- Free plan with 2 GB of bandwidth
- Unlimited devices on paid plans
- Very easy to configure
Lowest Price
$3.33 per month
Free Trial/Demo
Free plan
Tech Support
Email only
Number of Countries
47
Read More
TunnelBear is supported on most major operating systems and is best known for its simplicity. It has a decent worldwide presence and uses top-of-the-line AES-256 military-grade encryption.
Unique to TunnelBear are its proprietary features for paid subscriptions. These features are called VigilantBear and GhostBear. VigilantBear is essentially an internet kill switch that can automatically kill your internet connection if disconnected from the VPN. GhostBear can hide the fact that you are using a VPN by preventing internet protocol (IP)-based tracking. This feature can be handy in countries where the use of a VPN is frowned upon. Lastly, while TunnelBear is an easy solution to set up and use, it can also be a disadvantage in the future as it does not have advanced configuration options compared to its competition.
- Who is TunnelBear best for?
TunnelBear is for users who want something simple and easy to use. It’s great if you’ve never used a VPN before because it’s incredibly easy to configure. - Recent upgrades to TunnelBear
Recently, TunnelBear has increase its free data limit to 2GB per month from the previous 500MB per month. - TunnelBear pricing
One of the nice perks of choosing TunnelBear is that it offers a limited free version for one device, unlimited individual license, and a Teams package with a minimum of two users. The individual unlimited package is priced at $3.33 per month, which is below average for a VPN solution. One thing to consider with the free version is that you are limited to 2 GB of bandwidth per month.
Reasons to choose TunnelBear
- Easy to set up
- 2 GB of bandwidth for free
- Does the basics really well
- Unlimited devices
- Affordable pricing
Reasons to avoid
- Users reported unstable speeds
- May not be great on Apple
What Customers Are Saying About TunnelBear
Most public reviews of TunnelBear are positive for users performing simple tasks like web surfing. There were several complaints from users on the Apple products side stating that the VPN can be patchy and flake out. Another complaint was that it tends to want to block access to more sites that are not malicious than its competition.
Best Pricing
Features
- Basic plan is incredibly cheap
- Also includes encrypt, privacy, & passwords
- More than 6,500 servers
Lowest Price
$2.03 per month
Free Trial/Demo
31-day guarantee
Tech Support
24/7 live chat
Number of Countries
70+
Read More
PureVPN overall offers a significant amount of functionality, services, and features for the price.
Some of PureVPN’s high-level incentives include having one of the giant footprints as far as infrastructure goes, with more than 6,500 servers in 70+ countries. Its plans can support up to 10 devices, and it offers a good balance of speed and security.
PureVPN offers military-grade encryption alongside its kill switch, smart server selection, WireGuard, and split tunneling capabilities. Video streaming on all major platforms is supported and encouraged with up to 10 GB a month in bandwidth. The service is relatively easy to set up and use, but if users have trouble, there is a 24/7 support line and a set of excellent installation guides. As it pertains to speed, PureVPN tested excellent, including higher than average upload speeds across the globe. Lastly, all major protocols are well-supported, including OpenVPN, L2TP, SSTP, PPTP, and IKEv2.
PureVPN is located in Hong Kong, a country outside of any privacy laws nationwide.
- Who is PureVPN best for?
PureVPN is best for those who need a VPN on a budget. - Recent upgrades to PureVPN
PureVPN has recently released new step-by-step guides for most platforms. - PureVPN pricing
PureVPN offers a monthly, biyearly, yearly, and two-year subscription plan. The best deal is the two-year plan totaling $2.03 per month, making it one of the cheapest VPNs on the market. Lastly, it offers a 31-day money-back guarantee if you aren’t fully satisfied with its solution.
Reasons to choose PureVPN
- Massive network of 6,500+ servers
- Extremely affordable pricing
- Includes additional security tools
- Strong protocol support
- Smart server selection
Reasons to avoid
- Support is hit or miss
What Customers Are Saying About PureVPN
Overall, the customer reviews seem very focused on how stable and reliant the platform is. It has a long list of reviews from long-time customers over five years. Only a handful of issues reported short-time server errors that are usually resolved in a few days.
Best for Unblocking Streaming Services
Features
- One low, no-contract monthly rate
- Pay with Bitcoin or alternative methods
- Performs independent audits
Lowest Price
$5.36 per month
Free Trial/Demo
30-day guarantee
Tech Support
Email only
Number of Countries
40
Read More
Unlike many other VPNs, Mullvad accepts credit and debit cards along with Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Giropay, PayPal, Swish, bank wires, and more.
With Bitcoin and other alternative payment methods becoming more popular, some users are looking for VPNs and other service providers that don’t require a credit card. Mullvad is the perfect option for this audience — unlike many other VPNs, they accept credit and debit cards plus Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Giropay, PayPal, Swish, bank wires, and more. You can even mail them cash in an envelope along with your payment token. Mullvad currently accepts cash in the form of USD, EUR, GBP, SEK, DKK, NOK, CHF, CAD, AUD, and NZD. With that in mind, they clearly offer the best payment options of any of the cheapest VPNs in 2023.
Mullvad is unique for its incredibly transparent list of servers, which shows their current status along with other information such as the server’s speed and whether it’s owned or rented by Mullvad.
- Who is Mullvad best for?
Mullvad is best for those who want to access streaming content from other countries or users who want to pay in cash, Bitcoin, or other alternative currencies. - Recent upgrades to Mullvad
They’ve also committed to annual security audits, with the last one taking place in December 2020. While that audit uncovered vulnerabilities, they have since taken steps to address those issues. It’s worth noting that none of the vulnerabilities included information that could potentially compromise user privacy. - Mullvad pricing
Mullvad’s pricing system is simple — 5 euros per month (approximately $5.36 USD), with no long-term commitments and a 30-day money-back guarantee. You don’t even need to provide an email address or any other personal information. The only caveat is that they offer a 10% discount for cryptocurrency payments to incentivize more private payment methods.
Reasons to choose Mullvad VPN
- Use alternative payment methods
- One low monthly fee with no contracts
- Don’t need to provide an email
- Discounts if you use crypto
- Annual security audits
- Easy to use
Reasons to avoid
- Limited to five devices
- Relatively small infrastructure
What Customers Are Saying About Mullvad VPN
Mullvad is still only a few years old, but it has quickly developed a reputation in the cybersecurity community. Security-focused reviewers appreciate being able to create an account and open a subscription without providing an email address, credit card, or other sensitive information.
Compare the Fastest VPNs
VPN Service
Best Features
Lowest Price
Best Overall
- Incredibly affordable pricing
- Smooth and clean user experience
- Extensive ports and protocols
$1.99 per month
Best for Gamers
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Military-grade security & breach scanner
- Built-in password manager
$3.79 per month
Most Reliable
- 3,000+ servers in 105 countries
- Receives regular updates
- 30-day money-back guarantee
$8.32 per month
Best Privacy Policy
- Free version without ads
- Dynamic port forwarding
- 10 simultaneous connections
$2.22 per month
Best for Torrenting
- Unlimited speeds and bandwidth
- Up to 12 devices on the Pro plan
- Add-ons to customize your experience
$3.89 per month
Best Online Privacy
- Connects with ProtonMail
- Open-source solution based in Switzerland
- Up to 10 device connections
$4.99 per month
Best for First-Time Users
- Free plan with 2 GB of bandwidth
- Unlimited devices on paid plans
- Very easy to configure
$3.33 per month
Best Pricing
- Basic plan is incredibly cheap
- Also includes encrypt, privacy, & passwords
- More than 6,500 servers
$2.03 per month
Best for Unblocking Streaming Services
- One low, no-contract monthly rate
- Pay with Bitcoin or alternative methods
- Performs independent audits
$5.36 per month
What You Need to Know
What does a VPN do?
A VPN connection establishes a secure connection between you and the internet. All your data traffic is routed through an encrypted virtual tunnel via the VPN. This disguises your IP address when you use the internet, making its location invisible to everyone. A VPN connection is also secure against external attacks.
Is it really necessary to have a VPN?
VPN use is important for online privacy when you’re logging into the internet from a public spot because cyber snoops could track your online activity when using public Wi-Fi, whether on your computer or your mobile device.
Is it okay to leave a VPN on all the time?
If you’re using a VPN for privacy reasons or to keep yourself anonymous online, you should always keep it on. Since your VPN is your best protection against hackers and helps keep your information private, it’s best to leave your VPN on whenever you’re on the internet.
Is there a downside to using a VPN?
Some VPNs may slow your connection speed, and you could experience connection drops. You could be blocked from using particular services or websites, like Netflix. VPNs are illegal in a few countries and could give you a false sense of legal impunity.
Can a VPN be hacked?
VPN services can be hacked, but it’s extremely difficult to do so. Most premium VPNs use OpenVPN or WireGuard protocols in combination with AES or ChaCha encryption, a combination almost impossible to decrypt using brute force attacks.
Can a VPN service see my information?
The VPN encrypts your internet traffic before it leaves your computer. The encrypted traffic passes through your router and ISP, but because it’s encrypted, neither of them can see its content.
How We Review the Fastest VPN Services
When we evaluate VPN solutions to determine the fastest, we consider several factors other than fast speeds. As an end-user, you shouldn’t need to buy an expensive solution. There should be a balance between price and features that offer a solid all-around product. These four attributes are major deciding factors when picking the fastest VPN solution.
I signed up for a plan with each VPN service to test:
Learn more about our review methodology.