The best VPN services of 2023: Expert tested and reviewed

The Australian info To find the best VPN service for your personal needs, you’ll need to compare brands, prices, features, and more. Most virtual private networks (VPNs) provide two services: They encrypt your data between two points and hide the IP address where you’re located.

Using a VPN is critical when traveling or using the internet in a public place like a coffee shop to keep your data secure and prevent anyone else on the network from stealing your passwords or eavesdropping on your activity. VPNs are also great for streaming because they unlock access — in some cases, with dubious legality — to content and sports unavailable in a user’s location. You can also unblock content restricted in areas due to data protection laws, such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Also: Best travel VPNs

ZDNET tested the best VPNs on this list based on speed, number of servers, security features, price, and more. ExpressVPN is our pick for the best VPN overall, thanks to its fast and reliable connection and the wide range of platforms it works on. Read on to find the best VPN for your own devices and needs.

The best VPNs of 2023 Pros

Fast and reliable connection Works on many platforms Transparent privacy policy Torrent-friendly Cons

More expensive than many competitors Only five simultaneous connections ExpressVPN features: Simultaneous Connections: Five or unlimited with the router app | Kill Switch: Yes | Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebooks (see the full list here) | Logging: No browsing logs, some connection logs | Countries: 94 | Trial/Money-back guarantee: 30 days

ExpressVPN is my top choice for the best VPN service. It’s one of the most popular VPN providers out there, offering a wide range of platforms, and it’s a well-regarded, trusted service. Platforms include Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and Amazon operating systems.

You can also manually set up ExpressVPN to work with some gaming consoles (Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch) and TVs (Apple TV, Roku, etc.) that do not support its app.

Review: ExpressVPN: A fine service, but is it worth the price?

ExpressVPN has an expansive network with servers in 94 countries. It also delivers a speedy and consistent connection. The company doesn’t log your browsing history, IP address, or traffic destination, but it does collect information about the amount of data transferred, the dates you connected to the VPN (not times), and the location of the VPN server.

At the time of writing, subscription costs begin at $6.67 per month (and three months free) on a 12-month plan, $9.99 per month for six months, or $12.95 for a month of access. If you opt for a 12-month subscription, ExpressVPN will also give you one years’ worth of free cloud backup storage.

Pros

Stable connection speeds Extensive server network Cons

NordVPN is one of the most widely used consumer VPNs available. For most users, it checks all the boxes. It’s secure, good for streaming, and has all the features you’ll likely need. We’ve found it to be one of the fastest VPNs with the most consistent speeds.

Personally, I find that servers need to be switched over more often than with some competitors due to connectivity issues — but these situations are still few and far between and worth the trade-off for improved speeds over other VPNs.

NordVPN offers lots of features beyond the basics, including support for P2P sharing, and an option for a second layer of encryption through what it calls Double VPN. You can set up a dedicated IP address to run a VPN that doubles as a server.

Review: NordVPN: Consistent speed and performance

NordVPN’s Onion over VPN unlocks Tor capabilities. NordVPN can run on all of the major platforms and a number of home-network platforms. The company also launched Meshnet in 2022, a feature for users to connect directly to other devices instead of routing their traffic through a VPN server.

It is worth noting, however, that the user interface has room for improvement, which on the MacOS platform in particular, is somewhat clunky compared to other top VPN providers. Additionally, the subscription cost is on the pricier end. You can select between Complete, Plus, and Standard on a two-year, one-year, or monthly plan, the difference being whether or not you also want access to a password manager, data breach scanner, and encrypted cloud storage service.

Prices start from $3.99 per month on a Standard two-year plan to $16.49 per month on a Complete one-month subscription. Still, it’s a strong choice, and you can always try it for 30 days and get a full refund. At the time of writing, NordVPN is also running a promotion, and new users who subscribe to a one or two-year plan can save up to 69%.

Also: ExpressVPN vs. Surfshark vs. NordVPN: Which is best?

Pros

Unlimited simultaneous connections Wide range of useful features Available on all major platforms Cons

We didn’t find any leaks in our Surfshark VPN review and testing — exactly what you want to see from a quality VPN. With AES-256-GCM, Perfect Forward Secrecy, and RSA-2048 encryption, Surfshark also makes security a priority.

We appreciated its complementary and inexpensive add-on features, such as anti-tracking, a search engine that doesn’t log your information, and a scanner that searches data breach lists for your email. You can also connect through two VPN servers with Surfshark’s multi-hop option.

Furthermore, Surfshark operates a live warrant canary.

At present, Surfshark’s pricing is $12.95 per month (the typical one-month subscription fee) and the two-year subscription will cost you $2.49 per month. (The two-year plan does say it is 81% off, but this price point rarely changes).

Alternatively, you can sign up for one year and you will pay $3.99 per month. You are billed for the full package at the time of sign-up.

Also: NordVPN vs Surfshark: Which is better?

Pros

Unlimited connections User-friendly Flexible product with a wide range of protocols Cons

No free trial A high jump in pricing after sign-up deals end IPVanish VPN features: Simultaneous Connections: Unlimited | Kill Switch: Yes | Platforms: Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, Android TV, and Kodi | Logging: None, except billing data | Servers: 2,200+ | Locations: 75 | Trial/MBG: 30 days

IPVanish is presented as a plug-and-play solution, but it’s a capable and very flexible product. In my opinion, the company is undervaluing itself by doing this. At a glance, IPVanish may seem like a relatively generic VPN, but there’s more to the story.

IPVanish’s user interface has some excellent performance graphics and an extensive selection of servers to choose from with useful status information. As far as protocols go, there is a wide range of options. Its app also has an extensive array of configuration options.

Review: IPVanish: A VPN with a wealth of options

If you commit for two years, IPVanish offers a discounted plan for $3.33 per month. This increases to $4.49 per month for a yearly plan, and $11.99 for one month, plus tax. However, unless you turn off automatic renewal, you can expect a price hike once your deal time ends.

Pros

Free VPN plan (for a single connection) Many add-ons available Modern, clean interface Cons

Only 2-year or monthly paid plan available Proton VPN features: Simultaneous Connections: Up to 10, depending on the plan | Kill Switch: Yes | Platforms: Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, routers, Android TV | Logging: None, except billing data | Countries: 68 | Servers: 2,600+ | Trial/MBG: 30 day or free plan

We really like the Proton VPN story. The Swiss company was created by engineers and scientists who met at CERN (the European Center for Nuclear Research — where the Web was invented) with a focus on creating encrypted email and VPN communications to protect the communication of activists and journalists.

In terms of product, Proton VPN has a belt-and-suspenders approach to security, layering strong protocols on top of perfect forward secrecy on top of strong encryption. Not only does Proton VPN have a kill switch, but it also has an always-on VPN, which attempts to restore VPN service if it’s dropped mid-communication. All apps are open source, and the company reports that they are independently audited.

Review: Proton VPN: A very solid VPN with robust leak protection

The company offers a generous free VPN service, allowing one machine to connect at medium speed and without bandwidth limits, providing access to over 100 servers across three countries.

If you’re happy to subscribe, Proton VPN has two paid plans on offer: Proton VPN or Proton Unlimited. Proton VPN offers all of the VPN’s features a $5.50 per month on a two-year plan — rising to $14.97 for a monthly subscription, whereas Proton Unlimited provides the full Proton suite, including VPN, Drive, and Mail for at $8.81 per month.

The best VPN is ExpressVPN, thanks to its wide platform availability, great performance, reliability, and server locations in 94 countries.

However, there are many VPN options on the market that are worth your time — and, potentially, your dollar, should you choose to subscribe to them. When you consider which VPN to choose, keep in mind that the longer subscription you choose, the cheaper the VPN will be.

Best VPN servicePriceKill switchCountriesSimultaneous connectionsExpressVPN$6.67 per month with 1-year planYes94FiveSurfshark VPN$2.49 per month with 2-year plan

Yes100UnlimitedNordVPN$3.99 per month with 2-year planYes59SixIPVanish$3.33 per month with 2-year planYes75UnlimitedProton VPN$5.50 per month with 2-year plan Yes681-10, varies by plan We ran a series of tests in July 2023 on each VPN’s paid service to see how they compared.

The tests were performed with a broadband connection in the UK with a starting speed, without a VPN, of 52.5Mbps download and 15.9Mbps upload. (Yes, they are terrible, but the best UK currently has to offer where I live.)

The following speeds are in Mbps. We also tested for the presence of DNS leaks.

Please keep in mind that results may be different for you and vary from country to country, so the below should be considered a snapshot. They may also be impacted by your ISP provider and broadband subscription. For example, the starting speed is a snail’s pace compared to some US offerings.

The below results are not the exact speeds you should expect. You can instead use these results for a general idea of how your speeds could change with a VPN enabled. You should also remember that the further away the VPN server, the more your speed may be impacted. Speeds will typically be quicker when you connect to a local server, compared to selecting Australia, for example.

Best VPN

Quick connect

Germany

AustraliaExpressVPN

51.9 DL | 14.7 UP

52.7 DL | 14.9 UP

52.2 DL | 14.9 UP

51.6 DL | 14.7 UP

50.4DL | 7.51 UP

Surfshark VPN

53.8 DL | 15.2 UP

53.6 DL | 15 UP

53.6 DL | 14.8 UP

52.6 DL | 15.2 UP

49.4 DL | 6.5 UP

NordVPN

53 DL | 15.3 UP

53.7 DL | 15.2 UP

52.9 DL | 14.7 UP

52.8 DL | 14.9 UP

53 DL | 10.8 UP

IPVanish

46.2 DL | 13.5 UP

43.3 DL | 14.4 UP

32.3 DL | 11.3 UP

42.3 DL | 14.4 UP

10.6 DL | 3.8 UP

Proton VPN

49 DL | 14.3 UP

49.6 DL | 14.7 UP

46.2 DL | 9.1 UP

47.1 DL | 14 UP

35 DL | 8.9 UP

VPNDNS leak detected?ExpressVPNXSurfsharkXNordVPNXIPVanishXProtonVPNX We have written about how VPNs work and how to find the best VPN service for you.

Choose this top VPN service…

If you want…

Surfshark VPN

The least expensive top VPN. Surfshark is a consistent player in our top VPN lists, and for good reason. It might not always be the fastest, but for the price point, you can’t argue against its value for money.

ExpressVPN

Versatility. ExpressVPN is a service I have used for years and I find it invaluable when I travel. You can expect multi-platform support and relatively minor speed downgrades when you are streaming, for example, and few connection errors.

NordVPN

Consistent speeds. NordVPN doesn’t have a great user interface, in my opinion, but it remains one of the most consistently fast and stable connection providers. The price point might put you off, though.

Proton VPN

A variety of add-on features. Proton VPN also offers a free plan and is one of the most privacy-focused VPN services out there.

IPVanish

Unlimited simultaneous connections. IPVanish is a great choice if you want to tailor and customize your VPN experience and you want access to an excellent server network.

Here are four tips to help you evaluate a VPN service for yourself.

1. Pay attention to trial period times and use them: Every VPN performs differently, and every user experience is going to be different. Your ISP will offer different speeds than mine. Your favorite coffee shop has a different network connection than mine. You’re even likely to be connecting to different countries and definitely different sites. Before committing to a VPN provider, test candidates thoroughly in your real-world environment. That’s what money-back guarantees are for.

2. Avoid free VPN providers: Running a VPN is expensive, and if the VPN provider doesn’t make money from your service fees, they’re going to make money from your data — sometimes even by selling your personal information. Stick with the trusted commercial vendors we’ve tested. There are also cases where ‘free’ VPNs undermine what the software is meant to stand for — data protection and security. You may instead be downloading a product that will compromise your privacy. The only exception, at present, that we recommend is Proton VPN.

3. Don’t worry about the country of jurisdiction unless: There are generally two classes of VPN users: Those who need to pr
Read More