The best VPN service for 2025

These are the best virtual private networks out there, as reviewed and tested by experts.

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are notoriously difficult to work with. Maybe you’re a remote worker who has to sign in to one each day to access company services, or you tried it once because you heard you could use it to access international content, but were met with laggy service and frequent disruptions. Today’s VPNs don’t have to come with those headaches. We tested nine of the best VPN services available now to come up with our top picks, and lay out what you should know before paying for one.

We tested nine of the most popular VPN services available now to come up with our top picks, and lay out what you should know before paying for one. Our top pick remains ProtonVPN thanks to its easy-to-use interface, no-logs policy and open-source framework, while other popular options like NordVPN didn't quite make the cut. While we think ProtonVPN is the best VPN for most people, we lay out other good options you can consider, too.

Quick Overview

Best VPN overall

Proton VPN

$3.39/month at Proton

Best free VPN service

Windscribe

$0 at Windscribe

Best VPN for streaming services, frequent travel and gaming

ExpressVPN

$8.32/month at ExpressVPN

Best VPN for cross-platform accessibility

CyberGhost

$2.11/month at CyberGhost

Best VPN overall

Proton VPN

Read our full ProtonVPN review

The VPNs we tried out ranked pretty consistently across all of our tests, but ProtonVPN stood out as a strong option because of its overall security, usability and privacy features. The Proton Technologies suite of services includes mail, calendar, drive and a VPN known for its end-to-end encryption. This makes it a strong contender for overall security, but its VPN specifically came across as a well-rounded independent service.

ProtonVPN’s no-logs policy has passed audits, and the company has proven not to comply with law enforcement requests. Because it is based in Switzerland, there are no forced logging obligations, according to the company, making it a secure VPN option. Plus, it’s based on an open-source framework, and has an official vulnerability disclosure program along with clear definitions on what it does with personal information.

While ProtonVPN offers a free version, it’s limited compared to other options, with access to server networks in just three countries. Its paid version normally starts at around $5.39 per month, and includes access to VPN server locations in more than 65 countries on 10 devices at a time. While we wouldn't consider it a cheap VPN, it's a relatively affordable price for basic protection. For dedicated Proton Technologies users, they can pay closer to $8.63 for a monthly plan to access the entire suite.

ProtonVPN passed our geoblock, streaming and gaming tests with only a very small toll on connection speeds. It also comes with malware-, ad- and tracker-blocking as an additional service, plus it has a kill switch feature on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and the latest version of Android. It’s available on most major operating systems, routers, TV services and more including Firefox, Linux and Android TV. For dedicated Linux users,

ProtonVPN added a new Linux-specific app to support its services in August.

Pros