10 best VPN services for the everyday user in 2024

A virtual private network (VPN) is a security tool that keeps your device (and the information on it) secure when you browse the web. By encrypting your data, a VPN makes it unreadable to any nosy third-parties, like cybercriminals, your internet service provider (ISP), and even government agencies. You'll also be assigned a new temporary IP address. This makes you look like you're in a location of your choosing, and is how your VPN can unblock geo-restricted content from around the world. Whether it's Netflix shows, social media platforms, or news sources, you'll have full access.

There are a lot of VPNs on the market, however, and sorting the trustworthy options from the duds can be a tricky task. Luckily, me and the T3 team have been testing, evaluating, and reviewing VPNs for a long time. Our test team has several cyber experts, IT personnel, and users who are passionate about online security.

I've compared the security tools and features of the best VPNs on the block, along with their apps, how easy they are to use, and their performance. I've also investigated which streaming platforms they can reliably unblock to curate this list of the top 10 VPNs in 2024.

1. ExpressVPN: the best VPN for just about everyone
ExpressVPN is the cream of the crop. It's super-secure, easy to use, and has apps for every gadget in the house. It's an awesome streaming VPN, too, thanks to servers dotted across 94 countries and lightning-fast speeds.

Admittedly, ExpressVPN is more expensive than the competition, but you're getting a premium product in exchange for the price tag. Sign up for a 12-month plan and you'll get a year of cloud storage and 3 extra months of coverage for free—as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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2. NordVPN: a major player in the VPN world
NordVPN doesn't pull any punches when it comes to digital privacy—you'll be covered by rock-solid encryption designed to keep snoopers at bay. Plus, NordVPN is wickedly fast, and more than capable of keeping up with HD streaming (which is great news for Netflix fans).

Take NordVPN for a test drive by making good use of its 30-day money-back guarantee, and see how it compares to ExpressVPN.

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3. Surfshark: fast, feature-packed, and affordable Surfshark proves that you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for a reliable VPN. It's jam-packed with features and capable of unblocking all your favorite streaming platforms, and I'm constantly recommending Surfshark to VPN newbies thanks to its straightforward apps.

Pick up a Surfshark subscription and you'll also get unlimited simultaneous connections—meaning you can cover all of the family's devices with one plan. Try it risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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Our list of the best VPN services in 2024

We spend a lot of time during the year testing and evaluating VPNs to help you know which ones are the best for securing your online experience. Here are the top 10 VPN services we recommend right now.

The best VPN overall

ExpressVPN is still the most secure and best VPN in the industry, a spot it has maintains since we started testing VPN services. It continues to make quick adjustments when needed to stay ahead of the competition and ensure only the top and best tech security measures are incorporated into its apps. While other VPNs are creeping up, and some are getting close, none have been able to topple ExpressVPN as our #1 top pick for VPN.

This VPN continues to grow its server network. Our last count showed over 3,200 secured servers in 160 different locations. This is more server locations than most other VPNs, which means you won't have difficulties finding an open and fast server in your preferred area. Since there are ExpressVPN servers in over 94 countries, this is a good VPN for traveling.

▶ Try ExpressVPN and get 3 extra months and a year of cloud storage free

For unblocking geo-restricted content, ExpressVPN is one of the best. There isn't a lot that can stop it, so it's a handy tool for tapping into websites that are blocked if you're traveling in China, Russia, or other countries that tend to restrict access to content. It's fairly good for unblocking tv streaming services, too, though we did find a few that were troublesome.

During our streaming tests, most services were easily unblocked. This included Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and HBO Max. It unblocked Australia dn Japan Netflix, but it wasn't always successful with either the US or UK sites. We were never able to unblock Netflix Canada. If you need a Netflix VPN, we recommend NordVPN. NordVPN opens all regions of this streaming service.

Another sticky point for ExpressVPN is its connection speeds. At 560 Mbps, it's certainly fast enough to support streaming in 4K and even torrenting. However, this is far from being the fastest  VPN. NordVPN clocks a high speed of 820 Mpbs while Surfshark tops them all with 960 Mbps.

Offering some of the best support, both with its 24/7 team and excellent online guides, new subscribers to ExpressVPN will benefit from the added reassurance of its risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee on top of 3 months free and one-year of Backblaze cloud storage.

Best VPN with antivirus

NordVPN is the closest competitor to ExpressVPN and while it hasn't been able to topple the VPN king just yet, it still has a great number of features and functions unique to NordVPN. To begin with, it sends your data through two servers to double encrypt that information. No one going to be able to trace your online activity back to you. NordVPN also has dual kill switches, just in case one fails. But our tests show that both are quick, solid, and work.

This VPN gives you a few extra online security tools. First, it has antivirus software. This particular tool doesn't stop threats coming through your network or USB drives, but it does keep malware files from downloading from websites and other online areas. it also stops you from visiting a website that is known to hide malware. NordVPN also includes an ad blocker. This strips most of the ads from the websites you visit. 

▶ Try NordVPN and get added security with antivirus and ad blocking

Removing ads means companies can't see that you're there and bother you with additional advertisements once you leave. But more importantly, some cyber criminals hide malware files in an ad so when you click the link the file is downloaded and your computer becomes infected. Using NordVPN's ad blocker cuts down the risk of accidentally clicking on a malicious file.

One big benefit of using NordVPN is being able to work around geo-restrictions, especially with streaming services. NordVPN tops our best Netflix VPN list because it doesn't have a problem giving access to all Netflix regions. Other VPNs struggle with one or two, usually in Japan or Canada. NordVPN opens them all. It also unblocks other popular streaming sites including Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and the BBC iPlayer.

NordVPN has a cool interactive map to help you find the best of its 5,670 servers to connect to. This is a neat feature, but it takes up a lot of room on the view screen, feels overwhelming, and isn't the easiest to navigate, especially for new VPN users. There are differences between the mobile app and the desktop apps, which can cause some disconnect. If you're new to VPN, we recommend starting with a simpler app like Surfshark or CyberGhost until you feel more confident.

Overall, NordVPN is a great value and much cheaper than ExpressVPN. You get great deals as a new user, and continue you to get great deals if you commit to its 2-year subscription plan. NordVPN lets you try out its services risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Best cheap VPN

Surfshark earns a top spot on our VPN list because it's fast, uses a high-encryption level, and is cheap. It isn't complicated to use, either, so it's one of the VPNs we recommend if you're a VPN beginner. There isn't a lot that needs to be configured, In fact, it doesn't allow for much customization at all. It's as close to a plug-and-play VPN as you'll get.

When it comes to speed, Surfshark can't be touched. In our sped tests it reached an average speed of 960 Mbps. To put this into perspective, you need only 14 Mbps to stream Netflix in high-definition (HD) without buffering. Surfshark is so fast you can have everyone in the house watching Netflix at the same time and never experience slowdown. In fact, Surfshark is one of the few VPNs that don't cap how many devices or connections you can have.

▶ Try Surfshark, the cheapest VPN and best-value VPN

For unblocking geo-restricted content, it helps that Surfshark has servers in 100 countries. It unlocks tv streaming services with ease, including most Netflix regions, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus. It works on Xbox and PlayStation, and tv streaming devices like Apple TV and Roku. With its fast speeds, Surfshark easily supports online gaming, too.

Surfshark supports P2P transfers and has split tunneling. However, it doesn't focus a lot on torrenting tools and tasks. So, while it can be done using Surfshark, we recommend Private Internet Access for torrenting. PIA focuses heavily on torrents and has more tools and configuration options for this. Private Internet Access also configures all of its servers for torrenting whereas Surfshark doesn't.

This VPN uses the highest level of encryption, AES 265-bit. This is the same level used by militaries and banks to secure their information. When we tested Surfshark, we saw that it didn't allow any DNS leaks while the VPN was connected. However, there were some intermittent issues with the kill switch during our Windows testing. Sometimes the switch turned on but didn't notify us that the VPN connection had dropped. We didn't see any leaks with the kill switch engaged, but even minor issues with a kill switch give us pause for what bigger problem could happen when using it.

Surfshark is the cheapest VPN and the best value because of the number of tools you get, its unblocking capabilities, plus its worldwide server network. It's our pick for new users and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out.

Best torrenting VPN

Private Internet Access (PIA) has Smart DNS, which allows you to set up the VPN on smart TVs and gaming consoles. It has one of the best Linux apps using a graphical user interface (GUI), plus is great for mobile giving full access to every tool found in its desktop applications.

This VPN takes privacy seriously. It uses military-grade encryption, but also solemnly swears to never log your personal information or online movements. It never gives information about its users to government agencies, internet providers, company partners, or law enforcement. PIA's privacy policy has been challenged in court twice. Both times it proved just how private it keeps your information.

▶ Try Private Internet Access and tap into one of its 20,000 secure servers

Its features are extensive. Its kill switch is solid, but it also has cookie cleaning and protections for both your device's webcam and microphone. One of PIA's best traits is its international server network. No other VPN has the number of servers Private Internet Access does - that's 20,000 and growing. On top of that, PIA configures each one to support torrenting and streaming.

PIA is our pick for torrenting because of its tools like port-forwarding and split-tunneling, and the number of customizations you can make for torrenting. For tv streaming, this VPN unblocks Netflix in the US, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Disney Plus.

Because of the amount of setup and configuration in this VPN client, it isn't the best for beginners. There's just too much and it's easy to get lost in the app and overwhelmed. But for seasoned VPN pros, this is what you need to create the precise VPN experience you want.

PIA's other downfall is its speed.  They are certainly fast enough to support tv streaming and torrenting. However, at 510 Mbps, it's below the industry average of 560 Mbps. What's more, Surfshark has it beat with a top speed of 960 Mbps.

Best free VPN

Proton VPN has a mighty free VPN that doesn't put a cap on how many devices you can use it on and gives you access to 64 servers in three countries. Though you can't unblock tv streaming sites with the free app, you still get great protection and AES 265-bit encryption of your information, a solid kill switch, and covered by its no-logs policy.

For paying users, Proton VPN ups its server network to 2,900 servers in 67 countries. You also get some limited antivirus protection, ad blockers, and a password manager. You're also allowed to pay for your subscription with Bitcoin or even cash to remain completely anonymous.

▶ Try Proton VPN for free without a data cap

Speeds are on the slow side if you use the WireGuard protocol. We only got up to 510 Mbps in our tests, which is below average. OpenVPN speeds, however, were impressively fast at 440 Mbps, nearly double what we expect to see using this protocol. Both are fast enough to support TV streaming.

During our unblocking tests, Proton VPN unlocked Netflix in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, It also let us watch shows on our Amazon Prime, Disney Plus and BBC iPlayer accounts. Other geo-restricted websites aren't a problem for Proton VPN to get to, which makes it a good VPN to have if you travel overseas.

A good one for those users with a more technical understanding, Proton VPN has quite in-depth online support articles - though this could be a drawback for those not quite so tech-savvy. You can always try it out by initially signing up for its limited free plan, before splashing out on one of the paid-for plans.

Proton VPN is expensive if you choose a paid app. While you do get a better deal if you sign up for its 24-month plan, this is still nearly double what you would pay for Surfshark's 2-year plan. You do get a 30-day money-back guarantee if you want to try out the full Proton VPN app.

Best of the rest

CyberGhost may be Romanian and German-based, but it's a very internationally used VPN. I recently gave a hefty boost to its network of servers, which is now up to over 9,260 across 91 countries. 

For new VPN users, this is a great VPN to start with. It's simple to use with a clear interface that won't overwhelm you with too much on the dashboard. It does have a few settings you can configure when you're ready to dabble. But, overall, it doesn't require a lot to get it up and running, and you get great protection from the start.

▶ Try CyberGhost VPN with a 45-day money-back guarantee 

It has a super effective kill switch, which is pretty handy in terms of security, alongside a stream of excellent, reputable features, including blocks on malicious websites, ads, and trackers. With both WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols included, your data will be highly encrypted with AES 265-bit encryption, the most secure.

CyberGhost still has impressive speeds, though we did see it dip from 850 Mbps using WireGuard in earlier tests to 730 Mbps in our latest round. Still, it's considered one of the fastest and certainly fast enough to support torrenting, tv streaming, and even gameplay. Its OpenVPN protocol speeds have become faster and logged a higher-than-average speed of 400 Mbps in our latest speed tests.

If you're after a good streaming unblocker, CyberGhost circumvents geo-restrictions on US Netflix, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max. Its innovative filtering system automatically displays suitable servers for what you're after – for example, torrenting or streaming using a VPN. In the past CyberGhost was able to open Disney Plus, but our latest tests showed it now struggles to unblock this service.

The speedy live chat support is also pretty handy for anyone who's a VPN newbie or has any questions or queries, though its support site could do with some work if it wants to climb up the rankings and join the big boys. CyberGhost does lead the charge with its 45-day money-back guarantee.

For those who love a good map interface when it comes to their servers, IPVanish delivers one of the best map designs, with a bunch of status information for you to get a handle on. This is especially for those who prefer a more in-depth reading on their VPN provider, like current connection speeds.

IPVanish has fewer servers in its network than most other providers. But don't let its 2,200 servers fool you. It hosts more than 40,000 IP addresses, so you can't be easily tracked or discovered using a VPN by your device's IP address. Subscribers get unlimited peer-to-peer sharing and as many simultaneous connections as you can handle - it's a VPN with some serious credentials. 

▶ Try IPVanish and be covered by its 30-day money-back guarantee

This service manages to sustain its reputation as one of the most speedy VPNs thanks to its WireGuard infrastructure offering results of 880-890Mbps. This does see a slight drop from our last round of testing - and Surfshark has trumped it with a 960 Mbps peak - but this performance is still exceptional. Speeds using the OpenVPN protocol are below average, so this may not be the best one to use with IPVanish.

For keen streamers, IPVanish may not be your first choice depending on what you want to watch, but we have seen some good progress in this area. It still struggles to unblock Netflix in most areas, though it does give you access to US Netflix. It also unlocks Disne Plus, BBC iPlayer, C4, and ITV. PVanish now unblocks Amazon Prime.

IPVanish encrypts your data using only the highest, military-grade level, and its kill switch is reliable if your VPN connection drops. You're also protected by its no-logs privacy policy. IPVPanish allows in-depth independent audits of all its services to prove its overall security. It consistently passes, and if anything unnerving is found, IPVanish quickly fixes it. This doesn't happen often at all, so rest assured you're well protected using this VPN.

As with most VPN services, IPVanish doesn’t offer a free trial, but there is still a 30-day money-back guarantee if the service doesn’t live up to your expectations. Its annual plans have dropped a bit in price, but are still on the expensive side. If you decide to renew after your first year of service, the annual cost skyrockets so high that it isn't worth it.

Hide.me is going from strength to strength since its arrival on our best list at the end of 2021, offering an excellent tool that offers a few key developments that see it staking its claim as one of the best VPNs. Boasting a generous free option, too, this could be a great stepping stone for those new to VPN and looking for one to give a whirl.

Hugely configurable, you can choose between a number of protocols, including OpenVPN and IKEv2. But its WireGuard speeds are where it stood out this time, with performance peaks of 900Mbps. This places it right behind Surfshark in our speed testing, which is an impressive feat indeed. You'll also find port forwarding, as well as leak checks for DNS, IP, and the like, and a generous 10GB monthly usage allowance with its free offering.

▶ Try Hide.me for free

Hide.me is a great option for unblocking streaming platforms. Over the last few years, we've seen it struggle to work around streaming restrictions to unblock everything including Netflix, Amazon, and BBC iPlayer. for UK and Australian users, you can watch your favorite shows on 10Play, 9 Now, ITV, and All4.

Hide.me has MultiHop VPN that lets you route your connection through two servers making it easier to work around geo-restrictions, and providing extra privacy. It's impossible for trackers to find out who you are or the device you're using with your server hop. Your info will be encrypted using AES 265-bit encryption, the most secure level available. This VPN does have a no-logs policy, but unfortunately, it doesn't allow independent audits, so it's tough to verify these claims. It's also worth noting we did experience some kill switch niggles during testing. 

When we stopped a server connection, Hide.me's kill switch engaged for a brief moment, but then assumed we were done using the VPN and dropped the kill switch altogether. We were exposed for a few seconds while we connected to a new VPN server. In theory, most users are done after disconnecting a VPN connection, but we don't see this same issue with other VPNs that wait a bit longer before disabling its kill switch, just to make sure we really are done.

The website isn't the best (though if you can talk to an actual human being, you'll be better off), and for some, the interface may prove too complex if you're a newbie to VPN. That said, it's still a clean and smooth one to work with and is definitely one to check out if you're at all enticed by its free offering.

Windscribe is a great option for those looking to avoid spending a penny with its generous 10GB free plan. There are apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, and the service also offers browser add-ons with useful features such as ad-blocking. In fact, its Chrome browser is one of the best we've tested.

It offers unlimited device connections that allow the freedom to simply add Windscribe to your gadgets as you go, never having to think about how many you're already using it on. If you’re looking to protect the data from a whole bunch of devices - an office, perhaps, or just a smart home - the support for unlimited connections is a real stand-out feature.

▶ Try Windscribe for free and get 10GB of usage per month

In terms of speed, its performance has improved. It jumped from an average of 490 Mbps, substantially below the average for a VPN, to an impressive 700 Mbps. This is fast enough to support torrenting, streaming, and online gaming. It also pushed Windscribe up closer to the top of the fastest VPN list.

For tv streaming, Windscribe does a good job of unblocking  Netflix in all regions except Japan, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and BBC iPlayer. This VPN works with Amazon Fire so you can watch on the big screen rather than a small device. Windscribe also works with Kodi TV and routers.

Windscribe doesn't have the largest server network. In fact, it only has 400 total servers worldwide. Compared to ExpressVPN, which has 3,200, and PIA, which has over 20,000, this is very minimal. It does have a virtual server in Antarctica if you want to look like you're browsing from there. Otherwise, you are very limited, especially since these servers are spread thin between 69 countries.

When you make the leap from free to its paid-for service, Windscribe allows you a ton of options here, too. Get a monthly or annual plan, or even build your own. If you're not fully satisfied with its paid subscription, Windscribe only has a 3-day money-back guarantee, so be sure to use it quickly to decide if it's worth keeping.

For those who want to put a VPN through the wringer before committing, Hotspot Shield is a great shout with its completely free VPN service. While it has dropped off in some areas of its performance, for many it will still be a reliable VPN to have in your arsenal with a decent streaming service unblocking track record, a powerful Windows kill switch, and a great value bundle that loads you up with a call blocker and password manager.

It has a great selection of apps to load onto your chosen devices including a CLI Linux and router apps. We have clocked some inconsistencies across apps, with its mobile clients missing out on key features. This isn't unheard of in the VPN industry, but more and more the top VPN services are ensuring all their apps have the same tool set and user experience. 

▶ Get started by trying Hotspot Shield for free

In terms of functioning as a great streaming VPN, Hotspot doesn't do too badly in this area. You'll be able to access BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, YouTube, and a bunch of other sites. However, for Netflix bingers, there are stronger, more consistent VPNs out there, specifically NordVPN. Also, popular channels in the UK and Australia, other than BBC iPlayer, can't be unblocked with Hotspot Shield, 

Hotspot Shield was once one of the fastest VPNs. Over the last few years, however, we've seen it drop. Our latest speed tests saw it reach a peak of 375 Mbps. This is certainly fast enough to support streaming in high-definition and even 4K but is still so much slower than the industry average of 550 Mbps. Since it's logged lower speeds before, we see Hotspot Shield making improvements in this area. It still has a long way to go to reach Surfshark's 960 Mbps, or even NordVPN at 820 Mbps. 

It's worth noting Hotspot is based in the US, and so required to collect some information on its users. However, this is minimal and what it collects can't be tied back to your activity, so we've got no real qualms about it. But Private Internet Access is also US-based and has proven its absolute no-log policy in court twice, so we know there are ways for Hotspot Shield to do better in this area.

After giving the free app a whirl, Hotspot Shield has some decent subscriptions when you're ready to upgrade. Its month-to-month package is more expensive than most, but you do get a decent deal if you choose its 3-year subscription. Hotspot Shield gives you a healthy 45-day money-back guarantee to give you enough time to decide if its paid offering is right for you.

How to choose the best VPN

Choosing the best VPN for you, it's more than just whether to go for a free VPN versus a paid-for provider. Put short, don’t just look at the price, not least because many services offer massive discounts if you take out a longer-term subscription. 

Start with the basics: how many simultaneous connections can you have? Are there particular security protocols you want to use? Does the provider have servers in the places you’ll want to use it from and the places you want to connect to? How much data will they log about you, and how long do they keep it? Most important of all, will you be able to unlock Netflix and Disney Plus?

Wherever possible try before you buy. In some cases, there won’t be a free trial, but most reputable VPN providers offer a money-back guarantee if the service doesn’t meet your expectations.

How we test VPN services

We test dozens of VPN services to ensure they are safe, fast, and reliable enough for us to recommend. This is done through hands-on evaluations several times throughout the year, so we can stay on top of any changes.

When it comes to security, we check for any DNS leaks, both when the VPN is connected and when the kill switch is engaged. We want to make sure nothing sneaks through while you're using one of our top-rated VPNs.

Part of our evaluation process includes reading the fine print of each VPN service's no-log policy. Sometimes there are conditions where a service might hold on to some information, such as which servers you connect to and how long you use a VPN. This information is collected so the service knows where to put additional servers to prevent slow connections during peak times. Companies that collect this info delete it once it's received, and won't record or tag it as yours in order to maintain your online privacy.

We test the speeds of the VPNs we get our hands on. Using several online speed test sites, like nPerf and SpeedTest, we connect to multiple servers around the world no less than 120 times. This gives us a good overall average speed that you can expect when you connect to the VPN.

If there are any specialty tasks a VPN claims to support, like torrenting or tv streaming, we check it out. We'll let you know if there are any issues we find, like sites that aren't unblocked, or slowdown during P2P transfers so you are completely in the know before picking a VPN.

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