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Security tools often force users to make trade-offs between convenience and security. This is especially true for VPNs, which almost invariably slow your uploads and downloads and increase the latency of your internet connection.
Rest assured, some VPNs affect performance less than others. Here are the services that perform best in our speed testing, followed by details of our test procedures (see how we test VPNs for even more) and the actual performance we observed with each service. We've arranged our list of VPNs by their download speeds, from fastest to slowest.
(Editors’ Note: IPVanish and StrongVPN are owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag's parent company.)
Table of Contents
NordVPN
Best for Speedy Downloads
Why We Picked It
While NordVPN doesn't have the best overall download scores, it comes very close by reducing download results by just 0.7%. It's the second-best score we've recorded, which puts it at the top of this list. NordVPN racked up a good upload score, reducing upload results by 15.6%. Our testing showed it actually reduced latency slightly by 5.6%.
We don't think you should expect NordVPN to always reduce latency. We do, however, think it's fair to say that NordVPN isn't likely to dramatically increase your latency.
Who It's For
NordVPN has all the features you want from a top-tier VPN, along with excellent Speedtest scores. It's a long-time favorite, with a deft mix of powerful tools and simple design across all platforms. The company has also expanded to include several other privacy and security products. The major downside is that NordVPN is among the most expensive VPNs we've reviewed.
PROS
- Multi-hop, split tunneling, and Tor connections
- Excellent design
- Traffic routing and file-sharing with Meshnet
- Built-in antivirus tools
CONS
- Expensive
- Lackluster malware-blocking results
- Limited utility of free Meshnet traffic routing
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Blocks Ads | |
| Simultaneous VPN Connections | 6 |
| 500+ Servers | |
| Server Locations | 111 Countries |
| Geographically Diverse Servers | |
| Free Version | |
| Free Version Data Limit | No Free Version |
Proton VPN
Best Free Protection
Why We Picked It
Reducing download results by just 7.2%, Proton VPN has the fourth-best download scores among all the VPNs we tested. It beats the median in the other two categories as well, reducing download results by a mere 6.6% and increasing latency by 30.3%.
Who It's For
Proton VPN has built its reputation on strong privacy protections, and that's as true for its VPN as it is for its email service. Proton VPN, part of a larger suite of products including encrypted email and cloud storage, boasts all the features of a high-cost VPN app but at a lower cost.
Proton VPN offers the best free VPN we've seen, making it a great choice for anyone on a tight budget. Best of all, we found that the free subscription performed well in our speed tests.
PROS
- The best free VPN subscription
- Numerous advanced privacy tools
- Strong customer privacy stance
- Slick, accessible client
- Excellent speed test scores
CONS
- Awkward ChromeOS implementation
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Blocks Ads | |
| Simultaneous VPN Connections | 10 |
| 500+ Servers | |
| Server Locations | 67 countries |
| Geographically Diverse Servers | |
| Free Version | |
| Free Version Data Limit | Unlimited |
HMA VPN
Best for Location Spoofing
Why We Picked It
In our testing, HMA VPN reduced download speeds by 8.8% and upload speeds by 5.3%. We found that it increased latency by 30.3%. Among the products we tested, it had the second best upload score.
Who It's For
HMA VPN is most notable for its enormous collection of server locations, covering well over 200 countries. That makes it a good choice for anyone who needs to spoof their location and needs lots of choices. It does come with some caveats, however. The vast majority of its servers are virtual locations, meaning that they are located somewhere other than where they appear. That's fine for location spoofing, but not if you want precise control over where your traffic flows.
PROS
- Friendly, simple interface
- The greatest number of server locations
- Handy IP shuffler
- Surprising speed test scores
CONS
- Monthly subscription not available in certain regions
- Unclear where VPN servers are located
- Lacks multi-hop connections and split tunneling
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Blocks Ads | |
| Simultaneous VPN Connections | 5 |
| 500+ Servers | |
| Server Locations | 190 Countries |
| Geographically Diverse Servers | |
| Free Version | |
| Free Version Data Limit | No Free Version |
IPVanish VPN
Best for Connecting Many Devices
Why We Picked It
IPVanish VPN reduced download results by 10.2% in our testing, and uploads by just 4.8%. It currently has the best upload score of all the products we've reviewed so far. We found that it increased latency by 34.8%.
Who It's For
In the past, it was unusual to find a VPN that allowed you to use more than five devices simultaneously. That's changing, in part because of products like IPVanish VPN that place no restrictions on the number of simultaneous connections. This makes it a good choice for large families or anyone with numerous devices.
(Editors' Note: IPVanish is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag's parent company.)
PROS
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Good geographic diversity of servers
- Transparent privacy policy
- Small impact on throughput speeds in our testing
CONS
- Expensive
- Free trial only offered on annual plans via mobile app stores
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Blocks Ads | |
| Simultaneous VPN Connections | Unlimited |
| 500+ Servers | |
| Server Locations | 52 Countries |
| Geographically Diverse Servers | |
| Free Version | |
| Free Version Data Limit | No Free Version |
Mozilla VPN
Best for Supporting a Nonprofit
Why We Picked It
Mozilla VPN boasts the third lowest upload score we've seen, reducing speed results by just 6%. We found that it reduced download results by 16.1%, and increased latency by only 5.3%.
Who It's For
Mozilla VPN has all the features you'd expect from a modern VPN, packed into a svelte package. Although it borrows the infrastructure of Mullvad VPN, Mozilla VPN costs significantly more and requires the use of a Firefox Account. However, every dollar you spend goes to supporting a storied champion of the open internet. If you want to feel warm and fuzzy about your VPN bill, this is the choice for you.
PROS
- Helps support nonprofit Mozilla
- Powered by privacy hawk Mullvad VPN
- Simple, classy design
- Multi-hop and split tunneling
CONS
- Few server locations
- Gathers some user information
- Expensive compared with Mullvad VPN
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Blocks Ads | |
| Simultaneous VPN Connections | 5 |
| 500+ Servers | |
| Server Locations | 37 Countries |
| Geographically Diverse Servers | |
| Free Version | |
| Free Version Data Limit | No Free Version |
ExpressVPN
Best for World Travelers
Why We Picked It
ExpressVPN reduced download results by 20.4% in our testing, and reduced upload results by 10.5%. It snuck in under the wire for latency, which it increased by 40.9%—a hair below the 41.9% median score.
Who It's For
With server locations in nearly 100 countries, Express VPN doesn't match HMA for sheer volume of locations. However, the vast majority of ExpressVPN's server locations are exactly where they claim to be. That's good for anyone who does frequent international travel, and wants to keep latency as low as possible by connecting to a nearby server.
PROS
- Large, diversely distributed fleet of servers
- Strong privacy and security practices
- Split tunneling
- Stylish interface
CONS
- Expensive compared with VPNs with similar feature sets
- No multi-hop connections
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Blocks Ads | |
| Simultaneous VPN Connections | 5 |
| 500+ Servers | |
| Server Locations | 105 Countries |
| Geographically Diverse Servers | |
| Free Version | |
| Free Version Data Limit | No Free Version |
Mullvad VPN
Best Affordable VPN
Why We Picked It
We were a little disappointed to see Mullvad VPN's impact on download results swell to 23.6% in our recent testing. However, it had very little impact on upload results, which it slowed by just 5.8%. Mullvad VPN had a particularly impressive improvement which latency, which went from 93.2% in our last round of testing to just 3.3%.
Who It's For
Mullvad VPN breaks all the rules. It provides all the key features of the best VPNs and offers its services for only 5 euros per month, making it by far one of the most affordable VPNs we've reviewed. It's an excellent choice for bargain shoppers. Despite its low price, the company is also serious about privacy, using a special account number system that protects your identity. Mullvad VPN even accepts cash payments sent to its headquarters.
PROS
- Affordable
- Requires no email or account information
- Radically transparent
- Multi-hop, split tunneling, and port forwarding
CONS
- Awkward desktop interface
- Servers in a small range of countries
- Pay-as-you-go system may confuse some customers
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Blocks Ads | |
| Simultaneous VPN Connections | 5 |
| 500+ Servers | |
| Server Locations | 38 Countries |
| Geographically Diverse Servers | |
| Free Version | |
| Free Version Data Limit | No Free Version |
StrongVPN
Best for Many Devices
Why We Picked It
Strong VPN reduces download results by 26.5% and upload results by 11.2%. In our testing, we found that StrongVPN actually improved latency by 1.4%. We think it's an exaggeration to say this VPN will always improve latency, but we can say that it is likely to have minimal impact.
Who It's For
Strong VPN is missing many of the features we want to see among the best VPNs, such as multi-hop connections and split tunneling. But by allowing up to 12 simultaneous connections for a price that's just a little over the average, it's a good choice for anyone who needs basic protection for many devices or many people.
(Editors' Note: StrongVPN is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag's parent company.)
PROS
- Good server distribution
- Uses the latest VPN technology
- Excellent Speedtest scores
- Supports many devices simultaneously
CONS
- Expensive for what's offered
- Few additional privacy tools
- Awkward, dated interface
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Blocks Ads | |
| Simultaneous VPN Connections | 12 |
| 500+ Servers | |
| Server Locations | 30 Countries |
| Geographically Diverse Servers | |
| Free Version | |
| Free Version Data Limit | No Free Version |
AVG Secure VPN
Best for AVG Customers
Why We Picked It
AVG Secure VPN reduced download results by 27.8% and upload results by 41.1%—the exact median result for this category. In latency testing, it increased latency by just 11.3%.
Who It's For
With a high up-front cost and few features, AVG Secure VPN is a hard sell on its own. However, when bundled with other AVG products it becomes far more compelling (and affordable).
PROS
- 10 simultaneous connections
- Excellent transparency policies
- Simple interface
CONS
- Few servers locations and privacy tools
- No public audit
- Inflexible long-term subscriptions
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Blocks Ads | |
| Simultaneous VPN Connections | |
| 500+ Servers | |
| Server Locations | 35 Countries |
| Geographically Diverse Servers | |
| Free Version | |
| Free Version Data Limit |
Private Internet Access VPN
Best Customization
Why We Picked It
Private Internet Access VPN reduced download results by 27.8% and upload results by 10.5%. It increases latency by 37.3%.
Who It's For
Private Internet Access VPN has most of the features we want to see in a top-tier VPN, and it goes further by offering a wide array of server options and allowing customers to connect up to 10 devices simultaneously—double the average. It also offers fine-grained customization options, which will appeal to anyone who wants total control over their networks.
PROS
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Split tunneling and multi-hop
- Numerous server locations
- Completed third-party audit
CONS
- Expensive
- No free version
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Blocks Ads | |
| Simultaneous VPN Connections | Unlimited |
| 500+ Servers | |
| Server Locations | 84 Countries |
| Geographically Diverse Servers | |
| Free Version | |
| Free Version Data Limit | No Free Version |
What's the Fastest VPN?
Although everyone wants a fast VPN, value and privacy protections are far more critical in your choice of a VPN provider. We tend to de-emphasize speed in our reviews unless it is impressively good or abysmally bad. Still, readers are understandably concerned about the impact a VPN will have on their online experience. That's why we test.
How a VPN Works
The results of all our testing to date are presented in the chart below. We'll continue to update the chart, adding new results for products as we test them. Note that the table below shows the services sorted by their effect on download speeds, as does the list at the top of the story. You can click on the top headers to sort by a particular column you're interested in.
How We Test VPNs
Before COVID-19, we at PCMag ran back-to-back speed tests on all the VPN products we planned to review over the next week or two. That's no longer feasible.
Most of us at PCMag have been working from home since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Unfortunately, our homes don't have the super-high-bandwidth connection speeds we enjoyed at PCMag Labs. Testing VPN speeds from our homes wouldn't yield data comparable to previous years and would introduce all sorts of messy variables. For example: Did this VPN perform particularly badly because it's a bad product or because someone else in the home was on a video call at the same time?
Rather than forgo VPN speed testing altogether, our solution has been to test VPNs in small batches and release the results as we go. This method allows us to reduce the risk to our analysts and still perform the same rigorous testing as always.
This rolling model also lets us provide fresher speed test results and gives us a chance to more easily update the results for different products throughout the year to see whether they still compete.
How We Test VPNs for Speed
When we are testing to find the fastest VPN, we use a custom tool provided by Ookla that uses the same technology as Speedtest.net. The only difference between our tool and the one online is that ours automates the test. There are some rare situations in which we use the online test as well.
(Editors' Note: Ookla is owned by PCMag's publisher, Ziff Davis.)
Ookla's test measures three metrics: latency, download speed, and upload speed. Latency is a measurement of the time between when your computer sends a request and when it receives a response. It's also called ping time. Many things can affect latency, such as the distance your data physically travels. Latency is measured in milliseconds, however, so even a seemingly large number for the increase may not be noticeable to the average user. Latency is important when playing video games over a VPN, as lower latency means a more responsive experience with less lag.
Download and upload speeds measure how much data is moved over your internet connection in a certain amount of time. Both are measured in megabits per second (Mbps). These are the metrics ISPs and wireless companies tout when they claim their connection speed is "fastest."
When we test VPNs, we get a sense of the impact a service has on internet performance by finding the percentage change between using the VPN and not using the VPN for several speed measurements. We run 10 Ookla tests without a given VPN active and find the median of the results. We then do the same thing but with the VPN active.
By comparing the median results with and without the VPN, we find a percent change between the two. The bigger the change from the baseline performance, the more impact the VPN has on your internet speeds. We repeat this process for every VPN we test.
We have tested each of these services in as repeatable a manner as possible, but there are limitations inherent in our testing. The biggest issue is that our testing is conducted in New York City. If we performed the same tests on a similar network in a different part of the country, we'd almost certainly get different results.
Networks are fickle things and even small changes can greatly affect the results of a speed test, so while we have controlled for as many variables as we can, it's hardly a sterile network environment. This is partly intentional; our tests need to be both controlled and representative of readers' home environments.
We think of these tests as snapshots of performance that establish a replicable metric for measuring each service. The goal is to compare the services rather than to evaluate individual speeds. Your experience with these services will almost certainly vary from ours.
You can read a lot more about how we test VPNs and, importantly, how our testing has changed over the years in How We Test VPNs.
How We Interpret Our VPN Testing Data
We test dozens of VPNs and have to winnow down the glut of data this testing produces. Above all, our final list should be meaningful and easy to understand. We start with a list of every VPN we've tested that scored at or better than the median in at least one category (download, upload, and latency). We then drop all the services that only meet or exceed the median in one category, order the remaining products by download speed results, and take only the top 10 products.
We've used this approach for years because it gives products the chance to make the list by excelling in at least two out of the three categories. Most of the time, the results are all clustered, providing a well-rounded selection. However, it is possible for a product to make the list and still have subpar performance in one area, usually latency. We highlight this both as a word of caution and to demonstrate just how difficult it is to find a VPN provider that can truly deliver fast speeds.
Here's the breakdown of all the products for each category:
Scored better than the median in all three categories: AVG Secure VPN, ExpressVPN, HMA VPN, IPVanish VPN, Mozilla VPN, Mullvad VPN, NordVPN, Private Internet Access VPN, Proton VPN, and StrongVPN (all the products in our current list)
Beat the median in two categories: IVPN
Beat the median in one category: Avast Secureline, Bitdefender VPN, CyberGhost VPN, Hotspot Shield VPN, Opera VPN Pro, Surfshark VPN
The chart below breaks down the results from the 10 products, for easy comparison:
How Do We Deal With Unusual Testing Results?
For the first time in many years, we're seeing a few products that produce Speedtest results that are better when the VPN is running than when the VPN is off. You might think that these would be our top picks, but they're often not.
Let's give them some credit first. Avast Secureline performed 6% better than the baseline result for download speeds. NordVPN and StrongVPN beat the baseline for latency, by 5.6% and 1.4%, respectively.
However, there are some important nuances to these results. We found that Avast Secureline VPN had a median download baseline of 816.38Mbps and an 865.49Mbps median download with the VPN active. That difference is significant and it persisted despite our rerunning these tests to confirm the results. But it's not indicative of Avast Secureline's overall performance because the app increased latency by a whopping 2,774.9% (3.75ms median baseline latency versus 107.91ms median VPN latency).
For NordVPN and StrongVPN, the improvements become minuscule when you look at the actual numbers rather than the percentages. NordVPN had a baseline median latency of 3.46ms and a VPN median latency of 3.26ms. StrongVPN's edge was even slimmer: a baseline of 3.29ms compared to 3.24ms with the VPN running.
We don't think it's fair to expect these products to notch network speed improvements. We do think it's fair to say that in some categories, these should have minimal impact on your surfing performance. If anything, the results seem indicative of improving VPN technology and infrastructure. At this point, we might sometimes be measuring the size of the pipe rather than the VPN's performance.
VPN Cheating and Data Compression
Because we report how we test VPNs and use one of the most popular speed test tools available, there's some obvious concern that a disreputable company might attempt to game the results. A nefarious VPN company could, perhaps, detect when an Ookla test is running and attempt to skew the results.
Recommended by Our Editors
We spoke with engineers at Ookla when designing our tests, and they share our concerns about gaming their tests. They've told us that the company takes active measures to fool would-be cheaters. We defer to the experts at Ookla to prevent companies from juicing the results.
Because we make our methodologies public, it is also possible that VPN companies could tweak their networks to obtain better results. For example, a VPN company could endeavor to rent server space as close to our offices as possible, hoping that the shorter distances will yield better speed test results. There's little we could do to prevent that. However, speed testing is only a small part of our reviews, and even an outstanding speed test result wouldn't do much to raise the score of an otherwise mediocre product.
It's Surprisingly Easy to Be More Secure Online
How to Speed Up Your VPN
There are a few ways you can offset the speed-reducing effects of using a VPN. First, choosing a service with many servers may (emphasis on may) make it more likely you'll find one that isn't crowded with other people all trying to use the same bandwidth. Some VPN services let you select specific servers and show you the current load on those servers.
Having many servers to choose from in different locations means you're more likely to find one that's physically close to you, shortening the distance your data must travel. This usually translates to lower latency and perhaps better overall performance. A few VPN clients include a ping test to help you zero in on the closest option, but it's unusual for a VPN client to do anything other than automatically select the closest server.
A word of caution: A VPN with more servers is not necessarily better. Consider that a VPN service likely needs more servers to support more subscribers, and we don't know how those servers are allocated among those subscribers. The size of a VPN server fleet may simply reflect a company's popularity and not the quality of its service.
Split-tunneling is the generic term for when a VPN lets you define which apps send data through the VPN tunnel and which send data outside the tunnel. It lets you separate more sensitive activities, like web browsing or online banking, from more mundane but higher-bandwidth activities, like streaming music or playing video games. Split-tunneling is especially useful because Netflix blocks VPN use, as do other services. You can simply route these apps outside the VPN to avoid this problem.
Note that some VPN companies offer free versions that limit the number of servers available. We'd expect those servers available to free users to be crowded and therefore offer slower speeds. Proton VPN, for example, limits the number of servers available to free users but notably does not limit the amount of data a free subscriber can use.
Also important is the protocol the VPN service uses. OpenVPN and IKEv2 have long been the standard for the latest and greatest in VPN technology, but that is changing. More companies have begun deploying WireGuard, an open-source protocol designed for greater security, easier deployment, and potentially higher speeds.
The Fastest VPN Service Isn't Always the Best VPN Service
Simply put, speed shouldn't be your only consideration when shopping for a VPN. For one thing, your internet experience will almost certainly be faster without a VPN (our unusual outliers notwithstanding). For another, speeds depend so much on which server you use, where you are, what your network environment is like when you're using the VPN, and so on. You might find that the service that's as fast as lightning today is barely chugging along tomorrow.
Instead of speed, our VPN reviews stress value and trust. We prefer VPN services with a good geographic distribution of servers. VPNs that are easy to set up and use for first-timers and include a well-made local client go a long way toward getting PCMag's endorsement. We also pay close attention to the efforts each VPN takes to protect its customers and their data. And, of course, price is a major issue. The average price among VPNs we've tested is around $10 per month. If a VPN is charging more, it had better offer something compelling.
It's important to remember that while VPNs are an easy way to improve your privacy, they do not protect against every ill. We highly recommend that readers install a standalone tracker blocker and that readers make use of the advanced privacy tools available in most browsers. We encourage you to use a password manager to create unique and complex passwords for every login, install antivirus software, and enable multi-factor authentication wherever it is available.
VPN speed will always matter to some extent. Just remember that there are many other factors to consider when selecting a VPN service.
