Signing up for one of the best VPN services, or Virtual Private Network, can help you be more anonymous online, encrypt your traffic, or digitally change the location of your computer or phone. When it comes to picking the right one for your needs, there are a lot of things to consider.

That being said, a VPN can benefit anyone from the most basic beginner to an experienced professional and this list can help you find the right one for your needs.

Best VPN service 2021

• 1. ExpressVPN (From $6.67/mo)
• 2. NordVPN (From $3.71/mo)
• 3. Surfshark VPN (From $2.49/mo)
• 4. IPVanish (From $2.62/mo)
• 5. Hotspot Shield VPN (From $2.99/mo)
• 6. PIA VPN (From $2.69/mo)
• 7. PureVPN ($0.99 trial)
• 8. CyberGhost VPN (From $2.25/mo)
• 9. TunnelBear VPN (From $3.33/mo)
• 10. StrongVPN (From $2.33/mo)
• 11. ProtonVPN (Free)
• 12. Windscribe VPN (Free)

Today's best VPN services

Doing your research to pick the absolute best VPN service is crucial in your overall experience, but that can be a time-comsuming task. There are so many options out there, some of which are free VPNs or cheap VPNs, but unfortunately not all of them are created equally. Worry not, though, as we've done the hard work for you with this guide.

Most of the best VPN providers allow the services to be used on popular devices like gaming consoles, PCs, laptops, phones, routers, and even web browsers like Chrome. Many of them connect in as little as one click, making it easy to use and understand.

If you are going to be trusting a VPN to help anonymize your web traffic and help keep you safe online, you'll want to make sure it is a reputable service. So much of our personal lives are spent online, like checking your bank account, paying bills, keeping up with friends on Facebook, emails, and more. This is all sensitive traffic, and you don't want it falling into the wrong hands. Maybe all you want is the ability to stream a show that's not airing locally to you, and a VPN can help with that as well.

We've gone through hundreds of VPN services and have narrowed down a list to just the absolute best VPN services that you should trust in 2021.

How do you pick the best VPN for you?

Finding the best VPN service for you is not quite as difficult as it may seem at first glance. There are a few things that you will want to consider when purchasing a new VPN subscription for yourself, so let's break them down now to help you decide.

First up, you will want to make sure you find is a VPN provider that has a good app that's easy to use, which we've considered strongly in our rating of the below services. Nearly all of the best VPN options will work on Mac, PC, Android, iPhone, Fire TV Sticks, gaming consoles, and more. This is important because the app is something you'll interact with daily to connect to the services, so if it's not easy to use, it may prevent you from wanting to use the service in general.

Another thing you will want to take into account is how many devices can be used by your subscription at the same time, whether or not the companies offer strong customer support for when you run into an issue, and the overall cost of the service that you are signing up for. The best VPN services vary in cost big time and range anywhere from $2 per month up to over $6 per month. Our top pick, ExpressVPN, happens to be one of the more expensive, while our second favorite option, Surfshark, is one of the cheapest.

We have a full list of picks further down in this guide, but our top three best VPN options right now include ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN.

1. ExpressVPN

The single best VPN service for almost everyone

Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon, YouTube | Servers: 3,000+ | Server Locations: 160 in 94 countries | Trial Period: 30 days

Pros

• Superb 24/7 live chat customer service
• Fast & reliable connections
• Lots of international locations
• Netflix unblocking

Cons

• More expensive than some competitors
• Limited to five devices simultaneously

ExpressVPN is the closest you can get to being the single best VPN for every person out there. We've extensively tested the platform, it's apps, and more in our full ExpressVPN review, and it came out with a perfect five star rating. There are a number of factors that weigh into our decision here, like the amazing customer support, strong security measures, and an abundance of servers that are spread throughout various countries. There are no data limits each month when using ExpressVPN either, which means you can set it and forget it which makes it even easier to use.

It's common for VPN providers to have apps for your PC or Mac, and even your phones and tablets. Where ExpressVPN stands out even further is its custom firmware that is offered for some routers, its DNS content unblocking for a variety of streaming hardware, and its browser extensions that make connecting to access it all such a breeze. It's even one of our top VPN for Android picks.

Some of this sounds a bit intimidating, especially if this is the first VPN that you'll ever use. Worry not, though. The software is extremely easy to understand, and couple that with ExpressVPN's stellar customer service and you'll quickly realize there is nothing to worry about. The support agents actually understand the platform and are able to answer questions with actual information, which is surprising to see these days.

When it comes to security, ExpressVPN offers industrial-grade encryption, P2P support, DNS leak protection, a kill switch, no-logging policy, and much more.

When it comes to downsides, there isn't much to complain about. The service checks a lot of the key boxes for what most VPN users will care about and want, though it does charge a bit of a premium for it. The pricing structure is higher than some of the competition, but using our link you can actually save up to 49% on your first year of service, along with an extra three months free. Remember, ExpressVPN gives you a free 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you don't find it valuable or just can't figure it out, you can always get your money back with ease.

ExpressVPN

This is our top pick for anyone looking to get started with a VPN. It offers a great mix of speed, reliability, outstanding customer service, and affordability. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so give it a shot today.

From $6.67 per month at ExpressVPN

When trying to pick the best VPN provider for yourself there are a lot of things to consider. Encryption is one of the most important features of a VPN, and one of the main uses for most people. Think about how much time you spend online each day. You enter banking details, credit cards, passwords, and more all around the web, and sometimes from an unsecured public connection. Using a VPN you can keep all that data secure as it's passed from your phone through the virtual tunnels of the internet.

Another great vpn use is that you can easily connect to a server in a different location than where you are. This is called "spoofiing", and it makes it appear as though your traffic is coming from somewhere it isn't actually. That means you can access local content like concerts, sporting events, news, and even things like Netflix libraries.

The hardest part about a VPN is not actually using it, but instead understanding which one to pick for yourself. Nowadays you can find tons of different VPN options, some of which are free and others that are paid. Some of them have data limits, and others cap the number of simultaneous connections, and picking out the best VPN is not an easy task. Don't panic, though. We've done the hard part and have put various options through their paces so that we could break it down for you. Our top pick, for a number of reasons which are listed below, is ExpressVPN. It provides the best overall balance between price, speed, reliability, ease of use, and customer service.

Check out a full breakdown of all the best VPN services to see the good, the bad, and all the differences that make them unique below. We've also rounded up the best Android VPN apps and best free Android VPN options for your consideration.

2. NordVPN

Best server options of any popular VPN

Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Streaming services unblocked: Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, iPlayer, Amazon | Servers: 5,400+ | Server Locations: 80+ in 59 countries | Trial Period: 30 days

Pros:

• Nearly 5,500 servers
• 2048-bit encryption
• Multiple plan options

Cons:

• Security breach in 2018

Now, NordVPN and why it's potentially your next VPN service. The company continually matches or beats all of its competitors in terms of features and speed. There are more than 5,400 servers in almost 60 countries, and Nord opts to go for 2048-bit encryption instead of 256 that others are using.

As you'd expect, NordVPN offers all the standard security features that the competitors do, but comes with some extras as well. You'll have DNS leak protection, a kill switch, apps for nearly every platform out there, and an easy built-in feature to allow you to get around geo-blocks with ease.

While there is a lot of stuff to enjoy about NordVPN, that doesn't mean that it's perfect. Finding servers is a painful experience because they are not organized alphabetically, and trying to navigate the menus is equally as frustrating. The apps could use a bit of an overhaul, but that's a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things.

Back in 2018 one of the company's servers was compromised, but it was just one of more than 5,600. After investigating it, and the confirmation from Nord, it was understood that it was a single server with limited information being obtained. There's a lot at play here beyond just Nord's involvement, and our pals at TechRadar have a great breakdown, so be sure to check that out.

When signing up for NordVPN, you can opt to pay for just a single month of access, or go with a one-year or two-year plan. The cost per month drops significantly as you commit to a longer period of time, with the best pricing being on the two-year plan. Plus, for a limited time, you can score a free month, year, or two years extra when you go for that two-year plan.

Be sure to check out our full NordVPN review now!

NordVPN

From $3.71 per month at NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the most common and biggest names in the VPN space, and it also happens to be one of the best. It offers amongst the largest number of server options and some high-quality app experiences.

3. Surfshark VPN

Best VPN service for those on a budget

Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, Amazon | Servers: 3,200+ | Server Locations: 100+ in 65 countries | Trial Period: 30 days

Pros:

• Over 1,000 servers available
• Company based in British Virgin Islands
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons:

• Privacy policy wording is vague
• Android app is less reliable than other versions

Surfshark may have a fun, cute name for its service, but that doesn't mean it's not one of the best VPN options out there to sign up for. The company allows you to connect an unlimited number of devices to your subscription and keep them all secured at the same time. With Surfshark, you'll have access to over 3,000 different servers that are spread throughout 65 different locations. This gives you plenty of variety when trying to change your location and access content not available locally.

The company is based in the British Virgin Islands and has all the basic VPN requirements in place, including AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and an extra security measure in place via its Double Hop capabilities.

You'll be able to easily use and navigate the interface of the apps, as the Surfshark team has stripped out all the extras. The wording in the official privacy policy is a bit unclear, but Surfshark maintains that it does not keep any logs nor user histories for any sessions.

It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving you enough time to try it out and see if it's the VPN service for you or not. Be sure to check out our Surfshark review as well. The company recently changed its pricing structure, now giving you 24 months of access for just $59.76 total, which breaks down to about 8 cents per day. After the first two years, it renews annually at this price.

Surfshark VPN

From $1.99 per month at Surfshark

You can connect as many devices as your heart desires at the same time and never worry about any of them being logged. Surfshark also offers a 30-day guarantee that you'll like the product, or it will give you your money back.

4. IPVanish VPN

Best VPN with free cloud storage

Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, YouTube, Hulu | Servers: 1,600 | Server Locations: 75+ in 52 countries | Trial Period: 30 days

Pros:

• Over 40,000 shared IP addresses
• Great customer support
• Now offers unlimited devices to be connected simultaneously
• Cloud storage bundle

Cons:

• Server locations don't match what's said
• No iOS kill switch

IPVanish is a provider you won't want to rule out. It offers 1,400 servers spread across 75 different locations, allows for up to 10 devices to be connected at the same time, and boasts an impressive 40,000 shared IP addresses.

There are apps for all the popular platforms, including Roku, Fire TV, Mac, Android, iOS, Windows, and more. They aren't bogged down with useless features and make connecting to the service the fastest and easiest thing to do from within it. You can also bundle IPVanish with SugarSync cloud storage for just a few bucks extra if that's something you need.

Throughout testing IPVanish we noticed the servers were almost always up and running, the download speeds were consistent, and slightly above most of the others we tested. One odd thing that was noticed was that not every server actually existed where it was said to be, which could be problematic for those looking to unblock content in a specific area. This is only a minor thing, but something that's absolutely worth considering.

Another area where IPVanish excels is customer support. You can get support any time since the company offers 24/7 coverage, and agents are able to be reached right from within the iOS and Android apps. It really doesn't get easier than this, and the company recently moved from a 7-day to 30-day money-back guarantee. Give our IPVanish review a read and then get started today.

IPVanish VPN

From $2.62 per month at IPVanish

IPVanish may not have the biggest numbers for stats, but the service that the company offers is reliable and fast. Getting set up takes just minutes, so start today!

5. Hotspot Shield VPN

Best free VPN service with lots of features

Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, YouTube | Servers: 1,800+ | Server Locations: 115 in 80+ countries | Trial Period: 45 days

Pros:

• Great customer support
• Unlimited bandwidth each month
• Over 2,500 servers
• Great free plan available

Cons:

• No longer supports OpenVPN protocol

Almost every complaint that we have with Hotspot Shield in our best free VPN post is solved by just paying a few bucks for the company's premium offerings. You step right up to unlimited bandwidth and gain full access to all of its 3,200+ servers that are scattered across 115 different locations. You can connect up to 5 devices at the same time still, and you get that wonderful 24/7 support as an added bonus.

Hotspot Shield is completely ad-free, doesn't log any data. The service is available on a variety of devices, like iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Routers, Chrome, and more. The company switched from OpenVPN support to its own Catapult Hydra protocol, which means you can't set it up on your router, Chromebook, and a few other places.

While talking about areas that Hotspot Shield is lacking, it's worth noting that there is no Bitcoin support, and the raw speeds that it delivered in testing were lower than many of the other services we tested. Hotspot Shield does offer a free 7-day trial, though, so it's definitely worth giving the service a shot.

Hotspot Shield VPN