Best VPNs for Business in 2023
&
Last Updated on Jul 10, 2023
- Offers discounts for bulk subscriptions
- So easy to set up that you don’t need a dedicated IT department
- Ensures your employees can log in to the office securely
- Low-cost VPN plans specifically designed for business teams
- Available dedicated servers just for your business
- Wide range of apps mean your employees can use their own devices
- Lifetime plans available so you can pay now and never have to worry about keeping up with subscriptions
- AES-256 encryption ensures your company’s data is always protected
- Servers in over 80 countries around the world mean your employees can get a secure connection even when traveling
Cybersecurity awareness among businesses is at an all-time high. As the COVID-19 lockdowns drove people to work from their homes, businesses became more conscious about their cybersecurity, resulting in an increase in VPN usage. And even though workers are going back to the office, it became clear that VPNs are necessary to every business operation.
One question stands, however: What’s the best VPN for business? There is no one answer to that question, but having tested dozens of VPNs, we can present you with the most ideal options. Take a look at our list of the best VPNs for businesses and why they made the cut.
What We Look For in Business VPNs
| Affordability | $9/user/month maximum |
|---|---|
| Subscription length | Monthly to lifetime |
| Encryption | 256-bit AES |
| Number of users | 30 or more |
Best Business VPNs of 2023
- Private Internet Access VPN - Best VPN for Smaller Businesses
- PureVPN - Most Affordable VPN for Business
- KeepSolid VPN Unlimited - Best Business VPN With Lifetime Subscription
- Astrill VPN - Best Business VPN For Torrenting
- HMA VPN - Best Business VPN With Dynamic IP
Comparison of the Best Business VPNs
| System |
Private Internet Access VPN
|
PureVPN
|
KeepSolid VPN Unlimited
|
Astrill VPN
|
HMA VPN
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| Ratings | 9.4/10 | 8.9/10 | 8.0/10 | 8.5/10 | 8.3/10 |
| Regular Monthly Cost Range | $3.33- $9.99 | $0.99- $10.95 | $2.78- $14.99 | $10- $20 | $2.99- $4.99 |
| Business Subscriptions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contract Lengths | 1 month, 6 months, 1 year | 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year | 1 month, 1 year, 3 years, lifetime | 1 month, 6 months | 1 year, 3 years |
| Split Tunneling | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes* Android only |
| Netflix | Yes | Yes | Yes | Sometimes | Yes |
| Torrenting | Yes | Sometimes | Yes* on Android 8 or higher, Windows, macOS, iOS on servers U.S California 1, Ontario, Romania, Luxembourg, Paris | Yes | Yes |
| IP Addresses | Dynamic but dedicated IP addresses available | Shared but dedicated IP addresses available | Dynamic but dedicated IP addresses available | Shared but dedicated IP addresses available | Dynamic |
| Privacy Jurisdiction | Five Eyes | Non-Member | Five Eyes | Non-Member | Five Eyes |
| Read Review | Private Internet Access VPN Review | PureVPN Review | KeepSolid VPN Unlimited Review | Astrill VPN Review | HMA VPN Review |
A Detailed List of the Best Business VPNs
-
1. Private Internet Access VPN - Best VPN for Smaller Businesses
Product Specs
Multi-hop Yes Camouflage Mode No Kill switch Yes Split Tunneling Yes Netflix Yes Torrenting Yes Private Internet Access is a no-frills VPN. It’s one of our best VPNs for personal use, but it works even as a small business or corporate VPN. With special discounts for bulk account subscriptions, PIA could save your business some money while protecting your networks both in and out of the workplace.
What We Like
- One account protects up to 10 devices
- Discounts for bulk subscriptions
- Affordable monthly and long-term subscriptions
- Supports split tunneling and peer-to-peer file sharing
What We Don’t Like
- Business and personal accounts share the same features
- Business accounts don’t get the three-year (cheapest) subscription option
- Based in the U.S., a member of the Five Eyes surveillance alliance
- Hit-or-miss customer support
Small Business-Friendly VPN
When you’re a small business, shopping for a business VPN can be tricky. That’s because many business VPNs require a certain minimum number of accounts. But with Private Internet access, protecting your company’s computers is hassle-free. Even a personal account will do if you have less than 10 computers, because that’s the maximum number of connections you can get with a PIA personal account.
Scalable
If you’re a part of a larger team, however, you’ll appreciate that PIA offers discounts for bulk account subscriptions. The minimum is three accounts for a total of 30 devices (10 for each account) to get the discount. The price structure is similar to that of personal accounts — monthly, each account costs $9.95; yearly, it costs $39.95; every six months, an account costs $35.95. The bulk discount will be applied upon checkout, and the amount scales up with the number of accounts you’ll create.
Here’s a quick tip: Maximize your savings with a yearly subscription. With a yearly plan for three accounts, you’ll only be paying $3.33 per month for each account. Remember, each account allows up to 10 simultaneous connections, so that breaks down to just $0.33 per month per connection.
Easy Setup
Another thing you’ll appreciate about PIA is that you don’t need a dedicated IT team to set up the VPN. The setup process is the same whether you’re using a personal or a business account, so it’s pretty easy. Just download the VPN and log in. Of course, if you need to do some modifications to your VPN connection, you can rely on the PIA apps. There are basic and advanced modifications there, which we think will suit any type of networking setup you might have for your business.
-
2. PureVPN - Most Affordable VPN for Business
Product Specs
Multi-hop No Camouflage Mode Yes Kill switch Yes Split Tunneling Yes Netflix Yes Torrenting Yes When it comes to the pricing of their business plans, PureVPN keeps it simple, charging a minimum of $5 per user per month. If you want your business to have its own, dedicated and private IP address that minimum cost rises to $6.99 a month, while a dedicated server costs $399 for the whole team. But let’s back up a bit.
What We Liked
- Non-member to Five Eyes
- Over 2,000 servers in more than 180 countries
- Only collects names, email addresses, payment information and total bandwidth consumed
- Kill switches on all devices
Team VPNs
Monthly Cost Monthly Cost with Annual Plan Annual Plan Total Amount Billed Maximum Number of Users Covered Team VPN $8.45 $5 $60 1 Team VPN with Dedicated IP Address $9.99 $6.99 $83.88 1 Dedicated Server $399 minimum $399 minimum $399 minimum Unlimited As you can see, PureVPN has pretty low pricing, and more options than most when it comes to its business VPN. If some browsers aren’t working with PureVPN’s dynamic IP addresses, you can pay more to have your entire team on the same IP address shared by no one outside of your organization. Or, for those even more concerned about privacy, you can pay for an entire server dedicated to your business. We haven’t seen this offer from too many other VPNs, making PureVPN somewhat of an anomaly.
PureVPN Kill Switch Won’t Log Web Traffic
Another thing about PureVPN that we liked was its privacy policy. They only logged our email addresses, names, and payment information, plus the total amount of bandwidth we used while connected. What they didn’t log was our devices’ private IP addresses or the websites we visited while connected. All that information stayed in PureVPN’s encrypted tunnel using AES-256, our preferred encryption method.
Device Compatibility
Depending on what type of business you’re running, you may use a plethora of devices with different operating systems. From Apple and Windows computers, to Linux and even Raspberry Pi, PureVPN works with basically any system. It has apps for:
- Windows
- macOS
- Android
- iOS
- Linux
- Roku
- Routers
- FireStick
- Raspberry Pi.
This isn’t a complete list, but you get the picture; we used PureVPN on nearly all of our devices. To learn more, read our page on PureVPN costs.
Note: If all of your employees are on the same network, it’s easiest to connect PureVPN directly to your router, so all of the devices on the network will be covered.
-
3. KeepSolid VPN Unlimited - Best Business VPN With Lifetime Subscription
Last but certainly not least is the VPN Unlimited from KeepSolid, a New York-based company with over 500 servers in more than 80 locations around the world. It’s also one of the few VPNs to offer Lifetime subscriptions, ideal for businesses that will be around for the long term.
What We Liked
- Over 500 servers
- Kill switch on Androids 8 or higher, Windows, macOS, iOS
- AES-256 to protect important business data
- Dynamic IP addresses with option to buy dedicated address
What We Didn’t Like
- Based in U.S
- Logs IP addresses for duration of sessions
- No split tunneling
- Latency on Windows
One-Time Payments
Users Covered Monthly Cost Monthly Cost with Annual Plan Lifetime Cost 5 $19.99 $8.33 $249.99 10 $39.99 $16.67 $499.99 20 $79.99 $33.33 $999.99 21+ Custom Custom Custom Rather than paying a little bit each month to protect their team with a VPN, some people may prefer a one-and-done approach, and that’s possible with VPN Unlimited. Although it may seem like a lot to pay at once, if you know your business is going to be around for a while, it may be worth it to choose a Lifetime VPN, which starts at $249.99 for five users. After you depreciate the cost, it will probably end up being cheaper than even a yearly plan. And yes, we took microeconomics and know what “depreciate” means!
Fast on Macs
We’ll admit it: we’re mostly Mac users, testing all of our VPNs on a Macbook Pro all the way from 2011. And in terms of speed, the VPN Unlimited didn’t disappoint. Compared to when it wasn’t connected, we saw our latency only drop by 43 percent and our upload and download speeds only decrease by 84 and 53 percent, respectively. Unfortunately, we saw a ton of latency on Windows, so we’d recommend VPN Unlimited to businesses that use Macbooks only. For more options for Windows, check out our list of the best VPNs for Windows.
Highly-Rated Android and iOS Apps
These days, work doesn’t just occur on desktops or laptops. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are working on their mobile devices, as well, be it a cellphone or a tablet. In fact, nearly half of adults in the U.S spend at least an hour on their phone each work day for purposes related to work,2 and even more not related to work. That’s why it’s important that a VPN doesn’t just have good desktop apps, but also solid mobile apps, and VPN Unlimited hits the mark. Its iOS app has a 4.5 rating while its Android app has a 4.4 rating. It was super simple for us to connect to their private server on the iOS app, and your employees shouldn’t run into any issues, either.
-
4. Astrill VPN - Best Business VPN For Torrenting
Whether you’re a small team of 20 or a large enterprise of up to 200, with Astrill VPN, you can get away with paying only $7.92 to $9 per account per month for their business VPN. But let’s talk about what it’s like as a VPN, pricing aside.
What We Liked
- Non-member to Five Eyes
- Kill switches on all devices
- Split tunneling
- Multi-hop encryption
What We Didn’t Like
- Stores IP addresses during session and timestamps for 30 days after
- Expensive
- Slow on Windows
- No browser extensions
Fast on Macs
If the majority of your employees use Macbooks, iPhones or iPads to work, then you’ll appreciate Astrill VPN for its speed alone. When we tested it out on our 2011 Macbook Pro, we found that both the upload and download speeds only decreased by 13 percent each, which was extremely negligible. While there was over 300 percent more latency, this was hardly noticeable, although that number certainly sounds like a lot.
Astrill VPN Based in Seychelles Islands
Whatever type of business you work at, you and your employees most likely handle a ton of sensitive information, be it your customers’ credit card numbers, the tools you use to succeed or even your Tax Identification Number. Well, although we’re not thrilled that Astrill VPN logged our IP addresses while we were connected, even if the U.S government asked them to give over our information, they wouldn’t have to, legally. That’s because Astrill VPN is based in the Seychelles Islands, a non-member country to Five Eyes, Nine Eyes and 14 Eyes. Basically? Your data is safe with Astrill.
Split Tunneling
Oftentimes when working from home, people will have to be on public and private networks at the same time, and rather than having to turn Astrill VPN on and off to toggle between the two, you’ll be able to access both at once. Not only is this convenient, but it also reduces bandwidth, creating faster speeds and more productivity for your employees.
-
5. HMA VPN - Best Business VPN With Dynamic IP
HMA may sound NSFW, so for now, let’s just call it HMA. Despite its controversial name, HMA is a pretty trustworthy VPN with AES-256 encryption, dynamic IP addresses every 10 minutes if you so please, and fast speeds on Mac.
What We Liked
- Kill switch on Windows, macOS and Android
- Torrenting access
- Split tunneling on Android
- Dynamic IP addresses
What We Didn’t Like
- Five Eyes member
- VPN Proxy Unblocker keeps originating IP addresses for two years
- Latency on Windows
- No kill switch on iOS, Linux, routers, Apple TV or Android TV
Business Subscription
Maximum Simultaneous Connections Monthly Cost Monthly Cost with Annual Plan Total Amount Billed with Annual Plan 10 $23 $12.99 $120.12 20 $46 $23.99 $287.88 30 $69 $32.99 $395.88 Custom Custom Custom Custom 30 simultaneous connections at $69 or $32.99 a month with the annual plan is a great deal no matter how you slice it. With the monthly plan, you’ll be paying just over $2 per employee, and with the annual plan, that drops down to just over $1.
If you need more than 30 devices, however, there’s a custom plan where you can decide the number of simultaneous connections, number of accounts, and length of your subscription. HMA will then give you a quote, and the best part is, there’s also a free trial so you can make adjustments to your tailored plan before paying. In short, HMA has solid options for you whether you’re running a small business or an enterprise.
HMA Windows Speed Test With VPN Kill Switch
Kill switches may sound bad, but they’re actually a good thing, killing all web browsers if the VPN fails. HMA has kill switches on Windows, Mac and Android devices, but if your employees use iPhones, iPads or Chromebooks, they’ll be without them. For this reason, we think HMA is better for companies that use Mac, Android or Windows devices only.
Servers Worldwide
If you run an international business, then you need to be able to connect to VPNs everywhere. HMA has over 1,100 servers in more than 190 countries, making it rather extensive. Plus, your distance from the server can affect your speed, so it’s important to check out HMA’s server list before purchasing.
FYI: HMA has servers in all 50 states of the U.S; in New York, we had five IP addresses and two servers to connect to.
Methodology
Essentially, we use the same methodology whenever we test out VPNs, as we detail in our VPN guide. But when it comes to VPNs for businesses specifically, we focus on a few key areas, such as:
- Privacy policy: Since businesses contain a ton of information that would be harmful if breached, we check to make sure that the VPN itself isn’t keeping too much user information. Ideally, it should be limited to the minimum information needed to uphold the business account, like payment information, name and email address. We also don’t want the VPNs to share user data with any third parties, especially for ads or marketing.
- Privacy jurisdiction: Business owners concerned with privacy should also pay attention to where a VPN company is based, as that could affect whether or not they could be legally forced to share user data with the government. Since the U.S is a founding member of Five Eyes, for example, companies like KeepSolid could be forced, legally, to share user data with the federal government. The privacy jurisdiction strongly relates to the privacy policy so you can see what data would be shared. For companies like KeepSolid, that log users’ IP addresses, operating system and devices types while they’re connected, this could be a problem for businesses with especially sensitive information.
- Number of simultaneous connections: Depending on the size of your business, you’ll want to pay attention to the maximum number of simultaneous connections with each subscription option. Since you probably hold regular work hours, make sure that all of your employees can connect to the VPN at the same time.
- Business subscription pricing: Since not most VPNs have subscriptions specifically for businesses, the pricing for business subscriptions varies. Sometimes, it’s based on the total amount of simultaneous connections, and sometimes, it’s based on the total number of users. Whatever the format, it’s not necessary to pay more than $10 a month per employee. We also look for subscriptions with discounted, annual options as well as lifetime options for more established businesses.
- Server locations: Whether your employees all live in the same area or they’re spread out around the world, make sure that the VPN’s server locations suit your business and employees. Server location can also affect speed, which brings us to our next point…
- Speed: Although we test out all of our VPNs’ download speeds, upload speeds and latency, we urge you to take these results with a grain of salt, as speed is pretty variable based on the device type, operating system, distance to server, and other factors. If the VPN offers a free trial, we recommend doing a speed test then; we use a tool from Ookla that’s completely free. Fast speeds means more productivity which will hopefully add to your bottom line, so make sure that the VPN doesn’t slow down your browsing too much, although all VPNs will slow it down at least a little.
- Encryption methods: You don’t have to be a digital security expert like us to know which encryption methods are secure and which are not. Look for VPNs with AES-256 or OpenVPN, the most secure methods currently. Less secure is AES-128, and since the entire point of a VPN is to encrypt your IP address and web traffic, the method matters.
- Split tunneling: Oftentimes, employees working from home will need to access an office network, but if they’re connected to a VPN, they may have to toggle it on and off as they switch from public to private networks, unless of course that VPN has split tunneling. Split tunneling lets us access public and private networks at once. Not only is this much more convenient, but it’s also great for bandwidth, speed, and you guessed it— overall productivity. Never thought your VPN would have such an effect on revenue, huh?
For these reviews, Netflix and torrenting access weren’t as important, as most people aren’t using these services during work (or if they are, they’re most likely keeping it from their boss). But if you work in the entertainment industry or just want to give employees some fun when they’re not working, check out the best VPNs for Netflix or the best VPNs for torrenting.
FAQs
-
How are VPNs used in business?
VPNs are used in business to encrypt employees’ web traffic and the IP addresses of the devices they use at work.
-
Do I need a VPN for my small business?
If your employees work on networks outside of your office, or if your office network isn’t secure, then you need a VPN for your small business. Otherwise, you are risking hacking and potential security breaches, especially if your employees work on public Wi-Fi networks.
-
How do I set up a VPN for my small business?
To set up a VPN for your small business, first pick out a subscription and enter your payment information, creating a username and password. Next, download the VPN app on all of the devices used for your small business, and sign into your account. Then, connect to the VPN.
-
What is a business VPN?
A business VPN is a Virtual Private Network used for business purposes. Many VPNs offer subscriptions specifically designed for businesses so that they can route their web traffic and device IP addresses through an encrypted tunnel, hiding this data from their Internet Service Providers.
IBVPN. (2020). How to Double Encrypt Your Traffic with Double VPN.
ibvpn.com/2018/07/double-encrypt-your-traffic-with-double-vpn/WilsonPro. (2019). The Cell Phone Habits of the Typical American at the Workplace.
wilsonpro.com/blog/the-cell-phone-habits-of-the-typical-american-at-the-workplace