The Fastest VPNs of 2023

1. NordVPN - Best for Security

Editors Rating:

9.7 /10

View Plans

How We Review

The best VPNs do it all, and NordVPN definitely qualifies as one of the best. NordVPN is the most secure VPN on the market, with AES-256 encryption and bonus features such as multihop and camouflage mode. It offers access to more streaming services in more countries than any other VPN. On top of all that, it’s among the fastest VPNs you can purchase.

NordVPN costs $14.29 for a single-month subscription, placing it among the priciest VPNs out there. If you’re willing to commit to a 24-month contract, though, the price drops to just $3.69 a month, which is comparable to other VPNs. Most of us would say it’s worth it to pay a couple extra dollars each month if we know it’s going to make us safer.

Speeds

No VPN is perfect when it comes to speed, but NordVPN performs well in almost every category — downloads, uploads, and latency (ping). It is perhaps better on Windows devices than Macs. We got a pretty large latency number, for example, when we installed NordVPN on our Mac device. Still, you’re not going to find many VPNs under 25 percent in all three categories when it comes to Windows speeds.

Security Features

A VPN’s job is to keep you safe online, and no one does that better than NordVPN. It’s literally packed with security features.

• AES-256 encryption
• Industry-standard protocols, including OpenVPN and WireGuard
• A kill switch
• A privacy policy that states in no uncertain terms that the company never logs information about customers’ online activities
• Headquarters in the British Virgin Islands, a country with strict privacy laws

NordVPN also offers security components you won’t find with many VPNs. It uses multihop technology to route your internet connection through two or more encrypted tunnels. More encryption means more protection. In addition, NordVPN provides camouflage mode, which not only conceals your actual IP address, but also hides the fact that you’re using a VPN.

Streaming

NordVPN not only leads the way in security, but it also provides fast access to the best streaming services. You can, for example, access Netflix libraries in countries all over the globe, increasing your content options. With camouflage mode hiding the fact that you’re using a VPN, you can just as easily stream content from Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney Plus, and tons of sports networks.

2. Private Internet Access VPN - Best for Windows

Editors Rating:

9.4 /10

View Plans

How We Review

Private Internet Access (PIA) offers great speeds across the board, but the company’s Windows speeds are the best we’ve come across. In part, that’s because PIA has so many servers in so many locations. That also makes it easier to find an IP address from a location other than your own, which means you can access more apps and sites. Add all that to a privacy policy that’s among the most air-tight in the industry, and you have a VPN that is as fast as it is reliable.

Speeds

PIA’s speeds are impressive. For all practical purposes, our Mac device showed no latency whatsoever when we tested PIA on it. Upload speeds on our Microsoft device were just as good. Ultimately, the VPN performs just a bit better on Microsoft devices than Macs, but if speed is what you’re after, you really can’t go wrong with PIA.

Lots of Servers

One reason PIA has such great speeds is that it has so many servers — nearly 30,000 at last count. To give that some context, the VPN on this list with the second most servers is NordVPN, with 4,500. More servers means it’s easier to find one with light traffic, and light traffic equals faster speeds. That list of 30,000 includes servers in 84 countries and all 50 states, so you can always find one nearby. A closer server will increase your speeds even more.

Strict Privacy Policy

You can count on Private Internet Access to keep you safe, in part because it has such a strict privacy policy. When we first discovered PIA, we worried it wasn’t quite as secure as other VPNs because it is located in Denver. The U.S. is a member of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 eyes surveillance consortiums. Member nations have agreed to share intelligence with one another, including data about their own citizens. Basically, any time the government shows up with a subpoena, companies in these countries have to turn over customer information.

Then we checked out PIA’s privacy policy. Privacy policies tell you exactly what information a VPN collects about you. Turns out, PIA collects nothing related to our online activities — no browsing histories, no IP addresses, and no timestamps. Even if the government came calling, it wouldn’t find out anything about us from PIA.

Want a list of more VPNs that work particularly well with Windows devices? Check out our list of the best VPNs for Windows.

3. Surfshark - Best for Macs

Editors Rating:

9.5 /10

View Plans

How We Review

Surfshark is lightning fast, especially on Macs. With AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and a strict privacy policy, it’s also secure. Perhaps our favorite aspect of this VPN, though, is its convenience. You can access all the major streaming services, and, with split tunneling, you can get more done faster than on almost any other VPN.

Speeds

You won’t find a VPN that’s faster on Macs than Surfshark. Surfshark increased the latency (ping rate) on our Mac by just 2 percent and our upload speeds by just 9 percent. The company’s Microsoft speeds weren’t quite as good. Latency on our Windows device, for instance, increased by 2,700 percent when we installed Surfshark. If you’re a Mac user, Surfshark could be just what you’re looking for.

Split Tunneling

If you care about speed, split tunneling can be a handy feature. Surfshark’s split tunneling lets you log on to the regular internet at the same time you’re logged on to the VPN. What difference does that make? It means you can route sensitive materials like work documents through the VPN while doing less important tasks like streaming music on whatever Wi-Fi is available. That saves you bandwidth, which ultimately makes your VPN speeds that much faster.

Camouflage Mode

Camouflage mode is a relatively recent invention. It’s so new that few VPNs have it yet. Surfshark is one of them. A VPN hides your actual IP address behind an anonymous address. Doing so allows you to surf the web anonymously. Some apps and websites, though, have developed technology that can tell if you’re using a VPN. No matter what IP address you have, you could find yourself blocked simply for using a VPN. Camouflage mode conceals that you’re using a VPN, which prevents blocking.

4. IPVanish - Best for Torrenting

Editors Rating:

9.3 /10

View Plans

How We Review

We like IPVanish because it offers some features you just won’t find with other VPNs. For instance, you get an unlimited number of simultaneous connections. At a time when many VPNs have begun dropping torrenting support, IPVanish remains committed to providing torrenting and P2P options on every one of its 2,000 servers. When you add that to fast speeds across the board, IPVanish provides solid performance you won’t find from most VPNs.

Speeds

IPVanish delivers fast speeds no matter what device you’re using. Latency on our Windows device, for instance, increased by just 8 percent, which is practically nothing. Our Mac latency was just a bit slower, with an increase of 14 percent, but that’s still so fast you’d never be able to tell the difference. It amounts to just one millisecond.

Unlimited Simultaneous Connections

One of the best things about IPVanish is that you can install it on an unlimited number of devices, and you can use it on all those devices at once. That’s because IPVanish offers an unlimited number of subscriptions and simultaneous connections. When you add that to IPVanish’s quite reasonable price for a month-to-month subscription of $11.99 a month, it becomes one of the best deals out there — especially for any individual or family who uses a lot of devices.

Torrenting Support

We love our entertainment. We subscribe to all the best streaming services, but sometimes they aren’t enough. We often can’t find really obscure films and TV series on Netflix or Hulu, and that’s when we turn to torrenting. A lot of VPNs have begun to drop support of torrenting because P2P is sometimes associated with digital piracy. Torrenting, however, isn’t always about illegal downloads. There’s a ton of great unlicensed content out there. Luckily, IPVanish allows P2P on every one of its servers. With fast speeds across the board, you can be sure you’ll always get a satisfying torrenting connection no matter which server you choose.

5. ExpressVPN - Best for Netflix

Editors Rating:

9.1 /10

View Plans

How We Review

ExpressVPN helped us access all the best streaming services, including Netflix, even in overseas locations. With more servers in more countries than any other VPN on this list, we were able to watch tons of content that is only available in exotic locales. With strong security such as AES-256 encryption, we never worried about whether anyone would be spying on us while we watched. With fast speeds on all our devices, we never had to worry about our video pausing to rebuffer.

Speeds

ExpressVPN is another VPN that offers fast speeds no matter what you’re doing or what type of device you’re doing it on. In our testing, none of its speeds slowed by more than 47 percent, and in the world of VPNs, 47 percent is basically nothing. Whether we were streaming from Netflix, downloading a torrent, getting our game on, or logging in to Zoom for a work meeting, we never worried about whether we’d have a fast, stable connection.

More Servers in More Places

One of the keys to a fast connection is having a lot of servers. The other is having servers in lots of locations. ExpressVPN’s server count is decent. Its 2,000 servers is nothing close to Private Internet Access’ 30,000, but what is? It is comparable, however, to Surfshark’s 3,200 and IPVanish’s 2,000. More importantly, ExpressVPN comes out ahead of every VPN on this list in server locations. ExpressVPN has servers in 160 different locations, which includes nearly 100 countries. No matter where you are in the world, you’re never far from an ExpressVPN server — and that helps to improve speeds.

Netflix Access

We never had any issues connecting to Netflix with ExpressVPN. Even when we tried libraries in other countries, we were always able to log on and access content. Japan, Germany, the U.K., Australia — all these Netflix sites worked great. Maybe that’s why ExpressVPN is also on our list of the best VPNs for Netflix. ExpressVPN also gave us access to all the other important streaming services, including Hulu, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and HBO Max.