The Fastest VPNs of 2023
Which VPNs keep your connections fast? We’ve tested the speed demons, and here’s what we found.

- Get fast speeds without sacrificing top-tier security
- Slows down downloads on Macs just 8 percent
- Provides speeds fast enough to stream from any service

- Fast on Macs; even faster on Windows devices
- Speeds so fast torrenting is a breeze
- Over 30,000 servers means if your connection is slow on one server you can easily switch to another

- Latency on Macs increases just 2 percent when using the VPN
- Split tunneling lets you save bandwidth for even better speeds
- Access to Netflix means you can put your fast speeds to good use

We might as well say this up front: All VPNs slow down devices. All of them. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t install one. The fact is, you’re just not safe without a VPN these days. Any time you’re out and about and relying on public Wi-Fi, you’re vulnerable to hackers and identity thieves. You can be tracked by government agencies and law enforcement—and not just from the U.S. The online world is far too dangerous not to have a VPN on every one of your devices.
Here’s the good news: The best VPNs slow down your devices so little that you’ll barely even notice it. You get all the safety and security of a VPN without having to worry that buffering is going to interrupt World Series Game Seven or your Zoom connection is going to conk out in the middle of an important client meeting.
Of course, not all VPNs are created equal — especially when it comes to VPN speed. The big question is which ones will give you a seamless internet experience yet still protect you from tracking, snooping, and spying. Let’s dig in to find out!
The Fastest VPNs for 2023
- NordVPN - Best for Security
- Private Internet Access VPN - Best for Windows
- Surfshark - Best for Macs
- IPVanish - Best for Torrenting
- ExpressVPN - Best for Netflix
Comparison of the Fastest VPNs
System |
NordVPN
|
Private Internet Access VPN
|
Surfshark
|
IPVanish
|
ExpressVPN
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ranking | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
Ratings | 9.7/10 | 9.4/10 | 9.5/10 | 9.3/10 | 9.1/10 |
Split tunneling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Netflix | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Multihop | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Camouflage mode | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
Best monthly price | $3.69 | $2.03 | $2.30 | $3.99 | $8.32 |
Maximum monthly cost | $14.29 | $11.95 | $12.95 | $11.99 | $12.95 |
Read Review | NordVPN Review | Private Internet Access VPN Review | Surfshark Review | IPVanish Review | ExpressVPN Review |
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1. NordVPN - Best for Security
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.
What We Like
- Tons of great security features
- Access to all the best streaming services
- 5,500 servers in 59 countries
- Split tunneling
What We Don’t Like
- Relatively high price
- Limited torrenting support
- Static IP addresses
- Slower speeds on Windows devices
Speeds
Speed test Without the VPN With the VPN Percentage difference Microsoft ping (in ms) 42 46 10% Mac ping (in ms) 5 160 3,100% Microsoft upload (in mbps) 33.86 27.21 20% Mac upload (in mbps) 24 7.91 67% Microsoft download 54.86 41.37 24% Mac download (in mbps) 23.49 21.7 8% 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.
Pro Tip: Ping speed, or latency, is the amount of time it takes data to reach a remote server and return to your device. Lower latency is important for all online tasks, but particularly affects gaming, which relies on the quick back and forth of information.
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.
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2. Private Internet Access VPN - Best for Windows
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.
What We Like
- Super fast on Windows devices
- AES-256 encryption
- Choice of protocols that includes OpenVPN and WireGuard
- Over 30,000 servers
What We Don’t Like
- U.S. location (the U.S. is a member of surveillance alliances)
- Relatively slow Mac speeds
- Split tunneling unavailable on iPhones
- Underwhelming customer service
Speeds
Speed test Without the VPN With the VPN Percentage difference Microsoft ping 12 16 33% Mac ping 14 14 0% Microsoft upload 41.37 39.13 5% Mac upload 25.9 18.12 30% Microsoft download 72.48 61.67 15% Mac download 37.05 12.93 65% 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.
FYI: All VPNs store some customer information if only to keep the service working at peak efficiency. So-called “no log” VPNs, though, collect no information related to your online activities, such as browsing logs, IP addresses, and timestamps.
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3. Surfshark - Best for Macs
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.
What We Like
- Access to Netflix and other streaming services
- Great speeds on Mac devices
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Camouflage mode
What We Don’t Like
- Headquarters in the Netherlands (surveillance alliances)
- Static IP addresses
- No phone support
- Relatively slow Windows speeds
Speeds
Speed test Without the VPN With the VPN Percentage difference Microsoft ping 7 199 2,742% Mac ping 53 54 2% Microsoft upload 24.09 10.58 56% Mac upload 22.01 24 9% Microsoft download 23.69 19.61 17% Mac download 16.21 11.87 31% 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.
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4. IPVanish - Best for Torrenting
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.
What We Like
- AES-256 encryption
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Fast speeds across the board
- Torrenting support
What We Don’t Like
- Based in the U.S.
- Limited access to Netflix
- No contracts longer than one year
- No multihop
Speeds
Speed test Without the VPN With the VPN Percentage difference Microsoft ping 14 15 8% Mac ping 14 16 14% Microsoft upload 41.51 30.98 25% Mac upload 25.9 21.13 18% Microsoft download 69.92 26.31 62% Mac download 37.05 31.57 15% 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.
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5. ExpressVPN - Best for Netflix
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.
What We Like
- Servers in 160 locations
- Access to Netflix and other top streamers
- Location in the British Virgin Islands
- Strict privacy policy
What We Don’t Like
- Only five simultaneous connections
- No subscriptions longer than a year
- Relatively high price
- No multihop or camouflage mode
Speeds
Speed test Without the VPN With the VPN Percentage difference Microsoft ping 14 19 36% Mac ping 14 20 43% Microsoft upload 40.61 30.95 24% Mac upload 25.9 22.19 14% Microsoft download 62.88 39.77 47% Mac download 37.05 22.7 39% 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.
Recap
There’s no question that you need a VPN, and you need one on every device you use to access the internet. You don’t want one, however, that slows down your device to the point where it’s not worth being online in the first place. When you’re shopping for the right VPN, you don’t want to consider only security features. You also want to pay attention to what kind of speeds each VPN offers.
Hopefully the list above will make that search a little easier. Whether you’re looking for a fast VPN with top-notch security or a fast VPN that lets you torrent to your heart’s content, we’re certain you’ll find the right VPN somewhere on this page.
FAQs
There’s a lot to know about VPNs and about which VPNs offer the fastest speeds, so we’ve taken the time to answer a few more of your most frequently asked questions.
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What is the best VPN?
The best VPN is NordVPN. It’s the safest VPN on the market, with all the standard security you expect from a VPN, such as AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and the OpenVPN protocol, as well as unique features, such as multihop and camouflage mode, you won’t find anywhere else. NordVPN is not just about security though. You also get access to content from all the most popular streamers, such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney Plus. And all of it comes with some of the fastest speeds available with any VPN.
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Can the police track you through a VPN?
Yes, the police can track you through a VPN. If your VPN records information about your online activities, such as your browsing history or IP address, and is willing to turn over that information to law enforcement, then the police can follow your every movement. If you invest in a VPN with strong security features, a strict privacy policy, and a location in a country with strict privacy laws, you can rest assured that no one can track you — not even the police.
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Is Surfshark faster than NordVPN?
No, Surfshark is not faster than NordVPN. The two companies’ speeds are fairly comparable. There are three important numbers when it comes to speed: latency, upload speed, and download speed. Most VPNs perform strongly in some categories and weaker in others, and numbers can vary depending on what type of device you’re using. Surfshark offers great numbers, especially on Macs. Our ping speed dropped just 2 percent when we installed Surfshark on our Mac. NordVPN, on the other hand, offers better speeds on Windows devices. If you average them out, the two companies are roughly the same when it comes to speed.
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Why does a VPN slow down your internet connection?
A VPN slows down your internet connection by adding additional steps to how you connect to the web. Any piece of software will slow down the device it’s installed on. For one thing, you’ve taken up space on the device simply by installing the software. For another, once that software is up and running its processes take up device operating power. A VPN creates more steps in the process of how your device signs on to the web. The VPN must encrypt several pieces of data. In addition, it routes your internet signal through a remote server at some distance from your location. That server may also have a significant degree of traffic — other users wanting to disguise their IP address or location as well. All of these processes work together to slow down your device’s operation speed — and especially the speed at which your internet works.