The report highlights that after all, even the most secure VPN can become frustrating to use if it slows your connection to a crawl. Faster VPN speeds mean smoother streaming, quicker downloads, lower tech industry latency, and less waiting around for websites to load. When choosing a VPN, privacy should always come first—but speed is a close second.
As part of the ongoing story, the VPNs below stood out for delivering consistently strong performance, whether that’s blazing-fast download speeds, low latency, or reliable upload performance. If speed is your top priority, these are the services worth considering. To find the fastest VPNs available today, I tested dozens of services and ran extensive speed benchmarks across their server networks.
In a fresh development, you can also browse our list of the best VPN deals to see if you can score any of these top picks on discount. And if you want to explore beyond just raw speed performance, be sure to check out my full roundup of the best VPNs in all categories.
The report highlights that as reviewers and users of PC devices and programs, we put every product through its paces using rigorous benchmarking and hands-on evaluation. We’d never recommend something we wouldn’t want for ourselves. Why you should trust PCWorld for VPN reviews and buying advice: Here at PCWorld we’ve been testing computer devices, programs, and services since the 1980s.
As part of the ongoing story, thankfully, you won’t need to sacrifice any speed for those functions either. Other competitors might win out on a good day, but NordVPN has the most (and best) consistent speeds. If speed is what you’re seeking, NordVPN has it — in droves. With all of the great functions included with NordVPN, it will appeal to a wide audience.
As part of the ongoing story, in my tests, NordVPN retained a blazing fast 72 percent of the base download speed easily taking the checkered flag in a VPN race. It’s also inside the top 10 for upload speeds, maintaining an impressive 80 percent of the base. Nord regularly appears at the top of many VPN rankings, and it’s no surprise to see it here.
In a fresh development, it supports multi-hop connections, TOR over VPN, ad- and tracker-blocking at the server level, and a variety of other options. Of all the VPNs currently on the market, NordVPN is probably the most capability-packed.
According to the latest update, even with the discounts offered by long-term plans, it’s still on the pricey side. But, you get what you pay for and in this case: the fastest speeds and a huge capability set. The only real downside is that NordVPN’s pricing can be more expensive than many other VPN services.
As part of the ongoing story, as one of the best VPNs overall, ExpressVPN is, no surprise, also a good choice for speeds. It ranks second overall in my download speed tests, retaining more than 70 percent of the base speed, and uploads with 80 percent scores in testing. Again, this is a VPN that should please most anyone.
In a fresh development, the recent addition of its Lightway Turbo protocol promises to optimize connections leading to even faster speeds—and it mostly did in my testing with some servers showing solid speed boosts. Plus, the speeds have always been consistent in my testing over the years, meaning you can’t go wrong if you decide to go with ExpressVPN as your speedy VPN of choice. While based on averages it placed second, just slightly behind NordVPN, at times it can even be the fastest service.
Industry observers note that having just revamped their membership tier model, though, you can opt for just the basic VPN service for a relatively affordable price nowadays—extra security functions come with more expensive, premium tiers. For your money, however, you get solid speeds, a promise to work with Netflix, split tunneling, and unrivaled device support. The app is also extremely easy to use and there are a wide range of country locations to choose from. ExpressVPN is one of the more costly VPNs out there.
Industry observers note that so, it might be a bit pricey but you get great value for your money. Plus, the service is regularly bringing in third-party auditors to validate its privacy credentials.
As part of the ongoing story, windscribe Pro’s free version is one of my favorite free VPNs, period. But in terms of speed, there’s no contest. In my testing, Windscribe achieved a thoroughly impressive 64 percent of the base download speeds and 70 percent upload speeds. That’s good enough to warrant a place on the fastest VPNs list regardless. But its free plan with no speed restrictions means it’s a no-brainer if your looking for a fast VPN that you don’t have to pay for. This is the VPN for users who want speed at no cost.
As part of the ongoing story, but otherwise you pretty much get the full capability-set of the premium subscription. And did I mention those speeds? The free version does come with a maximum 10GB per month data restriction, so you’ll need to be cognizant of your bandwidth usage, and the server network is smaller.
As part of the ongoing story, additionally, some users might be turned off of the interface, which is a bit over-designed and not as intuitive as it could be. While testing Windscribe, I did notice that both the free and paid versions struggled a bit to unblock streaming services.
According to the latest update, read our full.
Industry observers note that windscribe Pro review.
In a fresh development, while I found that the service had rather average download speeds, I was absolutely blown away by its upload speeds. CyberGhost retained an unbelievable 87 percent of the base upload speed across all of my tests — the VPN’s servers might as well have been in my backyard with those numbers. The service has begun the process of upgrading its server network to 10Gbps as well, which means we should expect even faster speeds — download and upload — in the near future. If upload speeds are your primary concern, you should consider CyberGhost VPN.
The report highlights that if this is you, then CyberGhost should be at the top of your list for fastest VPNs. Upload speeds can be extremely important, particularly if you work from home and need to connect to a remote work server or you’re looking to securely upload data.
As part of the ongoing story, if the super-fast upload speeds and large server network aren’t enough, the service also offers good privacy with an independently verified no-logs audit and seriously affordable pricing on its long-term plans. CyberGhost VPN also has extra functions that may interest some, such as streaming optimized servers and a dizzying 11,500+ servers to choose from all over the global stage.
Industry observers note that mullvad should be considered the “Swiss bank account” version of a VPN, as it actively resists obtaining any of your personal information and provides premium service. Instead of signing up for an account with the standard email and password, Mullvad assigns you a random account number and that’s it. No birth date or anniversary passwords to give you away. One number and that’s it. If you don’t want to compromise on privacy and anonymity, while still getting solid speeds, then Mullvad is the best choice.
In a fresh development, that puts it firmly in the top half of all VPNs I’ve ever tested and it’s plenty fast enough to do just about everything you’d want to do. There may be a few faster VPNs on the market, though they won’t provide the same amount of anonymity as you’ll get with Mullvad and sometimes it’s worth sacrificing a little speed for a whole lot of privacy. In my tests, Mullvad performed well in download and upload speeds, maintaining around 48 percent of the baseline with each.
According to the latest update, that price is locked in for all plans, no matter the length though. So, while it’s very affordable month-to-month, it does lose value compared to other top VPNs that significantly reduce their prices in the long-term. This super-simple VPN also supports connections via 41 different countries, and it costs just 5 euros per month (around $5.40 at this writing).
The report highlights that i also found some hiccups when trying to access streaming services, so users who want their VPN to bypass location-restricted content may want to take that into consideration before subscribing.
The report highlights that i’m continuously evaluating fresh VPNs and reevaluating services I’ve already tested on a regular basis, so be sure to come back for more recommendations and to see what else we’ve put through their paces.
As part of the ongoing story, vPN services are frequently running deals throughout the year, so you should have a few chances to snag your favorite VPN on a steep discount if you can time it right. Here at PCWorld, we are regularly hunting down the best VPN deals to help you get the most bang for your buck.
According to the latest update, it’s best to keep checking our deals article to see what fresh limited-time discounts are on offer each week. Additionally, sales events such as Amazon Prime Day in mid-July and Black Friday at the end of November provide excellent opportunities to find even cheaper VPN deals. While the prices for all VPNs on this list are revised daily, they do not account for special deals or offers.
In a fresh development, for a more detailed guide on our evaluation process, check out PCWorld’s comprehensive guide on how we test VPN services. We judge VPNs on a variety of criteria including server network, connection speeds, privacy protections, ease-of-use, additional functions, and cost.
Industry observers note that we average the connections between different worldwide locations for any given VPN and then compare them to our baseline internet speed to get a good picture of the overall connection speeds. Speed tests are kept as simple as possible.
As part of the ongoing story, experience and ease-of-use are subjective, but we try our best to give an accurate representation of how it feels to work with the VPN. And finally, we compare the value of the service based upon its price and additional functions to the industry average to help you gain an accurate picture of what you’ll get for your money. We thoroughly research and analyze the privacy policies and histories of each VPN and note any outstanding discrepancies or data collection issues.
The report highlights that when he’s not on the hunt for the best computer deals he’s covering VPNs, productivity programs, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade devices and programs. Sam Singleton is PCWorld’s VPN beat reporter and jack of all trades.
As part of the ongoing story, indeed, server count alone can be a semi-reliable way to tell if a VPN is even worth your time. Anything with 1,000 or more servers and 30 or more country locations will do. The number of servers and locations that a VPN service offers is important.
Industry observers note that this may be tricky to do since you aren’t likely to be able to test connection speeds without paying for the service. Reading reviews online will give you a general estimate. Look for reviews, like ours, that give you a relative average of connection speeds rather than direct Mbps speed comparisons, for a more accurate picture. Next you want to consider a VPN’s speed.
In a fresh development, does it have a no-logs policy? Has it undergone any independent audits of its servers? Where is the VPN publisher located? These answers will give you an idea of whether a VPN is transparent with its data collection policies and if it’s subject to government data sharing requirements. Take into account a VPN’s privacy protections.
The report highlights that do you want a monthly or yearly subscription? Some top VPNs might be pricey month-to-month, but actually become quite affordable with long-term plans. As with all subscription services, you’ll want to review the price of a VPN service.
The report highlights that some of these functions, such as split-tunneling and kill switches, can be extremely useful for certain purposes and might sway your subscription decision one way or the other. Other factors you’ll want to take into consideration are the overall ease-of-use, user experience, and any additional functions.
The report highlights that no other VPN can match the average download or upload speeds of Nord. It’s ideal for all online tasks that require good speeds including: streaming, tech industry, downloading files, video calls, and more. The fastest VPN is currently NordVPN.
Industry observers note that the speed results for the free version were very fast in our testing and ranked among the top 10 for all VPNs, paid or free. The fastest free VPN is Windscribe.
The report highlights that when you connect to a VPN your web traffic is routed through the chosen VPN server to make it appear as though you’re browsing from that server’s location, and not from your actual location. The VPN app will also encrypt your data so that any third parties such as your ISP can’t see your specific online activities. A VPN can be a great response to a variety of concerns, such as online privacy, anonymity, greater security on public Wi-Fi, and, of course, spoofing locations. VPNs create a secure tunnel between your PC and the internet.
Industry observers note that for a start, a VPN is almost always going to slow down your connection to some degree. Also, speed tests should always be taken with a grain of salt as they can fluctuate widely depending on the difference in home internet speeds, physical location, time of use, and server load, among others. While it’s easy to choose your VPN based solely on speed results, it shouldn’t be the only factor when considering a good service.
As part of the ongoing story, when considering the best VPN for your needs, factors such as privacy, security functions, streaming compatibility, server count, and price should all be taken into account along with speed.
As part of the ongoing story, this is mainly due to the process of your internet traffic being rerouted and encrypted through a VPN server before heading on to its destination. The amount of latency you will experience through this process is down to what country’s server you choose to route your traffic through. If you choose a server located on the other side of the global stage, then you will generally notice a much greater hit than if you were to connect to a server nearby in your same country. Most likely you will see a moderate speed decrease to your internet while using a VPN.
In a fresh development, so it’s likely you can still browse and stream without much of a noticeable impact while using a reliable VPN like those on this list. Thankfully, most modern VPNs should have the infrastructure to maintain high-speed, secure data transfer rates.
In a fresh development, when he's not on the hunt for the best computer deals he's covering VPNs, productivity programs, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade devices and programs. Sam Singleton is PCWorld's VPN beat reporter and jack of all trades.