As frustrating as it is that governments and businesses are running roughshod over our online freedoms, at least we have plenty of good VPNs to choose from to keep us protected online. There are so many fast, intelligently designed, full-featured and affordable services on the market that the biggest problem is picking one. For any use case, you can bet at least two providers will be neck-and-neck for first place.
On the other hand, the VPN world is still the Wild West in some ways. It's easy enough to slap a cheap VPN together that the market is flooded with low-quality apps that put more money into advertising than infrastructure. They may look good, but it's all styrofoam under the hood.
I built this list of the best VPNs after intensive testing to help you reorient your focus on the providers that actually deserve your time and money. Which one truly fits your needs is dependent on who you are and what you do online, but if you pick any of my seven recommendations, you can't go too far wrong.
For each VPN on this list, I've shared which platforms it works on, how much it cuts into your download speed, where it offers servers, what other features are included and how much the best available deal costs. At the end, I'll list some honorable and dishonorable mentions, then answer some of the most common questions I hear about VPNs.
Editor's note: This list has been completely overhauled and rewritten as of September 2025. We intend to revisit this list every three months at a minimum, at which time our picks may be adjusted based on changes in pricing, features, testing results and other factors.
Table of contents
Best VPNs for 2025
Proton Best VPN overall Proton VPN Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, Chrome, Firefox, Android TV, Apple TV, Firestick, routers | Average download speed drop: 12.5 percent | Server locations: 154 in 62 countries | Notable features: NetShield ad blocker, Secure Core servers, Tor over VPN | Best price: $107.76 for 24 months Read our full Proton VPN review Proton VPN clinches the top spot for one simple reason: it does everything right. All its closest competitors have one area in which they fall short — ExpressVPN doesn't have as many features, NordVPN can be irksome to use, Surfshark's pricing forces you into a long-term deal, and so on. Proton VPN isn't perfect, nor is it the best in every individual area, but it's the one VPN where I can't find a serious weakness no matter how I poke and prod. Proton's winning run starts with its excellently designed apps, which never feel cluttered or aggravating on any platform. Every feature is where you expect it to be, never demanding any digging or leaving you perplexed about what a certain setting is for. There's no drop-off in quality between platforms, either: Proton has clearly paid equally close attention to its clients for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. That ease of use extends to Proton VPN's impact on your browsing speeds. In my tests, it reduced my download speeds by an average of 12 percent worldwide and my upload speeds by only 4 percent, factors that are only noticeable on a connection that's very slow to begin with. Even more impressively, it held the global average ping below 300 ms — latency always increases with distance, but Proton's infrastructure keeps that number low. It's also a VPN uniquely devoted to security and privacy. As the only competitive VPN majority-owned by a nonprofit, Proton can focus on guaranteeing the rights of its users without being bought out or misusing its access to customers. Not only did it pass my leak tests without a scratch, but it's also a leader in physical VPN security — its Secure Core servers connect you through locations fortified in the real-world. All its servers use full-disk encryption, ensuring privacy from both hackers and Proton itself. Proton VPN also commits to its privacy mission in one more important way: offering a free plan with unlimited data you can use to stay anonymous online for as long as you want. You can't choose your server location, so it's no good for (as an example) unblocking a specific streaming service, but it's ideal if you just want to take security precautions without paying. Pros Keeps internet speeds fast
Physically secured data centers
Free plan with unlimited data Cons High proportion of virtual server locations
Live chat support only for paid users $3.39 per month for 24 months at Proton
ExpressVPN Best premium VPN ExpressVPN Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, Chrome, Android TV, Apple TV, Firestick, routers | Average download speed drop: 6.9 percent | Server locations: 164 in 105 countries | Notable features: Threat Manager tracker and malware blocker, Ad blocker, Parental controls, Aircove router | Best price: $97.72 for 28 months Read our full ExpressVPN review ExpressVPN is a high-performing VPN service with very few flaws. The only real issue keeping it from the top spot is that it remains a bit overpriced for the functionality it offers. That's why I've named it the best premium VPN — not the best overall, but worth paying extra for if you have the cash. That designation stands even after the new tiered pricing plans introduced in September 2025, which offer better value in the past, but are still generally pricier than equivalent plans from Proton and Surfshark. The best reasons to pick ExpressVPN are its apps, its speeds and its global server network. Let's take those in order. Each ExpressVPN client is stripped down to be as simple as software ever comes. The most complicated thing you'll do on any of them is pick server locations — everything else is a matter of clicking a button on or off. For a VPN beginner, or anyone who wants their service to run unobtrusively in the background, it's paradise. Speeds are even better than Proton VPN's, another way ExpressVPN earns its slightly higher price. In multiple daily tests across six different locations, my speed dropped an average of just 6.9 percent and my mean latency remained below 300. Upload speeds went down a miniscule 1.6 percent. It's hard to get much better than this (although Surfshark manages it). With 164 server locations in 105 different countries and territories, ExpressVPN has the largest server network of any VPN on this list. Closer servers grant better speeds, but a bigger network also increases your range of options for spoofed IP addresses — you'll be able to unblock streaming sites in more than half the world (and have plenty of fallback options in case one server fails). ExpressVPN doesn't have many additional features, but that's hard to complain about when it's so good at its most important job. Besides, it's not like there's nothing. You'll find a kill switch, malware detector, ad blocker and parental controls on all platforms, plus split tunneling on Windows, Android and macOS 10 and under. The Aircove router is also worth mentioning — as the only VPN router with its own interface, it's easy to operate and provide whole-house VPN coverage without technical knowledge. Pros Fast download and upload speeds
Unblocks Netflix everywhere
Easy-to-use apps Cons Few extra features
Expensive plans $3.49 per month for 28 months at ExpressVPN
Surfshark Fastest VPN Surfshark Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Apple TV, Fire TV, routers | Average download speed drop: 5.4 percent | Server locations: 141 in 100 countries | Notable features: Dynamic MultiHop, Everlink, IP rotator, unlimited simultaneous connections, CleanWeb, NoBorders mode | Best price: $53.73 for 28 months Read our full Surfshark review Since "the fastest VPN" is such a popular superlative for VPNs to tout about themselves, I want to make it clear what I mean. The fastest VPN is the one that reduces your speeds the least — it's exceedingly rare for a VPN to make your internet faster than it is normally. As a result, if you don't have a fast internet connection to start, you can't have a fast VPN. Also, there's no guarantee that Surfshark will always be the fastest, as the race at the top is continually close. With the disclaimer out of the way, here are the facts: Surfshark beat out every other VPN on the list in my speed tests. For each VPN, I pick six servers spaced evenly across the world and test them on several consecutive days. Surfshark dropped my speed an average of 5.4 percent across all six test sites. Without an outlier in South Africa (which still only dropped my speeds by 11 percent), the average would be 4.3 percent. Upload speeds only dropped by an average of 3.6 percent. That's all outstanding, and makes using the internet with Surfshark feel completely seamless, no matter where you are in the world. From Oregon, I got a negligible slowdown on a server in Indonesia — and yes, I did make sure it was actually encrypting my connection. Beyond being fast, Surfshark is an envelope-pushing VPN with several features you won't find anywhere else. Nexus lets you rotate your IP address constantly as you browse and pick your own starting and ending points for a multi-hop connection. It's also highly secure, with no slip-ups anywhere in my leak testing and no loopholes in its privacy policy (plus a clean bill of health from a June 2025 audit). The few issues that keep Surfshark from the top spot can be annoying, but none of them are dealbreaking. Its app design relies a bit too much on popups, and its monthly plans are the most expensive in the game, making it a better choice for long-term use. Pros Very fast speeds
Split tunneling on all apps
Unlimited simultaneous connections Cons Single-month pricing is excessive
Lots of popups on desktop
NoBorders Mode useful but can turn on needlessly $1.99 per month for 27 months at Surfshark
NordVPN Most full-featured VPN NordVPN Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, AndroidTV, tvOS routers | Average download speed drop: 6.4 percent | Server locations: 153 in 117 countries | Notable features: Double VPN, Onion over VPN, obfuscated servers, P2P servers, Threat Protection, Dark Web Monitor | Best price: $83.43 for 27 months Read our full NordVPN review NordVPN distinguishes itself with the features it offers to boost the usual VPN experience. Even though the ahead-of-its-time Meshnet is sadly shutting down this year, there's a great menu of options. A basic plan comes with double VPN connections, Onion Over VPN servers, P2P servers, Threat Protection antivirus and a kill switch, plus split tunneling on Windows and Android. Innovating on features doesn't mean NordVPN sleeps on the fundamentals. Its speed speaks for itself. Watching videos takes a lot of download capacity, especially in 4K UHD. In my tests, NordVPN only dropped my download speed by 6.4 percent, which puts it ahead of everybody except Surfshark. Performance on individual servers ranged from a high drop of 10.4 percent (still great) to a low drop of 3.4 percent. That's fast enough for high-quality streaming on almost any home network. NordVPN's server list includes 153 cities in 117 countries, which translates to a huge range of options for checking out alternate streaming libraries. It also changed my virtual location with near-perfect precision. In tests of five server locations, Netflix never once managed to block NordVPN, and only once (in Nigeria) failed to change the content that turned up. In the area of security, the NordLynx protocol is a tuned-up version of WireGuard that's both fast and safe, and NordWhisper hides your VPN usage from censors without too much speed loss. It also passed all my leak tests without issues. Its privacy policy is a little less watertight, since there's not a full list of all the third-party processors it works with — so it might not be ideal for sensitive tasks. However, any information provided to a third party would almost certainly be aggregated and anonymized. Pros Excellent download speeds
Useful exclusive features
Extensive server network Cons Clunky interface choices
Collects device info by default $3.09 per month for 27 months at NordVPN
Private Internet Access Best cheap VPN PIA VPN Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Apple TV, Android TV, routers | Server locations: 155 in 91 countries | Notable features: PIA MACE ad blocker, automation, built-in DNS resolver, MTU limiter | Best price: $79 for 36 months We're in the process of re-testing Private Internet Access for a full review. Private Internet Access has a deeply annoying name — I assume whoever invented it also likes to hop in their Toyota Forward Motion to grab a gallon of Sustaining Cow Extract from the grocery store — but it's a worthwhile VPN whose pricing provides incredible value. Its monthly and yearly plans are good enough, but its three-year plan is the clincher. Not only is it longer than average, but you can continue to renew at the three-year level, so you won't see an unpleasant price jump the first time you re-up. PIA's apps have a dark UI reminiscent of Proton VPN, which is always a good thing. Although you'll find it no problem to set and forget, PIA also comes with several unexpectedly deep features. There's an "advanced kill switch" that goes beyond a normal kill switch by not letting you get online in the first place without going through a VPN server. You can also automate PIA's behavior on known networks and public Wi-Fi, and split tunnel by both app and URL. PIA also supports port forwarding, custom DNS and the use of a SOCKS5 or Shadowsocks proxy as a second step in the VPN connection. You can even set the maximum data packet size to help out a struggling connection. To summarize, Private Internet Access may be priced like a budget VPN, but it rarely acts like one. There are naturally a couple instances where you get what you pay for. PIA's apps, while well-designed, have a tendency to lag. It's also not always capable of unblocking streaming services in other countries. Furthermore, while its server network offers 152 IP address options in 84 countries, it's heavily bulked out by virtual locations. Speeds are fast, but variable, with some servers running at nearly my full unprotected speed and others dropping sharply. Do note that while PIA is frequently quick, the live latency tests displayed on the app don't always match reality. Pros Deep automation features
Large server network
Integrates SOCKS5 and Shadowsocks Cons May share data with parent company
Fluctuating speeds $2.03 per month for 39 months at PIA VPN
Mullvad Best VPN for privacy Mullvad VPN Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, routers |Server locations: 89 in 49 countries | Notable features: IPv6 support, Bridge Mode multihop, ad and tracker blocker | Best price: 5 Euro per month We're in the process of re-testing Mullvad for a full review. Mullvad VPN's name is Swedish for "mole," which makes a lot more sense as a mascot for a tunneling app than a bear does (sorry, TunnelBear). Mullvad's first mission is privacy, which influences everything from its marketing to its apps to its registration process. It's the only VPN you can sign up for without an email address — each account is designated by a series of numbers so it can't be connected with any online presence. For true untraceability, you can even pay in cash by writing your account number in an envelope and mailing it to Mullvad headquarters with one of their nine supported currencies. The pricing system is unusual but extremely simple: every month, 5 Euro (currently just under $6) will subtract from your account until it runs out. At any time, you can top it up as much as you'd like. Be aware that the price is always figured in Euro, so if you're paying with anything else, account for exchange rates. On top of all that, Mullvad refuses to use marketing cookies to track your activities on its own website — to my knowledge, it’s the only VPN that goes that far. Fortunately, all this privacy innovation is matched with a product that's actually good. Mullvad is surprisingly fast and even keeps latencies low at a distance. Its apps are easy to use, barring a few features that might be slightly opaque to inexperienced users (and which you can get away without touching). It's even one of the few VPNs that's actually set up to conduct IPv6 traffic, even if your ISP still blocks it. The main downside is that Mullvad doesn't use virtual server locations, so its server list is pretty small, but at least you can be sure every location is where it claims to be. Also, if live chat support is important to you, note that Mullvad doesn't have this on its website. Pros Completely anonymous signup
No trackers on website
Supports IPv6 Cons Small server list
No live tech support 5 Euro per month (currently under $6) at Mullvad
hide.me Best free VPN hide.me VPN Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, routers | Server locations: 81 in 58 countries | Notable features: Customizable split tunneling, Stealth Guard strong kill switch, dynamic port forwarding, IPv6 support | Best price: $69.95 for 27 months We're in the process of re-testing hide.me for a full review. I didn't initially think much of hide.me , but something strange happened over the last few years: while other free VPNs, even Proton VPN, cut back their services, hide.me kept improving. As of now, it's the only VPN that lets you use it without paying, doesn't cap your data and lets you choose your own server location. This makes it one of the very few free VPNs actually suitable for streaming. True, there are limits — hide.me only has eight free servers and can only be connected on one device at a time. But since it barely throttles free speeds at all, I'm not complaining. There aren't even any ads. Actually using the apps is extremely simple, from download to operation; most everything happens with one click. A paid subscription to hide.me raises the total location options to 91 countries and increases the simultaneous connections limit to 10. According to hide.me's website, paying also removes a speed cap, but I've never noticed a significant difference. Speeds on both free and paid plans are generally great, with very little average impact on both downloads and uploads. Latencies can get high, though. Aside from its free plan, hide.me has a number of interesting features, including dynamic port forwarding that makes traffic through your NAT firewall faster and more stable. It's got a strong kill switch option reminiscent of PIA's, preventing designated apps from connecting unless the VPN is active. There's also a versatile feature called SmartGuard which can block ads, catch malware-associated websites and serve as a parental control. Pros Dynamic port forwarding
Free plan with unlimited data
Fast speeds Cons Free plan limited to eight locations Free OR $2.69 per month for 26 months at hide.me
Other VPNs we tested
The VPNs in this section didn't crack our top list above, but we're summarizing them here so you can see their positives and negatives as of the time of our evaluation.
Windscribe is another well-known free VPN supported by paid subscriptions. In many ways, it takes the best from both Mullvad and Proton VPN, with the former's no-nonsense privacy and the latter's healthy free plan. Without paying, you can connect to 10 of Windscribe's server locations on an unlimited number of devices at once.
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Unfortunately, Windscribe didn't copy the most important part of Proton VPN's free plan — the unlimited data. You're only allowed to use 10GB per month, which isn't enough for regular streaming. It's also committed to a cramped and headache-inducing user interface that stands out from the crowd in all the worst ways.
There's a lot to recommend with CyberGhost. Its streaming-optimized servers meet a high standard for playback quality, it's pretty fast overall and its Smart Rules offer some of the deepest VPN automation on the market. The ad blocker works well, and the NoSpy servers are a neat idea — CyberGhost keeps them under lock and key near its Romania headquarters and carefully fine-tunes all their settings.
On the other hand, its apps just aren't up to the standard set by our favorites on this list. I like the designs on paper, but there are too many snags in the experience, from laggy connections to an overactive kill switch that often blocks internet access even when the VPN is working perfectly.
I also have some concerns about its commitment to data privacy, since its privacy policy retains the right to share your personal data with its entire corporate family. CyberGhost's parent company, Kape Technologies, also owns ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access, but neither of those VPNs have privacy policies quite so permissive.
TunnelBear has a decent interface, which its target audience of VPN beginners will find very easy to use. Its speeds are perfectly good too, and I appreciate the depth and breadth of its transparency reports. But it's far too limited overall, with few extra features, less than 50 server locations and a free plan that caps data at 2GB per month.
VyprVPN often flies under the radar, but it has some of the best apps in the business and a very good security record (there was a breach in 2023, but it didn't crack the VPN encryption itself). It's also got a verified privacy policy, a solid jurisdiction and runs every connection through an in-house DNS to prevent leaks.
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Despite all that, it didn't make the top seven because its connection speeds aren't up to scratch — you'll likely notice a bigger slowdown than average. It also has a troubling history of wild, seemingly experimental swings in its pricing and simultaneous connection limits.
Norton VPN is part of the Norton 360 package that includes the well-known antivirus software and other security apps. It's a nice bonus if you use Norton already, but as a standalone VPN, it falls short. My tests repeatedly showed it dropping encryption and revealing my IP address whenever I switched servers, and not all of its locations managed to unblock Netflix.
This isn't to say Norton VPN is terrible. It has a fairly large server network, user-friendly apps and some cool features like an IP rotator. It also recently revamped its OpenVPN infrastructure to improve speeds on Windows. But you probably won't find those things sufficient to balance out significant speed drops on other platforms or poorly written FAQs. I especially advise against Norton VPN for Apple users, as its Mac and iPhone apps are much more limited than their Windows and Android counterparts.
What to look for in a VPN
Choosing a VPN can quickly get you mired in analysis paralysis. We're here to help, but since only you know your particular needs, you should know the major red and green flags so you can make the final call yourself. Every reputable VPN provider offers a free trial or refund guarantee you can use to run the tests below.
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Compatibility: First, make sure your VPN works on all the platforms you plan to use it on. Most VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, but those apps aren't always created equal — check that the app for your chosen OS is user-friendly and has all the features you need.
Speed: Use a speed testing app to see how fast your internet is before and after connecting to the VPN (I use Ookla's speedtest.net). To check security, look up your IP address while connected to a VPN server and see if it's actually changed your virtual location. Be sure it's using expert-vetted protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2. Try connecting to streaming services and seeing whether the VPN changes the available content.
Background: Do some outside research into the VPN's origins, especially its parent company, privacy policy and any past incidents. It's a dealbreaker if you can't figure out where the VPN is headquartered (which indicates a lax approach to transparency) or if it seems to have never passed a real third-party audit.
Server network: Look at the server network to make sure the VPN has locations near you and in any countries where you'll want an IP address — e.g. if you need a VPN to unblock Canadian Netflix, look for multiple server locations in Canada.
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Customer Service: I also advise testing the customer support options by looking for the answer to a straightforward question. If phone support (versus email and chat) is important to you, make sure to prioritize that — and make sure it's available at convenient times in your timezone.
Pricing: Finally, check prices. See if the VPN is affordable and decide whether you're comfortable taking a long-term subscription for better savings. If you do get a multi-year plan, check what price it will renew at, since many of the cheapest subscriptions are only introductory deals.
VPN FAQs
To wrap up, let's answer some of the most common questions we get about VPNs. Feel free to get in touch if you have a query I don't cover here.
What is a VPN?
VPN stands for virtual private network. There are a few different types of VPNs, but for this list, we're talking about commercial services that let individual users access the internet with an assumed identity.
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Whenever you get online, you're assigned an IP address — a digital nametag that tells websites where to send the information you request. For an IP address to work, it needs to be unique, which means it's possible to create a record of what an individual does online.
When you use a VPN, all the data you send to the internet goes through one of the VPN's servers before heading to its final destination. The VPN encrypts the connection between your computer and its server so the data won't trace back to you. Any website, ISP or third party that cares to look will only see the VPN's IP address, not yours.
What are some things VPNs are used for?
The three main use cases for a commercial VPN are security, privacy and entertainment. Using a VPN conceals your real IP address from anyone who might want to use it for nefarious purposes like cyberstalking, DDoS attacks or deducing your real location. It also keeps your ISP from profiling you for ads based on where you live or what you do online.
One side effect of borrowing a VPN's IP address is that you can make it appear as though your connection is coming from another country. You can use this to access streaming content and platforms that are only available in certain regions due to copyright. Changing your location can even get you better prices when shopping online.
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Location spoofing can also be used to get online in countries that censor internet access, like China and Russia, as well as certain US states or countries — like the UK — that are adding barriers like age-gating to previously unfettered online access. All you have to do is connect to a neighboring country (or locality) where the internet isn't blocked. If you plan to do this while traveling, make sure you have the VPN downloaded before you go, as some nations prevent you from even loading a VPN's homepage. Make sure you check with local laws regarding the legality of VPN use as well — just because your VPN traffic is encrypted doesn't mean that authorities can't detect that it's being used in a given location.
Are VPNs worth it?
Whether a VPN is worth the price depends on how much you value those three use cases above. It's no secret that your personal information is profitable for a lot of people, from illicit hackers to corporations to law enforcement. A VPN will not make you completely anonymous, nor is it a license to commit crimes (see the next question) but it will give you a lot more control over what you transmit to the world.
With entertainment, the value is even clearer. You can use a VPN to fight back against streaming balkanization by getting more shows and movies out of a single platform — for example, a lot of shows that have been kicked off American Netflix are still on Netflix in other countries.
What information does a VPN hide?
A VPN does not make it impossible for you to be unmasked or taken advantage of online. It prevents you from passively leaking information, keeps your IP address undiscoverable on public wi-fi networks and gets you around online censorship.
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However, if you share personal information of your own volition, there's nothing the VPN can do. If you reveal your password in a social media post or click a link in a phishing email, that information bypasses the VPN. Likewise, if you do anything sensitive while logged into an account, the account holder will have that information even if you're using a VPN.
A VPN is a critical part of your online security, but it can't do the whole job by itself. Healthy passwords, malware scanners, private search engines and common sense all have roles to play. Never forget, too, that using a VPN means trusting the VPN provider with access to information that's concealed from everyone else — make sure you trust the privacy policy before signing up.
Are VPNs safe?
As far as we can determine, all the VPNs recommended in this story are safe to use. As with anything you subscribe to online, due diligence is important, but there's very little inherent risk; generally, the worst thing a bad VPN will do is fail to work, leaving you no worse off than before. There are some VPNs (usually offered for free) that transmit malware, so always make sure to look up any complaints or warnings about a service before you download it.
Can you get a VPN on your phone?
Absolutely — almost every VPN has apps for both desktop and mobile devices. A good VPN will redesign its app to be mobile-friendly without dropping too many features. Both iOS and Android natively support VPN connections, so you're free to choose whichever provider you like.
What about Google's One VPN?
Google One VPN was, as you might expect, a VPN provided by Google. It was launched in 2020 for Google One subscribers and discontinued in 2024 due to lack of use. If you really want a Google VPN, you can still get one if you have certain Pixel models or if you're a Google Fi subscriber.
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That said, I don't recommend using a VPN from Google even if you do still have access to one. Google is one of the worst big tech companies at protecting user privacy. While its VPN might not leak, I wouldn't trust it to guard your sensitive information.
Best VPN for 2025 | ExpressVPN review | NordVPN review | Norton VPN review | Proton VPN review | Surfshark review | How we test VPNs | How to add VPN to your TV | How to use a VPN on Chromecast or Google TV | How to use a VPN on Roku | How to use a VPN on Apple TV | How to use a VPN on Fire TV | See Engadget's full VPN coverage