the security.brief
We tested 50+ VPNs for speed, security, and streaming. NordVPN is our #1 pick for 2026. Compare prices, features, and find the best VPN for your needs.
If you’ve been researching VPNs, you’ve probably noticed a lot of the same words popping up. All the best VPNs have kill switches, encryption protocols, and no-log policies. How are you supposed to choose the right one for you?
Our team of cybersecurity experts knows exactly what to look for, and spent nine months putting these VPNs through their paces. We connected to servers across dozens of countries, ran speed tests using Ookla on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, read through every privacy policy line by line, and verified that critical features (kill switch, encryption, IP leak protection, etc.) worked as advertised. Here, you’ll find all our findings and recommendations. Let’s dive deep into each one to help you make the best choice.
Hot Deal: One of the first questions you might have is how much VPNs cost. Prices range from $3 to $15 per month. You can even get our top pick, NordVPN, for just $3.09 per month on a two-year subscription.
NordVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN are three of the top VPNs on the market, but which one is right for you?The Best VPN Services of 2026
- Best VPN for Security & Privacy
- Best VPN for Budget & Features
- Best VPN for Speed
- Best VPN for Beginners
- Best Free VPN
The Best VPN Services of 2026
What We Don’t Like
Pricier than most competitors, especially on monthly plans
Next-Generation Antivirus, one of its best features, is locked behind higher-tier plans
Setting it up in restrictive countries like China requires manual configuration before you travel
Who It’s Best ForWe recommend NordVPN to users who are looking to improve their overall digital security, especially if you plan to sign up for the mid-tier or top-tier plans with Next-Generation Antivirus, NordPass and other bonus privacy and security features.
NordVPN Video Review We put NordVPN to the test for privacy, speed, streaming, and ease of use.
2. Surfshark - Best VPN for Budget & Features
SecurityScore:
9.5 /10
Get Surfshark VPN Links to Surfshark.com
Product Specs
Server locations
100 countries countries
Average Speed Loss
8% download & 50% upload
Apps
Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, tvOS, Android TV, Fire TV
Best Monthly Rate
$1.78/mo with a 2-year plan
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days full refund
Get Surfshark VPN Links to Surfshark.com
Surfshark Privacy - 3/5
Like NordVPN, Surfshark’s no-log privacy policy has been validated by third parties, and its servers are RAM-based. This means all data is wiped after a reboot. During our testing, we found the kill switch and double VPN worked as intended.
Alternative ID was the standout feature, though. It’s available on the mid- and top-tier plans. Alternative ID generates a fake name, email address, and phone number you can use to sign up for online accounts. This means you keep your real information out of data broker lists. You can generate up to three email addresses at a time and one phone number per account.
Privacy Tip: Over 1.7 billion individuals had their personal data compromised in 2024, according to a 2025 study by the HIPAA Journal.1 Email addresses were among the most commonly exposed details, so tools like Alternative ID are useful.
Surfshark Speed - 4/5
Surfshark’s download speeds held up well in our tests, with an average speed loss of around eight percent — fast enough that we streamed video and browsed without any noticeable slowdowns. Our concern is the upload speed. Even when connecting to nearby servers, our upload speed dropped by as much as 80 percent and averaged around 50 percent across 10 tests. That made tasks like uploading files to Google Drive or posting videos noticeably slower.
Expert Tip: Most everyday online activities don’t require fast upload speeds. On Netflix, for example, you only need 15 Mbps to stream 4K content, and just 3 Mbps for HD. Surfshark’s download speeds are more than enough for that.2
Surfshark Security - 5/5
Surfshark has a built-in obfuscation feature called Camouflage Mode, which disguises your VPN traffic as regular internet traffic. That’s handy if you’re on a restrictive network where admins actively monitor for VPN usage. We tested it on our network we configured to detect VPN connections, and it slipped through without a flag.
Like NordVPN, Surfshark also has a built-in ad blocker called CleanWeb. In our tests, it blocked 90 percent of ads on every site we visited and stopped us from accidentally landing on unsafe HTTP sites.
>> Learn More: Must-Have VPNs for Traveling
Why We Picked SurfsharkSurfshark plans provide the perfect balance between affordability and top-quality features. The Starter plan covers the essentials well — in our testing, Camouflage Mode bypassed every network restriction we threw at it, and CleanWeb blocked 90 percent of ads across every site we visited. But we’re particularly fond of the Surfshark One plan because it bundles in one of the best antivirus software we’ve tested, Surfshark Antivirus, at just $2.08 per month with a two-year subscription.
>> Learn More: Surfshark Antivirus Review
What We Like
Camouflage Mode bypassed every network restriction we tested it against
Unlimited devices per subscription, so you can protect everything in your household
CleanWeb blocked 90 percent of ads across every site we visited
Low costs with one- or two-year subscriptions
What We Don’t Like
Upload speeds dropped by as much as 80 percent in our tests, making large file uploads noticeably slower
Not guaranteed to work in restrictive countries like China
Month-to-month pricing is significantly higher than the long-term plans
Who It’s Best For:Surfshark balances affordability without sacrificing security features or privacy. We recommend the VPN for daily use and suggest upgrading to a Surfshark One subscription if you need antivirus protection.
Surfshark Video Review Corey gives his review of SurfShark VPN
3. Proton VPN - Best Bundled VPN
SecurityScore:
9.3 /10
View Plans Links to Proton VPN
Product Specs
Server locations
129 countries countries
Average Speed Loss
8% download & 4% upload
Apps
Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Android TV, tvOS, Firestick
Best Monthly Rate
$2.99/mo with a 2-year plan
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
View Plans Links to Proton VPN
Proton VPN Privacy – 5/5
Like NordVPN and Surfshark, Proton VPN’s no-logs policy has been independently audited. The basics — kill switch, ad blocker, and DNS leak protection — also come with every plan. In our testing, all of them worked exactly as advertised.
Where Proton VPN stands apart is its Secure Core feature. It routes your connection through two servers before reaching its destination, similar to NordVPN’s Double VPN. What makes it different is that those first servers are physically secured and located in privacy-friendly countries like Switzerland, Sweden, and Iceland. These are places with strong legal protections against government surveillance. Even if someone were monitoring the final server in the chain, they’d have a much harder time tracing the traffic back to you.
FYI: All Proton VPN apps are open-source, meaning that anyone can inspect the code for security issues. Since not everyone can do that, we like how Proton VPN had all of its apps audited by a security firm.
Proton VPN Speed – 4/5
Proton VPN nearly rivals NordVPN in our speed tests, slowing our download speeds by around eight percent and upload speeds by just four percent on average — making it one of the more balanced performers we tested across both metrics.
To minimize the impact further, Proton VPN offers a couple of useful tools. Split-tunneling lets you choose which traffic gets routed through the VPN, conserving bandwidth for everything else. Its VPN Accelerator, meanwhile, is designed to boost speeds on distant servers. In our tests, it delivered speed increases of up to 50 percent, which was impressive enough that we now leave it on by default.
>> Related Reading: Proton VPN vs. NordVPN
Proton VPN Security – 4/5
While Proton VPN’s best security feature is its Secure Core servers, the NetShield ad blocker also impressed us. During our testing, it blocked over 90 percent of ads, including pop-up, banner, and video ads. The one thing it couldn’t do was block YouTube ads — NordVPN’s Next-Generation Antivirus handled that better.
Unlike NordVPN and Surfshark, Proton VPN uses full-disk encryption to secure its servers. Data isn’t erased on reboots like it is with RAM-based servers, but the encryption prevents unauthorized access even if the hardware is seized. In practice, our experts consider it just as secure.
Test Results: While NetShield blocked over 90 percent of ads in our tests, it can’t stop malicious downloads like NordVPN’s Next-Generation Antivirus. You also need to be connected to Proton VPN to be protected.
Why We Picked Proton VPNProton VPN placed first overall in upload speed and recorded only an eight percent decrease in download speed in our tests, making it one of the fastest VPNs in 2026. But speed isn’t the only reason it made our list. We read its privacy policy and the results of its latest third-party audit, and confirmed the VPN doesn’t log user IP addresses, browsing traffic, connection timestamps, or bandwidth usage. Add in Secure Core servers that route your traffic through privacy-friendly countries, and Proton VPN is one of the more well-rounded options we tested.
What We Like
Upload and download speeds were among the fastest we tested
Secure Core servers add a layer of privacy by routing traffic through legally protected countries
VPN Accelerator boosted speeds by up to 50 percent on distant servers in our tests
All apps are open-source and independently audited
What We Don’t Like
Starting price is somewhat steep compared to Surfshark and Private Internet Access
30-day refund policy is prorated, so you won’t get a full refund after the first few days
NetShield couldn’t block YouTube ads the way NordVPN’s Next-Generation Antivirus did
Who It’s Best For:We recommend Proton VPN for privacy-focused users who don’t want to sacrifice connection speed. The large server network and speed-boosting tools reduce the impacts on your network, while Secure Core adds an extra layer of privacy.
Proton VPN Video Review Interested in ProtonVPN? Check out our video review and learn more about VPNs
4. Private Internet Access - Best User Experience
SecurityScore:
9.4 /10
View Plans Links to Private Internet Access
Product Specs
Server locations
91 countries
Average Speed Loss
5% download & 84% download
Apps
Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Android TV, tvOS
Best Monthly Rate
$1.98/mo with a 3-year plan
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days full refund
View Plans Links to Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access Privacy - 4/5
Private Internet Access is one of the best no-log VPNs in 2026. We read its privacy policy, which has been independently audited, and confirmed the VPN doesn’t log user IP addresses or browsing traffic — just like NordVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN. It also doesn’t store usage metrics like connection timestamps and bandwidth usage.
We also ran DNS leak tests throughout our testing, and PIA’s encrypted DNS servers kept our browsing activity from slipping through to our ISP every time. Like Proton VPN and NordVPN, PIA’s apps are fully open-source, meaning anyone can inspect the code for potential security issues.
FYI: Some VPNs log connection timestamps and bandwidth usage to improve their services. We don’t have an issue with this type of logging, as it doesn’t compromise user privacy.
Private Internet Access Speed - 5/5
Private Internet Access performed well in our speed tests across every device we used, from mobile to desktop. Our average download speed dropped by just 4.84 percent — one of the lowest figures we recorded across all the VPNs we tested. We streamed 4K video without a single buffer and browsed without any noticeable slowdown.
Our concern, however, is the upload speed, which dropped by over 84 percent on average. When we tried uploading a large folder to Google Drive with PIA running, it took significantly longer than usual — something worth keeping in mind if you regularly transfer large files.
Private Internet Access Security - 3/5
Private Internet Access uses MACE, a built-in ad blocker, to protect your privacy. During our testing, MACE blocked banners, pop-ups, and most video ads on YouTube. The app even redirected us when we stumbled upon some unsafe websites.
Just like NordVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN, Private Internet Access offers obfuscation — connecting you to servers designed to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN. This helps keep your VPN usage hidden from your network admin, your ISP, or government monitoring.
Private Internet Access is one of the fastest, most reliable, and most secure VPNs we’ve tested. It has a VPN app for desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux), mobile (iOS and Android), and streaming devices (Apple TV and Android TV). PIA also offers unlimited connections and customizable options tailored for different uses such as browsing, streaming, torrenting, and online gaming.
What We Like
Strict no-logging policy, independently audited
Download speeds were among the fastest we recorded across all VPNs tested
Intuitive apps across every platform we tested, including mobile, desktop, and smart TVs
Reliably unblocked Netflix across multiple regions
What We Don’t Like
Upload speeds dropped significantly in our tests, making large file transfers noticeably slower
Live chat support was slow to respond during our testing
Fewer bonus features compared to NordVPN and Surfshark
Who It’s Best For:We recommend Private Internet Access to anyone looking for an intuitive VPN. Even if you don’t know how to set up a VPN, PIA makes everything easy whether you want something as simple as a private connection or complex like accessing a proxy server.
Private Internet Access Video Review In-depth review: Corey explores the features and benefits of PIA
5. Hotspot Shield - Best Free VPN
SecurityScore:
8.9 /10
View Plans Links to Hotspot Shield
Product Specs
Server locations
80+ countries
Average Speed Loss
3% download & 80% upload
Apps
Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Firestick
Best Monthly Rate
$2.99/mo with a 3-year plan (free plan available)
Money-Back Guarantee
45 days full refund
View Plans Links to Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield Privacy - 4/5
Like our other top picks, Hotspot Shield has a no-logs policy that was last independently audited in 2023. The report confirmed the company doesn’t store websites visited or applications used by customers, and verified that AES-256 encryption and the kill switch both function as promised. In our testing, the kill switch cut our connection every time the VPN dropped, and we never saw our real IP slip through across more than 20 leak tests.
One thing worth noting is that Hotspot Shield does collect some anonymized session data, like connection timestamps and bandwidth usage. This isn’t tied to your account or browsing activity, so it doesn’t compromise your privacy in any meaningful way — but if airtight data minimization is important to you, NordVPN or Proton VPN log even less.
Hotspot Shield Speed - 3/5
Hotspot Shield was the fastest VPN we tested, with just a 3.17 percent reduction from our usual download speeds — even lower than NordVPN’s already impressive figures. We streamed 4K video through distant servers without a single buffer and downloaded large files faster than we expected from a VPN, especially one with a free plan. That said, upload speeds told a different story, dropping by as much as 80 percent — similar to what we saw with Surfshark. When we tried uploading a large folder to Google Drive with Hotspot Shield running, it took significantly longer than usual.
>> Related: What Is ISP Throttling?
Hotspot Shield Security - 4/5
Hotspot Shield delivers solid security through its built-in app features. It offers leak protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks by providing a private DNS — we ran over 20 tests and never experienced a single leak.
We’re also impressed with the VPN’s proprietary Hydra protocol. It uses military-grade encryption and provides obfuscation, allowing the VPN to work in restrictive countries that censor the internet like China and Russia. We tested it on a network we configured to detect and block VPN traffic, and it got through without any issues.
Speed is the main reason we picked Hotspot Shield. The Hydra protocol, available on the free plan, kept our download speeds within three percent of our baseline. The free plan has some restrictions, but it will do the job for everyday browsing, streaming, and downloading.
What We Like
Fastest download speeds of any VPN we tested, including the free plan
Hydra protocol works on restrictive networks without any extra configuration
No bandwidth or data caps on the free plan
Torrenting access on all plans
What We Don’t Like
Upload speeds dropped by as much as 80 percent in our tests
Difficulty accessing Disney+ and other platforms with strong VPN blocks
Free version requires watching ads after hitting a 500 MB daily data limit
Who It’s Best For:Hotspot Shield is the best option if download speed is your top priority, especially if you’re not ready to commit to a paid subscription. The free plan is genuinely usable for everyday browsing and streaming, though the 500 MB daily data limit and ads make it less practical for heavy use. If you regularly upload large files, we’d point you toward NordVPN or Proton VPN instead.