Best VPN for 2026: Our Top 10 Favorite VPN Services

The best VPN in February 2026 secures your online presence and shields you from ISP surveillance. In today’s day and age, using a reliable VPN service is almost a necessity. On one hand, you see online censorship. On the other hand, there are geo-restrictions, website blocks, and other nasties that can quickly spoil the fun.

The Internet, as much as it’s incredible, can be annoying. Your private data will inevitably end up in the wrong hands, and your privacy will be exposed. ISPs know your browsing habits, while hackers can exploit your IP address and steal more info through phishing. Our top VPN picks can and will alleviate all the terrifying issues.

A VPN keeps your privacy intact by routing your traffic through an intermediary server. It hides your IP address and encrypts traffic, making your online presence anonymous. This is only a theory. In practice, only the best of the best VPN services provide such benefits, while the rest fall short of glory. These ten are your best bet.

Best VPN of 2026: Detailed List & Reviews

This is it, our definitive list of the most reliable VPN services. We tested over 200 VPNs, so we’re talking from experience. This is a comprehensive ranking based on at least 15 years of experience with VPN services. Take note of these:

1. NordVPN – The Best VPN Overall

If you want the absolute best VPN for 2026 and you tolerate no compromises, NordVPN is for you. It’s a VPN famous for its versatility, with no corners cut and uncompromising quality at a budget-friendly price.

Features

This is easily our favorite paid VPN, offering 8,600+ servers in more than 127 countries. NordVPN is many people’s preferred choice for privacy and security. As one of the leading services, it has AES-256 encryption to eliminate ISP monitoring and stop surveillance. We’ll add Double VPN servers to the equation.

They route traffic through two servers (instead of one), ensuring two encryption layers for double the security. NordVPN proudly offers Threat Protection Pro on all devices. It blocks ads, malware, and trackers, swiftly providing 360-degree protection. This top-rated VPN also uses an automatic kill switch to prevent IP leaks.

On the other side, Private DNS servers deter DNS leaks and amplify privacy. NordVPN is a no-logging service from Panama. It has several third-party audits from Deloitte and PwC, some of the most renowned auditors. NordVPN is also the most reliable VPN for streaming and torrenting, both of which are enjoyable.

The NordLynx protocol provides fast speeds utilized by NordVPN’s 10 Gbps servers. Similarly, the VPN benefits from NordWhisper, an in-house solution for bypassing network filtering. Its technological prowess is reflected in P2P servers whose torrenting speeds are astonishing, even on distant servers.

Better yet, NordVPN works with 25+ Netflix libraries and other streaming services. We love NordVPN’s recent improvements, such as ten simultaneous connections and Meshnet for remote control and access. It even offers obfuscated servers that work in China for bypassing DPI and various firewall restrictions.

Visit NordVPN

Price

As the best VPN in 2026, NordVPN’s price is surprisingly low. Considering everything you get and the VPN’s performance in the real world, NordVPN is a service whose faults are nonexistent. In our experience, NordVPN is the epitome of a leading VPN. It works on all major platforms and even offers a VPN app for Apple TV.

Our advice is to grab a special time-limited 74% discount on NordVPN’s Basic or Plus 2-year plans and spend only $2.99 per month. The company has a generous 30-day money-back guarantee to make your purchase risk-free.

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2. ExpressVPN – Best for Speed and Stability

Right behind our top VPN pick is ExpressVPN, slightly pricier than NordVPN, but with some respectable features and performance. Best of all, it’s beginner-friendly, so newcomers are more than welcome to try it.

Features

It’s one of the best VPN services with state-of-the-art encryption and RAM servers for the highest level of security. ExpressVPN takes pride in its Lightway Turbo protocol, offering a balance of safety and speed. ExpressVPN is nearly as fast as NordVPN. Our test of ExpressVPN showed impressive performance.

This applies to gaming, streaming, and downloading torrents. With unlimited data and 10 Gbps servers, ExpressVPN’s status as one of the top-rated VPNs is clear as day. ExpressVPN works on all your devices, each app having Advanced Protection to block ads, trackers, and adult sites (Parental Control).

The VPN uses split tunneling, and there’s a kill switch to protect you from data leaks. We’re thoroughly impressed by this VPN’s compatibility. In particular, its tvOS app is solid for streaming. We should mention its router support and up to 14 simultaneous connections per subscription. Ten is the smallest number.

Our team appreciates its built-in obfuscation and OpenVPN TCP support for added variety and bypassing censorship. Being one of the best VPN services to use in 2026, ExpressVPN uses Perfect Forward Secrecy. It assigns unique encryption keys to each connection to prevent data theft and maximize your privacy.

ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, a well-known offshore location. This allows it to keep no traffic logs related to your IP and browsing history. Besides, it’s one of the leading VPNs with a lot of security audits under its belt. At the moment, we’re looking at over twenty, but we’re sure there’ll be more.

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Price

ExpressVPN used to be expensive, but things have changed. The provider now starts at only $3.49 per month for the Basic plan, while the mid-tier Advanced plan is $4.49 per month. Be aware of ExpressVPN’s discounts that often drop the price to $2.79 per month for the Basic plan, with a discount of up to 78%.

As prices are prone to change, use the links and buttons in our article to get the best deal available at the moment. Regardless of the current price, ExpressVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.

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3. Private Internet Access – The Best for VPN Users on a Budget

Almost at the very top of our VPN ranking is Private Internet Access, the best Virtual Private Network in 2026 for budget users. Despite the price of around two quid, it’s still capable and reliable for everything internet-related.

Features

PIA is the biggest VPN with 30,000+ servers in nearly 100 countries. While not the fastest paid VPN, PIA is incredibly secure. It doesn’t store logs and offers advanced security features, such as bank-grade encryption and port forwarding. WireGuard is there, with the option to use a custom port and customize each protocol.

Users appreciate PIA MACE, a renowned ad blocker that also deters trackers. PIA is torrent-friendly, but streaming is also possible on a few Netflix catalogs and BBC iPlayer. Privacy is its strong suit, particularly logging-wise. Despite the US jurisdiction, the provider proved its no-log claims in court many times.

Plus, it has an external audit from Deloitte. PIA VPN is an excellent choice for router users or those looking for a simple-to-use VPN for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, or Android. The good thing is, you can protect unlimited devices at a time, and enjoy 24/7 live chat support if you encounter urgent issues.

Other premium features include RAM-only servers, DNS leak protection, split tunneling, a kill switch, and Shadowsocks/SOCKS5 proxies for more customization. It’s noteworthy that obfuscation with Shadowsocks isn’t reliable in China, which explains why it’s not our #1 VPN service in 2026. But it’s not a big deal.

The provider still works well worldwide and can even be topped up with virus protection and a dedicated IP address for those looking to expand their horizons. On that note, we need to explore its prices.

Visit Private Internet Access

Price

PIA is one of the best cheap VPNs, and with a 2-year plan with two or four free months at around $2.19 per month, it’s highly attractive to those on a tight budget. Let’s not lose sight of a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans, making PIA completely risk-free to test and use for a month or so.

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4. Proton VPN – The Best VPN for Privacy and Zero Logging

Proton VPN is, for many, the best overall VPN for privacy. However, after extensive testing, we realized that Proton VPN is more than a privacy-only service. It’s an all-arounder worth exploring in depth.

Features

The privacy part boils down to its Swiss jurisdiction and a verified no-logs policy. Proton VPN offers a wealth of unique features, such as Secure Core servers (Multi-hop), Stealth VPN, and OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols. The provider even has a free plan with unlimited monthly data.

Paid users get more. The VPN is fast enough, and there’s the VPN Accelerator for substantial performance boosts. Its encryption is bank-grade, and you’ll find its NetShield good for blocking ads and trackers. Another perk is the server park. As a widely adopted VPN in 2026, it covers 125+ countries with 17,300+ 10 Gbps servers.

They’re optimized for streaming on a variety of services, with full support for P2P in any location. Proton VPN even has Tor over VPN servers. They can be used with Tor to visit the dark web privately. Proton VPN doesn’t limit your data, and is, as such, useful for low-ping gaming even on mobile devices.

With ten simultaneous connections, it protects all your devices with easy-to-use apps filled to the brim with features. We praise Proton VPN’s port forwarding for speeding up your torrent downloads. Proton VPN works on your Fire TV Stick as well, and with a free app for this platform, you can enjoy hours of streaming.

The VPN doesn’t have Smart DNS, and its performance, while still excellent, isn’t on the level of the top-rated VPNs like NordVPN or ExpressVPN. However, the fourth place is great, and these few flaws don’t negate Proton VPN’s extraordinary service that improves with each consecutive update.

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Price

Proton VPN isn’t very expensive either, at $3.59 per month for the 2-year plan. However, it’s a tad pricier than, let’s say, Private Internet Access. For us, NordVPN is a slightly better option for similar money, hence the first place in our ranking. On the brighter side, Proton VPN’s 1-year plan is cheaper.

You can get it for about $4.34 per month and save 57%. Don’t forget a free plan plus a 30-day money-back guarantee. All this makes it a high-rated VPN service in 2026.

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5. Surfshark – The Best VPN for Protecting Unlimited Devices

If you seek problem-free, anonymous, and smooth internet browsing, you might want to rely on a leading service like Surfshark. You’ve heard it’s good, reliable, and powerful, but you may not know it’s among the least expensive options.

Features

This provider’s amazing security with features like MultiHop and 256-bit encryption makes it special. Even better, users get Camouflage Mode, which adds obfuscation and allows Surfshark to work in China and get over stubborn firewalls. This is the best VPN if you seek additional value in unlimited concurrent connections.

In addition, it has IP Rotation, which rotates your IP every few minutes and keeps your online location the same, making you untraceable. Surfshark is an incredible VPN for streaming. We used it to unblock 30+ Netflix libraries, with platforms like Hulu, Prime Video, and Max working like a charm abroad.

It’s one of the rare VPNs that offer Static IP addresses as standard, which you’ll find nowhere else among quality providers. We should point out its WireGuard support, which makes this provider’s performance stable and suitable for bandwidth-hungry scenarios. Paying more for the One plan gives you access to Antivirus.

Better yet, you’ll get a superior private browser without tracking. While the company is registered in the Netherlands, in the 14 Eyes region, it’s a strict no-log VPN provider with many third-party audits. That said, don’t fear logging and data retention. These are foreign to the best VPN services like Surfshark.

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Price

Surfshark is flexible and affordable for pretty much anyone. Its dedicated IP addresses are slightly expensive, and NordVPN is better in this regard. However, as one of the best-rated VPNs around, Surfshark is hard to blame for such small inconveniences. You can get this highly-rated service at $1.99 per month.

If you spend half a dollar on top, you can get Surfshark One at around $2.49 per month and enjoy extra security and privacy. Even the priciest Surfshark One+ plan at $4.19 for two years with three free months is wallet-friendly. Want to test it risk-free? You know the drill: there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee for that.

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6. CyberGhost – The Best VPN for Streaming and Torrenting

CyberGhost is the best paid VPN for those who don’t want to spend a fortune. It does have a few flaws, but it is ultimately a well-rounded service with solid performance, security, apps, and privacy features.

Features

CyberGhost has thousands of dedicated streaming and torrenting servers. Streaming ones are super convenient thanks to one-click connections and easy access to Netflix, Hulu, and other famous services. Based in Romania, CyberGhost is free of logging and storing your private data, crucial for a reputable VPN

This is complemented by transparency reports published a few times a year. CyberGhost’s in-house NoSpy servers are excellent for privacy. This VPN is characterized by stable and reliable performance thanks to WireGuard, unlimited bandwidth, and the use of 10 Gbps servers, all geared towards speed.

The service doesn’t have obfuscation and isn’t the best VPN for China. On the flip side, it’s equipped with 256-bit AES encryption and a reliable kill switch to prevent IP leaks. It offers an array of Dedicated IP addresses in over 21 locations for a fairly low price. We also love its Smart DNS, with addresses in key locations for streaming.

CyberGhost has an ad blocker, plus automatic WiFi protection to shield you against nasties on unknown networks. Its seven simultaneous connections sound underwhelming and not much compared to our best VPN in 2026, NordVPN, but still enough. It’s an impressive pick with intuitive apps, reliable support, and transparency.

This is, in the end, why it’s one of our favorite VPN services. Find out more about it in our comprehensive review of CyberGhost.

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Price

CyberGhost’s long-term plans are killer deals, with a 45-day money-back guarantee. Apart from the price of about $2.19 per month, the VPN offers access to 12,000+ servers and has an antivirus that you can buy for $1.00 on top of your subscription. Meanwhile, dedicated IP addresses are $2.50 per piece.

Even if you decide to get an antivirus or a dedicated IP, the package won’t cost you more than a few dollars. At this price, it’s easily among the most impressive VPN services that you can enjoy in the long run for a pocket change.

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7. Hide.me – Best for Advanced Security Features

Hide.me has seen some massive improvements lately. This isn’t our absolute favorite VPN, but it does quite a few things right. If we were to sum it up in one sentence, we’d say it’s an affordable all-rounder.

Features

Hide.me is famous for its privacy produced by the Malaysian jurisdiction. An offshore country like this allows Hide.me to keep zero logs of your online activities. As one of our top picks, Hide.me offers multiple secure protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, and SoftEther. It also uses 8192-bit keys for its AES-256 encryption.

Recent improvements to this dependable premium VPN include streaming, which, in return, makes Hide.me usable on Netflix or BBC iPlayer. Torrenting works well, as Hide.me offers fast speeds to tackle your bandwidth-hungry needs. Hide.me also excels at security, with IP leak protection, Multi-hop, and SmartGuard.

The latter blocks malicious sites, trackers, and ads. This provider also offers dynamic port forwarding for faster P2P downloads, at the cost of anonymity. The VPN’s server fleet is by no means small, but with 2,600 servers in about 90 locations, it’s not the most impressive option in 2026, especially next to NordVPN.

However, it allows ten simultaneous connections, offers apps for all platforms, and has 24/7 customer support through live chat. Like Proton VPN, it also has a free plan with unlimited data, great for testing the waters before diving.

Price

While the free plan is solid, you’ll get the most out of its paid plans. Hide.me used to be expensive back in the day, but now, you can get the cheapest biennial plan at $2.49 per month, with four free months. The annual plan is $3.50 per month with two free months, cheaper than most providers on the list.

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8. IPVanish – Best for App Simplicity & Ease of Use

As we move on with the list of the top-rated VPNs, we have IPVanish, a good but not very impressive option. However, this affordable service is by no means bad, especially if you seek ease of use, privacy, and security.

Features

This VPN doesn’t impress with speed or performance. It is, however, pretty stable and offers over 3,200 servers in 150+ locations. IPVanish is streaming-friendly to an extent, but we noticed better performance for torrenting. Also, Threat Protection made this VPN much better, thanks to protection against ads and trackers.

IPVanish’s apps are intuitive enough but slightly outdated. This is countered by many servers in the US usable for Netflix and Hulu. A long time ago, IPVanish used to store logs under another owner. In 2026, it’s one of the top VPNs for rectifying the issue. With an external audit that it proudly bears, IPVanish is a 100% safe VPN.

Regarding advanced features, the provider doesn’t offer many. However, a kill switch, IP/DNS leak protection, and split tunneling are available. It also supports the SOCKS5 proxy used for torrenting and P2P. The provider offers unlimited connections, making it a leader in device support.  Speaking of which, IPVanish works on all devices.

Price

This VPN doesn’t offer a free plan, but this isn’t an issue. Its affordable 24-month Esssential plan at $2.99 per month is worth checking out, but be aware that its monthly plan isn’t covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee. We expected a bit more generosity from this reputable VPN service.

IPVanish also has the Advanced plan with Threat Protection, Secure Browser, Cloud Backup, and phone support, at $4.14 per month for two years. At this price, we still favor NordVPN or even ExpressVPN over IPVanish.

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9. TunnelBear – Best for Free & Paid Tiers

We know TunnelBear as a popular free VPN, but many overlook its paid version, which, in our book, is worth exploring if you’re a non-demanding user. TunnelBear won’t impress you, but sometimes, that’s not a bad thing.

Features

Its free plan is purely average, with no excitement on the horizon. It’s a tad better as a paid option, with unlimited data and slightly faster, although far from impressive speeds. We’ve got to give some credit. TunnelBear looks amazing, with beautiful in-app animations and the furry bear mascot.

Additionally, the VPN is optimized for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android, and while all apps work smoothly, this is all you get. No other devices are supported. TunnelBear has been audited multiple times for storing no logs. Yes, it’s a Canadian VPN, but we know your private info doesn’t linger on its servers.

This has been confirmed by multiple third-party audits in the past few years. The VPN uses a kill switch for additional security, but there’s GhostBear, an obfuscation for circumventing firewalls. TunnelBear habitually doesn’t work in China, so don’t expect miracles. Its server fleet is impressive, even for a premium VPN.

It consists of about 8,000 servers, but unlike NordVPN with over 127 countries, TunnelBear has only 50. On the brighter side, the VPN supports unlimited concurrent connections and allows P2P in the paid version. Sadly, below-average streaming performance may ruin the day, as Netflix and Prime Video usually won’t work well.

Price

At least TunnelBear won’t charge you much for its plans. 1-year and 3-year plans are $4 and $3.33 per month, and TunnelBear has special Teams plans for companies. A free plan is there too, but with 2 GB of monthly data, it’s hardly worth your time, let alone day-to-day use, which seems, and is impossible.

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10. Hotspot Shield – Best for Wide Compatibility

One thing we like about Hotspot Shield is its modern VPN app for Windows. Aesthetics are far from everything, and Hotspot Shield has a few other merits we’d love to explore. Don’t keep your expectations too high; it’s not perfect.

Features

This usually isn’t our preferred or favorite premium VPN, but we enjoy some of its features: automatic kill switch, military-grade encryption, and split tunneling. Hotspot Shield users get another unexpected perk – Hydra. This is the in-house protocol built on OpenVPN TLS for impressive performance and obfuscation.

We tested it in China, and it’s not working, but milder firewalls can be bypassed without a fuss. Our tests also demonstrated that the VPN works for streaming and watching live sports. Torrenting is quite fast, and the VPN’s unlimited bandwidth and data provide a noteworthy experience in the paid version.

Its paid version has only 800 servers, but 125 locations ensure proper distribution. The VPN supports routers, great for connecting with gaming consoles. If you don’t use a router, you can enjoy ten simultaneous connections. Interestingly, it’s a nice VPN to use on Linux due to a full-fledged GUI for better ease of use.

As one of the top VPNs, Hotspot Shield has built-in phishing protection, Tor over VPN support, and a DNS Filter to block specific websites. It’s a no-log VPN in the paid version, but that doesn’t apply to its free version, where it’s suspected of logging, due to targeted ads in its mobile apps.

Hotspot Shield is a US-based VPN, so it’s at the core of the Five Eyes alliance. Its history wasn’t the best, and some logging incidents were present. Betternet, a VPN from the same parent company, has a similar history.

Price

Hotspot Shield is a tad expensive for what it offers, but its 45-day refund policy is impressive. While it’s surely a solid VPN, its price is unjustifiably high at $7.99 per month for the Premium plan, leaving it to hang at the bottom of our ranking of the best of the best VPNs for 2026.

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How We Tested and Ranked the Best VPNs in 2026

Our team of cybersecurity experts stands behind everything said here. We tested all of these VPN services. However, we hold no secrets and will gladly explain and divulge our testing process to aid your selection of the top picks for this year. Here are the essential VPN aspects we analyzed when making this comprehensive list.

Security, Privacy & Reputation

The top paid VPNs have incredible reputations as some of the most secure options in 2026. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and PIA all have no-logs policies and audits by the most respected companies like PwC, Deloitte, Cure53, KPMG, and others. Let’s not forget their encryption standards that don’t go below 256-bit.

Our best picks are proven to not keep any logs while asserting dominance over other VPNs with features like a kill switch, DNS leak protection, RAM servers, Private DNS, and plenty more. Such features won’t meet you in free providers or low-quality premium options we intentionally avoided.

Streaming & Torrenting

Streaming is paramount for many of the best-rated VPN services. NordVPN is the #1 VPN here, as it works with a wealth of Netflix libraries and other popular platforms. We won’t name all. Simultaneously, it offers thousands of P2P servers for anonymous, fast, and stable torrenting everywhere.

It’s no coincidence that NordVPN is also the best VPN for torrenting. That’s also because it has SOCKS5, frequently employed for P2P for better speeds. All the VPNs have powerful 10 Gbps servers to take full advantage of your internet speed. This ensures P2P, streaming, and even gaming with low latency and excellent performance.

Performance

Speaking of that, our top VPN picks in 2026 offer the crème de la crème of performance. The two best options, NordVPN and ExpressVPN, lead the pack, with PIA and Proton VPN following closely. This is important for a smooth browsing experience, even on more distant servers.

Our experts performed tests across thousands of servers. We wanted to provide you with the fastest VPNs for every device. Fast internet connections are crucial, and no one likes slouches whose latency is through the roof.

Server Locations

We’re huge fans of large server fleets among the most reliable paid VPNs. NordVPN has 127+ countries and over 8,600 servers. Think about PIA with 30,000 or more. Then, we have CyberGhost with 12,000+ servers and Proton VPN’s fleet that counts 17,300+. Their server locations are varied.

All top-rated VPN services have US servers too, so Americans abroad can swiftly obtain their homeland IP address for whatever reason. NordVPN has 3,000+ in this country, while PIA offers servers in every American state. This tells a lot about the sheer quality of these reputable services.

Keep in mind that a large server network doesn’t always mean a high-quality VPN. The quality of the servers is important, sometimes even more than the number. Rest assured, our top ten services check both boxes.

Bypassing Censorship

Getting over harsh censorship is a hard job and one that our preferred VPNs do well for the most part. We tested all in China, Russia, Turkey, the UAE, and other censored regions. While some are incapable of working in China, the majority will work relatively well, with little to no issues in 2026.

We’d like to mention NordVPN as the most notable pick, but ExpressVPN and even Surfshark are amazing thanks to obfuscation and masking your traffic. These stellar VPNs can get over Deep Packet Inspection and provide a safe internet experience. With these services, you’ll have no trouble unblocking a blocked site.

The same goes for using a VPN in school, where all will circumvent the school firewall and allow you to use any website, platform, or app.

Compatibility & Ease of Use

This experience translates to any device your mind can fathom. Your fridge won’t support our favorite VPNs, but other devices and systems will. They work on:

• iOS and Android phones and tablets
• Android, Linux, and macOS computers and laptops
• Routers (DD-WRT, Tomato, Asus, and more)
• Gaming consoles (Xbox, PS, Switch, and more)
• Smart TVs (Android, Tizen, webOS, and more)
• Streaming devices (Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Nvidia Shield TV, and more)

All top VPNs are designed with at least seven simultaneous connections. Many options, like PIA, Surfshark, IPVanish, and TunnelBear, allow for unlimited. All are easy to use, with one-click connections. If you’re a beginner, you’re welcome to try one, but if you lack confidence, we explain how to use a VPN in this guide.

Customer Service

Customer support was important in our testing procedure. The #1 rated VPN pick, NordVPN, excels in this regard, with round-the-clock 24/7 live chat support. The same goes for other top picks on this list. You can be sure these support teams will come to your aid faster than you can say Virtual Private Network.

Value for Money

You’d be surprised at how inexpensive the best VPN services in 2026 are. They cost around $1.99 to $7.99 per month, which is what you’ll pay for a coffee at Starbucks. Their money-back guarantee and free trials, in some cases, make them attractive and risk-free. Take NordVPN, our number 1 provider.

It costs around $2.99 per month and provides some of the most innovative features. Think of something more valuable than an excellent VPN like this one. At a price cheaper than a Starbucks coffee, you’re getting all the online protection you’ll ever need. Yet, this isn’t even the least expensive pick in 2026.

Why We Avoid Free VPN Providers?

We have a separate guide discussing free VPNs. Our team opts for the best paid VPNs because they’re limitless. Free services limit your data, they’re slower, and usually don’t offer impressive security. Storing logs is another dangerous game. This is prevalent in low-quality and free options like Hola VPN or Urban VPN.

They admit to storing logs regarding your IP address, location, traffic destination, and social-media-related data. Streaming and torrenting are often problematic. Many free options intentionally block P2P traffic. They also don’t work with Netflix or BBC iPlayer. A glaring issue is poor device compatibility.

This is reflected in their lack of simultaneous connections. But then, even their apps are cut down and lack advanced features. A smaller server fleet is typical, so expect not more than ten or so locations. These providers are by no means the top picks if you’re looking for an excellent premium experience.

However, we encourage your curiosity and want you to test them.

Conclusion

With the ten best VPN services to use in 2026, it’s time to sign off. We made this list according to the VPNs’ qualities and our personal experience. NordVPN is at the top of our ranking due to its extreme performance, strong security, streaming, and P2P capabilities, and uncompromising privacy.

It’s a no-brainer as a leader in the VPN industry and an exquisite paid service. ExpressVPN’s discounted price makes it a highly attractive option, right after NordVPN, offering speedy connections, competitive security and privacy, and beginner-friendly apps. Don’t forget PIA VPN as one of the most popular VPNs.

It’s perfect for unlimited connections, advanced security, and streaming on popular services. Other options have their qualities worth looking into if you’re curious. It’s your move now. Which VPN provider are you going to choose? You’re spoilt for choice, but we believe you’ll make the right choice.

Try NordVPN Risk-Free Today

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are VPNs legal?

Yes, they’re perfectly legal in the majority of the world, including Europe, the USA, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Very few countries openly ban VPNs, such as Oman, Iraq, North Korea, Turkmenistan, and Belarus.

In most other countries, VPNs are allowed. If you’re still not sure whether your country allows them, read this guide about the legality of VPNs, where we explain everything.

Do I really need a VPN?

Yes, you need them for privacy and security, but it ultimately depends on your needs and expectations. VPNs are privacy tools relying on encryption and security features to keep your traffic anonymous. Similarly, they change your IP and let you unblock websites, download in P2P in privacy, and more.

Do these possibilities excite you? If so, you need a VPN. If you answered negatively, you may want to think again. Perhaps our list of all the best VPN benefits can help you determine if you really need one.

How to set up and use a VPN?

Like any other application. You don’t need to be tech-savvy, and with these four steps, you can install any VPN, not just the ten we presented today.

1. Get the best VPN from our list – we advise NordVPN.
2. Download and install NordVPN on your device.
3. Open the application and sign in with your email and password.
4. Select the server and connect to it.

All VPNs function the same, and the initial setup takes a minute. After that, it takes one click or tap on the screen to connect and enjoy.

How much does the best VPN in 2026 cost?

You don’t have to splurge an insane amount of money on a leading VPN service. VPNs cost very little, and the best one, like NordVPN, costs about three dollars a month. Of course, more expensive options exist, but very few providers go above the few-dollars-a-month threshold. The price goes up if you pay monthly.

By paying for a long-term plan upfront and using our links, you can save more than 85% and snatch the VPN you want without breaking the bank.