Best VPNs 2026
Top-rated VPNs based on community feedback and independent audits
Updated April 2026
| # | VPN | Score | Free Plan | Servers | Privacy | Credibility | Protocols | Bug Bounty | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mullvad | 4.8 | N/A | N/A | No Logs Verified Sweden | No email/password required; police raid confirmed zero data stored; no affiliate program; flat pricing with no upsells | WireGuard OpenVPN | N/A | Reddit's #1 privacy pick. No account info needed — just a generated number. Police raid in 2023 confirmed zero user data stored. |
| 2 | ProtonVPN | 4.8 | N/A | N/A | No Logs Verified Switzerland | 4 independent audits (Cure53, SEC Consult); open-source apps; Swiss jurisdiction; founded by CERN researchers | WireGuard OpenVPN Stealth | N/A | All apps are open-source and independently audited. Swiss privacy laws provide strong legal protection. Best VPN with a genuinely useful free tier. |
| 3 | NordVPN | 4.7 | N/A | N/A | No Logs Verified Panama | 5 Deloitte audits; RAM-only servers; Panama jurisdiction; no data produced in multiple government subpoenas | NordLynx OpenVPN IKEv2 | N/A | Fastest mainstream VPN with proprietary NordLynx protocol. Heavy affiliate marketing inflates review-site scores, but the product itself is solid. |
| 4 | IVPN | 4.5 | N/A | N/A | No Logs Verified Gibraltar | 6 annual Cure53 audits; Gibraltar jurisdiction; open-source apps; voluntarily closed affiliate program | WireGuard OpenVPN | N/A | Discontinued its affiliate program on ethical grounds. Smaller server network but every server is owned and operated directly. Extremely transparent. |
| 5 | Surfshark | 4.5 | N/A | N/A | Audited No Logs Netherlands | Deloitte-audited; RAM-only servers; independently managed despite Nord Security merger | WireGuard OpenVPN IKEv2 | N/A | Best budget VPN. Only mainstream provider offering unlimited simultaneous connections. 14-Eyes jurisdiction (Netherlands) is a minor concern. |
| 6 | Private Internet Access | 4.4 | N/A | N/A | Court-Proven No Logs USA | No-logs upheld in 2 separate US federal court subpoenas; open-source apps; owned by Kape Technologies | WireGuard OpenVPN | N/A | No-logs policy proven in court twice when FBI subpoenaed records. Kape Technologies ownership is a concern, but the product has proven track record. |
| 7 | Windscribe | 4.3 | N/A | N/A | Audited No Logs Canada | Packet Labs audit; Greek court (2025) confirmed no data to hand over; voluntarily closed affiliate program | WireGuard OpenVPN IKEv2 Stealth | N/A | Voluntarily discontinued its affiliate program. Offers flexible build-a-plan pricing. Free tier is one of the best available. |
| 8 | OVPN | 4.3 | N/A | N/A | RAM-Only Servers Sweden | Owns all server hardware; Swedish court (2020) confirmed zero data; RAM-only diskless infrastructure | WireGuard OpenVPN | N/A | Small Swedish provider that owns all its hardware. Court case in 2020 proved they had no data to hand over. Highly trusted in privacy communities. |
| 9 | ExpressVPN | 4.2 | N/A | N/A | Audited No Logs British Virgin Islands | KPMG and Cure53 audits; Lightway protocol open-sourced; RAM-only servers; owned by Kape Technologies | Lightway OpenVPN IKEv2 | N/A | Consistently fastest VPN in speed tests. Kape Technologies acquisition in 2021 raised privacy community concerns. Product quality remains high. |
| 10 | Astrill VPN | 4.1 | N/A | N/A | Claims No Logs Seychelles | Seychelles jurisdiction; no public audit; 10+ years operating; strong track record in censored markets (China, Iran) | StealthVPN OpenVPN WireGuard | N/A | The go-to VPN for users in China and Iran. StealthVPN protocol bypasses deep packet inspection. Higher price but unmatched in censored regions. |
| 11 | VyprVPN | 4.0 | N/A | N/A | Audited No Logs Switzerland | Leviathan Security audit; owns entire server network with no third-party hosting; Swiss jurisdiction | Chameleon WireGuard OpenVPN IKEv2 | N/A | Only VPN that owns and operates its entire server network — no rented infrastructure. Chameleon protocol effective against censorship. |
| 12 | AirVPN | 3.9 | N/A | N/A | Claims No Logs Italy | Running since 2010; accepts Monero; no affiliate program; privacy activist founding team | OpenVPN WireGuard | N/A | Long-running privacy provider since 2010, popular with technical users. Excellent port forwarding support and advanced configuration options. |
| 13 | Mozilla VPN | 3.8 | N/A | N/A | Audited No Logs USA | Mozilla Foundation backed; Cure53 audit completed; runs on Mullvad server infrastructure | WireGuard | N/A | Backed by the trusted Mozilla Foundation. Uses Mullvad's server network under the hood. Simple, no-frills VPN focused purely on privacy. |
| 14 | CyberGhost | 3.7 | N/A | N/A | Audited No Logs Romania | Deloitte-audited; publishes quarterly transparency reports; owned by Kape Technologies | WireGuard OpenVPN IKEv2 | N/A | Largest server network. Kape Technologies ownership is a concern for privacy purists. Good for streaming and casual use cases. |
| 15 | TorGuard | 3.6 | N/A | N/A | Claims No Logs USA | No public audit; US jurisdiction; settled copyright case by blocking traffic rather than logging users | WireGuard OpenVPN IKEv2 | N/A | Strong choice for power users and businesses. Stealth proxy bypasses VPN blocks. Offers dedicated streaming IPs for specific regions. |