James' World 2

The best VPNs offer robust privacy protections without compromising on performance or noticeably affecting your internet speeds. ExpressVPN is our Editors’ Choice for best overall VPN, thanks to its top-notch approach to privacy and transparency, paired with great streaming capabilities. It’s followed closely by NordVPN, the fastest VPN we tested. Surfshark is another great option, especially for anyone looking for simultaneous connections. Proton VPN and Mullvad round out our recommendations as particularly privacy-forward services that are also budget-friendly.

What is the best VPN in 2026?

Editors’ note, Sept. 1: We’re making some changes to our methodology this year. We’ve expanded our speed-testing process to include multiple connection types, and we’re adjusting our value assessment to better account for VPNs that offer bundled services. We’ll update this page with new rankings and data when we conclude our testing and evaluation next month, but in the meantime, we stand by the recommendations on this page.

The race for the title of best VPN is as close as ever: Our top three VPNs all sit within a half-point of one another in our ratings. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the five VPNs we recommend.

ExpressVPN is currently the best VPN overall thanks to its streamlined apps, fast server speeds, excellent streaming capabilities and strong privacy.

NordVPN is an exceptional VPN that gave us the fastest connection speeds in our testing — it’s great for streaming and packed with privacy features.

Surfshark delivers speeds and features comparable to ExpressVPN and NordVPN, but is cheaper upfront and offers unlimited simultaneous connections.

Proton VPN is privacy-forward, with unique features like discreet app icons on Android to disguise your VPN app as a notes, weather or calculator app.

Mullvad VPN charges a straightforward monthly price and takes a unique approach to privacy that doesn’t require any personal information whatsoever to use the service.