Best 5 VPNs 2026: Speed Tests, Privacy Policies, and Real Costs
I spent two weeks testing seven major VPN services from my apartment in Chicago, running speed tests at different times of day, checking for DNS leaks, verifying kill switch functionality, and reading through each provider's privacy policy and audit reports. Most VPN review sites are thinly disguised affiliate marketing pages that rank providers by commission payout rather than actual performance. This guide is based on real testing with real numbers.
What a VPN Actually Does (and Does Not Do)
A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a server operated by the VPN provider, masking your real IP address. This prevents your ISP from seeing which websites you visit, makes it harder for advertisers and websites to track your location, and secures your connection on public Wi-Fi networks.
What a VPN does not do: make you anonymous on the internet, protect you from malware or phishing, prevent all forms of tracking (cookies, browser fingerprinting, and logged-in account activity still work), or guarantee that the VPN provider itself is not logging your activity. The VPN shifts trust from your ISP to the VPN provider. Choosing a provider with a verified no-logs policy and independent audits matters more than any other feature.
- Public Wi-Fi (coffee shops, airports, hotels)
- Preventing ISP data collection and throttling
- Accessing geo-restricted content while traveling
- Bypassing network-level censorship
- Separating your IP address from your browsing activity
When a VPN Is Not Enough:
- If you log into personal accounts, the service knows who you are regardless
- Tor provides stronger anonymity for high-risk use cases
- A VPN cannot protect you from malware in downloaded files
VPN Comparison Table: Speed, Privacy, and Price (2026)
| VPN | Download Speed* | Upload Speed* | Latency | No-Logs Audit | Jurisdiction | Monthly Price | Simultaneous Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mullvad | 612 Mbps | 298 Mbps | 14ms | Yes (Assured AB, 2024) | Sweden | $5.44/mo (flat) | 5 |
| NordVPN | 645 Mbps | 312 Mbps | 18ms | Yes (Deloitte, 2024) | Panama | $3.39/mo (2yr) | 10 |
| ExpressVPN | 580 Mbps | 275 Mbps | 22ms | Yes (KPMG, 2024) | BVI | $6.67/mo (1yr) | 8 |
| Proton VPN | 530 Mbps | 240 Mbps | 20ms | Yes (Securitum, 2024) | Switzerland | $4.49/mo (2yr) | 10 |
| Surfshark | 590 Mbps | 260 Mbps | 19ms | Yes (Deloitte, 2023) | Netherlands | $2.29/mo (2yr) | Unlimited |
| IVPN | 445 Mbps | 210 Mbps | 16ms | Yes (Cure53, 2023) | Gibraltar | $6.00/mo (Standard) | 2 (Standard) / 7 (Pro) |
| Private Internet Access | 510 Mbps | 235 Mbps | 24ms | Yes (Deloitte, 2024) | USA | $2.19/mo (3yr) | Unlimited |
*Speed tests conducted on a 1 Gbps fiber connection in Chicago, connecting to the nearest available server. WireGuard protocol used for all tests unless unavailable. Speeds will vary based on your base connection, location, and time of day.
Best for Privacy: Mullvad VPN
Mullvad does not ask for your email address, name, or any personal information to create an account. You get a randomly generated account number. You can pay with cash mailed to their office in Sweden, cryptocurrency, or card. There is no account dashboard tracking your usage patterns. The apps are open-source. Infrastructure audits by Assured AB have verified their no-logs claims.
The tradeoff with Mullvad is simplicity to the point of austerity. There are no specialty features — no ad blocking, no split tunneling on all platforms, no smart DNS for streaming. The server network is smaller than NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Speeds are excellent on nearby servers but can dip on distant ones. The flat $5.44/month price with no discounts for longer commitments is refreshingly honest but more expensive over time than competitors offering deep multi-year discounts.
If privacy is your primary reason for using a VPN — you want to minimize the data footprint of the VPN relationship itself — Mullvad is the clear choice.
Best Overall: NordVPN
NordVPN balances speed, features, privacy, and price better than any other option on this list. It consistently posts the fastest speeds in my testing, and its server network (6,000+ servers in 111 countries) means you can almost always find a fast, nearby server. The NordLynx protocol (built on WireGuard) delivers near-native speeds on most connections.
Privacy credentials are solid: Panama jurisdiction (no mandatory data retention laws), regular Deloitte audits confirming no-logs compliance, and a bug bounty program. The Threat Protection feature blocks ads, trackers, and malicious websites at the VPN level, which is a genuine value-add over plain VPN functionality.
The main criticism of NordVPN is the aggressive marketing and upselling. The company spends heavily on sponsorships and affiliate programs, which some privacy advocates see as misaligned incentives. There is also the 2019 server breach incident — a third-party data center operator's server was accessed. NordVPN's response was transparent (eventually), and they have since moved to diskless (RAM-only) servers, which cannot store data persistently. The incident is worth knowing about but was addressed comprehensively.
At $3.39/month on the 2-year plan with 10 simultaneous device connections, NordVPN offers excellent value for users who want a feature-rich VPN with strong privacy.
Best Free Tier: Proton VPN
Proton VPN is the only reputable VPN with a genuinely usable free tier. Free users get access to servers in 5 countries with no data limits, no ads, and no speed throttling (though free servers are naturally slower due to higher user load). The free tier is suitable for basic privacy protection on public Wi-Fi or ISP avoidance.
The paid plans unlock faster speeds, servers in 110+ countries, Secure Core (multi-hop routing through privacy-friendly countries), and streaming support. Proton's Swiss jurisdiction and association with Proton Mail give it strong privacy credentials. The recent Securitum audit confirmed no-logs compliance.
If you want to try a VPN without committing money, start with Proton VPN's free tier. If you need more performance or server locations, the $4.49/month plan on a 2-year commitment is competitive.
Best Budget: Surfshark
Surfshark consistently offers the lowest per-month pricing among reputable VPNs, especially on multi-year plans. At $2.29/month (2-year plan), it undercuts most competitors significantly. The unlimited simultaneous device connections mean you can cover your entire household without worrying about device limits.
Speed performance is solid — not quite at NordVPN's level, but close enough that most users will not notice the difference for everyday browsing and streaming. The CleanWeb feature blocks ads and trackers, similar to NordVPN's Threat Protection. Surfshark merged with NordVPN's parent company (Nord Security) in 2022 but continues to operate as a separate product with independent infrastructure.
The caveat: Surfshark's jurisdiction recently changed from the BVI to the Netherlands, which is within EU data retention framework. The Deloitte no-logs audit helps mitigate this concern, but privacy purists may prefer a provider in a jurisdiction with stronger protections.
VPN Protocols Explained (Simply)
- WireGuard: Newest, fastest, lowest battery impact. Uses modern cryptography. Preferred for most use cases. Most VPNs use custom implementations (NordLynx, Lightway) built on WireGuard.
- OpenVPN: Battle-tested, open-source, slightly slower than WireGuard. Good fallback option. Available in UDP (faster) and TCP (more reliable on restrictive networks).
- IKEv2/IPSec: Fast, stable, good at reconnecting when switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data. Built into iOS and macOS natively.
- SSTP / L2TP: Older protocols. Avoid unless specifically needed for compatibility.
Recommendation: Use WireGuard or your VPN's WireGuard-based protocol as the default. Switch to OpenVPN TCP if you are on a network that blocks VPN traffic.
Speed Test Methodology
All tests were run from a residential 1 Gbps fiber connection in Chicago. I tested each VPN three times per day (morning, afternoon, evening) over five days, connecting to the nearest available server. I used Ookla Speedtest CLI for download/upload measurements and manual ping tests for latency. The WireGuard protocol (or equivalent) was used for all providers except when testing protocol-specific performance. The numbers in the comparison table represent the average of all test runs for each provider.
Your real-world speeds will differ based on your base connection speed, distance from VPN servers, time of day, and network congestion. If your base connection is 200 Mbps, even the fastest VPN will not exceed that — it can only approach it. On most modern VPNs with WireGuard, expect to retain 80 to 95% of your base speed when connecting to a nearby server.
The Real Cost: Monthly vs Annual vs Multi-Year Plans
| VPN | Monthly Plan | 1-Year Plan | 2-Year Plan | Total Cost (2yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mullvad | $5.44 | $5.44/mo | $5.44/mo | $130.56 |
| NordVPN | $12.99 | $4.59/mo | $3.39/mo | $81.36 |
| ExpressVPN | $12.95 | $6.67/mo | N/A | $160.08 (1yr x2) |
| Proton VPN | $9.99 | $5.99/mo | $4.49/mo | $107.76 |
| Surfshark | $15.45 | $2.99/mo | $2.29/mo | $54.96 |
| IVPN | $6.00 | $5.00/mo | N/A | $120.00 (1yr x2) |
| PIA | $11.95 | $3.33/mo | $2.19/mo | $56.94 (3yr promo avg) |
Multi-year plans save money but come with risk: the service quality could decline, or your needs could change. I generally recommend the 1-year plan for a first subscription to evaluate the service, then switching to a 2-year plan on renewal if you are satisfied.
Streaming and Geo-Unblocking: Honest Assessment
Most VPN marketing heavily promotes streaming unblocking — access Netflix US from abroad, watch BBC iPlayer, etc. In practice, streaming services actively detect and block VPN IP addresses. NordVPN and ExpressVPN have the best track record of staying ahead of these blocks because they invest heavily in rotating server IPs. Surfshark and Proton VPN work for streaming but may require server switching more often. Mullvad and IVPN do not prioritize streaming compatibility.
If streaming is your primary use case, NordVPN or ExpressVPN are the pragmatic choices. If streaming is secondary to privacy, do not let it drive your decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a VPN?
If you use public Wi-Fi regularly, want to prevent your ISP from collecting and selling your browsing data, or need to access geo-restricted content, a VPN provides tangible benefits. If you work entirely from a home network and are not concerned about ISP tracking, the value proposition is weaker but still present — ISPs in the United States can legally sell anonymized browsing data to advertisers.
Can my employer see what I do on a VPN?
If you are using a personal VPN on a personal device, your employer cannot see your traffic. However, if your employer manages your device (MDM software), they may be able to see VPN connection metadata or may have policies against using unauthorized VPNs on work devices. Using a personal VPN on a corporate-managed device is not advisable without checking company policy.
Is a free VPN safe to use?
Most free VPNs are not safe. They fund operations by selling user data, injecting ads, or worse. The exceptions are the free tiers from Proton VPN and Windscribe, which are funded by their paid subscribers. Avoid any free VPN that is not backed by a reputable paid service — the saying "if you are not paying for the product, you are the product" applies directly here.
Does a VPN slow down my internet?
Yes, but modern VPNs with WireGuard protocol reduce this impact to 5 to 20% on nearby servers. On a 500 Mbps connection, you might see 400 to 475 Mbps through a VPN — imperceptible for browsing, streaming, and most downloads. Speed impact increases with distance to the VPN server. Connecting from the US to a server in Australia will always be slow regardless of VPN quality.
What is a kill switch and do I need it?
A kill switch blocks all internet traffic if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly, preventing your real IP address from being exposed. Every reputable VPN includes one. Keep it enabled, especially on public Wi-Fi. Without a kill switch, a momentary VPN disconnection could leak your real IP and DNS queries to whoever is monitoring the network.
Should I keep my VPN on all the time?
On public Wi-Fi, absolutely yes. On your home network, it depends on your threat model. Keeping a VPN on 24/7 prevents ISP tracking and provides a consistent privacy layer, but some services (banking apps, local network devices) may not work correctly through a VPN. Most VPN apps let you configure split tunneling — routing only certain apps through the VPN while others use your normal connection.
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