VPN Comparison

We’re lucky to live in an age when so many great virtual private network (VPN) services are competing to see which can do the best job of protecting our privacy. The one downside is that you can sometimes get stuck deciding between two VPNs that both seem perfect for your needs.

It’s a good problem to have, but it’s still a problem. Privacy Journal’s VPN comparison articles are here to help you through the analysis paralysis. You’ll find head-to-head reviews of the most popular VPNs in the world, featuring ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, ProtonVPN and many more.

Top 7 VPN: Comparison At-a-Glance

  1. Overall Rating 9.5 / 10
    Get 49% Off ExpressVPN
    Our ExpressVPN score
    • Features
      9.8 / 10
    • Pricing
      8.5 / 10
    • User-friendliness
      9.5 / 10
    • Speed
      9.5 / 10
    • Security
      9.7 / 10
    • Privacy
      10 / 10
    • Streaming
      9.7 / 10
    • Servers
      9 / 10
    • Service
      9.5 / 10
    • Apps Support
      9.9 / 10
  2. Overall Rating 9.2 / 10
    Visit NordVPN
    Our NordVPN score
    • Features
      9.5 / 10
    • Pricing
      8.5 / 10
    • User-friendliness
      9 / 10
    • Speed
      9 / 10
    • Security
      9.5 / 10
    • Privacy
      9 / 10
    • Streaming
      9.5 / 10
    • Servers
      9.5 / 10
    • Service
      9 / 10
    • Apps Support
      9.2 / 10
  3. Overall Rating 8.9 / 10
    Visit Surfshark
    Our Surfshark score
    • Features
      8.5 / 10
    • Pricing
      8.5 / 10
    • User-friendliness
      8 / 10
    • Speed
      9 / 10
    • Security
      9.5 / 10
    • Privacy
      9.5 / 10
    • Streaming
      8.5 / 10
    • Servers
      9.5 / 10
    • Service
      9 / 10
    • Apps Support
      9 / 10
  4. Overall Rating 8.8 / 10
    Visit Proton VPN
    Our Proton VPN score
    • Features
      9.5 / 10
    • Pricing
      9.5 / 10
    • User-friendliness
      9 / 10
    • Speed
      6.5 / 10
    • Security
      9 / 10
    • Privacy
      9.5 / 10
    • Streaming
      8 / 10
    • Servers
      8 / 10
    • Service
      8 / 10
    • Apps Support
      8.5 / 10
  5. Overall Rating 8.7 / 10
    Visit Windscribe VPN
    Our Windscribe VPN score
    • Features
      9 / 10
    • Pricing
      10 / 10
    • User-friendliness
      9 / 10
    • Speed
      7 / 10
    • Security
      9.5 / 10
    • Privacy
      9.5 / 10
    • Streaming
      8.5 / 10
    • Servers
      8 / 10
    • Service
      8 / 10
    • Apps Support
      9 / 10
  6. Overall Rating 8.4 / 10
    Visit Mullvad
    Our Mullvad score
    • Features
      7 / 10
    • Pricing
      9 / 10
    • User-friendliness
      9 / 10
    • Speed
      8.5 / 10
    • Security
      9 / 10
    • Privacy
      10 / 10
    • Streaming
      5 / 10
    • Servers
      7.5 / 10
    • Service
      7.5 / 10
    • Apps Support
      8 / 10
  7. Overall Rating 7.5 / 10
    Visit CyberGhost
    Our CyberGhost score
    • Features
      9 / 10
    • Pricing
      9.8 / 10
    • User-friendliness
      9.5 / 10
    • Speed
      8.5 / 10
    • Security
      9.5 / 10
    • Privacy
      9 / 10
    • Streaming
      9.5 / 10
    • Servers
      10 / 10
    • Service
      9 / 10
    • Apps Support
      9 / 10

VPN Comparison: How to Evaluate

Why go to all this trouble to compare all these VPNs? Because your security is valuable, and so is your money. At Privacy Journal, we make sure you subscribe to your best VPN — and never worry that there might have been a better choice.

There’s no such thing as an objectively superior VPN. The best one is the best one for your needs. With that said, we can still compare them in the areas that matter, and see which of two services we’d recommend above the other.

Security & Privacy

We keep our criteria simple so it’s easy to explain how we picked the winner. Security and Privacy are the two most important areas — we see which VPN does the best job of protecting your IP address and encrypting your online activity, and which is the best at protecting you from malfeasance with a strong, independently verified privacy policy.

Features

We also check which VPN has the best features, looking for both variety and quality. Several features are must-haves, including a kill switch, split tunneling and leak protection.

App Support

Plus, app support checks how many platforms each VPN works on. We like to see a wide variety of desktop apps, mobile apps, browser extensions, router installations and beyond.

Pricing

Pricing is key. Some VPNs charge more for premium features, but every service should have a deal that lets you subscribe without blowing up your budget. We also look for a wide variety of payment methods, and a free trial or money-back guarantee.

User-Friendliness & Customer Service

We also look at user-friendliness. We want each VPN we recommend to be as easy as possible to install, operate and troubleshoot. Plus, great customer service is a must-have, since no VPN is perfect. It should be easy to get help from both the FAQ page and live experts.

Servers & Speed

For servers, we count the countries and cities where the VPN has IP addresses, and how many users across the world will have a location near them.

We also put a high premium on speed. A VPN should slow down your browsing speed and increase your latency as little as it can. The best VPNs run so well that you hardly notice them in the background — we hold all our competitors to this high standard.

Streaming Performance

Streaming performance measures how well the VPN circumvents proxy blockers to access streaming websites, and also pays attention to how well the video performs once you’re in.

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