5 best VPN services of 2026

If you're traveling, a virtual private network (VPN) can help secure your connection to public Wi-Fi networks and unblock your favorite streaming service. Whether at home or on the go, these services are also helpful for gamers who want to protect against cyberattacks or circumvent geographic limitations.

Many VPN providers offer additional security tools, including encrypted data storage and password managers.

CNBC Select has picked the top VPNs in a variety of categories. To learn how we made our selections, read our methodology.

Who's this for? Surfshark is an affordable option for large households because you can connect unlimited devices with a single subscription. Most VPNs limit simultaneous connections to 10 devices, requiring you to pay for an additional subscription or remove an existing device.

Standout features: The Surfshark One bundle adds robust antivirus protection, a data-breach detector and a search engine.

Who's this for? In addition to a feature-rich paid product, Proton VPN offers one of the only free VPNs we'd recommend.

Standout features: Free VPNs are often hindered by obtrusive ads, data limits and substandard security. In some cases, they may collect and sell your data. Proton's free tier stands out for having many of the same security features as its paid version. You can even access its encrypted data cloud storage and secure email services for free. Free Proton VPN members only have access to a limited number of servers in five countries: Japan, Poland, the Netherlands, Romania and the U.S.

Who's this for? Try out Hotspot Shield® if the speed of your VPN connection matters most.

Standout features: When you connect to a VPN, the encryption process slows down your internet speeds. But the tradeoff isn't the same from one VPN to the next. In our tests, Hotspot Shield reduced upload speeds by an average of 14% and download speeds by 31%. However, it was the only VPN to consistently improve speed compared to a non-VPN connection.

Who's this for? ExpressVPN is a winner if you're having trouble finding a VPN that works with all of your devices.

Standout features: Any decent VPN service offers native apps for Windows, Apple devices (MacOS and iOS) and Android. ExpressVPN covers those bases and much more, including Linux, Chromebook, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, , Roku, Chromecast and Android TV. You have even more options if you're comfortable manually installing a VPN, including additional routers and gaming systems.

Who's this for? NordVPN is a great option for those who want a feature-rich server network that allows them to connect from just about anywhere.

Standout features: NordVPN has a large network of diskless (RAM-only) servers and connections in 130+ countries. Obfuscated servers hide your VPN connection and let you bypass VPN blockers and, for additional security, you can route your VPN connection through two servers with the Double VPN feature. NordVPN's server network is also useful for file sharing and torrenting, thanks to its peer-to-peer (P2P) servers and an Onion Over VPN option, which provide more secure internet access with a Tor browser.

A virtual private network (VPN) is software that masks the user's IP address and encrypts their internet connection. While using a VPN, users on public Wi-Fi are protected from hackers, online tracking, data theft and certain forms of surveillance or censorship. 

Beyond protection, VPNs enable users to access blocked websites and connect to services that may be unavailable in their region. Consider a VPN your private tunnel to the internet, shielding your activity and giving you secure, unrestricted access to the web.  

However, VPNs do not guarantee total invisibility online. Cookies and browser fingerprinting techniques can still track your activity across websites. Similarly, VPNs cannot protect information you have willingly given to websites, such as personal details or login credentials. 

Choosing the right VPN provider depends on how you interact with the internet. Most users will want to consider factors like privacy policies, connection speed and ease of use.

These protections help ensure your online activity stays secure without slowing down your browsing experience or requiring complicated setup. 

If you have more specific needs, such as streaming geo-restricted content or bypassing heavy censorship, you might prioritize features like a large network of global servers, support for peer-to-peer traffic or advanced security protocols.  

VPNs are valuable for users who spend a significant amount of time online and prioritize privacy, security and accessing restricted content. If you aren't concerned about those risks, a VPN might not be as worth it for you. 

Keep in mind that most reputable VPNs cost $3 to $10 per month. If your budget is tight, you can still enhance your privacy at a lower cost by using incognito or private browsing modes, choosing safer browsers like DuckDuckGo or Firefox, and clearing cookies regularly. 

Free VPN services exist, but they often have issues with limited bandwidth, slower speeds, intrusive ads, weaker security and questionable data privacy practices. If you decide a VPN is necessary, it's best to choose a paid provider. In most cases, it will offer stronger encryption, no-logs policies, better performance and reliable customer support. 

At CNBC Select, our mission is to deliver high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice to our readers. Every cybersecurity article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of writers and editors. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content independently of our commercial team and any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on maintaining high journalistic standards and ethics.

To determine which VPNs are best, CNBC Select analyzed and compared more than a dozen services. We focused on VPNs geared toward individuals and small businesses, based on these criteria: 

• Cost: We considered the cost of services, whether there's a free trial period, a limited free version or a money-back guarantee. The cost of the services mentioned is current as of the time of publication.
• Platforms: We only considered services that were available on iOS, Android, MacOS and Windows.
• Speed: We tested the upload and download speeds of each VPN against a non-VPN connection and showed the percentage of speed reduction for each product. Connection speeds were measured using Speedtest by Ookla.
• Network: We considered the number of servers a company has and the countries users can connect to.
• Security: We reviewed the VPN protocols offered by each service. In addition all the VPNs we reviewed are free of DNS leaks (tested with DNS Leak Test and IPLeak), have a no-logs policy and include a kill switch that cuts your internet connection if the VPN connection drops.
• Additional features: We considered if a VPN provider had other features, like diskless servers and secure email or password manager services.

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