Our experts spend hundreds of hours regularly testing VPN apps to give you only the best and most up-to-date buying advice. Well, after another round of deep dives, there are some big changes to our best VPN rankings.
While some testing sessions are less eventful – often confirming rather than revolutionizing our top VPN list – there have been quite a few interesting changes this time around. From checking unblocking and threat protection capabilities to speeds, server network, pricing, and new releases: some providers have recorded important wins to the detriment of some big names.
Keep reading to see what has changed, what hasn’t, and what all this means for you. Understanding the reasoning behind our rankings is crucial for choosing today’s best software according to your needs.
NordVPN remains TechRadar’s favorite
Before looking at what has changed with the new VPN ranking, let’s confirm what has not. Good news for all our long-standing readers who have trusted our previous buying advice – NordVPN confirms itself as TechRadar’s best pick this time, too. This round of testing unveils brilliant performances from Nord’s side yet again, in fact, across all its apps. We are especially pleased to see its speeds and unblocking results still at the top of the ranking.
Did you know?
A VPN, short for virtual private network, is a security software that encrypts your internet connection to secure all the data leaving your device. It also spoofs your real IP address and location to boost your online anonymity and grant you access to otherwise geo-blocked content.
We also recorded many browser extension improvements, including location spoofing which tells your browser to use the VPN’s virtual location, and the complete rebuilding of the Firefox extension to improve security. Similarly, there also are some improvements with its Meshnet feature, including faster file sharing and the ability to personalize device names so they’re easier to recognize.
Even more significantly, NordVPN has seriously upped its game for malware and phishing protection. The newly launched Threat Protection Pro has already proven itself to be a highly effective security tool and uses AI to help identify newly created threats. Yes, you’ll need to upgrade above the Basic plan to use this tool, but our results show that it’s well worth it for your online safety.
Surfshark steals second place
Now, let’s have a look at something more juicy – the changes across the rankings.
Surfshark obtained a silver medal for the first time ever in our top VPN list. While the best cheap VPN provider has moved to second place, ExpressVPN has slipped to third as a result. Multiple factors influenced our decision which can be summarized as Surfshark offering more consistent performances for a fraction of Express’ price.
Let’s take a look at the speed results, for example. NordVPN and Surfshark were still consistently faster than ExpressVPN, if only a little. While the latter peaked at 898 Mbps with its WireGuard-based protocol, the others reached over 950 Mbps consistently also this time.
When using Surfshark, we enjoyed more stable streaming unblocking, too. That’s because ExpressVPN had a few fails with some Netflix connections. It eventually unblocked every country but sometimes it took two or three attempts – this makes Surfshark a way more reliable Netflix VPN option.
Last but not least, ExpressVPN is way more expensive service compared to Surfshark or NordVPN. In the past, we were putting performances and technical infrastructure above this factor, but lacking the first we had to consider this difference.
Having said that, Express has recently lowered its price for the first time ever. Its one-year plan dropped to just $5.32 per month from its previous $8.33 monthly fee. While this is still far from matching Sursfhark convenience ($2.79 a month for the same plan), it certainly puts Express at a more competitive place in the market.
Proton VPN knocks PIA out of the rankings
The changes among our top VPN picks do not end here, though. The Swiss provider also behind one of the most secure email services and cloud storage solutions, Proton VPN has jumped from #6 to #4.
Again, there is a mix of reasons behind this choice. For starters, Proton VPN was among the fastest VPNs we tested also this time, peaking at 950+Mbps alongside the top two picks when connected to the WireGuard protocol.
We were also impressed by the boost to its server network, now counting locations across 112 countries – even more than NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Proton VPN’s global domination is also significant as the provider focuses on areas competitors may overlook, like Africa (Proton has 22 servers in contrast to the 7 NordVPN has) and Asia (42, against 34 from ExpressVPN and 32 from NordVPN).
While PrivadoVPN, the best free VPN service right now, remains in the same position (#5), a popular provider had to say goodbye to the top five. Private Internet Access (PIA) has now fallen to the sixth position after a few years in fourth.
This drop mainly comes as a result of Proton’s improvements. Besides this, PIA speeds didn’t impress much – 436Mbps when connected to WireGuard. TechRadar’s Lead Reviewer, Mike Williams, also found the provider’s customer support experience a bit “lousy” as the team stopped replying to his questions at some point.
How we test VPNs
We take our reviewing process very seriously and are committed to running VPN tests regularly to offer only up-to-date recommendations. To do so, our experts undertake a rigorous array of tests designed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each VPN service.
The testing process begins by gathering as many technical details as possible about every product. These details span from network size and server locations to supported protocols, encryption methods, security features, and independent audit results. Reviewers then compare the information and conduct subsequent in-house tests accordingly.
Many factors need to be verified to assess the reliability of VPN software, in fact. Is the privacy and security infrastructure in line with industry standards? Does it work as promised? Does the VPN offer fast connections? Does it unblock geo-restricted content without any issues? How’s the provider customer support?
To reply to all these questions, reviewers run many practical tests, including speeds, streaming unblocking, and various security checks. You can read more about our testing process on our methodology page.
Mike Williams
Mike is head-geek and has been our lead tester for years – he’s responsible for our speed analysis, stream unblocking tests, and functionality testing. He’ll find out if a kill switch won’t hold up under stress, or whether or not your IP address is likely to leak out. Mike is always peeking behind the curtain to see how a VPN app is coded to unveil the truth of a VPN’s build quality. He also tests VPN apps on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Fire stick, and Roku. View author page
Bottom line
It’s important to stress that these rankings variations are a cumulation of many factors, but do not mean that ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access (PIA) are not valid services anymore.
All the providers listed in our guide are secure and worth subscribing to, in fact. These new pieces of information are for you to shape your buying choices according to your very own needs.
Do you need more servers around Africa and Asia? Proton VPN may be your best bet, then. Is connection speed a defining factor for you? You should probably consider NordVPN or Surfshark over PIA. And so on.
It’s also worth reminding you that all the VPN services in our rankings come with some form of money-back guarantee (generally 30 days). This means you can try them out risk-free and decide for yourself if the software is really value for money – for you, at least.
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chiara.castro@futurenet.com (Chiara Castro)
