VPN Services
Reviewed by the Clientele Research Team · Last checked 9 days ago (2026-07-15)
8 options
CLIENTELE RATED
Best overall
Surfshark
Unlimited devices, lowest long-term price among audited VPNs
Speed & Performance8.0
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility8.0
Streaming & Torrenting9.0
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections10.0
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility9.0
✓Unlimited simultaneous connections on every plan — no cap on phones, laptops, tablets, smart TVs, or routers
✓2-year Starter plan costs $2.49/month — well below the renewal price of NordVPN or ExpressVPN on equivalent long-term plans
✓Two Deloitte no-logs audits (2023 and 2025) verified the no-logs policy across standard, MultiHop, and static IP servers
✓All 4,500+ servers run on RAM-only hardware with at least 10 Gbps throughput
✓Unblocked nearly 20 Netflix catalogs in Bleeping Computer's tests, plus Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video
✓CleanWeb ad and malware blocker included on all plans
✓Dedicated IP add-on ($3.75/month extra) available in the US, UK, Japan, Canada, and Australia
Best for speed
NordVPN
Fastest speeds with six completed no-logs audits
Speed & Performance10.0
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility9.0
Streaming & Torrenting9.0
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections8.0
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility8.0
✓CNET measured 2.9% average speed loss in 2025 — on a 50 Mbps connection you'd still have 48.5 Mbps
✓Six no-logs audits completed, most recently by Deloitte Lithuania (November–December 2024), verifying zero browsing history, IP addresses, or timestamps stored
✓9,000+ servers in 130+ countries, including Double VPN, Onion Over VPN, and obfuscated servers
✓Unblocked 15+ Netflix regions, plus Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer
✓Dedicated P2P servers in Switzerland and Canada with a kill switch and split tunneling built in
✓Threat Protection blocks ads and malware without requiring the VPN to be active — included on the Basic plan
✓MeshNet links up to 60 devices into a private encrypted network
Best for privacy
Proton VPN
Open-source apps, four consecutive annual privacy audits, free tier with no data cap
Speed & Performance7.0
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility10.0
Streaming & Torrenting8.0
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections7.0
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility8.0
✓All apps (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux) are fully open-source — anyone can audit the code for hidden tracking or backdoors
✓Four consecutive annual audits by Securitum, most recently in August 2025, confirmed zero user activity logging, zero metadata retention, and zero deep packet inspection
✓Free plan has no data cap, no ads, and no data selling — the only zero-cost VPN CNET recommends
✓Secure Core routes traffic through Switzerland or Iceland before exiting, protecting against compromised exit-node attacks
✓Port forwarding is supported on paid plans — a plus for torrent users who need faster peer connections
✓Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland under Swiss privacy law
✓Proton Unlimited bundle ($7.99/month on 2-year plan) adds Proton Mail, Proton Drive, Proton Pass, and Proton Calendar
All vpn services · 8 options
SORTMIN SCORE
NordVPN
Fastest speeds with six completed no-logs audits
Speed & Performance10.0
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility9.0
Streaming & Torrenting9.0
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections8.0
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility8.0
8.8Open →
ExpressVPN
The most consistent Netflix unblocking across regions
Speed & Performance7.0
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility9.0
Streaming & Torrenting10.0
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections7.0
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility5.0
7.6Open →
Proton VPN
Open-source apps, four consecutive annual privacy audits, free tier with no data cap
Speed & Performance7.0
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility10.0
Streaming & Torrenting8.0
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections7.0
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility8.0
8.0Open →
Surfshark
Unlimited devices, lowest long-term price among audited VPNs
Speed & Performance8.0
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility8.0
Streaming & Torrenting9.0
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections10.0
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility9.0
8.8Open →
CyberGhost
Pre-labeled streaming servers and a 45-day money-back guarantee
Speed & Performance6.0
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility7.0
Streaming & Torrenting9.0
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections6.0
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility8.0
7.2Open →
Mullvad
No email, no account name, accepts cash by mail
Speed & Performance7.0
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility10.0
Streaming & Torrenting3.0
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections4.0
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility7.0
6.2Open →
IPVanish
Self-owned server infrastructure with unlimited device connections
Speed & Performance8.0
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility5.0
Streaming & Torrenting5.0
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections10.0
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility7.0
7.0Open →
Private Internet Access (PIA)
Open-source apps, granular protocol settings, unlimited devices
Speed & Performance6.0
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility9.0
Streaming & Torrenting5.0
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections10.0
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility9.0
7.8Open →
LEADERBOARD · OVERALL SCORE
WHAT MOVED
↓
Surfshark — Pricing & Subscription Flexibility
10.0→9.0
9 days ago•
Surfshark — Initial publish
9.0→9.0
1 month agoMOST RECENT CHANGE
Surfshark — Pricing & Subscription Flexibility
10.0→9.0
2-year Starter plan price increased from $1.78/month to $2.49/month, and CyberGhost's corrected 2-year price ($1.59/month) is now cheaper, so Surfshark is no longer the single lowest-priced audited VPN.
How we score vpn services
Speed & Performance
How much the VPN slows your connection in real-world tests, and whether it can handle 4K streaming, large downloads, and video calls without noticeable lag.
Privacy & No-Logs Credibility
Whether the no-logs promise has been independently verified — by auditors, court cases, or server seizures — and what data the company actually holds about you.
Streaming & Torrenting
How reliably the VPN unblocks Netflix and other major platforms across multiple regions, and whether it supports P2P file-sharing without speed penalties or restrictions.
Device Compatibility & Simultaneous Connections
How many devices you can protect at once under one subscription, and which platforms — Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, smart TVs, routers — are supported.
Pricing & Subscription Flexibility
What it costs per month on the cheapest long-term plan, how much prices jump on renewal, and whether you can pay month-to-month without being locked in.
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