Compare the Best VPN Services of 2026

SquirrelVPN

VInsider, Inc. — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

SquirrelVPN is a decentralized peer-to-peer VPN service founded in 2018 by VInsider, Inc., based in Toronto, Canada. Unlike traditional VPNs that rely on central servers, SquirrelVPN routes encrypted traffic through a global network of volunteer user nodes, providing genuine decentralized privacy. It supports WireGuard for high-speed connections, offers apps for iOS, Android, and major desktop platforms, and includes a 30-day free trial. SquirrelVPN is particularly effective for bypassing censorship in restrictive regions like China.

CyberGhost

Kape Technologies — Bucharest, Romania

CyberGhost is a Romania-based VPN founded in 2011 and now owned by Kape Technologies. With over 11,000 servers across 100+ countries, CyberGhost is the largest server network of any VPN. It is particularly known for dedicated streaming-optimized servers for Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and dozens more. CyberGhost supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2, includes an ad-blocker, and offers an industry-leading 45-day money-back guarantee. Best suited for beginners and streaming enthusiasts.

ExpressVPN

Kape Technologies — British Virgin Islands

ExpressVPN is one of the most trusted VPN services globally, founded in 2009 and headquartered in the British Virgin Islands. Known for its proprietary Lightway protocol (up to 3x faster than OpenVPN), ExpressVPN covers 105+ countries, offers TrustedServer RAM-only infrastructure, independently audited no-logs policy, and best-in-class apps for all platforms. It is the go-to VPN for travelers, streamers, and users who need a reliable, easy-to-use premium VPN.

Hotspot Shield

Aura — Redwood City, California, USA

Hotspot Shield is one of the world's most downloaded VPN applications, developed by Aura and headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in 2008, it is powered by its proprietary Hydra protocol which delivers some of the fastest VPN speeds available. Hotspot Shield offers a limited free tier (500MB/day), multiple premium plans with up to 25 device connections, military-grade AES-256 encryption, and specializes in fast streaming and secure browsing. It has been downloaded over 700 million times globally.

IVPN

Privatus Limited — Gibraltar

IVPN is a small, privacy-focused VPN provider founded in 2009 and incorporated in Gibraltar. It is one of the most ethically operated VPN services — fully open-source apps, transparent ownership, minimal data collection, and regular independent audits. IVPN supports WireGuard and OpenVPN, offers multi-hop (connecting through two servers in different countries), AntiTracker (DNS-based ad/tracker blocking), and accepts anonymous payments including cash and Monero. IVPN is not designed for streaming but excels at privacy and anonymity.

Mullvad

Mullvad VPN AB — Gothenburg, Sweden

Mullvad is a Sweden-based VPN founded in 2009 and widely regarded as the gold standard for privacy-focused users. Uniquely, Mullvad requires no email address, name, or personal information to sign up — you simply generate an anonymous account number. Payment can be made in cash or cryptocurrency. Mullvad charges a flat €5/month with no discounts for longer commitments. It is fully open-source, RAM-only, supports WireGuard and OpenVPN, and has been independently audited. Not optimized for streaming, but unmatched for anonymity.

Mysterium Network

Mysterium Network — Switzerland (DAO structure)

Mysterium Network is a blockchain-based decentralized VPN (dVPN) founded in 2017. It operates as an open marketplace where users rent unused bandwidth from thousands of residential node operators worldwide. With 19,000+ residential nodes across 130+ countries, Mysterium provides genuine residential IP addresses that bypass geo-restrictions more effectively than datacenter IPs. It supports WireGuard, accepts crypto payments, and offers pay-as-you-go or subscription pricing. Ideal for users who need residential IPs for web scraping, market research, or bypassing detection systems.

NordVPN

Nord Security — Panama City, Panama

NordVPN is the world's leading VPN service, headquartered in Panama and founded in 2012 by Nord Security. With over 6,400 servers across 111 countries, NordVPN offers NordLynx (WireGuard-based), Threat Protection Pro (ad and malware blocker), Meshnet, Double VPN, and Onion over VPN. Its independently audited no-logs policy and RAM-only server infrastructure make it a top choice for privacy-conscious users, streamers, and enterprise teams.

Orchid

Orchid Labs, Inc. — San Francisco, California, USA

Orchid is a decentralized, open-source VPN protocol and bandwidth marketplace launched in 2019, headquartered in San Francisco. Built on Ethereum, Orchid lets users pay only for the bandwidth they consume using OXT (Orchid's native token) via a nanopayment system. Users can select from multiple VPN providers within the Orchid ecosystem and route traffic through multiple hops for enhanced anonymity. Orchid is built for privacy advocates who want maximum transparency, no subscription lock-in, and cryptographically verifiable privacy.

Private Internet Access

Kape Technologies — Denver, Colorado, USA

Private Internet Access (PIA) is one of the most established VPN services, founded in 2010 and headquartered in the United States. PIA is fully open-source, supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2, and is the only VPN to have its no-logs policy legally proven in multiple US court cases. With 35,000+ servers across 91 countries, support for unlimited connections, customizable port settings, a built-in MACE ad-blocker, and split tunneling, PIA is the choice for technically advanced users who want full control and verified privacy.

ProtonVPN

Proton AG — Geneva, Switzerland

ProtonVPN is developed by the team behind ProtonMail, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and governed by some of the world's strongest privacy laws. It is the only VPN with a fully free, unlimited-data tier. ProtonVPN is open-source, independently audited, supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2, features Secure Core (multi-hop through Switzerland/Iceland/Sweden), and is the most transparent VPN service available. Ideal for journalists, activists, and privacy-first users.

Surfshark

Surfshark B.V. — Amsterdam, Netherlands

Surfshark is a feature-rich VPN launched in 2018 and headquartered in the Netherlands. It stands out as the best-value premium VPN due to its unlimited simultaneous connections policy, allowing entire households or teams to share one subscription. Surfshark supports WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN, includes CleanWeb (ad and malware blocker), Nexus (IP Rotator), MultiHop, camouflage mode for obfuscation, and covers 100+ countries. Independently audited and RAM-only servers.

Tachyon VPN

Tachyon Protocol — Singapore

Tachyon VPN is a decentralized VPN application built on the Tachyon Protocol, powered by the IPX token on the V-Systems blockchain. Founded in 2019 and based in Singapore, Tachyon uses a P2P node network with protocol simulation and multi-path routing to disguise VPN traffic and bypass deep packet inspection in restrictive environments like China and Iran. It offers a free tier (with ads) and VIP subscription plans for premium access. Users can also operate their own nodes via the Tachyon Node Manager for passive income.

Tailscale

Tailscale Inc. — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Tailscale is a WireGuard-based mesh VPN that creates secure private networks between devices without complex server configuration. Founded in 2019 by ex-Google engineers and headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Tailscale is designed for developers, teams, and enterprises who need secure, encrypted device-to-device connectivity. Unlike traditional VPNs, Tailscale does not route all traffic through a central server — instead it builds peer-to-peer mesh networks between your approved devices.

VyprVPN

Golden Frog, GmbH — Zurich, Switzerland

VyprVPN is owned and operated by Golden Frog, GmbH, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Founded in 2009, VyprVPN is notable for owning and managing all of its own servers — no third-party hosting — and for its proprietary Chameleon protocol that obfuscates VPN traffic to bypass deep packet inspection (DPI) in restrictive countries like China and UAE. It was the first VPN to complete a fully transparent public audit of its no-logs policy in 2018. Supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Chameleon.

Windscribe

Windscribe Limited — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Windscribe is a Canada-based VPN and privacy suite founded in 2016. It offers one of the most generous free plans in the industry — 10GB/month at no cost. Beyond the free tier, Windscribe is uniquely flexible with a "Build-A-Plan" option letting users pay $1/month per server location. Windscribe includes R.O.B.E.R.T. (an advanced firewall/ad-blocker), desktop firewall, split tunneling, and browser extensions that double as proxies. Its approach to privacy — including minimal user data collection — makes it a standout among transparent VPNs.