The Best VPNs for Privacy 2026

A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your traffic and increases your privacy by stopping potential hackers from seeing your data. Whether you’re using shared Wi-Fi or just want extra security at work or at home, a VPN can protect you from accidentally giving out too much information.

Proton VPN is our top choice for privacy, NordVPN has the best privacy features, and Surfshark is best for a security bundle. Depending on your devices and needs, one of these is probably perfect for you.

Check out what we loved, what we didn’t, and how these three top choices stack up side by side.

The best VPNs for privacy 2026

Compare the best VPNs for privacy

	Best Overall
Best for	Privacy	Privacy features	Security bundle
Starting price	Starts at Free or $2.99/mo	Starts at $3.49/mo	Starts at $2.49/mo
VPN protocol	OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2, Stealth	NordLynx, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec	OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2
No-logs policy	No logs	No logs	No logs
Headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland	Panama	The Netherlands
Extras	Split tunneling, ad blocker, torrenting support, double VPN, dedicated IP, streaming support	Split tunneling, torrenting support, double VPN, dedicated IP, streaming support, threat protection	Split tunneling, ad blocker, antivirus, data broker removal service, torrenting support, double VPN, dedicated IP, streaming support
Learn more	Get Proton VPN Read Proton VPN Review	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review

How to choose a VPN for privacy

Every VPN says it protects your privacy. The differences show up in what a provider can actually prove. Here’s what we look at when we test, and what you can check yourself before you subscribe.

Look for a no-logs policy someone else has checked

A no-logs policy is just a promise until a third party verifies it. An independent audit is what turns a marketing claim into evidence. All three VPNs on this list have had theirs audited: Proton VPN by Securitum in September 2025, NordVPN by Deloitte in late 2025, and Surfshark by Deloitte in June 2025. Proton's policy has also been tested in a real case. In January 2019, the Swiss court system approved a foreign data request, and Proton had nothing to hand over. That’s the strongest proof a provider could offer, because it isn’t self-reported.

Check where the company is headquartered

Jurisdiction decides which government could compel a provider to hand over data. Countries in the 5, 9, and 14 Eyes alliances share surveillance information with each other, so a VPN based inside one might face requests a provider outside them wouldn’t. Proton VPN sits in Switzerland, outside the alliances. NordVPN is in Panama. Surfshark is in the Netherlands, a 9 Eyes country, which is why we flag it below even though Surfshark doesn’t keep activity logs. Jurisdiction matters less when there’s nothing logged to hand over, but it’s still worth knowing before you pick.

Confirm the protocols and the leak testing

The VPN protocol is what encrypts your connection, and OpenVPN and WireGuard are the two we look for. OpenVPN uses AES-256 encryption, while WireGuard uses ChaCha20, which is considered about as secure and faster. Encryption only helps if nothing slips around it. That’s why we run DNS leak, WebRTC leak, and kill switch tests on every VPN we review. A VPN that exposes your real IP address through your browser isn’t protecting you, no matter what its protocol list says. If security features are your priority, our roundup of the most secure VPNs goes deeper on this.

Know what a VPN doesn’t do

A VPN hides your traffic from your internet service provider and anyone else on your network, and it masks your IP address from the sites you visit. It doesn’t make you anonymous. If you log in to an account, that site still knows who you are. Signup matters here too. Most VPNs tie your subscription to an email address and a payment method, which is fine for everyday privacy but isn’t the same as being untraceable. Proton VPN gets you part of the way there with Proton credits you could buy with Bitcoin, though the process is convoluted.

Proton VPN: Best privacy VPN

Who it’s best for

Anyone who wants privacy they can verify instead of taking on faith. Proton VPN comes from the team behind Proton Mail, runs 20,000+ servers in 145 countries, and publishes open-source apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android so anyone can inspect the code. Its free tier is the only one we recommend without hesitation, with no data cap, no ads, and no data selling, though it’s limited to one device and a handful of server locations.

What we liked

Swiss jurisdiction and a no-logs policy that’s been tested: Proton VPN is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, which sits outside the Eyes Alliance countries. Its no-logs policy has been independently audited, most recently by Securitum in September 2025. It’s also held up in a real case. In January 2019, the Swiss court system approved a foreign data request, and Proton had nothing to hand over. Secure Core servers in Switzerland, Iceland, and Sweden add a second hop to your connection, which makes your traffic harder to trace back to you.

Clean leak-test record: Plenty of VPNs leak identifying data because their encryption isn’t strong enough. Proton VPN passed our DNS leak, WebRTC leak, and kill switch tests, and across every round of desktop testing we’ve run, it has never failed one. NordVPN is the only other provider on this list that can match that record.

What we didn’t like

Anonymous signup takes work: Some privacy-focused VPNs let you sign up without giving an email address at all. Proton VPN doesn’t. You have to create a free Proton account first, then upgrade using Proton credits, which you could buy with Bitcoin. It gets you there, but the process is convoluted.

Proton VPN specs

Price range	$2.99–$9.99/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Number of servers	20,000+ servers in 145 countries
Number of connected devices	10
VPN protocol	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, Stealth
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get Proton VPN Read Proton VPN Review

Proton VPN test results

Proton VPN star rating summary

NordVPN: Best privacy features

Who it’s best for

People who want the deepest set of privacy tools in one app. NordVPN packs in more than most providers we’ve tested, and its advanced features all enhance privacy in ways you won’t always find in competitor VPNs:

• Double VPN
• Onion over VPN (Tor Browser)
• Threat Protection Pro

What we liked

Double security features: NordVPN offers some features that not all competitors have. We like the Double VPN option, which lets you route your internet traffic through two separate VPN connections for extra privacy. Onion over VPN is also a nice feature, which works with the secure Tor Browser, one of the most secure browsers you can use.

Threat Protection Pro security: In addition to other features, NordVPN includes Threat Protection Pro, which provides web and file protection. The tracker and ad blockers included in Threat Protection enhance your online privacy by stopping those tools from building a profile of your online activity. The included search results safety indicator can also help protect you from phishing attempts by flagging suspicious results.

What we didn’t like

Pricing: NordVPN offers strong privacy protection, but it can get pricey. NordVPN offers a variety of plans, but month-to-month plans can cost more than some streaming services. Some VPNs have lower monthly rates, but NordVPN isn’t one of them.

NordVPN specs

Price range	$3.49–$29.99/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Number of servers	8,400+ servers in 160+ countries
Number of connected devices	10
VPN protocol	NordLynx, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review

NordVPN test results

NordVPN star rating summary

Surfshark: Best VPN for security bundle

Who it’s best for

Surfshark lets you bundle a VPN, antivirus, CleanWeb 2.0, and online data removal into your Surfshark plan. The antivirus can protect your webcam, CleanWeb includes an ad blocker, and Surfshark One+ gives you access to online data removal via Incogni.

What we liked

Unlimited simultaneous connections: Part of keeping you and your family’s data private is covering every device with a VPN to encrypt online traffic. Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections, so whether it’s just you and all your devices or a household full of people and their technology, you’ll keep everyone protected online with Surfshark’s VPN, antivirus, CleanWeb, and data removal.

Alternative IDs: Surfshark offers some interesting, unique additional security features, and one of our favorites is the alternative ID option. You can mask your email and phone number by creating alternatives with Surfshark, so you never have to worry about your private information being exposed. It helps you avoid spam, online data leaks, and even stalking.

What we didn’t like

Headquartered in a 9 Eyes country: Privacy aficionados aren’t fans of the Eyes Alliance countries. These are countries that cooperate to spy on each other’s citizens and report back. Even though Surfshark doesn’t keep activity logs, being in an Eyes Alliance country means you won’t have the ultimate privacy offered by other VPN providers headquartered outside of an alliance.

Surfshark specs

Price range	$2.49–$21.85/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Number of servers	4,500+ servers in 100 countries
Number of connected devices	Unlimited
VPN protocol	WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review

Surfshark test results

Surfshark star rating summary

Bottom line: The best VPNs for privacy

Proton VPN is the best for privacy because of its Swiss headquarters outside the Eyes alliances, a no-logs policy that’s been both audited and tested in court, and Secure Core servers that add a second hop to your connection. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only option. NordVPN packs in more privacy features than almost anything else we’ve tested, and Surfshark bundles antivirus and data removal alongside its VPN. Our runners-up are still some of the best VPNs available.

Privacy and security are important online, especially with the prevalence of spam, scams, phishing, identity theft, and more. Always protect yourself when using shared Wi-Fi, and keeping a VPN on your device at all times can add an extra layer of privacy and help you feel secure.

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