The best VPNs for Windows

Take control of your cybersecurity.

By Mashable Team

Aug. 23, 2022

CyberGhost VPN

Best For Newbies

CyberGhost combines usability with unique tools and powerful features.

Pros & Cons

NordVPN

Best For Security

One of the most popular services for securing your online activities.

Pros & Cons

Private Internet Access

Best For Server Network

Private Internet Access lets users connect to a huge network of servers, which is helpful for streaming.

Pros & Cons

ExpressVPN

Best For Streaming

Strong distribution of servers and a slick interface make up for higher price.

Pros & Cons

TunnelBear

Best For Interface

One of a small number of providers that offers a truly free VPN service.

Pros & Cons

It's important to stay secure when browsing online, and while you can take measures to be aware of where you're browsing and what you're doing, using a VPN is the best way to guarantee your cybersecurity.

Do you need a VPN?

A good quality VPN will block any nefarious traffic coming your way, while also keeping your browsing history private from your ISP and anyone else trying to snoop on your activities. Using a VPN also means you can conduct activities such as checking your online banking while connected to public WiFi, without worrying that you're leaking valuable information.

If you're looking for a VPN for Windows, you'll need a fast service that remains secure. A "no logs" policy and a kill switch are also vital. These ensure that your VPN doesn't track what you do, and that your connection drops if the VPN connection fails, respectively. For Windows 10, it's also useful to have an app that's simple to use.

What is the best VPN for Windows?

We have tracked down all the best VPNs for Windows 10, and stuck to VPN services that have apps that are easy to get to grips with, while still offering advanced features for those who want to dip under the surface to make tweaks. You can pick from leading services like CyberGhost VPN, Private Internet Access, and ExpressVPN.

These are the best VPNs for Windows in 2022.

CyberGhost VPN

Best For Newbies

The good

Easy to use Good value No restrictions on browsing Generous money-back guarantee

The Bad

No free version Not as many servers as NordVPN

The Bottomline

CyberGhost could be the best option if you're new to the VPN game, and want an easy to use service with a strong set of features.

Specs

1 year plan: £4.59/month
1-year plan: £3.45/month
2 year plan: £3.09/month
2-year plan: £2.98/month
3 year plan: £2.10/month
3-year plan: £1.59/month
Free trial on Android: Three days
Free trial on iOS: Seven days
Free trial on Mac: 24 hours
Free trial on Windows: 24 hours
Jurisdiction: Romania
Kill switch: Yes
Money-back guarantee: Yes (14 days with monthly plans, 45 days with long-term plans, ); free 24-hour trial
Monthly: £10.89/month
Monthly plan: $12.99/month
Most recent external audit: 2022
Network size: Over 9,100 servers in 91 countries
One-year plan: $4.29/month (billed $51.48 every year)
Pricing: $2.11-$12.99/month
Simultaneous connections: 7
Six-month plan: £6.19/month
Split tunneling: Yes, but only for Android
Support options: Live chat, online support center
Three-year plan: £2.10/month
Three-year plan 3 months: $2.29/month (billed $89.31 every three years)
Three-year plan three months for free: £1.59 per month
Two-year plan: £1.92/month

CyberGhost is a VPN that combines a lot of the essentials that you want from a service. It’s available in loads of locations, it’s not restrictive, and it’s discreet. CyberGhost hosts over 4500 servers in 90 locations across over 60 different countries. This makes CyberGhost a preferred VPN for those that travel the world for business or pleasure. It doesn't place restrictions on browsing habits, so users benefit from unlimited traffic and bandwidth. CyberGhost utilises 256-AES bit encryption to protect your payment info from cyber-criminals and hide your browsing data from ISPs. So you can rest assured that your sensitive data is secure. CyberGhost is one of the leading VPNs because it is able to combine usability with unique tools and powerful features, as well as a privacy policy that protects customers. In a nutshell, it does what a VPN should, without the unnecessary frills that sometimes populate other services. There is not a free service, but CyberGhost can usually be picked up for just £2.10 a month, depending on what deal is being offered. If the price is currently too high for you, then chances are CyberGhost will offer a special discounted price soon enough. If you do take the plunge on CyberGhost, then rest assured that, just like NordVPN, you do get a 45-day money back guarantee.

NordVPN

Best For Security

The good

Money-back guarantee Number of servers No ads

The Bad

On the pricier side

The Bottomline

One of the most popular services on the market, due to large number of servers and high degree of privacy.

Specs

1 year plan: £5.35/month
1-year plan: £3.64/month
2 year plan: £3.05/month
2-year plan: £2.91/month
3 year plan: £2.29/month
Annual plan: $4.99/month (billed $59.88 for your first two years, then $99.48/year thereafter)
Monthly: £10.39/month
Monthly (Complete plan): $14.19/month
Monthly (Plus plan): $12.89/month
Monthly (Standard plan): $11.99/month
Monthly plan: $11.99/month
One year: £5.66/month
One-year plan: £3.99/month
Three-year plan: £2.82/month
Two years: £4.04/month
Two-year plan: £3.19/month

NordVPN is one of the most popular services for securing your online activities. NordVPN now has almost 5000 servers around the world, making it one of the largest services in the world, too.

Privacy is a major issue when it comes to VPNs, and NordVPN makes all the right noises about keeping your information private. NordVPN states that the company does not insert ads into your web traffic, and doesn’t profit from the sale of user data. On top of that, NordVPN only collects aggregated app-crash statistics and voluntary diagnostic data, meaning that the service doesn’t collect any personally identifiable information. Good news.

NordVPN is consistent across every platform on which it's offered, and includes ad blocking as an added bonus. You can also connect up to six devices at the same time.

Even if NordVPN doesn’t work out for you, they have a 30-day money-back guarantee. So you are completely covered either way. You can either be impressed with the service, and continue with your plan, or — if you don’t like what NordVPN offers — you can get out for free.

Private Internet Access

Best For Server Network

The good

Number of servers Decent connection speeds 10 simultaneous connections

The Bad

Lacking some of the more advanced features

The Bottomline

Private Internet Access keeps things simple to offer a slick streaming experience.

Specs

1-year plan: £2.52/month
2-year plan: £2.20/month
Monthly: £10.99/month
Monthly plan: £5.25/month
One year: £2.71/month
One-year plan: £2.71/month
Six-month plan: £5.39/month
Two years: £2.19/month
Two-year plan: £1.69/month

A great buy at just $2.59 a month with a two-year plan, Private Internet Access, or PIA, is the best VPN you can get for less than a Starbucks latte: It installs in a jiffy, offers 24/7 live chat coverage, stands by a strict no-log policy, and maintains an absolutely massive server network. Its app is pretty basic and its platform support is limited, but it makes up for that with free email breach monitoring and a tool called MACE that blocks ads, trackers, and malware. Supported platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Opera

ExpressVPN

Best For Streaming

The good

Servers in China, Russia, and Turkey Lots of servers Multi-device support Money-back guarantee

The Bad

Relatively expensive Only three simultaneous connections

The Bottomline

It might be on the pricey side, but ExpressVPN offers a selection of high-end features to keep you protected.

Specs

15 month plan: £5.24/month
15-month plan: £5.25/month
6 month plan: £7.85/month
6-month plan: £7.44/month
Annual plan: $8.32/month (billed $99.95 every 12 months)
Free trial on Android: Seven days
Free trial on iOS: Seven days
Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands
Kill switch: Yes ("Network Lock")
Money-back guarantee: Yes (30 days)
Monthly: £10.19/month
Monthly plan: $12.95/month
Most recent external audit: 2022
Network size: 94 countries
One-year plan: £5.05/month
One-year plan three months for free: £5.13 per month
Pricing: $6.67-$12.95/month
Simultaneous connections: 5
Six-month plan: £7.86/month
Split tunneling: Yes
Support options: 24/7 live chat, email, online support center

ExpressVPN is relatively expensive compared to its competitors, so is it worth the extra cost? Well it has a really strong distribution of servers and a slick interface, plus it allows BitTorrent and other P2P services — so maybe, yes. ExpressVPN has over 1,000 servers in 145 locations, covering 94 countries. This list includes China, Russia, and Turkey, three countries that have notably repressive control over the internet. So that’s a pretty impressive feather in their hat. It’s not all good news, though; ExpressVPN does limit you to three simultaneous connections from different devices. Other services generally offer slightly more than this. However, three connections is probably plenty for one user. If you are using a VPN for a household, though, then another service may be better suited. ExpressVPN has all the essentials covered. This service includes multi-device support, a lot of servers, good geographic distribution, BitTorrent support, and a nice interface. It is however a little more expensive than some, at around £10 a month (or around £5 if you commit to 15 months), and it doesn't offer nearly as many simultaneous connections as cheaper alternatives. It’s a strong VPN, so the extra cost may be worthwhile. There is no free trial available, but there is a 30-day money back guarantee. So once again, you are protected against disappointment.

TunnelBear

Best For Interface

The good

Free version Improved privacy Fun interface (bears)

The Bad

Data is restricted in free version

The Bottomline

Probably the best free service out there, but this version of TunnelBear does restrict users.

Specs

1 year plan: £3.92/month
1-year plan: £3.77/month
2 year plan: £3.28/month
2-year plan: £3.15/month
Data limit: Up to 2GB per month (does not roll over)
Monthly: £7.78/month
Monthly plan: £7.55/month
Monthly Unlimited plan: $9.99/month
One-year plan: £3.89/month
One-year Unlimited plan: $4.99/month (billed $59.88 every 12 months)
Three-year plan: £2.59/month
Three-year Unlimited plan: $3.33/month ($120 billed once)
Two-year plan: £3.41/month

TunnelBear is one of a small number of providers that offers a truly free VPN service. Before you get too excited, though, the free version of TunnelBear does restrict users to only 500MB of data per month. While it’s great to get something for nothing, it’s worth assessing whether 500MB is enough data for your online needs. You can earn more data by selling your Twitter soul and tweeting about the company, which can raise your limit to 1GB for one month. This isn’t a long-term solution, however, and you may find yourself glancing at the paid options, particularly if you find TunnelBear to be a usable service. The paid-for plan removes the restrictions associated with the free plan, such as the download limit, the numbers of available locations, and the amount of connected devices. It’s also worth noting that TunnelBear has cranked up its privacy policy, so the VPN now collects even less data on users. TunnelBear has removed the need to supply a first name to sign up, and ditched its record of a user’s number of total lifetime connections. Great news for those who prioritise anonymity.

Topics: Sex & Relationships, Tinder, VPN (Virtual Private Networks), ExpressVPN, CyberGhost VPN, TunnelBear, NordVPN, Private Internet Access