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Windows is a notoriously vulnerable OS—and a VPN gets you much more than security.
Last Updated: October 24, 2024
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Even though dozens of VPNs are available for Windows, not all are trustworthy. An unreliable VPN can significantly slow down your internet connection, compromise your online security, and compromise your data privacy.
My team and I tested 50+ providers to find the best VPN for Windows 10 and only found a few that have robust security and privacy features to keep you safe. These VPNs also offer fast speeds, stable connections, a large server network, and the ability to bypass geo-restrictions easily.
Among all the VPNs we tested, my top pick for Windows 10 is ExpressVPN. It has state-of-the-art security features, an independently audited no-logs policy, and lightning-fast speeds. It can reliably unblock popular streaming platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, etc. Plus, you can test all of ExpressVPN’s features completely risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
All the VPNs on this list can keep your online data secure and safeguard your internet privacy. They can easily bypass geo-restrictions to unblock your favorite content on international streaming platforms from anywhere.
Every provider on our Windows 10 VPN shortlist lets you connect and secure multiple devices simultaneously. You can also test all these services risk-free with their solid money-back guarantees.
Works with: Windows 10, 11, 8, 8.1, and 7, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Smart TVs, routers, gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox, and more.
Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more.
Number of regions: Servers in 94 countries.
Maximum simultaneous connections: 8 devices.
24/7 support: Yes, live chat.
Price: From $6.67/month.
Money-back guarantee: 30 days.
ExpressVPN keeps your data safe with military-grade or AES-256-bit encryption and an automatic kill switch called Network Lock. This encryption is one of the strongest ones for commercial applications, while the kill switch protects your data from accidental exposure outside this encrypted channel. The kill switch was very effective during our testing, and it cut off our internet connection when we tried to change servers mid-session.
The provider safeguards your privacy with its strict no-logs privacy policy. It doesn’t keep any records of your online activity, and it also offers WebRTC, IP, and DNS leak protection with its private DNS network. I did not find any of these leaks on ipleak.net during my testing. ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer technology relies on RAM-based servers for its infrastructure, which makes it impossible to store anything long-term as all of the information is wiped clean on reboot or shut down.
Moreover, ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, outside the jurisdiction of information-sharing treaties like 5/9/15-Eyes Alliances. There’s no intelligence agency that can legally ask the VPN provider for your data, even if someone managed to access a server due to the no-logging policy physically. This was proved true in 2017 when Turkish authorities seized an ExpressVPN server but couldn’t find anything on it.
In addition to premium security and privacy, ExpressVPN offers ultra-fast connection speeds. During our tests, we connected to its US New York, New Jersey, and Chicago servers and got an average speed of 33.2 Mbps on a 35 Mbps base speed with only a 6% drop. This is pretty impressive, considering these servers are more than 7,500 miles away from my location. These speeds are more than enough for ultra-HD streaming and video calling.
ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol, based on WireGuard, is the main reason It delivers lightning-fast speeds and stable long-distance connections. This protocol is faster, more stable, and more secure than OpenVPN and IKEv2. We could unblock and watch two episodes of The Witcher in HD without buffering on Netflix US and only had to wait three seconds for each episode to load initially.
You also get a global server network of servers across 94 countries. It used to list a specific number of servers (3000+), but the brand moved away from server count without an official explanation. The good news is that these connections can easily unblock your favorite content on global streaming platforms. We accessed Netflix US and UK and Disney+ US in under 2 seconds every time we tried. All of its servers have P2P support, so you can keep sharing that open source software via torrenting as you please.
Its Windows 10 VPN app is very simple and ideal for beginners. With just one click, its Smart Location feature connects you to the best server location for you. Alternatively, you can look for a specific server in the list.
The split tunneling feature lets you choose to encrypt only certain apps while using your regular connection for others. Plus, it offers obfuscation on all of its servers if you want to make your VPN traffic look more like regular internet traffic. This process allows ExpressVPN to keep you safe in countries with strict censorship, like Russia.
ExpressVPN also gives you 24/7 customer support through its live chat feature. We were connected with an actual person within 2 minutes. All of the agents we interacted with were very knowledgeable and immediately replied to our queries. You can also contact support through the email ticketing system.
Although ExpressVPN is expensive compared to your average Windows VPN, none of them come close to ExpressVPN’s reliability, security, and speed. Moreover, it regularly offers discounts or months of free service, making it much more economical. With its current discount offer, you can get ExpressVPN for just $8.32/month with 3 free months on its annual subscription.
You can also test ExpressVPN risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee and get a full refund within this period if you decide it’s not for you. We canceled our subscription after using it for 28 days through the live chat feature. The support agent immediately approved our request without asking any questions, and we got our money back in 4 days. Pretty neat.
ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs for Windows, with lightning-fast speeds and stable connections. Its Windows app is very smooth and easy to use. Although its number of servers vanished without an official explanation, ExpressVPN’s connections give you the ideal combination of speed, security, and a great user experience for your Windows 10 machine.
It has very strong unblocking capabilities, and we easily access all popular streaming platforms. What more can you ask for?
Works with: Windows 10, 11, 8, 8.1, and 7, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, smart TVs, routers, gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox, and more.
Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and more.
Number of regions: 9600+ servers in 91+ countries.
Maximum simultaneous connections: 7.
24/7 support: Yes; live chat.
Price: From $2.11/month.
Money-back guarantee: 14 days with the monthly plan and 45 days with long-term plans.
CyberGhost is a very impressive Windows 10 VPN with optimized servers for streaming and unblocking popular streaming platforms. These connections are better suited for streaming your favorite geo-restricted content. During our testing with the Windows 10 app, we reliably unblocked BBC iPlayer and ITV. The regular UK servers were not as consistent in unblocking these platforms, and some even had slow speeds.
CyberGhost VPN offers NoSpy servers for increased security. They are located in CyberGhost’s headquarters in Romania, which is outside the jurisdiction of 5/9/14-Eyes Alliance. Its gaming-optimized servers are present in major locations like the US, Germany, and Japan. However, it does not allow P2P traffic on all of its servers and offers specialized torrenting servers instead.
With CyberGhost VPN, you get superfast speeds. We got an average download speed of more than 32 Mbps on our base speed of 35 Mbps. This is only a drop of 9%, which wasn’t even noticeable while streaming and browsing. We streamed The Irishman on Netflix US in HD without buffering, and we only had to wait an average of 7 seconds before the stream started.
The Windows 10 VPN client protects you with military-grade encryption and leak protection. During our tests, we observed no IP/DNS and WebRTC leaks. It also prevents accidental data exposure with an automatic kill switch.
CyberGhost VPN does not record your activity since it follows a strict no-logs policy, which was also independently audited by Deloitte. It also has a very effective content blocker that blocks domains for malware, trackers, and ads that can compromise your privacy. You can easily activate this feature through the VPN’s privacy settings.
CyberGhost also offers a WiFi protection feature, which automatically connects the VPN when you connect to a WiFi network with your Windows 10 laptop. This way, your data stays safe from hackers or trackers that might intercept your online data and compromise your privacy.
One of CyberGhost VPN’s best features for Windows 10 is its full Security Suite with antivirus, auto-updater, and privacy guard. This is definitely it if you’re looking for an all-in-one security solution, including a Windows 10 VPN.
The provider has a responsive support system with a live chat option and an extensive database of support articles. We contacted support more than ten times daily and always received a reply.
CyberGhost VPN has multiple subscription plans, but the monthly ones only come with a 14-day money-back guarantee. This is not a big issue since the long-term plans offer an extended 45-day money-back guarantee and are better value anyway. With its annual plan, you can get CyberGhost for just $2.03/month.
You can test CyberGhost VPN with its 45-day money-back guarantee without any risk. We canceled our long-term subscription after using it for 37 days through its live chat to test this claim. The support agent asked us some basic questions and issued a refund. It was not exactly no questions asked, but we got our money back in 6 days.
CyberGhost VPN is the ideal Windows VPN for those who don’t want to compromise on security. Its superfast speeds and impressive number of servers also make it an ideal option for streaming, gaming, and torrenting on your Windows device.
Works with: Windows 10, 11, 8, 8.1, and 7, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, smart TVs, routers, gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox, and more.
Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more.
Number of regions: Servers in 84+ countries.
Maximum simultaneous device connections: Unlimited.
24/7 support: Yes; live chat.
Price: From $2.03/month.
Money-back guarantee: 30 days.
Used to have over 29,000 servers.
Private Internet Access allows you to customize various security features, such as protocols and encryption types, based on your requirements. For example, you can choose between AES-256-bit and 128-bit type encryption. The first one is slower but more secure and is best used for security-sensitive tasks like accessing your online banking service. In comparison, AES-128-bit is faster but less secure and better suited for things like streaming or gaming.
In addition to military-grade encryption, PIA keeps your online data secure and private with a kill switch and a strict no-logging policy. It also prevents all types of VPN leaks with IP, WebRTC, and DNS leak protection. During our testing, we didn’t spot any leaks and found the kill switch to be very effective.
You get PIA’s MACE feature to block invasive ads and malware that can compromise your online security. It is highly effective in blocking singular and multiple ads simultaneously. While connecting to various server locations, we saw no ads while using PIA with MACE enabled.
PIA gives you very fast download speeds. Our average download speed on US and UK servers was more than 29.5 Mbps, a mere 16% drop. Although these speeds are less than what we saw with ExpressVPN, they are still fast enough for UHD streaming, gaming, and torrenting. We streamed two episodes of EastEnders on BBC iPlayer in HD without interruptions and only had to wait around 15 seconds before the stream of each episode started.
In addition to speeds, PIA has an extensive server network in 84 countries with multiple server locations. A large number of servers lowers the chances of network congestion during peak traffic times. We could unblock Amazon Prime Video with its Atlanta server in the US during our tests.
For privacy-sensitive applications, PIA has a Multi-Hop feature. This scrambles your data and sends it through a proxy before it gets to the provider’s network, making it look like regular internet traffic.
Moreover, the provider offers streaming-optimized servers for several countries, including the UK, the US, Japan, and Italy. These servers are optimized to unblock all the streaming services of a country and not for any particular platform. While we tested it, its optimized server unblocked Netflix Italy every single time on our Windows 10 PC. In contrast, the regular Italian servers were less reliable, and we had to test a couple before finding one that could unblock the platform.
You also get amazing 24/7 customer service through its live chat feature. We contacted its support no less than 7 times and always got in touch with an agent. Although they answered all my queries, the agents took a few minutes before every reply, which isn’t necessarily bad.
PIA offers multiple short-term and long-term subscription plans. However, I found the annual plans to be more affordable since they offer all the features for a lower price. With its longest plan, you can get PIA for just $2.03/month.
You can also try PIA risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. You can claim a full refund within this period in case you don’t like it. We canceled our subscription after using it for 25 days to test out the refund process. The support agent asked us for feedback and then approved the refund, and we got our money back in just 3 days. That’s fast!
PIA is a very good VPN for custom security and privacy settings. It is not the absolute fastest VPN for Windows but its server locations deliver consistently good speeds with very stable connections.
Works with: Windows 10, 11, 8, 8.1, and 7, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, smart TVs, routers, gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox, and more.
Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and more.
Number of regions: 2,200+ servers in 75+ countries.
Maximum simultaneous connections: Unlimited.
24/7 support: Yes, live chat.
Price: From $3.33/month.
Money-back guarantee: 30 days.
IPVanish allows you to connect and secure all your devices on a single subscription without affecting your speeds. We connected five devices during our testing, including a Windows 10 PC, two Windows 11 laptops, an Android, and an iPhone 12. We streamed Spider-Man: No Way Home in HD on all of them and did not experience any buffering. We only had to wait for 10 to 15 seconds for the initial loading time.
With a global network of 2,200+ VPN servers, IPVanish can easily bypass geo-restrictions. Unlike most VPN providers, IPV owns its servers, which usually means added performance and security. During our tests, it reliably unblocked the US, UK, France, and Japanese libraries of Netflix on a Windows laptop. Its US server could also reliably access Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max. However, its US server was unreliable in accessing Disney+.
IPV’s military-grade encryption and strict no-logging policy make it very secure, and it does not record any of your online activity. Plus, it prevents your data from accidentally leaking and compromising your actual location with leak protection.
Another great feature is its auto-connect on an untrusted network. This feature will automatically enable your VPN connection when using an untrusted network. However, unlike other VPNs, it allows you to add your trusted networks on all its apps, including Windows. This is similar to the WiFi protection feature of CyberGhost VPN.
You can get its subscription with different monthly and multi-year plans. However, we found its annual plan the best since it offers the cheapest price. With its annual plan, you can get IPVanish for just $3.19/month with free service for 3 months.
You can test IPVanish risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. We canceled our subscription through its live chat feature and got our money back after 4 days.
IPVanish is a very solid VPN for Windows that provides you with all the basic security and privacy features and good speeds, all at an affordable price.
Works with: Windows 10, 11, 8, 8.1, and 7, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, smart TVs, routers, gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox, and more.
Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more.
Servers: 5,800+ servers in 60 countries.
Maximum simultaneous device connections: 6.
24/7 support: Yes, live chat.
Price: From $4.19/month.
Money-back guarantee: 30 days.
NordVPN’s pricing plans are divided into Standard, Plus, and Complete Tiers. The Plus and Complete plans include add-ons like a password manager and cloud storage. However, the Standard plan has all the important features one needs from a VPN, including a 30-day money-back guarantee. All these prices are for the Standard tier.
NordVPN is equipped with a Double VPN feature for increased security. This feature is similar to PIA’s Multi-Hop and allows you to reroute your internet traffic through two VPN servers. It’s suitable for sensitive tasks like accessing your online banking page or bypassing censorship. However, do keep in mind that using Double VPN will significantly reduce speeds.
The provider keeps your data private with AES-256-bit encryption and leak protection. Its Threat Protection feature blocks ads, malware, and trackers that might reveal your true location. In our testing, we did not experience any ads with threat protection turned on. Moreover, we didn’t spot any leaks on ipleak.net when connected to its Windows VPN client.
NordVPN adheres to a strict no-logs policy and has a great kill switch. Even the best VPNs can sometimes experience a glitch that can disrupt your VPN connection, so a kill switch is essential to keep you safe. We changed our servers mid-session to test it on Nord’s Windows VPN app, and the kill switch kicked in to protect our connection.
This is one of the best Windows VPNs, with a network of 5,800+ server locations for you to access geo-restricted content. With its US server, we could reliably unblock Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. Our speeds with NordVPN averaged above 28 Mbps with just a 22% loss, which is impressive and more than enough for a bufferless streaming experience.
NordVPN is equipped with its own NordLynx, a WireGuard-based encryption protocol for better security and speeds. In our experiments, NordLynx performed poorly for long-distance connections. It took a lot of time to connect, and when it did, it offered slow speeds. Plus, you need to set OpenVPN and IKEv2 manually by downloading their configuration files for Windows 10 separately.
You also get a split tunneling feature for your Windows devices, allowing you to use the VPN only for certain apps. We could use this feature to stream geo-restricted content on Chrome with the VPN while checking our bank account with our real IP address.
NordVPN offers 24/7 live chat, but we couldn’t connect to an agent 3 times out of 9, which was really frustrating. However, its chatbot was very efficient and always shared relevant support articles based on our questions.
Like all other VPNs on this list, Nord offers multiple plans. However, long-term subscriptions are more economical. You can get NordVPN for $4.19/month with its 2-year Standard plan.
You can also test NordVPN with its 30-day money-back guarantee without any risk. This is great if you want to play around with it, like we did, to decide if it’s for you.
We also tested the refund by contacting support through live chat to cancel our subscription with just 3 days remaining. The support agent asked us about the reason for the cancelation and approved our request after we gave one. We got our money back after 5 days.
NordVPN is a very good Windows VPN with good speeds and great security features. While it advertises a generous number of server locations, we did experience some sluggishness with the app. You get used to it after a couple of days if you want to stick through.
Our team has tested and ranked the best Windows VPNs based on the criteria below. We only selected the VPNs that fulfilled all these requirements. So, if you want to test any virtual private network for Windows, you can also use these benchmarks.
Choosing the wrong Windows VPN can compromise your security and deliver a subpar experience. With dozens of options, finding out which is best for your needs is very tedious and time-consuming. My team and I have shortlisted the best PC VPNs after testing over 50 providers. We ensured all these VPNs have robust security, ultra-fast speeds, and reliable unblocking capabilities.
ExpressVPN is our top pick as the best PC VPN among all the tested options. It offers lightning-fast speeds and safeguards your online security with state-of-the-art security and privacy. Plus, it supports torrenting on all its servers. It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test all its features risk-free.
Yes, you can. But remember that free VPNs can compromise your online security and privacy. This is because most free VPNs just don't have the resources to upgrade their security infrastructure to protect you from cyber-attacks.
Most free VPNs use ads to generate revenue and can expose your system to malware. Free VPNs have very slow speeds, so you can't even browse properly. They are the worst options for streaming or torrenting since most come with very restrictive data caps.
To avoid all these issues, you can use a premium PC VPN with a trustworthy money-back guarantee instead. This way, you can test all of its features risk-free.
No, Windows 10 does not come with a built-in VPN. It only offers a VPN client, which allows you to add and use a third-party VPN. You still need to subscribe to that VPN, or you won't be able to use it. Plus, the process for setting up the built-in VPN client is very complicated, and it's easier to use the VPN app anyway.
Moreover, if you still decide to use the Windows VPN client, you can only connect to IKEv2, PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, and SSTP protocols. You won't have access to OpenVPN and WireGuard, which are more secure. Most VPN providers, including NordVPN, no longer support L2TP connections.
So, instead of setting up the built-in VPN client for your Windows, simply get a premium VPN with a simple app and enjoy a secure and unfiltered online experience.
Yes. Using a VPN for your gaming will give you access to gaming servers worldwide. This way, you can compete with different players in a broader player base. You can also use a VPN to improve your stats in games like Call of Duty: Warzone by connecting to regions where the game is not that popular, and competition isn't as fierce
Similarly, a VPN allows you to access torrent websites and clients that are restricted in your region but available in others. It protects you from network-level malware that would normally expose you to cybercriminals. All our selected VPNs support gaming and torrenting with superfast speeds and decent ping.
If your VPN cannot unblock Netflix or any other streaming platform, you can follow a couple of steps to access it.
If your issue has not been resolved, try upgrading to one of our shortlisted VPNs for PC. All of them can reliably unblock Netflix and other popular streaming platforms.
We selected our best VPNs after testing them on Windows 10 and 11. We recommend ExpressVPN, CyberGhost VPN, and Private Internet Access as the best VPNs for Windows. They're all top-notch, but each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Also, remember that Windows 11 is a relatively new OS, and you can experience a bug or two with any software. However, we found that most developers are working to resolve these issues.
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