Best VPN software

One flat €5/month price (VAT included) with no tiers, upsells, or annual lock-in — and the rate hasn't changed since launch in 2009

Anonymous account creation: no email, name, or personal details are required to sign up, and Mullvad states it keeps no activity logs

Port forwarding is not supported, which matters for users who host services or need inbound connections

There is no free plan and no free trial for the VPN — the only way to test it risk-free is the 14-day money back guarantee, and cash payments can't be refunded

Unlimited simultaneous device connections on every plan — one Essential or Advanced subscription covers every phone, laptop, TV, and tablet in a household with no caps on connections or installs

WireGuard®-based speeds independently highlighted by TechRadar, Tom's Guide, vpnMentor, and Comparitech, with dedicated Apple TV and Fire TV apps for 4K and HD streaming

Steep renewal jump: intro rates are temporary — Essential renews at $99.99/year and Advanced at $129.99/year after the first term, and 2-year plans switch to yearly billing

The free trial is limited to iOS and Android apps, so there's no way to test desktop apps before committing; monthly plans ($14.99–$17.99) don't qualify for the 30-day money-back guarantee

Genuinely free tier: while the service operated, Atlas VPN offered real VPN protection at no cost — not a timed trial — making it one of the few reputable freemium options.

Unlimited simultaneous device connections on premium plans, far more generous than the five-device caps typical of the industry.

Permanently discontinued as of April 2024 — no new signups, no working apps, and no way to renew or activate any subscription.

Existing customers lost access too; the shutdown applied to everyone, not just new users.

Combines a VPN, antivirus with webcam protection, and identity tools (Incogni and Alternative ID) in a single app, so you are not juggling separate vendors and interfaces

Alternative ID provides a genuinely usable virtual phone number and email for online registrations, keeping your real contact details out of marketing and broker databases

The suite spans multiple products (VPN, Antivirus, Incogni, Alternative ID), so getting the features you want depends on choosing the right bundle, and this review does not itemize what each plan tier includes

The antivirus is a companion defense layer, not a full endpoint suite with firewalls, device management, or advanced enterprise controls

Apps are fully open source and subject to regular independent security audits, so privacy claims can be verified rather than taken on faith

The free tier offers unlimited data with no time limits, which is rare among reputable VPN providers

The free plan limits you to a small set of locations, one device, and no specific server choice, and it generally cannot unblock streaming services

Secure Core and Tor over VPN routes add extra hops, so throughput drops noticeably compared with single-hop connections

Dedicated VPN gateways with unique static IPs from 35+ locations, each running at 1 Gbps with unlimited data — the IP can be whitelisted so your systems aren't visible to the public internet, and no hardware is required.

Deployment is claimed to take under 10 minutes, with built-in control-panel walkthroughs, included onboarding support, and a 14-day free trial of all premium features that requires no credit card.

Paid plans require a 5-user minimum, so solo users or very small teams either overpay or must settle for the limited free Starter plan.

Each dedicated gateway adds $49/month on top of per-user fees, which multiplies quickly for organizations connecting offices or teams across multiple regions.

Very low long-term cost: the 26-month plan works out to 1.99 €/month (51.74 € billed upfront) and includes a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Refund terms are more generous than the industry's typical 30 days — 45 days on long-term plans and 14 days on the monthly plan.

The headline 1.99 €/month rate requires 51.74 € upfront, and the plan auto-renews at the full 51.74 € per year once the discounted 26 months end.

Short-term access is comparatively expensive: 11.99 €/month for the 1-month plan and 6.99 €/month for 6 months.

Combines a VPN, antivirus, password manager, and 1 TB cloud storage in a single subscription, so you don't have to buy and manage separate security tools.

Operates one of the largest server networks in the industry, with over 9,500 servers in 224+ locations and the NordLynx protocol, which is tested as one of the fastest VPN connections available.

The full value of the suite is locked behind higher tiers: the password manager, 1 TB cloud storage, and advanced protection only arrive on Complete, while the dedicated IP and cyber insurance require the priciest Ultimate Max plan.

The £5,000 cyber insurance on Ultimate Max is only available to residents of Sweden, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK, limiting its usefulness elsewhere.

Privacy claims are verifiable: the apps are open source and audit reports are published, so you are not relying on marketing assurances alone.

RAM disk infrastructure means identifying data about your online activity is never written to persistent storage, making retention structurally difficult rather than just disallowed by policy.

The free plan carries usage limits, so data-heavy users will need a paid subscription for regular use.

Real-world speeds vary with server distance and local network conditions, as with any VPN, and distant servers may feel noticeably slower.

Apps are open-source, allowing independent inspection of how connections are handled

Supports both WireGuard and OpenVPN, covering speed and configurability

Operates from the United States, which some privacy-focused users view as a drawback due to intelligence-sharing alliances

Short-term plans are typically much more expensive per month than long-term commitments, so budget buyers should compare terms before subscribing

One-tap operation: connection decisions are handled for you, so there is no server list to sift through and no protocol to configure.

Up to six devices can share one account, letting a single subscription cover a household's phones, laptops, and tablets.

The simplified, button-driven approach will feel restrictive to advanced users who want to hand-pick servers, tune protocols, or use granular controls.

Top-of-range pricing reaches $85, so it is worth comparing the yearly rate against budget VPN competitors before committing.

Includes ad blocking built into the VPN, removing the need for a separate ad-blocking tool on each device

Native apps for Google TV and Apple TV, TV platforms that many competing VPNs only support through manual router setup

The feature set is streamlined around encryption, ad blocking, and streaming, so buyers wanting advanced options such as multi-hop connections or dedicated IP addresses should verify availability or compare competitors

The VPN protects your connection but does not replace full antivirus or anti-phishing protection against malware and scam sites

Encrypts all internet traffic by default, so protection isn't limited to specific apps or browsers

Strict no-log policy means the provider itself does not track or store your online activity

The service is positioned as a simple, no-frills VPN, so users needing advanced options (custom protocol selection, granular server controls) may find it limiting

The no-log policy is a vendor statement; shoppers who want third-party audit verification should check for independent audits before trusting it fully

No-log policy is independently audited — one of the first in the VPN industry — covering activity logs, data collection, and sharing of email or payment details

Runs its own in-house VyprDNS, which is also no-log, so DNS lookups never pass through third-party hands

Longer plans auto-renew at full price — $48 yearly and $72 every two years — so the advertised low monthly rates only hold if you track and manage renewals

The $5 monthly rate depends on a 50% coupon off the regular $10/month price, and the homepage doesn't display pricing, plan lengths, or refund terms at all

Two deployment paths in one product: self-hosted Access Server on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Docker, Linux, Hyper-V, or VMware ESXi, or the fully managed CloudConnexa service with zero server upkeep

Zero Trust access controls verify user identity, device, and IP address on every connection, with least-privilege rules so users only reach the resources their jobs require

Per-connection pricing scales up quickly for large workforces — a company with hundreds of users should model total costs against unlimited-seat competitors before committing

Self-hosting Access Server requires real technical skill, including server management on your chosen cloud or hardware; CloudConnexa avoids this but removes the control self-hosters want

Reliable service with consistent performance over time

Strong server network (3,000+ servers in 55+ countries)

Customer support can be slow or unhelpful for some users

Residential IP functionality may not work as advertised

Free plan uses the same encryption and server network as the paid tiers — a real trial, not a crippled demo

Published third-party security audits of apps and infrastructure provide verifiable transparency beyond marketing claims

Headquartered in Canada, a Five Eyes member — a jurisdiction concern for high-assurance privacy users

The free plan's monthly data cap runs out quickly with video streaming or heavy daily use

Server locations in 105 countries — one of the broadest networks available — so you can almost always connect to a nearby, low-latency server or a specific country on demand.

Traffic runs through an authenticated, encrypted tunnel, hiding your destinations and activity from your internet provider, hackers on the same network, and other observers.

The headline low price shown in listings applies only to specific promotional terms; standard plans cost more, and the lowest rates generally require paying for a longer subscription upfront.

The advertised price range is unusually wide, so you won't know your exact cost until you're on the order page with a specific plan and term selected.