Decision guide · Updated October 2026

Best VPN for Windows

Windows is where most VPN apps are at their best. We ranked the five that run cleanest on Windows 10 and 11, with a kill switch that actually holds.

Sourced from published tests
No sponsored rankings
As featured in Forbes

See all 5 picks

Our answer #1 of 5

NordVPN

Best Overall Best for StreamingBest for GamingBest for SecurityBest for PrivacyBest for TorrentingBest for Teams

93 Trust Scoreout of 100

#1 of 22 in our Speed Lab · 7,130 servers in 150 countries · 10 devices.

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The ranking

All 5 picks, ranked

Same five, same order. Switch the column to what you care about.

1
NordVPN Best Overall Best for StreamingBest for GamingBest for SecurityBest for PrivacyBest for TorrentingBest for Teams

4.6 2M reviews #1 of 22 in our Speed Lab · 7,130 servers in 150 countries · 10 devices

93Trust Score #1 of 22 · 730 Mbps Fastest in our Speed Lab, so HD and 4K hold across regions 18 ms Lowest added latency of the five and masks your IP from opponents Threat Protection Pro Threat Protection blocks trackers and malware; says its no-logs policy is audited Audited Says its no-logs policy is independently audited; Panama-based P2P servers · kill switch P2P-labelled servers at full speed, with a kill switch on every app SSO · central admin Your click goes to NordLayer: SSO, dedicated IPs, central admin

93
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2
ExpressVPN

4.7 889K reviews Lightway protocol · servers in 113 countries · 10 devices

86Trust Score #8 of 22 · 630 Mbps Servers in 113 countries; Lightway stays steady on long routes 22 ms Stable routing under load; router app covers consoles Threat Manager RAM-only servers; says its no-logs policy is independently audited Audited Says its no-logs policy is audited; RAM-only servers All servers · kill switch P2P allowed on every server; kill switch built in 10 devices / seat Simple apps non-technical staff can run; 10 devices per seat

86
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3
Surfshark

4.7 397K reviews Unlimited devices · 4,500+ servers in 100+ countries

85Trust Score #4 of 22 · 695 Mbps Unlimited devices, so every TV, phone and box is covered 20 ms Unlimited devices covers PC, console and phone on one plan CleanWeb CleanWeb ad and malware blocking on unlimited devices Audited Says its no-logs policy is audited; Netherlands-based P2P servers · kill switch P2P servers plus unlimited devices for a whole household Unlimited / seat Unlimited devices per seat for small, device-heavy teams

85
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4
Proton VPN

4.7 1.2M reviews Swiss-based · 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries · free plan

85Trust Score #12 of 22 · 580 Mbps Streaming access needs the paid plan; the free tier is not built for it 22 ms Solid latency, but no router app for consoles NetShield Swiss-based, open-source apps, says it is audited yearly Audited yearly Says it is audited yearly; open-source apps you can inspect Paid plans · port forwarding P2P and port forwarding on paid plans, not the free tier Business plan Proton for Business bundles mail, drive and VPN

85
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5
CyberGhost

4.2 207K reviews 9,600+ servers in 100 countries · 7 devices

85Trust Score #10 of 22 · 612 Mbps Streaming-labelled servers and a 45-day window to test them 25 ms Gaming-labelled servers; the highest latency of the five Content blocker NoSpy servers run in-house; 45-day money-back window Audited Says its no-logs policy is audited; publishes a transparency report P2P servers · kill switch Torrenting-labelled servers; 45 days to test them No team plan Consumer plans only; no team console

85
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Order is our overall Trust Score ranking and does not change with the tab. A per-use-case order would come from the trust-score model, not from editors. Methodology

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