How fast vpn

It's worth noting that every VPN has an impact on your connection thanks to the simple fact your traffic is going further, so making sure that slow-down is as minimal as possible is a top priority. Without subscriptions to all the fastest VPN services yourself it's impossible to test this, so that's why we've put together this list to help you make an informed decision. In this guide we're prioritizing speed over everything else.

However, every fast VPN service here will also deliver top-quality privacy and security too, so to max out your connection there shouldn't be too many sacrifices to be made. While the old favorite is still swift and reliable, new protocols like list-topper ExpressVPN 's Lightway, Hotspot Shield 's Catapult Hydra and the burgeoning WireGuard are leading the way in terms of sheer speed.

If you've got a pretty standard Internet connection that tops out below Mbps, it's unlikely you'll notice any difference in speeds between the fast VPN services below.

However, for those on ultrafast lines, there are a few blistering options to pick from. Its maximum speeds of over Mbps are more than enough, and as the full package it's great for streaming and security. Plus, Tom's Guide readers can now claim three months free. Plus, excellent privacy features and additional functionality make it excellent value for money. Hotspot Shield — very fast and simple to use Hotspot Shield is super simple to use, and its incredible connection speeds are tough to beat.

While a select few have managed to overtake its top speeds, it's still well worth considering thanks to its low price point. And, since our last review, it's overtaken the previous leaders and earned itself top spot in this rundown.

With average speeds of around Mbps it's incredibly fast, and the current integration of the proprietary LightWay protocol has seen these speeds ramp up in the last few months.

ExpressVPN makes it super simple to install and get access to these great speeds, plus you'll have great streaming performance — Netflix, iPlayer, Hulu and the rest are all no match for Express. The apps themselves are more comprehensive that Hotspot Shield's, and include some really nifty features like a built-in speed test, DNS and WebRTC leak detectors, as well as an effective kill switch and split tunneling.

If anything ends up not working as it should — or you've got any questions about how to use it — ExpressVPN's support is also unrivalled. In all of our testing the live chat operators have been very knowledgeable and quick to respond, and it boasts the best library of setup and troubleshooting articles in the industry.

If it's not to your liking, you're covered by the day money-back guarantee, so there's no risk if you just want to try it out before committing. The old favorite is practically a household name now, with a huge public presence gained from television advertising and, frankly, a great overall service.

Other than its excellent connections, you might be drawn to Nord because of its security-focused service. With its powerful and additional features like Onion over VPN and Double VPN it's a hacker's nightmare, and is all but guaranteed to keep you anonymous online.

A slight issue we have is with the layout of the otherwise polished and exceedingly usable mobile apps — the interface is taken directly from its desktop counterpart, and while it works well on larger screen, the map-based design is a bit awkward on phone screens.

However, that's unlikely to truly put anyone off, as you'll only be in the app for a minute or two to select a server or adjust settings. NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs around, and with great security paired with top-tier streaming performance, it's well worth a look. Sign up now on the NordVPN website. Hotspot Shield is one of the best fast VPN services available today, and it's evident from the numbers that it's perfected the art of the unfettered VPN connection. The not so secret lies in its use of the proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol, which trounces OpenVPN-based services, and is still considerably faster than some that have adopted WireGuard.

However, in our most recent Hotspot Shield review we did notice that while this provider's speeds have stayed much the same, others improved and closed the gap. The fact Hotspot Shield only supports Catapult Hydra does present a couple of issues — most notably the fact that you won't be able to manually set up VPN connections, and you'll be limited to Hotspot Shield's own apps.

However, for the vast majority, that won't be a problem at all. In terms of making use of these speeds, you'll be able to access just about any online streaming service you can think of, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer and more.

This is a great improvement since our last testing of the software, in which it struggled to access a couple of sites.

And, on top of that, a good range of server locations means you'll also be able to watch tons of overseas content. Hotspot Shield doesn't offer the greatest amount of in-depth features, but for most people that'll be a non-issue — and if you're looking for the fastest VPN speeds money can buy, it's a great option.

There's also the impact of underlying internet speeds in the US, which vary widely depending on your VPN provider and the state you live in -- the fastest VPN in one area might not be the fastest VPN in another. Finally, if you eliminate all potential variables -- from network interference to individual machine quirks -- to create a lab-like test setting, you're essentially testing a VPN service provider's product in a digital environment that bears little resemblance to the operating environment most of us live and work in.

For these reasons and more, I prefer to create a VPN testing environment that resembles what you, the typical VPN user, are likely to experience. That's also why I'm more interested in measuring the amount of speed lost with a VPN which, for most VPNs, is usually half or more across both slower and high-speed connection types.

I want to know how well they can handle not just browsing, but also heavy traffic loads of torrenting, gaming and streaming. I also want to know how these services are going to perform when you've got simultaneous connections across multiple devices -- Mac or Windows -- on a residential internet connection that may or may not be shared by others.

To determine the fastest VPN service, my speed tests are conducted manually using OpenVPN protocol -- generally considered the most secure and widely used open-source protocol. To be clear, some of the brands have their own proprietary protocols that may well offer a faster speed, but I wanted to keep this an apples-to-apples comparison. First, I test my internet speed without a virtual private network. Then, I connect my machines to the VPN and pick five servers in diverse locations across the world.

I test those five servers, five times each, at intervals over two to three days via the widely used Ookla Speedtest. Then I calculate the average download speed of each to find out what percentage of my normal internet speeds are lost with the use of each virtual private network.

Find out more about how we evaluate and review VPNs here. Because of the ever-rotating roster of front-runners in the VPN race, you can expect this list to change as it gets updated with our most recent test results. Editors' note: Following the Sept. We'll update our recommendations and reviews if and when warranted. The remarkable thing about Surfshark's speed is that its average speeds aren't fighting to overcome major speed losses in any particular test region.

This thing showed up on race day and stole the gold for the fastest speed, seemingly without breaking a sweat. During testing, my base non-VPN speeds averaged megabits per second, while Surfshark's overall average was Mbps. After taking the averages of five testing locations, I found not one of the averages from those locations fell below Mbps. That's an across-the-board win against its competitors in every test column.

Because the VPN service provider allows you to choose which VPN server to connect to with a handy visual icon to signal overall crowdedness of each VPN server location , one way I could have juked the stats here is by hand-picking servers across the US with the least VPN traffic load. And I would have loved to report New York speeds specifically, for example. But that wouldn't have been fair; NordVPN still frustratingly lacks that feature, so I used Surfshark's automatic server selection option as I did with the other test subjects.

Surfshark again outperformed its peers during UK and European tests, averaging Mbps and Mbps in each, respectively. While future tests might include other regions in Europe, I currently go for a mix of German and French connections.

Usually, no matter the VPN, Frankfurt speeds weigh down the average, while connections in Orange and Paris bring a major numbers boost. That was still the case with Surfshark's speeds, but even Surfshark's German numbers were higher than the average speeds of its competitors.

Australia is normally where we see numbers take a dive -- the continent's distance from my test site in Kentucky means major latency. Latency was still high, but this fast VPN service seemed unfazed, clocking a Mbps average download speed. Singapore is where speeds always get competitive. No two VPN servers are alike. Even servers located in the same country can have different speeds. Run a Speed Test to pinpoint the fastest server location for your needs.

Get 30 days free when you sign up now. Get ExpressVPN. Access the Speed Test by clicking the menu icon in the upper left corner of the app:.

Click Run Test to start the Speed Test:. You can achieve different levels of streaming video quality with different Download Speeds. Test your internet speed to: Check download capacity.