Best VPN for Windows in 2024

Choosing the best VPN for Windows can be difficult with so many options. In 2023, it’s recommended to avoid free software where possible, as performance can be slow and unpredictable. If you want to secure your internet connection and change your IP address to access geo-restricted content like streaming services or games in different regions, the best premium VPNs are the answer.

Most providers support both desktop and mobile devices, but Windows apps generally offer more features and settings. Having tested all the leading names, the following VPNs combine exceptional performance with usability on Windows.

Our top 8 VPNs for Windows

ExpressVPN offers all its premium features in its Windows app, which gives you access to 3,000 servers across 94 countries. Whether you just want to secure your internet connection or unblock geo-restricted content in another region, it takes just a few clicks to connect to your chosen location. Its network speeds range between 1-10Gbps, supporting all high bandwidth activities like streaming or torrenting.

Up to five devices can be used from the same account when paying monthly but committing to a longer period increases this to eight. As well as Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS are supported, making it perfect for when you’re at home or on the go.

The Windows app is lightweight and easy to use. Once connected, simply close it to the system tray, and you’re protected. Unlike some free and cheaper VPNs, ExpressVPN consistently passes leak tests. Even if the VPN or your internet connection drops, an automatic kill switch pauses all internet traffic until it’s safely reconnected. Your real IP address is never exposed.

On the other hand, the split tunneling feature found under the general options tab lets you manage your connection on a per-app basis. For example, you can get the full benefits of the VPN while accessing a geo-restricted online game but use your regular connection for a Skype call. The downside is it doesn't support split tunneling for individual websites.

The default settings work like a charm, although the Windows app also lets you easily configure startup rules, browser extensions, and your desired VPN protocol, such as OpenVPN or its proprietary Lightway protocol. You can even test your connection speed within the app to find the best configuration.

Plans start at $12.95 a month with good VPN discounts for six months upfront at $59.95 ($9.99/mo) or 12 months for $99.95 ($6.67/mo).

With a 10Gbps server network in 60 countries, NordVPN will unblock virtually any geo-restricted content in the world, while encrypting your internet connection and IP address from prying eyes. On Windows it boasts several specialized server options that go even further, making it our top pick for privacy.

These are visible as soon as you open the app. Double VPN routes your connection through two separate locations while its obfuscated servers disguise all internet activity as standard web traffic. This is useful if your ISP throttles internet speeds, or you’re based in a country that heavily censors the web.

Onion Over VPN is its most secure option, combining an encrypted VPN connection with the Onion Network, which is commonly used to access the dark web. The downside is it greatly impacts speed, so it shouldn’t be used for regular activities. Meanwhile, its P2P servers are optimized for torrenting, keeping download speeds high while hiding your real IP address.

The Windows app has an appealing map interface to select a location, though it’s much easier to just scroll through the list of countries. Advanced settings are found by clicking the cog icon and include a system-wide or app-based kill switch to pause traffic if your connection drops. Split tunneling lets you explicitly include or exclude apps from the VPN’s protection. You can also choose which protocol to use and set up custom DNS.

NordVPN supports six devices at once and has additional apps for macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. It’s $12.99 a month, $59.88 a year ($4.99/mo), or $102.33 for two years ($3.79/mo).

Surfshark offers unlimited connections, allowing users to install the Windows app on as many PCs as needed. That’s ideal for multiple household users, sharing with friends, or even keeping staff protected on a workplace network.

Once installed, click Quick-connect to connect to the fastest server for your current location or browse through 100 countries with more than 3,000 individual VPN servers. These are suitable for gaming, torrenting, and unblocking any geo-restricted streaming services. For additional security, the multi-hop tab routes traffic through two different locations but will have a slight impact on speed.

Windows users benefit from all available features, including a kill switch to halt traffic if the connection disconnects and advanced split tunneling, which it calls a bypasser. Choose the apps, sites, or IPs that should or shouldn’t be subject to VPN encryption. Advanced users can also select the specific protocol to use, though the default detects the fastest option for the average user.

For extra precautions, it has an IP rotation setting that cycles through different IPs for the same location without disconnecting from the internet. Static IPs are also available if you get blocked from a site or stuck behind captchas for bot-like behavior.

The Windows version is intuitive and user-friendly, but it falls short of the top spot due to lagging and having to restart due to the background service occasionally failing. Surfshark is also available on Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. The latter supports GPS spoofing to match your phone’s location service with the VPN location.

A monthly plan is $12.95 a month. For a year, it’s $47.88 ($3.99/mo) or $59.76 for two years ($2.39/mo). The 7-day free trial is currently only available on mobile.

The standard approach in the VPN market is to entice you into savings by committing to longer than a month. Mullvad keeps things simple with a flat 5-euro monthly charge, which is less than $6. For its level of performance, Mullvad is the cheapest VPN out there.

It’s also one of the easiest to register for. Rather than an email, username, and password, the site generates one unique account number. If you pay using cryptocurrency, the Swiss-based company has no identifiable records.

Windows users benefit from a full range of features, including a kill switch to prevent IP address exposure, split tunneling to whitelist or blacklist certain apps from the VPN connection, and double VPN. This sends traffic through two VPN locations.

For unblocking geo-restricted content, simply choose one of the 43 supported countries, which are backed by 655 individual servers. If one goes down, there’s always another for your desired location, and you can even check the current speed and status. Generally, the network operates between 1-10Gbps, which means buffer-free streaming and low-ping gaming.

While you can install Mullvad on an unlimited number of computers or mobile devices, only 5 can be in use at any given time. Besides Windows, this includes macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

Genuine free trials for VPNs are rare, but CyberGhost bucks the trend by giving users 24 hours to fully evaluate its Windows app. There are no bandwidth, server, or feature restrictions. This gives you the chance to test 9,000 servers in 91 countries, with special options for streaming, gaming, and torrenting. The trial is also available on Mac but not Linux, Android, or iOS.

On Windows, CyberGhost has lots of useful features, including a kill switch, protocol selection, and advanced split tunneling for both apps and URLs. You can also enable or disable IPv6. Many VPNs disable this automatically to prevent your IP address from leaking, but it’s good to have the choice if you use apps that require IPv6.

Its Smart DNS feature is particularly useful if you want a quick way to unblock streaming services but aren’t concerned about encryption or other privacy protections. Instead of changing your IP address, it forces your connection to use a local server to process domain requests rather than your ISP. This can be enough to make it appear like you are in the required region. The upside is faster streaming speeds, the downside is it’s not guaranteed to work.

However, thanks to a 1Gbps-10Gbps server network, it’s probably easier just to click a location and connect to a VPN to benefit from 4K streaming speeds. It even has dedicated options for streaming services like Netflix or Hulu.

CyberGhost can be installed on up to seven devices at once for $12.99 a month, $41.94 for six months ($6.99/mo), or $56.94 for two years ($2.19/mo). It also comes with a lengthy 45-day money-back guarantee.

If you are familiar with configuring VPNs and know exactly what you’re looking for, PIA’s Windows app is packed with settings. You can select the precise protocol, level of encryption, MTU packet size, and other parameters. It also lets you decide what conditions must be met before automatically connecting to the VPN, like if you connect on startup.

PIA’s default settings also work well for the average user, and it includes all the common features. Split tunneling is for choosing specific apps or sites to include or exclude, while the kill switch stops any unsecured traffic if the VPN server disconnects. For a double layer of protection, multi-hop sends all traffic through two different locations.

As well as having one of the more advanced Windows apps, PIA also has the largest network of any top provider. You can benefit from 30,000 servers located in 84 countries. Simply open the app, select a location, and get access to any geo-restricted content from around the world. Its 10Gbps infrastructure means you’ll have no issue streaming in 4K or torrenting without disruption.

Unlimited users may sign in from as many devices as desired, with no bandwidth restrictions across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. It costs $11.99 per month, $39.95 for a year ($3.33/mo), or $79 for three years ($2.03/mo).

The only catch is despite a no-logs policy, the company is based in the U.S., which technically means your billing information could be requested by the authorities if there was cause to do so.

Bitdefender is a well-established name in cybersecurity software and offers a standalone VPN on Windows alongside its other tools. This allows you to bypass geo-restrictions and change your IP address to over 50 countries. More than 4,000 individual servers make up its network.

While speeds tend to max out below 1Gbps, which is slower than most of our favorites, it’s still fast enough for individuals to enjoy 4K streaming. The split tunneling feature is always there to exclude certain sites and apps from the VPN if you want to benefit from the full speed of your internet provider.

Encryption is what VPNs use to protect your real-time internet connection from hackers and snoopers. However, even with encryption and a different IP address, intrusive ads and tracking cookies can still burrow into your web browser and device. Bitdefender stands out thanks to its robust ad blocking and web tracking prevention, which it provides on top of the encryption for free.

It does this without requiring separate security software or hogging system resources, and the features work system-wide, not just through browser extensions. No matter what browser you use, when the VPN is active, you’ll see a stark reduction in annoying banners, autoplaying video ads, and dangerous popups. This will speed up your general web browsing experience.

You can purchase Bitdefender VPN for $6.99 a month. This is quite a bit less than other top VPNs. It supports 10 devices on one account and has apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.

It’s generally recommended to stay away from free VPNs because they lack extra privacy features and can be congested with users, causing slow speeds and failing to unblock content. However, if you must go the free route, ProtonVPN stands out from the pack.

It offers unlimited bandwidth and speeds up to 1Gbps, which can support streaming and other high-bandwidth tasks. The catch is only the United States, the Netherlands, and Japan are available to select on the free plan. This makes it a good choice if you are traveling or are located outside the U.S. and want to access American streaming platforms. Those inside the U.S. might consider its premium plans from €11.49/mo (approximately $12.40), which unlocks 69 countries.

Besides location, the free Windows app has a full range of useful features. You can exclude specific apps from the VPN using split tunneling, and the kill switch protects your IP address if the VPN goes offline. It’s also one of the few that offers Onion Over VPN for connecting to the Tor network, which is used for the dark web.

ProtonVPN is headquartered in Switzerland, protecting your billing information alongside a no-logs policy.

Final words on the best VPN for Windows in 2023

There is no shortage of excellent VPNs for Windows. If you want to get connected easily with guaranteed performance, ExpressVPN is the best all-rounder. However, our other picks offer some unique benefits.

For those on a budget, Mullvad has a high level of privacy for almost half the price of a typical monthly plan, while ProtonVPN's free plan is a good option for those outside the United States. NordVPN is the best option for those with strict ISPs or in countries with strong internet censorship.