2026 VPN Comparison at a Glance
| Feature | Mullvad | ProtonVPN | Surfshark | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price/month | €5 flat | Free or £3.99+ | From £1.99 | From £5.32 |
| Logs policy | No logs (audited) | No logs (audited) | No logs (audited) | No logs (audited) |
| Jurisdiction | Sweden | Switzerland | Netherlands | British Virgin Islands |
| 14 Eyes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Anonymous payment | Cash, crypto, Monero | Crypto | Crypto | Crypto |
| WebRTC protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes | No | Partial |
| Free plan | No | Yes (unlimited) | No | No |
| Simultaneous devices | 5 | 10 | Unlimited | 8 |
| Best for | Maximum privacy | Free users | Families | Streaming |
Mullvad VPN — Best for Privacy
Mullvad is the gold standard for privacy. No email required to sign up — you get an account number and pay €5/month. Accepts cash sent in an envelope and Monero. Independently audited no-logs policy. Open source apps. The only VPN that does not know who its customers are. Test it against our WebRTC Leak Test.
ProtonVPN — Best Free Option
ProtonVPN is the only free VPN we recommend. The free plan has no data limits (just slower speeds and fewer servers). Swiss jurisdiction means outside EU and US legal reach. Tor over VPN servers built in. Created by the same team as ProtonMail. Check with our DNS Leak Test to verify protection.
Surfshark — Best Value for Families
Unlimited simultaneous connections makes Surfshark ideal for households with multiple devices. CleanWeb blocks ads and trackers at the VPN level. Camouflage mode makes VPN traffic look like regular HTTPS. MultiHop routes through two VPN servers for extra obfuscation.
ExpressVPN — Fastest Speeds
ExpressVPN consistently tops speed tests. The proprietary Lightway protocol achieves faster speeds than WireGuard in most tests. Works reliably in China and other censored regions. 30-day money-back guarantee. Best for Netflix and streaming.
How We Test VPNs
Every recommended VPN is tested against our own tools before being listed:
- WebRTC Leak Test — confirms real IP is not exposed via WebRTC
- DNS Leak Test — confirms DNS queries go through VPN servers not ISP
- IP Address Check — confirms VPN IP is showing instead of real IP
See our full Recommended VPNs page for affiliate links and detailed reviews.
