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.
How to Choose From This Table
- Privacy first: Mullvad, with no email and anonymous payment options.
- No budget: ProtonVPN's free plan, if you can accept slower speeds.
- A whole household: Surfshark, with unlimited simultaneous devices.
- Streaming or restrictive networks: ExpressVPN.
What "Audited No-Logs" Does and Does Not Mean
An audit means an independent firm inspected a provider's systems or policies at a particular time and found no logging of user activity. That is much stronger than a promise, but it is a snapshot: it does not guarantee what happens afterwards, and the scope differs from one audit to the next. Prefer providers that repeat audits regularly, publish the reports, and have had their claims tested in the real world, for example when servers were seized.
Check Prices Before You Buy
VPN prices, plans and device limits change often, especially during sales. Treat the table as a guide, confirm the current terms on each provider's own site, and use the money-back period to run your own tests.
Test Any VPN Yourself in Five Minutes
- Connect, then check that your IP address shows the VPN server's location.
- Run the WebRTC leak test. Your real IP must not appear.
- Run the DNS leak test. The servers listed should not belong to your internet provider.
- Turn off your connection briefly while a page loads, to confirm the kill switch blocks traffic.
