The best VPNs according to Reddit users (and one they hate)

Reddit is one of the biggest internet forums in the world, and it is a great place to go when you need help on a specific subject or want an opinion on something. As you might expect, this includes opinions about the best (and worst) consumer-facing VPN providers. Reddit can provide you with a quick and easy way to gauge the general feeling toward a company or service, including many well-known VPNs. But it can be tricky to separate the honest reviews from the noise.

Reddit is well known for its “shoot-straight-from-the-hip” culture, which favors people who share honest, well-developed opinions. On the other hand, Reddit users are also quick to go for the throat when they don’t like something, which can lead to reviews that are more negative than is strictly necessary. In addition, it is well known that Reddit is full of paid trolls, which unfortunately does influence what people are saying about certain topics or companies.

So, to find the true story, we scoured several hundred posts and comments looking for Reddit’s favorite and least favorite VPNs. We also double-checked user account posting histories as best we could to weed out the paid and troll accounts. In this guide, we’ll summarize Redditor’s opinions (both good and bad) for you. We’ll start with a quick summary of the favorites here, scroll down for more details on each provider.

The best VPNs according to Reddit users:

1. NordVPN: Although it previously faced controversy due to false narratives about its logging practices in 2018, these Reddit rumors have been laid to rest, and the consensus on Reddit now is that it is a reliable and great-performing VPN. It is one of the most positively-reviewed VPNs on Reddit in recent years.
2. Private Internet Access: One of the most discussed and recommended VPNs on Reddit. Liked for its affordability, well-rounded functionality, and customizability. Mentioned and recommended more than just about any other VPN on Reddit. However, since it was acquired by Kape some people have started moaning (the company used to be involved in adware, but that has not been the case for many years now).
3. ExpressVPN: One of the most highly-rated VPNs on Reddit. It consistently gets positive comments despite receiving less discussion compared to NordVPN or Private Internet Access.
4. Mullvad: This VPN stands out as a controversy-free option on Reddit. It is praised in numerous comments for its minimal negative feedback, although it operates on a smaller scale compared to ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Private Internet Access.
5. Surfshark: Has quickly risen to be one of the most loved VPNs on Reddit due to its fast speeds, reliability, fantastic features, and value for money, Often praised due to its unlimited connection limit, cheap prices, and well-rounded apps.
6. CyberGhost: Loved by Redditors who want an easy-to-use VPN that offers excellent speeds, great reliability, and access to a massive server network that spans more than 100 countries. Praised by people looking for a VPN for streaming.
7. IVPN: Considered the most trustworthy VPN by an extremely small but vocal clan of Redditors who feel it is better for refusing to work with affiliates. However, it is known to be very expensive and doesn’t offer the best performance.

What are Reddit users saying about VPNs?

We found that Reddit opinions vary greatly about which VPN is actually best, but the community does recommend some VPNs much more than others and are vocal about the ones they dislike. And, most Redditors who discuss VPNs agree that everyone should use a VPN to gain online privacy at home, at work, and on public wifi.

Source: Reddit

In the section below, you can read in-depth summaries regarding each of the VPNs recommended by Redditors.

Best Reddit VPNs according to Redditors

To give you a balanced look at what Reddit is saying – we have included information about both the positive and negative comments made by users.

Here are the VPNs rated best by Reddit users:

1. NordVPN: The most liked VPN on Reddit

NordVPN has proven privacy and security measures, which have been independently tested and verified following a massive controversy and false rumors spread about the service in 2018. The service operates over 5,800 servers in 60+ countries, making it one of the largest on the market. It’s also one of the fastest options on the market, with a large number of specialized servers for torrenting, streaming, and added browsing privacy. Those interested will find NordVPN offers a strict no-logs policy, fast speeds, high-level encryption standards, and allows you to connect up to 6 devices at once.

What do Redditors like about NordVPN?

Generally speaking, Redditors have only good things to say about their experiences using NordVPN. Redditors who favor NordVPN do so because of its security and privacy features, and many love its kill switch.

NordVPN is praised for having completed a full third-party audit of its service and for running on a self-owned network of diskless servers that can be erased in an emergency. The VPN is also praised for providing fast speeds and access to many popular streaming services.

Overall, Redditors enjoy NordVPN due to its strong security features, reliability, and performance. The fact that it has Tor over VPN servers and allows torrenting throughout its network is also a selling point with Redditors.

While the race between NordVPN and PIA was very close, there are complaints regarding PIA having its headquarters in the US. So the consensus is that NordVPN being based in Panama makes it better in terms of privacy.

What do Redditors dislike about NordVPN?

Some Reddit users have complained about slower speeds this year this year. However, in our experience, NordVPN is still very fast. Based on our most recent VPN speed tests, NordVPN remains one of the fastest VPNs on the market.

That said, there are a few faster VPNs available, so if speed is what you want, check out our list of the fastest VPNs. Remember that you can test NordVPN yourself to check out its speeds using its 30-day money-back guarantee. This makes it easy to try the VPN yourself so you can decide whether you believe the reviews on Reddit.

A few people have also stated that they consider NordVPN to be quite expensive. However, this seems pretty unfair considering its excellent service and the availability of subscriptions that start at just $3.79 per month. It seems you can’t please everyone – even when you offer an incredible service that is much cheaper than many inferior VPNs.

Read our complete NordVPN review here.

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2. Private Internet Access: The best Reddit reputation for proven security

Private Internet Access is among the largest VPN providers on the market and one of the cheapest. The service provides over 3300 servers in 30+ countries and secures them with strong encryption standards. As with many other top-level VPN providers, Private Internet Access maintains a no-logs policy, which has also been tested in court on several occasions (the service had no logs to give when requested).

What do Redditors like about Private Internet Access?

Redditors tend to like Private Internet Access and often recommend it to those who are looking for a VPN provider with verified privacy protections. Redditors are quick to point out that PIA has stood the test of time and has proven its no-logging policy in court on numerous occasions.

Many people enjoy using the VPN thanks to its fast speeds and its large server network, which consists of thousands of servers in 90+ countries. Redditors also like the level of customization they receive in the apps and the many excellent security features that PIA provides, which include a kill switch, AES encryption, and diskless servers. Redditors also like the fact that they can connect an unlimited number of devices with a single account.

What do Redditors dislike about Private Internet Access?

Verified privacy protections aside, complaints about PIA are mixed. Some users groan about low speeds, while others report negatively about the service’s advertising methods. The biggest concern, however, revolves around the fact that PIA is based in the US, which is far from ideal for a privacy service due to the presence of gag orders and warrants.

Some Redditors are also suspicious that PIA is purposefully employing people to praise the service in Reddit, whether there is any truth to this, we don’t know. What we do know is that Private Internet Access has had its logs subpoenaed on a few occasions in the US by federal authorities. In every case, authorities came up empty. This means that, despite its location, PIA is living up to its no-logs promise.

Read our full Private Internet Access review here.

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3. ExpressVPN: Best all-around VPN on Reddit

ExpressVPN offers thousands of VPN servers in over 100 countries. This allows its users to get an IP address almost anywhere in the world to easily bypass censorship and region locks. This makes it extremely popular with Reddit’s international user base. The service keeps no logs, offers fast 24-hour chat support, allows payment from a large number of sources, and provides a 30-day money-back guarantee to new users. It’s also well-known for unblocking a large number of US-based streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more. ExpressVPN also consistently rates highly in our VPN speed tests – which makes it good for gaming, HD streaming, torrenting, and other data-intensive tasks.

What do Redditors like about ExpressVPN?

So, what are Reddit users saying about ExpressVPN? Almost always good things when the topic arises. People praise its diskless server network and the fact that it has been fully audited by an independent third party.

Redditors also love ExpressVPN thanks to its fast connection speeds and ability to access popular streaming services like Netflix. You can find out more about ExpressVPN’s speeds in our guide to the fastest VPNs.

Some Redditors praise ExpressVPN’s custom router firmware, which makes it easy to set up the VPN on a router to protect every device in their home.

Finally, many Redditors praise ExpressVPN’s privacy features, which include a kill switch, DNS leak protection, robust AES encryption, OpenVPN with obfuscation by default, and split tunneling.

What do Redditors dislike about ExpressVPN?

The most consistent complaint we found with ExpressVPN was regarding its usage of virtual servers. In reality, however, virtual servers get a much worse rap than they deserve.

While physical servers are nice to have, they’re not always practical. In many cases, the locations where ExpressVPN offers IP addresses don’t have reliable physical servers, which is shy ExpressVPN provides fast IPs in those locations via Smart DNS routing using servers located elsewhere.

Generally speaking, we take no issue with ExpressVPN using servers located in nearby countries as long as we get an IP address where we need it. That said, it is important to consider which servers are virtual and where they are being hosted. The good news is that ExpressVPN offers high levels of transparency regarding the locations of its virtual IPs and where those servers are actually hosted. ExpressVPN explains why and how their virtual servers work in more detail here.

Overall, Reddit user sentiment about ExpressVPN is extremely positive. We ran an analysis of every comment about ExpressVPN on Reddit from 2015-2019 and found the service not only maintains a positive view from Redditors but its favor among users is growing!

Read our full ExpressVPN review here.

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4. Mullvad: Least controversial Reddit VPN choice

Although a small provider, by comparison, Sweden-based Mullvad provides several hundred VPN servers in a few dozen locations. The service offers a strict no-logs policy and anonymous accounts and accepts multiple forms of secure payments, including Bitcoin and even cash. The service also comes in at a lower monthly price than most of its competitors, offering service for about $5.50 per month (€5 per month as advertised).

What do Redditors like about Mullvad?

Mullvad is a small VPN provider and does not advertise as heavily as the largest services. This makes it far less likely to be mentioned on Reddit, but it’s also one of the smallest options that we found mentioned relatively frequently for its size. And when Redditors mention Mullvad, it’s almost always with a good amount of praise:

Source: Reddit

We found that Redditors were regularly praising Mullvad’s security and privacy features and that it is genuinely considered one of the most trustworthy VPN providers on the market. They also praise it for its relative simplicity, its ability to bypass online blocks, and its excellent speeds. People also like that it accepts crypto and cash payments, which is good news if you want to sign up using a burner email.

What do Redditors dislike about Mullvad?

While it’s rare to find negative comments about Mullvad on Reddit, the primary ones we found related to the service’s lack of customer support. Some users also found it to be a touch pricey compared to other VPNS due to its lack of pricing options (there is no discount for committing longer).

Unfortunately, the complaints regarding Mullvad’s customer support are legitimate in our opinion. Also, this is a common problem across the board with smaller VPN providers. The type of 24/7 customer support you get with top-tier providers like NordVPN is costly, and smaller providers simply can’t compete with this level of service.

Mullvad keeps its price low by putting much of the setup and troubleshooting into the hands of its users, and from our experience, this makes it a terrible option for less techy users who have issues. We have even seen Mullvad reps giving newbies a hard time for not understanding how to set up and use the VPN, which seems downright mean.

These complaints aside, Mullvad does provide troubleshooting guides, and users who are unsure of how to fix problems can always turn to /r/vpn/ for support from Redditors with more technical know-how. In the end, you should be able to get the VPN working without issues. However, if you are a VPN beginner who wants a stress-free life, you may prefer to give it a wide berth.

Read our full Mullvad review here.

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5. Surfshark: The best cheap VPN, according to Reddit

Surfshark has quickly risen to be one of the most popular VPNs on the market, and many reviews on Reddit reflect this popularity. The VPN is known for its fast speeds, excellent privacy features, and a massive network of servers in 100+ countries. Those servers work to watch popular streaming services like Netflix US and BBC iPlayer. Torrenting is permitted throughout its network, and the VPN offers plenty of advanced features, including a kill switch, obfuscation, DNS leak protection, multi-hop connections, split tunneling, ad blocking, malware filtering, and a free Smart DNS service. One of the best things about Surfshark is that you can install and use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices, which means you can share your account with friends and family as much as you like.

What do Redditors like about Surfshark?

Redditors love Surfshark’s fast speeds and the fact that you can install and use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices. Many Redditors praise its 24/7 live chat support, and they often report on its ability to access popular streaming services. The biggest reason for liking Surfshark is the fact that it has extremely low prices. This makes it consistently receive praise as the best cheap VPN that money can buy, and we would have to agree. The low cost often seals the deal for many Redditors who have had a worse experience with VPNs that cost twice as much, if not more.

What do Redditors dislike about Surfshark?

As is almost always the case on Reddit, there are plenty of people complaining about Surfshark as well as praising it. Some users are complaining that the VPN is not as fast as it was a couple of years ago. They also complain about getting blocked by websites and services while connected to Surfshark servers, and some even notice an increase in Captchas, which they find annoying.

Read our full Surfshark review here.

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6. CyberGhost: The best VPN for server coverage

CyberGhost is a secure and reliable VPN based in Romania. The VPN benefits from being extremely easy to use and has clearly labeled streaming servers that are listed by country and individual streaming providers. This makes it an extremely easy VPN to use for anybody who wants to access international streaming services. Best of all, CyberGhost VPN has more than 10,000 servers in 100+ countries, which gives its users the ability to get an IP address almost anywhere in the world. It also has apps for all devices with strong AES encryption, WireGuard connections for blazing-fast speeds, and a solid no-logging policy.

What do Redditors like about CyberGhost?

The biggest like among Redditors is CyberGhost’s ease of use and ability to access international streaming services. The VPN is praised for being easy to install and use and for having a massive server network that extends to more than 100 countries. Redditors are consistently impressed by the VPN’s usability and reliability, particularly for accessing Netflix and other popular streaming services. Redditors also like its auto-connect feature, which ensures that you are always connected to the VPN when you join an unknown or untrusted wifi network.

What do Redditors dislike about CyberGhost?

Despite proving its ability to provide privacy for its users for more than 10 years, some Redditors are still hung up over the fact that it belongs to a company that used to be involved with malvertising.

While these concerns were valid back when the VPN was new, it seems clear that Kape (which used to be Crossrider when it was involved in advertising) has completely rebranded and moved into a different (much better) area of business.

There is no evidence that Kape or CyberGhost is doing anything malicious or untoward, and the ongoing complaints on Reddit are confined to a grudging minority who refuse to change their opinion about CyberGhost despite the evidence that it is an excellent VPN.

Read our full review of CyberGhost here.

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7. IVPN: Most trusted VPN on Reddit:

IVPN provides contract-free VPN protection with military-grade encryption standards. The company follows a no-logs policy, operates its own logless DNS server, and has servers available in 37 countries across the world. The service also offers a 7-day money-back guarantee, which means you can test it yourself.

What do Redditors like about IVPN?

In 2016, IVPN made a public announcement on its website: It would no longer run an affiliate program. This news made big waves on Reddit because most VPN providers have affiliate programs of some kind. The result was twofold on Reddit:

1. It led to more Redditors trusting IVPN, including some of the more well-regarded privacy advocates on Reddit (such as That One Privacy Guy).
2. It led to a significantly reduced presence of IVPN on Reddit. IVPN has become an extremely niche service that fails to attract new users and has a very small user base.

The decision to stop working with affiliates was generally met with praise on privacy forums across Reddit:

Source: Reddit

Alongside this, Reddit users praise the company for its server speeds and the excellent functionality of its apps.

However, it is worth noting that in our experience, it struggles to keep up with VPNs like NordVPN and Surfshark when it comes to connection speeds and accessing streaming services. For this reason, IVPN cannot be considered one of the best VPNs for average home internet users. This caveat aside, it is nice to see IVPN continuing to gain praise as a privacy-first VPN.

What do Redditors dislike about IVPN?

As noted earlier, IVPN’s decision to drop its affiliate program meant its presence on Reddit all but disappeared. It gets mentioned here or there in the comments sections, but few users are doing reviews of the service and posting about it.

However, comments are always positive when they do appear primarily because it has stopped working with affiliates, which leads to it being considered the most trusted VPN in the underbelly of the Reddit underground!

Despite this praise, the biggest complaint about IVPN is the hefty price tag. IVPN costs $15 per month or $8.33 per month if purchased through a year-long subscription. This makes it one of the most expensive VPNs on the market, and while it continues to have support on Reddit, it is never going to compete with the VPNs above it, which have a much larger and more vocal Reddit fanbase.

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The most disliked VPN on Reddit

PureVPN

While most VPNs on Reddit receive some love and some hate, PureVPN is one of the few VPNs that receives almost no love from the Reddit community.

Source: Reddit

As much as we looked, we only found one positive review of PureVPN with a reasonable amount of feedback on the post. Redditors also don’t trust PureVPN after the company turned over logs in a court case that revealed the company’s no-logs policy was suspect.

Read our full review of PureVPN here.

The one thing Redditors agree on? Free VPNs are bad

Redditors almost universally dislike PureVPN, but there’s one thing they all agree on even more consistently: free VPNs are the worst route you can take to internet privacy and security.

Free VPNs sound great because, well, they’re free. But one common refrain you’ll hear on Reddit and elsewhere is this: “If you’re not paying, you’re the product”. This is in reference to the fact that free VPNs have been found to collect users’ data to sell to third parties.

Free VPNs are, by general consensus, a privacy nightmare. Alongside compromising your private data, free VPNs:

• Have strict data caps
• Have lower bandwidth
• Have more latency issues
• May contain viruses and malware, including crypto-mining code

So, if you’re exploring VPN options, avoid free offers. Quality low-cost VPNs exist – such as Surfshark –  and most have multi-month or year-long plans designed to significantly reduce how much you’ll pay for the service. Also, most legitimate VPN providers regularly offer discounted deals throughout the year, as well as money-back guarantees and free trials.