Best VPNs for cellular networks: Navigate and roam freely

Have you ever questioned the privacy of your data while traveling and relying on cellular networks? You’re not alone. Frequent travelers often need help with complicated data plans and concerns about carriers selling their data to advertisers. And let’s not forget the daunting web blocks some providers impose globally. But we have found a solution for you. After rigorous research and in-depth testing, we have found that a VPN can get around these issues.

Harnessing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your internet activity, putting a barricade between your online adventures and prying carrier eyes. This has an additional benefit too: With your provider blind to your online activity, restrictive blocklists become moot, granting you unrestricted internet freedom.

Dive in as we unveil the best VPNs for cellular networks. Should you seek a deeper answer, continue reading for an expert analysis.

Best VPNs for cell phone networks

1. NordVPN: Our top VPN for mobile networks. Known for its high speeds and cutting-edge security features. Has more than 5,000 servers plus a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for cellular networks.
2. Surfshark: The best budget VPN for on-the-go browsing. Excels at beating online restrictions and offers a wide array of privacy tools. Now supports more than 90 locations.
3. IPVanish: Quick, reliable, and versatile. This provider can secure every device you own and follows a true no-logs policy. Now faster than ever, meaning it’s ideal for cellular networks.
4. ExpressVPN: Blends speed, security, and streaming ability to help you browse safely whether on mobile data or wifi. Boasts lots of server locations and 24/7 support.
5. CyberGhost: An extremely fast service that’s perfect for anyone new to VPNs. Securely stream, torrent, or game on a mobile connection. Can even stop ads in their tracks.
6. PrivateVPN: A privacy-first VPN that even works in China. Offers competitive speeds and unblocking ability, plus a high connection limit. Doesn’t keep any logs whatsoever.
7. Proton VPN: Massive server network, high-speed connections, and reliable unblocking. No-logs VPN with strong encryption and Double VPN servers.

How we selected the top cell network VPNs

If you’re specifically looking for a VPN that’s suitable for mobile browsing, there are a few things to consider before spending money. Here are a few key features we looked for when researching the best VPNs for cellular networks:

• Has lots of servers around the world
• Provides stable, high-speed connections
• Shields your online activities with uncrackable encryption
• Works with plenty of popular region-locked services
• Doesn’t store any data that could identify you
• Supports all major operating systems and devices

This is just an overview of our testing process, but if you want to learn more, check out the methodology section below. First, let’s take a closer look at the providers that made the grade.

Best cellular networks VPNs: At a glance

We’ve tested and compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice VPN for cellular networks.

Best VPN for cellular networks

From our real-world testing, here’s a list of the best VPNs for cellular networks:

1. NordVPN

Nov 2024

NordVPN is our first choice VPN for secure browsing on cellular networks. With more than 6,000 servers in 100+ countries, you’re all but guaranteed to have one nearby, minimizing latency. This VPN provides above-average speeds, so you should be able to video call and browse as normal, even when on a fairly slow mobile connection. NordVPN even works in places many of its rivals don’t, like China and the UAE.

This service has plenty to offer mobile users. For a start, it blocks ads, trackers, and malware, uses powerful encryption, and keeps no logs. Further, NordVPN has a security meshnet feature that lets you connect a desktop PC and route all of your mobile data through it. This allows you to securely access remote files or have all of your devices share a single IP address. If you run into problems, support is available 24/7 through email and live chat.

NordVPN apps are available for iOS, Android, Linux, MacOS, and Windows. It also works with a variety of routers but you’ll have to follow manual setup instructions to get up and running.

BEST VPN FOR CELLULAR NETWORKS:NordVPN takes the top spot. With top-notch security tools and fast, reliable servers all over the world, it’s perfect for any privacy-conscious traveler. Better still, this VPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free.

Check out our comprehensive NordVPN review.

NordVPN Coupon

74% off 2 year plans + 3 EXTRA months

Get Deal >

Discount applied automatically

2. Surfshark

Surfshark is the best budget VPN for cell networks. Despite its low price, this service delivers consistently impressive speeds and can securely access sites like Netflix and HBO Max. Just recently, this provider significantly scaled up its network, and now offers over 3,200 servers in 100+ locations. Unlike most other VPNs, Surfshark has no connection limit, making it ideal for large families or people looking to protect lots of devices.

On that note, Surfshark uses effectively uncrackable encryption to hide your activities from snoopers. There’s also an ad-blocker (even on mobile), leak protection, and a native kill switch for Android that saves you the trouble of replicating this feature in your phone’s settings. This provider doesn’t keep logs and has undergone an independent audit to prove that its server infrastructure is up to scratch. Live chat is available around the clock, so getting help is quick and easy.

Surfshark provides Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, and Linux apps. You’ll have to configure supported routers manually.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark is our top low-cost provider. Its top-tier speeds make it a must-try for anyone who relies on cellular networks often. This zero-logs VPN works in China, reliably unblocks major streaming sites, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read the full Surfshark review.

Surfshark Coupon

87% OFF + 4 months free

Get Deal >

Discount applied automatically

3. IPVanish

IPVanish has long been a favorite of privacy-conscious cell phone users. Its mobile apps are remarkably lightweight and user-friendly, and its speeds are phenomenal. In fact, following a network upgrade and the introduction of WireGuard support, IPVanish has quickly become one of the fastest providers on the market. Currently, there are around 2,000 servers spread across 60+ countries. Best of all, users can secure any number of devices with a single account.

This VPN ensures your privacy by preventing DNS and IPv6 leaks, following a true no-logs policy, and shielding user traffic with powerful encryption. There’s also a kill switch that stops you from accidentally browsing without the VPN active (though this has to be manually set up on Android). Finally, IPVanish supports split tunneling and can even allow local connections to bypass the VPN if you’d like. Support is available around the clock via email and live chat.

IPVanish has its own iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows apps. You can manually install it on some Linux systems and wireless routers too.

LIGHTWEIGHT OPTION:IPVanish is exceedingly fast, versatile, and easy to use. Better still, it achieves this without compromising on your privacy. A solid choice whether you’re looking to video call or stream on mobile data. Annual plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Why not check out our full IPVanish review?

EXCLUSIVE IPVANISH DEAL

The cheapest MONTHLY Black Friday plan!

Get Deal >

Lifetime Discount: Coupon applied automatically

4. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has been a major player in this industry for over a decade, and it’s easy to see why. Users can choose from over 3,000 servers in 100+ countries, and this VPN can even help you browse securely in countries with strict online censorship. What’s more, its custom protocol, Lightway, delivers reliable, high-speed connections that are more than enough for day-to-day tasks like streaming or torrenting. Eight devices can be secured simultaneously, which should be enough for most people.

This VPN has a solid security offering, with 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and protection against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks. You can also choose to allow certain apps to pass through unencrypted (for instance, if you just want to download a large update as quickly as possible). Just as important, ExpressVPN doesn’t log any personally identifiable info. There’s a 24/7 live chat service on ExpressVPN’s website in case you run into any issues.

ExpressVPN has Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and MacOS apps. It’s also the only provider in this list with its own router firmware, so it’s great for securing lots of devices at once.

NO STRESS SECURITY:ExpressVPN has novice-friendly mobile apps and just enough advanced features to make you feel in control. Also boasts consistently high speeds and strong streaming potential. This no-logs VPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Still not sure? Find out more in our full review of ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN Coupon

SAVE: 82% + 6 months free on 2 year plans

Get Deal >

Coupon applied automatically

5. CyberGhost

CyberGhost has a few characteristics that make it a great choice for cellular networks. First off, it’s extremely fast, with an average speed of over 500 Mbps in our latest speed tests. It also provides neatly organized apps with separate lists for general-purpose, streaming, and P2P servers (in total, there are a whopping 10,000+ in more than 100 countries). Up to seven simultaneous connections are allowed, and there are no bandwidth limits to speak of.

One of the best things about this service is that it actually makes using the internet on mobile devices better by blocking ads and trackers, and by preventing you from inadvertently downloading malicious files. There’s also 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, leak protection, a no-logs policy, and a feature that’ll automatically turn on the VPN if you do decide to use a public wifi hotspot rather than mobile data. The support staff are pretty helpful too, and can resolve most problems in a matter of minutes via live chat.

CyberGhost apps are available for iOS, Android, MacOS, Linux, and Windows. Alternatively, you can follow manual setup instructions to get it running on supported routers.

IDEAL FOR MOBILE:CyberGhost provides high speeds, strong security, and a fix for several mobile-browsing annoyances. It’s even suitable for streaming on sites like Netflix and Hulu. What’s more, this service includes a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Take a look at our in-depth CyberGhost review.

CyberGhost Coupon

SAVE 84% on the 2 year plan + 4 months free!

Get Deal >

Discount applied automatically

6. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN is another strong choice for staying safe on cellular networks. While it only has around 200 servers globally, these cover 60+ countries and provide above-average speeds. They’re able to reliably access services like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video, which is something not many of its rivals can truthfully claim. This provider recently increased its connection limit to 10, so protecting all of your devices at once won’t be a problem.

The service uses 256-bit encryption by default, but it has an option to switch to 128-bits for a slightly faster connection. That’s not all PrivateVPN has up its sleeve, though: it also offers DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak protection, an app-specific kill switch, and a zero-logs policy. This VPN even has a toggleable stealth mode that works almost anywhere in the world (including China). Customer support is available at almost any time, though the live chat service does go offline for a few hours each day.

PrivateVPN has apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS. It can also be manually installed on supported Linux distros and wireless routers.

PRIVACY-CONSCIOUS:PrivateVPN doesn’t keep any logs and goes above and beyond to keep your data secure. With steady speeds, a high connection limit, and a 30-day money-back guarantee, this P2P-friendly provider certainly has a lot to offer.

Read our full PrivateVPN review for further details.

7. Proton VPN

Proton VPN provides the speed and security required for mobile browsing. It now ranks among the fastest VPNs we’ve tested, having averaged 216 Mbps. As such, any streaming or video calls should be free from performance issues such as lag and buffering. Proton VPN also has a particularly large server network consisting of over 8,500 servers in 112 countries, including the US, Canada, and the UK.

The robust 256-bit AES encryption offered by Proton VPN ensures your data’s security. We’ve verified its DNS leak protection for ourselves and were impressed with this VPN’s very effective kill switch. Proton VPN stands out from so many other providers because of its strict no-logs policy and the fact that it gives you the option to pay anonymously in cash. Live chat and email support is also available.

Secure 10 devices at the same time via Proton VPN apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Chrome and Firefox browser extensions are also offered, but manual setup is needed to use this VPN with routers.

SECURITY-FIRST:Proton VPN prioritizes a secure service that respects your privacy. Yet it doesn’t disappoint in terms of server numbers or speeds. It also lets you pay in cash. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Proton VPN review.

ProtonVPN Coupon

SAVE 70% on a 2-year plan

Get Deal >

Coupon applied automatically

How to secure your mobile browsing with a VPN

VPNs can seem pretty intimidating but they’re really quite simple to use. Just follow the steps below to hide your online activities and browse securely while on mobile networks:

1. Start by signing up for one of the providers above (we recommend NordVPN).
2. Download and install your VPN’s mobile app.
3. Go into the settings and make sure any ad-blocking, tracker-blocking, or malware-prevention features are enabled.
4. Select a server in a nearby location and get connected.
5. Your internet traffic is now encrypted and shielded from anyone who might be watching. What’s more, you should be able to access any website you like, regardless of your cell phone provider’s online restrictions.

Our Methodology: How we chose the best VPNs for cellular networks

If you’re looking to improve your privacy while on cellular networks, not just any VPN will do. After all, it’s not uncommon for providers to claim they’re vastly more secure than they actually are. Speed is at a premium too, since mobile data can be fairly slow at the best of times. Here are a few of the main areas we considered when choosing the best VPNs for cell phone networks:

• Server choice: In general, you’ll get faster speeds from a server that’s nearby. By looking for VPNs with servers all over the world, we can more or less guarantee that there’ll always be one within a reasonable distance. This approach also increases the number of region-specific websites you’ll be able to access.
• High performance: Your connection will virtually always be slower when using a VPN. That’s why it’s so important to preserve as much of your base speed as possible. We regularly run dozens of VPN speed tests, allowing us to say with confidence that the providers we recommend are among the fastest on the market.
• User-friendly mobile apps: Since you’ll primarily be using cell phone data, we looked for VPNs with well-rounded mobile apps. Ideally, most of the functionality from the desktop versions will remain, and we welcome any features that improve the mobile browsing experience (such as ad-blocking).
• Cloaking ability: A VPN isn’t much use if you have to turn it off to access your favorite sites. We test candidates against popular services like BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and fuboTV and only recommend those that work with a wide range of sites. Ideally, our top VPNs would work in countries with widespread online censorship too.
• Strong security focus: To make sure your data is adequately protected, we require VPNs to follow no-logging policies, prevent IPv6 and DNS leaks, and use effectively uncrackable encryption (256-bit AES or better). A kill switch is another must-have, though you may need to manually configure this on Android phones.

This is just a brief overview of how we put VPNs through their paces. To find out more, check out our detailed testing methodology post.

Using a VPN on mobile data: FAQs