Best VPNs for connecting multiple devices securely with ease in 2025

If you need a VPN to connect multiple devices simultaneously, you’ve come to the right place. Whether it’s for your family, housemates, a small office, or if you own numerous gadgets, we understand your challenges.

Our team has invested extensive time and effort into researching and testing various VPN providers, all to ensure that you get the best VPN for multiple devices. Gone are the days of disconnecting one device to accommodate another or purchasing separate subscriptions for each user.

Picture this: streaming Hulu or Netflix on one device while your partner connects to the VPN on another, or everyone in your office staying securely connected without the hassle of individual subscriptions. This article is your go-to resource for everything you need to know about VPNs offering multiple simultaneous connections.

Stay tuned as we unveil the top VPN services that have passed our rigorous testing process, enabling you to enjoy seamless connections for all your devices anytime and anywhere. Let’s dive into the world of multiple-device VPNs and find the perfect fit for your needs!

Don’t want to read the whole thing? Here’s a quick summary of the best VPNs for connecting multiple devices at the same time:

1. NordVPN: The best VPN connecting multiple devices at the same time. Up to ten simultaneous connections. Fast speeds, specialty servers, and 24/7 support. You can also get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Multiple devices.
2. Surfshark: Best value VPN. Connect all of your devices at once. Works with 30+ Netflix libraries. Very good speeds and MultiHop servers for extra security.
3. IPVanish: Unlimited simultaneous connections. Decent speeds and works with popular streaming platforms. Security includes encryption and a kill switch.
4. CyberGhost: Up to seven devices per account. Fastest speeds we’ve tested. Offers extra features including a Windows antivirus and password manager.
5. ExpressVPN: Secure eight devices at the same time. Unlimited bandwidth for seamless streaming. Uses high-end encryption. No identifying logs of users.
6. ProtonVPN: High-speed service with a strong privacy focus. Permits up to 10 simultaneous connections and delivers better-than-average speeds.
7. PureVPN: A low-cost, beginner-friendly VPN capable of securing 10 devices at once. Exceptional speeds, streaming abilities, and router support.
8. PrivateVPN: Can be used on 10 devices at once. Strong unblocking with high-speed connections. Privacy protection thanks to a strict no-logs policy.

How to use a VPN with multiple devices

If this is your first time setting up a VPN you’ll be happy to know it’s a very simple process. Just follow our steps below and you’ll have all your devices connected through a VPN in no time.

Here’s how to use a VPN on multiple devices:

1. First, sign up for a suitable VPN (we recommend NordVPN).
2. Next, download and install the app, making sure to get the correct version for your device.
3. Repeat this step with all of your devices (or share your details with members of your household). The number of devices will vary depending on your chosen VPN provider.
4. Decide which server you want to connect to. For streaming locked content you may want to choose a specific country (for example to unlock American Hulu you’ll need a US server). However, for security purposes, you can choose any.
5. You should now have secure internet access on all of your devices
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Best VPNs for connecting multiple devices — Our hands-on review

We’ve compared the most important features for the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for connecting multiple devices.

Criteria for the best multiple device VPNs

We look at a number of different things when assessing which VPNs are best for connecting multiple devices. You can find out more about our full testing methodology later in this article, but here’s a summary of the areas we’re interested in:

• Speed: Sluggish VPNs can be incredibly frustrating. To find the faster services we carried out multiple speed tests while connected to each provider’s UK and US servers.
• Connectivity: We scored providers on the number of simultaneous connections they permitted, as well as their compatibility with routers, and the number of apps they had available.
• Security and privacy: To find the VPNs most able to keep you safe online we evaluated them against 16 different security and privacy criteria.
• Ease of use: If you’re planning on using a VPN with lots of different devices, it pays to find one that’s easy to use. To this end, we compared providers using 10 different metrics related to their overall user-friendliness.
• Value for money: Some VPNs are worth what they charge in subscription fees and some aren’t. To find the former, we used eight criteria to work out which provided the best value.

The best VPNs for connecting multiple devices

Here’s our list of the best VPNs for connecting multiple devices at the same time:

1. NordVPN

Feb 2025

• 10 simultaneous connections

NordVPN is our favorite VPN that you can use on multiple devices. Its standard plan nets you 10 simultaneous device connections. When you combine this with its cheap subscriptions, the price drops to the equivalent of around 50 cents per month per device with a one-year plan.

NordVPN delivers extremely high speeds, in no small part to its well-optimized network and custom NordLynx protocol. After two days of testing, we recorded an average speed of 213.16 Mbps, which is more than you’ll ever need for streaming, making video calls, or gaming.

Amazingly, there was just 11 Mbps between the highest and lowest results, which points to a truly surprising level of consistency. Below, you’ll find a chart breaking down how well this provider performed using different servers at different times of day:

NordVPN apps are available for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, Android, tvOS and Android TV. They come packed with features and allow users to connect to more than 7,200 servers in 118 countries. Users can pick a server from a map, search by country name or city, or just scroll though the country list.

In addition to being extremely quick, the VPN works with Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and many others. In our experience, if you have a streaming platform that you want to unblock, NordVPN is the provider most likely to succeed.

NordVPN’s security is extremely robust, with the NordLynx protocol now offering protection against attacks by quantum computers. The NordWhisper protocol, by contrast, is designed to obfuscate traffic so that it can bypass VPN blocks in restrictive countries like China.

The provider also offers one-click access to the Tor network, and allows users to create multi-hop connections that double-up on encryption. Other features that bolster user security and privacy include a kill switch; split tunneling; an ad, tracker and malware blocker; and leak protection.

NordVPN is a zero-logs provider and has had full third-party audits to prove it. It only uses a network of diskless servers for added security.

As an added bonus, the service comes with a unique Meshnet feature, which allows you to establish a remote connection with any other device running Meshnet. This is ideal if you want to access files on your computer remotely or want to share something on your computer with a friend or family member. You can also host a virtual LAN party.

Impressively, Meshnet lets you link up to 60 devices together, and if a VPN is running on one of those devices, you can share the VPN connection with all the other devices. This theoretically allows you to share your VPN connection with up to 60 different devices at no extra cost.

All in all, NordVPN is an impressive VPN that you can try risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee.

BEST VPN FOR MULTIPLE DEVICE CONNECTIONS:NordVPN is our top choice. Great performer for fast streaming and torrenting. Strong privacy and security features. Hard to beat. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee for a risk-free deal.

Read our full NordVPN review here.

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2. Surfshark

• Unlimited connections

Surfshark is a low-cost provider that offers stellar all-around VPN coverage. One of the standout features of this service is that it doesn’t limit the number of device connections, so you can connect as many as you like under one subscription. This makes it ideal for sharing a subscription with friends or family.

Surfshark was the second-fastest service we tested, making it an ideal VPN for torrenting or watching 4K video. In fact, with an average speed of 212.73 Mbps, it’s just a hair slower than NordVPN.

For context, this means you can download a 1 GB file in about 37 seconds and shouldn’t experience any noticeable slowdown when lots of people in your home are using the internet at the same time.

Apps are available for Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, Android, Apple TV and Fire TV. These are pleasingly easy to use, with neat dashboards that simplify navigation. Users can hit “quick connect” to establish a connection to the fastest available server, or choose one themselves from the country list.

Surfshark has more than 3,200 servers in 100 countries, so there are plenty of options. All of its servers are RAM-only, so you don’t have to worry about them storing your online activities. This is bolstered by an independently verified no-logs policy.

In addition to its regular servers, Surfshark is one of the few providers that offers static IP addresses. These are available in six countries and provide the same IP address if you disconnect and reconnect.

Surfshark also offers a rotating IP address feature, which changes your IP without you having to break the connection. This makes it harder for third-parties to trace your location.

Other security and privacy features include a kill switch; split tunneling; an ad, tracker and malware blocker; and leak protection.

The provider’s NoBorders mode is useful if you’re connecting from a restrictive country and need to obfuscate your traffic to navigate VPN blocks. It works in China, so it’ll work elsewhere.

The provider is known for its excellent unblocking ability, and with good reason. In our tests we had no issue accessing Netflix, Max, BBC iPlayer or Amazon Prime Video. If you have a VPN-incompatible device like a smart TV, you can access US-based geo-restricted content by using Surfshark’s smart DNS service.

One of our favorite Surfshark features is its Alternative ID generator. This lets you create a fake persona, complete with a name, address and date of birth. Addresses are currently available in six countries. The provider also has an email proxy service, so you don’t have to reveal your true email address while online.

Subscriptions are cheap considering the provider has no connection limit and so many features. A two-year plan starts at the equivalent of $2.19 a month, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark offers great value for money. It has decent speeds and a strong suite of security features, and unblocks restricted content with ease. Plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review here.

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3. IPVanish

• Unlimited connections

IPVanish offers a very competitively priced plan and boasts a huge array of servers. If you want a true zero-logs service that can also change your IP address at a specified interval, this is the VPN for you.

IPVanish was the fourth-fastest provider we tested this time, with average speeds of 172.82 Mbps.

Depending on the time of day, there wasn’t a ton of variation in speed, though we did record a fair degree of degradation the further away your chosen server is. Even then, though, this VPN remains quick enough to handle anything you throw at it.

Servers are available in more than 140 locations, with users able to pick their server of choice from a map on the app’s dashboard.

For more granular control, users should go to the locations page where they can choose servers in particular cities, and even choose servers within each city. The ping time and load of each are listed, making it easy to find the best option at any given time.

IPVanish apps are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. These come with a range of features, including a kill switch; split tunneling for apps and domains; an ad, tracker and malware blocker; public wi-fi protection; DNS leak protection and IPv6 leak protection.

Available protocols include WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN. Although WireGuard tends to be the fastest, OpenVPN gives you access to the Scramble function. This obfuscates traffic and is useful if you need to bypass VPN blocks — though it didn’t work in China when we last tested it.

IPVanish adheres to a strict no-logs policy and has been independently audited to prove it. This means it isn’t keeping tabs on what you’re doing online — which is reassuring given that it’s based in the US.

The provider works with a wide range of streaming platforms. During testing we had no problem accessing Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney Plus and Max.

A subscription to the two-year Essential plan starts at the equivalent of $2.19 a month. The next level of plan — Advanced — costs just over a buck a month more and includes a handy 1TB of cloud storage and access to a secure sandboxed browser.

FAST AND RELIABLE:IPVanish has a large network of servers. Uncongested network achieves good speeds. Strong security and privacy features. Could do with having live customer support. Seven-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of IPVanish here.

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4. CyberGhost

• Seven simultaneous connections

CyberGhost’s standard subscription allows up to seven simultaneous connections. You’ll find easy-to-use apps for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. The provider also has apps for Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV. Router configuration is possible, which means you can protect every device on your home network while only using one of your allotted seven connections.

CyberGhost operates over 10,000 servers, and you can choose which is best for you based on either location or how you use the VPN. There are servers for torrenting, gaming and streaming, though it’s the streaming servers that are potentially most useful. These are listed alongside the platforms that they work with, removing the need to try and guess which servers work with which streaming services.

We tried out several of these servers, and had no issues accessing big-name services such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Max, and Disney Plus.

The provider also has what it calls NoSpy servers. These are owned and operated by CyberGhost and free from third-party interference (most VPN servers are rented). They’re a good option for maximising security, but only available for Romania.

This VPN has long been known for for being fast, and it’s easy to see why. After six speed tests, our experts recorded an average speed of 190.88 Mbps. This puts CyberGhost squarely among the fastest providers available.

Now, there was a decent amount of slowdown when using more-distant servers, and speeds varied quite a bit at different times of day. However, the lowest result we saw was 123.77 Mbps, which is still quicker than many of its rivals.

The software comes with a range of features, including a kill switch; an unwanted content-blocker; split tunneling; a choice of connection protocols; and IPv6 and DNS leak protection.

What it doesn’t have is obfuscation. If you’re connecting from a restrictive country or need to bypass VPN blocks at school or work, then look to one of the other providers in this list.

One neat feature is the ability to specify what happens when apps are launched. You can link CyberGhost with apps, so that one doesn’t start without the other. This is useful for torrenting or streaming apps that you wouldn’t want to use without first being connected to a VPN server.

CyberGhost subscriptions are good value, with a two-year plan costing the equivalent of $2.03 a month. Antivirus software and dedicated IP addresses are available as optional add-ons to every subscription.

GREAT VALUE:CyberGhost is a great budget choice. Strong on privacy, fast speeds and reliable buffer-free connections. We found it easy to set up and use. Works well with most streaming sites. Comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

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5. ExpressVPN

• 8 simultaneous connections

ExpressVPN offers beginner-friendly VPN apps for Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, Android, Android TVF, Apple TV and Fire TV. These have a straightforward GUI that makes it obvious how to quickly establish a connection.

The provider also makes its own custom router firmware that’s easy to switch out with your router’s existing firmware. Doing so will enable you to protect every device on your home network, while only using one of the eight permitted connections.

ExpressVPN operates a network of more than 3,000 servers in 105 countries. In some locations, users can choose between individual cities. Elsewhere, the choice is country-level only.

Once connected, you’ll be able to access all of the big-name streaming platforms. We successfully used the service with multiple Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus content libraries.

The provider also has a MediaStreamer tool that you can use with VPN-incompatible devices to access geo-restricted content in the US. This only works if the devices allow you to change their DNS addresses.

ExpressVPN might not be the fastest service on the market but it is quick enough for just about any task. Overall, it averaged 119.37 Mbps, which should be plenty, even if your whole family tends to browse the internet at the same time.

Further, we tested this VPN six times and noticed significantly more consistent results than with any other provider in this list, with only 20 Mbps between its highest and lowest speeds.

ExpressVPN is a particularly good option for those connecting from restrictive countries like China. It obfuscates every connection by default and has a fully audited no-logs policy, and RAM-only servers.

Features of the app include a kill switch; app-based split tunneling; an ad, tracker and adult-site blocker; and built-in leak protection.

The company has its own connection protocol, which helps establish VPN connections far faster than most of its rivals. Users can choose whether they want to use AES or ChaCha20 encryption, though most people will find it easier to let ExpressVPN make the decision.

Plans aren’t the cheapest, though many users don’t mind paying that little bit extra for a reliable and trustworthy service. If you want to try it out without committing anything financially, you can take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee.

GREAT ALL-ROUNDER:ExpressVPN is a solid choice for many tasks. It takes user security seriously, can unblock a range of content, and allows up to eight simultaneous connections. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

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6. ProtonVPN

• 10 simultaneous connections

ProtonVPN is a freemium service but you’ll have to pay if you’d like to secure multiple devices. Paid subscriptions come with a 10-connection limit, allow you to unblock your favorite streaming sites while abroad, and grant access to the full network rather than being limited to a randomly selected choice of five countries.

ProtonVPN’s full network is particularly impressive, with more than 11,500 servers in 117 countries. Users can choose a country to connect to straight from the app’s dashboard, or use the location list on the left to drill down to individual servers.

Once connected, you’ll be able to access a range of streaming services – if that’s your thing. During testing, it worked with Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Disney Plus.

To find out how fast the provider was, we carried out speed tests while connected to its servers in the UK and US. The provider averaged 170.55 Mbps overall, with a high of 212.13 Mbps and a low of 135.01 Mbps.

Farther away servers were understandably a little slower, but you should still be able to stream, play online games, or make video calls without any issues.

One of the great things about this VPN is that it comes with built-in ad and tracker blocking. This even works if you’re running it on a router. There’s also split tunneling and port forwarding functionality — both of which are handy for torrenting.

Other features include a kill switch, a Stealth mode for obfuscating traffic, leak protection, and a selection of high security servers that are maintained by ProtonVPN in dedicated data centers.

ProtonVPN doesn’t keep any logs that could be used to identify you and has been independently audited to prove it. Further, it’s possible to sign up anonymously by paying with cash.

The provider has its own Android, iOS, Firestick, Windows, MacOS, and Linux apps. It also supports most popular types of router firmware, but you’ll have to configure a connection manually. The help section of its website offers setup guides for most routers. If you’re struggling, you can just send staff a support request using the 24/7 live chat feature.

Although ProtonVPN’s long-term subscriptions are a little more expensive than its closest rivals, the rolling monthly option is cheaper than most. One and two-year plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

SECURITY-FIRST PROVIDER:ProtonVPN offers a huge degree of flexibility but also offers a high level of security straight out of the box. It’s ultra-fast, doesn’t keep any logs, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.

For more information, read our exhaustive review of ProtonVPN.

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7. PureVPN

• 10 simultaneous connections

PureVPN has around 6,000 servers in 65 countries and allows you to protect up to 10 devices at a time. Furthermore, it offers extensive documentation guiding you through configuring a router connection. This has the benefit of protecting all the devices connected to the router, while only using on the allotted ten connections.

In addition to its list of regular servers, the provider has a separate section in its app which lists servers according to the platforms they work best with. Connecting to one of these servers automatically opens the associated streaming service’s website too.

We used these servers to watch Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and Hulu — all without issue.

Speed-wise the provider averaged a respectable 142.46 Mbps during testing – more than enough for whatever you have in mind. That said, it did return one significantly lower result, and without this, the average speed would have been closer to 155 Mbps.

On the plus side, there was virtually no difference in performance between the British and American servers.

PureVPN offers apps for MacOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire TV. These come with a tracker-blocker; app-based split tunneling; and a choice of three connection protocols.

User traffic is kept hidden from snoopers using 256-bit AES encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a kill switch that stops sending data the moment your connection to the VPN drops.

Most importantly, PureVPN follows a strict no-logging policy. How do we know? Because it’s verified this fact with four successive audits. Unlike most of its competitors, PureVPN even works in places like China.

Subscriptions include a generous five-year plan that costs the equivalent of $2.16 a month. This is a great option if you’re happy to stick with PureVPN for that long. If you’d like to try the provider out before committing, its plans come with a 31-day money-back guarantee.

COMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION:PureVPN supports all major platforms and works almost anywhere in the world. Not only that, but it has repeatedly proven that it doesn’t keep logs. New customers can take advantage of its 31-day money-back guarantee to try it before they commit.

Still have questions? Find answers in our full PureVPN review.

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8. PrivateVPN

• 10 simultaneous connections

PrivateVPN lets you connect up to ten devices at one time on a single account. It has apps available for Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, Android, Fire TV, and Android TV. These come with dashboards that can be switched between two versions: one simple, one advanced.

The simple version is great for those with no VPN experience, as it makes it obvious how to quickly establish a connection.

The Advanced View, by contrast, provides options for switching between the OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2 protocols. Users can also alter the level of encryption used on their traffic. Reducing the key length from 256-bit to 128-bit will help speed up slow connections.

PrivateVPN has a relatively small server network, though it does stretch to 63 countries — which is more than enough for most users. Note that its smaller network means that some locations occasionally become unavailable if a server goes down.

In addition, the provider has static IP addresses available in 15 countries. These are useful if you don’t want a different IP address every time you disconnect and reconnect.

In our speed tests PrivateVPN was the slowest provider in this list. However, it’s far from unusable. In fact, with an average speed of 77.06, it’s capable of handling virtually any task, from live streaming to downloading large files.

Its infrastructure could definitely be better-optimized, however, given that there was a larger than expected degree of difference between the UK and US servers.

PrivateVPN is well-regarded in terms of its unblocking ability. We successfully tested it with Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus and Max. If you have any issues with a particular platform, enabling the Stealth mode can help. The Stealth mode will also work if you’re trying to connect from China or the UAE.

Features of the software include a system-wide kill switch as well as an Application Guard that closes specified apps if the VPN connection drops out. There’s also automatic start-up, and IPv6 and DNS leak protection.

PrivateVPN subscriptions are easy on the wallet, with a three-year plan costing the equivalent of $2 a month. Users can sign up relatively anonymously using a burner email and by paying in cryptocurrency.

GREAT SPEED:PrivateVPN is consistently reliable. Good for general purpose use and HD Streaming. Could do with having more servers to chose from. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

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Methodology: Finding the best VPNs for securing multiple devices

There are so many VPNs on the market that, counterintuitively, it can be tricky to find one that’s right for you. Our experts have personally tested more than 70 of the industry’s biggest providers to see whether they’re really able to provide the level of service they claim. Below, we’ve broken down our testing into five distinct categories, assigning scores for each based on what each provider has to offer. We’ll also explain why these categories matter,  what we looked for in each, and how we determined a VPN’s overall score.

Performance

VPNs have come a long way in terms of speed. These days, there’s no excuse for a service that dramatically reduces your performance. After all, if they’re too low, you’ll notice webpages take forever to load and may even be disconnected randomly. However, testing a VPN’s speed is trickier than you might think due to the randomness of the internet and the number of things that can impact performance (distance from your chosen server, for instance).

With this in mind, we constructed a testing method designed to eliminate as many variables as possible. First off, we used a 246 Mbps connection since this is roughly the average household broadband speed in the US. Then, our team performed six speed tests for each provider (three on British servers, three on American), with two tests each in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon. We then averaged these results to get a better idea of the speeds you can expect. Finally, these scores were weighted and normalized relative to one another, allowing you to more easily see which VPNs were the fastest. You’ll find the results below:

NordVPN was our top performer here, earning it a perfect score. In fairness, Surfshark wasn’t far behind, and CyberGhost followed shortly after. PrivateVPN returned the lowest result of the eight, with a still impressive 77.05 Mbps. However, as providers are ranked relative to one another, this meant it earned just four points. It’s still worth using, just slightly slower than its competition.

Connectivity

If you’re looking to protect multiple devices, then naturally, we have to consider each VPN’s connection limit. After all, the industry average is only about five devices and some providers only allow one. That’s just the beginning of our testing, though. Our experts also take into account whether services offer apps for all major operating systems, whether they work on less powerful devices like Amazon Fire TV, and whether they can be installed on a home router. Additional features like Smart DNS services or the ability to reroute traffic from other devices are greatly appreciated too.

Once again, NordVPN delivered the highest result (9.5 out of 10). It lost points for not completely removing connection limits, but we were impressed by its sheer range of apps and loved that its Meshnet feature lets you use the same IP address on your PC and Firestick, for instance. On the other hand, CyberGhost scored lowest, with 7.4 points. This is largely due to its lower than average connection limit and slightly smaller selection of apps.

Security and privacy

First and foremost, VPNs are privacy tools. Even if a service offers the highest speeds and can access any region-locked site, it’s not worth using unless it can also keep you safe. Here at Comparitech, we separate the best from the rest by checking what each provider offers in 15 distinct security-related areas. This includes making sure their encryption is up to scratch and checking to see what kind of information they log about your online activities.

Next, we assigned points using a comprehensive feature matrix. These were then weighted and normalized to give each provider a score out of 10, as shown below:

As you can see, we have a two-way tie for first place between NordVPN and Surfshark. Both of these VPNs use first-class encryption and have been regularly audited to prove they don’t keep logs. Further, they offer advanced security tools like obfuscation and IP address rotation. Meanwhile, PrivateVPN delivered a score of 8.6. It has fewer advanced features than some of its rivals and is the only provider in this list that hasn’t yet been professionally-audited.

Ease of use

A common issue users face is finding out after they’ve already paid that their chosen service is a nuisance to use. Maybe it hides important settings deep in the menus or requires you to try multiple servers to find one that works for streaming. Perhaps it’s just poorly-designed! Our team puts huge emphasis on ease of use, noting down any features or characteristics that make the VPN more welcoming to newcomers or make everyday tasks as straightforward as possible. Here’s a full list of everything we look for when assigning scores in the ease of use category:

Our top provider was NordVPN, with an overall score of 9.6. We particularly liked how simple it was to control even the more advanced tools and the fact that virtually every feature was available on both mobile and desktop. In fairness, no VPN scored poorly in this category. PrivateVPN did take last place again but its score of 8.6 just highlights how stiff the competition was. With the addition of simple extras like ad-blocking and a little more consistency when streaming, it could easily rank very highly.

Value for money

Many people make the mistake of just using whichever service is cheapest (or worse still, using a free VPN). The truth is that while you’re unlikely to get a reputable service for nothing, you don’t have to break the bank. We begin by making sure that each VPN we recommend is fairly-priced for what it offers, then look into how far you can reduce the base price. This may be by taking advantage of a flash sale or student discount, or simply saving by choosing a longer subscription. Our one red line is that every provider in this list must offer a money-back guarantee. This way, you can try them out risk-free and claim a refund if you’re not impressed.

As always, we weighted and normalized our scoring to provide a maximum of 10 points. Surfshark came very close, scoring 9.7, with NordVPN right behind at 9.6. Conversely, ProtonVPN delivered our lowest result (7.4). This is because it costs a little more than its rivals, even with a long-term discount applied and doesn’t offer discounted rates for students. It does, however, have a free trial you can use indefinitely (though you can only connect a single device and can’t choose a specific server location).

Connect unlimited devices to a VPN with a wifi router

While all of the above VPN providers let you connect multiple devices at the same time, there are times when you may need even more. If that’s the case, consider setting up a VPN on your home or office wifi router instead of on individual devices.

Configuring a VPN on a wifi router only uses one of your available connections, but routes the traffic of all the devices connected to it through the VPN. This works with as many devices as your router and internet bandwidth can handle, including ones that don’t support VPN apps. Just make sure you pick a fast VPN server!

The exact process varies depending on your router’s firmware and your VPN provider’s specifications. Check your provider’s website for tutorials on how to configure your VPN on your firmware version. If you can’t find the firmware listed, consider flashing new firmware on the router to replace the built-in one.

Alternatively, you can also turn most laptops into virtual routers and connect devices to that. After setting up the virtual router and connecting through a normal VPN app, all the devices connected to your new laptop wifi hotspot will be routed through the VPN. We have instructions for how to set up virtual routers on Mac OSX and on Windows PC (scroll down to second subtitle).

Best VPN for multiple devices FAQs