Discover the fastest VPNs of 2024: Speed test result winners revealed

VPNs are the linchpin of a secure and private online experience, but they come with a catch: they can slow down your internet connection. But do they have to? You’re not alone if you’ve endured constant buffering while streaming your favorite shows or waited endlessly for downloads. We’ve been there, and we decided to tackle this challenge head-on by taking a close look at the fastest VPNs on the market.

After rigorous research and extensive testing, we’re here to unveil the best VPN experience in 2024 that optimally balances speed with security. Plus, we’ve unearthed some powerful yet straightforward tweaks to elevate your online speed, without costing you a dime.

Delve deeper, and we’ll show you our meticulous VPN speed testing protocols and the distinctive strengths of individual providers.

But, for those in haste, seeking the best VPNs for blazing-fast downloads or uninterrupted streaming, glance through our top curated picks right here:

These are the fastest VPNs based on our tests:

1. Surfshark: The fastest VPN in 2024. Budget performer with unlimited simultaneous connections. Works with most streaming services and allows torrenting. In our tests, it handily beat the competition.
2. PureVPN: PureVPN has made huge strides when it comes to speed and privacy in recent years.
3. Hotspot Shield: Hotspot Shield has improved nearly every aspect of its service in recent months, from speed to its privacy policy.
4. IPVanish: High speeds on a Tier-1 network. Private, secure, and easy to use. Unlimited simultaneous connections.
5. ExpressVPN: The new Lightway protocol vastly improves bandwidth. It can access streaming services, uses strong security, and works in China.
6. HideMyAss: A solid VPN with fast speeds, security, and unblocking ability.
7. NordVPN: Huge speed improvements thanks to a new protocol dubbed NordLynx. The best all-rounder for speed, streaming and privacy.
8. CyberGhost:  Beginner-friendly service that’s great for streaming. The biggest server network on the market.
9. TunnelBear: An easy-to-use VPN with fast connection speeds and a limited free tier.
10. ProtonVPN: Great all-rounder. Improved speeds and works with many popular streaming services.
11. VyprVPN: A fast veteran VPN provider that works in China and can unblock most streaming services.
12. Mullvad: Mullvad is as fast as it is secure, but doesn’t work with most streaming services.

Our criteria for fast VPNs

All of the VPNs in the above list article averaged more than 200 Mbps down in our tests.

Each VPN’s speed test result is an average of nine tests: three times of day spread at least four hours apart, and across three different locations: North America (nearest), Europe, and Asia. Exact locations depend on each VPN’s available servers. We also measure the speed at each time without a VPN connection as a control. The results of these nine tests are then averaged.

Our tests are run on minimum 1 Gbps connections on sufficient hardware to max out each VPN’s download speed. We cover our testing methodology in more detail later in this article.

Fastest VPNs in 2024

Below we’ve listed our top fastest VPNs tested in the last year, out of dozens premium providers. Our speed tests factor largely into this list, but other non-quantifiable parameters based on our personal experience are also taken into consideration. These include how well they stream HD video and download torrents.

Note that the evaluations of speeds disclosed aren’t necessarily indicative of the performance you’ll experience on your device and are only intended to provide context between providers.

Here is a detailed look at the fastest VPNs in 2024:

1. Surfshark

Surfshark is the fastest VPN in 2024. It rose up the ranks and trounced the competition with an average download speed of 665 Mbps in our tests. That’s over 300 Mbps faster than the runner-up. The Wireguard protocol and infrastructure upgrades have resulted in huge speed improvements. This budget-friendly VPN allows for an unlimited number of simultaneous connections, making it a great option for a family or group of housemates with lots of devices.

Surfshark’s security meets all of our standards, and it keeps no logs. It’s great for streaming Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney+, among others. It allows torrenting. Live chat support is available around the clock.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and Fire TV.

FASTEST VPN:Surfshark always makes our list of the fastest VPNs and is one of very few that allows unlimited connections. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review.

2. PureVPN

PureVPN has invested heavily in its server infrastructure and recently joined the WireGuard bandwagon. Those changes have resulted in massive speed improvements that put it on the podium. It averaged 299 Mbps across all times and locations tested.

PureVPN allows torrenting and doesn’t store any identifying logs. It employs strong encryption and prevents data leaks over DNS and IPv6.

It can unblock most popular streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video from any country. You can connect up to 10 devices at a time, with apps for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Fire TV.

MOST IMPROVED:PureVPN is improving by leaps and bounds. Get fast connections for streaming and torrenting from anywhere. Comes with a 31-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PureVPN review.

3. Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield made our list of the fastest VPNs for the first time this year with an average download speed of 271 Mbps. We tested it using the paid subscription, which includes access to servers in 80 countries.

Hotspot Shield allows torrenting, has a kill switch, and doesn’t store identifying logs of your online activity. It works with most popular streaming services like Netflix.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Fire TV. By default, Hotspot Shield uses its proprietary protocol Hydra, but we found it achieved the best speeds on WireGuard.

UP AND COMER:Hotspot Shield is an easy-to-use VPN with a free plan and blazing fast speeds on the paid plan. It comes with a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Hotspot Shield review.

4. IPVanish

IPVanish’s recent upgrade to the Wireguard protocol resulted in massive speed improvements. It averaged 271 Mbps in our tests, which is more than enough for even the most bandwidth-intensive activities like video conferencing and live streaming in HD and 4K. IPVanish doesn’t put a limit on how many devices you can connect at once, either.

In addition to speed, IPVanish boasts good security. It’s leak proof, meets all of our encryption standards, and doesn’t keep any identifying logs.

IPVanish isn’t the most adept when it comes to accessing streaming services. It works with US Netflix, but you’ll want to test it out using the money-back guarantee before committing if you plan on streaming other services.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Fire TV.

UNLIMITED CONNECTIONS:IPVanish outperformed the competition in our latest round of speed tests without compromising users’ privacy. Try it out with a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee.

Read our full IPVanish review.

5. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN’s average global download speed rose to 261 Mbps in our latest tests. After a dip in last year’s tests, we’re happy to see the results rebound.

Many VPNs jumped on the WireGuard bandwagon to increase their speeds, but ExpressVPN aimed higher. It created its own open-source protocol dubbed Lightway, which has resulted in huge speed increases—double the bandwidth of OpenVPN—without sacrificing security or privacy.

ExpressVPN is a great all-round VPN. It can access a wide range of streaming services including Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu. It works in China. Robust security includes strong encryption, data leak prevention, and a kill switch. ExpressVPN keeps no identifying logs. Live chat support is available 24/7, year-round.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, and certain wi-fi routers.

FAST VPN:ExpressVPN is the one of the fastest VPN we've tested yet, and it performs well on all other fronts, too. Try it with a risk-free, 30-day, money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

6. HideMyAss

HideMyAss posted an average speed of 238 Mbps in our tests. Although we ran into a couple of slow servers, bandwidth was more than enough on the whole.

HideMyAss had its privacy issues in the past but has since overhauled its privacy policy and logging practices. It uses strong encryption and keeps no identifying logs. On the downside, it doesn’t work in China.

HMA is great for streaming the majority of your favorite video services from abroad. It offers live chat support and lets you connect up to five devices at once.

FAST DOWNLOADS:HideMyAss offers a solid all-round service with fast speeds at a low cost. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full HideMyAss review.

7. NordVPN

NordVPN pegged an average download speed of 231 Mbps across all times and locations tested. Its fast speeds can be attributed to the launch of NordLynx, a custom VPN protocol built on Wireguard that delivers data more efficiently without impacting security or privacy. NordLynx nearly doubled NordVPN’s throughput in our latest tests.

NordVPN performs well in other areas, too. It works well with a wide range of streaming services including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video. This provider’s security consists of uncrackable military-grade encryption, an app-specific internet kill switch, and airtight leak protection.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and Fire TV.

ALL-ROUND FAST VPN:A well-rounded VPN that outperforms most of competition by a wide margin in our speed tests. Best combination of speed, features, security and value for money. Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full NordVPN review.

8. CyberGhost

CyberGhost recorded an average download speed of 226 Mbps across all locations and times tested. That’s almost the exact same result as our previous tests, so kudos for consistency. Like many others, it employs Wireguard, a faster and more efficient VPN protocol that doesn’t sacrifice security.

CyberGhost is great for streaming region-locked content from abroad. It works with Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, and more. And with speeds like this, you can enjoy viewing everything in 4K UHD resolution. It even labels servers for specific streaming services in the app.

CyberGhost adheres to a no-logs policy and uses strong encryption to keep your online activities private. You can connect up to seven devices at a time on a single plan, with apps available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Fire TV, and Linux.

FAST ALL-ROUND VPN:CyberGhost is the one of the fastest VPNs we’ve tested, and it doesn’t skimp on streaming or security, either. It comes with a risk-free 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

9. TunnelBear

TunnelBear has risen in the ranks of the fastest VPNs with an average download speed of 222 Mbps. It’s one of just two VPNs on this list with a free version, though it’s capped at 500 MB per month. This is a novice-friendly VPN with easy-to-use apps for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android, plus a handy Chrome extension.

TunnelBear employs strong encryption and sticks to a strict no-logs privacy policy. It doesn’t reliably work with streaming services like Netflix, but it’s a solid option for torrenting, private browsing, and bypassing censorship in places like China. You can connect up to a maximum of five devices at once.

FAST BEAR:Fast and easy to use, TunnelBear comes with a seven-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full TunnelBear review.

10. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a provider mainly known for its high standards of privacy and security, but the service is fast, too. It shot up the ranks by reaching an average of 216 Mbps globally in our speed tests.

Several tiers of service are on offer. ProtonVPN works with Netflix and many other popular streaming platforms.

Security is airtight thanks to leak protection, a kill switch, and military-grade encryption. It allows peer-to-peer filesharing and never logs any of your online activity.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android.

FAST AND PRIVATE:ProtonVPN is a solid option for users who want speed without sacrificing privacy or security. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ProtonVPN review.

11. VyprVPN

VyprVPN is a veteran provider that averaged 215 Mbps globally in our most recent tests. It made our list largely thanks to the adoption of the Wireguard protocol, which vastly improved its speeds over the aging OpenVPN.

Vypr is a reliable go-to VPN for users in China. It works pretty well for unblocking region-locked streaming services.

VyprVPN’s encryption meets all of our security standards. And it has an updated no-logs policy to ensure your online activity is always private.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. You can connect up to five devices at once.

FAST EVERYWHERE:VyprVPN works everywhere even in China, allowing users to stream and download without interruption. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full VyprVPN review.

12. Mullvad

Mullvad was the fastest VPN last year, but fell down the ladder this year with an average global download speed of 209 Mbps in our tests. That’s enough to stream 4K video on multiple devices, play online games, and quickly download large files.

On top of that, Mullvad boasts extensive security features to keep your online activity safe and private. Mullvad doesn’t store any logs of what you do online. It even works in China and other censorship-heavy countries.

The downside is that Mullvad doesn’t work well with streaming services. It works with US Netflix, but if you plan to unblock anything else, then you might want to keep reading.

Mullvad makes apps for Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and some wi-fi routers. You can connect up to five devices at once.

FAST AND SECURE:Mullvad consistently ranks near the top of the fastest VPNs. Plus, it boasts top-notch security and comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Mullvad review.

VPN speed test results 2024

You can see the average global download speed for every VPN we’ve tested in the past year below (click to enlarge):

Fastest VPN upload speed

For most users, download speed is the most important metric. If you frequently torrent or make video calls, however, then a VPN’s upload speed can make a huge difference in seed ratio and call quality, respectively. As of mid-2024, Comparitech has begun recording and comparing upload speed test results.

Here are the top five VPNs with the fastest upload speeds:

1. NordVPN – 886 Mbps
2. IPVanish – 735 Mbps
3. ProtonVPN – 557 Mbps
4. Hotspot Shield – 306 Mbps
5. ExpressVPN – 299 Mbps

Testing methodology: How we find the fastest VPNs

All tests are performed using the provider’s Windows app from the USA on a minimum 1 Gbps connection. Speeds are measured using the Speedtest.net desktop app. Outliers are thrown out and retested if they are more than three standard deviations away from the mean result.

We do not test latency, as this is more an indicator of our proximity to the server than the VPN’s available bandwidth. In 2024, we began measuring upload speeds.

We always advise readers to take VPN speed tests with a big grain of salt. Too many variables are at play. We’ve stated as clearly as possible, there is no such thing as the “fastest VPN,” no matter how many companies make such a claim.

VPN speed is one of the most difficult factors to accurately quantify because we can’t test every server in every location every hour. We always run speed tests as empirically as possible when we review a VPN provider, but the fact of the matter is that the fastest VPN for where you live is not necessarily the fastest VPN for where I live. The fastest VPN for streaming video might not be the speediest for online gaming. Even the fastest VPN service at noon probably isn’t the quickest at midnight.

Note that some providers could not be tested alongside the other VPNs due to technical limitations, but scored well in separate speed tests.

The benefits of using a fast VPN

If a VPN works, you might be wondering whether speed actually matters. The truth is that it depends on what you plan on using it for. You might not need the fastest VPN on the market if you’re casually browsing, but you’ll encounter issues if you then go on to stream or game.

Here are some of the main benefits of using a fast VPN:

• Streaming in HD without any lag or interruption. For example, a fast Netflix VPN will keep you connected even during the longest content binges.
• Gaming online with a stable connection. This means you will join lobbies faster and never drop out of an important game on FIFA, Call of Duty, and many others. More on this in our guide to ping and latency.
• Downloading files and torrents in significantly less time
• Uninterrupted browsing, including enjoying videos on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram

Peak versus average speed

In the 2017 State of the Internet report from Akamai, the average peak connection speed across both North and South America is 44.6 Mbps, but the global average internet connection speed–not peak–is a mere 7.2 Mbps. That’s just one-sixth of the peak average. So what does this mean for VPN providers?

We all share the internet, and we can’t all get the maximum speed advertised by our Internet Service Providers every second of every day. Network congestion plays a huge role in your download speed both on and off the VPN, but it’s twice as likely to take a toll when connected to a VPN.

When you download a file from a server without a VPN, there’s a chance you will encounter network congestion, most likely on your nearby ISP network or at the download server itself. When you use a VPN service, you add a third potential bottleneck to the route. Whether because of server load or congestion on the network surrounding the server, there’s a higher chance that your speed will be affected while connected to a VPN.

When choosing a VPN server, take these factors into consideration. VPNs are subject to the same peak-versus-average conundrum as everyone else. If possible, choose a VPN server in a time zone that’s in off-peak hours. Some VPN apps have built in speed tests or show the current server load in real time, which can give you an indication of whether you’ll be able to max out your allotted download speed.

Security versus speed

Adding security to a VPN connection inevitably results in a loss of speed. Using a stronger encryption algorithm, for example, means it takes longer to encrypt data traveling through the VPN and longer to decrypt it once it arrives at its destination. Similarly, more secure VPN protocols tend to be slower than less secure ones. PPTP, despite being the oldest protocol, it still offers significantly faster connections than OpenVPN or L2TP/IPSec. However, it also has known security vulnerabilities.

You don’t necessarily need the strongest available security all the time when using a VPN, but there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed in order to increase speed. We recommend against using PPTP and advise readers to opt for a protocol that uses SSL (OpenVPN) or IPSec encryption (L2TP, IKEv2).

Most VPN providers don’t give you the option, anyway, but don’t disable encryption altogether. Additionally, 128-bit AES is the minimum strength encryption necessary for a VPN to do its job and keep your data safe. It’s effectively un-crackable and is slightly faster than 256-bit AES encryption, which is also common. A handful of VPNs use Blowfish encryption, which tends to be slower than its AES counterpart. We recommend at least 448-bit Blowfish encryption if you go that route. Newer VPNs using the WireGuard protocol tend to use the 256-bit ChaCha20 cipher by default.

How much of a speed boost you’ll get out of tweaking encryption and VPN protocols depends on your hardware. More powerful devices will be able to encrypt and decrypt data more quickly.

UDP versus TCP

When using the OpenVPN protocol, many VPN apps will give you the option of using either the TCP or UDP protocol. TCP is the protocol that you normally use to browse the web and download files. UDP is more common for streaming applications such as video, music, and gaming. The difference is in how computers and servers send network packets, the unit of data used to exchange information over the internet.

A common misconception is that UDP is always faster than TCP. While this is often the case, it’s more of a guideline than a rule.

TCP uses error protection and guaranteed delivery to ensure that every data packet is identical to the original and sent in the correct order. If there is an error, the flow of internet traffic is stopped until the previous packets are sent successfully. This is important if you’re downloading a file or loading a web page.

UDP doesn’t have these protections. Collisions, errors, and missing packets are all common, and sometimes packets arrive out of order. The emphasis is on speed, not being perfect. It is preferable to miss a packet than delay all of the other packets following it.

So, if you use your VPN primarily for online gaming, streaming video, or listening to music, then switch to UDP. Otherwise, stick to TCP.

Stability trumps speed

In our humble opinion, the primary performance factor when choosing a VPN service shouldn’t be speed. It should be stable. More often than not, it’s volatility that brings down test scores rather than a slower overall download rate.

Every VPN will occasionally have a bad day or just a few bad hours where service is slow on a particular server or set of servers. Some VPNs have more high traffic periods or downtime than others. These are the ones to be avoided. Unfortunately, the test period for our reviews rarely lasts more than two weeks, so it’s difficult to predict what VPNs will encounter more issues in the long term at the time of writing.

That being said, the boxplot below (from some older tests) can give some indication of how volatile a VPN’s performance is. A larger blue box means more volatility, even if the mean (red dot) and median (thick black line) download times are low, a lot of volatility will probably cause more frustration than a slightly slower connection.

Unless you’re on a fast (100+Mbps) internet connection, the chances of maxing out the bandwidth available is pretty slim. Almost all VPNs these days advertise unlimited bandwidth.

Speed shouldn’t be your only consideration when choosing a VPN. Depending on what you plan to use it for, you may want a VPN that’s best for torrenting or streaming Netflix or gaming. Those aren’t necessarily the fastest, and they don’t need to be. They just have to be fast enough.

VPN alternatives for faster speeds

VPNs secure your traffic and route it through an intermediary server so it can’t be traced. But if privacy is not of chief concern to you, then there are other alternative proxy methods that offer faster speed. A SOCKS proxy, for example, does pretty much the same thing as a VPN without encryption. Without having to encrypt and decrypt traffic, SOCKS proxy users can get faster connections and still mask their IP address.

Read more: SOCKS5 Proxy vs VPN – What’s the difference? Which should you use?

Then there are smart DNS proxies. These proxies only re-route your DNS requests to make it appear as though you are in a different physical location, rather than all of a device’s traffic. This means you still get the full benefit of a direct internet connection, but not the privacy or security of a VPN.

Which VPN protocol is the fastest?

If you are trying to get the best speeds for gaming, torrenting, streaming, making video calls, or other data-intensive tasks, you will want to choose the fastest VPN protocol available to you. This may differ depending on your provider because a few VPNs have a proprietary VPN protocol specifically designed to give you faster speeds. If your VPN has a proprietary protocol, this may be the best place to start.

Proprietary protocols aside, the fastest VPN protocols are as follows:

1. WireGuard. This is a modern VPN protocol that was designed to offer both high levels of security and better speeds than older VPN protocols. Since its inception, it has quickly been added to many leading VPN providers offering to allow them to provide even faster speeds to their users.
2. OpenVPN UDP. This is a mainstay of the VPN industry, often considered the most secure VPN protocol available. The protocol has been independently audited on various occasions, to ensure it remains free of vulnerabilities, and it is known to provide exceptional reliability and fast speeds.
3. IKEv2. This protocol is often offered to cater to users on iOS and macOS. It is a highly secure and reliable protocol that is easier to implement on Mac devices and is known for providing decent speeds for streaming. Not as fast as our top two picks, but still worth testing when trying to get optimal speeds on your devices.

Fastest VPN FAQs

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