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Best VPN Service for 2026: The Top-Ranked VPNs in Our Testing

Streaming, gaming or traveling? You might want a virtual private network. Our expert testing team rigorously evaluated these top VPN services for privacy, speed and value.
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Our Experts

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[IMG: Headshot of Moe Long]
Written by
Attila Tomaschek
Written by
Moe Long
Article updated on May 1, 2026 at 11:30 AM PDT
[IMG: Headshot of Attila Tomaschek]
Attila Tomaschek Senior Writer Attila covers software, apps and services, with a focus on virtual private networks. He's an advocate for digital privacy and has been quoted in online publications like Computer Weekly, The Guardian, BBC News, HuffPost, Wired and TechRepublic. When not tapping away on his laptop, Attila enjoys spending time with his family, reading and collecting guitars. Expertise Attila has nearly a decade's worth of experience with VPNs and has been covering them for CNET since 2021. As CNET's VPN expert, Attila rigorously tests VPNs and offers readers advice on how they can use the technology to protect their privacy online. See full bio
[IMG: Headshot of Moe Long]
Moe Long Senior Editor Moe enjoys making technical content digestible and fun. As a writer and editor for over a decade, he has bylines at MakeUseOf, WhistleOut, TechBeacon, DZone, Tech Up Your Life, and Electromaker. When he's not hammering away at the keyboard, Moe enjoys spending time with his partner and dog, listening to vinyl, and watching film. Expertise Apps | Operating systems | Software See full bio
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Factors to consider in a VPN service

Internet speed loss
VPNs slow your internet speed because they encrypt your traffic while routing it through a remote server. The fastest VPNs feature an average download speed loss of 25% or less, which shouldn’t be noticeable even on slower connections. Casual users with faster internet speeds should be fine with more than 25% speed loss, but we look for VPNs that keep speed loss below 50%.
Privacy
VPNs bolster your privacy by encrypting your internet traffic and masking your IP address. Look for features like kill switches and DNS leak protection as well as strict no-logging policies backed up by third-party audits and transparency reports. People with critical privacy needs should only consider a VPN if it's based in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction that doesn't have data retention laws that would compel the VPN company to log user data.
Server network
When considering VPN server networks, look at the overall number of servers, as well as the individual country locations to ensure the VPN offers servers in the countries you need. Additionally, you'll sometimes find specialty servers, like Tor (The Onion Router) over VPN, Double VPN or obfuscated servers that offer additional privacy.
Device support
Think about your devices and what you'd like to run a VPN on. Most VPN companies offer apps for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android/Android TV, iOS/iPadOS and web browsers. You can typically install a VPN on your router for whole-home coverage and use it on devices that don't support native VPN apps, like Xbox consoles or Roku streaming devices. Most VPN companies let you install an app on as many gadgets as you wish, but sometimes limit the number of devices you can have connected at once.
Streaming capabilities
VPNs can be great for privacy, but they're also helpful for unblocking region-restricted entertainment content. You can use a VPN to watch streaming services like Peacock, Max or Hulu from your home country when traveling abroad. On the flip side, VPNs unlock access to foreign Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video libraries.
Cost
vs Compare Back to selection The best VPNs offer robust privacy protections without compromising on performance or noticeably affecting your internet speeds. ExpressVPN is our editors' choice for best overall VPN, thanks to its top-notch approach to privacy and transparency, paired with apps that are intuitive and breezy to use. It's followed closely by NordVPN, the fastest VPN we tested. Surfshark is another great option, especially for anyone looking for simultaneous connections. Proton VPN and Mullvad round out our recommendations as particularly privacy-forward services that are also budget-friendly.
[H2] Our Picks
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[H2] Best VPN overall
[H3] ExpressVPN
See at ExpressVPN 9/10 CNET Score
[H3] CNET Score
CNET provides expert, unbiased reviews of products and services. When we assign a score, we use a scale of 1-10. Each product we score is evaluated by criteria specific to its category with most assessing pricing, quality, features and performance.
Read more on: How we test ExpressVPN is CNET's Editors’ Choice for the best VPN overall thanks in large part to how the company continues to improve and innovate year after year. The company consistently demonstrates a solid commitment to privacy and transparency, and continuously shows that it’s dedicated to driving the industry forward and pushing the boundaries of what a VPN can do.
Read full review
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Pros
Cutting edge privacy and securityExcellent for streamingEasy to use across platformsStrong commitment to transparencyPrivacy-friendly jurisdiction (British Virgin Islands)
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Cons
ExpensiveNo multi-hop connections
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[H2] The fastest VPN
[H3] NordVPN
See at NordVPN 8.8/10 CNET Score
[H3] CNET Score
CNET provides expert, unbiased reviews of products and services. When we assign a score, we use a scale of 1-10. Each product we score is evaluated by criteria specific to its category with most assessing pricing, quality, features and performance.
Read more on: How we test NordVPN remains the fastest VPN we tested, making it an excellent choice for bandwidth-intensive activities such as 4K video streaming, competitive online gaming or file sharing on remote teams. The versatile NordVPN does just about everything well, from its fantastic content unblocking to its advanced privacy features. If you primarily want a VPN for activities like streaming video or competitive gaming, NordVPN will perform well. But Express barely edges out Nord for usability and privacy, and VPNs like Proton VPN, Surfshark and Mullvad will be easier on your wallet.
Read full review
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Pros
Blazing-fast internet speedsStrong privacy and transparencyGreat for streaming service unblockingUser-friendly apps
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Cons
Extremely expensive renewal pricesLimited split tunneling control on Android
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[H2] Best value VPN
[H3] Surfshark
See at Surfshark 8.6/10 CNET Score
[H3] CNET Score
CNET provides expert, unbiased reviews of products and services. When we assign a score, we use a scale of 1-10. Each product we score is evaluated by criteria specific to its category with most assessing pricing, quality, features and performance.
Read more on: How we test Surfshark is a solid option for anyone looking for a budget-friendly VPN experience that rivals higher-priced providers like ExpressVPN or NordVPN. Its impressive roster of useful premium features delivers a lot of value even though the service has gotten more expensive. While it can’t quite keep up with NordVPN’s speed and ExpressVPN’s usability and overall privacy, it comes pretty close at a significantly cheaper cost than those two, especially when looking at renewal rates.
Read full review
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Pros
FastUnlimited simultaneous connectionsRAM-only server infrastructureLots of unique featuresSplit tunneling on Windows, Android, MacOS and iOS
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Cons
Major renewal price increase
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[H2] The most versatile VPN
[H3] Proton VPN
See at ProtonVPN 8/10 CNET Score
[H3] CNET Score
CNET provides expert, unbiased reviews of products and services. When we assign a score, we use a scale of 1-10. Each product we score is evaluated by criteria specific to its category with most assessing pricing, quality, features and performance.
Read more on: How we test Proton VPN is the best free VPN and the only zero-dollar virtual private network on the market that we wholeheartedly recommend. While Proton VPN’s free plan is excellent, its premium plan holds its own against the likes of ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark, and is a fantastic upgrade path for anyone who needs more servers for streaming and travel. Its privacy features, like discreet app icons on Android and guest modes, coupled with fast speeds and outstanding streaming service unblocking, make Proton VPN a solid option for casual users and privacy buffs alike. Proton's annual plan costs $48 for the first year, the two-year plan costs $72 for the first two years, with both plans renewing at $84 annually, making it cheaper than most competing VPNs.
Read full review
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Pros
Strong reputation of parent companyMulti-hop and split tunnellingOpen-source
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Cons
No 24/7 live chat support
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[H2] Best privacy VPN
[H3] Mullvad
See at Mullvad 8/10 CNET Score
[H3] CNET Score
CNET provides expert, unbiased reviews of products and services. When we assign a score, we use a scale of 1-10. Each product we score is evaluated by criteria specific to its category with most assessing pricing, quality, features and performance.
Read more on: How we test Mullvad is a small but mighty VPN that holds its own against the top players in the VPN industry. We like that Mullvad requires no personal information to purchase or use, which is part of what makes it the best VPN for privacy. At signup, you’ll be assigned a randomly generated numerical code that you use to purchase the subscription and sign into the apps, eliminating the need for a username or password. Mullvad is fast, easy to use across platforms and delivers some of the industry’s best privacy features, but sometimes at the expense of certain casual use cases like streaming. If you’re a VPN user who has heightened online privacy needs and will be using your VPN predominantly to protect your privacy, Mullvad is the way to go -- especially if you’re on a budget. But if you’re more of a casual VPN user who just wants to stream content internationally from various streaming providers, then you’ll be better off with ExpressVPN, NordVPN or Surfshark.
Read full review
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Pros
Unique approach to privacyFast speedsBudget-friendly with no-nonsense pricingOpen-source apps
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Cons
Small server networkStruggles with streamingNo transparency reportsOnly five simultaneous connections
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Featured Deal What is this?
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[H2] 73% off with 2-year plan, plus 4 free months
[H3] ExpressVPN
Jump to details See at ExpressVPN
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[H3] VPN DEALS OF THE WEEK
Proton VPN: $2.99 per Month (70% off 2-year plan):  $3 (save $7)
Surfshark VPN: $1.99 per Month + 3 Months Extra (87% off 2-Year Plan):  $2 (save $13)
ExpressVPN: $2.44 per Month + 4 Months Free (81% off 2-Year Plan)
NordVPN: $3.39 per Month (70% off 2-Year Plan) Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.
[H2] What is the best VPN in 2026?
Editor's note, April 6: We're beginning our annual and lengthy process of VPN testing this month, retesting all of our existing top VPN picks, a few services that are on the cusp and a few VPNs we haven't tested before. We'll update the reviews and this page with new rankings and data when testing and evaluation concludes in the fall.The race for the title of best VPN is as close as ever: Our top three VPNs all sit within a half-point of one another in our ratings. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the five VPNs we recommend.ExpressVPN is currently the best VPN overall thanks to its streamlined apps, fast server speeds, excellent streaming capabilities and strong privacy. All told, ExpressVPN is an outstanding VPN for beginners and privacy experts alike. Its apps are easy to use, and we appreciate ExpressVPN’s forward-thinking approach to privacy. You'll even find servers across all 50 states in the US, making it a great choice for travel throughout the country and unblocking regional sports streams. However, ExpressVPN charges a premium for its service. For its Basic plan, which includes the VPN service and limited MailGuard functionality, you'll pay $13 per month, $75 for the first year or $98 total for the first two years (the one- and two-year plans renew at $99 annually).
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CNETNordVPN is an exceptional VPN that’s extremely fast, great for streaming and packed with privacy features. Its connection speeds were the fastest we tested in our latest speed tests. With its extensive international server network and fantastic streaming performance, NordVPN is also one of the top VPNs for streaming when traveling. NordVPN released scam call protection on Android last summer, making it an even more attractive VPN for Android.While NordVPN's introductory prices offer superb value at $13 per month, $60 for the first year or $83 total for the first two years, auto-renewal price hikes jack the cost up to an exorbitant $140 annually on the one- and two-year plans.Surfshark is a great choice for users seeking unique privacy features on a budget. It delivers speeds and features comparable to ExpressVPN and NordVPN, but cheaper upfront at $48 for the first year or $54 total for the first two years (then $99 a year after the promotional period for the one- and two-year plans). Surfshark allows for unlimited simultaneous connections, a benefit that many pricier competitors lack, including ExpressVPN and NordVPN. Surfshark packs a privacy punch, offering unique features like IP Rotator and Dynamic MultiHop. But the increase in renewal price to $99 per year makes it less of a steal than in previous years.Proton VPN is the most versatile VPN on the market. It's privacy-forward, with unique features like discreet app icons on Android to disguise your VPN app as a notes, weather or calculator app. An obfuscation-focused VPN protocol works to disguise your VPN connection as standard web traffic to slip through firewalls. But Proton VPN works equally well for casual users seeking an excellent VPN for streaming -- it even unblocked tough-to-access regional content on Netflix Egypt in our testing. At $10 per month, $48 for the first year or $72 total for the first

Zooey Liao/CNET/Getty Images
[H1]
Phone Batteries Keep Getting Better. So Why Are We Always Charging?

As our phones become more advanced, batteries are feeling the strain. But technology improvements and shifts in our habits could help close the gap.
[IMG: Headshot of Abrar Al-Heeti]
[IMG: Headshot of Abrar Al-Heeti]
Abrar Al-Heeti Senior Technology Reporter Abrar's interests include phones, streaming, autonomous vehicles, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. In addition to her current role, she's worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all. Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture. Credentials Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. See full bio Abrar Al-Heeti
May 16, 2026 5:00 a.m. PT 14 min read On a recent trip to Disneyland, amid churro breaks, Spider-Man selfies and bouncing between rides at "the happiest place on Earth," I was gripped by a very real-world anxiety: I kept checking my phone's battery level.  Even with an iPhone 17 Pro Max, which topped CNET's battery tests, I couldn't shake the feeling. After snapping photos, tracking ride wait times, mobile-ordering food and messaging friends, I depleted half my charge by mid-afternoon.  Worried about my phone making it through the day, I turned on Low Power Mode. I even carried a battery pack to ease my mind. I wrapped up the evening after filming the World of Color light-and-water show with a modest 36%. Not bad, but cutting it closer than I'd prefer. These days, our phones can do almost anything. Just not for very long. As smartphones have grown more advanced — doubling as high-definition cameras, GPS systems, digital wallets and AI assistants — one feature that often fails to impress is battery life. If there's one thing you can guarantee at the end of each day, it's that you'll need to plug in your phone. Depending on the model, topping off your battery can be time consuming.A new CNET survey found that 58% of smartphone owners are frustrated with their device's battery life. More than half of respondents say that dissatisfaction with their batteries would drive them to upgrade. That tops a desire for more storage (38%), new camera features (27%) and a better display (22%). That's not to say today's smartphone batteries are bad. In fact, understanding the constraints and capabilities of the lithium-ion batteries powering our handheld devices might require a bit of reframing. If anything, it's remarkable that they can keep pace with our growing demands — especially as our lives become increasingly digital and our screen time surges. Even if you don't notice it, the battery powering your phone has steadily become more efficient and robust with each device upgrade.  "As our phones have gotten better, they get more and more power-hungry," says Celina Mikolajczak, an adviser and longtime executive in the battery industry. "The batteries keep getting better, but we keep wanting more."
[H3] In this article:
The rise of silicon-carbon batteries
Bringing silicon to a global market
The next frontier of battery technology
Retrain how you recharge
Tips to extend your phone's battery lifeStill, manufacturers are racing to meet consumer demand for batteries that last well beyond a single day. In China, brands like Honor, Huawei and Oppo are outfitting their devices with silicon-carbon batteries, which offer higher energy density and faster charging than many existing phone batteries. In CNET's lab testing, nearly half of the phones with the best battery life use silicon-carbon tech.Major players in the US market, such as Apple, Samsung and Google, have yet to adopt these newer battery designs in their handsets, though it may not be long before they do. Motorola, owned by Chinese parent company Lenovo and headquartered in Chicago, has equipped its latest Razr lineup with silicon-carbon batteries, potentially setting the stage for more US-based brands to follow suit. But bringing these new technologies to market is no small feat. Advancements need to be validated across millions of units to avoid unexpected failures, safety concerns and performance issues at scale, says Paul Braun, director of the Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "You want to change the world," he says, "you have to be able to do it in world quantities."
[H2] The rise of silicon-carbon batteries
At a press roundtable for Samsung's Galaxy S26 launch in February, the line of questioning quickly shifted from what was new — AI features, camera improvements and display upgrades — to what wasn't. Why hasn't Samsung equipped its phones with more energy-dense silicon-carbon batteries, as so many Chinese brands have? Samsung Executive Vice President Sung-hoon Moon said the company is still assessing whether to adopt the emerging battery technology. Ongoing tests have to ensure that silicon-carbon meets Samsung's standards for battery life and charging speed, he noted.  Zooey Liao/CNET/Getty Images"In the end, what's important is the user experience," Moon said via a translator. "If it passes all our internal requirements and if it's demonstrated that it can enhance user experience, then yes, perhaps someday." Like other large-scale phone manufacturers, Samsung doesn't want to take unnecessary risks — especially after the Galaxy Note 7's disastrous launch and ultimate recall in 2016, when multiple phone batteries overheated and exploded.  "These guys are being conservative, they're being careful and they're being cognizant of who their customers are," Mikolajczak says. The first commercial lithium-ion battery was released in 1991 and eventually became a staple in consumer electronics like laptops and phones, as well as in electric vehicles and power tools. The appeal is broad: Lithium-ion batteries can store a lot of energy for their size and weight, charge relatively quickly and withstand hundreds to thousands of charge cycles without significant degradation.  They're also highly efficient, wasting little energy during charging and discharging. Plus, they retain most of their charge when not in use, so a powered-off device is ready to go when you turn it back on. And because manufacturers can now produce lithium-ion batteries at massive scale, costs are relatively low, making devices more affordable. "Lithium-ion batteries are a proven asset," Braun says. "If you are going to be selling millions of phones, reliability, safety and consistency are critical." Lithium-ion batteries in your phone have an anode (the negative electrode) and a cathode (the positive electrode). A thin membrane, called a separator, keeps them from touching while still allowing lithium ions to pass through an electrolyte solution. When you use your device, lithium ions move from the anode to the cathode, while electrons flow through the phone's circuitry. This flow of electrons powers the device. Silicon-carbon batteries aren't an entirely new type of battery, but rather a next-generation version of lithium-ion technology. Put simply, instead of using graphite in the battery's anode, manufacturers incorporate a silicon-carbon composite.  Because silicon can hold more lithium than graphite, this design allows for higher energy density, which can mean longer battery life and possibly faster charging. Manufacturers add carbon to the silicon because silicon expands and contracts significantly when charging, which can degrade the battery more rapidly. Carbon serves as a buffer and stabilizer, helping extend a battery's lifespan while also storing lithium.
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In the US and many parts of the world, silicon battery adoption is still in the early stages. But momentum is building.  Last year's OnePlus 15 made headlines for its whopping 7,300-mAh battery with a silicon-carbon design. (For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 5,000-mAh battery, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max has roughly the same capacity.) Motorola's first book-style foldable phone, the Razr Fold, packs a 6,000-mAh silicon-carbon battery. More phones with larger capacities could become available in the US in the coming years as the technology advances.   Because of their purchasing habits, consumers in China and other parts of Asia are more willing to overlook the potential shortcomings of newer battery technologies, Mikolajczak notes. People who splurge on flashier gadgets and upgrade more frequently won't be as sensitive to performance gaps.  "In Asia, people are changing their phones the moment something new comes out, so that's a great place to test-drive the newest technology," she says. "You want to roll it out somewhere where the customers will forgive you if it sucks within a year." Chinese brands also tend to release phones in smaller batches than companies with wider global reach, like Apple and Samsung, which helps to reduce the likelihood of something going wrong and any associated blowback. And while Chinese phone-makers can use battery advancements to stand out in an ultracompetitive market, consistency and reliability tend to be more important for larger companies that don't want to put their reputations on the line.  "If I'm Apple and Samsung and the others, what I'll do is I'll say, 'You know what, I'm going to walk before I run,'" Braun says. "The opportunities are for a big company to do this incrementally." Apple, Samsung and Pixel maker Google declined to comment on their battery plans.
[H2] Bringing silicon to a global market
A handful of companies are manufacturing silicon battery materials on a global scale, including Washington-based Group14. Its SCC55 product, used in silicon-carbon batteries, is said to enable up to 50% higher energy density than conventional lithium-ion batteries.  The technology also "handles extreme charge-discharge cycles," the company notes on its website, presumably to offset a key concern with silicon-carbon material. SCC55, designed as a straightforward drop-in replacement for graphite, powers phones like 2024's Honor Magic 7 Pro.  Rick Costantino, Group14's CTO and co-founder, says the company takes a different approach to manufacturing silicon battery material than some other suppliers. Rather than surrounding silicon with carbon — which Costantino compares to adding a magic shell to ice cream — Group14 builds a carbon structure to house the silicon. He compares that design to a chocolate chip cookie or a sponge, in which either the chips or the pores are made of silicon.  "When we tried that, we instantly got a much better result than we'd ever seen before," he says. By volume, there are nearly equal parts of carbon, silicon and void, giving the silicon more space to breathe.  Zooey Liao/CNET/Getty Images"It ameliorates the larger expansion upon every cycle, and it helps anchor that silicon so it's very, very stable. You have the best of both worlds: You have this high-capacity material that also is protected in that carbon scaffold."(Fittingly, I had to pause our interview at this point to plug in my laptop. "You need a better battery," Costantino quipped.) Costantino notes that, beyond pushing innovation at a more rapid pace, China is where a lot of battery manufacturers are based, as well as consumers. So naturally, there's going to be wider adoption of silicon batteries in that part of the world. But he predicts a "worldwide expansion" soon, likely in the coming years. Group14 has a plant in South Korea where it manufactures silicon and carbon for its SCC55 product. It's building two more plants in Washington that it aims to launch by the end of the year.    Because energy-dense silicon allows for smaller batteries, it's an especially valuable technology for thin and foldable phones, where space is at a premium. "It's a designer's dream," says Gene Berdichevsky, co-founder and CEO of California-based Sila Nanotechnologies, which owns the foundational intellectual property for modern silicon-carbon anodes. "It gives them freedom to either have longer runtime or a smaller device, which enables better design — or to add more features like AI that are power-hungry."
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As phone companies continue to load our devices with AI features, silicon anode advancements can help offset that strain. That can keep us from lugging bulky phones with massive batteries or having to recharge in the middle of the day, Berdichevsky notes.  Sila commercialized its silicon technology in 2021 when it was integrated into the Whoop 4 fitness tracker. Smaller gadgets like wearables are easier to outfit with silicon because they require less anode material than devices with larger batteries, like phones. Less space also means an efficient battery is even more necessary. But Sila is scaling production at its facility in Moses Lake, Washington, to power a wider range of consumer electronics like smartphones and smartwatches as well as electric vehicles.  Although Chinese phone-makers are leading the charge in adopting silicon battery technology in mobile devices, other major phone brands like Apple, Samsung and Google are sure to follow suit in the near term, Berdichevsky says. Maybe one day I won't feel the need to keep my phone on Low Power Mode at Disneyland or lug around a battery pack. "Three years from now, this technology is in billions of devices, and it's in everyone's pocket," he predicts. "This is the biggest chemistry change in 35 years in rechargeable battery technology."
[H2] The next frontier of battery technology
Other emerging battery technologies are taking shape in labs and manufacturing facilities around the world, with several aiming for large-scale rollout in the coming years.  Solid-state batteries are generating perhaps the most buzz because they have among the highest energy densities. Their use of a solid electrolyte also makes them less flammable than traditional lithium-ion batteries.  Zooey Liao/CNET/Getty ImagesA key barrier to putting solid-state batteries in phones is the need for stack pressure; that is, keeping the layered components tightly pressed together so they work properly, since solid electrolytes don't flow to fill gaps like liquids do. Maintaining that pressure requires extra structure, which takes up valuable space in slim, lightweight devices like phones — ultimately making them anything but slim and lightweight.  Solid-state batteries aren't yet widely commercialized and remain expensive and difficult to manufacture at scale. Semi-soli