For most people, the best VPN is NordVPN — it has passed six independent no-logs audits (most recently by Deloitte in December 2025), runs an all-RAM server fleet, and consistently tests among the fastest VPNs available. If price is your main concern, Surfshark costs less and includes unlimited device connections.
A VPN's entire value proposition is trust — you're routing your traffic through someone else's servers. That makes the provider's audit history and logging policy more important than server count or a marginal speed difference.
Pricing and audit status verified July 24, 2026 against providers' own pricing pages and independent testing outlets. VPN pricing is heavily tiered by plan length — the rates below reflect each provider's long-term plan, which is typically far cheaper per month than paying monthly.
How the top VPNs compare
| Service | Rating | Price (long-term plan) | Devices | Audited no-logs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN PartnerBest for: speed & overall trust | ★★★★★4.8 | ~$3.09/mo | Up to 10 | Yes — 6 audits, most recently Deloitte (Dec 2025) | See plans |
| Surfshark PartnerBest for: large households, budget | ★★★★★4.7 | ~$1.99–$2.49/mo | Unlimited | Yes | See plans |
| Proton VPNBest for: privacy purists | ★★★★☆4.5 | ~$2.99–$3.39/mo | Up to 10 (paid plans) | Yes (Securitum), Swiss jurisdiction, open-source apps | Visit site |
| ExpressVPNBest for: restrictive-country travel | ★★★★☆4.2 | ~$2.79–$3.49/mo (Basic, 2-yr plan) | Up to 10 (Basic plan) | Yes | Visit site |
Prices reflect long-term (typically 24-month) plans billed upfront; month-to-month pricing is substantially higher for all four. ExpressVPN now sells three tiers (Basic/Advanced/Pro) — the price shown is for Basic, its closest equivalent to the other three providers' single-tier plans; Advanced and Pro cost more and add identity-monitoring features. Ratings are Wealthward's own — see methodology below.
Why most free VPNs aren't actually free
- Data is the product. Running VPN servers costs money. Free VPNs that don't charge you often make money by logging and selling browsing data — the exact thing a VPN is supposed to prevent.
- No independent audit. All four paid providers above have commissioned third-party audits of their no-logs claims (Deloitte, Securitum, and others). Most free VPNs skip this, so their privacy claims are unverified marketing copy.
Our pick for most people
If you want one simple answer: NordVPN's combination of a six-times-audited no-logs policy, consistently fast speeds, and a well-established company behind it makes it the easiest recommendation for most people. If unlimited device connections for a household matter more to you than being the single fastest option, Surfshark is the better fit at a lower price.
See NordVPN's current plansLocking down your data is one half of the picture — see where to keep your money safe, or compare all reviews.
How we chose these services
We prioritized independently audited no-logs policies, published pricing (checked directly against provider pricing pages), and device-connection limits, cross-checked against third-party testing outlets including Security.org and TechRadar as of July 24, 2026. We did not rank by commission size.
Frequently asked questions
A VPN is most valuable on networks you don't control — coffee shop wifi, hotel wifi, airports — where it encrypts your traffic from other people on the same network. It also hides your browsing from your internet provider and can mask your location. It's not essential for everyone, but it's cheap insurance for anyone who regularly uses public wifi.
In the U.S., Canada, the UK, and most of Europe, VPN use is fully legal. A small number of countries restrict or ban VPN use, so check local law before traveling somewhere with strict internet controls.
Some slowdown is normal since your traffic takes a longer route through an encrypted tunnel, but a well-run VPN on a nearby server typically costs only a small, often unnoticeable percentage of your speed. Large slowdowns usually mean an overloaded server or a distant server location.