The whole point of using a virtual private network (VPN) in the first place is to increase your digital privacy and remain anonymous online.So, if that’s exactly what you’re after, then you must use one of the most private VPNs around.
While the use cases of the best VPNs have expanded over the years – now covering seamless access to international content, gaming, shopping, etc. – our hands-on VPN testing at Tom’s Guide always starts by focusing on a VPN’s core security features: no-logs policies, encryption, independent audits, server infrastructure, and more.
In this article, we’ll highlight the top five VPNs for privacy, but if you're a hurry you can check out out top three below – Proton VPN, NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
What makes the most private VPN?
There are a few very important features to look out for in the most private VPN. Firstly, you should consider where your chosen VPN is based – those in countries like the US and much of Europe are subject to data retention laws, although there are exceptions.
You'll also want to make sure it has a watertight no-logging policy. That means that no records of how you use the VPN are kept, and if anyone demands them they won’t be there to hand over.
It’s also worth considering what payment methods you can use – does your VPN accept Bitcoin, perhaps even cash, or do you have to use PayPal? Finally, almost all VPNs require you to use an email, but if you use a secure email service like Proton Mail, you can keep that private and unidentifiable, too.
When considering all of those points and more, we’ve named ExpressVPN as the most private VPN available today – there are no sacrifices made in terms of privacy or usability, and it has a rock-solid and fully audited no-logging policy that's been proven in practice. However, there are some other strong contenders, so read on to find out the five most private VPNs available today.
The most private VPNs available today
The best private VPN overall
Privacy-wise, a big part of why ProtonVPN sits atop our list is its widely impressive Secure Core servers. They route your connection through an ultra-secure location (based in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction like Sweden, Switzerland, or Iceland) before finally connecting you to your location of choice. Speaking of which, Proton VPN boasts one of the biggest server networks of any VPN, with over 15,000 servers spread across 126 countries.
Also, Proton VPN is headquartered in Switzerland, which neither falls under the EU/US jurisdiction nor is part of any data-sharing alliances. Simply put, this means ProtonVPN does not fall under the grapple with any privacy-invasive laws.
One of my favorite things about ProtonVPN is its huge assortment of anti-censorship tools, designed to crank up your privacy under a restrictive internet. At the top of this list is its proprietary Stealth Protocol, which masks your VPN traffic as regular internet activity to make your Proton VPN connection virtually untraceable.
And say you’re in a country where it’s not uncommon for authorities to inspect your device for any VPN apps, you can use the discrete app feature to disguise the Proton VPN app as an innocuous background app. However, this feature is only available on Proton VPN’s Android VPN app.
Another handy privacy feature is its Guest Mode. Available on Android, it lets you use Proton VPN without having to sign up with your personal details. Of course, this means you can’t access any of the paid features, but it’s a huge tick mark for privacy purists looking for the best free VPN.
ProtonVPN passed its fourth no-logs policy audit in September this year, proving that it fully lives up to its no-logging claims. Additionally, it also features two terrific kill switches, NetShield (which is its adblocker), DNS leak protection, and even built-in Tor support.
As good as ProtonVPN as a separate product is, it’s not what put ProtonVPN on the map. Its ProtonMail service is the company's flagship product, which you may have used to keep your paper trail anonymous when signing up to other devices. A standout feature in its own right, you can read more about it in our most recent ProtonVPN review.
If I were to nitpick and find a flaw for the sake of fairness, I'd say it would be the price tag. At around $3.50 (just a hair more expensive than ExpressVPN), ProtonVPN is pretty expensive. That said, I wouldn't blame you if you'd be willing to go for Proton in the interest of complete privacy, especially if you, like myself, have been taken in by the Swiss privacy and the purple interface.
The best all-rounder private VPN
NordVPN is the go-to choice for those looking for a privacy VPN, and has been for quite some time now. It's absolutely deservedly a household name, and it performed just as stellarly in our latest NordVPN review.
NordVPN recently went through a fifth independent no-logs audit, where it commissioned Deloitte Audit Lithuania to verify the VPN’s IT systems, supporting infrastructure, and no-logs policy. The results indicated that Nord’s servers are super secure, plus it doesn’t store or share your information.
NordVPN also offers Post-quantum encryption (PQE) via its NordLynx protocol, protecting users against the dreaded Q-Day and “Store Now Decrypt Later” cyber attacks.
There’s also NordWhisper (NordVPN’s proprietary obfuscation technology), Double VPN (which routes your traffic through two servers, encrypting your data twice), and Threat Protection Pro (which AV-Test ranked the best VPN malware protection available right now), and the reliability of its kill switch.
Even better, Nord’s Threat Protection Pro suite now also packs the crypto wallet address checker, designed to protect cryptocurrency users from fraud. It automatically flags suspicious wallet addresses, so you don’t end up sending money to a scam artist.
Additionally, Nord is based in Panama, which (just like the BVI) doesn't require companies registered there to retain the data of its users, and the provider also accepts cryptocurrency payments.
Personally, I’d like to see NordVPN amp up the number of simultaneous connections it offers, especially now that ExpressVPN has done it. This will allow users to share the love with their friends and family. Also, if you’re on the edge regarding Nord’s slightly awkward mobile VPN interface, you can try it out risk-free before committing, thanks to a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The best private VPN for beginners
Another household name that continuously tops our charts in most VPN-related aspects (including privacy), ExpressVPN is an excellent choice for those looking to combine privacy with ease of use.
Right off the bat, ExpressVPN impresses with its commitment to customer trust and transparency. It has undertaken the highest number of independent audits of any VPN, with 23 independent audits so far. The most recent one – its third no-logs audit – was completed by KPMG, which confirmed that ExpressVPN does not collect activity or connection logs.
Additionally, ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands – a jurisdiction that does not have mandatory data retention laws.
ExpressVPN was also the first provider to roll out post-quantum encryption on all platforms. It introduced ML-KEM, which is one of three encryption standards approved by the NIST, on its Lightway protocol in January 2025. For context, ML-KEM is used for both TCP and UDP protocols on Lightway, meaning the encryption is even harder to crack now than it was before.
Infrastructure-wise, ExpressVPN uses RAM-only servers, known as TrustedServer, meaning servers that don't use hard drives and, therefore, cannot store any data after powering off.
The provider also offers a ton of extra cybersecurity tools in its Advanced and Pro subscription tiers, including a password manager, an adult site blocker, an ad and tracker blocker, personal data leak monitoring, and even ID theft insurance.
Despite offering cutting-edge privacy and security, ExpressVPN scores the top spot in the best VPN for beginners list. Not only does it handle all of the complicated techy parts of the installation process for you, but it also offers consistent app interfaces across all platforms, a convenient “shortcuts” feature, and a super-efficient one-click connect function.
ExpressVPN has undergone a pricing overhaul, introducing three distinct plans tailored to different types of users. Overall, getting started with ExpressVPN is now 30% cheaper than it was earlier, with the base plan priced at around $3.50 per month. Try it out risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The best private VPN for anonymity
Off the bat, many – if not all – VPN providers in the industry claim and promise to protect your digital privacy. However, Mullvad is one of the few that turns these claims into reality. It only takes a click of a button to create an account number, and in doing so, you don't need to supply a name, email, or other personal details to use the service.
Additionally, Mullvad recommends using Bitcoin or cash to pay for the service and further protect your anonymity. In fact, the company is so determined to protect your privacy that it doesn't even offer long-term subscriptions, because that would require keeping payment information, and the provider wants to know as few details about its users as possible.
In June 2024, it passed a fourth infrastructure audit by Cure53, and in December 2024, it also published the report of its annual app audit by X41 D-Sec.
In May 2024, Mullvad also added DAITA (Defense Against AI-guided Traffic Analysis) to Windows, and it's since been rolled out to Linux, MacOS, Android, and iOS. DAITA prevents AI systems from recognizing or fingerprinting your VPN traffic through uniform packets, dummy packets, and fake bi-directional traffic to break AI/ML recognition algorithms.
Furthermore, Mullvad’s Android app builds are completely reproducible. This means you can verify the Android app bit by bit to ensure it has not been tampered with.
I'd be remiss not to mention that, while it's true Mullvad has gone to great lengths to boost its service geared towards more technical and privacy-focused users – and deserves ample praise for it – it's still lacking in numerous other core VPN areas.
For instance, it won't be making our list of the best Netflix VPNs anytime soon as it can't access Netflix (besides the US library), Prime Video, or Disney+, has a relatively small server network, recently discontinued port forwarding, missing live chat support, and more.
Also, while Mullvad does keep things simple and transparent – with no renewal price hikes, unlike NordVPN or Surfshark – its single monthly rate of $5.85 makes it the most expensive VPN on this list.
Therefore, Mullvad is great for tech-savvy privacy purists – and, it would seem, only for them. If you need a broader spectrum of VPN services, you're better off with any of the other entries on this list.
The best private VPN for experts
Privacy-wise, PIA's track record is excellent. It’s the only VPN to have proven its no-logs policy in court – not once but twice, and on both occasions, it had no personal user details to hand over.
PIA has also been audited by Deloitte, plus it issues 3-monthly Transparency Reports, further bolstering trust in putting user privacy first. Like ExpressVPN, PIA too uses RAM-only servers which wipes your data with every reboot. Also, while the provider’s list of extra security features might not be as long as those above in this list, it does include an email breach scanner and a Boxcryptor license that encrypts all of your cloud storage.
Moreover, PIA uses encrypted DNS servers. Essentially, all your DNS requests are handled within the VPN tunnel itself and not by your ISP. This eliminates any chances of DNS leaks and unauthorized third-party DNS queries.
PIA’s MACE feature protects you from irritating and intrusive ads by looping your browser back to itself and killing third-party advert requests. It’s worth noting that MACE is different from classic ad blockers, which usually rely on DNS lookup.
PIA has one of the largest server fleets, including over 10,000 individual servers, across 151 locations and 91 countries, as well as servers in all 50 US states – which makes sense, since the company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
What’s more, every single PIA server supports P2P traffic. Combined with port forwarding – which allows connections to bypass your firewall, essentially improving download speeds while torrenting – PIA is also among the best torrenting VPNs.
Overall, Private Internet Access is deservedly on this list of the most private VPNs despite being ranked last. As such, it's a good enough choice for the privacy-conscious user who wants to have absolute anonymity occasionally. Oh, and let’s not forget that PIA is also one of the best cheap VPNs. Prices start from just over $2 per month and sweetens the deal further with features like unlimited simultaneous connections.
Most private VPN FAQ
What is the most private VPN?
Overall, we recommend Proton VPN as the most private VPN on the market. It's great for streaming, staying anonymous, has plenty of servers, and also delivers excellent connection speeds.
However, close on its tail is NordVPN, with a very similar feature set for a little cheaper, and a great bargain option is Surfshark, which is available for less than $2 a month.
Can you trust any VPN to be private?
When you sign up for a VPN service, you give it permission to view all the data you're trying to keep private from some other party, such as your internet service provider – you're essentially swapping who you show your data from a party you don't trust to one you do. But, can you actually trust VPNs?
You shouldn't blindly trust anything. It helps to know as much as possible about a VPN provider, such as who owns it, who runs it and where it's based, but if you're really privacy conscious, you'll want to give your VPN provider as little information about yourself as possible. That means seeking out a provider that might offer anonymous payments, or perhaps doesn't require an email address.
However, while many do require an email address, if you're really keen on staying anonymous you can sign up for a free, secure email provider like ProtonMail. That way you don't have to tie your name to your VPN.
Who needs a private VPN?
If you don't want the government or your ISP snooping on what you're up to, and want to evade hackers and trackers, having a private VPN should be a priority.
That's not incriminating either – why should we have to do all our business and leisure activities in plain sight? We close our curtains when we want privacy at home, so think of a private VPN as the shutters on your computer's windows.
Thankfully, even if you're after a fast VPN as well, you don't need to sacrifice anything. The very best private VPN will be able to do it all for you.
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