10 Fastest VPNs in 2024 (Latest Speed Test Results)

Fast VPNs are hard to find, especially when every VPN claims to be the fastest. To save you time, I tested 50 services to shortlist the best VPNs with blazing-fast speeds. Each VPN is specifically designed to reduce speed loss, buffering, and interruptions — all while maintaining powerful security to protect your data and devices.

ExpressVPN stood out from the competition thanks to its high-speed global servers. I didn’t experience any decrease in speed, even when I connected to a server located on the opposite side of the world.

Best of all, you can try ExpressVPN’s fast speeds for yourself. You’re protected by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so it’s simple to get a full refund if you’re not satisfied. When I tested this myself, my refund was approved over 24/7 live chat (no questions asked) and the money was returned to my account in only 5 days.

Get fast speeds with ExpressVPN

Quick Guide: The Fastest VPNs in 2024

The Fastest VPNs for Streaming, Torrenting & Gaming (Tested 2024)

1. ExpressVPN — Winning Combination of Excellent Speeds and Top-Tier Security

Outstanding

Outstanding

📍Servers	3,000+
📱Devices	8
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN available, with excellent speeds across its global servers. During tests, both ExpressVPN’s local and distant servers were impressively fast. Even when I connected to Australia, more than 15,000km away, my download speeds were steady at almost 90Mbps. That’s a tiny drop of just 21% from my base speed, which is minimal considering the distance.

I didn’t notice any lag or buffering even when I streamed content in UHD. This is no surprise as its high speeds are the reason ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming on the following platforms:

Torrenting was quick and easy, with a 40GB file downloading in just over an hour. I could even play high-intensity online games like Call of Duty: Warzone without lag or interruptions.

These impressive speeds are in part due to ExpressVPN’s proprietary protocol, Lightway. This protocol is designed for maximum speed without compromising security, and it’s more lightweight than other protocols. This makes running the protocol and connecting to servers almost instant and reduces the impact on your device. Using Lightway with ExpressVPN’s closest server, my speed reached an impressive 104Mbps — less than a 10% drop from my regular speed.

Alongside its Lightway protocol, ExpressVPN has the following security and privacy features that protect your data and can help to boost your speed:

• Military-grade encryption  — secures your data against prying eyes and third parties.
• Data leak protection — prevents accidental IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.
• Split tunneling — lets you choose which traffic is encrypted, improving speeds by reducing unnecessary traffic.
• TrustedServer Technology — with all servers running on RAM, ensuring no personally identifiable data is stored when you’re connected.
• Audited zero-log policy — confirms ExpressVPN won’t log or store any user data — further proven when Turkish authorities seized an ExpressVPN server and recovered zero data.

The only issue with ExpressVPN is that it’s a more expensive option than other services, with plans starting at $6.67/month for a 1-year + 3 months subscription. However, I think it’s worth the extra cost for guaranteed fast speeds, top security, and anonymity online.

Ultimately, the best option is to test ExpressVPN’s fast and reliable speeds for yourself to make sure it suits your needs. As it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can get a full refund if you’re not fully satisfied.

I tested the process and was surprised by how easy it was. I contacted the 24/7 live chat and spoke to an agent in less than 30 seconds. The polite and helpful agent processed my refund immediately, no questions asked — I didn’t even need to give a reason for canceling. Best of all, I had my money back in just 5 days.

2. CyberGhost — Optimized Servers for Fast Downloading, Streaming, and Gaming

Outstanding

Outstanding

📍Servers	11,780+
📱Devices	7
💰Refund	45 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

CyberGhost’s dedicated servers give even resource-intensive activities like streaming, torrenting, and gaming a speed boost. These optimized servers are updated regularly to ensure they provide the fastest connections. You can download large files and play fast-paced games without experiencing lag.

During tests, CyberGhost’s optimized servers were significantly faster than its standard servers. I compared servers in 4 locations and found on average, the optimized servers were over 30% faster. This is significant if you live somewhere with slow internet, as it minimizes speed loss. I always recommend connecting to an optimized server for this reason.

I was pleased to find streaming, torrenting, and online gaming were fast and uninterrupted during my tests. I downloaded a 40GB file in around 80 minutes and could play PUBG and Fortnite without lag. Plus, streaming in UHD was easy with CyberGhost’s dedicated servers. CyberGhost can access the following services:

CyberGhost offers both OpenVPN and WireGuard. OpenVPN is the industry standard for speed and security, but I found WireGuard was the fastest option for CyberGhost. It’s also much more lightweight than OpenVPN with just 4,000 lines of code, making WireGuard the faster option for your device as well as your connection speed.

Fortunately, CyberGhost’s high-level security features don’t impact speeds. With CyberGhost, you have access to the following features to keep your data protected:

• AES-256-bit encryption — secures every server and keeps your activity anonymous.
• Data leak protection — prevents IP, DNS, and WebRTC data from accidental exposure.
• Malicious ad and tracker blocker — helps web pages load quickly by blocking shady ads.
• RAM-based servers — cannot store user data to maintain a high level of online privacy
• Zero-log policy — independently audited to confirm no identifiable data is kept when you’re connected.

I noticed a big speed reduction and increase in ping when connecting to distant servers. Physical distance inevitably impacts speeds, simply because data has further to travel. As my base speed of 115Mbps is fast, even the biggest slowdown in Australia didn’t impact my activities. However, if your regular speeds are slow you will notice a more significant impact — I recommend using local servers to avoid lag.

To see if the service is right for you, I recommend you test CyberGhost’s optimized servers risk-free. It’s an affordable option, with plans starting at $2.03/month, and it has a 45-day money-back guarantee — you can get a full refund if you’re not satisfied.

I went through the process myself and it was easy — I contacted an agent through the 24/7 live chat and they started the refund immediately, no questions asked. I had the money back within a week.

3. Private Internet Access — Huge Server Network Keeps Speeds Fast

Excellent

Excellent

📍Servers	35,000+
📱Devices	Unlimited
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

Private Internet Access (PIA) has a massive server network that maintains fast speeds for streaming, torrenting, gaming, and more. It has over 35,000 servers in 91+ locations which is ideal for 2 reasons: first, you’re very likely to find a server close to your physical location; second, a large number of servers means you won’t experience user congestion.

Connections are fast due to PIA offering the lightweight WireGuard protocol. OpenVPN is the default, but I found WireGuard was a faster option — it improved my speeds by at least 10Mbps on every connection.

If your speeds are slow (around 25Mbps), PIA provides customizable encryption that can give you a boost. Available with OpenVPN, I could reduce my encryption level from AES-256-bit to AES-128-bit. While this didn’t impact my security, it gave me a noticeable speed increase — lower encryption results in a faster connection.

When connected to PIA with WireGuard, I found streaming, torrenting, and gaming online were easy and lag-free. My 40GB torrent file took 90 minutes to complete, and I could play CounterStrike on a local server without interruptions. PIA is effective at connecting to streaming sites like US Netflix, and it can also access the following services:

To ensure your data and devices are secure, PIA offers the following features:

• Automatic kill switch — protects your data if the VPN connection is interrupted.
• Leak protection — secures your data against accidental DNS, IP, and WebRTC leaks.
• MACE ad and malware blocker — protects against malicious downloads and improves site loading times by stopping annoying ads.
• Split tunneling — stops unnecessary data from passing through the VPN connection to keep speeds fast.
• Audited zero-log policy — guarantees no user data is logged or stored on PIA’s servers.

Like many VPNs, PIA’s speeds drop when connecting to distant servers. However, even when I connected to a server in Australia I could stream and torrent — though I did experience buffering due to high ping. Unfortunately, I couldn’t game on distant servers as the latency produced too much lag and my game froze repeatedly.

If you want to test PIA’s huge server network for yourself, you’ll find it’s a low-cost option — plans start at just $2.03/month. Plus, PIA is backed by a money-back guarantee. You get up to 30 days to claim a refund, and the process is easy — I contacted the 24/7 live chat and asked for my money back. The agent asked if I’d like to troubleshoot, but when I declined they arranged my refund quickly. I had my money back in less than a week.

4. NordVPN — Proprietary NordLynx Protocol Provides Fast Speeds and Secure Connections

Excellent

Excellent

📍Servers	6,320+
📱Devices	10
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

NordVPN’s global network benefits from the high-speed capabilities of its NordLynx protocol. Built on the WireGuard technology, NordLynx incorporates a distinctive “double NAT” feature that guarantees both complete privacy and consistently fast speeds. Furthermore, I discovered that NordLynx can be seamlessly utilized across various platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux, enabling swift connections on multiple devices.

If NordLynx is not supported on your device or server location, it’s good to know that NordVPN also provides support for OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec. Regardless of the protocol you select, you can rest assured that you’ll have complete protection, and your connection speeds will not be noticeably affected.

When I ran speed tests, I was impressed to find that using NordLynx ensured connections with NordVPN were consistently fast worldwide. From a connection speed of 77.65Mbps, NordVPN only reduced speed by 19% on average. Even the biggest drop, from 77Mbps to 55Mbps, was less than a 25% reduction.

With these speeds, NordVPN is a solid choice for streaming, online gaming, and torrenting, especially as there are thousands of P2P servers to choose from. You’ll find NordVPN can easily access your favorite streaming sites, including the following:

As well as top connection speeds, NordVPN has a range of high-level security and privacy features to keep your data and devices protected. These features include:

• AES-256-bit encryption — keeps your data and online activity secure and anonymous at all times.
• IP and DNS leak protection — stops accidental data leaks that could compromise your security and personal information.
• Threat Protection — secures your data and devices against malware, ads, trackers, and malicious downloads both when you’re connected to the VPN and when you’re not.
• Zero-log privacy policy — NordVPN has undergone independent audits to confirm it never logs or stores your data when you’re connected to its servers.

In my experience with NordVPN, the aspect that concerns me the most is its lack of user-friendliness. I find it challenging to select specific servers, as there is no option to “favorite” or tag fast connections. Moreover, certain critical security features, such as the kill switch, are not automatically activated upon download. This aspect is easily overlooked and could potentially jeopardize your security if the VPN connection gets interrupted.

I suggest you try NordVPN for yourself risk-free and see if its NordLynx protocol provides the fast speeds you need for your online activity. Plans start at $3.09/month for a 2-year + 3 months subscription, and NordVPN is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. My refund was processed promptly over live chat, and I had my money back in 6 days

5. Surfshark — Built-In Speed Test Feature Makes Finding the Fastest Connection Simple

Great VPN

Great VPN

📍Servers	3,200+
📱Devices	Unlimited
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

Surfshark’s Speed Test functionality stands out as the optimal method for selecting the swiftest server, providing an effortless means of opting for a high-speed connection regardless of your location. You have the capability to conduct assessments tailored to your current location, most recent server links, P2P servers, virtual and physical server options, as well as Static IP addresses. What I appreciate is how Surfshark conveniently presents data on download and upload speeds, along with latency, streamlining the process of linking to the most rapid server.

As well as fast connection speeds for streaming and torrenting, Surfshark provides top-tier security and privacy features to keep your data and online activity safe and anonymous. These features include:

• AES-256-bit encryption — military-grade encryption on all connections protects your personal information and true location for anonymous online activity.
• CleanWeb — stops malware, trackers, and ads when you’re connected to the VPN, maintaining your device security.
• Rotating IP address — automatically changes your IP address while keeping the VPN connected, making it even harder to track your activity.
• Audited zero-log privacy policy — independent audit guarantees Surfshark never logs or stores your data while you’re using its service.

My issue with Surfshark is its high ping (or latency), which meant I couldn’t play online games unless I was connected to a local server. Nearby connections typically had ping of around 50ms, but distant servers increased ping by more than 300%, making it impossible to keep up with my friends online. For low ping connections worldwide, I suggest you try ExpressVPN instead.

If you’d like to try Surfshark, its long-term plans offer the best value — prices start at$2.29/month for a 2-year + 2 months subscription. Plus, each plan is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so it’s easy to get a refund if you change your mind. I contacted the live chat to request a refund and it was processed promptly. I had my money back in 7 days.

6. PrivateVPN — Small but Reliable Network Produces Fast Local Speeds

Great VPN

Great VPN

📍Servers	200+
📱Devices	10
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

PrivateVPN’s small network surprised me with its fast local speeds. Usually, a smaller network is much slower due to server overcrowding, but I got speeds of over 70Mbps on almost every local server I tested — a drop of 35% from my regular ISP speed.

The entire network is optimized for streaming and P2P file-sharing, designed for top speeds and security. During tests, PrivateVPN could access the following services:

As with most VPNs, PrivateVPN has the best speeds when connecting to servers nearby. My speeds were consistent as far as New York, over 5,600km away. However, the further away I connected, the slower my speeds became — a server in Australia dropped my speed by 90%. I could browse the web and stream local content, but it’s something to keep in mind if your internet isn’t that good.

PrivateVPN uses the OpenVPN protocol by default, and it’s possible to lower PrivateVPN’s encryption level from AES-256 to AES-128. While this doesn’t make an impact on your security (AES encryption has never been cracked) it could boost your speed. This is useful if you’ve got slow internet speeds and want to keep your connection fast.

Alongside top-tier encryption, PrivateVPN has the following features to protect your data and devices:

• Data leak protection — prevents accidental DNS and IP leaks to keep your data secure.
• Automatic kill switch — blocks internet access if the VPN connection is interrupted.
• Stealth VPN feature — obfuscates VPN traffic to look like regular traffic, avoiding proxy detection software (but further reducing speed).
• Audited zero-log policy — guarantees PrivateVPN will not log or store personally identifiable data.

The issue with PrivateVPN is its small server network. While speeds are reliably fast, I had issues connecting to popular servers at peak times. This is due to user congestion throttling the network, making it difficult to connect. I could always make a connection within a few minutes, but it’s frustrating when a service like ExpressVPN has instant connections, even at peak times.

If you’d like to try PrivateVPN, you’ll find it’s an affordable service — one of the best monthly VPNs available. Plans start at just $2.00/month for a 3-year subscription, and every plan is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. I tested the process by sending an email to customer support. I received a confirmation the same day and had my money back 3 days later.

7. IPVanish — Detailed Interface Makes Choosing the Fastest Server Easy

Good Choice

Good Choice

📍Servers	2,400+
📱Devices	Unlimited
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

IPVanish gives you all the information you need to choose the fastest server connection for you. After exploring the interface, I found IPVanish details the server user load in % and ping in ms for each individual server. I had faster speeds when I manually chose my server connection as I could make precise choices based on my preferred location and pick the fastest possible option every time.

I was surprised to find that IPVanish has consistently fast speeds across its network, unlike most VPNs. I never had a speed reduction of more than 50%, even using servers more than 15,000km away from my location — the connection was still fast enough for UHD streaming, torrenting, and smooth online gaming. Nearby servers had the fastest speeds, with a tiny 10-12% drop on average. IPVanish is suitable for streaming in UHD on multiple platforms, including:

While there are several protocols to choose from, I recommend using the WireGuard protocol — during my tests, this was the fastest choice for IPVanish’s servers. This is also the fastest option for server connections, so I could establish a secure connection in less than 3 seconds.

As well as secure protocols, IPVanish also has the following features to ensure a fast, secure connection:

• AES-256-bit encryption — as standard on all servers to mask your data.
• Automatic kill switch — protects your information if the VPN connection is unexpectedly interrupted.
• DNS, IP, and WebRTC leak protection — secure against accidental leaks that could compromise your anonymity.
• Independently-audited privacy policy — confirms IPVanish has a zero-log policy and won’t store your data.

My issue with IPVanish is its price — plans start at $2.75 per month for a 2-year subscription, which I find a little expensive considering the limited range of features. There are no optimized servers, malware or ad blocking tools, or standard features like split tunneling. While IPVanish isn’t the most expensive option available, it seems overpriced when you can opt for CyberGhost and get all of the mentioned features at a lower cost.

However, if you decide to test IPVanish, you can try it risk-free as every subscription is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. Getting a refund is very easy — when I tested the process, I just logged in to my IPVanish account on my browser and clicked “Cancel Now” in the “Subscriptions” menu. I had my money returned the same day.

8. PureVPN — 20Gbps Servers in Key Locations for Fast Speeds

Good Choice

Good Choice

📍Servers	6000
📱Devices	10
💰Refund	31 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

PureVPN has recently upgraded servers in popular locations to a 20Gbps network, ensuring top speeds when you’re connected. These include all of the servers in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, as well as 5 locations in the US — LA, Miami, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City. By connecting to these servers, you can expect to see a reduction in speed loss, even if you’re in a distant country and your regular speeds are slow.

During tests, PureVPN’s 20Gbps locations are noticeably faster than its standard servers. Websites and streaming content load faster, torrents complete more quickly, and I have better response times while gaming. On average, across all servers PureVPN’s slowdown was just 21%, which is impressively fast — even when I connected to a server 15,000km away, my speed reduction was no more than 35%.

I discovered PureVPN has optimized streaming servers that make it easy to connect to and watch your favorite content. You can access the following with PureVPN:

To ensure you get fast speeds and secure connections, PureVPN has several premium features available on its apps, including:

• Military-grade encryption — on every server to effectively mask your data and online activity.
• Secure connection protocols, — including WireGuard and OpenVPN.
• Split tunneling — reduces unnecessary traffic in the encrypted VPN tunnel to boost connection speeds.
• Zero-log policy confirmed by third-party audit — to guarantee your data is never logged or stored when connected to PureVPN’s servers.

The problem with PureVPN is its virtual servers, which are dramatically slower than its standard server connections. While these virtual servers provide access to a greater variety of locations, it’s impossible to tell which servers are virtual and which aren’t in the PureVPN apps. The only way to know for sure is to check on PureVPN’s website, which is a hassle — I’d like to see PureVPN add a virtual server signifier to its apps to make connections easier, and faster.

You can try PureVPN’s 20Gbps servers for yourself as the service is low-cost, especially for its longest subscription — a 2-year + 4 months plan costs just $1.96/month. Plus, you get up to 31 days to test the service risk-free. If you change your mind, you can get a full refund by contacting customer service. After my request was processed and confirmed, I had my money back in 4 days.

9. Proton VPN — VPN Accelerator Feature Boosts Speeds

Tested & Approved

Tested & Approved

📍Servers	4,450+
📱Devices	10
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	No

See Deals

Key Features:

Proton VPN has a VPN Accelerator feature specifically designed to boost connection speeds. Using a combination of technologies, this feature improves the way your CPU and network operate to ensure output speeds are as fast as possible. During my tests, I noticed an increase of more than 20Mbps with the VPN Accelerator — this could make a huge difference if your regular speeds are slow. The VPN Accelerator feature is on by default, so I recommend leaving it active.

On average, Proton VPN reduced my connection speeds by 31%. Nearby connections were always faster, with low ping suitable for online gaming and video calls. Servers more than 5,000km away had a greater impact on speed, with drops of up to 40% from my regular speed.

Despite the distance and the drop, my speeds were still fast enough for lag-free UHD streaming, torrenting, and browsing. Plus, Proton VPN can access the following streaming services so you can watch your favorite content:

To ensure your speeds are fast and your data is always secure, all Proton VPN servers are supported by the following features:

• AES-256-bit encryption — to mask your information and preserve your online privacy.
• Secure and fast connection protocols, — including WireGuard and OpenVPN.
• NetShield DNS filter — blocks harmful ads and malware to protect your devices, also helping websites to load faster by stopping pop-ups and banner ads.
• Audited zero-log policy — guarantees your data is never logged or stored on Proton VPN’s servers.

The downside to Proton VPN is that it’s one of the most expensive options on this list. While it does have a good Free plan, you won’t get the fast speeds and premium features you want — these are only available on the Plus plan, which starts at $4.99 per month for a 2-year + 6 months subscription.

While Proton VPN is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, that doesn’t mean you will get a 100% refund if you change your mind. Proton VPN’s guarantee is prorated, so you’ll only get a refund for the remaining days you don’t use. I found the refund process simple, but it’s disappointing to not have the same 100% refund guarantee as other top VPNs.

10. StrongVPN — Fast Local Connections for Streaming and Online Browsing

Tested & Approved

Tested & Approved

📍Servers	950+
📱Devices	12
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

Try StrongVPN!

Key Features:

StrongVPN’s network of 950+ servers provides reliably fast speeds on local connections. During tests, nearby servers reduced my speeds by around 20%, which is more than enough for lag-free streaming and other activities. Long-distance connections slowed my speeds much more drastically (up to 90%), so I recommend only using StrongVPN’s local servers.

I was pleased to find StrongVPN has a range of secure connection protocols, including WireGuard and OpenVPN. These protocols are known for prioritizing speed and security, and it’s simple to switch between them in a couple of clicks. StrongVPN has clear explanations of its protocols in its apps, which makes it easy to choose the best connection and configuration options.

To keep speeds fast and data secure, StrongVPN has the following high-quality features:

• AES-256-bit encryption — ensures your data is always safe and hidden from prying eyes.
• Automatic kill switch — protects your personal information if the VPN connection is interrupted.
• StrongDNS — provides a proxy service for streaming with devices that don’t support a VPN connection — not encrypted but has fast speeds.
• Transparent privacy policy — details exactly how StrongVPN handles your data, stating it will never sell your information to third parties.

If you want a VPN for watching your favorite content, StrongVPN can reliably access some of the top streaming services. I could stream in UHD on my local accounts with StrongVPN’s nearby servers — distant connections buffered some before my stream started. StrongVPN can connect to the following:

Unfortunately, StrongVPN isn’t a good choice for torrenting or online gaming. StrongVPN’s privacy policy states that downloading or sharing copyrighted material will result in account termination, which suggests torrent activity could be monitored. Plus, StrongVPN had high ping during my tests, making it difficult to play games like Rocket League without significant lag.

You can try StrongVPN for yourself risk-free, as the service is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. Plus, it’s reasonably priced, with plans starting at $3.97/month for a 1-year subscription. If you change your mind, you can request a refund over the 24/7 live chat. I did, and had my money back within 48 hours.

Easy Comparison Table: The Fastest VPNs in 2024

After extensive testing, ExpressVPN emerged as the fastest service. Its impressive global speeds and minimal slowdown make using ExpressVPN unnoticeable, even on slow internet connections. Plus, it accesses streaming sites and supports P2P file-sharing on all servers, so you can enjoy your favorite online content anywhere.

To get an overview of the fastest VPNs in 2024, you can take a look at the table below:

How I Tested and Ranked VPNs for Fast Speeds

Here is the testing methodology I used when I evaluated the best VPNs on the market:

• Speed test: I ran an initial test on Speedtest.net to find my speed without a VPN. On average, my standard ISP connection is 115Mbps. I then used the same speed test tool to run tests for each VPN.
• Device: I performed all tests on a Windows 10 PC and an iPhone XS.
• VPN protocol: I let the VPNs automatically pick the fastest protocol available at the time. This was OpenVPN for the majority of VPNs.
• Local server location: I let the VPN choose the fastest server available using a “Smart Connect” or similar feature. This was the server closest to me in London, UK for most VPNs.
• International server location: I tested servers in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the US. This was so I could look at how speeds were affected over different distances.
• Time of testing: I ran tests at 3 different times of day — 9 am, 3 pm, and 8 pm. This is so I could see the impact of high and low traffic times on each VPN’s speed.

It’s important to note that despite all these factors, there are variables outside of my control. Fluctuations in internet speed and how my device was performing could impact my results. This means that if you run similar tests, you could get very different results. I’d recommend testing a VPN for yourself to see if it works for you — ExpressVPN is the fastest service, and you can try it now to see if it’s right for you.

How Do I Test VPN Speed?

Some VPNs have a built-in speed test (like ExpressVPN). Alternatively, you can use Speedtest.net to perform a speed test when your VPN is connected. Ideally, a VPN will provide speeds that are very close to your baseline. A minimum speed of 25Mbps is recommended to browse, stream, and download without significant lag or interruption.

4 Easy Steps: How to Test VPN Speed

1. Download a VPN. I recommend ExpressVPN as it’s the fastest VPN I’ve tested.
2. Run a speed test on your regular ISP connection. This gives you a baseline for comparison.
3. Connect to a VPN server. Nearby servers will be faster than distant ones.
4. Run another speed test. Record the VPN speed and compare the result to your baseline.

Need a Faster VPN? 5 Tips to Increase a VPN’s Speed

If you’re using a VPN and are still having issues with slow speeds, there are a few things you can try:

1. Choose a VPN With a Large Server Network

A VPN with thousands of servers will be much faster than a VPN with a few hundred. This is because when a VPN had fewer servers available, it experiences more user congestion — so your speeds will slow significantly during peak hours. ExpressVPN has more than 3,000+ servers in its network, ensuring you can always find a local (and fast!) connection.

2. Change VPN Protocol

Most VPNs have several protocols to choose from, depending on your desired level of encryption and speed. I recommend using WireGuard or OpenVPN TCP as these are highly secure protocols with excellent speeds.

The majority of VPNs automatically choose the fastest protocol unless specified otherwise. However, if you’re experiencing slower speeds, it’s a good idea to check which protocol your VPN is using.

3. Connect to a Nearby Server

Latency (or ping) is how long it takes to send data from your device to a server and back again. A factor for increased latency is distance — by connecting to a nearby VPN server your data has to travel a shorter distance and will get a response much faster. When you connect to distant servers, you may experience considerable slowdowns and buffering.

Your VPN should have the option to automatically connect you to the closest, fastest server. ExpressVPN’s Smart Location always picks the fastest server available based on your location. Alternatively, you can look at the VPN’s server menu to manually find a fast connection.

4. Set Up Split Tunneling

Split tunneling can boost your speeds by only routing certain apps through the VPN, with the rest of your traffic using your regular ISP connection. By being selective about the data that passes through the encryption tunnel, you reduce the amount of bandwidth it’s using. A smaller amount of traffic can pass much more quickly and improve your speed.

Many VPNs offer split-tunneling through their clients, with easy step-by-step guides to set it up. I recommend configuring torrent or banking apps to always use the VPN as they contain sensitive data.

5. Use an Ethernet Cable

Connecting your device to your router will result in faster speeds. A wireless connection (Wi-Fi) isn’t 100% direct so will be slower. By connecting your device to your router using an ethernet cable, you create a direct line so data is transferred faster.

As a bonus, an ethernet connection is more reliable and secure than a WiFi connection. By connecting with an ethernet cable and a VPN, you can increase your speed and maximize security at the same time.

FAQs on Fast VPNs and Speed

Which free VPN has the fastest speeds?

Unfortunately, 100% free and fast VPNs don’t exist, and free VPNs won’t provide the fast, reliable connections of a premium service. Slow speeds are mainly caused by a limited number of servers, creating congestion due to so many users on 1 server — there simply isn’t enough bandwidth for everyone.

Worse still, many free VPNs aren’t actually safe to use. Some free VPNs have been known to use malware and spyware to steal your data, putting you at risk of identity theft. Others log user data to sell to third parties to generate revenue, compromising your privacy.

Even the best free VPNs in 2024 can’t guarantee fast connection speeds, although they’re secure and private. Instead, I recommend you try a premium service with a long money-back guarantee, like CyberGhost. You can use CyberGhost for up to 45 days and get guaranteed fast speeds, top security, and online anonymity.

I tested the refund policy myself and it took just a couple of minutes to arrange my money back using the 24/7 live chat. Best of all, I had my money returned within a week.

Get Fast Speeds and Top Security With a VPN in 2024

Using a VPN will impact your speed, but the best VPNs are designed to mitigate speed loss so you don’t even notice it. All of the VPNs on this list provide fast connections and high-level security so you can stream, torrent, game, browse, and more without lag or interruptions.

After rigorous testing, the fastest VPN in 2024 is ExpressVPN. It has consistently fast connections on all servers and its proprietary Lightway protocol ensures top speeds. But don’t take my word for it — you have the option to test out ExpressVPN for yourself risk-free. If you’re not satisfied (although I think you will be), you can easily get a refund with its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Summary — The Fastest VPNs in 2024

Rank

Provider name

Our score

Price

Top Ranked Top Choice

1.

9.8

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$6.67 / month Save 49%

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2.

9.6

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$2.03 / month Save 84%

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3.

9.4

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$2.03 / month Save 83%

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4.

9.4

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$3.09 / month Save 76%

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5.

9.4

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$2.29 / month Save 85%

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6.

8.8

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$2.00 / month Save 83%

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7.

8.4

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$2.75 / month Save 79%

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8.

8.6

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$1.96 / month Save 82%

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9.

8.5

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$4.99 / month Save 50%

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10.

8.4

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$3.97 / month Save 67%

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