Updated 16 October 2026 · Edited by the Benchmark Buyer team · How we review
We do the homework you'd do before buying, so you don't have to. Like any careful buyer, we read the independent security audits, the expert reviews and what users say, then sum up where they agree and where they don't. We don't run our own tests. There is no standard independent lab test for VPNs, so this guide draws on independent audits published in the last 18 months and 7 expert reviews published between December 2025 and October 2026.
The short answer
Surfshark, NordVPN and Proton VPN are effectively tied at the top, less than a fifth of a point apart. Surfshark edges it: every expert source we read lists it, six put it in their top three, and it has passed two recent independent audits. NordVPN is a close second and is the top pick at five of the seven sources. If you want something free, Proton VPN is the one experts recommend.
Stars show the consensus score out of 10, turned into a 5-star scale and rounded to the nearest half star; the exact score is in each product's section. Independent audits counts the outside audits each VPN company has had in the last 18 months, such as checks that it really keeps no logs of what you do. Popularity (●●●● very high to ●○○○ lower) is based on how many people have rated each brand's app on Google Play: very high (5m+ ratings), high (1m+), medium (500k+) or lower. It shows how widely used a product is, not how good it is, so it doesn't affect the score.
1. Surfshark: on every list, near the top of most
★★★★★Consensus score: 9.9
Surfshark is the only VPN that all seven expert sources list and that six of them place in their top three: second at Tom's Guide, Tech Advisor and Security.org, third at PCWorld, Engadget and All About Cookies. Deloitte checked its no-logs policy in June 2025, and Tom's Guide reports that SecuRing audited its network infrastructure in January 2026.
"For casual VPN users this is the one to go for: it ticks all the boxes and keeps the cost down." (Tom's Guide)
All About Cookies points to its device allowance: "It's one of the only major providers allowing unlimited simultaneous device connections." (All About Cookies)
Where opinions differ: TechRadar ranks it fourth of five in its UK guide and says "Surfshark isn't quite as stellar as the VPNs higher up on this list when it comes to unblocking streaming services" (TechRadar).
Who it suits: households with lots of phones, tablets and computers who want a well-audited VPN at a lower cost.
NordVPN is first at TechRadar, Tom's Guide, PCWorld, Tech Advisor and Security.org, and fourth at Engadget and All About Cookies. All About Cookies reports a Deloitte no-logs audit in November to December 2025, and Tom's Guide says its infrastructure and apps were audited in late 2025. NordVPN's own blog details its previous Deloitte no-logs audit, carried out in late 2024. All About Cookies describes it as Panama-based.
"We rate NordVPN as the best VPN for any situation, and that includes the best VPN for customers in the UK" (TechRadar)
Where opinions differ: Engadget and All About Cookies both put it fourth. All About Cookies sums up the choice: "Choose NordVPN if you want the most features in one app, and Proton VPN if uncompromising privacy is the priority." (All About Cookies)
Who it suits: most people who want one well-rounded VPN with lots of features.
Proton VPN is first at Engadget and All About Cookies and third at TechRadar and Security.org. PCWorld names it the best free VPN. The European security firm Securitum has audited its no-logs practices every year since 2022; Proton published the fifth report in 2026. All About Cookies notes that it is headquartered in Switzerland.
"Proton VPN clinches the top spot for one simple reason: it does everything right." (Engadget)
TechRadar, which calls it the best private UK VPN: "It's the extra mile of privacy and anonymity that we like about Proton VPN" (TechRadar)
Where opinions differ: Tom's Guide, PCWorld and Tech Advisor rank it fourth to sixth.
Who it suits: privacy-minded people, and anyone who wants a trustworthy free VPN before paying for one.
4. ExpressVPN: easy to use, but fewer reviewers put it near the top
★★★★½Consensus score: 8.9
ExpressVPN is second at TechRadar, PCWorld and Engadget and third at Tom's Guide, but fifth at Tech Advisor and All About Cookies, and Security.org leaves it out. KPMG audited its no-logs commitments in June 2025, its third KPMG audit. All About Cookies describes it as British Virgin Islands-based.
"ExpressVPN is an easy-to-use, beginner-friendly VPN." (Tom's Guide)
TechRadar: "ExpressVPN may not hold the top spot anymore, but it's a more-than-capable VPN service" (TechRadar)
Who it suits: people who want a simple VPN that works without fiddling.
5. CyberGhost: well liked for streaming, on fewer lists
★★★★☆Consensus score: 7.8
CyberGhost is third at Tech Advisor (best for streaming), fifth at Engadget, sixth at All About Cookies and seventh at PCWorld (best for travellers). Deloitte Audit Romania completed its third audit of CyberGhost's servers and no-logs controls in December 2025. The company is based in Romania.
"I have to admit this VPN is fantastic for the price." (Engadget)
Who it suits: people who mainly want a VPN for streaming and for using abroad.
6. Private Internet Access: lots of settings for the price
★★★★☆Consensus score: 7.6
PIA is fourth at PCWorld, Tech Advisor and Security.org and seventh at All About Cookies. Deloitte Audit Romania completed its third review of PIA's VPN infrastructure in December 2025.
"where PIA really shines is in its price and extensive customizable feature set." (PCWorld)
Who it suits: people who like to adjust settings and want good value.
PCWorld and Engadget both name Mullvad best for privacy, and All About Cookies best for anonymity, but only three of our seven sources list it and none ranks it above sixth. Its most recent independent check we could date was a February 2026 security assessment of its Android app by Leviathan Security Group; we found no no-logs audit from the last 18 months, which lowers its score.
"Mullvad is the undisputed king of privacy and anonymity." (PCWorld)
Who it suits: people for whom anonymity matters more than streaming or extras.
Norton VPN is in TechRadar's and Tom's Guide's lists, but no other expert source ranks it. We need at least three. AV-TEST tested it in a Norton-commissioned report (April 2025) and found no DNS or IP address leaks.
hide.me is listed by Tech Advisor and Engadget only.
Total VPN is All About Cookies' beginner pick, but no other source lists it, and All About Cookies notes it has no third-party audit of its no-logs policy.
PureVPN, Privado, Hotspot Shield and Bitdefender VPN each appear in one expert list only.
How we score
We don't run our own tests. Each VPN's consensus score combines three things:
Independent audits (30%): outside audits from the last 18 months, as published by the VPN company or reported by our expert sources. A no-logs or server audit plus at least one more recent audit scores 100; one no-logs audit scores 80; an app security check alone scores 60. Audits are paid for by the VPN companies and check their privacy claims rather than compare one VPN with another, so they carry less weight than lab tests do in our antivirus guide. Audits of a company's other products don't count.
Expert rankings (50%): each VPN's position in 7 expert "best VPN" lists, from TechRadar, Tom's Guide, PCWorld, Tech Advisor, Engadget, Security.org and All About Cookies.
Breadth of agreement (20%): how many of those 7 lists include the VPN.
To be ranked, a VPN needs at least one independent audit from the last 18 months and a place in at least three expert lists. We leave out evidence older than 18 months. We don't use speed figures: AV-TEST's recent VPN reports were commissioned by individual VPN companies and mainly measure speed, so they aren't comparable. We don't use review sites owned by, or reported to be financially tied to, a VPN company (vpnMentor, SafetyDetectives, Comparitech and Cybernews). Affiliate commission plays no part in the score.
Evidence last checked: 16 October 2026. Full details on how we review.