On a desktop the VPN has to coexist with everything else you run — games, calls, transfers — without becoming the thing you fight with.
Windows is where most people first meet a VPN and where the most can go wrong: a kill switch that blocks your work, a split tunnel you did not mean to set, an app that starts with Windows and quietly reconnects all day.
It is also where speed matters most, because a desktop connection is usually the fast one in the house and the tunnel is most visible there. That is why this guide weights speed at a quarter of the decision.
Ordered by how well each one fits this task, not by our overall ranking — every score here is the score on that provider's review.
Our highest speed score at 9.6 and our highest streaming score at 9.4 — at the highest price.
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Ease of use 9.5 and speed 9.6 — the highest speed score here, in a desktop app that stays out of the way, at the top of its price range.
Six independent no-logs audits, a RAM-only fleet, and the highest overall score in our comparison.
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The best overall score here, with 10 simultaneous devices and RAM-only infrastructure behind the client.
Open-source apps, unlimited devices, port forwarding, and the only no-logs claim proven twice in US federal court.
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Open-source Windows apps, unlimited devices and a set of controls for people who want to see them.
Ease of use carries 35%, speed 25%, privacy 25%, value 10% and streaming 5%. One of the three picks is chosen specifically because it exposes more control for people who want it — and is marked as such rather than hidden behind a beginner-friendly default.
| Criterion | Weight | How it is scored |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 35 % | How quickly a non-technical person can install, connect and trust the app; whether servers are labelled by purpose; platform coverage including smart TVs and routers; and whether support is reachable and useful. |
| Speed | 25 % | An architectural estimate, not our own benchmark. Protocol support and whether WireGuard is available; RAM-only versus disk infrastructure; server density and proximity to major cities; dedicated streaming and gaming capacity; stability reported in published independent reviews. |
| Privacy | 25 % | Jurisdiction and data-retention law; membership of the 5/9/14-Eyes alliances; independent audits of the no-logs claim with a named firm and date; whether servers are RAM-only, which makes retention structurally impossible; documented cases of legal compulsion; how much identifying information signup collects. |
| Value | 10 % | The effective monthly cost of the longest term offered, weighted against what the subscription actually delivers — device count, features and network size. Providers whose renewal price roughly doubles score lower, because the real cost of a VPN is the second year, not the first. |
| Streaming | 5 % | How consistently the provider restores geo-blocked catalogues across major streaming services, whether it maintains dedicated servers for them, and how often the answer changes. Providers that do not attempt this score low by design, which we state rather than penalise silently. |
The full table with the same published scores. Sort it here, or open the main comparison with filters.
| # | VPN | Our score | From /month | Devices | Jurisdiction | Audits | Free tier | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | ExternalNordVPNBest overall | 9.3 | $3.09 | 10 | Panama Outside | 6x Deloitte | No | 30 days |
| #2 | ExternalSurfsharkBest value | 9.1 | $2.49 | Unlimited | Netherlands 9 Eyes | 2x Deloitte | No | 30 days |
| #3 | ExternalExpressVPNBest for speed | 9.0 | $4.96 | 8 | British Virgin Islands Outside | 6x KPMG | No | 30 days |
| #4 | ExternalProton VPNBest privacy | 8.9 | $3.68 | 10 | Switzerland Outside | 5x Securitum (no-logs) | Yes | 30 days |
| #5 | ExternalCyberGhostBest for beginners | 8.9 | $2.69 | 7 | Romania Outside | 3x Deloitte | No | 45 days |
| #6 | ExternalPrivate Internet AccessBest for power users | 8.5 | $1.64 | Unlimited | United States 5 Eyes | 3x Deloitte | No | 30 days |
| #7 | ExternalWindscribeBest free tier | 8.4 | $2.25 | Unlimited | Canada 5 Eyes | 2x Leviathan Security Group | Yes | 30 days |
| #8 | AdAdGuard VPNBuilt-in ad blocking | 8.4 | $2.99 | 10 | Cyprus Outside | None found | Yes | 30 days |
| #9 | ExternalTunnelBearBest simple apps | 8.1 | $3.67 | 5 | Canada 5 Eyes | 9x Cure53 | Yes | 30 days |
| #10 | ExternalIVPNBest transparency | 7.9 | $4.12 | 2 | Gibraltar Outside | 7x Cure53 | No | 30 days |
| #11 | ExternalMullvadBest anonymity | 7.5 | $5.00 | 5 | Sweden 14 Eyes | 6x Cure53 | No | 30 days |
No provider matches those filters. Try widening them.
Start with the defaults. A good Windows app connects sensibly, blocks leaks if the tunnel drops, and never asks you to become a network engineer to get online. Advanced controls should be there when you want them, invisible when you do not.
Then look at what surrounds the app: whether it can start with Windows, whether it survives sleep, and how many devices the licence covers. Those are the three things people discover in week two rather than on the sales page.
On your own connection, usually not. On a shared or work network, on hotel wifi, or if you do not want your address visible to the sites you visit, yes. It is a tool with a specific job, not a general upgrade.
Encryption and routing cost some throughput — that is physics, and we do not pretend otherwise. The speed component in the table is our published measure of that cost, ranging from 9.6 down to 7.6 across this list.
If you want protection before you notice you need it, yes. If you prefer to decide per session, leave it manual. Either way check that the kill switch behaves the way you expect before you rely on it.
Twelve guides, one per task. Pick the job you actually have.
All eleven providers, with the same published scores this guide is built on — no separate list, no inflated numbers.
