Speedtest VPN™
First, we did internet research to see the “average” baseline internet conditions, deciding to use a download speed of 100Mbps and an upload speed of 10Mbps for our testing. These are good internet speeds for browsing or streaming.
2023 VPN Speed Comparison: 8 VPNs Tested for Upload, Download and Latency
Every VPN will claim to be the fastest VPN. Cloudwards was determined to find the truth. Keep reading this VPN speed comparison to see accurate, daily data for the fastest VPNs, including download speeds, upload speeds and latency for the U.S. and abroad.
By Jackie Leavitt ( Chief Editor )
— Last Updated: 19 Jan’23 2023-01-19T11:52:50+00:00
Welcome to the ultimate VPN speed comparison. See how these seven VPNs compare in upload speeds, download speed and latency with these interactive charts.
Download Speed (Higher is better)
Upload Speed (Higher is better)
Latency (Lower is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 08/23/23 to 09/21/23
Data for region: All US UK AU BR SA SG
- Which VPN Has the Best Speed?
When connected to U.S. servers, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Mullvad and Windscribe all offer impeccable speeds with less than 10% reduction in unprotected upload and download speeds and minimal latency. When averaging servers tested worldwide, NordVPN and Surfshark offer the best performance.
It is normal to lose 10-20% of your unprotected speed when using a VPN. However, when connecting to servers farther away from you, your speed will usually drop more.
06/07/2022 Facts checked
Cloudwards’ VPN Speed Comparison: Upload, Download & Latency
Many VPN providers claim to be the fastest service on the market. They can’t all be right, but the problem is, it’s really difficult to see which VPNs are fastest. That’s because reviews often rely on individual testers’ experience with the VPN.
Unfortunately, review sites — including Cloudwards — have testers all over the world with wildly different internet speeds that fluctuate all the time. Your internet speeds are impacted not only by where you are or what device you’re using, but also by what type of internet you use: DSL, fiber or cable internet. These factors make it hard to compare VPNs at a glance.
That’s the challenge Cloudwards was determined to fix.
To test a VPN’s speed as neutrally as possible, we decided to use a virtual machine using defined unprotected speeds to automatically test VPN server speeds all over the world.
How Cloudwards Structured the Automatic VPN Speed Tests
It was easier said than done. There were a lot of decisions we had to make when setting up these automatic tests.
Research
First, we did internet research to see the “average” baseline internet conditions, deciding to use a download speed of 100Mbps and an upload speed of 10Mbps for our testing. These are good internet speeds for browsing or streaming.
Speed requirements for online activities:
- 1-5 Mbps: Online browsing and checking email
- 5-25 Mbps: Stream in HD
- 40-100 Mbps: Stream in 4K
- 100+ Mbps: Quickly download large files
Server Location Selection
Second, with the majority of our readership based in the U.S., we determined the virtual machine tests should originate from the U.S., but we should see how quickly VPNs connect to different servers all over the world.
Here are the server locations we chose to connect to using the virtual machine based in the U.S.:
- North America: United States
- Europe: United Kingdom
- South America: Brazil
- Africa: South Africa
- Asia: India (Singapore after June 7, 2020)
- Oceania: Australia
If a VPN did not have a server location in the specified country, we either chose an alternative or — if there was not a server location nearby — did not perform the test for that region.
VPN & Protocol Selection
Third, we selected VPNs that — from our review testing — showed they were quality services with decent speeds. These VPNs also needed to be compatible with Linux to pair with our virtual machine.
We chose seven quality VPNs to start with, though we could add more in the future:
After signing up for the services, we set each VPN service to the fastest VPN protocol option to give the optimal speed results.
Data Collection
Fourth, we run the automatic speed tests every single day. Within each daily test, we measure the speed of each VPN server location — five times in a row. Then we remove the slowest connection time and average the four remaining results for that server. This provides an even, dependable result for download speed, upload speed and latency.
VPN Features That Might Affect the Speed Results
In most cases, using a VPN slows down your internet connection. That’s because your connection needs to pass through the VPN’s server location first before routing to your desired internet destination.
However, there are VPN features that can make that process even slower, including the VPN protocol, the distance you are from the VPN server and — to some degree — server load.
Protocol
First is the VPN protocol you use. A security protocol encrypts your internet connection. A strong encryption protocol, like OpenVPN, will usually slow down your connection more than a flimsy one.
It’s important to keep in mind that some protocols could be fast because the encryption is less secure. For example, Hotspot Shield claims to be the “fastest VPN in the world,” but its proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol raises security concerns, which is why we didn’t include the service in these tests.
However, not all fast protocols have weak encryption. Some protocols have less code, which makes them more efficient and faster. A good example of this is WireGuard or ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol.
Server Distance
Another important factor to consider is how far away you are from the server location. If you’re in the U.S. and the server is close by, you should see minimal impact on your speed and latency. However, if you are in the U.S. and want to connect to a server in Singapore or South Africa, normally your speed will decrease and your latency will go up.
If you’re considering a VPN with multi-hop servers, keep in mind that routing your connection through two or more servers will significantly slow your connection and increase latency.
Server Load
To a smaller degree, a VPN’s server load could affect your speeds. A server that is under 90-100% capacity could slow your connection down. The likelihood of this happening is slim if the VPN provider has a large server network that includes a lot of server locations around the world and a large number of servers in each location.
Some VPNs even let users select which server they want to connect to — or at least choose the “best server” option.
It’s worth noting we connected to the same server in each country location for our speed tests, which means if that server happened to be at 90-100% capacity at the time of testing, the speeds might be impacted disproportionately more than the other available servers.
The VPN Speed Test Results
The VPN speed test results have been spectacular. We now have the ability to see which VPNs consistently perform with exceptional speeds, which have speeds that fluctuate and which shouldn’t claim to be fast at all.
We set the U.S. as the default display location for these graphs, but you can see how the VPN performs when connecting to other server regions, as well as how it performs overall (averaging the results from all countries).
The Fastest VPNs: Download Speeds
When you compare the top VPNs’ speeds when connected to the U.S. server, you’ll see that many of them are neck-and-neck. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Mullvad and Windscribe all deliver incredible results, losing less than a tenth of the unprotected speeds. However, PIA and Surfshark are a bit more inconsistent, while CyberGhost’s speeds fluctuate significantly.
Download Speed (Higher is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 08/23/23 to 09/21/23
Data for region: All US UK AU BR SA SG
When you zoom out to consider the worldwide server performance for each VPN, the pack spreads out more. NordVPN and Surfshark — both owned by Cyberspace — offer the best download speeds, hovering around 90 Mbps and losing about 10% of unprotected speeds.
Download Speed (Higher is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 08/23/23 to 09/21/23
Data for region: All US UK AU BR SA SG
Next comes ExpressVPN, hovering consistently around the 75 Mbps mark and losing about 25% of unprotected speeds. The other VPNs fall further behind, between 30 Mbps and 60 Mbps.
The Fastest VPNs: Upload Speeds
It’s hard to distinguish any difference between any of the VPNs — all sit atop each other around 9 Mbps, losing about 10% of unprotected speeds. However, you’ll notice that Surfshark is more inconsistent.
Upload Speed (Higher is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 08/23/23 to 09/21/23
Data for region: All US UK AU BR SA SG
In a worldwide view of VPN upload speeds, you’ll see more fluctuation among the VPNs, but all VPNs — except one — sit between 7 Mbps and 9 Mbps.
Upload Speed (Higher is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 08/23/23 to 09/21/23
Data for region: All US UK AU BR SA SG
The Best VPNs: Latency/Ping
Things get interesting when it comes to latency. When we measure the U.S. ping, six of the VPNs show single-digit performances, which is astonishing. Unfortunately, we see a moderate level of latency with Surfshark and CyberGhost in the U.S.
Latency (Lower is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 08/23/23 to 09/21/23
Data for region: All US UK AU BR SA SG
Not surprisingly, worldwide latency increases for all the VPNs, since the servers are physically farther away. However, Surfshark outperforms the other VPNs in its worldwide averages, sitting between 75ms and 130ms. The other VPNs have a worldwide average around 125ms to 150ms.
Latency (Lower is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 08/23/23 to 09/21/23
Data for region: All US UK AU BR SA SG
Interpreting the VPN Speed Results
The best VPN for speed is one that least affects your unprotected internet speeds. You can figure that out by testing your current unprotected internet speed, then testing your internet speed again after you connect with a VPN server. If it is just about the same speed and latency, that’s great news.
Defining Good Download Speeds (Mbps)
- Very Fast VPN Speed:0-20% reduction in speed
For our tests: 100 Mbps – 80 Mbps - Fast VPN speed:20-40% reduction in speed
For our tests: 80 Mbps – 60 Mbps - Good VPN speed:40-60% reduction in speed
For our tests: 60 Mbps – 40 Mbps - Slow VPN speed:60-80% reduction in speed
For our tests: 40 Mbps – 20 Mbps - Very Slow VPN speed:80% or more reduction in speed
For our tests: less than 20 Mbps
Download Speed (Higher is better)
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data averaged from 08/23/23 to 09/22/23
Data for region: All US UK AU BR SA SG
Defining Good Upload Speeds (Mbps)
- Very Fast VPN Speed:0-20% reduction in speed
For our tests: 10 Mbps – 8 Mbps - Fast VPN speed:20-40% reduction in speed
For our tests: 8 Mbps – 6 Mbps - Good VPN speed:40-60% reduction in speed
For our tests: 6 Mbps – 4 Mbps - Slow VPN speed:60-80% reduction in speed
For our tests: 4 Mbps – 2 Mbps - Very Slow VPN speed:80% or more reduction in speed
For our tests: less than 2 Mbps
Speedtest VPN ™
Speedtest VPN ensures your online privacy and security from the convenience of your Speedtest ® mobile application. Get started securing your connection with 2 GB of free data over VPN per month or upgrade to Premium for unlimited data protection.
Speedtest VPN is currently available for iOS and Android mobile devices in 17 languages.
Security you can trust
Speedtest VPN safeguards your online identity by encrypting your device’s internet connection and anonymizing your IP address and location. When enabled, Speedtest VPN routes your internet connection through a trusted server so you can use the web and apps from your mobile device with complete confidence in your digital security.
With Speedtest VPN, you can
- Defend yourself against potential privacy breaches on both private and public networks.
- Maintain the privacy of messages you send and receive online.
- Prevent third parties from accessing or selling your information to advertisers and other groups.
- Access content from anywhere without restrictions.
- Stay protected in every context and location that you use your phone.
Complete convenience & flexibility
Speedtest VPN takes the complexity out of ensuring your digital safety by delivering full online protection from the Speedtest app you already know and trust.
VPN Speed Tests: VPN Speeds Compared
Many VPNs claim to be the fastest, but which VPN really has the best speeds?
All of our content is written by humans, not robots. Learn More
Aliza Vigderman , Senior Editor
Gabe Turner , Chief Editor
Last Updated Sep 27, 2022
By Aliza Vigderman & Gabe Turner on Sep 27, 2022
- Scope
- Fastest VPNs
- Fastest Download Speed
- Fastest Upload Speed
- Lowest Latency
- More Findings
- Testing Methods
- Further Reading
In a perfect world, we’d be sitting in front of our computers, sipping a cup of coffee, and browsing the internet without worrying about Big Brother watching us or ISPs selling our data to the highest bidder. Unfortunately that’s not the world we live in, and we need cybersecurity tools like virtual private networks (VPNs) to enjoy internet freedom and privacy.
The problem is, VPN users almost always experience internet speed loss. That may be fine for some, but for people who need a fast and consistent internet for gaming, streaming, downloading, and other speed-driven online activities, a speedy VPN is a must.
Having spent thousands of hours testing VPNs, we know which ones are secure. This time around, we wanted to find out which VPNs offer the best speeds. So we pitted the most secure VPNs we’ve ever tested against each other to see which ones are the fastest. Which VPNs came out on top, and which ones missed the mark? We’re sharing it all right here.
The Scope of Our VPN Speed Tests
Testing and comparing VPN speeds isn’t as easy as it sounds. Speed test results are volatile and there are plenty of external factors in play, such as the time of day, distance to the server, and local or ISP traffic. We’ll expand on our testing process and explain how we leveled the playing field below, but here’s what you should know about our methodology for now.
First, we tested each VPN 10 times and then averaged the results. Then we compared the average results to our baseline internet speed, which is our internet speed when not connected to a VPN. Finally, in order to rank the VPNs fairly, we calculated the percentage difference between our baseline speed and the average speed of each VPN. The lower the impact of a VPN to our baseline speed, the better. Don’t worry — it’ll all make sense!
The Overall Fastest VPNs
This ranking shows the fastest and most consistent VPNs in the three speed categories we tested: latency, download speed, and upload speed. If you’re looking for the fastest VPNs in each category — for example, the ones with the fastest download speed regardless of their upload speed and latency — our findings are in the sections below this table. Here we’ll focus on overall speed and consistency.
| Ranking | Average download speed (↑Mbps) | Average upload speed (↑Mbps) | Average ping (↓ms) | Further reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 PureVPN | 90.85 | 90.63 | 86.1 | Read our PureVPN review → |
| No. 2 IPVanish | 90.78 | 89.93 | 78.8 | Read our IPVanish review → |
| No. 3 NordVPN | 89.11 | 90.72 | 78.3 | Read our NordVPN review → |
| No. 4 Proton | 86.07 | 90.66 | 78 | Read our Proton review → |
| No. 5 Hotspot Shield | 91.47 | 18.88 | 79 | Read our Hotspot Shield review → |
| No. 6 Private Internet Access | 90.48 | 14.86 | 86.7 | Read our Private Internet Access review → |
| No. 7 Ivacy | 90.24 | 13.26 | 124.8 | Read our Ivacy review → |
| No. 8 ExpressVPN | 87.48 | 71.65 | 125.8 | Read our ExpressVPN review → |
| No. 9 CyberGhost | 89.53 | 28.66 | 115.2 | Read our CyberGhost review → |
| No. 10 Surfshark | 87.25 | 47.32 | 135.8 | Read our Surfshark review → |
| No. 11 Atlas VPN | 88.68 | 64.3 | 154.1 | Read our Atlas VPN review → |
| No. 12 Norton Secure VPN | 86.09 | 11.37 | 125.5 | Read our Norton Secure VPN review → |
Table 1: This table shows our ranking based on how the VPNs performed in all three speed categories. Our top three — PureVPN, IPVanish, and NordVPN — consistently put up excellent numbers across the board despite not leading in any of the three speed categories.
Fastest Download Speed
Here’s how the VPNs ranked in download speed. If you use the internet mainly for downloading, streaming movies and TV shows, or torrenting, these are some of the best VPNs for you.
| VPN | Baseline download speed (Mbps) | Average download speed (Mbps) | Percentage difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotspot Shield | 94.46 | 91.47 | -3.17% |
| PureVPN | 94.54 | 90.85 | -3.90% |
| IPVanish | 94.56 | 90.78 | -4.00% |
| Ivacy | 94.38 | 90.24 | -4.39% |
| Private Internet Access | 95.08 | 90.48 | -4.84% |
| CyberGhost | 94.56 | 89.53 | -5.32% |
| NordVPN | 94.57 | 89.11 | -5.78% |
| Atlas VPN | 94.53 | 88.68 | -6.19% |
| ExpressVPN | 94.65 | 87.48 | -7.57% |
| Surfshark | 94.59 | 87.25 | -7.76% |
| Proton | 93.74 | 86.07 | -8.18% |
| Norton Secure VPN | 95.44 | 86.09 | -9.80% |
Table 2: This table shows the VPNs with the fastest download speed based on their impact to our baseline internet speed at the time of our testing. Hotspot Shield, which slowed our internet download speed by only a mere 3.17 percent, topped the ranking.
Fastest Upload Speed
As opposed to download speed, the upload speed affects how fast you can upload to a website or app. A good upload speed is necessary for streamers, as well as content creators and influencers who upload to video platforms like YouTube. If you fit that bill, or if upload speed is important to you for any other reason, these are the VPNs that can best fulfill your needs.
| VPN | Baseline upload speed (Mbps) | Average upload speed (Mbps) | Percentage difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proton | 94.52 | 90.66 | -4.08% |
| NordVPN | 94.61 | 90.72 | -4.11% |
| PureVPN | 94.65 | 90.63 | -4.24% |
| IPVanish | 94.68 | 89.93 | -5.02% |
| ExpressVPN | 94.43 | 71.65 | -24.12% |
| Atlas VPN | 94.55 | 64.30 | -31.99% |
| Surfshark | 94.6 | 47.32 | -49.98% |
| CyberGhost | 94.61 | 28.66 | -69.70% |
| Hotspot Shield | 94.56 | 18.88 | -80.03% |
| Private Internet Access | 94.44 | 14.86 | -84.26% |
| Ivacy | 94.68 | 13.26 | -85.99% |
| Norton Secure VPN | 94.59 | 11.37 | -87.98% |
Table 3: This table shows the VPNs with the fastest upload speed. The results varied widely. The leading VPN in upload speed is Proton, which slowed our baseline upload speed by only 4 percent, while other VPNs slowed our upload speed by more than 80 percent.
Lowest Latency
Testing the latency — otherwise known as pinging a network — is the digital equivalent of hitting your network’s knee with a rubber mallet. It measures the network’s reaction time, so the lower the latency, the faster your data packets get from your device to an external network or server. A good latency is necessary for online gamers, since even a few milliseconds of delay could cause lag and ruin the gaming experience.
If you’re looking for the best VPNs for gaming, we ranked the VPNs with the lowest latency impact.
| VPN | Baseline ping (ms) | Average ping (ms) | Percentage difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proton | 3 | 78 | 2,500% |
| NordVPN | 3 | 78.3 | 2,510% |
| IPVanish | 3 | 78.8 | 2,527% |
| PureVPN | 3 | 86.1 | 2,770% |
| Private Internet Access | 3 | 86.7 | 2,790% |
| Hotspot Shield | 2 | 79 | 3,850% |
| Ivacy | 3 | 124.8 | 4,060% |
| ExpressVPN | 3 | 125.8 | 4,093% |
| Surfshark | 3 | 135.8 | 4,427% |
| CyberGhost | 2 | 115.2 | 5,660% |
| Norton Secure VPN | 2 | 125.5 | 6,175% |
| Atlas VPN | 2 | 154.1 | 7,605% |
Table 4: This table shows which VPNs have the lowest latency. At two to three milliseconds, our network’s baseline latency is pretty good. As you can see, however, every VPN we tested increased the latency exponentially. Fortunately, some managed to keep it under 100 ms, which is considered a good latency for most online games.
Interesting Findings
As we ran our VPN speed tests, we inevitably bumped into a few interesting findings. Some of them were positive, such as the good download speed results we’ll talk about below. Other findings were not so great. Regardless, here are some of the highlights.
Improved Download Speeds
When we started reviewing VPNs several years ago, the average speed loss they caused was around 40percent. In our most recent round of tests, however, none of the 12 VPNs we put under the microscope slowed our download speed by more than 10 percent. VPN technology has improved substantially in the past few years.
Take Surfshark, for example. We last updated the speed test results in our Surfshark review in late 2021. They showed a 31 percent download speed loss on Mac and 17 percent on Windows.
Despite just placing 10th in our download speed ranking, Surfshark still averaged 87.25 Mbps, which is only a 7.76 percent drop compared to the baseline speed at the time we tested Surfshark. Not bad at all.
Consistent Latency
Two external factors affect a VPN’s latency reading: your distance from the VPN server and your local network’s idle latency. We’ll expand on the specifics of our testing process later, but we’ve been able to eliminate both external factors by connecting to the same server location (Australia) and having a consistent network latency at two to three milliseconds. That means the steady latency readings from the VPNs we tested are all on the VPNs themselves.
Throughout our tests, we observed consistent latency readings from each VPN, give or take two milliseconds. Proton, the top-seeded VPN in latency, gave us readings of 78 milliseconds 10 out of 10 times.
Keep in mind that we connected to servers in Australia, which is several thousand miles away, thus the slightly elevated ping. The point of this finding, however, is if the VPNs can keep the ping from spiking over long distances, they can almost certainly keep it steady if you connect to a nearby server. If you connect to a nearby server, you’re more likely to get a lower latency reading.
Reconnecting Does Wonders
We designed our tests to simulate typical VPN usage, including testing the effects of disconnecting and then reconnecting to a VPN. We speed tested each VPN 10 times. After the fifth test, we would disconnect, test our baseline speed, and then reconnect.
We found that disconnecting and then reconnecting a slow VPN could improve its speeds. Take Surfshark, for example. In the first five speed tests, its upload speed averaged 4 Mbps.
After reconnecting, the upload speed shot up to 90 Mbps. We’re not saying this “trick” works all the time. Some VPNs are just inherently slower. If you’re experiencing slow VPN speeds, however, starting a fresh connection may just be the quick fix you need.
Symmetrical Speed Is Still Rare
One of the not-so-positive things we noted is that symmetrical speed in VPNs is still quite rare. Our network’s speed is symmetrical, meaning the upload speed and download speed roughly match. Only half the VPNs we tested, however, consistently put up symmetrical readings.
The disparity between the upload speed and download speed can be quite huge. With Ivacy, for instance, the average download speed was excellent at 90 Mbps. The average upload speed, on the other hand, was only 13 Mbps.
When VPN providers talk about being fast, they’re usually referring to the download speed — but that doesn’t always mean they have a fast upload speed as well.
FYI: You’re most likely to see symmetrical internet speed in fiber internet plans because fiber-optic connections have a much higher data delivery capacity than other internet types.
How We Test VPN Speeds
Like our fifth-grade math teacher always said, “Show your work.” To fairly judge the speed of VPNs, we designed a testing process that levels the playing field. That means eliminating outside factors that could skew our results and creating an optimal testing environment. How did we do it?
The Device Parameters
Have you ever wondered why your iPad seems to get better speed test results than your MacBook? The network configuration of each device varies, plus the operating system and physical network adapters on the device can cause variance in test results. For that reason, we used only one device to test all the VPNs.
We used a custom-built PC running Windows 10 Home. It has an Ethernet port built into its Asus motherboard, which is where we plugged the CAT5 Ethernet cable connected to our modem. We also ensured that no programs were running besides Chrome and the VPN, and we turned off all automatic updates so our PC wouldn’t download anything in the background.
The Network Parameters
To ensure the integrity of our network, we turned it into a virtual “clean room.” We disconnected any other device besides our testing computer, and then turned off the router’s Wi-Fi and VoIP service.
Our internet connection is fiber-optic with speeds capped at 100 Mbps. We used the stock modem and router provided by our ISP, and an ethernet cable to connect our testing computer. As opposed to using Wi-Fi, using a wired internet connection eliminates interference and wireless delays.
The VPN Configurations
Most VPNs work fresh off installation, but you can configure them to change things like VPN protocol, encryption level, and server location. We wanted to get the best possible speed from each VPN, but we also didn’t want any of the VPNs to gain unfair advantages over the others.
In the end, we decided it’s best to configure the VPNs this way:
- Server location: Instead of connecting to the “best server,” an option available with most VPNs, we connected to servers in Australia exclusively. Australia is roughly 10,000 miles away from New York, give or take 1,000 miles depending on the city. We could have chosen a smaller country to minimize the distance margin, but we chose Australia because it has good internet infrastructure, meaning we were more likely to get reliable results.
- Encryption standard: Almost every VPN we tested defaulted to 256-bit AES encryption. There were a couple, however, that offered 128-bit AES encryption by default, and so we changed them to 256-bit AES before testing.
- VPN Protocol: There is a debate as to which VPN protocol is the fastest and most secure. WireGuard is definitely a contender, but not all the VPNs we tested offered it. There are also proprietary protocols like NordLynx from NordVPN and Lightway from ExpressVPN that promise good speeds. To keep the playing field level, however, we decided to use OpenVPN exclusively, a widely available and battle-tested VPN protocol.
Additional Information: OpenVPN 1 is an open-source VPN protocol that VPN providers can use in their products. It was first released in 2001, but countless improvements have been made to the protocol since then.
The Testing Process
With everything set up, we started testing. Our process is pretty standard. We tested each VPN 10 times using Ookla’s speed test tool 2 and then averaged the results. We disconnected and reconnected each VPN after the fifth speed test to simulate real-world use. It’s also to give VPNs that were not performing well a second chance, and to see if the well-performing ones only got lucky.
To rank the VPNs, we compared their average speed to our baseline speed, which, again, is our network’s speed when not connected to a VPN. There was one more factor we had to eliminate, however: our network’s varying speed.
It’s common knowledge that network speeds change throughout the day. Most ISPs provide faster connections at night, for example, when traffic is low and there are fewer internet users. During peak hours, on the other hand, ISP speeds tend to fluctuate.
To make sure we’re comparing the speed of each VPN to our current internet speed, we took a baseline speed test in the middle of testing each VPN — specifically after the fifth VPN speed test.
From there, it was all just computing the percentage difference between the average VPN speed and current baseline speed, ranking the results, and scoring each VPN based on their ranking in each category.
Further Reading: Answering VPN Speed FAQs
The discussion surrounding VPN speed is wide-ranging, and we can’t possibly cover it all in a single guide. We can, however, answer some of the most pressing questions about VPN speeds.
- Can VPNs boost my internet speeds?
- What factors affect VPN speeds?
- How do I boost my VPN speed?
- Is VPN speed the most important factor?
Can VPNs Boost Internet Speeds?
We tested VPN speeds a total of 120 times for this guide. We have a pretty good sample size, so you can trust us when we say that VPNs don’t normally boost internet speeds. Our upload speed and download speed went down whenever we connected to a VPN. At the same time, the latency increased.
There’s a reason for that speed drop. VPNs encrypt your traffic, and that additional process shaves off some of your internet speed. VPNs also reroute your traffic through one of their servers. Just as adding a bathroom break to your journey won’t shorten your travel time, adding an extra stop to your online traffic’s route will only result in delays. As short as those delays may be, they are still delays.
There is one exception though. If your ISP is throttling your internet, using a VPN could make your connection faster. ISP throttling is when your provider purposely limits your speed when accessing the internet or some sites. Some ISPs do it when you exceed your monthly data cap or bandwidth limit; in those cases, a VPN unfortunately can’t help you.
Others throttle internet speeds for more controversial reasons, such as to discourage access to a certain service and drive users toward alternative services that benefit the ISP or its partners. If that’s your case, using a VPN will hide your internet traffic from your ISP. Without knowing what you’re doing online, your ISP won’t be able to limit your access.
Fast Fact: When net neutrality was repealed in 2018, it made the throttling of access to certain sites and types of services not only possible, but legal. A study published in early 2019 suggests that ISPs are “giving a fixed amount of bandwidth” to video streaming services, citing Netflix, YouTube, and NBC Sports as some of the examples. 3
What Factors Affect VPN Speeds?
Numerous factors can affect VPN speeds, which is why we painstakingly designed our testing process to limit the effect of those factors. Your current internet speed, the device you’re using, its operating system and network adapters, and even the activity of other devices on your network can affect your VPN speed.
Some factors, however, affect VPN speed more than others, and those are the most important things to consider when testing internet speeds.
- Distance to the server: You’re more likely to get better speeds if you connect to a server closer to you. Your traffic’s travel time is shorter when the distance it has to cover is shorter as well.
- VPN protocol: The VPN protocol dictates how your VPN processes your traffic. Some protocols, such as WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPSec, are faster.
- Server load: Just as vehicles could bottleneck at toll gates when there’s a high volume of traffic, your online traffic could get stuck at VPN servers. Since VPN servers can process only so much data at a time, using a high-load server can severely affect your VPN speed.
How to Boost Your VPN Speed
If you’re getting unsatisfactory speeds from your VPN, there are a few things you can try.
- Pick a different server: It’s possible that the server you’re connected to is crowded or just slow. The first thing you should do is start with a fresh connection.
- Configure your encryption/VPN protocol: Your VPN’s encryption and protocols have huge effects on your privacy and network security. If your current activity doesn’t call for that much security — if you’re downloading or trying to stream a movie, for instance — temporarily reducing your encryption level or changing to a less secure but faster VPN protocol can improve your VPN speed.
- Try split tunneling: Split tunneling lets you split your internet traffic. As determined by you, some traffic will pass through your VPN’s secure network, while other traffic will be unprotected. Enabling split tunneling and choosing to tunnel traffic only from apps with privacy implications can lessen a VPN’s load.
- Close background apps and check your firewall: If none of the above tips worked, check your device itself. Your computer’s background apps could be using a lot of bandwidth or your firewall could be limiting your VPN’s access to the internet. If it’s the former, close your background apps. If it’s the latter, temporarily give the VPN unrestricted internet access.
- If all else fails, opt for a different VPN provider: If absolutely nothing works to boost your VPN speed, it may be time to consider switching providers. Luckily, you have this handy guide to the fastest VPNs on the market.
Is VPN Speed the Most Important Factor?
Speed is one of the most important factors when choosing a VPN, but it’s not the only one. Security, privacy, and cost are other factors to consider. It’s all about balance.
A VPN’s security relies on the technology it uses, meaning the VPN protocol, encryption method, and server implementation. A secure VPN should be able to hide your IP address well and should not have DNS or WebRTC leaks.
A VPN with good privacy practices knows how to take care of both your online data when using the service and personal data they kept when you signed up. Reading the VPN’s privacy policy is a good place to start, as well as understanding the legal obligations the company has to the government with jurisdiction over it. Some countries (including the United States) have legal power to obtain customer data from companies in their jurisdiction.
The cost is pretty self-explanatory. VPN prices range from about $2 per month to $15 per month, depending on the brand and the length of your subscription. Typically signing up for a longer subscription will land you better prices, but month-to-month subscriptions, although more expensive, offer more flexibility.
If you want our take on the best VPNs overall, head to our post on the best VPN services.
Final Words
Our world continues to go digital, so the demand for internet speed and bandwidth is only going to increase. VPNs, as one of the most important cybersecurity tools, should be able to keep up, and they’re doing a pretty good job based on the results of our tests.
That said, VPN technology changes all the time. New proprietary VPN protocols are being developed, existing VPN protocols are receiving improvement updates on a regular basis, and VPN providers are always upgrading their server infrastructure.
We’re keeping an eye on those changes, and we’ve made a commitment to frequently test the top VPNs’ speeds to turn this page into the ultimate VPN speed guide. So before you leave, bookmark this page and check back every so often for the latest information!
- OpenVPN. (2022). Home Page. openvpn.net/
- SpeedTest. (2022). Home Page. speedtest.net/
- SIGCOMM. (2019). A Large-Scale Analysis of Deployed Traffic Differentiation Practices.
wehe.meddle.mobi/papers/wehe.pdf