The best mobile VPNs: Expert tested

The best mobile VPN is NordVPN. With its ability to integrate with iOS and Android phones, thousands of servers, and very high speeds, NordVPN is at the top of our list. This table compares the best mobile VPNs based on connections, operating system capabilities, and servers available:

*Lowest price at the time of writing. Please note that prices may vary based on retailer and available promotions, sales, or discounts.

When you are selecting your new mobile VPN, you need to consider the following factors:

• Price: The overall price of your new VPN should factor into your decision. Try to take advantage of promotions, but ignore countdown timers -- they are typically just marketing tools. While top-notch VPNs can cost upwards of $10/month, many are available for only a few dollars. 
• Speed and stability: Opt for a VPN that won't drastically reduce your speed and is known for stable connectivity.
• Simultaneous connections: If you're paying for a mobile VPN, you might want to use it across multiple devices, such as a desktop PC or laptop. We recommend you sign up for a plan supporting at least four to six devices, and thankfully, most paid plans now offer at least this number.
• Contract length: You must also decide how long you'll need to use a VPN. A two-year term tends to secure the best prices, but monthly, six-month, and one-year options are often also available. After you've made a selection, you typically have a 30-day money-back guarantee. Make a note of when your contract ends, as you may want to shop around for a new deal.
• Apps: When selecting a mobile VPN, try it out first to ensure you like its accompanying iOS or Android app. Some VPNs, for example, have great desktop software but lack in the mobile app department, which may not be as intuitive or easy to use. 
• Trial periods: Many VPN providers offer a free seven-day iOS or Android trial, so you can try before you buy. Head to the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store to check.

All VPN providers recommended in this list have been subject to in-depth testing and reviews by members of our ZDNET team. We've been writing about these VPNs for years, spoken with their management and users, and developed a generally favorable impression. Here are the top factors we consider during our testing process:

• Performance: Our top VPNs must have a minimum level of performance. After all, there's no point in using a VPN while streaming if your connection continually drops or lags, which is especially important when you're on mobile.
• Simultaneous connections: Many VPNs limit how many devices you can connect to a service at the same time. If you have a phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and possibly even a smart TV you want to connect to a VPN, you need a service that allows at least five or six simultaneous connections.
• Security: There's no point using a VPN unless its security protocols and encryption levels are up to scratch. We also ensured the development team behind each recommended VPN cares about making security improvements over time and patching reported bugs.
• Kill switch: A kill switch prevents you from having an unprotected connection. This is an important feature for a VPN, as it protects you by preventing a return to a default Wi-Fi connection should your internet connection unexpectedly drop.
• Geo-blocks and streaming: We know VPNs can be key to accessing local content and services while you're away from home. We ensured that our top recommendations performed well given these factors and are unlikely to slow down your connection while you are streaming. 
• Platforms: What systems and devices can you run the VPN on? Our mobile VPN recommendations have to offer easy-to-use and intuitive mobile apps. 
• Countries and servers: In how many different countries does the VPN have servers? This can include physical and virtual servers, and whether there are enough -- at least 50 or so -- to provide variety.
• Trial length and price: Each VPN we recommend has a solid money-back guarantee, and many will offer mobile users a seven-day trial. 

ZDNET tests VPN services from multiple locations, but we can't try from all locations. Every home, community, local ISP, and nation has a different infrastructure. Once you choose, it's essential that you test for all your likely usage profiles and only then decide whether to keep the service or request a money-back guaranteed refund.

Check out our comprehensive VPN testing methodology page for a more extensive breakdown.

Suppose you're at your desk and want to access a website like this one. To do this, your computer initiates a request by sending some packets. If you're in an office, those packets often travel through switches and routers on your LAN before transferring them to the public internet through a router.

Also: What is a VPN, and why do you need one? 

Once on the public internet, those packets travel through many computers. Your browser makes a separate request to a series of name servers to translate the DNS name ZDNET.com to an IP address. That information is sent back to your browser, which sends the request again through many computers on the public internet. Eventually, it reaches the ZDNET infrastructure, routes those packets, grabs a webpage (a bunch of separate elements), and sends all that back to you.

Each internet request usually involves a series of communication events between multiple points. A VPN encrypts those packets at the originating point, often hiding the data and the information about your originating IP address. The VPN software on your end then sends those packets to the VPN server at some destination point, decrypting that information. 

Yes, you should use a VPN whenever you can. It doesn't matter what device you are using, if it has any form of personal data on it, or if you are using the device to go online, you should invest in and run a VPN as a way to improve your privacy. 

When using a VPN, a decrease in online speed is expected, although the best VPNs on the market shouldn't cause a speed loss of over 30%. Your phone's performance shouldn't be impacted, unless you have many apps running at the same time, as all apps require computing resources.

There is rarely an exception to a simple answer: none. The free ones that sound good will take you, your data, and your security for a ride. Avoid them.

A good VPN service requires hundreds of servers worldwide and many networking resources. If you're not paying to support that infrastructure, who is? Probably advertisers or data miners. If you use a free service, your data or information will probably be sold, and that's never good. After all, you're using a VPN to keep your data secure. You wouldn't want your data to go to some company to sift through -- it completely defeats the purpose of a VPN.

That said, we do recommend one free VPN service, offered by Proton, a trustworthy security and privacy-focused company. The trade-off is that the free option is extremely limited.

If you're traveling or using the internet in a public place like a coffee shop, data encryption is critical. Most public Wi-Fi hotspots are open and unencrypted, which means anyone on the network can see what you send, eavesdrop on your activities, and steal passwords. If you can, stick to cellular networks.

The war between VPNs and streaming services has heated up. This is a gray area of the law. Despite this, many VPNs market themselves as great options for streaming and accessing geo-locked libraries and content.

Using a VPN might go against the terms of service set by streaming service providers. So, while you can stream with a VPN enabled -- although access can change when streaming services block IPs -- it might not always be legal to do so.

Also: Best VPN for streaming 

Simultaneous connections refer to the maximum number of VPN connections you can have at any time. For example, if you're using your smartphone, laptop, and tablet over a VPN at the same time (such as on business trips away), and back home, your partner is using their smartphone, PC, and tablet over the VPN, and you have five simultaneous connections... there might be a problem.

One of your connections won't be private any longer. Having access to more simultaneous connections is a good thing.

A fully functional VPN should protect your privacy and mask your location and IP address. If you're unsure if your VPN is working correctly, some tools make checking your VPN's performance easy.

You can find out your IP address and location using whatismyipaddress.com. Compare the IP address and location when you're connected with and without a VPN. If they are different, then your VPN is doing its job.

  It's also possible that your VPN is leaking your data and potentially exposing your online activity. You can run tests on a site like DNS Leak Test to ensure your VPN has no issues with DNS leaks or IP leaks. Plenty of tools allow you to test for leaks, but VPN providers own many, and it may not always be clear who developed the tool, which could be a conflict of interest. You may want to run tests with several different sites and compare the results.

Yes. There are some circumstances when it doesn't, but those tend to be rare. Generally speaking, you'll get from 50% to 90% of your real-world speed through a VPN connection, depending on your original location and the country server you select. Remember, the further away your preferred server, the more likely you will experience speed loss.

There are many free VPNs available for mobile devices, but nothing in life is truly free, and you will likely be handing over your data in return for the service. They may also not be trustworthy, may be ad-supported, and may track your online activities.

Free VPNs from trustworthy companies are few and far between. Proton's free VPN is an option we support, although it is limited. Others you might want to explore are listed in our guide.

Also: The best free VPNs: Expert tested