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Best GDPR Compliant VPN

With the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rolled out, EU residents can take a sigh of relief. If you still haven’t opted for a GDPR compliant VPN, now is the time you do it. Among all the VPNs I listed, ExpressVPN is my top recommendation.

Before 2018, data privacy has always been a major concern for privacy-conscious folks. This all changed when the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rolled out. Any business, however big or small that sells products or services and has a global reach is bound to follow a new set of regulations designed to protect the online privacy and data of EU citizens.

Failing to comply with GDPR regulations can cost companies at least 4% of their annual global revenues. The same goes for VPN providers that handle user data in the form of logs. Keeping this in mind, I’ve compiled a list of the 5 best GDPR VPNs that strongly follow GDPR guidelines.


Quick Overview – Best GDPR-Compliant VPNs [2023 Update]

Here is a quick overview of the best GDPR-compliant VPNs in 2023:

  1. ExpressVPN – The Best GDPR-Compliant VPN. Offers 3000+ servers in 105 countries. Comes with advanced security features including a kill switch, MediaStreamer, no logs, and more. Available at just $6.67/mo on its annual plan along with a 3-month free subscription. Also comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee and 5 multi-logins.
  2. Surfshark – Cheapest GDPR-Compliant VPN. Offers 3200+ servers in 100 countries. Comes with security features such as AES 256-bit encryption, MultiHop, CleanWeb, and more. Available at only $2.49/mo and comes with a 30-day refund policy along with unlimited simultaneous connections.
  3. NordVPN – Secure GDPR Compliant VPN. Offers 6000+ servers in 61 countries. Comes with security features such as obfuscated servers, kill switch, double VPN, and more. Available at a price of $3.99/mo - Save up to 63% with exclusive 2-year plan + 3 months free for a friend and comes with a risk-free 30-day refund policy and 6 multi-logins.
  4. IPVanish – The Fastest GDPR Compliant VPN. Offers 2200+ servers in 75+ locations with great speeds. Comes with security features like DNS leak protection, split tunneling, AES 256-bit encryption, and more. Available at $2.99/mo and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and unlimited simultaneous connections.
  5. CyberGhost – User-friendly GDPR Compliant VPN. Offers 11651+ servers in 100 countries. Comes with security features like no logs, split tunneling, DNS leak protection, and more. Available at $2.03/mo and comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee and 7 multi-logins.

5 Best GDPR Compliant VPNs [2023 In-Depth Analysis]

VPN and GDPR go hand in hand, yet, not all VPN service providers feel the need to comply with GDPR’s rather transparent data handling regulations.

Since finding VPNs that actually comply with the EU’s GDPR can be quite difficult, I’ve shortlisted a list of 5 GDPR compliant VPNs:

1. The Best GDPR Compliant VPN – ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN

Total Servers: 3000+ | Countries: 105 | Trustpilot Rating: 4.5 | Maximum Devices: 5 | Money-back Guarantee: 30 Days

ExpressVPN is among the first VPN service we’ve seen to fully implement the GDPR. This VPN comes with 3000+ servers in 105 countries along with the best security and unblocking capabilities.

ExpressVPN’s extensive list of security features is perfect for securing user privacy. This list includes split tunneling, zero-knowledge DNS, no logs, and more. Along with these super-effective features, ExpressVPN’s kill switch is also a great option for your safety and anonymity.

ExpressVPN can grant you unprecedented VPN website access to blocked content & streaming services. In fact, it is the best streaming VPN that allows you to unblock a variety of streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime, and more.

This VPN also offers 5 multi-logins and 24/7 live chat support and comes at a price of just $6.67/mo - Save up to 49% with exclusive 1-year plans + 3 months free on its annual plan. The best thing about it is that this annual plan offers a 3-month free subscription to users. In case you want to check out and test all the features of this VPN, you can simply do it using this VPN’s risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

To know about other key features of ExpressVPN, you can read our ExpressVPN review.

ExpressVPN’s GDPR Response

To confirm if ExpressVPN is fully GDPR compliant, I emailed them. In an instant reply, ExpressVPN’s team clearly mention that they do follow GDPR guidelines. Just check out the image below to confirm this:

ExpressVPN-GDPR-VPN

This makes ExpressVPN makes it into our top GDPR-compliant VPNs list.


2. Cheapest GDPR Compliant VPN – Surfshark

SurfShark

Total Servers: 3200+ | Countries: 100 | Trustpilot Rating: 4.3 | Maximum Devices: Unlimited | Money-back Guarantee: 30 Days

Next up, I have Surfshark which, despite being one of the cheapest VPNs in the industry, is fully GDPR compliant. Not only that, but since Surfshark is based in the British Virgin Islands, the provider is from following mandatory data retention laws.  Part of the reason why Surfshark provides a no-logging policy.

Other things that I love about Surfshark are its excellent unblocking capabilities and the powerful protocols that come with every Surfshark subscription plan. Surfshark offers a MultiHop feature that passes your traffic through various servers, just to keep you completely anonymous. Its DNS leak protection feature makes sure that your IP is never leaked to anyone.

As for unblocking, Surfshark does a great job at accessing geo-restricted streaming services as well. Using this VPN, you can enjoy American Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, CraveTV, HBO Max, and more in your country.

Much like other popular VPNs, Surfshark is compatible with all major platforms and offers unlimited simultaneous connections to users. It comes at a super-reasonable price of $2.49/mo - Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee along with an extensive 30-day no-questions-asked refund policy.

Read our exclusive Surfshark review to explore the key features of this VPN in more detail.

Surfshark’s GDPR Response

To further confirm whether Surfshark truly followed the GDPR guidelines, I reached out to their live chat support team. Here’s their response:

surfshark-gdpr-response


3. Secure GDPR Compliant VPN – NordVPN

NordVPN

Total Servers: 6000+ | Countries: 61 | Trustpilot Rating: 4.0 | Maximum Devices: 6 | Money-back Guarantee: 30 Days

NordVPN is one secure VPN in the industry that is also compliant with GDPR. The VPN offers 6000+ servers in 61 countries, and follows a strict no-logs policy and retains minimal user data.

This VPN offers powerful features and encryption to users. Its obfuscated servers make sure that your ISP doesn’t know that you’re using a VPN service. It further offers a double VPN feature that adds an extra layer of security while connected to the VPN. Other features of NordVPN include a kill switch, no logs, AES 256-bit encryption, and more to users.

NordVPN is also among the few VPN providers that offer excellent device compatibility even for Xbox & Raspberry Pi. While connected to any of these devices, you can unblock a variety of streaming services across the world. These include BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Netflix, Sky Sports, and more.

This VPN offers 6 multi-logins to users along with a price of only $3.99/mo - Save up to 63% with exclusive 2-year plan + 3 months free for a friend to users with a risk-free 30-day refund policy on all its plans. To know about the provider in detail, explore our NordVPN review.

NordVPN’s GDPR Response

NordVPN is fully GDPR compliant. I thoroughly read their privacy policy to ensure this claim. Please check out the screenshot below for this:

nordvpn-gdpr-compliance

4. The Fastest GDPR Compliant VPN – IPVanish

IPVanish

Total Servers: 2200+ |Locations: 75+ | Trustpilot Rating: 4.6 | Maximum Devices: Unlimited | Money-back Guarantee: 30 days

IPVanish is one of the fastest VPN services in the industry that fully complies with GDPR guidelines as the security and privacy of its users are its primary concerns. In addition, IPVanish offers 2200+ servers in 75+ locations globally to help you bypass VPN-blocked websites.

Even though IPVanish is headquartered in the United States, a member of the 5 Eyes, this VPN follows a strict no-logs policy. It further offers split tunneling that lets you decide which traffic you want to route through the VPN servers and which through your actual IP.

In terms of performance, this VPN is blazing fast which is perfect for video streaming. I tested this VPN for speeds, and it delivered an average speed of 79 Mbps on my 100 Mbps connection, which was fantastic. Using these speeds, I unblocked Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more within 2 minutes.

Best of all, IPVanish can be used with unlimited devices simultaneously. It comes at a cost of $2.99/mo - Get 3 Months Extra + Save 77% on 2-year plan and offers a full 30-day refund policy. You can explore our IPVanish review to find out more about this service.

IPVanish’s GDPR Response

IPVanish offers a 100% GDPR-compliant service. I went through the VPN’s privacy policy and you can check out in the image below what they had mentioned about their GDPR compliance:

ipvanish-gdpr-compliance


5. User-friendly GDPR Compliant VPN – CyberGhost

CyberGhost

Total Servers: 11651+ | Countries: 100 | Trustpilot Rating: 4.8 | Maximum Devices: 7 | Money-back Guarantee: 45 Days

CyberGhost is a user-friendly Romanian service that has long been following the guidelines of GDPR. This VPN is a great option for all beginner and advanced users as it offers dedicated modes for various activities like streaming, torrenting, and gaming. 

CyberGhost is also among the few VPN providers that offer secure protocols like OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, SSTP, and even powerful encryption. This VPN further offers a kill switch that disables a user from their internet connection in case their VPN connection drops. It also offers an effective DNS leak protection feature that ensures to not leak your IP at all.

The VPN comes with a server network worth of 11651+ servers in 100 countries that you can use to unblock any streaming service you like. Using optimized servers from the Streaming tab, you can unblock and enjoy Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, and more.

Best of all, CyberGhost is compatible with all major platforms and offers 7 simultaneous connections to users. It comes at a price of $2.03/mo - Save up to 84% with exclusive 2-year plans + 4 months free and offers an extensive 45-day money-back guarantee for ultimate peace of mind.

You can learn about the salient attributes of the service through our CyberGhost review.

CyberGhost ‘s GDPR Response

CyberGhost is a GDPR-compliant VPN. They even have a separate page dedicated to GDPR guidelines where they notify EU citizens about GDPR changes.

cyberghost-gdpr-compliance


Best GDPR VPN FAQs

Let’s look at some frequently asked questions.

Once you get yourself a reliable VPN service, bypassing the GDPR is as easy as a click of a button. Follow the steps below and you’ll have no trouble accessing websites like Arizona Daily Sun, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune, and much more:

  1. Subscribe to a reliable VPN service (ExpressVPN is my top recommendation).
  2. Download its app on your device.
  3. Log in to the app using your credentials.
  4. Finally, connect to a VPN server outside the EU and enjoy!

Failing to meet the GDPR guidelines could hand severe penalties for companies, which will significantly create a greater risk of liability.

The maximum penalty for non-compliance GDPR is 4% of their annual global revenues. This will account for violating Privacy by Design or failing customer consent on handing away their private data.

Also, a fine of 2% global annual revenues will be charged to those companies that fail to notify supervising authorities, or not maintaining their records.

Here is a list of websites currently blocked in the EU due to GDPR:

  • A&E
  • Arizona Daily Star
  • Baltimore Sun
  • Chicago Tribune
  • History.com
  • LA Times
  • New York Daily News
  • Orlando Sentinel
  • Tunngle
  • Unroll.me


Wrapping Up!

I witnessed a not-so-pleasant site of the privacy scandal that shook the entire world, which involved Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. This is why GDPR means so much for the people of the EU, as user data is much more secure now.

This guide presents you with the best GDPR VPNs available in the market, and hopefully, clarifies your queries about “how does the GDPR affect my VPN”. However, among all the VPNs mentioned above, ExpressVPN is my top recommendation to users due to its GDPR compliance, fantastic unblocking capabilities, and security.

Which VPN did you opt for? Let us know in the comment section below!