Despite coming packed with powerful encryption, ever wondered what could happen if your VPN connection dropped unexpectedly? To give it to you straight, this can result in your true identity getting exposed to malicious entities, law enforcement agencies, and even online snoopers. That’s where the best VPN for kill switch comes in.
Which VPN has a kill switch? – ExpressVPN offers the best kill switch feature called ‘Network Lock.’ Many VPN providers offer a feature called VPN Kill Switch which immediately secures your identity and privacy if your VPN connection abruptly drops.
Sounds handy, right?
So in this guide, I will show you how an internet kill switch works, what benefits it offers, and recommend some of the best VPN services with Kill Switch.
Quick Overview – The best VPN with a kill switch in March 2022
- ExpressVPN – Best VPN for Kill switch with powerful Network lock. Offers 3000+ servers in 94 countries. Available for $6.67/mo (Save 49% and get 3 extra months FREE with 12-month plan) with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Surfshark – Affordable Kill Switch VPN. Offers 3200+ servers in 65 countries. Available for $2.30/mo (82% Off on 2 Years + 2 Months Free Plan) with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- NordVPN – Secure VPN with a built-in Kill switch. Offers 5200+ servers in 60 countries. Available for $3.49/mo (Save 70% on 2 Years Plan + Extra Subscription) with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- IPVanish – Balanced VPN with a Kill switch. Offers 2000+ servers in countries. Available for $3.75/mo with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- CyberGhost – A Popular Kill Switch VPN. Offers 7700+ servers in 90 countries. Available for $2.29/mo with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- PIA – Powerful Kill Switch VPN. Offers 35000+ servers in 80 countries. Available for $2.03/mo with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Best VPNs that offer a kill switch
Undoubtedly, finding the best VPNs with a kill switch is a daunting task. You will have to go through different providers in detail to check network lock benefits. I have compiled a list of the VPN services that deliver VPN with a kill switch attribute by default for your ease.
Here is the list of VPN services with a kill Switch feature in 2022:
1. ExpressVPN – Best VPN for Kill switch with powerful Network lock
The British Virgin Island service has a global presence because it offers 3000+ servers in 94 countries. Above all, the ExpressVPN kill switch can be found out by the name of “Network Lock” once you have found the ‘General’ option from your app.
ExpressVPN’s kill switch feature is called ‘Network Lock.’
This way, thanks to the ExpressVPN kill switch, you can secure your traffic even when the VPN app stops working unexpectedly.
It is available for $6.67/mo (Save 49% and get 3 extra months FREE with 12-month plan) with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read our exclusive ExpressVPN kill switch guide for more details.
Best VPN for Kill Switch: ExpressVPN is the fastest kill switch VPN with lightning-fast 3000+ servers in 94 countries, unmatched unblocking capabilities and performance, 5 device simultaneous connections, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark – Affordable Kill Switch VPN
What makes Surfshark different from other VPN services is the availability of an impressive kill switch benefit. Moreover, this relatively new privacy brand has 3200+ servers in 65 countries that allow you to safeguard your digital whereabouts straightaway.
You can enable Surfshark’s Kill Switch feature from Settings.
Is Surfshark kill switch not working? If you are facing issues, you can reinstall your app to ensure you are using an updated version.
When it comes to preventing yourself from IP leaks issues that arise from VPN disconnections, you should rely on Surfshark. It’s also one of the fastest VPN services in the industry.
Available for $2.30/mo (82% Off on 2 Years + 2 Months Free Plan), all Surfshark plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our exclusive Surfshark review for more details.
Affordable Kill Switch VPN: Surfshark is the affordable kill switch VPN with 3200 servers in 65 countries, 16 different Netflix libraries access, unlimited device simultaneous connections, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. NordVPN – Secure VPN with Kill Switch
NordVPN is currently offering 5200+ servers in 60 countries worldwide. This is how you can secure your privacy from any part of the world trouble-free. Above all, it offers an eye-catching automatic kill switch that improves your online anonymity to the next level. NordVPN Kill switch on windows allows you to allocate specific apps that will be completely shut down in the state of VPN disconnection.
You can check our detailed NordVPN kill switch guide for more information.
NordVPN allows you to add apps that you want to enable the Kill Switch feature on.
Furthermore, you can avail of such attributes on your preferred devices like Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, and iOS. It is available for $3.49/mo (Save 70% on 2 Years Plan + Extra Subscription) only.
To learn more about how NordVPN works, view our detailed NordVPN review.
Secure VPN with Kill Switch: NordVPN is the most secure VPN with the kill switch. A server network of 5200+ servers in 60 countries, state-of-the-art security and privacy tools, 6 device simultaneous connections, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
4. IPVanish – Balanced Kill Switch VPN
IPVanish is one of the leading VPN providers in the industry right now. This best VPN for kill switch offers over 2000+ servers across 75+ countries and protects your privacy with military-grade 256-bit AES encryption and OpenVPN protocol.
IPVanish offers its VPN kill switch feature in apps for Windows, Mac, and Android. View our guide on Android VPN as well.
IPVanish also offers a kill switch feature that you can enable from the settings.
Overall, IPVanish has good reviews of its internet kill switch. It has also resolved certain issues on its Android version, as the latest builds have a new and improved kill switch feature.
It is available for $3.75/mo with a 30-day money-back guarantee. To learn more about this VPN, view our detailed IPVanish review.
Balanced Kill Switch VPN: IPVanish is a balanced kill switch VPN with 2000+ servers across 75+ countries, various streaming, and security tools operating together to achieve perfect balance, unlimited simultaneous connection, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. CyberGhost – Popular Kill Switch VPN
CyberGhost is another privacy brand delivering its services through 7700+ servers distributed in 90 countries all around the world.
The famous Romania-based provider offers an exclusive VPN with kill switch benefits to its users. It is also among the best VPN for Iranian people with Iranian IP addresses, so you can understand how much depth its server network has in it.
CyberGhost Kill Switch feature is available under Privacy Settings.
You can explore the said feature by the name of “The Ultimate Kill switch” through the app settings.
It is available for $2.29/mo with a 45-day money-back guarantee. You can learn about the salient attributes of the service through our CyberGhost review.
Popular Kill Switch VPN: CyberGhost is a popular kill switch VPN with 7700+ servers in 90 countries, several modes customized for streaming, torrenting, and gaming, along with a 7 device simultaneous connection and a 45-day money-back guarantee.
6. Private Internet Access – Powerful Kill Switch VPN
Private Internet Access is a super-secure VPN service that also comes with a built-in kill switch. In terms of network coverage, PIA currently offers over 35000+ servers in 80 countries worldwide.
Not only that, but PIA also offers a lot of security features like powerful encryption and top-notch protocols to keep you totally safe and secure. In terms of compatibility, you can use PIA with Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, iOS, routers, and with a ton of other devices as well.
You can enable PIA kill switch from Privacy Settings.
We also have an alternate for you that works almost equally as PIA. Yes, we refer to the IPVanish kill switch, which works almost the same but may cost you a bit more than PIA.
It is available for $2.03/mo with a 30-day money-back guarantee. To learn more about how PIA, view our detailed PIA review.
Powerful Kill Switch VPN: PIA is a powerful kill switch VPN with one of the largest VPN server networks comprising 35000+ servers in 80 countries, 10 devices simultaneous connection, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Let’s Compare Some of the Best Kill Switch VPNs
Here is a quick comparison of the top 6 VPN providers in 2022:
| VPNs |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | The British Virgin Islands | The British Virgin Islands | Panama | USA | Romania | USA |
| Security | AES 256 Bit | AES 256 Bit | AES 256 Bit | AES 256 Bit | AES 256-bit | AES 256-bit |
| Leaks | No IP, DNS & WebRTC | No IP, DNS & WebRTC | No IP, DNS & WebRTC | No IP, DNS & WebRTC | No IP, DNS & WebRTC | No IP, DNS & WebRTC |
| Servers | 3,000+ in 94 Countries | 3,200+ in 63+ Countries | 5,500+ in 59 Countries | 1600+ in 75+ Countries | 6,600+ in 90 Countries | 23,000+ in 77+ Locations |
| Speed | 27.17 Mbps average | 27.91 Mbps average | 20.15 Mbps average | 26.01 Mbps average | 17.10 Mbps average | 18.71 Mbps average |
| Streaming | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and More | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and More | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and More | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and More | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and More | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and More |
| Compatibility | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, routers | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, routers | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, routers | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, routers | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, routers | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, routers |
| Pricing | $6.67/month | $2.49/month | $3.30/month | $3.73/month | $2.25/month | $2.08/month |
| Trustpilot | 4.8/5 – Reviews 9,986 | 4.3/5 – Reviews 4,712 | 4.4/5 – Reviews 4,029 | 4.7/5 – Reviews 5,148 | 4.8/5 – Reviews 10,134 | 4.7/5 – Reviews 819 |
| Best For | Overall Best VPN | Fastest VPN Service | Best for Geo-Unblocking | Best for General Purposes | Best for Private Browsing | Best for Torrenting |
| More Info | ExpressVPN Review | Surfshark Review | NordVPN Review | IPVanish Review | CyberGhost Review | PIA Review |
| Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site |
What is a Kill Switch & How Does it Work?
A VPN kill switch, also known as an internet kill switch, is like a fail-safe device that deploys if your VPN connection drops. What it does is that it instantly stops you from connecting to the internet when you disconnect from the VPN. This prevents third parties or any outsider from identifying your true IP address and location.
Once your VPN service is back up and running, it automatically reconnects your device to the internet. So, how does an internet kill switch work?
A VPN app with an internet kill switch constantly monitors your internet connection. It looks for any signs of change, such as a drop-in connection or changing the IP address. A kill switch instantly kicks in when it detects such change and halts your internet connection.
Primary causes for frequent disconnections
Unfortunately, frequent VPN disconnections may spoil your fun a great if you cannot access your desired geo-restricted content. Therefore, you should perform some tweaks to overcome VPN disconnection issues timely.
Here is the list of major reasons that do not allow your VPN services to work properly:
- VPN protocol selection
- Network congestion/ poor signal strength
- Firewall or router settings
VPN protocol selection: Surprisingly, connections seamlessly perform when the network uses the TCP protocol compared to the default UDP protocol. If your connection is unstable, there is no harm in switching the protocol.
Network congestion / poor signal strength: When numerous people use the same Wi-Fi connection to access the internet, the strength of Wi-Fi connections may decrease to a certain degree. The same goes for VPNs as well. This is because the strength of Wi-Fi connections also influences the performance of VPN services a great deal.
This is the reason a VPN connection are disconnected quite often.
Firewall or router settings: At times, firewall or antivirus software may hamper the VPN connection speeds considerably. Therefore, you should disable these features to check the performance of your VPN service. If your VPN connection become stable once you have disabled the security features, you should not apply these settings on your VPN services.
How do I know if my VPN has a built-in kill switch?
At times, it becomes difficult for newbies to explore network lock features in their VPN software. This is because every VPN service has mentioned kill switch by its own name. Upon digging deep, you can find the said privacy advantage appropriately.
You might be wondering how you can find an internet kill switch hassle-free. In case you are using ExpressVPN, you can click on Options and you can find the kill switch called “Network Lock” under the General tab.
This way, you can find out your desired privacy benefit accordingly. If you are using VPN services other than ExpressVPN, you may read the FAQs section provided on official sites.
How can I enable a VPN kill switch?
The task of enabling a kill switch is simple and does not have any rocket science. Here is how you can do:
- Launch NordVPN Windows app and go to settings>general
- Explore internet kill switch or app kill switch benefit and select your preferred option
- When you select internet kill switch, you can use the internet while connected to VPN only
- In case you opt app kill switch, you will not be able to use the internet when the VPN connection drops
This is how you can activate NordVPN kill switch feature on your Windows devices stress-free.
Are kill switches activated by default?
It depends on your VPN service, as different services do not activate the feature by default. You will need to use the app settings first. Once you have opened the app settings, you can enable the privacy advantage accordingly.
The above screenshot demonstrates that Surfshark users will have to activate kill switch benefits from the app settings first. This way, they can secure their internet traffic hassle-free.
Third-party Kill switches
Interestingly, you are free to use other third-party resources like VPNetMon and VPN watcher. VPNetMon allows you to secure your internet connection when your VPN provider suddenly stops working. The said protection tool does not turn off the internet completely.
In fact, it just shuts down the pre-selected program that may expose your IP addresses while using an insecure internet connection. As for VPN watcher, we will describe it in the next heading.
Still using a VPN service with no network lock?
If you are still unaware of network lock or VPN kill switch impacts, you should subscribe to a VPN service that provides a kill switch advantage. By doing so, you can secure your digital whereabouts even when your VPN connection is not working.
Reddit opinions about Internet Kill Switch VPNs
Reddit is one of the most sought communities that offer unbiased and updated information about numerous niches instantly.
Here we can see Reddit user “u/PIAThomas” describing the importance of “app kill switch feature,” – which will shut down the torrent client app in case of a VPN connection drops. This feature easily adds an extra layer of security and precaution.
In the following Reddit comment, we can see a Reddit user confirming that the Kill Switch feature comes built-in with Surfshark and PureVPN both. Reddit user “FunRoof” further goes on and confirms that Surfshark Kill Switch works.
If you bind to the IP number of OpenVPN’s TUN0 device, then all the BT client traffic will only pass through that interface. Since the IP is not static, you’d have to keep updating the client settings again and again.
FAQs
So now that you know all about VPN kill switches and VPN providers offer this feature, let’s go through some of the most frequently asked questions about VPN kill switches.
Generally yes; however, you will need to reconnect to a VPN server once you restart your computer or your smartphone. To always keep your VPN running, you can configure a VPN directly onto your router.
Well, it all depends on what you’re using a VPN for. For instance, if you’re using a VPN to download torrents and your VPN connection drops, you can end up being questioned by your internet service provider or even by law enforcement agencies depending on the severity of the matter.
Most free VPNs don’t offer the kill switch feature in their free plans, as it is only available in their premium plans. And free VPNs that do offer kill switch come with limited functionality. Therefore, we recommend using one of the VPNs mentioned above that offer the best kill switch features for maximum security.
If you still want to use one, the Windscribe VPN kill switch is safe to use and capable of offering basic online protection.
The first and foremost objective of using a network lock feature is to deliver a next-level additional layer of security to users. When you browse the internet through a VPN, the role of the above said benefits becomes crucial.
You can easily filter all VPNs that provide kill switch features by visiting the VPN reviews guide. In addition, you can go through this VPN comparison chart that explains which VPNs offer a kill switch.
Surprisingly, the network lock or kill switch has two types. You may consider these types like active kill switch and passive kill switch. An active kill switch does not send your traffic to unsafe networks. When your VPN provider suddenly stops working, you have disconnected from the internet automatically.
What makes a passive kill switch more effective than its counterpart is its next-level security feature. It means a VPN app does not send your internet traffic as soon as it stops receiving a signal from the VPN server.
Yes, VPNs often include a kill switch feature that is activated by default, but you can choose to deactivate it from the settings. If you switch off the kill switch, you can use your internet as normal, even if your VPN disconnects. But if your kill switch is on, you will not be able to send any data in case your VPN disconnects.
An automatic VPN kill switch is a feature that prevents your device from having an unprotected connection. It monitors your connection to the VPN server. If the connection suddenly drops, the kill switch blocks internet access to your device.
Yes, the kill switch is a smart feature available in CyberGhost apps for Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS. It cuts off your internet connection if the VPN connection suddenly drops to protect your personal data from exposure.
Final Words
An Internet kill switch is an integral feature that you should look for when selecting a VPN. It adds an extra layer of security and provides a safety net in case your VPN app stops functioning. In this post, we have listed the best VPN for kill switch. Each of them has good reviews and has a kill switch feature built-in to their apps.
Likewise, a kill switch has various other applications and can be beneficial if you are a privacy-conscious user. Whether it is torrenting, surfing the web, conducting financial transactions, or any other task, a kill switch will prevent IP leakage and preserve your privacy at all times.
So what are you waiting for? Grab yourself a premium VPN service today!
I was with ibVPN that had a killswitch that I could use to kill a specific app running so that when the internet connection returned [could be seconds later] everything except that one app would be running. ibVPN ‘merged’ with Strong VPN who have only a simple killswitch . I want to find VPN’s that permit choosing what is to be killed if there is loss of internet connection. I had prepaid ibvpn so have Strong VPN for about five months but I’ve uninstalled it and may just abandon it.
Hey Toby, check out NordVPN. It offers two kill switches. One for the entire internet and another for apps. NordVPN is quite affordable too. It only costs $3.71/mo. You can purchase it here if you’re interested: https://www.vpnranks.com/visit-provider/nordvpn-review/
Warning for those wanting to take NordVPN on their computer (Mac). NordVPN Removed the kill switch from the App Store NordVPN IKE app. And they say, if you still want the kill switch you should download the Open VPN app called ‘IKE’. This app only offers a kill switch per app. Not a system based kill switch.
Or in other words, NordVPN is NOT offering a kill switch anymore.
Just to let you know…
Can I setup VPN Kill Switch on Ubuntu? I am using it on desktop.
Hello Kaylene Yoder,
It depends on the provider that you’re using. If their VPN app has a killswitch built-in, you can use it on Ubuntu just fine!