7 Best VPNs for Windows 10 | Tested on PC and Laptop

Windows 10 is mired in a lot of privacy issues since its release in 2015. For instance, even with Cortana disabled, Windows 10 still spies on you and sends your information to Microsoft’s servers.

VPN services offer several important benefits for Windows users that want to improve their online privacy and attain better online freedom with the ability to bypass geo-restrictions.

Therefore, it is essential to use the best Windows 10 VPN and take better control of your own privacy. A VPN will also enable you to unblock streaming websites like Netflix and anonymously download torrents.

7 Indicators To find The Best VPN for Windows 10

We took into the following indicators to determine the best VPN for Windows 10. Since there are a lot of providers out there, it is essential to be rigorous in our criteria testing before we can label any VPN as the right choice for Windows operating systems:

• Servers – The number of VPN servers presents in a VPN provider’s network to deliver fast speed.
• Unblocking strength – The ability of a VPN to stream channels like Netflix efficiently on Windows.
• Torrenting – Availability of P2P-optimized servers that supports torrenting with IP leak protection.
• Speed – The speed of the VPN as measured on speedtest.net while streaming and Torrenting.
• logging policy – The data pertaining to the user that is being logged by the VPN provider.
• Security – The encryption standards and VPN protocols to keep your data secure.
• Value for money – The pricing, length of the money-back guarantee, and overall features of VPN.

A Video Guide To Know the Fastest and Most Reliable Windows 10 VPNs

7 Best VPNs for Windows 10 | Tested on PC and Laptop

All the VPNs are highly capable in their own right, but no two VPNs are the same in their relative strengths and weaknesses. So, go through the evaluation process of best Windows 10 VPNs presented below to determine if they fit your privacy and internet accessibility needs:

1. PureVPN – The Best Active VPN for Windows

PureVPN is based in Hong Kong and is known for its extensive network of 2,000+ servers in over 140 countries of the world. The VPN serves both novice and advances users fittingly well.

The Windows 10 app of PureVPN gives reasonably fast speeds with this VPN which makes it good for streaming purposes. In fact, it is a powerful unblocker of services like Netflix, giving users access to restricted content libraries with ease.

The provider applies AES-256 encryption and has no problem with IP leaks. It uses a kill switch to protect users from accidental exposure on the web and is also equipped with extra features such as split-tunneling.

The logging policy of the provider is among the best in the industry as it keeps no records of your personally identifiable information.

PureVPN is a good service to have for torrenting purposes since it has many P2P-compatible servers (labeled with a p2p sign next to them) and protection from IP leaks allows anonymous torrenting.

You can get its dedicated apps for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, FireTV, and more. It also offers browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

It is fairly affordable with the price tag of $2.91/mo. With a single subscription, you’ll get 5 simultaneous connections and a 31-day money-back guarantee.

2. Surfshark – A finest VPN for Laptop

Surfhsark is a British Virgin Islands-based VPN service with a great set of privacy-boosting features. It has 1,040+ servers in over 61 countries.

The performance of Surfshark is a highly impressive, boating streamlined and appealing Windows 10 client that offers fast server speeds across the network. It works well with various Netflix regions including the US, Canada, and Australia.

For security, you get a wide range of features including AES-256 encryption, kill switch, MultiHop, CleanWeb, and WhiteLister (split-tunneling), a highly rich environment for maintaining online privacy.

Surfshark has a clear and unambiguous logging policy that refrains from keeping any identifiable information of the user.

If you download torrents, you can count on Surfshark to get P2P files anonymously since the provider has strong security and is free of any IP leaks.

Surfshark dedicated apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, FireTV, Linux, and more. You can also get extensions for Firefox and Chrome.

At the price of $1.99/mo, you’ll get unlimited simultaneous connections and 30-day money-back guarantee.

3. Ivacy – A Top VPN Choice for Windows PC

Ivacy is headquartered in Singapore and operates a normal-sized network of 1,000+ servers in 100+ countries of the world. Its overall capabilities are fairly top for Windows 10 users.

With’s Ivacy, you get decent speeds that will serve fans of streaming services well. The Windows app of Ivacy is quite efficient at unblocking US Netflix as I found it working with the popular streaming service.

Ivacy doesn’t have a lot of extra features but it does take care of your IP address, preventing it from leaking. In addition, it offers a kill switch which works as an insurance policy in case your VPN connection drops.

The provider follows a zero-logging policy and keeps no sensitive information that could be used to identify your activities online.

Users who download torrents regularly can use Ivacy’s p2p-optimized servers for this purpose as these are fast and offer strong security from IP leaks and other vulnerabilities.

Ivacy is compatible with Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. It also offers browser add-ons for Chrome and Firefox.

You can acquire Ivacy for $2.25/mo. With every subscription plan, you get 5 simultaneous connections and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

4. ExpressVPN – A Reliable VPN Client

ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands that is highly user-friendly. It consists of a network of 3,000+ servers in over 94 countries of the world.

The provider consistently delivers fast server speeds with superior unblocking strength. It’s easy to use the VPN to access geo-restricted Netflix content catalog anywhere in the world.

In terms of security features, ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a whole lot of innovative mechanisms. It uses a run-of-the-mill kill switch and IP leak protection, but these are super-reliable for the average Windows user.

The logging policy is one of the best aspects of this VPN, as the provider keeps no personally identifiable information that could be tied to you on the web.

Anonymous torrenting is also pretty easy to achieve with ExpressVPN. All servers allow p2p torrenting and the built-in protections of the VPN to take care of your IP address and online identity from leaking.

The VPN offers apps compatible with a wide range of devices and operating systems including Windows 10, Mac, Android, iOS, and more.

The provider is slightly more expensive than its counterparts, priced at $8.32/mo. All ExpressVPN plans allow 5 simultaneous connections and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

5. NordVPN – A Premium VPN of Windows

NordVPN is a Panama-based VPN service that is hugely popular for its privacy-focused features. It consists of a huge network of 5,000+ servers in 59+ countries.

This VPN app is among the fastest in the industry with all servers offer fast download speeds. It is also compatible with Netflix and users can easily unblock their favorite Netflix content libraries with NordVPN

There is a wide range of privacy features under NordVPN’s belt. It offers CyberSec, Onion over VPN, DoubleVPN, and kill switch. These features can elevate your online privacy, keeping you effectively protected.

The privacy-focused logging policy is another element in NordVPN’s favor. It keeps no records of your IP address or traffic, making it safe to use for any privacy-seeking users.

It is also optimized for p2p with many servers compatible with torrenting. The fact that it doesn’t leak your IP address renders an excellent choice for anonymous torrenting.

You can get NordVPN apps for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android and several other platforms. There are also Firefox and Chrome extensions available.

The VPN is available for $3.49/mo and supports 6 simultaneous connections. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee with a NordVPN subscription.

6. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a Romania-based VPN service that works quite efficiently on Windows. It boasts a powerful network of 5,600+ servers in over 86+ countries.

In terms of speed, CyberGhost isn’t very fast. It delivers average speeds, but still fast enough to get the job done. Its Netflix unblocking ability isn’t too reliable anymore, as I failed to get access to US Netflix with CyberGhost.

There aren’t many security features built within this VPN though it does offer pretty good basic protections from IP leaks and a kill switch that is always enabled by default.

The service has a good logging policy in place which is reassuring for users looking to keep their privacy intact on the web.

You can download torrents through CyberGhost’s p2p-optimized servers. You can expect sufficient anonymity with this VPN as it has no problem with IP leaks.

The VPN has apps for a variety of devices and platforms including Windows, iOS, Android, and Mac. There are also browser add-ons for Firefox and Chrome.

Currently, CyberGhost is priced at $2.75/mo which is quite affordable. It offers a 45-day money-back guarantee and 7 simultaneous connections.

7. VyprVPN

VyprVPN is a Switzerland based VPN provider with a good reputation in the market. It has over 700 servers located in 70+ countries, a rather modest network of servers.

Nonetheless, Vypr lives up to its name with rapid-fire speeds on its servers. However, it is not so reliable for Netflix with many users reporting problems unblocking the streaming app.

In terms of features, VyprVPN also offers some standard protective tools like a kill switch and IP leak protection. More importantly, it has a Chamaleon technology for obfuscating VPN traffic to bypass censorship effectively.

It is one of the few VPNs that have an independently audited logging policy, so that certainly adds points in VyprVPN’s favor.

The provider allows p2p traffic and has no IP leaking problem of any sort. This makes it a pretty good option for users that want to download torrents in a safe environment.

VyprVPN has dedicated apps for all common operating systems including Windows, Android, iOS, and MacOS. It also has a Chrome extension.

You can purchase VyprVPN for $2.50/mo, which is relatively expensive. Nonetheless, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and supports up to 5 simultaneous connections.

Why Do I Need a VPN for Windows 10?

Microsoft’s policies: When Windows 10 was launched, some statements in the privacy policy caused quite a stir because they openly stated Microsoft’s intention to store personal information of users. Some privacy tweaks in the OS itself and the use of a VPN can cloak your online activities to a greater extent than the default configuration allows in Windows.

Unlocking channels/sites: Many popular streaming channels are available in certain regions only despite having fans all over the world. Netflix content, for instance, varies from country to country. To access geo-restricted shows/movies on Netflix, you will need a VPN capable of bypassing these restrictions by changing your virtual location on Windows.

Anonymity: P2P file sharing is a sensitive activity that sits in a legal grey. Many popular torrent websites are now blocked in quite a lot of regions in the world. Even if you know how to access a torrent website, you still need to be very careful and perform downloads anonymously. VPNs enhance your anonymity so you can download files safely.

How to Manually Configure a VPN on Windows 10

Windows 10 allows it’s users to manually configure VPN through L2TP/IPSec, IKEv2, SSTP and PPTP (which is obsolete and is not recommended even by its creators).

You need to note down the following information before you start setting VPN on Windows 10

• Your Username and Password
• Certificate or Pre-shared secret
• VPN server address

Once you have these details down, you can move on to start the process:

1. Go to > Search bar on your toolbar and look up “VPN” > Click on the VPN option that appears
2. Click the “Add a VPN connection” option on the menu.
3. Choose the Windows option in the VPN provider.
4. Then fill in the relevant information.
5. Click on the ‘Save’ button to establish your VPN connection.

Note: It will take a few seconds for your VPN to become fully operational. After that, you can access this connection anytime by clicking on your Wi-Fi option.

Setup VPN Connection on Windows 8 or 8.1 Manually

1. Open the Charms bar > Search > Settings.
2. Type ‘VPN‘ in the Search box.
3. Click on Set Up a ‘VPN Connection’ button in the search results.
4. Now enter the following information:
   • The IP address of the VPN server you want to connect to (contact support of your VPN find out the address).
   • In the Destination Name text box, simply enter a name you want to give to this VPN connection.
   • If you want to allow other users on your Windows 8/8.1 to use this connection > select the Allow Other People to Use This Connection checkbox (this is optional).
   • Click Create.
5. You can now connect to this VPN connection from the Networks heading in Charms bar.

Setup a VPN on Windows 7 Manually

These are the steps you will need to take in order to configure VPN on Windows 7 manually:

1. Go to Start menu > Type “VPN” in the search field.
2. Click on Set up a VPN Connection on the top.
3. Enter the VPN server address > type a name for your VPN connection > check “Don’t connect now”.
4. Now type in your VPN username > password (leave Domain blank) > click create
5. Now open Network and Sharing Center> Connect to a Network
6. Right-click on it to enter ‘Properties’
7. Select the “Security” tab and choose the type of VPN (preferably L2TP, SSTP, or IKEv2, as PPTP, is not very secure)
8. In data encryption, choose “require encryption” (you may also choose other options, but it depends on your VPN. Consult your Network Admin/VPN provider for help)
9. Check Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) and Microsoft CHAP Version 2 (MS-CHAP v2)
10. Click on Networking tab and uncheck “Internet Version Protocol 6 (TCP/IPv6)” and “File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks”
11. Now open your Network Connections > right click on the VPN you have set up and press Connect.
12. Enter your VPN username and password when prompted.
13. Congratulations! You’ve set up your VPN.

Redditor’s Opinion about Windows VPN

Reddit threads often discuss VPN services for different operating systems. In relation to Windows, you will find several archived threads discussing free VPN providers for Windows and if they are any good.

I am happy to see that most users discourage the use of free VPNs because many of these free providers have been involved in logging scandals, violating user privacy when they have sworn to protect it.

Thus, the verdict of Reddit is heavily inclined against free VPN providers. Moreover, as a reviewer, I would not suggest free Windows VPNs with the exception of a few legitimate ones.

Conclusion

Despite the resounding success of Windows 7, 8, and 10, these operating systems leave much to be desired when it comes to the way user privacy is treated.

What’s more, the problem of censorship and geo-restricted affects all internet users alike, no matter which version of Windows you are using.

The most effective method to deal with these issues is to use the best VPN for Windows 10, such as PureVPN, which covers all the bases to enable online freedom and superior digital privacy in an age where staying safe online is becoming increasingly difficult.