Many providers often claim to be the fastest VPN in the business. But it is no secret that even the quickest VPN will negatively affect your speed. This is a necessary effect of the way VPN encryption and routing works.
Yet, it is also true that some VPNs are faster than others. The question that immediately springs to mind then is, “how fast”? We measured the speeds across the same four server locations for each provider (UK, US, Germany, and Australia) to answer that question. In addition, we also looked into features such as unblocking ability, security, and advanced features to figure which VPNs cover all bases.
7 Fastest VPN Services in 2021 [Quick Overview]
- ExpressVPN – Fastest VPN provider. It offers 3000+ servers in 94 countries. It delivers 27.91 Mbps speed on a 30 Mbps internet connection. It is available for $6.67/mo (Save 49% and get 3 extra months FREE with 12-month plan this Black Friday) with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Surfshark – Fastest for streaming. It offers 3200+ servers in 65 countries. Delivering 27.17 Mbps speed on 30 Mbps internet connection. Available for just $2.21/mo and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- IPVanish – Value for money. It offers 1900+ servers in 75 locations. It delivered a speed of 26.01 Mbps on 30 Mbps internet connection. Supporting unlimited simultaneous connection for just $3.96/mo and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- NordVPN – Fast and secure. It offers 5100+ servers in 60 countries. Capable of delivering a speed of 24.91 Mbps on a 30 Mbps internet connection. You can get 6 simultaneous connections for just $3.29/mo (Save 72% on 2-year-plan Holiday Season Offer) with a 30-day refund program.
- Astrill VPN – Underrated but super fast. Offers 380+ servers in 50+ countries. It delivered a speed of 24.76 Mbps on a 30 Mbps internet connection. It supports five simultaneous connections with a 30-day money-back guarantee and costs only $10.00/mo.
- Private Internet Access – Best P2P speeds. It holds one of the largest server networks in the world with 35500+ servers in 78 countries. It offers an average speed of 18.71 Mbps on a 30 Mbps internet connection with 10 simultaneous connection for only $2.08/mo , and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- CyberGhost – Decent Speeds With Security. It offers 7000+ servers in 90 countries. It delivered a speed of 17.10 Mbps on a 30 Mbps internet connection during our testing. Available for 7 simultaneous connections, it costs only $2.17/mo , and comes with an impressive 45-day money-back policy.
What Factors Affect a VPNs Speed?
Many factors affect the speed of VPN services, from the core technology infrastructure of the provider to the quality of equipment and type of network topology they use.
These are all factors that play a key role in affecting your VPN speed.
It would take a lot of time to cover all these factors in this article, so I’m just going to describe the surface-level factors that can have a noticeable impact on your speed.
1. Base Internet connection speed
Your internet connection is the primary factor that determines your speed. A stable ISP connection with no faults in connection lines and sophisticated infrastructure ensures a good download/upload speed and pings.
So, the very first thing you need to consider if you want a high-speed VPN connection is to get your Internet from a reliable ISP and choose a bandwidth package that suits your needs.
2. VPN server location
The server location you are connected to affects your latency and download and upload speeds. This is because when you connect to a remote VPN server, your data has to travel a longer route before reaching the destination than it normally would if you were connected to the web directly.
Although VPN providers with a well-designed server infrastructure can still maintain your speeds throughout the network, the distance to your desired server still plays a role. So, to get maximum speeds, you should select servers closer to your physical location, so your data packets will have to travel less.
3. Security vs. Speed
Adding extra security to a VPN connection results in a loss of speed. For example, if you use strong encryption, it will longer to encrypt your data while transferring, so when it reaches its destination it will take some time to decrypt as well. However, the difference in speed must be negligible.
Similarly, not all VPN protocols offer the same speeds. For example, PPTP is still faster than OpenVPN or L2TP/IPSec. However, while offering speed, it compromises online security.
If you want more speed, some VPNs also give you the option of choosing encryption standards. For example, you can choose between 128-bit and 256-bit encryption. A handful of VPNs also uses Blowfish encryption, which is quite slow as compared to 256-bit encryption.
Lastly, speed also depends upon the hardware you use. Powerful devices with high GPU rates will be able to encrypt and decrypt data more quickly as compared to devices with less CPU and GPU rates.
Comparison of 7 Fastest VPNs
| VPNs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed on 30 Mbps connection | 27.17 Mbps | 27.91 Mbps | 26.01 Mbps | 24.91 Mbps | 24.76 Mbps | 17.10 Mbps | 17.10 Mbps |
| Servers | 3000+ servers in 94 countries | 3200+ servers in 65 countries | 1900+ servers in 75 locations | 5100+ servers in 60 countries | 380+ servers in 50+ countries | 7000+ servers in 90 countries | 35500+ servers in 78 countries |
| Works with | PlayStation, Xbox, iOS, Nintendo, Android, Windows, routers, and more | PlayStation, Xbox, iOS, Nintendo, Android, Windows, routers, and more | PlayStation, Xbox, iOS, Nintendo, Android, Windows, routers, and more | PlayStation, Xbox, iOS, Nintendo, Android, Windows, routers, and more | PlayStation, Xbox, iOS, Nintendo, Android, Windows, routers, and more | PlayStation, Xbox, iOS, Nintendo, Android, Windows, routers, and more | PlayStation, Xbox, iOS, Nintendo, Android, Windows, routers, and more |
| Unblocks Streaming Sites | Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and more. | Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, Showtime, and more | Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more. | Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, CBS, and more. | Netflix, HBO, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, ABC, Sling TV, TF1, and more | Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more. | Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, CBS, and more. |
| Simultaneous Device Connections | 5 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 6 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| Supports P2P | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| $6.67/mo (Save 49% and get 3 extra months FREE with 12-month plan this Black Friday) | $2.21/mo | $3.33/mo | $3.29/mo (Save 72% on 2-year-plan Holiday Season Offer) | $10.00/mo | $2.17/mo | $2.08/mo | |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 45 days | 30 days |
| More Info | ExpressVPN Review | Surfshark Review | IPVanish Review | NordVPN Review | Astrill Review | PIA Review | CyberGhost Review |
| Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site |
Fastest VPN Services in 2021 [Updated December 2021 – Detailed Analysis]
Here are the seven fastest VPN service providers for 2021:
1. ExpressVPN – The fastest VPN provider
- 3,000+ Servers in 94 Countries
- Hard disk free infrastructure (RAM only)
- 256-bit Military-Grade Encryption
- Excellent unblocking capability for Netflix, Hulu & more
- 5 Multi Logins
- Zero-knowledge DNS
ExpressVPN is one of the leading providers that have been operating in the industry for years. It offered the best speeds during testing, as there was minimal throttling.
ExpressVPN, owing to its fast speeds, is one of the best VPNs for streaming Netflix and easily unblocks popular streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, DAZN, Hotstar, Stan, ITV, etc. more.
ExpressVPN Speed Test Results
With an average speed of 27.91 Mbps in our ExpressVPN speed tests, ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN in the market. In addition, it has shown remarkable consistency in maintaining blazing-fast speeds across its server network. For example, the US server speed was 26.62 Mbps, while the German server performed even better during our testing, giving a speed of 28.97 Mbps.
You can further dig into its speed in our ExpressVPN Speed Results.
| Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
|---|---|---|
| USA: 28.45 Mbps | 18.61 Mbps | 187 ms |
| UK: 26.07 Mbps | 6.00 Mbps | 140 ms |
| GER: 28.73 Mbps | 24.81 Mbps | 134 ms |
| AUS: 28.41 Mbps | 10.20 Mbps | 237 ms |
| Avg: 27.91 Mbps | 14.91 Mbps | 174.5 ms |
The user interface is simple and effective, and connecting to a server takes only a few seconds. This isn’t surprising, considering the fact that ExpressVPN has over 3000+ servers in 94 countries.
All ExpressVPN servers support P2P torrenting. You can unblock torrent websites and commence fast P2P file-sharing. A single ExpressVPN subscription can easily support five simultaneous connections.
In addition, the VPN is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, Android TV iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, routers, and more.
Overall, ExpressVPN is a powerful VPN that veritably lives up to its name, offering impressive speeds, countless payment methods, including bitcoins, and industry-leading features. It is available for $6.67/mo (Save 49% and get 3 extra months FREE with 12-month plan this Black Friday) with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our ExpressVPN review for further details.
- Great speeds
- Unblocks Netflix, and other streaming services
- TrustedServer Technology
- Spotless reputation
- Supports anonymous payment options
- 24/7 live chat support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- No free version
- Slightly expensive
2. Surfshark – Fastest for Streaming
- 3,200+ servers in 65 countries
- RAM-only servers (no hard disks)
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Unblocks Netflix and More
- 24/7 Customer Service
Surfshark proved to be the second-fastest VPN provider in 2021. I conducted a series of speed tests and determined how they impacted user experience and internet connection.
The VPN continues to expand its network and now offers 3200+ servers in 65 confirms that this provider will continue to dominate the VPN industry with the fastest VPN connection experience.
Surfshark Speed Test Results
Surfshark has outstanding consistency in speeds and is a super-fast VPN. From the USA to Australia, it maintained excellent consistency in speed with an average of 27.91 Mbps. The fastest server during our testing was the US (Boston, MA), with a download speed of 28.45 Mbps, while Germany and Australia delivered 28.73 Mbps and 28.41 Mbps, respectively.
The reason why it deserves the second spot in our list is provided below:
| Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
|---|---|---|
| USA: 26.62 Mbps | 18.04 Mbps | 193 ms |
| UK: 26.68 Mbps | 17.85 Mbps | 122 ms |
| GER: 28.97 Mbps | 15.76 Mbps | 130 ms |
| AUS: 26.43 Mbps | 12.45 Mbps | 283 ms |
| Avg: 27.17 Mbps | 16.02 Mbps | 182 ms |
These fast speeds also come in handy for streaming popular platforms like BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Plex, HBO GO, ESPN, and more. The streams work well even in 4K Ultra-HD video quality due to the ability of Surfshark to maintain fast speeds.
For the same reason, Surfshark is a good choice for torrenting and gaming purposes. Although all providers reduce latency, Surfshark still maintains it to an acceptable level.
Furthermore, the VPN is equipped with powerful advanced features that go beyond basic VPN protection. These include an internet kill switch, MultiHop, CleanWeb, and more.
Overall, Surshark is a complete package that delivers lightning-fast speeds without compromising on other aspects of VPN functionality. To test all these features for free before buying, check out Surfshark’s free trial. It is available for $2.21/mo with a 30-day money-back guarantee as well.
Check out our detailed Surfshark’s speed test article for further details.
- Internet kill switch
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Unblocks Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer
- Free trial for iOS and Android users
- 24/7 live chat support
- 30-day refund guarantee
- No free version
- Logging policy is not audited
3. IPVanish – Value for Money
- PPTP, L2TP/IPSec & OpenVPN protocols
- 40,000+ IPs & 1000+ servers in 60+ countries
- 10 Multi logins
- 7-Day Money Back Guarantee
- 256bit AES encryption
IPVanish, a US-based VPN provider, ranks 3rd on our fastest VPN list. The provider ensures fast connection speeds along with reliable connectivity every time.
Its fast speed makes it an ideal choice as a VPN for streaming. It allows a consistent Ultra-HD video quality when streaming HBO Go, Sky Sports, Bein Sports, BT Sports, Voot, Sony Liv, and more. In addition, there are many P2P-optimized servers in its network of 1900+ servers in 75+ locations.
IPVanish Speed Test Results
The overall performance of IPVanish is remarkably consistent, with an average speed of 26.01 Mbps. You can see how its servers in the US, UK, Germany, and Australia performed during our speed tests in the table below:
| Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
|---|---|---|
| USA: 26.03 Mbps | 3.74 Mbps | 192 ms |
| UK: 25.34 Mbps | 26.76 Mbps | 123 ms |
| GER: 20.85 Mbps | 12.21 Mbps | 157 ms |
| AUS: 24.79 Mbps | 11.55 Mbps | 274 ms |
| Avg: 26.01 Mbps | 13.56 Mbps | 186.5 ms |
Based on these results, it can be safely said that IPVanish offers reliable and fast performance. Particularly for US-based servers, IPVanish’s performance is exceptionally reaching the speed of 26.03 Mbps. This is almost 100% of the base connection speed of 30 Mbps.
The UK server performed even better, measuring up to 25.37 Mbps. However, it could not maintain the same high levels for Germany and Australia with speeds of 20.85 Mbps and 24.79 Mbps, respectively, though they still provide remarkably high speeds.
The only drawback is that it takes IPVanish a bit longer to connect successfully with the desired server. But it offers some great features as part of its package, such a split-tunneling, kills switch, and Wi-Fi protection. In addition, strong AES-256-Bit encryption effectively protects users from any security threats on the web and strongly protects user privacy.
IPVanish is on top of the VPN list on Firestick and on VPN on Kodi to boost the streaming experience. The provider offers unlimited simultaneous connections and is compatible with most common devices, including Windows, macOS, Android, Android TV iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, routers, Amazon Fire TV, Chromebook, and more. Available for $3.96/mo , IPVanish is an affordable VPN service for users.
Check out our detailed IPVanish’s speed test article for further details.
4. NordVPN – Fast and Secure
- 5500+ servers in 60+ countries
- Military-grade encryption (Double VPN encryption)
- CyberSec protects your device from intrusive ads
- Hides your IP address
- Strict no logs policy
- Double data protection
- Automatic Kill Switch
- DNS leak protection
- Browser extension available
- Avoid bandwidth throttling
- Anonymous torrenting
- Lighting speed VPN experience
- 6 Multi-logins
- Live chat support
- Easy-to-use app
NordVPN is based in Panama and is one of the best VPN for speed. But exactly how fast is NordVPN? It is quite popular among streaming fans as it works well with NBC, CBS, CCTN, NHK, ORF, Showtime, Channel 5, Paramount+, and many more.
With servers spanning more than 5100+ servers in 60 countries, it is easily able to deliver quick connection speeds. Many of these servers are compatible with P2P, which is great for people that regularly download torrents.
NordVPN Speed Test Results
NordVPN’s usability, quick VPN connection time, and outstanding speeds all indicate the quality of the provider. During our tests, the speed varied between 24 Mbps and 26 Mbps, underscoring the strong stability inherent in NordVPN’s connections. At its fastest, it gave us a speed of 25.46 Mbps on the US server. While at its lowest, it was still remarkably fast, giving 24.29 Mbps on the German server.
The speed results of the provider are also more than impressive, as you can see below.
| Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
|---|---|---|
| USA: 25.46 Mbps | 7.27 Mbps | 194 ms |
| UK: 25.09 Mbps | 8.05 Mbps | 107 ms |
| GER: 24.29 Mbps | 5.48 Mbps | 153 ms |
| AUS: 24. 81 Mbps | 6.37 Mbps | 186 ms |
| Avg: 24.91 Mbps | 6.79 Mbps | 160 ms |
NordVPN offers a wide range of features such as CyberSec, DoubleVPN, Onion Over VPN, kill switch, obfuscated server, and more.
Using these features, you can effectively keep yourself private on the web while experiencing super-fast speeds on your chosen server location. In addition, the VPN is compatible with most major platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, Android TV devices, Amazon Fire TV, Linux, Chrome, and Firefox. NordVPN is available for $3.29/mo (Save 72% on 2-year-plan Holiday Season Offer) backed with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Check out our detailed NordVPN’s speed test article for further details.
- Unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu
- Great speeds
- Specialty servers
- Built-in adblocker
- Independently audited logging policy
- 24/7 live chat support
- 30-day refund guarantee
- No free version
- Map interface in the app takes a lot of screen space
5. Astrill VPN – Underrated but Super Fast
- 360 servers in 65 countries including US, UK, Germany and Canada
- 87,417+ IP addresses to choose from
- Compatible with Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, Linux and DD-WRT routers
- Offers dedicated IP benefit to its users
- 7-days money back guarantee
- 7-days free trial (Not available for Chinese Users)
- 24/7/365 Customer Support
Astrill is another reasonably fast VPN service based in Seychelles. It offers a lightweight app that is quite simple but bland, which is one area of improvement.
The provider has a small server network of 380+ servers in 50+ countries, but its speeds are outstanding across the whole range.
Astrill Speed Test Results
Astrill is truly an impressive VPN service that offers great speed with a lightweight app. The fastest server that we tested proved to be the German server, which produced a speed of 25.59 Mbps.
| Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
|---|---|---|
| USA: 25.1 Mbps | 2.87 Mbps | 259 ms |
| UK: 24.19 Mbps | 5.88 Mbps | 140 ms |
| GER: 25.59 Mbps | 5.68 Mbps | 128 ms |
| AUS: 24.17 Mbps | 1.06 Mbps | 286 ms |
| Avg: 24.76 Mbps | 3.87 Mbps | 203.25 ms |
The impressive thing is that the download speed never dropped below 24 Mbps when testing Astrill’s US, UK, German, and Australian servers. Surprisingly, even the ping of 128 ms that we received from its German server was quite unexpectedly low considering the large physical distances between our actual location and Germany. With an average of 24.76 Mbps, Astrill easily justifies its position in the top 5 fastest VPNs.
It also has great customer support, but the providers should revamp its design to look more appealing and impact the market.
The VPN supports streaming services such as Netflix, Sling TV, ESPN, Bein Sports, and more. With the fast servers, you can easily unblock geo-restrictions on these services. For torrenting, Astrill offers multiple servers that support P2P.
It also offers an innovative feature called Smart Mode that uses networking magic to reduce the chances of being spotted as a VPN user by the government. In addition, it also provides features such as port forwarding, internet kill switch, VPN sharing, and App filter.
You can use Astrill apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android devices. For other devices such as routers, you can also perform a manual setup. With a single Astrill subscription, you can protect and enjoy super-fast speeds on five devices simultaneously.
Read our Astrill review for details.
- Beginner-friendly apps
- Smart Mode
- Works with Netflix
- Supports P2P
- 5 simultaneous connections
- 30-day refund guarantee
- Small server network
- Expensive pricing plans
6. PIA VPN – Best P2P Speeds
- Does Not Keep Any Logs
- 24/7 Customer Support
- 7 Days Money Back Guarantee
- 3160+ Servers in 33 Countries
- Decent Server Spread
- Compatible with Leading Devices
Private Internet Access is a US-based VPN service and is one of the fastest VPN for torrenting. Unfortunately, it misses out on a position in the top 5 by a minimal margin, but it is still one of the best VPN with decent speeds.
Nonetheless, it has strong security mechanisms such as DNS leak protection and AES-256 bit encryption. Its servers are located in more than 78 countries in the world with a total number of 35500+ servers.
PIA Speed Test Results
With one of the biggest VPN server networks, PIA VPN manages to do a good job when it comes to delivering satisfactory speed results.
| Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
|---|---|---|
| USA: 19.68 Mbps | 7.84 Mbps | 194 ms |
| UK: 17.22 Mbps | 8.68 Mbps | 312 ms |
| GER: 17.84 Mbps | 8.00 Mbps | 232 ms |
| AUS: 20.1 Mbps | 7.25 Mbps | 206 ms |
| Avg: 18.71 Mbps | 7.70 Mbps | 236 ms |
As the speed results show, PIA delivered decent speeds on its US and Australia servers. It has an average speed of 18.71 Mbps, with the Australian server producing 20.1 Mbps. However, when testing the US server, it measured up to 19.68 Mbps, which is still not bad but falls short of the strong standard set by other providers.
For streaming, Private Internet Access works well with channels and platforms such as Sky News, Hulu, YuppTV, ProSeiben, Spotify, Fox Sports, and more.
PIA VPN is also fast enough to allow you to download torrents quickly, so you can use PIA VPN to get better security for P2P activities without affecting your speeds too noticeably. Of course, the downside is that it often takes several attempts before you can connect to the server of your choice. But, overall, PIA is a VPN that can deliver fast speeds for streaming, torrenting and online gaming.
The provider offers dedicated apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and more. It is highly affordable costing $2.08/mo with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Check out our detailed PIA VPN’s speed test article for further details.
- Best for P2P
- SOCKS5 proxy and port forwarding
- Unblocks Netflix
- Choice of encryption protocol
- A wide server network
- 10 simultaneous connections
- 30-day refund guarantee
- In-consistently unblocks streaming platforms
- No free trial
7. CyberGhost – Decent Speeds With Security
- 7,000+ Servers in 90 Countries
- 7 Simultaneous Logins
- 45 Days Money-Back Guarantee
- Strict No Logs Policy
- 24/7 Live Chat Support
- Strong Protocols & Encryption
CyberGhost is a Romanian VPN service with one a great-looking user interface. Unfortunately, it is one of the slower VPN providers in the market, albeit it offers a huge network consisting of 7000+ servers in 90 countries.
CyberGhost Speed Test Results
It does not vary much in speed when you move from one server to another and offers almost the same speeds. The range of speed fluctuations spans from 14.8 Mbps (AUS) to 18.78 Mbps (USA) when we tested this provider on a 30 Mbps internet connection.
| Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
|---|---|---|
| USA: 18.78 Mbps | 5.59 Mbps | 132 ms |
| UK: 17.2 Mbps | 6.48 Mbps | 312 ms |
| GER: 17.64 Mbps | 7.96 Mbps | 182 ms |
| AUS: 14.8 Mbps | 8.72 Mbps | 201 ms |
| Avg: 17.10 Mbps | 7.18 Mbps | 206.75 ms |
Even though CyberGhost is the seventh fastest VPN service in our list with an average of 17.10 Mbps, it also offers value in other ways. For instance, it unblocks streaming services including CNN, Bein Sports, ABC Go, ABC iview, Foxtel, Fox Sports, and more. It is also quite efficient for P2P networking, granting access to restricted torrent links and keeping users’ privacy intact.
Although CyberGhost doesn’t offer advanced features such as obfuscation, it covers the basics well functionalities such as internet kill switch and IP/DNS leak protection.
CyberGhost offers dedicated apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome OS and can be manually set up with routers and Raspberry Pi. CyberGhost also features a great Android VPN app for various smartphones, including Android tablets. It is available for $2.17/mo with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Read our CyberGhost review for more information.
- Beginner-friendly apps
- Dedicated servers
- Works with Netflix
- Dedicated IPs
- Free browser extension
- 24/7 live chat support
- 45-day refund guarantee
- Some servers offer slow speeds
VPN Speed Test Results December 2021
Here are our average VPN speed test results with our 30 Mbps internet connection:
The results from our speed tests are clear: ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN service.
ExpressVPN is faster than all other VPNs on both nearby and far-away servers. With this VPN, you can stream, torrent, and game without worrying about your network speed slowing down.
VPN Speed Test Methodology
To compile our list, we first measured the download speed on various server locations worldwide. We also kept a close eye on ping and connection time. One interesting observation was that not all services could reach the cities we wanted to test. For example, IPVanish didn’t have any servers in China or Hong Kong.
We also found that performance fluctuated drastically by server location. NordVPN had, for example, exceptional connection speed with Russia, but could with UK location, the speeds were horrible.
Needless to say that ExpressVPN was the standout performer in terms of download speed, with an average speed of 27.91 Mbps on a 100 Mbps internet connection. We profiled the other VPNs all lost performance (much more in line with expectations), with Surfshark and IPVanish rounding out our top three.
Speaking of Ping results, the speeds were also counterintuitive. All our VPN providers showed an enhancement in average ping speeds compared to use without a VPN. The only reason this makes sense is if you realize that you’re probably reducing server-to-server hops to an international destination when you travel through a VPN. ‘
Lastly, we observed the connection time. When the VPN service is booted, how long does it take to establish the VPN connection? While you’re not likely to make connections except once per session at your device, waiting as much as 25 seconds (as it was on average for Astrill VPN) can seem like an extremely long time compared to a little under 3 seconds (which we found, on average, for ExpressVPN).
Guide to speed up your VPN
Although speed loss is inevitable, there are still a few ways by which you can speed up your VPN:
1. Use one of our recommended VPNs
Our team of experts verified all VPN providers from our list to be the fastest VPNs on the market. So if you want to receive the best and most optimized speed results after connecting the VPN, we suggest you pick one of our recommendations.
2. WireGuard or the VPN’s proprietary protocol
Although OpenVPN is a secure protocol, it is slower than WireGuard or proprietary protocols like Catapult Hydra or NordLynx. Therefore, if your VPN provider offers you the ability to use WireGuard or its proprietary protocol, it is better to use those protocols.
3. Server location
As a general thumb of rule, connecting to a server location closer to your actual location will give you faster speed. This is because your traffic takes a shorter route, allowing the packets to be delivered at a much faster rate.
4. Use an Ethernet cable
Wi-Fi connections are less efficient than wired connections due to various network and channel interference. Connecting your device directly to your router with an ethernet cable will give you faster and more reliable speeds.
What is the fastest free VPN?
The three best, fastest free VPNs include Windscribe, ProtonVPN, and TunnelBear. However, for the truly fastest VPN connection, you’d have to subscribe to a reliable premium VPN provider.
Windscribe offers only ten server locations and 10 GB free data/month limited with its free subscription. As for the speed, it delivered 22 Mbps on our 30 Mbps internet connection. In addition, the provider easily works with Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, HBO, and many other streaming services. It also uses WireGuard, an internet kill switch, and AES-256-Bit encryption to secure your online privacy and data.
ProtonVPN offers three server locations (US, Japan, and the Netherlands) with unlimited VPN bandwidth. During our testing, it delivered an average speed of 23.64 Mbps on a 30 Mbps internet connection. Capable of unblocking Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, ABC, and Amazon Prime Video, it is also compatible with iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, browsers, Linux, and more.
TunnelBear offers servers in 23 countries along with a 500 MB free data per month limit. It delivered an average speed of 24.34 Mbps on a 30 Mbps internet connection. It relies on AES-256-Bit encryption, perfect forward secrecy, and an internet kill switch for online security and privacy. It is also compatible with iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, browsers, and more.
Fastest VPN 2021 FAQs
Although all of our recommended VPNs are best when it comes to offering the fastest VPN experience. However, if we have to select a VPN provider out of the ones listed above, ExpressVPN easily wins the title as the best fast VPN, followed by Surshark at the 2nd spot.
If you are into gaming and are using a VPN for playing games on another server, it is very important to choose a server that is the fastest. Ping or latency is very important in gaming. Ping determines how much you lag while gaming. If you want to reduce ping, make sure to pick a regional gaming server and connect to a VPN server location that is closest to the gaming server.
You can run a ping test for gaming on your PC. To run the test, you will need the IP address of the domain of the gaming server you want to play on. Once you have the IP address, open Command Prompt on your Windows PC, or Terminal on Mac and type the following command:
ping 104.160.131.3
Then connect to a VPN server and run the same command. Now, you can notice the difference.
You will find different apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and more claiming to speed up your VPN connections. Make sure to avoid such apps because they are nothing but scams. There is no way a third-party app can speed up your VPN connection. These speed booster apps mostly mine your data and serve ads.
Yes, VPNs can help you if you are facing buffering. Sometimes your ISP may be throttling your internet speed for specific types of websites including streaming platforms. In such cases, you will experience extensive buffering. A VPN can help you hide your online activities, thus speeding up your internet.
For those who may have had bad experiences years ago or with crummy providers recently, any of the services on this list are sure to reinvigorate your trust in VPNs.
ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN for streaming. It not only offers fast connection speeds for streaming but is also capable enough of unblocking geo-restricted sites for you. So, with ExpressVPN, you can enjoy streaming without any issues or buffering.
The speed you lose with a VPN depends on multiple factors, including your ISP, your proximity to the server location, the current load on the server, etc. In general, you lose 30% to 40% of your speed when you connect to a server close to you, whereas the number can rise to as much as 70% for distant servers.
Final Verdict
There are countless VPN providers available that claim to be the fastest VPNs for your online needs. But, in truth, most of these providers fail to deliver a decent connection speed for even the most popular VPN purposes such as streaming, torrenting, and online gaming.
Only with the providers listed in this blog can you experience blazing-fast connection speeds and guarantee unlimited, unrestricted, and uninterrupted online streaming, gaming, and even torrenting from anywhere around the globe.
Out of all our recommended VPN providers, ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN based on average download speed, i.e., 27.91 Mbps on a 30 Mbps internet connection.
Moreover, the provider has impressed us with almost perfect speeds on what would be considered a pretty slow internet connection today. Thus, this shows how reliable this VPN is if speed is what you’re after.
I’m on Cox Gigablast and Expressvpn. I get 976 Mb/s down in Win 10 and 36Mb/s up. In Linux, (where I’m at 99.9% of the time) get 921 down, still 36 up.
During the last year on ExpressVPN I got 731 down and still 36 up.
I’m sorry to sound spoiled and snotty, I just haven’t run at 26 megs in like 12 years and 10 megs in almost 20 years.
Hi Mark H,
You are right about the sluggish speeds used to test the VPNs, but it makes for an interesting test environment to gauge performance because every VPN would deliver good enough speeds on a 100 Mbps connection.
I’m sorry to sound spoiled and snotty, It’s just that on Cox I haven’t run 26 megs in like 12 years? I haven’t run 10 megs in like 20 years?
Speed is all well and good, but what about their reputation?
ExpressVPN is blazingly fast on my 50mbit symmetrical fiber connection, but when I try to do things like e-mail, webmail, etc. etc. etc. I keep getting blocked because they appear to be on just about every spam-list out there.
I logged an issue with their tech-support, let’s see what happens.
Jim “JR”
Hello Jim Harris,
That’s strange. Because ExpressVPN is arguably the cleanest VPNs out there in terms of reputation.
I’d like to know what the tech support has to say about. Hoping to hear back from you, Mr Jim!
Thanks for the comment.
I know there might be many VPN providers that are fastest, but are there any fastest free VPN around?
If there’s so please can you name a few ?
Hello smith, to name a few fastest free VPN providers, Windscribe and Hide.me are the best in the business. Irrespective of what a free VPN can do to your online security, but there’s no denying that these two VPN providers have no impact on the speed of the internet. Windscribe gives you 11 different server, while Hide.me gives you 3 different servers for free.
Currently im using a not-so familiar VPN provider and the reason I bought it was due to its lower cost. But this has cost me soo much as it isn’t the fastest. Recommend me some of the fastest paid VPN so I can try them as well.. But it shouldn’t me much expensive.
Hi Martin, the list of VPN providers that we have highlighted in the table above are the 5 fastest paid VPN providers. PureVPN and NordVPN is amongst the list that are very much affordable, but that doesn’t mean other VPN providers are expensive. Their increased online security and increased internet speed makes other VPN providers’ price to differ.
I’ve heard from soo many vpn review websites about using certain vpn protocols. Ive never get a hold of it since Im not a tech geek. Just let me know which VPN protocol is the best.. so I could connect to that protocol via my system. Thanks
Hellow Monfils, OpenVPN is the most preferred protocol and I would recommend you the same. It has a 256-bit encryption that lets you browse the internet safely. It gives you fastest VPN speed across great distances. If you’re happy with a basic encryption and wants a fast VPN speed, then I would recommend PPTP protocol. If OpenVPN isn’t support by your device, then you should prefer PPTP.
Is there a possibility to make a VPN faster? I mean like I have just turned towards a paid VPN after using a free vpn for so many years. But it was too slow for a starter. But since Im using a paid vpn it does all the work, but isn’t fast enough. I called their customer support but they wouldn’t respond. Can you tell me please how I can make my vpn faster?
Hello Fedir, there are many ways you could make your VPN faster. When you want to stream movies, download songs, and play games, while at the same time do not want to compromise on speed, you better connect to a nearby server. If you’re using a VPN at home, you can connect to a wired internet connection and chucking Wi-Fi away. You can experiment with changing your protocol. Hope these tips will help you make your VPN faster.
Just my experiences…..I am currently in Saudi Arabia. I have been using Vypr from GoldenFrog and I love their app for my Mac and iPhone as well as their fast download speed BUT….. they log your usage (just received a DMCA notice) and so I have decided to change to a more secure provider.
I went to the Torrentfreak review of truly anonymous vpn providers.
I have tried Nord, Secure Me and IP Vanish – none of them, despite their advertising/web site blurb, provide an app that works simply and out of the box if you live in Saudi (or probably China or any other place with internet restrictions). All require you to manually set up Tunnelblick, download a load of config files etc. – not what I want.
I tried all these over the last three days.
Nord refunded my $79 straight away (well, it is still pending in my PayPal account, but at least it is showing).
Secure Me charged just £2 for 48 hour access to try out their service.
IPVanish is yet to refund my $58 but I presume they will honour their money-back claims on their web site.
My next trial will be Express VPN – another money-back guarantee (so they claim) but certainly more expensive than the others.
Will keep you posted.
Hey Dan,
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Any updates yo’d like to share with us regarding ExpressVPN?
Just signed up to expressvpn, used all protocols, my 220Mb connection went down to a max of 30Mb…. nothing could do to improve… luckily they allowed my full money back tried so many servers was quite disappointed
Hi Scott,
Thanks for sharing your experience. ExpressVPN works pretty well for most customers, but they are always cases where things don’t go that well.
I’m glad they stood up to their money-back guarantees in your case! 🙂
I am looking for a VPN for gaming. The main purpose behind it is to prevent DDoSing while I am in game. So which VPN you suggest?
Hi Kimberly,
Thanks for posting your query. You can give PureVPN with DDoS protection add-on a try, as it offers good performance and will also protect you from DDoS attacks. Alternatively, ExpressVPN is also a good VPN to use while gaming.
I have a question. I subscribed to yearly plan of Vypr VPN about 6 months ago in the Chicago, US. Now, I have freshly moved to India on a job trip. My concern is that I am unable to access Netflix US with Vypr VPN. Also, the BBC iPlayer is taking too long to buffer videos. I believe Vypr is one of the fastest VPN services in industry and Golden Frog surely doesn’t compromises a bit when it comes to their standards. But, still I am left with sluggish network speed. Can you help me with it?
Hello Allison,
In these situations, the best solution you can get is by reaching out to technical customer support and mention the issue they are having.
As you said, VyprVPN and Golden Frog are big brands and they’re normally very efficient at resolving customer complaints.
Hi,
I am traveling very soon to South East Asia to attend conferences in multiple countries. You have put to gather a detailed article on fastest vpns, but what would you suggest I should use? I am really confused between express and nordvpn. A friend of mine recommended express, but it seems a bit expensive. I don’t know anything about nordvpn, but it seems like a good deal. While you have put PureVPN number one on your list, I have had mixed experience with them. Last time I tried it, I faced frequent disconnections on my iphone. What’s your take on nordvpn and expressvpn? Pls reply.
Hello Rodrigo,
The decision between NordVPN and ExpressVPN is a tough one. But I always say that if pricing is an issue for you, than NordVPN is a very good VPN for its price. Many users receive just as fast performance in download speed with NordVPN as ExpressVPN.
I think you can safely go ahead with NordVPN. In case it doesn’t work out for you, you can always claim a refund within 30 days of your subscription.
I think speed is just one factor when finding great VPN. I prefer the one which is the most reliable in securing my online activities and all. I am a businessman who’s been in and out China.
Hello Masterpuppet35,
Excellent point. Speed should never be the only factor you should pay mind to when searching for a good VPN. Factors such as logging policy, server strength, encryption, and security/privacy features are extremely important to keep in mind as well.
While everything makes sense and all is good, what were the speed test results for China? Sorry for being so upfront but I have gone through a dozen or so websites to find a vpn that works in china. I have an upcoming business trip to china and a vpn would be really handy. But with complicated cyber laws in china, its hard to put a finger on anyone service. I used a free vpn service, like zenmate, when I was in Germany and it worked perfectly. What would you advise, which service is best for china? Also, can I purchase the service once I am in China or should I buy it before? Pls reply!
Hi Loren,
Your concerns about China are perfectly valid. The information in this article is purely for general purposes and not for extreme cases like those in China.
If you’re looking for a VPN that works well in China, we have a dedicated article on Best VPN for China that you’ll find helpful.
I read your post about fast vpns and everything makes sense, but which servers did you use? The distance between your location and the servers might be a significant aspect in determining the actual speeds. The distance the data packets have to travel can result in delayed response or increased ping times. If you place that as well in your post, it will be very helpful. As a reader, more info will available to make a solid choice. I have used various VPN services in the past, and have referred to your website for suggestion. The list seems appropriate but adding that suggested info can be really beneficial. Cheers!
Hello Jesika Cook,
You have made excellent points and I totally agree. The factor of speed depends on a lot of other factors and the speed that one user gets won’t necessarily be what another user, living in another part of the world, would get.
We used 4 different servers for each test performed in this article, with one server from each of these countries UK, US, Germany, and Australia. This can help you make a better decision about which VPN you should go for, depending on your region.
Your testing methods leave a lot of uncertainty.
You didn’t test YOUR own download speeds by connecting to a NEARBY server, WITHOUT the use of VPN to demonstrate what your BASE line (maximum download speed) of your internet service.
You didn’t control the VPN’s use of compression (all use them, to some extent) with known file types: Jpeg, TXT, and some common types of Video files.
Without such testing, your article reads like an informative commercial for those VPN services you mentioned.
Thank you for your response. Would you like to submit your own speed tests for these VPN providers? or any provider you like?
I am researching multiple sites to get a firm idea with supporting data from multiple sources.
If you tested more than 5 vpn services why aren’t they listed. Along with details like some other sites.
Its rough trying to find a website to trust. Lots of reading and patience. But I will get to the bottom of the pile of conflicting data and makes sure I push my peers, friends and family away from inaccurate sites and toward truthful ones without hidden agendas or monitory gains.
Not saying yours is wrong, just lacking the data that you actually gave all the VPN services a fair chance and not hand picked ones. Need more info of that.
Hello Mr Taff,
We have improved our testing process considerably from the past. I hope you’ll find this article much more informative now. 🙂