Over the past few years, we’ve tested many VPN services, testing performance, privacy policy, and additional features. We’ve done most of this work for PC, and here you can find our all-time favorite best VPNs. But we’re also testing Android apps to see which service dominates the Google OS. While some services are a field on any platform, others are especially great on Android devices, and we’re here with a curated list to help you choose.
We take into account several criteria when determining the best VPNs for Android. First, it must be the best in the OS. In addition, we understand that Wi-Fi can sometimes become unstable, which is why we test these applications for three days, running a total of 15 tests each day (three times for each country tested). We then looked at the Android app itself and how easy it is to manage, as well as other aspects such as pricing and the number of concurrent devices allowed per account. We provide links to a standalone app on the Google Play Store, as well as links to our full desktop program reviews, in case you need a complete AV solution for all your devices.
Without further ado, here are our recommendations for the best VPNs for Android.
1. Speedify is the best VPN for Android overall
pros
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Very fast
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Uses multiple connection types
Minuses
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Interface is not user friendly
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Switching countries is a pain
Speedify’s claim to fame is that it uses all your active connections to create one super-fast VPN connection, and during our tests, this effect was undeniable. Speedify maintained an amazing 83.56 percent base speed. These speeds only happened when Wi-Fi and cellular were available on the phone. Another nice thing about Speedify is that switching from Wi-Fi to a mobile network is almost a no-brainer. So if you’re streaming a song and go out of range of your wireless network, the connection will switch to mobile without delay.
The design of the Speedify app is not the simplest and most understandable, but quite simple. It also maintains some statistics, such as the number of smooth transitions with your device, the amount of data transferred, and the maximum download and upload speeds. It would be better if you could select your country before connecting, as opposed to the current setup: connect, select a new country, and then reconnect. However, this is a small downside to a great mobile VPN.
Read our full Speedify review
2. NordVPN is the best Android VPN for Netflix
Minuses
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Price increases after initial subscription period
NordVPN is one of the most popular services. The company offers offices in 59 countries with 5500 servers. He also promises that his service will work with Netflix. It does not offer dedicated servers for this. Instead, Netflix should just work no matter what server you’re on, and it works in our tests.
The NordVPN Android app is similar to the desktop app in that it has the same map style that you can use to select a location. The rest of the app is very mobile friendly with a moving carousel of popular places and a full list of countries at the bottom. The Android app also supports dedicated Nord servers for P2P file sharing, TOR over VPN and double hop VPN. NordVPN also offers malware protection, which is enabled by default.
NordVPN’s privacy policy says it doesn’t log any of your activity and charges $59.88 per year, or you can get two years for $99.48 – these are new customer pricing. After the initial period, the price rises to $99.48 for one year and $198.96 for two years. This is a more expensive VPN, but it is also feature-packed and fast. In our tests, the Nord maintained almost 67 percent of base speed.
Read our full NordVPN review
3. CyberGhost is the best Android VPN for beginners
pros
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Very easy to understand interface
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Good speeds
Minuses
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Not as many options as other competitors
Another good choice for beginners is CyberGhost from Kape Technologies. This VPN has a similar design to ExpressVPN (below). It has a simple on/off button at the top of the app, and below it is a tile where you can select a country. Clicking on the country location option will take you to a list where you can select a connection depending on the country, or you can select a location to stream or choose from your own favorites list. In our tests, CyberGhost maintained about 61 percent of base speed.
That’s all there is to this app, making it a great option for beginners. For the full program, CyberGhost charges $51.48 for one year, or you can get two years for $78 or three years for $89.31.
Read our full CyberGhost VPN review
4. ExpressVPN – Best Android VPN for Newcomers Runner-Up
pros
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Very easy to use app
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Excellent speeds
Minuses
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Registers data transfer amounts
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More expensive option
ExpressVPN has always been very easy to use and is another VPN owned by Kape. Combine ease of use with great speed, and Express is a great choice for beginners. In our tests, ExpressVPN maintained a base speed of 72.14%, which is excellent and put it in second place behind Speedify. Switching the location is as easy as tapping the tile below the on/off button at the top. When the VPN is not active, the background of the application is red, and when the VPN is connected, the background turns green.
ExpressVPN for Android also supports split tunneling, auto-connect, and a kill switch to keep you private if your VPN connection drops.
This VPN is harder than CyberGhost, so it’s our second choice for newbies or those looking for something more advanced, but still definitely in newbie territory. Express VPN costs about $100 for the first 15 months of a multi-device subscription.
Read our full ExpressVPN review
5. Mullvad is the best Android VPN for privacy
pros
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Excellent privacy measures
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The best pseudonymous option
Minuses
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Not as many extra features as other options
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Not guaranteed to work with Netflix
No wonder Mullvad is our top choice for privacy. It’s simply unbeatable when it comes to the highest possible anonymity and online privacy when using a VPN. Unlike most other services, Mullvad doesn’t even ask for your email address. Instead, it generates a random account number and then you use it to log in and pay for the service. The service also accepts cash, as well as Bitcoin, PayPal and credit cards, giving you even more options to stay as anonymous as possible.
Mullvad promises it won’t track your browsing habits (like all the services in this review do), and it has good speeds. In our tests, Mullvad for Android maintained about 57 percent of the base speed. It’s not as good as some of the other services, but it’s definitely good enough for most uses. Mullvad charges €5 per month, which is just over $5 at the time of this writing.
Read our full Mullvad review
6. ProtonVPN – Best VPN Ranked #2 for Privacy
pros
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Good speed, but not as good as on Windows
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Lots of features
If Mullvad isn’t your speed then ProtonVPN is another good choice for privacy. This service is just one part of a larger set of services that includes ProtonMail, ProtonCalendar, and ProtonDrive. You don’t have to sign up for everything since ProtonVPN is available as a standalone service, though you can get a deal with ProtonMail if you want. In our tests, ProtonVPN maintained about 56 percent of the base speed. It has a wide selection of countries, its privacy policy makes all the right promises, and it supports streaming Netflix, TOR over VPN, and P2P on specific servers. It also has a security feature called Secure Core, which you can read about on the company’s website. ProtonVPN charges $71.88 for the first year.
Read our full ProtonVPN review
How We Tested
We use the same approach for Android as we do for Windows. We chose five locations in different countries and tested each one three times on three different days. We then took the average overall VPN performance as an average and then compared it to the average baseline speed. We then presented the percentage difference. The reason we do this instead of showing actual megabytes per second values is because these numbers can change based on a variety of factors such as your ISP, hardware, and time of day. What we really need to know is how much speed we lose when we connect to a VPN (it’s always a loss). This is an experience that is more likely to apply to various settings rather than specific speeds.
What to look for in a VPN
To get the most out of a VPN, you need to consider several factors. First, you need something that respects your privacy and logs as much information as you like. If that means no data at all, something like Mullvad or ProtonVPN is your best bet. If you don’t mind a little logging and your biggest concern is speed or Netflix support, then there are plenty of VPNs out there that will do the job. Speed is also a concern, as you want to make sure the service can support whatever you want to do, whether it’s video streaming, gaming, or just browsing the web. Working with a known amount is also critical as VPNs handle the kind of sensitive and personal data you need to know who’s behind the company and what their reputation is – reading reviews will help with that. Finally, after all this, think about the price and what fits your budget best. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll likely find a great VPN that’s right for you.
That’s it for our roundup of the top five VPNs for Android. If you want to learn more about VPN services, check out PCWorld’s full VPN review. While the reviews are focused on PC, almost all of the services we reviewed also offer an Android app.
If you’re interested in using a VPN with your other devices (which we highly recommend), check out some of our additional top VPN reviews to learn more: