Top VPN Providers for 2025

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Proton VPN is my No. 1 VPN for most users, especially those who have some familiarity with the technology. It prioritizes user privacy, boasts a vast network of high-performing servers, and includes all the essential security features I look for in a premium VPN, along with some extra perks. While there's a paid version worth investing in, there’s also a completely free tier of Proton VPN that you can use anytime. It limits you to a few crowded servers and lacks many features, but the lack of data limits makes it the best free VPN in my opinion.{
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Proton VPN is the first and only VPN to receive the prestigious Hotnchill Choice Award, excelling in trustworthiness, performance, user-friendliness, and value. The most crucial aspect is its commitment to digital privacy; Proton VPN genuinely prioritizes this, rather than merely using it as a marketing tactic. It was the first VPN to open-source its apps in 2020 and has undergone annual audits of its infrastructure and operations to verify its no-logs policy since 2022. Anyone can access the audit results without needing to create an account. While it would have been ideal if the company had started these audits at launch in 2017, it's significant that its no-logs policy was upheld in court back in 2019. Proton VPN has also maintained a transparency report since 2018, demonstrating that it has never complied with any legal requests for user information to date. The company has a longstanding commitment to supporting online freedom initiatives globally, truly practicing what it preaches.

In terms of performance, the paid "Plus" version of Proton VPN performed exceptionally well during my testing—so much so that it felt like I wasn't using a VPN at all. All the servers I tried were reliable and fast, regardless of their location. I was even able to successfully bypass a geo-restriction on a UK streaming service from my home in Chicago. As of March 2025, Proton VPN’s extensive server network includes over 12,000 locations across 117 countries, making it unmatched in size and geographic diversity. 

Proton VPN's modern, minimalistic app features a comprehensive server list, a map, and tools to customize your protection level, including multi-hop servers ("Secure Core"), an ad/malware/tracker blocker ("NetShield"), a kill switch, Tor servers, and split tunneling. Users benefit from up to 10 simultaneous connections and on-demand support through live chat. There's also a 30-day money-back guarantee if you decide it's not the right fit for you or if you wish to downgrade to Proton VPN Free.

While split tunneling is currently available only on Proton VPN's Windows and Android apps, the roadmap for spring/summer 2025 indicates that macOS and Linux support is on the way. This roadmap is quite impressive, suggesting that Proton VPN will continue to evolve positively over time.

Although Proton VPN's free tier has limitations, there are no data usage caps, which is a notable advantage. It’s supported by the provider's paid subscribers, so there are no ads, and no credit card information is required for signup. However, choosing this tier means you’ll miss out on most of Proton VPN’s features, except for the kill switch and its proprietary "Stealth" protocol for bypassing censorship. Additionally, users do not have full access to the server network and cannot select which server to connect to, which affects location spoofing and content unblocking. In my experience, many of Proton VPN’s free servers were often congested and slow, but it can serve for regular browsing if you’re willing to search for a less busy server.