A few events in internet history have completely changed the way we look and use the internet. With the growing numbers of data breaches across the internet, privacy, and online security have taken center stage in recent years, especially after the Facebook data breach scandal which took the world by storm. It is important to secure yourself online or else the next thing you know is that your data will be up for grabs in shady places and what better way to do so than using a VPN?
For those unaware, VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and it helps you protect your identity online by masking your private IP address, blocking online trackers, and encrypting your data. By doing so, it also gives users access to geo-restricted content on the internet. VPNs are available on a wide range of personal devices but if you’re especially looking for one to use on your Android phone, here are the 10 best VPNs for Android.
What to Look for in a Good VPN Service?
What makes a VPN service great? Good connectivity, better speeds, cheaper subscription cost? Well, it’s a bit of everything. Besides, there are also a few things you should look out for before buying one. Firstly, you should see if the VPN you are using is encrypting your data or not. Then you should see if the VPN follows a strict no-logging policy (Which is that the VPN doesn’t take a log of your activities on the Internet). The last is the location of the company that owns the VPN.
So, as a rule of thumb, your perfect VPN provider should be encrypting all your data, shouldn’t be keeping a log of your activities, and also not be based in a country where the government cannot easily get access to the company’s data (read Russia, China, North Korea). With this little burst of wisdom, let us check out the best VPNs for Android.
Top VPN Apps for Android Mobile Users
1. NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the best VPN services that you can get for your Android device as it fulfills all the major criteria that we discussed above. This Panama-based company encrypts all your data and clearly mentions that it doesn’t keep a log of your browsing data. Besides, it also comes with lots of other features that we could talk about but this article would never end.
Another benefit of using NordVPN is that with a single premium account, you can secure up to 6 devices which can include Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows devices. NordVPN also brings very fast connection speeds thanks to its worldwide server locations. As of writing this, the company runs over 5,000 remote servers in 59 countries, with the largest number of servers located in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Australia, France, and Sweden. This makes it one of the best VPNs for Android.
Pros Cons Great for content consumption Uses the slower OpenVPN protocol Wide presence unlocks wider content Great app UI/UX Easy to use and one-tap connection Pretty affordable
Price: Free, premium subscription starts at $5.99/month effective – billed annually
Install: NordVPN
2. ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN or any Proton service, in fact, is built around protecting user privacy. Not only does the company encrypt user data but it also takes extra precaution by first passing user traffic through their Secure Core network in privacy-friendly countries like Switzerland and Iceland, and then redirect it to the countries where the user wants to connect to. The company operates 3000 remote servers in over 65 different countries including countries like the USA, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and more.
Proton is based in Switzerland, a country that is held high for its strict privacy laws. Hence, it doesn’t keep a log of the user’s browsing history. Another great feature of ProtonVPN is that it also integrates with the Tor anonymity network allowing users to access Onion sites with just one click, making it a great VPN option for Android users with privacy in mind.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great overall VPN service | Expensive |
| Wide presence across countries | |
| Great app UI/UX | |
| Easy to use | |
| Extremely privacy-focused | |
Price: Free for one device, basic tier starts at 5€/month – billed biennially.
Install: ProtonVPN
3. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is deemed one of the best VPNs for consuming geo-blocked streaming services and for various other use cases and has been one of the go-to VPN services for millions of people around the world. Some of the best things about ExpressVPN, among many others, are — it’s a British Virgin Islands-based (which has no data retention laws), it’s fast which makes it one of the best VPNs for consuming content, and it has a strict no-logging policy.
ExpressVPN has a wide presence with over 3000 servers in 94 countries. It’s available on nearly all platforms and masks your address, ensuring strict privacy. The pricing may seem to be on the expensive side but overall, it’s one of the best VPNs for Android.
Price: Starts at $8.32/month – billed annually
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great for content consumption | Expensive |
| Wide presence unlocks wider content | No Multi-hop connection available (Available on Surfshark which is way more affordable than Express) |
| Great app UI/UX | |
| Easy to use and one-tap connection | |
Install: ExpressVPN
4. Surfshark VPN
Surfshark like any other VPN helps you access blocked websites and region-locked content by routing your IP address. It’s a great choice if you want premium features but don’t want to spend much on the subscription. Surfshark also follows a strict no-logging policy and is based in the Netherlands. Surfshark also has a really good Android app with a clean and user-friendly UI/UX.
That said, Surfshark has over 3200 servers across 144 countries, which makes it one of the most widespread VPN services in the world. It encrypts your data and comes with a Camouflage mode, which, as the name suggests, hides your IP address online, making your connection more private. Surfshark is, by far, one of the cheapest VPNs for Android on the list starting at just $3.35 a month effectively for the first 25 months.
Pros Cons Great for content consumption Might not be good for torrenting Wide presence unlocks wider content Great app UI/UX Multi-hop connection Very affordable
Price: Free, basic tier starts at $3.35/month – Annually
Install: Surfshark VPN
5. TunnelBear VPN
TunnelBear is one of the most popular VPN services because it’s fast, secure, and reliable. It is also deemed one of the most transparent VPN firms as it releases a yearly independently audited report which serves as a testament to their commitment to user privacy security. The best part about the TunnelBear Android app is that it gives users 2GB of free bandwidth the browse via the VPN.
The faster network speeds are due to its wide worldwide presence spanning 20 countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, and Japan among others.
Pros Cons Decent for general usage Slow for streaming content (Netflix blocks it) Good app UI/UX Things unclear after Mcaffee acquisition Easy to use and one-tap connection Slow speeds Quite affordable
Price: Free, basic tier starts at $3.33/month – billed annually
Install: TunnelBear
6. Private Internet Access VPN
Private Internet Access is a prominent name in the VPN space and it is one of the best VPNs for Android. The service lets users browse anonymously with a hidden IP and adds encryption on top to secure the data you receive or send out. It claims to provide state-of-the-art multi-layered security with advanced privacy protection using VPN tunneling.
PIA has a great UI/UX and is very easy to use. The connection speeds are also really good as the service has 3041 bare metal servers in 75 countries; hence, the chances that the content you want to unlock and watch is high. PIA is also quite affordable at $2.03/month for the three-year plan.
Pros Cons Decent for general usage Could be a bit slow at times, especially for streaming Good app UI/UX Easy to use and one-tap connection Quite affordable Encrypted and Private
Price: Basic tier starts at $2.03/month – billed annually
Install: PIA VPN
7. Windscribe VPN
Windscribe is also a very good VPN service that allows you to unlock geo-restricted content and browse the web privately. The service encrypts your browsing activity, blocks ads, and stops online trackers from tracking yours across websites. One of the best parts about using Windscribe is that it neither records your browsing data and nor leaks your DNS information. Windscribe is also very easy to use allowing users to connect to its service with just one tap.
Windscribe also offers one of the largest server coverage of all the VPN services. At the time of writing this article, Windscribe has servers covering 100 cities in 52 countries across the globe which is excellent for network speeds. Windscribe also has an ad-blocker to block all the nasty ads. If you are looking for a good VPN service for your Android device, this is one of the best in the market. Did we tell you you can build your own plans based on the regions you choose? Pretty cool right?
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Decent for general usage | Not many locations and servers |
| Good app UI/UX | Has unencrypted servers in Ukraine |
| Easy to use and one-tap connection | Comparatively slow |
| Quite affordable | |
Price: Free, basic tier starts at $5.75/month – billed annually
Install: Windscribe
8. CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost is another great VPN that’s available across devices, has a no-logs policy, hides your IP online with strong encryption, and gives you faster speed to watch content. Its Android app is great and has a nice UI/UX. CyberGhost claims that it’s optimized for Netflix in the US, Denmark, and France, with optimizations to Hulu and Crunchyroll, which instantly makes it a great pick for Anime watchers. Besides, its presence in over 100 counties with over 8000 servers makes it a reliable pick.
Pros Cons Great for general usage and streaming Holes in privacy terms and conditions Good app UI/UX Slow for downloads and torrenting Easy to use and one-tap connection Affordable
Price: Starts at $2.19/month – billed biennially
Install: CyberGhost
9. IP Vanish
IP Vanish is an old player in the VPN space and has proved to be one of the most reputed VPN services people can get. It markets itself as one of the best VPNs for video streaming and privacy and should hopefully deliver on the same. It features all the basic things such as encryption, masking, and a proxy web server, and is located in 75 regions for faster and unlimited connectivity. The IP Vanish app is one of the top-rated VPN apps on the Play Store, which says a lot about its service, making it one of the best VPN apps for Android.
Pros Cons Great for general usage and streaming Not the widest availability Easy to use and one-tap connection Been caught once for data logging Forced 256-bit encryption Medicore app UI/UX Affordable
Price: Starts at $2.99/month – billed biennially
Install: IP Vanish
10. Vypr VPN
Vypr VPN is another great Android VPN that uses the WireGuard VPN protocol, which is a faster protocol than Open VPN which most other VPN services use. Vypr VPN also has a strict no-logs policy, meaning your personal data is safe from prying eyes. Besides, the Vypr VPN app for Android is pretty good with an easy-to-use UI and one-touch connection. Overall, it’s a great Android VPN app for those who want to watch geo-locked movies and download content.
Pros Cons Great for general usage and streaming Not the widest availability Strict no-logs policy Takes time to connect. Isn’t as instant. Affordable
Price: Starts at 5 EUR/month – billed annually
Install: Vypr VPN
So, this is our list of the best VPNs for Android that you can use right now. Now, if you are on the lookout for the best VPNs for iPhone, Windows, or Linux, we have comprehensive guides for the same that you can check out. Moreover, let us know in the comments section which VPN has been your Android’s best friend so far.
