While online privacy is slowly becoming a myth, it’s more important than ever for users to safeguard their digital identity. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) lets you connect to a remote server by encrypting your personal data and masking your IP address. VPNs can also bypass censorship, allowing users to access blocked websites and apps in restrictive countries. If you are looking for the best VPN services in 2025 that offer strong privacy protections, check out our list.
1. Proton VPN
Proton VPN is arguably one of the best VPN services you can use in 2025. I say this because Proton VPN offers a free plan with access to some important server locations while delivering great speeds. On top of that, it has a strong commitment to privacy with a strict no-logs policy even for free users, and the service is entirely open-source and audited by independent experts.
The only con with the free plan is that you can only use one device with a single account. But apart from that, Proton VPN excels on all fronts. It operates out of Switzerland so your privacy is protected by strong EU laws. If you choose to get the paid plan, you can access more than 13,880 servers across the world with AES-256 encryption.
If you are looking to bypass age verification in the UK, Proton VPN is an excellent choice. You can use this VPN to bypass age verification on X (formerly Twitter), Discord, or any other service.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No-logs policy, based out of Switzerland | Free plan has limited servers |
| Offers a free plan | |
| Access to 13,880 servers |
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is a premium VPN service and it offers more than 8,100 servers covering 126 countries. There is no free plan with this VPN, but you get a reliable VPN connection and strong security protections. NordVPN is headquartered in Panama so you are covered by strong privacy laws.
Similar to Proton VPN, NordVPN also mentions that it has a strict no-logs policy and supports industry-standard AES-256 encryption. It’s compatible with OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard protocols to make the connection private and secure. While there is no free plan, you get a 3-day free trial on Android and a 30-day money-back guarantee for all users.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No-logs policy, based out of Panama | No free plan |
| Support for OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard protocols | |
| Access to 8,100 servers |
3. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is another premium VPN service that you can consider, especially if you are looking to bypass age restrictions in the UK. It’s based in the British Virgin Islands which doesn’t have a data retention law, which aids in protecting user privacy. It has servers in more than 105 countries worldwide and offers superior speeds than many VPNs out there.
ExpressVPN also maintains that it doesn’t log your online activity and that its source code is verified by independent audits. Bear in mind that ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a free plan, but with the paid plan, you can connect up to 8 devices at once.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No-logs policy, based out of British Virgin Islands | No free plan |
| High speed performance | |
| Servers in 105 countries |
4. Mullvad
Mullvad is known as a privacy-focused VPN service that collects no user information at all. If you are serious about protecting your online identity, Mullvad is the VPN to get. It’s based out of Sweden, and has 732 servers in 49 countries. It supports the WireGuard protocol along with OpenVPN to offer a fast and private internet connection.
Mullvad states that it doesn’t keep activity logs of any kind, making it a truly no-logs VPN service. As you might have guessed, there is no free plan with this VPN, so you must get the paid plan to access this service. The best part about Mullvad is that you don’t even need an email or name to create an account.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Based out of Sweden, doesn’t collect user data at all | No free plan |
| 732 servers in 49 countries | |
| Supports WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols |
5. TunnelBear
TunnelBear is a VPN service you can use if you want to bypass age restrictions in the UK for free. It offers 2GB of data per month to free users which is reasonable. TunnelBear was founded in Canada, but it was later acquired by McAfee, moving its jurisdiction to the US. That said, TunnelBear maintains that it has a strict no-logs policy and supports strong protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2.
The company also says that it publishes annual security audits and doesn’t sell or monitor browsing data. It also has presence in more than 47 countries which should be enough for light VPN usage. Overall, after Proton VPN, TunnelBear is another worthy free VPN service that you can try.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Servers in 49 countries | Some privacy concerns |
| Offers 2GB data under the free plan | |
| Supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols |
6. Private Internet Access (PIA)
Private Internet Access, or PIA is one of the oldest VPN providers, and it has servers in more than 91 countries. It’s based in the US, and states that it “never tracks, records, or stores any kind of usage data.” Basically, just like premium VPN services, PIA has a strict no-logs policy. Apart from that, its apps are fully open-source, and anybody can inspect them.
On top of that, PIA delivers unlimited bandwidth and data speeds, no matter which server you connect to. And it’s also available on a range of platforms and web browsers, making it one of the best VPN services in 2025. That said, there is no free tier with this VPN, so you must get a paid plan to access its services.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Large network, servers in 91 countries | No free plan |
| Strict no-logs policy | |
| Unlimited bandwidth |
7. Windscribe
Windscribe is one of the best VPN services that I regularly use on my PC. It offers a generous free plan with 10GB of data per month. Not only that, its network spans over 69 countries and brings access to 134 cities around the world. So if you are looking to bypass age restrictions on X (formerly Twitter) or Discord in the UK, Windscribe is a great free VPN to pick.
Just so you know, Windscribe is based in Canada, but its privacy stance has earned trust among users. In addition, it uses AES-256 encryption and supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols. And the company says that it follows a strict no-logs policy.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers a free plan, up to 10GB per month | Inconsistent speeds on some locations |
| Strict no-logs policy | |
| Servers in 69 countries |
8. Surfshark
Surfshark is our final VPN recommendation which has servers in more than 100 countries. It’s based in the Netherlands and maintains a strict no-logs policy for any user activity. It brings support for top-notch protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 for secure communication. On top of that, Surfshark has been audited by independent experts to verify the privacy safeguards.
Note that this VPN doesn’t offer a free tier so you will have to pay for the paid plan. However, you get a 7-day free trial on mobile and a 30-day money-back guarantee. All in all, for reliable and broader coverage, you can definitely check out Surfshark.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Based in Netherlands, strict no-logs policy | No free plan |
| Servers in 100 countries | |
| Unlimited devices per account |
So these are the best VPN services to consider in 2025. In this list, I have tried to include only those VPN providers that are headquartered in countries with strong privacy laws. I have also added a few VPNs that have consistently earned user trust over the years. And if you want a free, but trustworthy VPN, you can find one in this list.
