5 Best VPNs for Gigabit Internet: Fastest Performers

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NordVPN is the best VPN for Gigabit internet to beat ISP throttling and get the most out of the internet plan you’re paying for.

Plus, it offers encrypted virtual IPs that stop your ISP from seeing the details of your internet activities. NordVPN also offers an extensive server network for unblocking restricted content, the proprietary NordLynx protocol, and dedicated IP addresses.

Alternatives that are just as good include CyberGhost (the largest server network), Surfshark (affordable price plans), ExpressVPN (fastest VPN speeds), and Hotspot Shield VPN (the best free version).

Therefore, if you want to get your money’s worth with your gigabit internet subscription without interference from your ISP or other parties, you’re in the right place.

Internet service providers will never openly admit to throttling speeds, but that’s a common practice in the industry.

And while, if caught, they might say they do it to manage network traffic, that’s not an excuse to throttle a 1GB internet plan to 500Mbps or less.

You deserve to use what you pay for – and I’m here to make that happen.

Bypass Speed Throttling on Your Gigabit Internet Using These VPNs

Here’s a quick overview of the VPN services that will help you get what you pay for:

  • NordVPN – Best Privacy for Bypassing Speed Throttling
  • CyberGhost – Largest Server Network With Minimal Server Load
  • Surfshark – Most Affordable VPN for Gigabit Internet
  • ExpressVPN – Fastest Overall With Lightway UDP Protocol
  • Hotspot Shield VPN – Best VPN for Gigabit Internet With a Free Version

Ready to know how you can protect your gigabit internet from your greedy ISP? Let’s go.

5 Best VPNs for Gigabit Internet

In this article, I’ll illustrate how these VPNs hide your internet activities from your ISP, the best settings for achieving the fastest speeds, and how to set up your VPN for gigabit internet.

BEST OVERALL

NordVPN - Best Privacy for Bypassing Speed Throttling

Location Servers Connections Speeds Best Deal
Panama 5,500+ 6 700+ Mbps Show Offer

NordVPN has the NordLynx protocol, which is unique to this VPN service.

It offers the best security and speeds, allowing you to beat any gigabit speed throttling by your internet service provider. The only other VPNs with unique protocols are ExpressVPN (Lightway) and Hotspot Shield (Hydra).

You can imagine my surprise when for the first time since I got my gigabit internet, I registered 700+ Mbps with NordVPN. I’ve never gone above 500+ Mbps on my regular connection! I need to find a lawyer.

On top of that, NordVPN has over 5,500 servers, including specialty ones.

For example, you can use the P2P servers for heavy downloads or other activities that require fast speeds.

A Speed feature also connects you to the nearest and fastest server, saving you from manually finding the fastest one.

Furthermore, NordVPN has Dedicated IP Addresses that give you an exclusive IP address you can use for all your online needs. That’s faster than shared IPs. However, it will cost you extra and is more expensive than CyberGhost and Surfshark’s dedicated IPs.

You can grab your discounted NordVPN deal before the offer runs out.

Pros

Cons

LARGEST SERVER NETWORK

CyberGhost - Largest Server Network With Minimal Server Load

Location Servers Connections Speeds Best Deal
Romania 9,500+ 7 650+ Mbps Show Offer

Next is CyberGhost VPN, with the largest server network of over 9,500.

It’s the least likely to have crowded servers that may slow down your gigabit internet.

CyberGhost also features torrenting, streaming, and gaming servers that you can use to connect to the fastest VPN servers with a single click.

Combine these virtual IP addresses and CyberGhost’s reliable IP masking, and your ISP won’t know what you’re up to. Even better, you can enjoy your 1000 Mbps internet without interruptions.

Like NordVPN, CyberGhost also offers Dedicated IP Addresses that cost extra but are cheaper than NordVPN. Without the burden of shared IPs, you can reliably handle bandwidth-heavy activities like torrenting, gaming, or 4K streaming without problems.

Although CyberGhost doesn’t have a unique protocol like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Hotspot Shield VPN, it features the WireGuard and IKEv2 protocols with a speedy VPN connection. However, the availability of these protocols varies across devices.

Additionally, CyberGhost gave me speeds I’ve never hit without a VPN, averaging over 650+ Mbps after several tests. A bit slower than NordVPN but still better than my ISP.

CyberGhost is also significantly cheaper than NordVPN and ExpressVPN and is the only VPN on this list with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

So grab our exclusive deals before they run out.

Pros

Cons

MOST AFFORDABLE

Surfshark - Most Affordable VPN for Gigabit Internet

Location Servers Connections Speeds Best Deal
The Netherlands 3,200+ Unlimited 800+ Mbps Show Offer

If you’re on a budget but still need to keep your ISP from throttling your gigabit internet, Surfshark is your best option.

This VPN service provider offers 3,200+ servers, smaller than CyberGhost and NordVPN. So there’s a chance of connecting to a crowded server during peak hours. However, like NordVPN and CyberGhost, there are specialized P2P servers you can use to get better speeds.

Additionally, Surfshark’s servers are optimized for speeds with a minimum of 1 Gbps ports. This gels very well with your gigabit internet speeds, allowing you to do whatever you want without significant drops.

Like CyberGhost, there’s no special protocol, so you’ll have to contend with WireGuard or IKEv2, which are still reliably fast.

And speaking of fast, Surfshark was faster than the first two VPNs.

I got slightly over 800 Mbps which was more than enough for my online gaming needs on my PS5.

The VPN also has Dedicated IP Addresses, so you can get faster speeds and safer connections. But like the other alternatives, you have to pay extra for this. It’s cheaper than NordVPN, though.

If this VPN meets your needs, take advantage of these fantastic discounts.

Pros

Cons

ExpressVPN - Fastest Overall With Lightway UDP Protocol

Location Servers Connections Speeds Best Deal
British Virgin Islands 3,000+ 5 850+ Mbps Show Offer

ExpressVPN is the opposite of Surfshark regarding pricing, as it is the most expensive VPN on this list. Furthermore, it only offers 3,000 servers, a far cry from the 9,000+ by CyberGhost.

But like Surfshark, it makes up for this limited server network with super fast servers that will bypass any speed throttling from your ISP.

ExpressVPN also has a unique protocol called Lightway UDP that rivals NordVPN’s NordLynx and Hotspot Shield’s Hydra.

Now, ExpressVPN was the fastest and the closest I got to 1000 Mbps.

When that speed test needle exceeded 850 Mbps, I was ready to get on one knee and propose to ExpressVPN.

These super fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth assured me of uninterrupted streaming, torrenting, and gaming on my gigabit internet.

However, ExpressVPN doesn’t offer Dedicated IP Addresses, so you’ll have to deal with shared servers. Still, based on my speed test, that shouldn’t be a problem for your gigabit internet needs.

The other good news is we have fantastic discounts to help you beat ExpressVPN’s high prices.

Pros

Cons

Hotspot Shield VPN - Best VPN for Gigabit Internet With a Free Version

Hotspot Shield website
Location Servers Connections Speeds Best Deal
United States 1,800+ 10 800+ Mbps Show Offer

Wrapping up our review of the most reliable VPNs for gigabit internet is Hotspot Shield VPN, the only one that offers a free version.

This is perfect for users wanting to try it without committing to a purchase.

However, Hotspot Shield has the smallest server network on this list at 1,800+. So while you can still hide heavy internet usage from your ISP, the chances of landing on a crowded server are high – especially with the free version.

Furthermore, the free version only grants access to one US VPN server.

Thus, I recommend opting for the premium version after sampling the VPN service.

Hotspot VPN surprised me by being the second fastest VPN after ExpressVPN, with over 800 Mbps through the Hydra protocol. Bypassing the annoying speed throttling by my ISP was a complete success.

So ensure you have the Hydra protocol active and choose a server closest to you for the best gigabit internet performance on Hotspot Shield VPN.

Lastly, Hotspot Shield VPN doesn’t offer Dedicated IP Addresses.

But again, the shared IPs work fine, judging from the fast speeds registered in my test.

Hotspot Shield VPN is also among the most affordable on this list, next to Surfshark, and you can grab discount deals when signing up.

hotspot shield price

Pros

Cons

How to Set up a VPN for Gigabit Internet?

You can set up NordVPN to work with your gigabit internet in the following quick steps.

  1. Subscribe to a NordVPN price plan using our exclusive discounts.
download nordvpn for mac
  1. Install the VPN on your preferred device. In my case, I used macOS.
  2. Launch the VPN and ensure you have the NordLynx protocol selected.
setting nordlynx protocol on nordvpn
  1. Connect to the closest server for better speeds and start enjoying throttle-free browsing.
nordvpn connected to south africa server

Ready to Experience Faster Internet?

As you can see, dealing with speed throttling isn’t hard, and each of these VPN providers offers several features that ensure you get what you pay for.

NordVPN remains my top recommendation, as it has everything you need to beat ISP throttling – including ultra-fast speeds and a proprietary protocol!

If you share my sentiments, remember to grab your NordVPN subscription deal and enjoy unbeatable discounts.

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