5 Fastest VPNs: Tested by Our Experts (2026)

NordVPN - Best Overall Fast VPN With NordLynx and P2P Servers

NordVPN is my top pick of the fastest VPNs I tested. It wasn’t the single quickest on my line, and I’ll be upfront about that, but it’s the one that combines near-top speed with the most ways to use it.

My favorite NordVPN feature is its NordLynx protocol, a WireGuard-based protocol that has topped independent lab speed tests more than once. When combined with suitable servers, it can surpass ExpressVPN’s speeds. On average, I got 27 Mbps in my tests, 1 Mbps behind Surfshark and 3 Mbps behind ExpressVPN.

So, not too far off on a 30 Mbps line.

The VPN is also good at keeping speed throttling at bay.

It even provides a dedicated IP feature which I tested to get 29 Mbps, within a single Mbps of the fastest result on my connection.

A NordVPN dedicated IP address costs extra, but it’s worth it if you want to sidestep crowded shared servers for good.

As one of the fastest VPN services, NordVPN also offers 8,400+ speed-optimized servers, the largest network of my top three, so crowding is rarely the bottleneck. Among these, you get P2P servers for torrenting.

I connected to one of these specialty P2P servers and downloaded a 2GB file within four minutes!

However, avoid using obfuscated or double VPN servers, as they’re the slowest on the provider.

That said, NordVPN doesn’t allow port forwarding, but its SOCKS5 proxies grant you super speeds without the encryption slowing things down. That’s a trick neither ExpressVPN nor Surfshark offers.

This was efficient when I tested it on The Pirate Bay and RARBG, slightly bumping up my download speeds compared to the P2P server.

Furthermore, this VPN service is compatible with portable devices running on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and Linux.

You can also connect up to 10 devices simultaneously, the same as ExpressVPN and PIA and three more than CyberGhost; only Surfshark’s unlimited plan beats it.

So why does it edge out ExpressVPN despite the 3 Mbps gap? Because it’s the more complete fast VPN: P2P specialty servers and SOCKS5 proxies are speed tools ExpressVPN doesn’t offer at all, its long-term plans cost noticeably less, and the gap itself is small on a 30 Mbps line. If every last Mbps matters more than any of that, ExpressVPN is two entries down.

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Surfshark - Most Affordable Fast VPN

Surfshark is a lightweight and affordable VPN that gives ExpressVPN a good run for its money. I conducted speed tests using three random servers on its WireGuard protocol since it doesn’t have an in-house protocol, averaging 28 Mbps, the second-fastest result in my tests and 1 Mbps ahead of NordVPN.

I took these speeds through real-life tests with live games and didn’t miss a minute of action from buffering.

The VPN also offers P2P support to torrent as much as you want without interference from your ISP. Unfortunately, Surfshark doesn’t offer port forwarding due to security issues, but that wasn’t a deal breaker for me.

After all, the 4,500+ servers are well-optimized for speeds, handling my downloads on The Pirate Bay like a champ.

But you should avoid the obfuscation feature called Camouflage Mode, which runs on the OpenVPN protocol and makes your internet traffic speeds take a hit.

This is where ExpressVPN shines better, retaining top speeds even with obfuscation enabled.

Surfshark now sells a dedicated IP as a paid add-on, and even without it, you get two useful alternatives:

• Static IPs: They’re shared but allow you to connect to the same server every time.
• MultiHop servers: To connect through two fast servers for that extra protection.

That said, Surfshark doesn’t offer SOCKS5 proxies, which is where NordVPN pulls ahead for torrenting.

This fast VPN service can be installed on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and Linux with unlimited simultaneous connections.

That, combined with the cheap price plans, makes this the best-value VPN on this list.

Why is it second rather than first? It beat NordVPN by a single Mbps, but NordVPN’s P2P specialty servers, SOCKS5 proxies, and nearly twice as many servers give you more ways to keep speeds high, and Surfshark’s obfuscation costs you far more speed. For a household splitting one subscription, though, it’s the smarter buy.

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ExpressVPN - Fastest VPN With Port Forwarding on Routers

ExpressVPN was the fastest VPN service in my tests, averaging 30 Mbps, my full base speed with zero loss.

I tested three servers from the US, South Africa, and Australia to balance out the locations, and it didn’t disappoint on any.

This 30 Mbps speed is enough to handle heavy 4K streaming and torrenting without worrying about speed throttling from my internet service provider.

While ExpressVPN has the smallest server network on this list, it compensates for that with three things.

First, its servers are constantly upgraded to keep up with user demands, even in crowded server locations. Second, there’s the reliable Lightway UDP protocol, one of the fastest in the game, alongside NordLynx (from NordVPN).

Finally, its automatic obfuscation allows you to beat VPN blocks in heavily censored regions without dropping your VPN connection speed.

ExpressVPN now sells a dedicated IP as a paid add-on too, so you’re no longer limited to shared IPs, though I didn’t speed-test it the way I did NordVPN’s.

For those that love torrenting, ExpressVPN offers port forwarding, but only through ExpressVPN-compatible routers like Linksys and Asus.

However, the forwarded ports operate outside the encrypted VPN tunnel.

In other words, you don’t get VPN protection anymore.

Lastly, you can use ExpressVPN on ten simultaneous connections on its Basic plan, spanning mobile phones, tablets, PCs, and even smart TVs.

I currently have it running on my Android phone and MacBook Air without issues.

Everything around that 30 Mbps is where NordVPN catches up. ExpressVPN costs more than any other VPN on this list, and the extra outlay doesn’t get you SOCKS5 proxies or specialty server categories, both of which NordVPN includes for less, so the 3 Mbps you gain come with fewer ways to put the bandwidth to work. If you want the quickest possible connection with obfuscation always on, though, ExpressVPN is still the one to beat.

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Private Internet Access - Fastest VPN With Full Port Forwarding Support

Private Internet Access is the only VPN on this list that allows full port forwarding. It even provides a specific button for this across its PC apps.

With the feature activated, I got average speeds of 26 Mbps in my tests, similar to CyberGhost.

Coupling this with the VPN’s ability to bypass speed throttling, you can comfortably handle heavy downloads, 4K streaming, and latency-free gaming anywhere.

Private Internet Access also offers SOCKS5 Proxies with a simple setup process to boost your torrent speeds, especially if you’re heavy on torrenting.

I tested and compared it with the regular P2P servers and saw an 11% speed boost.

Like Surfshark, PIA also offers MultiHop, which is more advanced.

It’s combined with obfuscation which means you can beat VPN connection blocks without losing a significant chunk of your speed.

Recall that the closest rival is ExpressVPN, with its reliably fast and automatic obfuscation on all servers and protocols.

This VPN provider doesn’t have in-house protocols like NordVPN and ExpressVPN, but it performed well on the speed front through WireGuard and IKEv2. You also get a dedicated IP address as an add-on for better speeds since you’re the only one on such servers.

I tested this, and my speeds went up by another 2Mbps.

So, I highly recommend getting one yourself for that extra performance boost.

Finally, Private Internet Access is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS devices with ten simultaneous connections through one account.

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CyberGhost - Specialty Servers for Streaming & Torrenting

The last on this list is CyberGhost, with the largest server network of over 9000. That alone bodes well for the overall speed performance since the chances of ending up on a crowded server are minimal.

I tested three random servers and got average speeds of 26 Mbps, making it the joint-fourth with PIA.

While this VPN has no unique protocols, it offers streaming and torrenting servers optimized for the fastest speeds. I could stream Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, etc., without buffering, and my downloads finished in record times.

CyberGhost also offers a dedicated IP address as an add-on. I tested it separately over the dedicated IPs, and my speeds slightly improved. So, try that if you’re tired of shared IPs and want exclusivity.

That said, this VPN has two speed-focused protocols, WireGuard and IKEv2, but no in-house protocols like NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

All my tests were conducted on WireGuard, but there shouldn’t be a considerable gap when you use IKEv2.

Furthermore, you can connect up to 7 devices simultaneously with a CyberGhost account. These connections are valid for Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and Linux devices.

You’ll also find that the VPN is affordable, especially if you grab these fantastic deals while they last.

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