No matter the purpose of your VPN — whether you want to use a VPN for gaming, streaming or browsing the internet — you need a VPN that can offer you fast connection speeds.
A fast VPN prevents buffering and allows you to download, browse and entertain yourself online without interruptions. Below, we’ve pitted some of the best VPN providers in the world against each other and let them battle it out on one component: speed.
We’ve run multiple extensive speed tests, reviewed each VPN’s speeds while gaming and streaming, and tested servers from across the world. Keep reading to find the fastest VPN for your preferences!
Top 5 Fastest VPNs: Short Overview
Below, you can see our shortlist of fastest VPN providers, based on our test results. We’ve based our list of the fastest VPNs on local connection speeds, as well as distant VPN servers.
For gaming and browsing, we recommend using a VPN with high speeds on local servers and a low ping. For streaming, you’re better off with a VPN that can maintain speeds on servers that are further away.
Testing Methodology: Finding Out Which VPN is the Fastest
When testing speeds, we’ve paid specific attention to download speeds, which indicate how fast the VPN will be for general use. On top of that, we let the VPN choose the optimal server to see how it compares to our baseline speed (204.02 Mbps).
To keep the results consistent, we ensure that we always test all VPNs from the same location — our office in the Netherlands — with the same wired connection, during the same time window.
We’ve tested a total of 10 VPNs via speedtest.net, a reputable speed testing site.
Fastest VPNs: Local Servers
Below, you can find our speed test results for US-based servers. Keep in mind that these speeds are a reflection of local circumstances — it’s possible you might get different results when testing from your own location.
#1 Fastest VPN (Local): NordVPN
NordVPN is the fastest VPN we’ve tested. As in our latest speed testing circuit, NordVPN comes out on top, maintaining up to 95% of the normal connection speed on nearby servers. With NordVPN, there’s no noticeable speed drop when using a VPN — not even when streaming, gaming, or downloading!
Since NordVPN works especially well on local servers, it’s the perfect streaming VPN. You can easily unblock regional streaming services, as well as those in different countries. Do you want to torrent with your VPN? Use NordVPN’s dedicated P2P servers for fast torrenting!
On top of that, NordVPN is a fantastic VPN in terms of privacy and security. Thanks to its RAM-only servers and strict no-logs policy, your data is kept safe at all times. Combined with its lightning-fast speeds, this makes NordVPN our #1 best VPN of the moment. And you can get a NordVPN subscription for just $ 3.09/month.
Pros
- NordLynx protocol keeps up to 95% of speeds
- Strong encryption (256-bit AES) and secure VPN protocols
- Verified no-logs policy
- Unblocks major streaming services with ease
Cons
- Log in via browser (briefly unprotected)
Do you want to learn more about this VPN? Check out our comprehensive NordVPN review for more information!
#2 Fastest VPN (Local): IPVanish
IPVanish proved itself to be a very fast VPN with stable servers throughout our entire testing circuit. Besides its stellar speed test results, maintaining up to 95% of connection speeds, this VPN also provided us with a smooth experience in daily use.
With barely any speed loss, this VPN is perfect for gaming, streaming, and torrenting. Its apps are user-friendly and perfect for beginners. There are lots of instructional guides you can use to optimize your VPN use with IPVanish. Additionally, a single IPVanish account covers unlimited devices, and IPVanish pricing begins at only $2.19/month.
One downside to IPVanish is that its headquarters are located in the United States, which collects and exchanges user data with other countries of the 5 Eyes alliance. On top of that, the VPN keeps some anonymized logs. For this reason, we usually recommend other VPNs over IPVanish.
Pros
- Maintains up to 94% of connection speeds
- Can be used for streaming, torrenting, and gaming
- User-friendly apps and strong customer support
- Great value-for-money: can be used on unlimited devices
Cons
- Headquarters located in the United States (5 Eyes)
- Keeps anonymous logs
For more information about IPVanish, read our full IPVanish review.
#3 Fastest VPN (Local): CyberGhost
On local servers, CyberGhost takes the third spot. This fast VPN also managed to maintain speeds up to 95% and runs seamlessly in the background of your device.
A great benefit to CyberGhost is the fact that it has dedicated servers for gaming, streaming and torrenting. We use these servers frequently and are always impressed by its speeds and stable connections!
In terms of privacy and security, CyberGhost also delivers. This VPN is 100% no-logs and offers fantastic features, including DNS leak protection and an adblocker. You can also add CyberGhost’s antivirus solution, Security Suite, to your subscription.
Pros
- Maintains up to 94% of original speeds
- Dedicated servers for streaming, gaming, and torrenting
- Strict no-log policy
- 45-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Speeds may vary per server
To get more information about this VPN, read our full CyberGhost review.
Fastest VPNs: Distant Servers
Generally, some speed loss is to be expected on distant servers. Luckily, the VPNs below performed extremely well in our tests and can easily be used for unblocking foreign streaming servers or visiting websites and apps when you’re traveling.
#1 Fastest VPN (Distant): IPVanish
IPVanish is our best VPN for distant servers: when connecting to an American server from the Netherlands, IPVanish managed to keep 93% of the original speeds. This is very impressive! We could easily stream without any lags or buffering.
During our tests, we were able to unblock many different streaming services including Netflix USA, HBO Max, and Disney Plus. Sometimes, we needed to change between servers — something we don’t often have to do with competitor VPN NordVPN. Unfortunately, we couldn’t unblock Amazon Prime.
When looking at speed on distant servers alone, IPVanish is your best bet. However, for other intents, the other VPN services in this list are better suited.
Pros
- Keeps up to 93% of speed on distant servers
- Streaming without buffering and lags
- Unblock major streaming services, including Disney and Netflix
Cons
- Unable to unblock Amazon Prime Video
#2 Fastest VPN (Distant): ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a fast and privacy-focused VPN that’s almost as fast on distant servers as on nearby servers. If you wish to browse, download or stream with your VPN, you’re all set with this powerhouse VPN: ExpressVPN maintains up to 92% of original speeds on its Lightway protocol.
This protocol is based on WireGuard, one of the safest and fastest VPN protocols. When running our connection via WireGuard we were able to stream foreign streaming sites without any buffering, including BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and more.
Since ExpressVPN is also a very trustworthy no-log VPN that comes with a wide range of security features, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with this provider. The only downside is the fact that the costs are a tad more expensive, comparatively.
Pros
- Maintains up to 92% of speed on distant servers
- Unblocks foreign streaming services easily
- Trustworthy no-logs VPN
Cons
- Comparatively more expensive than other VPNs
See how ExpressVPN fared in our testing and read our full ExpressVPN review.
#3 Fastest VPN (Distant): NordVPN
Hot on ExpressVPN’s heels, in our #3 spot: NordVPN. This VPN manages to keep up to 92% of connection speed on a distant server. In daily use, this means you won’t even notice that NordVPN is running in the background of your device.
Not only were we able to unblock the American version of Netflix from our office in the Netherlands, we could also easily access 19 other foreign Netflix libraries from all over the world.
Since NordVPN offers dedicated IP addresses and obfuscated servers, you minimize the chance that your VPN gets detected and (potentially) blocked by a streaming service. Based on our tests, NordVPN is a solid VPN for lots of purposes and we recommend it with full confidence!
Pros
- Maintains up to 92% of speeds on faraway speeds
- Unblocks many major streaming platforms
- Has obfuscated servers to circumvent geo-blocks
- Offers dedicated IP addresses
Cons
- Log in via browser (temporarily unprotected)
Speed Test Comparison: Full Test Results
Let’s have a closer look at our VPN speed comparison results. We’ve looked at nearby servers, as well as more distant servers to assess speeds on both fronts.
Speed test results: nearby servers
As you’ll see, VPNs cause a little bit of a speed drop, no matter which service you use. Luckily, with the fastest VPNs in the market this speed loss will be very minimal.
The benefit of connecting to a nearby server is that your VPN connection will generally be fast and stable. The best VPN for speed, NordVPN, maintained up to 95% of original speeds in our testing. In fact, all three of the fastest VPNs got similar results.
| Provider | Download speed (Mbps) | Upload speed (Mbps) | Ping (ms) | % Download speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 204,02 | 242,53 | 3 | 100% |
| NordVPN | 194,63 | 88,03 | 6 | 95,40% |
| IPVanish | 194,42 | 237,00 | 4 | 95,29% |
| CyberGhost | 194,29 | 27,03 | 7 | 95,23% |
| OVPN | 193,80 | 235,59 | 6 | 94,99% |
| ExpressVPN | 193,67 | 35,23 | 6 | 94,93% |
| Mullvad | 192,40 | 196,27 | 10 | 94,30% |
| Kaspersky VPN | 192,35 | 237,43 | 9 | 94,30% |
| Hide.me | 191,47 | 145,50 | 4 | 93,85% |
| PIA | 187,73 | 135,96 | 7 | 92,02% |
| Surfshark | 185,39 | 190,91 | 8 | 90,87% |
Speed test results: distant servers
When trying to connect to a server on the other side of the world — in our case, servers in the United States, Brazil, Japan, Australia etc. — you will generally experience more of drop in speed.
As you can see, NordVPN and IPVanish appear again in our top 3, maintaining about 92% of speeds. Such impressive speeds are a real plus!
| Provider | Download speed (Mbps) | Upload speed (Mbps) | Ping (ms) | % Download speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 204,02 | 242,53 | 3 | 100% |
| IPVanish | 190,49 | 6,08 | 89 | 93,37% |
| ExpressVPN | 187,08 | 7,84 | 86 | 91,70% |
| NordVPN | 186,90 | 9,32 | 81 | 91,61% |
| Surfshark | 184,03 | 6,72 | 160 | 90,20% |
| Kaspersky VPN | 182,83 | 120,90 | 91 | 89,61% |
| CyberGhost | 179,67 | 4,69 | 99 | 88,06% |
| OVPN | 176,67 | 213,81 | 81 | 86,59% |
| PIA | 158,69 | 7,69 | 91 | 77,78% |
| Mullvad | 146,42 | 213,70 | 80 | 71,77% |
| Hide.me | 144,43 | 123,17 | 107 | 70,79% |
Important Notes on VPN Connection Speeds
When testing internet speeds it’s important to keep as many factors consistent as possible. Even so, differences in speed can still be caused by a variety of things:
- Your base connection speed: Unfortunately, a VPN can’t improve your base speed, especially on a Wi-Fi connection. If you’ve got a fast connection, you won’t experience many disruptions when connecting to a VPN server. On the flip side, a slow connection won’t likely be improved by a VPN.
- Physical distance: The distance between your device and the VPN server is an important factor for speed. Want to get an optimal connection? Choose a VPN server near your real location. This will usually connect you to the fastest VPN server.
- VPN Protocol: Some VPN protocols are designed to provide you with speed. A VPN protocol that’s very fast and still secure is WireGuard, which is ideal for streaming. OpenVPN speeds can also be really good.
- Server load: You won’t be the only person trying to connect to a VPN server. Depending on the time of day, some popular VPN servers can get overcrowded.
How to Improve Your VPN Speeds
If you are connected to a VPN server but your connection speeds are slow, there are a few things you can try to improve your VPN speeds:
- Restart your device: If there are issues with your base connection, this is how you may resolve unstable speeds.
- Switch servers: Some servers are faster than others so trying a different server in the same location might do the trick and get you faster speeds.
- Change protocols: We recommend connecting to WireGuard for the fastest speeds, but in some cases switching to a different protocol will improve your connection.
- Use a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi.
- Try speed-related features within your VPN settings, if there are any: some VPNs indicate speeds on different servers. Alternatively, your phone also might have some settings to improve your speeds, such as the Small Packets setting on Android.
Summary: Which VPN is Super Fast?
Speed is one of the most important features of any VPN. With a slow VPN, you’ll struggle to do just about anything, including downloading files, watching movies or playing games. So, what is the fastest VPN in the world?
We’ve tested 10 different VPN providers to find you the best high-speed VPN. Our conclusion is clear: NordVPN is the fastest VPN and best VPN for high-speed internet, especially on nearby servers. Luckily, it has also made our top 3 for distant servers, thanks to its fast protocols and reliable servers!
With the 30-day money-back guarantee you can test NordVPN for yourself.
Want to know more about the best VPNs for a specific purpose? Check out our articles below:
Do you need a quick answer to your questions? Click on one of the frequently asked questions, or leave a comment below! We’ll help you figure it out in no time.
According to our tests, NordVPN is the fastest VPN service for local servers. The speeds achieved by this provider are comparable to the speed of our connection without a VPN, which highlights NordVPN’s excellent performance.
In certain situations, a VPN may be able to increase your internet speeds. For example, if your local ISP throttles your speed, it can help to connect to a VPN server somewhere else for a better connection. Generally, however, a VPN decreases your speeds.
How many Mbps you need for a VPN, depends on what you want to use your VPN for. For browsing, you need at least 5 – 10 Mbps. For streaming in HD and 4K, you need at least 25 Mbps, though it depends a bit on the service.
Most VPN providers will slow down your internet connection with about 10 – 20%. If you have a fast base connection, you’ll still be able to browse, stream, and game with ease.
Yes, free VPNs often come with restrictions, including speed throttling. Moreover, free servers can quickly get crowded, causing speeds to drop.
NordVPN has the best ping results for smooth streaming, browsing, and gaming.
Yes, a VPN slows down your internet connection to a certain extent. However, with a good premium VPN you won’t notice this minimal speed drop at all.
