There are hundreds of VPNs available, and since many of them offer mobile apps, it can be difficult to choose the right solution for your iOS or Android phone or tablet. Based on our extensive research and hands-on VPN testing over the years, we've identified the following factors to consider when choosing the best mobile VPN for your needs and budget:
Confidentiality
If there's one thing you can't compromise on when choosing a VPN, it's privacy. Your VPN should use standard 256-bit AES encryption (with OpenVPN and IKEv2). VPN protocols) or ChaCha20 with WireGuard, as well as basic privacy protections such as emergency switchDNS leak protection and verified No logs policy. Most VPNs offer a choice of VPN protocol, and generally we have found WireGuard and its derivatives or equivalents to be faster than OpenVPN or IKEv2.
If you have high privacy requirements, you will need a VPN provider based in privacy-friendly jurisdiction. You should also look for a VPN company that provides entanglement and has a RAM-only server architecture. Additional privacy features to look out for include the Tor over VPN feature, which uses Thor to make it even more difficult to trace your traffic to its source, ad blockers and trackers and multihop connections, making it even more difficult to trace your traffic back to its source across multiple VPN connections. These features may provide increased privacy, but are not absolutely necessary for regular users.
It's also a good idea to choose a VPN that has a proven track record of being reliable and transparent. One of the best ways to immediately determine whether a VPN provider is confident in its privacy policy is whether it regularly publishes the results of audits conducted by a trustworthy third party. An audit does not provide a complete picture of privacy, but can still serve as an important signal of trust.
ExpressVPN, Nord VPN, and Surfshark are some of the fastest VPNs we've tested.
Speed
The speed of your mobile VPN connection can have a significant impact on the quality of your streaming, downloading, video conferencing, gaming, and general online activities. To keep things running as smoothly as possible, you'll need a VPN that will have minimal impact on your regular internet speed, whether you're using Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Here's how the VPNs we tested performed in terms of speed.
| Supplier | Loss of speed |
|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | 18% |
| Surfshark | 21% |
| NordVPN | 3% |
Ease of use
A mobile VPN should have all the necessary features that can be easily accessed with the touch of a finger. Many mobile VPN apps include a help section where you can easily contact support or access troubleshooting documentation directly from the device, which can be useful if you need help on the go. A VPN should have a large network of servers around the world so you can connect easily and reliably wherever you travel, and it should be able to help you access geo-restricted content from different regions if that's what you want to use it for. You should also consider device support.
IKEv2 or WireGuard should be your choice for mobile devices, as both are usually faster and more power efficient than OpenVPN. Some VPN providers use proprietary protocols, such as ExpressVPN's Lightway, which ExpressVPN claims was built from the ground up for reliable mobile communications, or NordVPN's NordLynx.
The chances of you encountering a hacker on public Wi-Fi are slim, but if you're worried about man-in-the-middle attacks or data interception, you may want to consider public Wi-Fi security. Public Wi-Fi protection automatically allows your VPN on certain networks to mask your online activity.
Apart from using VPN on Android phones such as Google Pixel 9 XL or iPhone, such as the 16 Pro Max, you can install a virtual private network on your computer, tablet, and streaming device. Make sure that the VPN provider you are considering supports all the gadgets you need to use the VPN with.
Expenses
Before you make a purchase, consider the cost and overall value of your mobile VPN. VPN prices vary widely from provider to provider, but typically you can expect to spend between $5 and $13 per month for a monthly VPN subscription plan. If you want to save money in the long run, you can opt for an annual subscription, prices can range from about $30 to $100 per year.
Be careful with free VPNs because by using them you may be compromising your privacy instead of protecting it. Proton VPN is currently the only one free VPN which CNET enthusiastically recommends. Most premium VPNs offer a money-back guarantee, which can range from a week to 45 days. You can also get a seven-day free trial of many VPNs when you sign up through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. This way, you have the opportunity to try out different mobile VPNs risk-free before deciding whether to fully invest in one.
Streaming
Many people rely on VPN for streaming service content unlocking. For example, you can use a virtual private network to make apps and websites think you're in another city, state, or even country. Bypassing geographic restrictions may allow you to unblock overseas NetflixDisney Plus or Amazon Prime Video libraries, watch films and shows on sites such as BBC iPlayer, or enjoy off-market NFL games.
You might even be able to save money on streaming subscriptions using VPN. The best mobile VPNs not only do a great job of unblocking geo-protected content, but also give you access to a wide range of server locations. The more countries you can connect to, the more content you'll have access to from around the world.
Mobile streaming performance often differs from desktop performance due to application-specific detection methods. Streaming services like YouTube TV use GPS data to determine geographic location, so a VPN connection won't make it appear like you're in a different region. Using GPS spoofing VPN apps on Android, such as Surfshark, can help. But for best results, you may also want to stream through a browser rather than an app.
Mobile application design
The best mobile VPN apps have a mobile-specific design that allows you to easily find server health indicators and access settings without being cluttered or overwhelming. Look for apps that are clearly designed and don't overwhelm you with too many options on one page, or use clunky, tiny widgets to change server locations, as they can be difficult to use on the go.
Battery consumption
The battery impact of a VPN can vary significantly depending on the provider, protocol, and device. This will also depend on the current battery status of your device. Overall, we are confident that WireGuard and IKEv2 will provide better battery efficiency for your device compared to OpenVPN. We've seen a lot of testing results from different VPN providers, but there's no consensus on exactly how much a VPN will drain your battery. Additionally, in these cases, testing was conducted by the various VPN companies themselves, so we took their reports with a grain of salt. Using a VPN means you're running an app on your phone and consuming bandwidth, both of which drain your battery faster than not having a VPN.
Network switching
Seamless transition between Wi-Fi and cellular data is essential for mobile VPNs. The best providers offer VPN protocols that maintain your connection during network changes, automatically reconnect between Wi-Fi and cellular data, and maintain your privacy during transitions by preventing IP address leakage.
Impact of data consumption
Because a VPN encrypts your web traffic, using it increases your mobile data or Wi-Fi usage. NordVPN suggests that this figure somewhere from 4 to 20% for encrypting mobile data. Bandwidth consumption depends on the VPN protocol and encryption level.
Differences between iOS and Android
As with all VPN apps, you'll likely encounter at least minor differences between the iOS and Android apps, even if they're offered by the same provider. The biggest problem from a VPN perspective is that very few clients offer split tunneling on iOS. Apple limits the ability of apps to manage the networks of other apps on the iOS platform, so most VPN clients don't offer any split tunneling implementation, with some notable exceptions like Surfshark's Bypasser mode. However, Bypasser on iOS—unlike Windows and Android—only works for websites, not websites and apps. If you are not sure, first check if there is feature equality between both the apps.
