The Best 2020 Windows 10 VPN – All You Need to Know
Even with the rise of alternative platforms like Android and iOS, Windows continues to be hugely popular. It’s used by countless people all over the world on devices like computers, laptops, and phones. But with more and more people taking their online security seriously, we’re starting to see a big rise in the number of people making use of VPNs for Windows.
Designed with the Windows platform in mind, the best VPN for Windows can offer speed, security, and privacy, allowing users to browse, download, and more without many of the risks associated with hackers and trackers. With a VPN for Windows on your system, you’ll be a lot safe and more anonymous every time you go online, and this guide will introduce you to some of the best Windows VPNs around.
- Best overall deal: 12 months + 3 months FREE
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 24/7 customer support
- Connect to more than 90 countries
- Uses 256-bit AES encryption
- Fast and secure VPN
- Rock-solid privacy at blazing speeds
- Access 7,000+ Servers in 90 Countries
- 45 days money back guarantee
- Industry leading encryption
- Connect up to 7 devices at once
- Access 3,200+ Servers in 100 Countries
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Ad and malware blocker
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Compatible with all major platforms
- Access 7,000+ Servers in 113 Countries
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- No logs policy
- Connect 10 devices at the same time
- No limits on bandwidth or speed
- Countries: 125+
- IP Addresses: 1000+
- Servers: 830+
- Free Remote Firewall
- Up to 10 devices protected simultaneously
How to Choose the Best VPN for Windows
Since Windows 10 is such a popular platform, the vast majority of VPNs work pretty well on Windows. But if you want to find the best of the best, you need to choose carefully. One of the most important factors for Windows users is security.
Windows has gotten better over the years, but it’s still not the most secure operating system on the market. So, it’s wise for VPN users to find a VPN that can offer strong, encrypted connections and powerful security features.
Windows 10 users will also want to prioritize privacy as one of the key features of their VPN. A good VPN can effectively and consistently cover your IP address, letting you browse, torrent, and download files anonymously without the worries of anyone spying on you.
Other important factors to think about include speed, customer support, and price, and the importance of each one will depend on the user. If you plan on doing lots of and downloading, for example, you’ll need a speedy VPN, but if you care more about anonymity, the privacy protocols will be more important to you.
Here Are The Best VPNs for Windows Reviewed & Compared December 2020
By far one of the best-known and most trusted VPNs in the industry right now, ExpressVPN stands out from the crowd for its impressive speeds and highly rated security features. In short, it aims to give VPN users everything they crave, appealing to a large audience and thereby becoming one of the best VPNs for Windows.
Speed and Performance
If you’re looking for high speeds and perhaps even a speed boost compared to your current ratings when switching to a VPN, ExpressVPN is your best chance. It’s widely regarded as the fastest VPN around and various test results have proven this to be the case.
Privacy
Even though ExpressVPN is famed for its high speeds, it’s certainly no slouch when it comes to privacy either. Thanks to its vast server network, this VPN can hide your IP address and replace it with countless secure IPs from all over the globe.
Customer Support and Ease of Use
If ever you need a little helping hand with setting up ExpressVPN, learning about some of the advanced features, or just understanding how it works so you can head over to the official ExpressVPN site. There, you’ll find various in-depth guides and tutorials, as well as live chat and email support.
Pricing and Payment Options
Since ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market, it’s only natural that it isn’t one of the cheapest, but it’s not one of the most expensive either. In fact, if you sign up for one of the longer subscriptions, you can get several months free of charge and enjoy a great long-term price. Users can pay anonymously with cryptocurrencies or via Paypal and cards.
Kill Switch
Also known as the ExpressVPN Network Lock, the kill switch is a really important part of this VPN for users who care about security and protection. With the kill switch in place, your VPN will never let you down. If ever the connection drops for any reason, the kill switch will deactivate your internet, keeping you 100% safe from any hackers or prying eyes, even in difficult situations.
Pros:
- Impressive speeds
- Vast server network
Cons:
- Not the cheapest
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for the best VPN for Windows, it’s clear to see that ExpressVPN is a terrific choice. Trusted by countless users and excelling in all key areas, including speed, security, and it’s by far one of the most recommended VPNs around.
Imagine being able to feel like a ghost online – that’s the kind of experience Cyber Ghost aims to provide. Focusing primarily on security and privacy, but also putting plenty of focus on speed and performance, Cyber Ghost is a big winner in all the key categories for VPN functionality and easily ranks as one of the best VPNs for Windows.
Speed and Performance
With a huge server network stretching far and wide across the globe, Cyber Ghost can offer some of the very best speeds around. It’s a highly reliable VPN that performs perfectly under pressure and offers amazing download and upload speeds for its users.
Privacy
Security and privacy are two areas in which Cyber Ghost continues to impress. It’s got some of the best security features and some of the strongest privacy protocols in the business, making use of the latest military-grade 256-bit encryption technology to keep users safe.
Customer Service and Ease of Use
When it comes to customer service, Cyber Ghost just keeps on winning. The official Cyber Ghost site is an absolute goldmine of information, filled with tutorials, guides, and helpful articles to walk you through set-up and use. If you need any more specific help, you can chat with a friendly customer support agent at any time.
Pricing and Payment Options
Cyber Ghost is also fairly priced. The monthly plan isn’t the cheapest, but the longer-lasting plans are more affordable in the end, and Cyber Ghost is committed to letting its users pay the way they want to pay. You’ll find a broad selection of payment methods available when signing up for this VPN.
Simultaneous Connections
A lot of the VPNs out there will only allow you to use maybe three or four devices at once, but Cyber Ghost goes well beyond that. It offers uses up to seven simultaneous connections, which should be more than enough for even big families to all browse in total safety across their various devices.
Pros:
- State of the art security
- Industry-leading privacy
- Easily bypass blocks and restrictions
Cons:
- Won't work in some countries
Bottom Line
Whether you’re torrenting, or simply browsing on your Windows device, you’ll find Cyber Ghost to be highly useful and effective. It can offer intense speeds and premium privacy, as well as peerless protection and very affordable plans, with no major downsides to speak of.
Helping users secure and privatize their digital activities, Surfshark gives you unrestricted access to all your favorite online sites and services. With speedy connections, strong encryption, and other great features, Surfshark easily ranks among the best VPNs for Windows and is widely trusted by users around the world.
Speed and Performance
Surfshark stands out from other leading VPN providers for the size and scale of its server network. It has servers all over the globe, from the US to the UK to Japan and beyond, so no matter where you want to browse from and what kind of content you want to access, you shouldn’t encounter any speed or performance issues when using this VPN.
Privacy
With leak protection, high-grade privacy protocols, and premium security features throughout, Surfshark is one of the top VPNs in the industry in terms of protecting the safety and preserving the anonymity of its users, both on Windows devices and many other platforms.
Customer Service and Ease of Use
Offering life chat and email help systems, along with extensive and detailed guides on its site, Surfshark is a company that cares a great deal about its users and wants everyone, from beginners to experts, to have pleasant experiences every time.
Pricing and Payment Options
Surfshark offers three tiers of subscriptions, with a slightly pricey monthly plan, but much cheaper yearly and two-year plans. It also features a wide range of payment methods and a 30-day free trial if you’d like to test out the service before committing.
Free Trial
Many premium VPNs will make you pay upfront and sign up to a subscription plan to enjoy their features and benefits, but Surfshark is one of the few big names in the business to provide a 30-day free trial, giving new users a risk-free chance to try out the service and see whether it’s right for them before committing further.
Pros:
- Strong security
- No more ISP tracking
- 30-day free trial
Cons:
- Monthly plan is expensive
Bottom Line
It’s clear to see that SurfShark is a very good choice for any Windows fans out there wishing to enhance their online security and make their internet experiences safer and more private. This VPN offers great value for your money, reliable service, and super support too.
If you’re looking for a VPN that can provide ease of use, security, and a phenomenally vast and varied server network, NordVPN is the one for you. Ranked as one of the safest and most affordable VPNs on the market right now, it’s also one of the best VPNs for Windows, excelling in all of the key categories.
Speed and Performance
NordVPN has servers all over the world, in countries as far and wide as Australia, the US, the UK, France, Canada, South Africa, and more. This huge server network helps to ensure that NordVPN can provide its users with some impressive speeds.
Privacy
Privacy issues and security worries are things of the past when you use NordVPN. Its extensive suite of security features, like kill switches and obfuscated servers for use in territories with stricter rules like China or Russia, and other advanced security features for experienced users.
Customer Support and Ease of Use
Over on the official NordVPN site, users will be able to find a plethora of guides, tutorials, and introductions to the various features and uses of the NordVPN program. It’s really easy to use in general, but the extensive help center offered by NordVPN just makes it all even easier.
Pricing and Payment Options
One of the best parts about NordVPN is that this company regularly runs discounts, deals, and timed sales on its subscriptions, so you can often get a really good price, especially if you opt for one of the longer plans, like the three-year plan. You can pay using almost any online payment method imaginable.
No Logs Policy
Those who care about security and anonymity will appreciate the no logs policy enforced by NordVPN. Thanks to this policy, this VPN provider will never store its users’ information or sell any of your private data on to other companies, ensuring that you are 100% anonymous at all times.
Pros:
- Very affordable prices
- Incredible security features
- Huge server network
Cons:
- Customer support isn't the fastest
Bottom Line
Exceptionally affordable, brilliantly designed, and feature-rich, NordVPN is one of the finest VPNs for Windows available right now. No matter whether you’re interested in general internet use, this VPN can handle it.
Anyone looking for the best VPNs for windows should definitely take some time to consider UltraVPN. Not only does this VPN stand out from the crowd with its well-designed app and cute mascot, but it also excels with its solid speeds, affordable options, and dedication to security.
Speed and Performance
The Ultra VPN server network isn’t the biggest in the world, covering just 23 different countries in total, but it’s still solid enough to provide great speeds for the vast majority of users. Our tests showed lots of consistency in the upload and download speeds with Ultra VPN, with only minimal lag when connecting to certain faraway servers.
Privacy
Privacy will not be anything for you to worry about if you choose to install Ultra VPN as your chosen VPN on Mac or iPhone. This VPN really stands out for its superior privacy settings. Additionally, the provider regularly runs independent audits on its services to ensure that it continues to meet the highest possible standards of security.
Customer Support and Ease of Use
If you need any help with setting up Ultra VPN, you can head over to the brand’s official site. You’ll find an extensive guide and tutorial section filled with articles and instructions to help you get started and understand the various features, along with a live chat help window, too.
Pricing and Payment Options
Ultra VPN for Apple devices can actually be downloaded and tried out for free with a data limit of 500M. You can also opt for the Unlimited plan for as low as $3.33 per month, or for a team plan for business users. Ultra VPN allows you to pay via almost any possible payment method.
Free Version
One of the main reasons why so many people choose Ultra VPN over other VPN alternatives for windows is the fact that it offers a fully free version for you to try. This gives you a great taster of what a VPN can do, letting you see how much it can improve your online experiences with no obligations whatsoever.
Pros:
- Great free version
- Well-designed app
- Solid customer support
Cons:
- Not the best speeds
Bottom Line
With strong security, excellent privacy protocols, and round-the-clock customer support, Ultra VPN gives you all you need from a modern VPN. It’s an industry leader with its fair prices, impressive dedication to security protocols, and commitment to customer satisfaction.
FAQs
How to setup VPN on Windows 10
Setting up a VPN on Windows 10 will depend on which VPN you choose, as the exact installation instructions can vary from one program to the next. In general, the system is pretty simple. All you’ll need to do is find a VPN you’d like to use, visit its official website on your browser of choice, make your account, and then download the necessary files. Install the software like you would with any other program, load it up, and hit the Connect button.
Does Windows 10 have a built-in VPN?
No, Windows 10 does not have a built-in VPN, but on the Windows 10 Control Panel, there is a VPN section for intermediate and advanced users to set-up their own VPN connections. The easiest way to get a VPN for Windows is to simply sign up for one from a trusted provider and use their simple proprietary software.
Which is the best VPN for Windows 10?
The best VPN for Windows 10 depends on what you want out of it. ExpressVPN, for example, is regarded as one of the best VPNs for Windows in terms of speed, while NordVPN is a terrific choice for security, and Cyber Ghost is a great option for privacy.
What is the best free VPN for Windows?
Free VPNs can be tricky to use as they often come with strict data limits, so they are only good for a small amount of downloading. Some of them also have low-quality security standards, so you need to be careful when picking a free VPN. In general, Tunnel Bear is considered one of the best free VPNs for Windows due to its strong security features and easy-to-use app.
Which VPN is best for a laptop?
If you’re looking to protect your Windows laptop, the same rules apply as on any other Windows device: you need to find a VPN that meets your specific needs. So, if you’re looking for a very fast and secure VPN, ExpressVPN is a great choice. If you care the most about online security and privacy, other VPNs like PureVPN might appeal, or if you want a great value option, SurfShark is a terrific choice.
Does It Matter If I Need a VPN for Laptop or Desktop?
No. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a VPN on either a Windows laptop or a desktop Windows computer. VPNs for Windows will work equally well on both laptops and computers, and there’s no real difference in terms of functionality on one device compared to the other.
Summary
Windows is one of the most reliable operating systems around, but it’s not without its flaws. When connecting to public connections or trying to access content from around the world, Windows begins to show its limits. Fortunately, a VPN can help to enhance your Windows devices in some exciting ways, making you safer and more anonymous online while also bypassing geo-blocks and opening the doors of the global internet. Choose your new Windows VPN from our list to enjoy a premium performance on all Windows devices.