10 best VPNs for Windows PCs in 2021

It’s difficult to beat ExpressVPN when it comes to finding a stellar Windows VPN! The software is incredibly easy to install and use, and provides tons of high-end premium features – including a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, port selection, auto-connect, and obfuscated servers. Being based in the British Virgin Islands is good news for customer privacy, taking Express out of the reach of more invasive jurisdictions, and a zero-logs policy goes the extra mile to keep your data secure.

OpenVPN encryption is implemented to exceedingly high standards, and this VPN can protect your data both at home and while on public WiFi. ExpressVPN has been around a long time and is top of the list on a lot of sites for a good reason. It provides unblocking capabilities across 94 countries and can access many popular streaming services from around the world, like Netflix and iPlayer with ease. Customer support is second to none and you can give it a test run using its 30-day money-back guarantee. And, if you are a newbie to VPNs, you will love this VPNs 24/7 live chat support to help you with any issues at any time, day or night.

NordVPN is a trusted and well-known VPN from Panama. It is a no-logs service that is perfect for Windows users who are in need of advanced VPN features. With NordVPN you get a reliable Windows app that comes with a kill-switch, obfuscated servers, DNS leak protection, double-hop encryption, OpenVPN, split tunneling, VPN over Tor, and browser extensions. This makes the VPN perfect for completely concealing your online habits from your ISP, the government, local network administrators, and WiFi hotspot providers. And, NordVPN permits P2P connections, which means that this VPN is suitable for torrenting (though admittedly it doesn’t provide port forwarding).

NordVPN is a service that provides lightning-fast connections that are great for streaming or doing video calls. And, this VPN provides access to sought-after streaming services like Netflix US and BBC iPlayer. There really is nothing that this VPN does badly, and for this reason, it is worth taking for a test run using its money-back guarantee.

Finally, this VPN has servers in over 60 countries, which means you will always be able to unblock huge amounts of geo-restricted international content. 

CyberGhost VPN provides outstanding services at a fantastic price. The VPN has 110 server locations (90 countries) and it is dedicated to providing privacy and security for its subscribers. The Windows app provides all the necessary VPN features you need to gain digital privacy from your ISP and the government. It also ensures that your IP address cannot be tracked by websites. OpenVPN encryption is implemented to massively high standards, which means you never have to worry about it being cracked.

CyberGhost also has a zero-logs policy, which means it can never disclose your habits to the authorities even if they come knocking with a warrant. When it comes to unblocking this service has servers in over 90 countries that all provide excellent speeds for streaming. Admittedly, this VPN does not have quite as many features as NordVPN. However, it has DNS leak protection and a kill-switch. If you require obfuscation, though, you should look elsewhere. Finally, CyberGhost permits 10 simultaneous connections, and it has a blindingly generous 45-day money-back guarantee on subscription plans of over one month.

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a US-based VPN that enforces a robust no-logs policy. This ensures that even if it is approached with a warrant by the authorities, it never has any data to hand over. And PIA has proven its no-logs claims in a court on more than one occasion. We like PIA because it has excellent apps for all platforms, including for Windows. Those apps are fully featured with OpenVPN encryption, a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation. The Windows app itself is very easy to use, and it has a lot of customizable options for those who want more granular control.

The kill-switch guarantees that you can’t leak data to your ISP if the VPN drops out, which makes this VPN suitable for torrenting. This VPN also has fast Tier-1 infrastructure across 74 server locations around the world, which means it is suitable for streaming and gaming – and it unblocks Netflix US. Finally, you can use this VPN on up to 10 devices simultaneously, which means you can also install it on your mobile and tablet to use it on public WiFi. A VPN worth testing using its 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Surfshark is one of the younger VPNs on our list, but don’t be fooled – it’s taken the VPN market by storm in the short time it’s been around. This is largely thanks to blistering speeds and a huge network of servers in 63 countries. As is to be expected from today’s top VPN providers, Surfshark offers customers a 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 live chat support. Where the provider blows us away is with its unlimited simultaneous connections! This means you can connect as many devices as you want to the service, and all at the same time.

Surfshark is registered in the British Virgin Islands and easily meets our requirements for a no-logs VPN. Technical security is also top-notch, and we appreciate the wealth of extra privacy and security features on offer. These include double-hop VPN, and DNS-based ad blocking and malware protection. 

VyprVPN is based in Switzerland, which means it falls safely out of the jurisdiction of 5 Eyes nations. In addition, it now has a solid no-logs policy which has been fully audited. This VPN runs on parent-firm Golden Frog’s proprietary network of servers. That means it can provide excellent speeds and top-notch security. 

The Windows client is solid, it has a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, and a proprietary stealth feature called Chameleon for getting around firewalls in countries like China and Iran. Servers are located in over 70 countries, making it perfect for all your unlocking needs. Potential subscribers can try a 3-day free trial, and a 30-day money-back guarantee is also available.

IPVanish is a US-based VPN that provides a zero logs policy. This ensures that it never stores any records about what its users do online. In addition to this outstanding privacy policy, the VPN has an advanced Windows app that comes with advanced features like a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, OpenVPN encryption, obfuscation, and a SOCKS5 proxy. This makes the VPN highly versatile and means that you can easily use it to torrent securely or to access and censored content from around the globe.

IPVanish has servers in over 75 countries. This makes it ideal for accessing geo-restricted services and websites from all over the world. And, you can use it to gain access to content from back home on a laptop when you are on vacation. We love that this VPN permits users to connect to the VPN on an unlimited number of devices simultaneously. And we are always impressed by the customer support you get with this provider (though it is only available in US daylight hours via email).

We think IPVanish is a superb VPN for Windows, and while it may not be as fast as some of our other recommendations, it is still plenty fast enough for streaming in HD without buffering. Plus, you can test it yourself on your Windows machine for 30 days thanks to its money-back guarantee.

Ivacy is a VPN service based in Singapore that is often praised for providing outstanding value for money. The VPN is low-cost considering the level of premium features offered and the superb apps it runs on. The Windows app comes with a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, and OpenVPN encryption. And you do get the option to bolt on a NAT firewall with port forwarding if you want it. This makes the VPN a good option for people who download P2P via BitTorrent clients.

Ivacy has servers in over 100 countries that are ideal for unblocking streams, game servers, and anything else you can think of. And this VPN works with Netflix US, iPlayer, and many other popular streaming services around the world. Admittedly, Ivacy isn’t as fast as some of our other recommendations. However, we’ve never had any problems streaming in HD with Ivacy.

Well worth comparing to our other options using its 30-day money-back guarantee. A cheap and reliable VPN.

ProtonVPN is a superb service based in Switzerland. It is a VPN service that was designed by the developers of ProtonMail, which means that it has fantastic provenance. The VPN has a superb reputation among users and on Reddit. With ProtonVPN you get a choice of apps for all platforms, including Windows. And, the Windows client has all the advanced features you are likely to need. This includes a kill-switch, OpenVPN encryption, Tor through VPN, DNS leak protection, and secure bare metal servers in 50+ countries.

The service is an excellent pick for Windows, seeing as it’s easy to use, and permits torrenting throughout its network (provided you’ve subscribed to the premium plan). Additionally, the free subscription is useful – so long as you don’t mind having fewer server locations and slower speeds. If you want to unblock Netflix US or other sought after services, however, you’ll need to shell out for a premium plan. All in all, ProtonVPN is ideal for anyone looking for a VPN with a watertight reputation for protecting user privacy, and you can try it for yourself with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

PrivateVPN is a provider based in Sweden that has a superb reputation among consumers. It is a no-logs VPN with apps for all platforms – including excellent apps for macOS and iOS. The Windows client comes with a kill-switch, port forwarding, obfuscation (cloaking), a choice of encryption settings for OpenVPN, and DNS leak protection. This makes it perfect for doing sensitive online tasks like torrenting, as well as for bypassing government restrictions – or for accessing any geo-restricted content in private.

We enjoy using PrivateVPN on all platforms thanks to its well-designed apps. And because this VPN has fast servers in over 60 countries, you can easily use it for streaming. Plus PrivateVPN is one of the few services that provide access to a large selection of Netflix catalogs, iPlayer, hulu, Prime Video, and many other international streaming services. We are always impressed by this provider’s live chat support and love that subscribers can use the VPN on up to 5 devices simultaneously.

A superb service that you can test yourself using its money-back guarantee.