Best VPNs for OpenWrt in 2021

NordVPN is our top pick to use with an OpenWrt router. The provider has detailed set-up instructions available to guide you through installation and plenty of other avenues for support if you get stuck at any point in the process. NordVPN usually allows for simultaneous connections on up to 6 devices, but if you install it on your router, you can protect as many as you like (as long as they’re all connecting to the internet through your OpenWrt router). To ensure a secure browsing experience is preserved on these devices, NordVPN has a wealth of security features, including a CyberSec tool that flushes out malware and the Double VPN function, which can route your traffic through two private servers for enhanced protection. 

NordVPN has over 5,000 servers worldwide, which helps it maintain its position as the quickest VPN on this list. This is also great news for your router because it means NordVPN will affect your speeds much less than the vast majority of VPNs. Installing NordVPN on your router will mean all the devices on your network can view content from outside the region your network is based in thanks to its ability to bypass geo-restrictions.

A 30-day trial period is thrown into the mix to sweeten the deal, so if it turns out NordVPN isn’t the right provider for you, you can claim your money back with ease!

ExpressVPN is one of those providers that does absolutely everything you need a VPN service to do and more, making it the perfect choice for your router. The provider has actually developed its own router firmware and has excellent customer support whatever your issue, so whether you’re installing the custom firmware or a standard VPN on an OpenWrt router, there are experts on hand to help out. With ExpressVPN, you can unblock content in 94 countries including the US and UK, affording you access to an endless bank of shows exclusively available in such regions. 

ExpressVPN has up-to-date encryption protocols and a kill-switch to keep you safe as you connect to their TrustedServer network, which runs entirely off Random Access Memory (RAM) meaning all your session data disappears when you disconnect – in other words, their no-logs policy is guaranteed. ExpressVPN’s entire network is made up of bare-metal servers, meaning they aren’t sharing with other companies or entities that could compromise user privacy and security.

This provider also adheres to a month-long money-back policy, so you can still test it out even if you’re not 100% decided! 

Surfshark is another VPN with excellent instructions on how to install its service on a router with OpenWrt, which is super-helpful considering how many technical aspects of the set up there are. The provider affords users access to over 3,200 servers, which is right up there with its pricier competitors, and considering Surfshark is relatively new to the VPN game, the signs are encouraging. 

Despite being low cost with a capital L, Surfshark still manages to consistently provide top speeds – according to our most recent speed test, it’s the second quickest VPN on this list – and the security features to match. Worried about your ISP finding out you’re using a VPN? Activate camouflage mode. Irritated by ads? Surfshark’s CleanWeb tool will block them. Apprehensive your data might be being stored somewhere? Surfshark has recently switched to completely diskless servers so you can be sure they keep no logs.

Despite it only being a couple of dollars, Surfshark will still give you your money back if you’re not happy at the end of your first 30 days of usage. 

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a popular choice to pair with an OpenWrt router thanks to its privacy and security guarantees. As previously mentioned, Private Internet Access has had its no-logs claim proven in court after they were subpoenaed by the US government and they had no data to hand over. This is precisely the attitude you want from your VPN service provider, and it makes PIA a particularly strong contender to use on a router; install it, forget about it, and you’ll be protected 24/7. Of course, a proven no-logs claim isn’t the only security assurance PIA offers – all their servers are bare metal, they provide users with kill-switches and a MACE feature to block ads and malware. 

Another thing that makes PIA stand out from the crowd is its server network; a huge 24,000+ servers dwarf all the other providers on this list. This means you’re not going to find your speeds clipped by overcrowded servers; PIA has more servers just in the US than Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN worldwide (combined!). They even let you connect to 10 devices simultaneously, but if you’re installing it on an OpenWrt router, all the devices on said network will be encrypted and protected.

Just like the others, PIA has a four-week period for you to try their product out, and if you aren’t satisfied, you’ll get your money back.  

VyprVPN is another VPN we recommend for OpenWrt routers. Although the customer support for such an action isn’t quite as extensive as some of the other providers on this list, it does have instructions for setting up on the site. VyprVPN is one of the only VPNs that owns all its own networks rather than renting our servers in data centers, which means the provider can mitigate the possibility of potential vulnerabilities that arise in the latter arrangement and changes can be implemented and bugs fixed at a much quicker rate. 

VyprVPN has a great string of features to keep your whole network safe via a router installation. Their Chameleon protocol, for example, ensures that even your internet service provider won’t be able to tell your using a VPN by scrambling OpenVPN data, rendering it undetectable by Deep Packet Inspection – a great feature if you’re living in a region where VPNs are blocked. VyprVPN has over 300,000 IP addresses at its disposal, so connecting quickly and unblocking geo-restricted content are both easy tasks.

Still unsure? Download it now and get your money-back within 30 days if you change your mind.