The Best VPN Services in 2025: Our Top 3 Picks for an Easier Choice

– “Ugh, choosing the best VPN for myself is impossible!”

We get it. On the surface, most VPNs look like clones: same privacy promises, same shiny apps, same discounts. But dig a little deeper – and there are some real differences that only show up after weeks (or months) of actual use 🤓

That’s why this guide doesn’t waste your time on basic stuff like “it uses encryption” or “it has an app for Android.” All top VPNs do.

Instead, we’ve handpicked just three VPNs — each with excellent performance, airtight privacy, and solid global coverage — but with a unique edge that makes it better for a specific type of user.

Here’s a quick overview before we dive into the details:

In the following sections we will discuss each usage scenario in more detail and explain why we’ve chosen that specific VPN provider as the winner.

Let’s begin:

🏆 Best All-Round VPN

The way we define “value for money” in this case is when a provider ticks all of the boxes for essentials like privacy and speed – while also offering the best bargains.

Finding the winner in this category was actually quite easy – out of our top VPN picks, there is only one that clearly competes the price:

While it’s not the cheapest VPN in existence, NordVPN is surely the most attractive option among VPNs with a good reputation and a long track record.

With over 7500 servers in every part of the world, Nord offers a fast, secure VPN connection for any purpose – be it online banking, watching movies, or protecting your privacy.

As we mentioned above, it’s also cheaper than most other large VPNs, and you get a 30-day full refund guarantee with any plan:

Get up to 70% off at NordVPN ›

By the way, in addition to a Virtual Private Network Nord also offers a password manager and a secure file storage solution – which can all be managed from the same account.

You can find out more about NordVPN, including in-depth analysis of its unique features, in our expert review.

💰 Best Value for Money VPN

Alright, what if instead of the “best of the best” you want a privacy and security solution that has the lowest impact on your budget?

While many Virtual Private Network services offer discounts on 1-year and 2-year plans, no-one is quite as aggressive with its pricing as Surfshark:

Surfshark offers 3200+ servers to provide great connection speed from any location, as well as advanced security protocols to bypass even the most sophisticated filters.

On top of that, it costs 2-3x less than most other large VPN services, especially if you choose the longest 2-year deal:

Get a 81% Discount at Surfshark ›

As usually, we recommend setting a reminder for 20-25 days to make sure your 1-month refund guarantee is still valid if you need it.

If you’d like to find out more about Surfshark (as well as get the best possible deal on this VPN), check out our in-depth review.

📺 Best VPN for Streaming

If, like many of us, you watch TV shows and movies on a regular basis, you will especially like our next pick – the safest, fastest, and most convenient VPN for streaming and P2P (peer-to-peer).

Yes, you heard it right – we are also including torrents here, for a couple of reasons:

• The torrent protocol (and its use) is not illegal in itself – it is just another technology for sharing data. That being said, the devil is of course in the details.
• There are a few countries where personal torrent use — as long as you’re not distributing or profiting — falls into a legal grey zone and is generally tolerated. Examples include Spain, Switzerland, and (to some extent) Poland.

In any case, there’s one provider that has consistently shown outstanding results in our streaming and torrenting tests:

Whenever streaming services like Netflix introduce new regional filters and stricter blocking policies, ExpressVPN is among the first providers to come up with stable solutions.

Regardless of your location, you’ll be able to watch your favourite shows and use the P2P torrenting networks as much as you like.

Stream Better with ExpressVPN ›

So, if you’re a TV show fan or just want to relax and watch some good-old Friends episodes (remember that one where Ross ate all the maple candy?), this is our VPN of choice.

For more tests and the best coupon deal, check out our review of ExpressVPN.

***

Alright, this concludes our top-3! Before we wrap up, here’s some advice on testing your chosen VPN, presented in a slightly inside-out manner:

Avoid These VPN Mistakes

We’ve all been there — signing up for a VPN that looks amazing on paper, only to realize it’s either slow, limited, or just plain annoying. Here are some of the most common VPN buying mistakes (and how to avoid them):

• Testing on just one device: Most VPNs allow multiple simultaneous connections — meaning you can use the same account on your laptop, phone, tablet, even your smart TV. Don’t judge the VPN based on how it runs on just one device.
  → Pro tip: check if your provider supports routers too — it’s the easiest way to cover your entire household at once.
• Choosing a “free” VPN: Yes, they exist. And yes, most of them suck. Free VPNs usually come with speed caps, data limits, and shady privacy practices.
  → If it’s free, you’re probably the product.
• Ignoring refund policies: Even great VPNs aren’t perfect for everyone. Always double-check the provider’s money-back guarantee — and set a reminder a few days before it expires.
  → All 3 of our top picks offer risk-free trials or 30-day refund periods.
• Skipping the fine print: Privacy isn’t just about encryption. It’s about jurisdiction and data collection policies. Make sure your VPN is based in a privacy-friendly country and has a clear no-logs policy.
  → We’ve done the homework in our comparison table above.
• Judging speed by a single test: Speed can vary wildly depending on the server location, time of day, and even your ISP. Don’t just hit “connect” and measure once.
  → Try 4–5 different servers in your region, especially during peak hours (evenings and weekends). The good ones will stay fast and stable.

The two most trustworthy testing tools are Speedtest.net and Fast.com, make sure they produce similar results.

Still unsure how to test a VPN properly? here are some frequent questions and common misconceptions, explained:

VPN Buying FAQ

Final Words

That wasn’t so difficult, right? Choosing from 3 distinct VPNs is much better than sifting through 10 or 20 similar-looking options.

Let’s recap:

• If you’re after the best of the best, check out NordVPN as the most advanced VPN provider on the market – verified by years of testing.
• If you want the entire package (quality, security, speed) at the lowest price, Surfshark is the best VPN deal you can find.
• If you want a reliable VPN that works with any streaming/torrenting service (including Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, Spotify, etc), we recommend ExpressVPN.

By now you should have all you need to make a smart, informed choice regarding a VPN provider.

Any questions left unanswered? Leave your comment in the discussion section below, let’s help each other choose the best VPN!

Disclosure: if you found this guide helpful, please consider using links on this page to purchase VPN subscriptions – this will not affect your price in any way, but we (Satori Webmaster Academy) might receive commissions that help us keep this project going.