As more Android users rely on their smartphones to surf the web, virtual private networks have become essential tools to help secure your mobile connection, no matter where you are.
One big advantage of the Android ecosystem is the sheer number of VPN apps you can download from the Play Store. While it’s nice to have tons of options, it can be hard to find trusted VPNs that are worth your time and money.
In this article, I’ll be running down a quick list of the five best VPNs for Android in 2024.
Employees per Company Size
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)
Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees)
Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise
Features
Automated Provisioning
Employees per Company Size
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)
Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees)
Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise
Features
Activity Monitoring, Dashboard, Notifications, Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC)
While all the VPNs on this list secure your internet connection on your Android device, not all of them share the same set of features and pricing. Let’s compare what each service has to offer:
| Ad blocker | Maximum devices | Servers and locations | Kill switch | Free trial | Pricing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | Yes | 6 | 6,000+ servers in 61 countries | Yes | Yes | $5.99 per month |
| ExpressVPN | Yes | 8 | Servers from 105 countries | Yes | Yes | $6.67 per month |
| Surfshark | Yes | Unlimited | 3,200+ servers in 100 countries | Yes | Yes | $4.09 per month |
| ProtonVPN | Paid users only | 10 | 3,097 servers in 71 countries | Yes | Free version | Has a free version |
| CyberGhost VPN | Yes | 7 | 11,677 servers in 100 countries | Yes | Yes | $2.19 per month (2-year plan) |
There’s a reason why NordVPN has become one of the most popular VPN options today — it provides top-tier security and encryption, fast overall speeds and a user-friendly app experience. NordVPN has little to zero holes in its VPN service and is what I consider a smart choice for any Android user.
I chose NordVPN for its heavy focus on security and privacy. Its Android app provides specialty servers geared toward security, such as Double VPN servers, obfuscated servers and Onion Over VPN servers.
Figure A
You also get NordVPN’s unique Meshnet file-sharing system on its Android app, giving you a secure way to access and transfer your files through an encrypted connection.
NordVPN’s pricing is divided into three tiers: Standard, Plus and Complete. I recommend going for NordVPN Plus to gain access to the full VPN and extra security features such as a data breach scanner and a cross-platform password manager.
For more information, read our full NordVPN review.
ExpressVPN is another popular choice in the VPN space. It’s best known for being a simple, easy to use and incredibly fast VPN option for Android. ExpressVPN provides strong encryption for Android users who want to secure internet browsing on their smartphones.
I chose ExpressVPN for its speed. ExpressVPN provides fast speed both in speed tests and in real-world performance. While VPNs normally decrease the internet speed of your internet service provider in exchange for added protection, ExpressVPN’s servers provide an almost non-existent decrease in connectivity. If you want to have a secure mobile browsing experience that doesn’t sacrifice speed, ExpressVPN is my top choice.
Figure B
For more information, read the full ExpressVPN review.
Surfshark is a great pick for users who want an affordable VPN with long-term subscriptions and a fast and pleasurable user experience. It also offers unlimited device connections to add even more value to a single subscription.
I find Surfshark to be the perfect choice if you regularly use multiple devices and don’t want to leave any of them unprotected. Surfshark can protect your Android smartphone, laptop, tablet and other devices — under one subscription.
Figure C
Surfshark has three subscription tiers: Surfshark Starter, One and One+. I recommend going for Surfshark One as it provides you with most of the security features you need for a protected connection at a reasonable price.
For more information, read the full Surfshark review.
ProtonVPN is one of the few VPN providers with a fully free VPN app for Android. The app doesn’t require users to pay for a subscription or use a free trial to have access to its encrypted server network. ProtonVPN’s free VPN can be used long-term as it doesn’t have any monthly data limits. Other standout features include an independently audited no-logs policy, AES 256 encryption and a variety of subscriptions to choose from.
Figure D
I chose ProtonVPN as a go-to option for users who want a completely free VPN for long-term use. Its lack of a data cap is a major advantage, especially since other free VPN apps typically have a 1-5 GB data restriction each month.
If you’re only looking for basic VPN protection for your Android device, ProtonVPN provides it at no additional cost.
Proton has three tiers: Proton VPN Free, Plus and Unlimited. Proton VPN Plus has the components of the free version and additional security features such as an ad blocker, streaming support and Secure Core VPN servers.
For more information, read the full ProtonVPN review.
If you’re looking for a VPN with as many servers as possible, consider CyberGhost VPN. As of publication, CyberGhost has more than 11,600 servers spread across 100 countries and 126 locations. This is almost twice as many servers compared to the other VPNs on this list. A large server network increases the chances that there’s a server close to you for the best possible connection and increases access to geo-restricted content.
Figure E
I chose CyberGhost VPN for its massive server fleet that will benefit people looking for a VPN to stream securely and access geo-blocked content. Its extensive server network also means that it can provide better performance to users residing in locations that may not have as many VPN servers as others.
For more information, read the full CyberGhost VPN review.
When looking for a VPN for your Android device, there are a few key things you need to know.
It’s important to know why you want a VPN on your Android phone, tablet or device. Is it for streaming? If so, then a VPN with more servers and locations is best. Is it to secure sensitive data on a work phone? In this case, a security-focused VPN will be the better choice. Knowing what you’ll use the VPN for will help you decide which ones are worth considering.
You want a VPN that not only advertises a no-logs policy but also has independent or third-party audits confirming these claims. No-logs policies are promises from VPN providers that they are not recording or storing any of your browsing activity or personal data.
A modern-day Android VPN should have strong encryption to properly secure your internet connection. Typically, we want to have AES-256 encryption for our Android VPN as this is widely accepted as the gold-standard encryption algorithm in the industry. Other encryption algorithms, such as ChaCha20, are also considered highly secure.
While VPNs do wonders at securing online activity, they can decrease overall speeds since traffic is being routed to more places. You want an Android VPN that provides a fast connection that’s also consistent and reliable.
You want a VPN that has an intuitive and pleasant-looking application. A VPN for your Android device should ideally be easy to set up. No matter how secure a VPN application is, there’s no point if it’s hard to configure or turn on.
My process for selecting the five best Android VPNs involved looking at each VPN application’s security features, performance and pricing. I also structured my list to highlight a VPN for different users and use-cases.
I downloaded each VPN application on my Google Pixel 6 and assessed each app’s included features and user interface. I also supplemented my analysis with previous findings from our full reviews of each VPN listed above.
© White News is Right News & We Always stand Up for Right.
