Surfshark is the best iPhone VPN. We like that Surfshark offers split tunneling on iOS and MacOS, not just Windows and Android — a rarity among VPN providers. Beyond that, it doesn’t compromise on features, like advanced privacy settings or speed. You can also simultaneously use Surfshark on as many devices as you want, which is great if you have a household full of devices you want to protect.
ExpressVPN is CNET’s runner-up for the best iPhone VPN, thanks to its excellent privacy protection and simple, user-friendly mobile interface on iOS and iPadOS (as well as Android, for that matter). It’s a great overall VPN, though you’ll pay more for that excellence.
NordVPN is the fastest VPN for iPhones, with blazing-fast speeds that are perfect for 4K video streaming or online mobile gaming. Plus, NordVPN’s track record with unblocking streams is among the best out there, especially considering it offers a global roster of locations to connect to in 118 countries.
ProtonVPN is the most versatile iPhone VPN, offering an impressive server network alongside customizable settings and features that are great for power users. Proton is privacy-focused and open-source, and it performed well in our latest speed tests, trailing only NordVPN.
A virtual private network hides your public IP address, which, like your street address, shows your general geographic location. With a VPN running, your mobile carrier or ISP won’t be able to tell what apps you use or websites you visit. By the same token, apps and websites you use can’t tell where you’re really connecting from or view any potentially identifiable information, like your public IP address. Using a VPN makes apps and websites think you’re in a different city, state or even country, letting you unblock region-restricted content like foreign Netflix libraries, as well as shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus that would otherwise be unavailable. If your carrier throttles your video streaming quality on mobile data, you may experience faster speeds when streaming video on your phone using a VPN.
The iPhone has a reputation as the premier smartphone, thanks to high-performance hardware and market-leading user design. iPhone users won’t settle for less — not with the latest iPhone 16 model or the apps they put on their phone. After all, if there’s one app you should have high standards for, it’s a VPN. Not all VPNs are created equal. Many free VPNs suffer from slow speeds or have unreliable connections that frequently drop because of overloaded servers. Some even actively degrade your privacy, logging any internet activity through the VPN for sale to the highest bidder or injecting ads into your browsing sessions.
Our team of experts at CNET has rigorously tested dozens of the top VPN providers across multiple platforms, including iOS and iPadOS. We evaluate each service based on its security features, speed performance, ease of use and overall value for money. Whether you’re concerned about ISP snooping, want to avoid mobile traffic-shaping or need to unblock region-restricted content, a VPN is a great addition to your app arsenal so we’ve selected the best iPhone VPNs for your privacy and entertainment needs.
The Best iPhone VPNs compared
| Surfshark | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | PIA | |
| Price | $15 per month, $48 the first year or $60 for the first two years (one- and two-year plans renew at $79 per year) | $13 per month, $100 for the first year (renewing at $117) or $140 for the first two years (renewing at $150) | $13 per month, $60 for the first year or $83 for two years (one- and two-year plans auto-renew at $140 a year) | $12 per month, $40 for the first year (renewing at $50 per year) or $79 for three years |
| Server network | 3,200-plus servers in 100 countries | 3,000-plus servers in 105 countries | 7,400-plus servers in 118 countries | 35,000-plus servers in 91 countries |
| Average internet speed loss | 21% | 18% | 3% | 49% |
| Simultaneous connections | Unlimited | 8 | 10 | Unlimited |
| Supported Apple devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac laptops and desktops, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Mac laptops and desktops, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Mac laptops and desktops, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Mac laptops and desktops, Apple TV |
| Supported platforms | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, Android TV, iOS, iPadOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Web browsers, Routers | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, Android TV, iOS, iPadOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Web browsers, Routers | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, Android TV, iOS, iPadOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Web browsers, Routers | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, Android TV, iOS, iPadOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Web browsers, Routers |
Downloading a VPN app, creating an account, choosing a plan and connecting to your VPN shouldn’t take longer than a minute or so.
Nelson Aguilar/CNETWith so many iPhone VPN apps available, it can be difficult to choose the right solution. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, these are the factors to look out for when choosing the best iPhone VPN:
Privacy
The most important factor to consider with any VPN is privacy. You should never use a VPN provider if you can’t trust that it’s taking your privacy seriously. It also needs to have the technical controls in place to put its money where its mouth is. Every VPN worth its salt should provide AES-256 encryption over either OpenVPN or IKEv2 VPN protocols at the bare minimum. If it also offers ChaCha20 over WireGuard, you’ll get all the protection you expect plus a nice speed boost over most other protocols. Solid encryption is the absolute bare minimum, as you should also be on the lookout for basic privacy features such as a kill switch, which protects you when your connection goes down, DNS leak protection to stop your ISP from reading your website requests and a solid no-logs policy that is regularly being audited by an external company. We definitely recommend checking out any provider’s privacy policy and reading its audit reports closely, as it’ll give you a good understanding of whether a VPN provider can really protect your privacy.
Users with basic privacy needs are probably fine with all of these boxes ticked. However, if you’re particularly worried about being spied on then you’ll need to look for a provider that goes above and beyond the normal privacy considerations. For a start, it should be based in a jurisdiction that has strong privacy laws and protects VPN providers specifically. Choosing a provider that offers obfuscation protocols is also necessary if you’re in a country or using an internet network that doesn’t play nicely with VPNs, otherwise you may not even be able to get online with a VPN. Finally, your provider should offer either RAM-only or fully encrypted servers, both of which will ensure that your data remains secure or isn’t logged at all. There are also some other privacy features that aren’t as vital but still useful, such as ad-blockers, Tor over VPN and multi-hop servers.
Speed
Your VPN’s connection speeds can have a major influence on the quality of your streaming, downloading, video conferencing, gaming and general web-browsing activities. All virtual private networks slow down your internet somewhat, simply by nature of encrypting your traffic and sending it through at least one server before moving on to its final destination. To keep things running as smoothly as possible, you’ll want a VPN that will have as minimal an impact on your regular internet speeds as possible. Generally, we’ve found that the best iPhone VPNs only drop your internet download speed by an average of 25% or less. In our testing, we’ve seen as low as an average 11% internet download speed loss. For bandwidth-demanding applications like competitive gaming or 4K video streaming, you’ll want a snappy VPN.
| Provider | Speed loss |
|---|---|
| Surfshark | 21% |
| ExpressVPN | 18% |
| NordVPN | 3% |
| PIA | 49% |
Usability
A good iPhone VPN should run smoothly and be easy to use, regardless of your technical expertise. It should have all of the features you need easily accessible with a tap of your finger. Many of the best Apple iPhone VPN apps also include an easy way to get in touch with support directly from the device, which can be helpful if you need assistance on the go. Basically, your iPhone VPN app should be as easy for you to use as your iPhone itself. It should have a large network of servers around the world so you can connect easily and reliably from wherever you may be traveling, and be able to help you access geo-restricted content from various regions.
Cost
Depending on your budget, you may want to take into account the cost and overall value of your iPhone VPN before making a purchase. VPN pricing can vary greatly from provider to provider, but you can typically expect to spend about $5 to $13 per month for a monthly VPN subscription plan. If you want to save some money, you can opt for an annual subscription, where prices can range from roughly $30 to $100 per year. You’ll want to be careful with free VPNs because you may end up risking your privacy instead of protecting it with a free VPN. Proton VPN is currently the only free VPN that CNET recommends.
Most premium VPNs offer a money-back guarantee anywhere from a week to 45 days. You can also get a seven-day free trial with many VPNs when you sign up through Apple’s App Store, so you have options to try various iPhone VPNs risk-free before you decide whether to fully invest in one.
Device support
While you’ll want an iPhone VPN that work well on iOS and iPadOS, chances are you’ve got a slew of other devices you may want to run a VPN on. Most VPNs work on Windows, MacOS and Linux PCs. In addition to iPhones and iPads, the majority of virtual private networks also offer Android apps. While Android TV and Fire TV apps are common for use on streaming devices, Apple TV apps are still on the rise. Providers like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, Surfshark, PIA and IPVanish feature Apple TV VPN apps. (Disclosure: IPVanish is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Think about the devices you want to install a VPN app on and make sure your desired VPN company supports those gadgets.
| IPVanish | Surfshark | PIA | ProtonVPN | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | |
| Windows | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| MacOS | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Linux | ✔️ | ✔️ (with GUI) | ✔️ (with GUI) | ✔️ (with GUI) | ✔️ (with GUI) | ✔️ |
| Android/AndroidTV | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| iOS/iPadOS | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Fire TV | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Smart TV* | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Apple TV | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Router | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Browser plugin** | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Simultaneous connections | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 10 | 8 | 10 |
Proton VPN
If you need a completely free VPN for your iPhone, Proton VPN is the way to go. With Proton VPN, you get access to three server locations without paying a dime. Unlike many other free VPNs, Proton doesn’t put any restrictions on usage or speed. If you want the full, premium version of Proton VPN, it’s $10 per month, $60 for the first year or $108 for the first two years (the one- and two-year plans renew at $80 annually), putting it in the middle of the pack in terms of price. The paid version of Proton offers 12,000-plus servers in 117 countries and 10 simultaneous connections.
Proton VPN is a great option for privacy-minded VPN users thanks to its open-source apps, robust privacy policy and privacy-friendly Swiss jurisdiction. In 2024, Proton VPN debuted a guest mode for Android that let users log into the app without creating an account for even more privacy — and in 2025, that feature is slated to come to iOS and iPadOS.
On the entertainment side, Proton works well for geo-unblocking foreign content on apps like Netflix and Disney Plus, making it a great VPN for streaming. With apps for Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV devices, Proton VPN is a solid choice for circumventing geo-restrictions to access movies and TV shows. Proton is the best free VPN for iPhones, with a solid premium plan as an upgrade for folks who want to manually pick a server, need more simultaneous connections or want more streaming support.
Read our Proton VPN review.
Private Internet Access is a decent cheap VPN that undercuts most of its rivals at $12 per year, $40 for the first year (renewing at $50 annually) or $79 total for three years. We like its customizable apps and privacy-forward design that includes open-source apps as well as a reader-friendly privacy policy. PIA is one of the few VPN providers that offers split tunneling on MacOS, so Apple aficionados may appreciate the flexibility to route some apps but not others through a VPN.
However, PIA’s high 49% average speed loss is about twice as high as what we generally recommend, making it unsuitable for folks with slow or unreliable internet connections. Additionally, we experienced many CAPTCHAs with PIA when trying to access websites like Google. And its app design, while mostly user-friendly, felt outdated compared to most of the competition. While PIA is a good budget VPN, for a little bit more money, you can get a lot more value with a VPN like Surfshark or Proton VPN.
IPVanish
IPVanish’s iPhone app is fairly easy to use and includes a prominent “Connect” button on the home screen that’ll get you connected quickly. If you navigate to the “locations” screen to select a specific server, you can either connect to the “optimal location” or choose from a list of servers. However, after you’ve connected, there’s no indication of whether you’re connected or not unless you navigate back to the home screen. Even if you connect to the optimal location, the Connect button on the locations screen still says “Connect” — which can lead to some confusion.
Although IPVanish’s iPhone app isn’t as streamlined as the others on this list, it includes split tunneling functionality — a feature most VPNs don’t offer with their iPhone apps. Even so, it’s difficult to enthusiastically recommend IPVanish to iPhone users considering that far superior services are available for the same price or cheaper. IPVanish costs $13 per month, $40 for the first year or $53 for the first two years combined (the one- and two-year plans jump to $90 annually).
Read our IPVanish review.