How to choose a VPN

Decide first what you want the VPN for. If you want to hide your browsing from the Wi-Fi you're on and appear to be somewhere else, you want a VPN service such as Proton VPN or Mullvad. If you want to reach your own computers, NAS or home server from anywhere, you want a private network tool such as Tailscale, or WireGuard if you're happy to set it up yourself.

Two jobs with one name

A VPN service runs servers in many countries. Your device sends its traffic to one of them, and websites see that server instead of you. You pay the company, and you trust it with your traffic.

A private network connects devices you own to each other. Nothing goes through a company's server in another country unless you set that up. This is how people open files on a home computer from the office, or manage a home server from their phone.

For privacy on public Wi-Fi: Proton VPN or Mullvad

Proton VPN has a free plan with no data limit, according to Proton's pricing page. It covers one device at medium speed, on servers in 10 countries chosen at random. VPN Plus covers 10 devices and is $3.49 a month on a 24-month plan; the pricing page shows only 24-month prices for paid plans.

Mullvad has one flat price of €5 a month, whether you pay for one month or ten years. You don't need an email address to sign up, and Mullvad accepts cash and Monero as well as cards. There is no free plan, and an account covers up to 5 devices.

Both publish their app code under GPL-3.0, and both say they keep no activity logs. Those are the companies' own statements; Proton points to yearly audits by Securitum, and Mullvad says its app is audited every second year with the results published unredacted. Our Proton VPN vs Mullvad VPN comparison goes through the differences side by side.

• Pick Proton VPN if you want to start free, need more than 5 devices, or already use Proton Mail.
• Pick Mullvad if you want one simple monthly price and to share as little about yourself as possible.

To reach your own devices: Tailscale or WireGuard

Tailscale links your devices into a private network and handles the keys, sign-in and device discovery for you. The free Personal plan allows up to 6 users and unlimited devices, for non-commercial use. Its paid Standard and Premium plans are $8 and $18 per user per month. Its apps are open source, but the coordination server that Tailscale runs is not.

WireGuard is the free, open-source protocol underneath Tailscale. On its own it's a building block: you create keys and connect each pair of devices yourself, with no accounts or dashboard. Choose it if you're comfortable editing configuration files and want nothing in between. Our Tailscale vs WireGuard comparison explains the trade-off.

What a VPN won't do

• It doesn't make you anonymous to sites you log in to; they still know it's you.
• It doesn't block viruses or phishing on its own.
• It moves your trust from your internet provider to the VPN company, so choose one whose policies you've read.