Best iPhone VPN of 2024 [CNET]

August 12, 2024August 12, 2024 Attila Tomaschek technology

With 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 a VPN for your iPhone:

Privacy

The primary consideration for any VPN should be privacy. If your iPhone VPN is unable to deliver a sufficient level of privacy, then your VPN is practically useless. Your VPN should offer industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption over the OpenVPN and IKEv2 VPN protocols or ChaCha20 with WireGuard, along with basic privacy protections like a kill switch, DNS leak protection and a no-logs policy. If your privacy needs are critical, you’ll need a VPN provider that is based in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, offers obfuscation and has a RAM-only server architecture. Additional privacy features to look out for include Tor-over-VPN functionality, ad and tracker blockers and multi-hop connections. It’s also important to choose a VPN that’s trustworthy, transparent and undergoes regular third-party security audits, which can help bolster trust in the VPN’s ability to protect your privacy.

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 recommend a VPN with an internet speed loss 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	Avg. VPN speed (Mbps)	Avg. non-VPN speed (Mbps)	Speed loss
NordVPN	206	230	11%
Mullvad	319	369	13%
Surfshark	153	193	17%
Proton VPN	157	180	21%
ExpressVPN	173	231	25%
IPVanish	205	367	44%
PIA	98	211	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 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 it should 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 a VPN for your iPhone to 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, Surfshark, PIA and IPVanish feature Apple TV VPN apps. Think about the devices you want to install a VPN app on and make sure your desired VPN company supports those gadgets.

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	IPVanish	Surfshark	PIA	ProtonVPN	ExpressVPN	NordVPN
Windows	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
MacOS	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
Linux	✔️	✔️ (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

Best VPNs for mobile protection — James Martin/CNET

Proton VPN

If you need a completely free VPN for your iPhone, Proton VPN is the way to go. With Proton VPN, you can 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 6,500-plus servers in 112 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. On the entertainment side, Proton works well for geo-unblocking foreign content on apps like Netflix and Disney Plus, making is a great VPN for streaming. Proton is the best free option with a solid premium plan and an excellent VPN solution overall.

Read our Proton VPN review.

IPVanish

IPVanish’s iPhone app is fairly easy to use and features 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, $34 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.