Best VPN 2027: the 8 worth paying for

Most rankings quote the intro price and stop. The renewal price, the refund fine print, and what an audit actually covered decide whether a pick is still good in year two — so those are ranked here too.

The 8 best VPNs for 2027, ranked — prices as of 23 Jul 2026

VPN	Best price	Renews at	Devices	Countries	Latest audit
1. NordVPN	$3.49/mo (27 mo)	$139.08/yr	10	149	Deloitte, Dec 2025
2. Proton VPN	$2.99/mo (24 mo)	$83.88/yr	10	148	Securitum, 2026
3. Surfshark	$2.49/mo (27 mo)	$79.00/yr	Unlimited	100	Deloitte, 2025
4. Mullvad	€5/mo flat	No increase	5	50	Cure53, 2024*
5. ExpressVPN	$3.19/mo (28 mo)	$99.95/yr	10–14	113	KPMG, 2025
6. CyberGhost	$2.19/mo (26 mo)	$56.94/yr	7	100	Deloitte, 2025
7. Private Internet Access	$2.03/mo (39 mo)	$79 / 3 yr	Unlimited	50	Deloitte, 2025
8. Windscribe	$5.75/mo (12 mo)	No increase	Unlimited	69+	Packetlabs, 2024*

One flag on the audit column: Mullvad’s Cure53 audit and Windscribe’s Packetlabs audit are security audits of server infrastructure, not formal no-logs attestations like the Deloitte and KPMG engagements the others hold. Our guide to no-log VPN audits explains the difference.

1. NordVPN — best overall

NordVPN pairs the biggest audited network in this list — 9,200+ servers in 149 countries, all RAM-only — with the longest verification streak: six independent no-logs reviews since 2018, the latest a Deloitte assurance engagement completed in Dec 2025. It operates from Panama, which has no data-retention laws that apply to VPN providers. Its NordLynx protocol is built on WireGuard and added post-quantum encryption in 2025.

The catch is money. The 2-year Basic deal costs $94.23 for the first 27 months — $3.49 a month — then renews at $139.08 a year, about $11.59 a month. And the Deloitte report is only readable after logging in to a Nord Account, so you subscribe before you can read it. Details in our full NordVPN review; current plans are on NordVPN’s pricing page.

2. Proton VPN — the transparency pick

Proton VPN is the only provider here that publishes every no-logs audit in full: five consecutive annual reports from Securitum, 2022 through 2026, free to read without an account. Its apps are open source. It runs 20,677 servers in 148 countries from Switzerland, and says its no-logs policy has held across more than 400 legal cases. The free plan is real, too — one device, servers in 10 countries, no data cap.

Two caveats. The advertised $2.99 a month is an intro rate: $71.76 for the first two years, then $83.88 a year — $6.99 a month, more than double. And Proton skips RAM-only servers on purpose, using full-disk encryption with off-site keys instead; it publishes its reasoning, but it is the odd one out on that spec. More in our Proton VPN review.

3. Surfshark — best for a house full of devices

One Surfshark subscription covers unlimited devices — the cheapest way here to protect a whole household. The intro deal is $67.23 for the first 27 months ($2.49 a month) on a 100-country network with 10 Gbps servers, all RAM-only. Deloitte verified its no-logs policy in 2025, its second such check after 2023.

The catches cluster around pricing. The rolling monthly plan is the priciest in this list at $16.45. Renewal is $79.00 a year, and Surfshark’s terms reserve the right to price-test renewals, so the renewal price you see may differ from someone else’s. The company sits in Amsterdam but its terms are governed by British Virgin Islands law, and it merged with Nord Security — NordVPN’s parent — in 2022, though both say they run separately. See NordVPN vs Surfshark compared or our Surfshark review.

4. Mullvad — best for privacy above everything

Mullvad collects nothing that identifies you: no email, just a randomly generated account number, with cash by post and Monero accepted. The price is a flat €5 a month (about $5.71) at every term length, unchanged since 2009 — no sales, no intro-versus-renewal gap. Servers are RAM-only with no virtual locations, and the company answers to Swedish law, which its legal page says imposes no data retention on VPN providers.

The trade-offs are real: 50 countries, 5 devices, no port forwarding since 2023, and OpenVPN was removed entirely on 15 Jan 2026, which breaks OpenVPN-based router setups. Its June 2024 Cure53 audit covered infrastructure privacy, not a formal no-logs attestation, and the 14-day refund excludes cash and crypto payments. See our Mullvad review and Proton VPN vs Mullvad.

5. ExpressVPN — strongest protocol lineup, priciest renewals

ExpressVPN has the deepest protocol bench: Lightway, its open-source Rust protocol with post-quantum ML-KEM, plus a customized WireGuard on every major platform. Its RAM-only TrustedServer design has been audited by PwC and Cure53, and KPMG completed its third no-logs engagement in 2025 with no issues identified. It is registered in the British Virgin Islands and covers 113 countries.

You pay for it: $89.32 for the first 28 months ($3.19 a month), renewing at $99.95 a year, and the tiers bundle non-VPN extras with device caps of 10 to 14. One timing warning: purchases during its 11 Jul – 11 Aug 2026 sweepstakes promo are excluded from the 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN is part of the Kape Group. More in our ExpressVPN review and NordVPN vs ExpressVPN.

6. CyberGhost — longest refund window

CyberGhost gives you 45 days to get your money back on plans of six months or longer — the longest window here (the monthly plan only gets 14). The intro total is the lowest of the eight: $56.94 for the first 26 months, $2.19 a month. It is based in Romania, outside the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances, runs RAM-only servers in 100 countries, and its third Deloitte Audit Romania no-logs audit (2025) is downloadable without a login.

The renewal roughly doubles the price: $56.94 per year after the intro term, about $4.75 a month. Some of its 100 country locations are virtual — the server list flags which — and 7 simultaneous devices is the second-lowest cap in this ranking. Full detail in our CyberGhost review.

7. Private Internet Access — cheapest over the long run

Private Internet Access costs the least across years: about $79 for the first 39 months ($2.03 a month), then $79 every three years — about $2.19 a month, one of only three picks whose price does not climb after the intro term. Devices are unlimited, servers are RAM-only, and Deloitte Audit Romania has audited the no-logs policy three times (2022, 2024, 2025). PIA also states that subpoenas have produced no user data.

The big caveat is jurisdiction: PIA is a US company under Colorado law, and the US is a Five Eyes member. Its own pages also disagree about network size — the homepage claims 90 countries while the live server list shows 50. We use 50. More in our Private Internet Access review.

8. Windscribe — the sign-up price is the renewal price

Windscribe is the only paid pick here that advertises no intro discount at all: $69 a year ($5.75 a month), and the price you sign up at is the price you renew at. The free plan is genuinely usable — 10 GB a month with a confirmed email, unlimited devices included. Paid coverage spans 69+ countries from a Canadian company.

The weaknesses: the refund window is 7 business days, requires usage under 10 GB, applies to the initial payment only, and requires an unresolved technical issue raised with support — the strictest terms in this list. Its June 2024 Packetlabs audit was a security pen test of the server stack, not a no-logs attestation. Canada is a Five Eyes member, and Windscribe’s own pages disagree on country count (69+ on the server list versus over 85 in a FAQ). See our Windscribe review.

What you’ll pay after the intro deal

The advertised price and the year-two price are different numbers at five of these eight providers. This is the table most rankings leave out.

Intro price vs renewal price, 23 Jul 2026

VPN	First term	Renews at	After renewal	Refund window
NordVPN	$94.23 for 27 months	$139.08 per year	about $11.59/mo	30 days
ExpressVPN	$89.32 for 28 months	$99.95 per year	about $8.33/mo	30 days
Proton VPN	$71.76 for 24 months	$83.88 per year	$6.99/mo	30 days
Surfshark	$67.23 for 27 months	$79.00 per year	about $6.58/mo	30 days
CyberGhost	$56.94 for 26 months	$56.94 per year	about $4.75/mo	45 days
Private Internet Access	about $79 for 39 months	$79 every 3 years	about $2.19/mo	30 days
Windscribe	$69 for 12 months	$69 per year	$5.75/mo	7 business days
Mullvad	€5 per month, any term	No increase	about $5.71/mo	14 days

Three refund caveats hide behind those tidy numbers. ExpressVPN’s 30-day guarantee is suspended for purchases made during its 11 Jul – 11 Aug 2026 promo. CyberGhost’s 45 days applies to plans of six months or longer; monthly buyers get 14. Mullvad’s 14 days excludes cash and cryptocurrency payments. Only three picks charge the same after the first term: Mullvad, Windscribe, and Private Internet Access. If you never want to re-shop, start there.

How these rankings work

Five criteria, in weight order: privacy and trust (jurisdiction, audit recency and scope, RAM-only infrastructure), features (protocols, device allowance, network reach), price honesty (the renewal gap above, refund terms), use-case fit, and transparency (public reports, open-source code). Speed benchmarks are not a criterion — published third-party tests disagree too often to rank on. Where a vendor’s own pages contradict each other, as with PIA’s and Windscribe’s country counts, the live server list’s number is the one used.

Match the pick to your situation

• A household of devices: Surfshark, Private Internet Access, or Windscribe — all allow unlimited simultaneous connections.
• Anonymity first: Mullvad — no email address, cash accepted. Our most private VPN ranking goes deeper.
• Audits you can read before paying: Proton VPN publishes its reports in full; CyberGhost’s is downloadable without a login.
• No budget: Proton VPN’s free plan or Windscribe’s 10 GB a month, compared in our best free VPN guide.
• Lowest multi-year cost: Private Internet Access at about $2.19 a month after the intro term; more options in our best cheap VPN ranking.
• Streaming: start with our best VPN for streaming picks — this page ranks on privacy and value, not unblocking.

Who should skip these picks

• Torrenters who need port forwarding: Mullvad removed it in 2023. Check our best VPN for torrenting ranking before choosing.
• OpenVPN router users: Mullvad is WireGuard-only since 15 Jan 2026, so OpenVPN-based router configs will not connect.
• Anyone who rules out Five Eyes jurisdictions: that removes Private Internet Access (US) and Windscribe (Canada).
• Buyers who want ExpressVPN with a safety net: wait until after 11 Aug 2026, when the promo period that suspends its money-back guarantee ends.
• Anyone who needs a formal, current no-logs attestation: Mullvad and Windscribe cannot show one.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the best VPN overall in 2027?

NordVPN: 149 countries, RAM-only servers, NordLynx with post-quantum encryption, and six independent no-logs verifications — the latest completed by Deloitte in Dec 2025. Its weak spot is renewal pricing: $139.08 a year after the $94.23 intro term ends.

Which VPN is the cheapest?

It depends on the term you compare. CyberGhost has the lowest intro total: $56.94 for the first 26 months. Private Internet Access is cheapest over the long run at $2.03 a month for 39 months, renewing at $79 every three years — about $2.19 a month.

Which VPN allows the most devices?

Surfshark, Private Internet Access, and Windscribe all allow unlimited simultaneous connections on one subscription. ExpressVPN allows 10 to 14 depending on tier, NordVPN and Proton VPN allow 10, CyberGhost allows 7, and Mullvad allows 5.

Is there a good free VPN?

Proton VPN has the strongest free plan here: one device, servers in 10 countries, no data cap, and no ads. Windscribe's free plan offers 10 GB a month with a confirmed email and no device limit. Every other provider on this list is paid-only.

Which VPN is best for privacy?

Mullvad, based on how little it knows about you: accounts are random numbers with no email required, it takes cash and Monero, and every server runs from RAM with no virtual locations. If you want audits you can read in full, Proton VPN publishes annual Securitum reports openly.

Which VPN is the fastest?

No clear winner — published third-party speed tests disagree with each other. All eight run WireGuard or a WireGuard-based protocol; beyond protocol, speed depends on the server you pick, its load, and your own connection.