Best VPN 2026 (My Top Recommendation)

Hey, I'm Caleb and in this video I'll share my top recommendation for the best VPN so that way you can stay secure and private whenever you're online. Over the past few weeks, I downloaded and tested five of the most popular VPNs: NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surf Shark, Cyber Ghost, and ProtonVPN to see which one actually performs the best. In this video, I'll share everything I learned to help you figure out which VPN will be the best fit for you. The first thing I checked was whether all five VPNs could handle the basics. Making sure they could unblock region lock streaming sites, keep my connection secure for browsing and downloads, and work smoothly for gaming. Once I confirmed that they could all do that, to make my top recommendation, I broke things down into five key categories: speeds, server networks, ease of use, device limits, and pricing. This way, you'll see which VPN was the best in each category, and by the end of this video, you'll know which one is the best overall choice. First, let's see which VPNs have the fastest speeds, so that way you can safely browse the web with no interruptions. When browsing the internet with a VPN turned on, your internet traffic is sent through an extra secure tunnel before it reaches its destination. That extra step keeps you private, but it also means your connection usually won't be quite as fast as when you're browsing without a VPN. That's why choosing a VPN with strong speed performance is so important. With the right one, you'll be able to stream in high quality, download and upload files, and browse the web without any slowdowns or interruptions. To see which VPN offered the best speeds, I started by running an internet speed test without a VPN to get my baseline results. After that, I connected each VPN to its fastest server for my location and ran the same test again. And here's what I found out. Most of the VPNs I tested were nearly identical to my base internet speed, which is really nice to see. And here's how they ranked from slowest to fastest. ExpressVPN landed in last place with a noticeable drop in download speeds. Next were Cyber Ghost and ProtonVPN, which both performed much closer to my base speeds. Surf Shark came in near the top, and NordVPN took first place with the best overall speeds. Aside from ExpressVPN, the differences with all these VPNs were very small. And based on my tests, it's safe to say you really can't go wrong with any of these VPNs when it comes to speed. But if you want the best possible speeds, NordVPN will be your best bet. It's worth keeping in mind that your results will vary depending on your location, your internet provider, and how far away you are from the server that you're trying to connect to. And that's why the size of each VPN server network really matters. More servers in more locations means more ways to connect securely. Let's now take a look at how many servers and countries each VPN offers. So, I did some research and I gathered the most up-to-date numbers for each VPN and ranked them from the largest networks to the smallest. And here's what I found out. Starting at the bottom, Surf Shark comes in last with around 3,200 servers in 100 countries. And just ahead of it is ExpressVPN with around 3,000 servers, but spread across 105 countries, giving it slightly more regional coverage. Then in the middle, NordVPN makes a big jump with about 7,900 servers across 165 countries. That's a huge step up from Surf Shark and ExpressVPN. And the next two VPN server networks are even more impressive. In second place is Cyber Ghost. with over 11,000 servers in 100 countries. That's a massive server count, though it does come with less regional coverage compared to NordVPN's 165 countries. And in first place is ProtonVPN. With over 15,000 servers in 122 countries, it's easily the best option if you want the largest selection of servers. And those 122 countries give it a solid balance of global coverage. So, if you're looking to have access to the biggest network with your VPN, ProtonVPN would be the best choice. But for some people, the number of countries available matters more since having more regions means more flexibility for streaming and browsing worldwide. So if we rank these VPNs by country availability instead of server count, NordVPN actually takes the top spot with 165 countries. Now, we've looked at the speeds and server networks for each of these VPNs, but does any of that actually matter if the VPN itself is frustrating or hard to use? I installed and set up all five VPNs on my PC while taking notes on my experience as a first-time user. Of course, this is just my opinion, so your own setup experience may be a little different. Overall, each VPN had a very smooth flow from picking a plan on the website to installing it on my computer to being guided through the app for the very first time before connecting to a server. However, my least favorite experience was with Cyber Ghost. Their website felt cluttered with constant pop-ups that made choosing a plan feel a bit overwhelming. But once I got past all of that, the app itself was very clean and simple to use. It opens in the bottom right corner of your screen, but you can expand it to the center by clicking on the arrow. On the left are your settings and server options, including dedicated servers for gaming, torrenting, and streaming, which I really like. In the middle are your favored servers for quick access, and on the right side is the main connection button, which autoconnects you to the fastest server. So, aside from the website, the app itself feels very easy to use. The next VPN I tried out was ProtonVPN. Their website is clean and simple to navigate, and after I chose a plan, installation was super quick. When you open the app for the first time, it autoconnects you to the fastest server, so you're instantly protected. And the interface is straightforward. On the left, you'll see your recent servers, countries, and the option to create profiles for things like streaming or gaming. You can also move around the map and pick servers directly, which feels very intuitive. On the right are additional settings, and overall, the layout is very beginnerfriendly and easy to use. After that, I checked out ExpressVPN. Choosing a plan on their website was straightforward, and what stood out to me was their activation code system. Instead of having to log in on every device that you own, you just enter your code on all the devices that you want protected to get set up quickly. After installing the desktop app and entering my code, I was ready to go. Upon opening the desktop application, the interface is as simple as it gets. You have a big power button in your current server location. Click on the servers to bring up the full list. In the top left, you'll find your settings, and that's it. Overall, this was the most beginner-friendly experience, and it's perfect if you just want a VPN without any clutter. Then, I tried out NordVPN. The website was easy to navigate, and picking a plan was simple. After installing and launching the app, the first thing I noticed was how much more is on the screen compared to ExpressVPN's minimal dashboard. But that's not a bad thing. It feels like a mature VPN with a ton of features built in. On the main dashboard, you can click quick connect to connect to the fastest server. Below that, you'll see your recent connections, and you can search for a country. On the left, you'll see a list of different tabs. If you click on the globe icon, you'll find an interactive map that allows you to move around and see all the servers that are available. The other tabs on the left contain some miscellaneous features. Then, in the bottom left, you'll find your main settings. While it's not quite as beginnerfriendly as some of the others, NordVPN gives you everything you'd ever need in a VPN in one well organized package. The last VPN I tested was Surf Shark. The website was simple to navigate and installation was super quick. When you first open the app, it walks you through a short tutorial that shows where everything is on the dashboard, which is something that I really enjoy. On the right, you've got your connection button and status, while the left side has your server list, tabs for extra features, and settings at the bottom. It's clear, intuitive, and easy to pick up right away. So, for ease of use, Surf Shark was my personal favorite. The tutorial made it simple to get started, and it struck the best balance between being beginnerfriendly and still offering plenty of features. But if you want a VPN that's packed with all the features that you'll ever need, NordVPN is a great choice, even if the interface feels a little busier. And if you just want the cleanest, most straightforward layout possible, ExpressVPN is the way to go. This was just my experience with the desktop version of these VPNs. And I'm sure the experience will be slightly different if you're connecting other devices like your gaming consoles, smartphone, or your TV. And speaking of connecting other devices, most VPNs actually limit how many devices you can connect at once. So, if you're someone who's looking to secure every single device in your home, this is a detail that you won't want to miss. Each VPN has different plan tiers, but for this comparison, I'll be using the device limits from the lowest cost basic plan for each VPN. At the bottom of the list is Cyber Ghost, which only lets you connect up to seven devices at a time. ExpressVPN comes in just above that with support for eight devices at once. Next up, ProtonVPN and NordVPN are tied, each allowing up to 10 devices. And in first place is Surf Shark, which lets you connect unlimited devices on a single account. When I first heard about this, I thought there had to be some sort of catch, but it's true. One Surf Shark subscription can cover every single device in your home. That makes it a perfect deal for families or anyone with lots of devices to keep secure. So, when it comes to device limit, Surf Shark is the clear winner. Earlier, I mentioned that each VPN has different plan tiers. So, now that we've covered device limits, let's break down the pricing for each VPN to see which one offers the best deal. Most VPNs give you three payment options. You can pay monthly, yearly, or every two years. I don't recommend paying monthly. The prices are significantly higher, and within just a few months, you'll have already spent as much as a yearly or even a 2-year plan. So, for this comparison, I'll be looking at the lowcost basic plans, which usually just give you access to the VPN itself. Some providers do also offer premium tiers with extras like anti virus protection, but we'll keep things simple and focus on the base VPN pricing. Now, let's break down the pricing for all five VPNs to see which ones are the most affordable. Since the 2-year plans give you the best long-term value, that's what I'll be focusing on here. Of course, if you look at the yearly or monthly options, the order can shift a little, but for simplicity, we'll start with the 2-year deals and go from the most expensive down to the least expensive. Starting with the most expensive 2-year plan, we have ProtonVPN, which costs $107.76 for 24 months, and that works out to about $449 a month. Next is ExpressVPN at $97.72 for 28 months, which breaks down to about $349 a month. Then we've got NordVPN at $8343 for 27 months, coming out to about $39 a month. Up next, we have Cyber Ghost at $56.94 for 24 months or about $2.37 a month. And finally, the most affordable option is Surf Shark at $53.73 for 27 months, breaking down to just about $2 a month. It's important to note for most of these VPNs, the 2-year plan gives you the biggest savings up front. But once the initial deal ends, the renewal prices jump much higher. So before your plan renews, it's worth checking the new price still fits within your budget. So, if we rerank these VPNs by their renewal prices instead of the upfront deals, ExpressVPN actually ends up as the most expensive option, while Surf Shark and Cyber Ghost stay the cheapest. Also, every single one of these VPNs offers either a free trial or a 30-day money back guarantee. So, you can try them all out completely risk-free. Overall, Surf Shark comes in as the lowest priced VPN, making it the best choice if you're after the most affordable deal. And if you do decide to purchase a plan for any of these VPNs, be sure to check out our special partner links that are in this video's description. By using these links to sign up, you'll always get the best and most affordable deal that's currently available. So, we've looked at all of the most important aspects of each of these five VPNs. And after all of my testing and research, which one do I recommend as the best overall? I actually have two top recommendations for the best VPN to choose. So, let's start with my number one pick, which is NordVPN. From my testing, NordVPN stood out with the best speeds, the widest country coverage in its server network, and a feature-p packed but intuitive interface, all at a very reasonable price on its 2-year plan. You're also able to connect up to 10 devices at a time, which is plenty for most people. NordVPN is my number one pick because it strikes the best balance of every feature that matters in a VPN, and it performed great across every category I tested. And my number two pick is Surf Shark. Sur Sharkark also delivered strong speeds, the most beginnerfriendly user interface, and the most affordable pricing of all the VPNs I tested. Its biggest perk is unlimited device connections, making it perfect for households or people with lots of devices. The only drawback is that Surf Shark has a smaller server network compared to the others. But in my experience, it wasn't a major issue. So, if you want the most balanced all-around VPN experience, and you don't need unlimited devices, go with NordVPN. But if you'd rather have an affordable, beginner-friendly VPN that can cover every device that you own without any limits, I would go with Surf Shark. And again, if you want to purchase a plan for these two VPNs or any of the others I tested, be sure to check out our special partner links that are in this video's description. That way, you'll make sure you're getting the most up-to-date and affordable deal available. For example, when you sign up to NordVPN through our special partner link, you'll get 75% off their 2-year plan, plus three extra months. On top of that, you'll be supporting our channel so we can keep on creating free content for you guys. Thanks a lot for your support. And if you want to learn exactly how to set up your VPN step by step, we actually have a NordVPN tutorial that's linked in the description and appearing on screen right now. Go ahead and click on that video and you'll learn everything you need to know step by step. Thanks for watching this video and I'll see you in the next one.