ExpressVPN is currently CNET's top pick as the best Android VPN, thanks to the outstanding performance of its Android app and its commitment to privacy and transparency. The Android app is intuitive without compromising on privacy features. Even better, ExpressVPN's proprietaryLightway protocol has been recoded to improve its speeds, security and overall performance -- so you can stay private and stream content smoothly, even on the go. However, ExpressVPN’s price tag is on the premium end of the spectrum.

Surfshark is one of the most wallet-friendly Android VPNs on our list. Don’t be fooled by the relatively low prices on Surfshark’s annual plans; there are no cut corners when it comes to privacy features. There are plenty of international server locations to pick from, fast connection speeds and many unique privacy extras. Surfshark offers a premium VPN experience without breaking the bank. Additionally, Surfshark allows an unlimited number of devices to connect simultaneously on a single subscription, making it ideal for Android users with a large number of other devices.

NordVPN is the fastest VPN for Android, which makes it invaluable if you want to stream content in 4K on your Android device (or on any other platform, for that matter). Combining blazing-fast speeds with a healthy dose of privacy features, you really can’t go wrong with NordVPN. NordVPN also comes with some other unique utility features, like Meshnet. This allows you to easily transfer files between your devices through NordVPN’s encrypted network, which is a boon for any Android user looking to conveniently transfer files quickly and securely.

The best VPNs for Android keep your online activity on your Android devices private from your ISP or mobile phone carrier. It does this by creating an encrypted tunnel between yourAndroid device and a VPN server, which all of your data is sent through before it reaches the internet. Anyone snooping on your connection in between these two points sees a string of indecipherable gibberish. Once your traffic is sent to the VPN server, it's decrypted and routed to the rest of the internet as though it originated from the VPN server, which then sends responses back to you. In that way, it works a little bit like aproxy, but with the extra security and privacy added by encryption.

There are several additional benefits of using a VPN. In addition to encrypting your traffic, a VPN hides the IP address tied to your original access point behind the IP address of the VPN server you're connected to. When you're browsing the internet, each service you interact with records your IP address. If you're using P2P services, this includes other internet users, too. Disguising your IP address makes it harder for cybercriminals and advertising networks to track you, as your real location is obscured.

VPNs can also help you mitigate some of the downsides of connecting to public networks, like your local coffee shop's Wi-Fi. Running all of your traffic through a VPN with a private DNS stops the Wi-Fi provider from recording which sites you connect to. Aside from the immediate privacy benefits, this also stops your site requests from being harvested and used to build marketing profiles. The encryption that hides your traffic means that the Wi-Fi operator can't block the sites you want to visit, either. Best of all, if your traffic can’t be read then it can’t be throttled, meaning you can potentially getbetter streaming video quality through a VPN.

Of course, VPNs have benefits beyond enhancing your privacy. Connecting to a VPN server changes the IP the rest of the internet sees when you connect to one in that country. This allows you access to geo-restricted content across the world that would otherwise be unavailable. Take streaming services for example. With a VPN, you can watch libraries available from Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus from other countries at the press of a button. 

The wide variety of VPN apps on offer from the top-tier VPN providers means that whether you're watching Pulse on the go from your phone, or watching The Residence on your Fire TV Stick, there's a powerful Android VPN app that will cover your device.

So, to find the very best of the best, our experts at CNET have assessed the app experience on Android for dozens of VPNs. Our expertise is what we've drawn on to create our list of thebest VPNs for Android. Each service has been put through hands-on testing directly on Android devices. We've ran over 250 individual internet speed tests per provider, streamed hours of videos from apps like Netflix, used each app on Android handsets and pored over privacy policies. We're also taking into account how well these VPN apps perform on other platforms, such as Windows, MacOS, iOS and Linux, as well as on Apple TVs, Amazon Fire TV streamers and Android TV boxes. 

With so many Android 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 most important factors to consider when choosing a VPN for Android: 

Privacy

No matter which VPN you use on Android or any other device, the bare minimum for consideration is that it protects your privacy. Look for a VPN that uses industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption over the OpenVPN protocol, or ChaCha20 over WireGuard or IKEv2. These protocols have received intense scrutiny from the open-source community and are trusted by thousands of enterprises worldwide, so you can trust them to keep your data private.

There are also a few privacy features you’ll need to look out for. Any serious VPN provider will offer a kill switch, which stops your data from leaking unencrypted if you suddenly get cut off from your VPN. Be warned, you’ll need to look carefully -- even if a provider claims it offers a kill switch, it might not offer it for Android. DNS leak protection is also essential -- it stops your device from sending unencrypted website requests so your ISP can’t tell what apps or websites you use and visit. You’ll also want to look for an audited no-logs policy. It’s vital for your privacy that your provider states clearly that it doesn’t record your online activity while connected to its servers, but an audit can help add credence to those claims. Independentaudits are one of the best ways to assess whether or not a VPN provider is truly invested in keeping your data private. It's also important to review your VPN's privacy policy, which should be easy to understand and include clear language related to data collection and sharing.  

If you’re a power user, you may appreciate advanced features like split tunneling, which lets you use a VPN for some traffic but not others. For instance, you can route your Chrome web browser through a VPN for streaming Netflix in a browser, while downloading a game from Steam without a VPN connection for faster speeds, all on the same computer.

For critical privacy needs -- like if you're an investigative journalist, asylum seeker, political activist or concerned torrent-user -- you'll also want a VPN provider that's based in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, offers obfuscation and has a RAM-only server architecture. Obfuscation works to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN by disguising your VPN traffic as normal HTTPS browsing traffic. Additional privacy features to look out for include Tor over VPN capabilities for an extra layer of privacy, ad and tracker blockers and multihop connections, which encrypt your traffic twice through two separate VPN servers rather than just one. 

Speed

Your VPN's speed performance can have a major effect on activities like streaming, downloading, video conferencing, gaming and general web browsing. To keep things running smoothly, you'll want to look for a VPN that has as minimal an impact on your regular internet speeds as possible. A fast VPN should only drop your internet download speeds by an average of 25% or less, with the fastest VPNs we've tested dropping our speeds by a mere 3%. Keep in mind that you might end up with slower speeds and worse latency if you're connecting to a server that's far away from your current location. It’s worth checking out a VPN provider’s server location list before you commit to make sure there’s a server relatively close to you.

Usability

A good Android 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 Android 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. Your Android VPN should have a large network of servers around the world so you can connect easily and reliably from wherever you are, and it should be able to help you access geo-restricted content from various regions.     

Cost

VPN pricing varies greatly from provider to provider, so if you're on a budget, you may want to consider the cost and overall value of your Android VPN. Typically, you can expect to spend about $5 to $115 per month for a VPN subscription plan. If you want to save money, you can opt for an annual subscription, where introductory prices range from roughly $30 to $100 for the first year and renewal prices come in around $50 to $150 annually. Be careful with free VPNs because you may end up putting your privacy at risk instead of protecting it. Proton VPN is currently the onlyfree VPN that CNET recommends. 

There are a lot of other free VPNs out there, especially on mobile platforms. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to confirm whether most of them have sensible no-logs policies. Especially in the case of completely free VPNs, they tend to monetize your data use by showing you ads or selling your browsing data to marketing companies. In the very worst cases, they’re just spyware apps masquerading as VPNs that hackers use to scoop up your passwords and bank account details for identity theft attacks. You might be tempted to save a few dollars by using a free VPN, but it could end up costing you more than you bargained for. 

There are several ways to try out a VPN before you buy one, especially if you’re mostly concerned about Android devices. It’s not unusual for a VPN provider to offer some sort of money-back guarantee if you’re unhappy with the service, which usually covers anywhere between the first week to 45 days of a subscription. Be warned, you should look up the terms beforehand to make sure you’re eligible for a refund. Some providers won’t offer you a refund unless there’s an explicit technical issue with the VPN, whereas others will hand your money back with no questions asked. There’s also the option of trying out a seven-day trial through the Play Store, which most VPN providers offer when you sign up. Again, you need to be savvy here. You’ll be charged through your payment details linked to the Play Store at the end of the free trial period, and depending on the provider, you may be locked into a year-long plan or longer up front. If you’re not happy with the service, make sure you unsubscribe fully and delete the app before your trial period is over.

Streaming

While VPNs are privacy tools first and foremost, they're also great for unblocking geo-restricted streaming content. Because you can make apps like Netflix, Disney Plus and BBC iPlayer think you're in another location -- like the UK or Canada -- you can watch foreign content libraries, and maybe evensave money using a VPN for streaming. For streaming on Android phones, tablets or Android TV boxes, you may want to consider one of the best VPNs for Netflix or best VPNs for Amazon Prime Video.

To evaluate the best VPNs for Android, we run through the features offered on each VPN's Android app and we test them over the course of several weeks to see how they stack up to similar features offered by other VPN providers.

Speed

To gain a sense of the VPN's speed performance, we run over 250 individual internet speed tests per provider, including testing speeds to different countries and on different protocols. Then we calculate the average speed lost while connected to each VPN.

Usability and features

We evaluate the look and feel of the app and the overall usability of the software and we test to see how easy it is to connect to a server and how easy it is to search for and find a specific server to connect to. Additionally, we test the performance and reliability of the VPN connection on each of the protocols available in the provider's Android app.

Privacy

Because privacy is paramount, we test for leaks and assess each service's kill switch functionality to ensure it's working as it should on Android. We also pore through privacy policies to look for potential red flags.

Value

We test each VPN's ability to circumvent geographical content restrictions on Android, and we evaluate each provider's pricing to determine the service's overall value. Ideally, we like to see easy access to 24/7 live support directly from the Android app interface, so users can get the help they need while on the go. We also take into consideration features that go above and beyond the standard on Android and set a VPN provider apart from the pack.

Proton VPN

Proton VPN is a Swiss-based open-source VPN provider that is staunchly committed to user privacy. Proton VPN's Android app is easy to use and includes a kill switch that's always on by default, and a VPN Accelerator feature that can boost your VPN speeds. If you're looking for a free VPN, Proton is the only one that CNET recommends.

On Android, you can even change the Proton VPN app icon to a discreet app icon that says Weather, Notes or Calculator, hiding the fact that you have a VPN installed on your mobile device. Alongside its Stealth VPN protocol, which uses obfuscation to mask your VPN usage, Proton is a great choice for folks with serious privacy concerns, like asylum seekers, investigative journalists or political activists. But its exceptional streaming unblocking -- Proton VPN loaded foreignNetflix andAmazon Prime Video libraries that some rivals struggled to show -- gives evidence it's an excellent VPN for streaming or gaming as well. Whether you want to unblock streaming services or have critical privacy needs, Proton VPN is an excellent choice.

Proton VPN doesn’t implement bandwidth limits on its free tier, but it still comes with a few restrictions. Instead of being able to access all 117 countries on its 12,000-plus server network, you’ll only be able to connect to the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland and the United States. You also won’t get access to Proton’s premium features such as Tor over VPN, Secure Core servers or its ad-blocker add-on. That said, it’s still the best free VPN option we’ve seen. Proton VPN takes privacy seriously, so whether you’re on a paid plan or the free version, you’ll get all of the same encryption, leak protection and obfuscation features necessary to keep you safe. If you’re looking to upgrade to the premium plan, the monthly price starts at $10. You’ll pay $60 for the first year or $108 for the first two years. Both of these plans renew yearly at $80 per year and come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Read our Proton VPN review.

IPVanish

IPVanishis a decent VPN for Android that delivers a satisfactory mobile app experience for beginners. (Disclosure: IPVanish is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) IPVanish's Android app includes features like a kill switch, split tunneling, protocol selection (WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2), threat protection and a direct connection to 24/7 customer support. The VPN even recently gave its server network a major upgrade by almost doubling the number of available countries from 56 to 111, giving it one of the largest in the industry in terms of global coverage and making it an intriguing choice for travel and international streaming. However, the 44% average speed loss we measured in our most recent speed tests puts it well behind the competition.

IPVanish costs $13 per month, $40 for the first year or $52 total for the first two years. The introductory pricing on the longer-term plans is mostly fair for what you get because it has a large server network and unlimited simultaneous connection allowance. But be warned that the price of the yearly plan nearly quadruples upon renewal to $156 per year and the two-year plan surges six times to $312 every two years after the initial term. At those prices, it's extremely difficult to recommend IPVanish considering its sluggish speeds, unremarkable feature set and average overall performance. On top of that, IPVanish doesn't make its borderline ridiculous renewal price hike sufficiently clear on its pricing or checkout pages. (You have to scroll down to the bottom of the pricing page and click to expand an FAQ entry to find the pertinent renewal price information.) ExpressVPN's and NordVPN's renewal prices are slightly cheaper though similarly excessive, but at least they both deliver far more than what IPVanish currently does. Surfshark and Proton VPN renew at around $80 per year after introductory pricing and are also superior to IPVanish in virtually every aspect. IPVanish offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, but only if you get the annual or two-year plan, which could be a disappointment to anyone who buys a monthly subscription and decides they don't like the service.

Read our IPVanish review.

We've seen a lot of improvement across many Android VPN apps over the past few years, but we're expecting even more performance and feature refinements in 2025 and beyond. One of the continuing trends we're seeing is additional services -- like password managers, antivirus protection, secure email and identity protection features -- being offered by a few of the top VPN companies. These additional features can be bundled with each provider's existing VPN app. Going forward, we're likely to see them integrated more into a single app for each provider instead of having multiple apps for each of your bundled services.We're also starting to see a greater degree of parity between apps on different platforms so users will start enjoying access to a similar set of features regardless of which operating system they're using. On top of overall performance improvements, we'll see providers committing to more regular audits, refining their pricing structures and a wider implementation of forward-thinking privacy features like post-quantum protection.