Jacob RoachGearOct 14, 2025 7:30 AM

The Best VPNs for iPhone

There are dozens of iPhone VPNs at your disposal, but these are the services that will actually keep your browsing safe.

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Best iPhone VPN for Most PeopleNordVPN CompleteRead more$135

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Searching for the best VPN for iPhone is terrifying. I hopped on the App Store to see my options, and there were dozens of apps I haven't heard of from companies that sound as shady as they do generic. A recent analysis from the Tech Transparency Project also found that several of these free VPNs route internet traffic through Chinese companies.

These free VPNs don't have much of a paper trail detailing their company history, and attract unsuspecting users with success. The top result for “VPN” on the App Store has 1.9 million reviews (of dubious legitimacy), and it’s published by a shell company of a shell company, which was registered by yet another company at the address of a law firm that offers mail drop services. But there are some diamonds in the rough. All the best VPN services have apps for iPhone, but I wanted to dig deeper and find the specific apps that work best on Apple's hardware. There are several good options, but these three VPNs are the ones I’d actually use every day.

Be sure to read our other software guides, like the Best VPNs, Best Password Managers, and Best Website Builders.

How to Install a VPN on iPhone

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There’s a section within the settings on iOS that allows you to set up a custom VPN configuration, and when you install a VPN app on iOS, you’ll see a configuration for your VPN provider appear there. Whenever you attempt to connect to a VPN for the first time, a pop-up will appear asking for permission to create a VPN configuration. Tap Allow, and you’re off to the races.

You don’t need to pop into the settings, but if you want to set up a custom configuration, you can find VPN management in the settings app. Open it and follow General > VPN & Device Management. There, you can create a custom VPN configuration. Note that Apple only supports the IKEv2, IPsec, and L2TP protocols. If that’s gibberish to you, these are older, less secure protocols, and you don’t need to pay them much mind.

These custom configurations exist if you want to set up your own VPN. Maybe you’re using a company-issued iPhone and it has a VPN configuration for company resources, or maybe you set up a private VPN using existing cloud infrastructure. For most people, just allowing the VPN app you downloaded to set up a configuration is all you need to do.

Does the iPhone Have a Built-In VPN?

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iPhones have a built-in VPN client, but that’s not what most people are talking about with a VPN. The built-in client allows you to set up custom VPN configurations with the IKEv2, IPsec, or L2TP protocols, but Apple doesn’t provide a VPN service. You’ll need a VPN app like NordVPN or ProtonVPN for service.

In short, Apple doesn’t offer a VPN with iPhones. It simply offers a client to configure a custom VPN, which is applicable in some niche cases.

What Does Using a VPN on iPhone Do?

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A VPN on iPhone (or elsewhere) protects your internet traffic in a secure tunnel. Before connecting to a website, your internet connection is routed through a VPN server, where it is anonymized and encrypted. In the eyes of the internet, it’s as if all your traffic is coming from that VPN server rather than from the device you’re using.

The main upside to using a VPN on iPhone is privacy. Because you appear anonymous in the eyes of whatever website or service you’re connecting to, it won’t be able to track your activity or log personal information available in a normal connection. There’s some information sent by your browser that a VPN can’t protect, but VPN providers like Windscribe and NordVPN have tools to combat this type of tracking.

In addition to keeping you private, a VPN can get around geo-restrictions. For instance, a streaming service like Netflix might have certain movies available in one country but not another. A VPN can make you appear as if you’re connecting from a different country, unlocking that content. This can also be useful when traveling abroad, be it to connect to streaming platforms or services that might block access from other countries, such as a bank.

Is It Legal to Use a VPN on my iPhone?

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VPNs are legal in most countries. There are a few exceptions, notably countries with deep censorship laws and restricted speech, such as Russia and North Korea. Short of those exceptions, VPNs are widely legal to use, regardless of the particular service you’re using.

However, doing illegal things while connected to a VPN is still illegal. A VPN might help you stay private online, but there aren’t exceptions to the law just for using a VPN. It’s a bit like wearing a mask. It isn’t illegal to wear a mask and hide your identity in public, but if you do something illegal, that’s still against the law. A VPN is no different.

• Best iPhone VPN for Most People

  Photograph: Jacob Roach

  NordVPN

  Complete

  $135

  NordVPN (2 Year)

  $84

  NordVPN (Yearly)

  NordVPN isn’t just the best VPN for iPhone, it’s a complete security suite for your device. Its Complete plan comes with malware and tracker protection in your browser, a full subscription to NordPass (one of the best password managers), and even 1 TB of secure cloud storage. It also includes scam call protection, which, unfortunately, isn’t available on iOS yet—but as someone who uses it daily to block calls on Android, it’s one of my most anticipated feature additions.

  The security suite is excellent, but the VPN at the heart of the service holds up. Across the US, Nord maintained an average drop in speed of 15.32 percent, which is basically in lockstep with the fastest service I tested, Proton. Nord also has a massive network of servers. It’s not the largest, but it’s the spread that counts. Virtual locations are available in restrictive environments like Somalia and Rwanda, and in major media hubs like the US, you’ll find locations in just about every major city.

  Nord probably has the best app out of all the iPhone VPNs I tested, too. Most apps from reputable brands are easy to use with one-tap connections, and Nord isn’t different. However, it balances that convenience with a lot of power. You can quickly see specialty servers like P2P locations from the home screen, you can tap a country to connect to the fastest server, or choose a specific location, and you can temporarily pause your connection; useful if you run up against an automated VPN block.

  You can also set up multiple emails for dark web monitoring from the app, as well as access Nord’s other services like NordPass and Saily eSIM. Nord’s iPhone app feels basic, but once you start poking around, you’ll quickly find it has just about everything you need.

• The Fastest iPhone VPN

  Photograph: Jacob Roach

  Proton

  VPN Plus

  $72

  Proton VPN (2 Year)

  $48

  Proton VPN (Yearly)

  ProtonVPN is at the top of the list in our Best VPNs guide, but it takes an ever-so-slight backseat to Nord when it comes to iPhone. That mainly comes down to the app. It’s easy to use and comes with some unique features like the ability to make profiles for server selection based on different criteria, but I don’t find it quite as intuitive as Nord’s app.

  Regardless, Proton topped the list in speeds when I was testing on iPhone, dropping just 15.23 percent on average across the US (the margins were tight on this one!). Proton offers a free plan with a limited server selection, but you can expect much slower speeds on those servers. Here, I’m recommending ProtonVPN’s Plus plan, not only because it unlocks all the servers and offers faster speeds, but also because it’s pocket change compared to most VPNs.

  It’s just $80 for a full year, and even less when you first sign up (Proton offers monthly, annual, and biennial plans). Unlike an increasing number of VPN services, Proton doesn’t offer multiple plans. Even with VPN Plus, you get 10 simultaneous connections, malware and ad blocking, peer-to-peer servers, and Proton’s Secure Core network, which routes your traffic through a small network of servers wholly owned and operated by Proton.

  Proton offers much more than a VPN, however, with Proton Unlimited. It includes Proton Pass—also one of our top-rated password managers—encrypted storage, the wildly popular Proton Mail, and even a crypto wallet, if that’s your game. I’m recommending VPN Plus here due to how inexpensive it is, but don’t sleep on Proton Unlimited; it’s actually cheaper than several leading VPN providers and comes with a lot more.

• Best Free iPhone VPN

  Photograph: Jacob Roach

  Windscribe

  VPN

  Shop at

  Windscribe (Free)

  $69

  Windscribe (Pro, Yearly)

  Searching for the best free VPN for iPhone is just asking for trouble. Those shady services I mentioned at the top of this article? They’d all like you to believe they’re free VPNs. Nothing is ever truly free, but Windscribe is a remarkably rare exception. It has an excellent free plan, which offers a gentle (and cheap) on-ramp to a paid plan if you want to upgrade.

  Unlike Proton, Windscribe restricts data rather than speeds. You have access to servers in 10 countries, but there’s no hit to speed or the number of devices you can connect. You get 2 GB per month to start, 10 GB if you sign up with an email, and an extra 5GB if you post about Windscribe on social media. And, if you want unlimited data, you can build your own plan. Rather than purchasing access to Windscribe’s full network, you can unlock unlimited data for $3 per month, and add locations for an extra $1 per month.

  Windscribe is one of only two free VPNs I’m comfortable recommending (the other being Proton), and Windscribe wins out for iPhone. The app is fantastic. Windscribe gives you the traditional one-tap connection on the main screen, but if you dig into the settings, you’ll find a ton of options, from DNS settings to custom VPN configurations.

  My favorite feature, however, is R.O.B.E.R.T. It’s an ad, malware, and tracker blocker not dissimilar from the features available at Nord or Proton, but it has a much wider range of options. You can block things like gambling websites and “news” websites known to publish misinformation. You can set up custom rules, as well, blocking specific trackers, ad servers, or even specific websites. You can only have three custom rules on the free plan, but if you upgrade to Windscribe Pro, that goes up to 1,000 custom rules. If you’re diligent enough, you can basically tailor your browsing to only the things you want with R.O.B.E.R.T.

Other iPhone VPNs We Tested

Surfshark: Surfshark was a strong contender for the main list. Even its Starter plan comes with extra features like a masked email generator. Features like ad and tracker blocking, as well as unlimited simultaneous connections, come standard across plans. However, it was a bit slower than my top picks, dropping around 20 percent of speed on average, compared to around 15 percent for the top options.

Mullvad: Mullvad is a favorite among privacy enthusiasts, and for good reason. It doesn’t fuss with multi-year discounts or referral programs, and you don’t even need to provide an email to sign up for an account. You can even pay the static monthly fee by mailing Mullvad cash. It’s a great service if privacy is your top priority, but it trades speeds and features in the process. VPN services like Nord and Proton have quickly grown into full privacy and security suites, while Mullvad is more focused on making a robust VPN. In the context of an iPhone, the scales tip more toward those security suites, but Mullvad is still a great privacy-focused option to keep in mind.

ExpressVPN: By the numbers, ExpressVPN should be at the top of the list. It has a ton of servers, a featureset that can go toe-to-toe with Nord, and speeds only a touch below Proton. However, ExpressVPN has found itself in a spiral of increasing controversies over the past four years, and the brand has yet to get back on solid footing. After being purchased by Kape Technologies—the company behind the infamous adware company Crossrider—former US intelligence official Daniel Gericke took over at CTO and continued in that role for two years, even after being fined over $300,000 by the US Department of Justice for hacking activities on behalf of a foreign government. Gericke left in 2023, but that same year, ExpressVPN experienced a large swath of layoffs, and Kape, its parent company, was delisted from the London Stock Exchange. The vast majority of shares went to Unikmind Holdings Limited, a company owned by Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi, who got his start by creating gambling software Playtech. That’s an extremely condensed version of what ExpressVPN has gone through over the past few years. The company hasn’t done anything nefarious, but the revolving door of executive control tied to controversial names doesn’t inspire confidence.

Private Internet Access: Private Internet Access, or PIA, is also owned by Kape Technologies, and it followed a similar playbook as ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, which Kape also owns. After the acquisition and community backlash, there’s been very little transparency about what’s going on in the company. A connection to Kape definitely raises questions, but that doesn’t immediately disqualify a service from being included. Unfortunately for PIA, it had much slower speeds than any of the other VPN services I tested, so regardless of ownership, it isn’t a top pick for iPhone VPNs.

iPhone VPN Feature Comparison

Services and FeaturesNordVPNProtonVPNWindscribeSimultaneous Connections1010 (1 with Proton Free)UnlimitedServer Locations165 locations120+ locations (5 locations with Proton Free)134+ locations (10 locations with Windscribe Free)Peer-to-Peer (P2P) ServersYesYesAll serversTor SupportYesYesYesAd/Tracker BlockingYesYesYes (plus custom blocklist)Dark Web MonitoringYesYes (only available through web portal)NoDouble-Hop ConnectionYesYesYesAppsWindows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TVWindows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TVWindows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TVIndependent AuditsYesYesYesOpen Source AppsNoYesYesFree PlanNoYes (1 device, 5 locations, reduced speeds)Yes (10GB per month in 10 locations)Plan Duration1 Month, 1 Year, 2 Years1 Month, 1 Year, 2 Years1 Month, 1 YearMonthly Price$13 (Basic), $14 (Plus), $15 (Complete), $18 (Prime)$10 (Plus), $13 (Unlimited)$9 (Pro), $3 for unlimited dataAnnual Price (First Year)$60 (Basic), $72 (Plus), $84 (Complete), $108 (Prime)$80 (Plus), $120 (Unlimited)$69

You might be surprised how similar the three VPNs I chose are when you break down their features, but that’s not an accident. Given how restrictive I was with who made the final cut, there’s a pretty high bar for inclusion. Although there are some minor differences, I designed this list in a way that you can choose one of my picks without reading a single word and still come out the other side with an excellent VPN for iPhone.

How We Tested

To earn the best iPhone VPN title, a service needs to satisfy three criteria. It needs to be secure, fast, and easy to use. That may seem straightforward enough, but there’s a little more that goes into it. For ease of use, I only looked at VPNs that offer a one-tap connection. If you need to configure anything, that’s a disqualification. That still encompasses a lot of the most popular VPNs on iPhone, so I narrowed the field further by focusing on apps that balance usability with power. You should have all the relevant features in the iOS app that are available in the desktop app, and organized in a way that they don’t disrupt that one-tap experience.

Speed testing is where I focused a lot of my testing time. Speed testing is highly variable, and trying to come out with one singular number to encompass the speed of thousands of servers is a fool’s errand. The numbers I gathered for this guide are the result of 20 tests I ran for each VPN, then averaged.

I tested five locations for each VPN, measuring my unprotected speed immediately before testing and running three passes before averaging. Each location was tested at a different time of day, and I removed any outliers before averaging. For this guide, that meant if there was greater than a 10 percent deviation between two of the three passes. After averaging the speed drop for each location, I gathered all of those numbers together and averaged them for a final speed drop.

Finally, security. The traditional wisdom with a VPN is that you, at some point, have to put some faith in the company that its privacy policy is accurate and it isn’t lying about its logging practices. That didn’t do it for me. Again, I set a high bar for inclusion.

Every VPN I’ve included here has not only been independently audited, but also been forced to uphold its no-logs policy in legal proceedings. You indeed need to put some trust that the VPN provider you’re using is telling the truth, but the options I included all have rock-solid track records when it comes to transparency.

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Back to topTriangleJacob Roach is a product writer and reviewer at WIRED, focused on software as a service (SaaS) products, including VPNs, password managers, cloud storage, and antivirus applications. Previously he worked as lead reporter at Digital Trends, and his work has been cited in Fox News, Business Insider, and Futurism, among … Read MoreProduct Writer & Reviewer

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