Reviews Lifestyle The New Sober Boom Getting Hooked on Quitting Education Liberal Arts Cuts Are Dangerous Is College Necessary? Finance Dying Parents Costing Millennials Dear Gen Z Investing In Le Creuset Crypto Investing SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters ‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

Lifestyle The New Sober Boom Getting Hooked on Quitting

Getting Hooked on Quitting

Education Liberal Arts Cuts Are Dangerous Is College Necessary?

Liberal Arts Cuts Are Dangerous

Is College Necessary?

Finance Dying Parents Costing Millennials Dear Gen Z Investing In Le Creuset

Dying Parents Costing Millennials Dear

Gen Z Investing In Le Creuset

Crypto Investing SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters ‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

Investing SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters ‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters

‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

Reviews Lifestyle The New Sober Boom Getting Hooked on Quitting Education Liberal Arts Cuts Are Dangerous Is College Necessary? Finance Dying Parents Costing Millennials Dear Gen Z Investing In Le Creuset Crypto Investing SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters ‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

Lifestyle The New Sober Boom Getting Hooked on Quitting

Getting Hooked on Quitting

Education Liberal Arts Cuts Are Dangerous Is College Necessary?

Liberal Arts Cuts Are Dangerous

Is College Necessary?

Finance Dying Parents Costing Millennials Dear Gen Z Investing In Le Creuset

Dying Parents Costing Millennials Dear

Gen Z Investing In Le Creuset

Crypto Investing SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters ‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

Investing SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters ‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters

‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

Best VPN services for 2026

We tested the top VPNs for streaming, security and performance

Published June 2, 2026 10:00AM (EDT)

Salon has affiliate partnerships, which means we may get a share of the revenue from purchases made through links on this article.

Why are people turning to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) more than ever? It mostly comes down to three things. Privacy, because your ISP would love to sell your browsing history and advertisers would love to track everything you do online—a VPN shuts down both. Security, because that same encrypted tunnel makes you a much harder target on sketchy coffee-shop Wi-Fi, hotel networks, or any connection you can’t actually trust. And location flexibility: by routing your traffic through a server in another city or country, a VPN can make your device look like it’s almost anywhere—handy for travelers, remote workers, and anyone whose streaming library has turned into a wall of “not available in your region.”

We considered many factors when evaluating the VPNs in this guide: encryption standards and audited no-logs policies, server network size and country coverage, ease of use across platforms, streaming and unblocking capabilities, real-world speeds, and overall value. Each service was put to the test to see whether it actually unblocks Netflix (spoiler: not all do), where its servers can place you, and whether you’re getting your money’s worth.

Best Overall VPN: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN balances elite security with unmatched simplicity. Utilizing the Lightway protocol and RAM-only servers ensures high speeds (even on global servers) and top-level privacy. Its one-click interface works seamlessly across all devices, making it the most reliable, user-friendly option for streaming and restrictive environments.

Best VPN for Privacy: ProtonVPN

Swiss-based ProtonVPN offers unmatched privacy with its audited no-logs policy and Secure Core servers that provide double encryption. In short, this is the Fort Knox of VPNs. Their open-source apps mean security experts worldwide can verify they’re doing what they promise. Current deals bring VPN Plus down to $2.99/month on the 2-year plan – not bad for Swiss-level protection. (Plans renew at higher rates after the initial term.)

Best Value VPN: Surfshark

At $1.99/month for a 27-month plan (24 months plus 3 free), Surfshark delivers exceptional value already, but the real kicker is the service’s unlimited device connections. Cover your whole family’s phones, tablets, and laptops without worrying about any limits. Despite the aggressive pricing, you’re still getting legitimate security features and streaming that actually works.

Best VPNs At A Glance

1. ExpressVPN – Best Overall Performance and Security

Premium service with an intuitive interface and top-tier security ExpressVPN is our recommended VPN for its balance of high-tier security and effortless usability. Featuring an intuitive “one-click” interface consistent across all devices, it is ideal for both beginners and frequent travelers. Security is anchored in a proprietary protocol and server technology that runs entirely in RAM to ensure all data is wiped upon reboot.

Operating from the privacy-friendly British Virgin Islands, the service maintains a strict, audited no-logs policy. With competitive three-tier pricing starting at $3.49/month, it offers a refined, “set-it-and-forget-it” experience that reliably unblocks global content and performs exceptionally well even in restrictive jurisdictions.

ExpressVPN makes VPNs accessible with its “just choose your location and switch it on” simplicity. Every version of the app looks and works exactly the same, whether you’re on iPhone, Windows or a smart TV. They even added iOS widgets and Siri shortcuts recently – “Hey Siri, turn on my VPN” actually works.

Streaming Performance

ExpressVPN maintains strong unblocking capabilities across all major platforms, though recent testing showed some gaps compared to NordVPN and Surfshark. MediaStreamer (their smart DNS) is great for devices that can’t run VPN apps. Plus, automatic server recommendations tend to work really well for streaming.

Privacy & Security Features

ExpressVPN uses AES-256 encryption with perfect forward secrecy across all connections. The TrustedServer technology runs everything in RAM, wiping all data with each reboot. Key security features include:

Lightway protocol for speed and security

Network Lock kill switch

Private DNS on every server

Regular independent security audits

Headquarters in the British Virgin Islands (privacy-friendly jurisdiction)

ExpressVPN shows an average download speed drop of around 20%, maintaining good performance overall. The Lightway protocol delivers consistent speeds even on global servers. Gaming performance remains strong with minimal latency impact, though it was a bit more noticeable than some of the others we tested, especially on distant servers.

ExpressVPN launched its three-tier pricing structure in September 2025, replacing the single-plan model it had run for 16 years. The Basic plan........

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