The Virtual Private Network (VPN) was initially invented to provide security and anonymity to corporates and businesses. After a decade, VPN has become one of the most convenient ways to bypass geo-restrictions. A major chunk of VPN users is not businesses anymore. They are mostly internet users who use VPN to watch TV shows, movies, and play games.
In selecting a new VPN, the primary factor that impacts the decision of a user is speed. VPNs operate by routing all of the internet traffic through a secure server. There is a lot of additional latency potential. Fortunately, a user can prevent a slow down quite easily by selecting one of the fastest VPNs.
The fastest VPN will hardly impact the user’s internet speed due to its advancement in the provider’s VPN network. The more servers a provider offers, the better the speed in most cases. We have checked all the leading VPNs to help ensure that you can select the right provider that will not slow you down — especially if you use a VPN to unblock sites or apps and maybe stream movies where speed is necessary.
How to Choose the Fastest VPN
Many VPNs claim that they are the fastest, but in many instances, as you would expect, claims are false. In this post, we will classify the VPN providers through reviews and testing.
Speed is not everything and all, of course. There are security and privacy features that are essential for every VPN service. Let’s have a look at the must-have feature list for the fastest VPN.
- VPN Network – As mentioned earlier, the more number of servers, the better will be the speed. But, it is always not true. Why? Many providers offer virtual servers, which means that a VPN server is deployed in one place but offers another location’s IP address. These are called virtual servers, and they do not provide the fastest speed. Eventually, virtual servers somehow increase the latency and significantly impact your internet speed. Whereas, VPN provider who offers Physical Servers are more likely to provide better speed as these servers are located at the exact location. When you select the fastest VPN, do check this information on the provider’s website or with their customer support service.
- Wide Range of Protocols – At many times, one protocol hindered the way to route the traffic with proper speed. In such a case, changing protocol is a better option. A VPN with a vast number of protocols in its list can offer you more chances to change the protocol until you obtain your required speed.
- User-Friendly And Light Weight Apps – The more crowded the VPN apps are with unnecessary features, the harder it would be to obtain the fastest speed. Lightweight and simple VPN apps are more likely to provide better speed.
- High Level of Encryption – At the time, a VPN user needs to decide whether they want to go for a higher encryption level or faster speed. When the encryption level is increased, it affects the speed drastically. Industry-standard is 128bit, but if the user wants to go higher than this, it will impact their internet speed.
Bandwidth Caps – Many VPN providers claim to offer unlimited data transfer limits, but in reality, they start putting a bandwidth cap once the user crosses the threshold. It can be easily witnessed that after some time when you start having disconnection or slower speed. - Torrent Supported Server – One of the main reasons users opt for a VPN service is torrenting. Torrenting is illegal in many regions of the world. Users buy VPN subscriptions to avoid these restrictions, but none will be of no use if the VPN provider’s server is not torrent supported.
Note that the VPN may not be the only factor that influences the output of your internet connection, and it will differ based on your ISPs, the time of the day, and the state of a service or page you are using, especially if it’s heavy traffic hours.
Without further ado, let’s get to know our top 5 Fastest VPNs for 2021.
Top 5 Fastest VPN Services for Blazing Fast Speed
After testing and analyzing several well-known and proclaimed VPN providers, we have finally crafted a list of the top 5 VPNs that provide the fastest speed.
ExpressVPN – Fastest Among Them All
ExpressVPN amazed us with its fast speed. It offer minimum 68 Mbps at all times and with all locations. This encrypted and secure service is fantastic to boost your privacy without losing speed. It is undoubtedly one of the fastest VPN with great features. It can unblock 100+ channels including Netflix USA and BBC iPlayer.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Impressive security features and privacy protections
- DNS leak protection and internet kill switch are activated
- 100% No Activity Logging Policy
- 5 Multi Logins
- Unblock Netflix USA
Cons
- Doesn’t work reliably in China
- Quite expensive monthly subscription
NordVPN
NordVPN is another excellent choice for the fastest VPN. Its highest speed sticks to an average of 115 Mbps download speed at all times. NordLynx is a specialized VPN protocol based on Wireguard that delivers data in greater efficiency without impacting security. Privacy is mostly the cause of its stay at the top of our ranking. In our new experiments, NordLynx has almost doubled the performance of NordVPN.
In other regions, NordVPN also performs well. It unblocks many streaming platforms including, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max. This security provider provides unbreakable encryption of military standards, kill switch, and advanced protection from leaks.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Fast Speed
- Unblock Streaming Channels
- Works in China & UAE
- Unblocks US Netflix
- 0% Log Policy
Cons
- No kill switch on Android
- Streaming servers aren’t labeled
Surfshark
The implementation of the Wireguard protocol by Surfshark has led to major speed changes. This inexpensive VPN facilitates a range of simultaneous connections, making it an ideal choice for users with a wide range of devices.
The protection of Surfshark fulfills all our norms and does not maintain logs. It is nice to watch and can, amongst other items, unblock Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney+. Support for live chat is available 24 hours a day.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Good Speed
- 12 Simultaneous Connections
- Unblocks 100+ Streaming Channels
- Unblocks US Netflix
- Works in China
Cons
- Smaller network than rivals
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield is not a VPN that we suggested five years earlier, but it was purchased by the new company Pango, and it has vastly enhanced the safety and performance of the VPN. The Catapult Hydra uses a proprietary protocol to deliver faster speeds and equal protection to OpenVPN and IKEv2 users. The average download speed for Hotspot Shield was 63 Mbps, according to our test.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Nice Speed on all Servers
- Vast VPN Network
- Unblocks US Netflix
- Works in China
Cons
- Kill switch only on Windows app
- Some IPv6 and WebRTC leaks
- On the pricier side
StrongVPN
Indeed, StrongVPN impressed us during our speed test. It was overall rated above average with a highest average speed of 71 Mbps. This VPN is known for its app design and fast server speed. Strong VPN won’t unblock many streaming sites, but it ensures your safety and anonymity while delivering above-average speed.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Easy-to-Use Apps
- Above-average speed
- Works in China
- Unblocks US Netflix
- No Log Policy
Cons
- Lacks manual setup support
- Relatively few server locations
Why are Some VPNs Slow?
The use of a VPN requires additional steps to be taken. This entails encryption, transmission to VPN servers, and then to the site where you initially directed your traffic.
While there are still some VPNs with poor connection speeds and bandwidth struggles at peak hours, but fast high-speed VPN services, such as ExpressVPN and NordVPN, can provide super-fast speeds at any time of the day. Moreover, you can use your connection without being throttled by your ISPs.
How to Optimize VPN Speed?
Here’re some simple steps or remedies to boost up your VPN speed.
Method – 1: Change Server Location
Always choose a server nearest to your location in your VPN application. When the server is situated far away geographically, it takes more time for a server to connect to your device. It does seem like common sense but easy to forget.
Method – 2: Change VPN Protocol
Many VPN providers use higher encryption with more robust VPN protocols to provide utmost security to their users. Although this form of encryption ensures a higher degree of privacy, it can also considerably reduce Internet speed.
Some of the best VPNs support multiple connection protocols for Streaming (since some are faster than others). With less secure connection protocols, higher connection speeds of VPN are achievable.
Conclusion
VPN speed is one of the most challenging variables to measure correctly since we cannot monitor all servers every hour. When we search for a VPN service, we still run speed checks as factually as possible, but the truth is: the fastest VPN in your country is not necessarily the fastest VPN in another country. Perhaps the best VPN for video streaming is not the best for online gaming.
Awarding a VPN with the title of Fastest highly depends on the usage of VPN. Some might want the fastest VPN for gaming, and some might want it for unblocking websites, and some only want it for protecting their privacy while enjoying the same speed offered by their ISP.
