5 Best VPNs for Brave Browser | Tested and Updated in 2023

Even though Brave browser offers an extra degree of security, it doesn't mask your IP or encrypt your data — it’s still important to use a VPN to protect your online privacy. But, it’s not easy to find a VPN extension for Brave that actually keeps you safe. Most VPN browser extensions are only proxies, so they don’t offer encryption and come with limited features.

It’s best to use Brave with a VPN app for your device rather than a VPN proxy extension. This way, every app that uses the internet (including Brave) will be fully protected by a combination of features, like encryption, leak protection, and a kill switch.

I tested over 40 VPNs with Brave browser and ExpressVPN is my top choice. Unlike most VPNs, its Chrome browser extension (compatible with Brave) is full featured, integrating a variety of powerful security features to give you safe and private browsing. You can try ExpressVPN with Brave risk-free since it comes with with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not completely happy, you can easily get a refund.

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Best VPNs for Brave Browser — Full Analysis (Updated January 2023)

1. ExpressVPN — Brave Extension With Powerful Security and Super-Fast Speeds

ExpressVPN’s full-featured Chrome extension is fully compatible with Brave. Most VPN extensions are proxies, which mask your IP but don’t encrypt your traffic. However, ExpressVPN’s Brave extension works like a “remote control” for the app — you can enable its security and privacy settings in the desktop app, which integrate into the extension. When you connect the VPN via its Brave extension, your entire device is protected in addition to your browsing sessions.

Enabling Connect on browser launch automatically secures your entire device whenever you open Brave

It protects you with military-grade 256-bit encryption, DNS/IP leak protection, and a kill switch (ExpressVPN calls this feature Network Lock). This ensures that your personal data won’t be exposed, even if your connection drops for some reason. I tested 7 servers using an online leak test tool, and there were no leaks whatsoever.

With its proprietary Lightway protocol, ExpressVPN provides ultra-fast speeds. Lightway is optimized to give you strong security with minimal speed loss. I tested 2 nearby servers (with a 52.12 Mbps base speed) and found an average of 51.34 Mbps. Its Germany, Australia, and Japan connections gave me no lower than 46 Mbps. This is impressive since these locations are thousands of miles from me. I watched Netflix Australia for 3 hours with zero buffering.

You know your privacy is protected since ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands. This means it’s outside of the 5, 9, and 14 Eyes jurisdiction and is not obligated to hand over user data, including your Brave activities. Even if a third party tried to obtain your data, there would be none to see because it also follows a strict no-logs policy.

A minor downside to ExpressVPN is that it’s not the cheapest — subscriptions start at $6.67/month. Luckily, there are often money-saving coupons and specials on ExpressVPN’s site to make it more affordable. When I signed up for a long-term subscription, I got 3 months for free.

You can try ExpressVPN risk-free since it offers a money-back guarantee. If you find it’s not for you, you can claim a full refund within 30 days. I wanted to test this guarantee to see if it’s reliable. After over 3 weeks of testing, I contacted an agent via its 24/7 live chat option and requested a refund. The friendly agent agreed without asking questions. I got my money back in 3 days.

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2. CyberGhost — Specialized Servers for Streaming, Torrenting, and Ultimate Privacy in Brave

CyberGhost offers optimized servers for privacy, streaming, and torrenting. Its torrenting connections give you fast speeds and strong security specifically for P2P sharing. You can unblock the most popular global platforms with ease using its streaming-optimized servers. These let me access every site I tested them with, including Netflix (US and Japan), BBC iPlayer (UK), and Disney+.

NoSpy servers prevent third-party meddling, as they’re located inside CyberGhost headquarters in Romania (and outside of 5/9/14 Eyes jurisdiction). It backs this by following a strict no-logs policy.

CyberGhost’s server network includes dedicated servers for streaming and downloading, too

You can boost your protection on Brave with its ad, tracker, and malware blocker, too. Although Brave blocks most ads already, some ads can still slip through. Plus, it doesn’t offer malware protection, so you’re still at risk of infecting your device. To test CyberGhost’s “Block Content” feature, I enabled it under Privacy settings in the app — it only takes one click — and it blocked the banner ads in uTorrent while I was testing it out.

CyberGhost offers enhanced security features to protect you within Brave. This includes 256-bit encryption, DNS/IP leak protection, and a kill switch. I tested the kill switch by swapping servers while watching a YouTube video with Brave. While CyberGhost re-established my connection, my video was temporarily unavailable. Once I was connected, the video resumed. It also supports multiple protocols, including WireGuard and OpenVPN.

Unfortunately, CyberGhost’s Chrome browser extension is very limited compared to ExpressVPN’s. It’s a proxy (instead of a VPN connection), so it doesn’t offer key security features (like encryption) to keep you safe on Brave. Plus, it has just 4 server locations. That said, you can use the CyberGhost desktop app to secure your entire device, including all your Brave browsing sessions.

Short-term and long-term plans are available. However, you’ll get a longer refund period with the long-term option (45 days vs 14 days). On top of this, you’ll save more overall with a long-term plan — you can get it for just $2.19/month.

With its 45-day money-back guarantee, you have plenty of time to test CyberGhost out with Brave browser. If it isn’t right for you, you can easily claim a refund. I tested this out for myself — after over a month of using CyberGhost, I contacted 24/7 live chat to ask for my money back. I had a brief conversation with the agent before they granted my refund. I got my money back in 4 days.

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3. Private Internet Access — Customizable Features to Enhance Your Security on Brave

PIA provides tons of adjustable settings so you can maximize your security on Brave. It has an advanced kill switch option that prevents data leaks at all times — even when you switch PIA off manually. Another useful feature is Connection Automation. I tested this on my laptop by setting it up to launch the VPN whenever I connect to WiFi. Afterwards, any time I went to use Brave browser, PIA was already protecting me.

The advanced kill switch ensures your regular IP address never leaks — even if your VPN connection drops

You can block ads, trackers, and malware by enabling PIA MACE. Brave doesn’t prevent these intrusions fully, because it has no control over your DNS settings. However, MACE operates at the DNS level to prevent requests from ever reaching your device. This makes it more effective and faster at blocking than Brave’s ad and tracker blocker alone.

PIA has a Chrome extension for seamless use with Brave browser. Unlike ExpressVPN’s extension, PIA’s looks quite different than its main app — the layout is more compact. It isn’t a remote for the app, but it provides a lot of advanced security settings directly in the extension. For example, I could disable third-party cookies to help keep my browsing sessions more private. You can also block camera and microphone access and use MACE.

A minor drawback with PIA is that it’s headquartered in the US — a member of the 5 Eyes data-sharing alliance. However, it has a strict no-logs policy that’s been proven in court — PIA has never shared any data in its more than 10-year long history, so this isn’t much of an issue.

Plans are very affordable — you can get a subscription for as little as $2.19/month with its long-term plan. I signed up for its 3-year plan, which even included 1 year of free encrypted cloud storage. Short-term options provide the same features (minus the encrypted storage), but are a lot more expensive when you calculate the monthly rate.

All of PIA’s plans come with a reliable 30-day money-back guarantee, which I tested myself. After using PIA for over 2 weeks, I contacted its 24/7 live support to request a refund. After answering a question about my experience, the agent agreed. I got my money back by the end of the week.

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4. IPVanish — Unlimited Device Connections to Protect All Your Devices Running Brave

IPVanish supports unlimited device connections, unlike the other VPNs on this list. I tested this by using IPVanish on my Windows laptop, Android tablet, and iPhone 6s. During this time, I used Brave to download a file from uTorrent on my laptop while the other devices were streaming — my connection remained fast and stable. You can keep your entire household safe with a single subscription.

You don’t have to worry about third-party interference, since IPVanish independently owns its entire network. With most services, you’re entrusting your privacy not just with the VPN, but with any organization they choose to rent their servers from. However, it’s reassuring that it doesn’t outsource any servers, and that they are privately maintained by IPVanish.

It also offers obfuscation via its Scramble feature which hides the fact you’re using a VPN. You have to enable this in the app settings — unlike ExpressVPN’s obfuscation, which automatically kicks in as needed. During my tests, I activated Scramble and had no problems accessing geo-restricted sites like BBC iPlayer. It also helps get around network firewalls (for example, at work or school). Plus, 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and DNS/IP leak protection ensure your data won’t be exposed.

With IPVanish, you can activate Auto Reconnect so your privacy is always protected

A minor inconvenience is that it doesn’t have a Chrome extension at all. So you’ll have to run the VPN app for your operating system to cover your Brave browsing sessions. However, its VPN app secures your entire device and online activities, making it safer than most extensions.

IPVanish offers short and long-term plans, and prices start at $3.33/month if you opt for a long-term subscription. This will save you the most money overall, plus, it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee (the short-term plan is not). As a bonus, it also includes VIPRE to block malware and viruses.

Using its money-back guarantee, you can try IPVanish with Brave risk-free. If you’re not happy with the service, you can easily claim a refund. The process is easy because you don’t even need to talk to an agent — although, 24/7 live chat is also available, if you prefer. When I tested it, I just logged into the website, clicked on Subscriptions, and hit the link that says, “I wish to cancel my subscription”. I got my money back by the next week.

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5. PrivateVPN — Super Simple VPN With Powerful Privacy Protection

PrivateVPN’s user-friendly app is great for newcomers to VPNs. Although it offers tons of security features, you can always use its Simple View for quick and easy protection — these settings come pre-configured. It even offers remote setup and troubleshooting, which I tested for myself. A friendly PrivateVPN agent connected to my laptop, installed the desktop app, and even configured my settings for Brave browser in just a few minutes.

Its Stealth VPN feature shields your personal data from prying eyes. This is an obfuscation setting that you can enable with one click to protect your Brave browsing sessions. Stealth was designed for use in countries with heavy censorship — so PrivateVPN is one of the few VPNs that works in China.

Port 433 is used for secure transactions so it rarely gets blocked — which helps you beat geo-restrictions

PrivateVPN offers high-performance security features. The kill switch, IPv6 leak protection, and 256-bit encryption keep your location and personal information hidden when you use Brave. It follows a strict no-logs policy, so you know that none of your data is recorded. Plus, it’s based in Sweden, which has some of the best privacy laws in the world.

A minor drawback with PrivateVPN is that it doesn’t have a browser extension. Luckily, it offers apps for the most commonly-used operating systems, so you can protect your entire device.

PrivateVPN offers affordable prices, especially for its long-term plans. You can get a subscription for as little as $2/month. All plans are covered by a money-back guarantee and also offer the same features. However, the long-term plan is the best value since it saves you the most in the long run.

Its 30-day money-back guarantee is one you can depend on — I tried it myself to confirm. After testing PrivateVPN, I used its 24/7 live chat service to request a refund. It was a quick and straightforward process, and the agent agreed in less than a minute. My money was back in my account after 5 days.

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Quick Comparison Table — Best Brave Browser VPN Features

When shopping for a Brave VPN, there are certain features to look for that enhance your privacy and browsing experience. For instance, some VPNs offer a Chrome extension that’s compatible with Brave. However, most of these are just proxies, so you’ll get stronger protection with a full VPN app.

VPNs based outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes jurisdiction ensure that not even government agencies can demand your data. You can even hide your VPN use by using a VPN with obfuscated servers. In addition, choosing a VPN with superfast servers will help minimize the slowdown you encounter while browsing.

The table below compares the essential features of my recommended Brave browser VPNs.

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Tips on How to Choose the Best VPN for Brave Browser

Below is the criteria I checked for while testing all of my recommended VPNs. Feel free to use this as a checklist to help you make an informed decision when choosing the best VPN for Brave browser:

• Strong security features — At the very least, your VPN should offer 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and IPv6 leak protection to ensure your Brave browser activities are secure. All of the VPNs on my list offer these features and more to help keep you safe.
• No-logs policy — All the VPNs shortlisted adhere to a strict no-logs policy, so you know they will not store, record, or share your data with any third parties.
• User-friendly — The best VPN for Brave browser should be easy to install and use, so you get hassle-free protection. Even more convenient is if it offers a compatible browser extension, so you can tweak your security settings without leaving your browser window.
• Fast speeds — For uninterrupted browsing, streaming, and torrenting, it’s best to go with a VPN that has superfast servers. Slow speeds lead to buffering and lag while you navigate Brave. Each of my recommended VPNs gave me no more than 20% speed loss, which was barely noticeable.
• Reliable server network — VPNs with large global server networks are best for giving you reliable access to geoblocked content, while maintaining fast speeds. I made sure each VPN has plenty of global servers and works to unblock all the most popular streaming platforms.
• Trustworthy money-back guarantee — All the VPNs on my list offer a money-back guarantee you can count on. It was really easy to get a refund with all the VPNs shortlisted here.
• Reliable customer service — I made sure the VPNs on this list offer responsive support 24/7 live chat is best, but email and ticketing system can also be prompt.

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FAQs on the Best VPNs for Brave Browser

Is Brave browser’s built-in VPN extension safe?

Brave browser’s built-in VPN may be safe — but I don’t recommend it. It’s far more expensive than any of the VPNs on my list at $99.99/year, and is only available for iOS and Android devices. It’s not the best value when you can get a VPN that’s compatible with more devices for a cheaper price.

On top of this, it only has a 7-day money-back guarantee, while each VPN on this list offers at least a 30-day money-back guarantee. A longer refund policy means you’ll have more time to test out all of the security and privacy features with Brave browser.

Do you need a VPN with Brave browser?

To ensure your online safety, I strongly recommend it. A highly-secure VPN will encrypt your data and mask your IP, so it’s protected from prying eyes and cybercriminals. Brave is a privacy-focused browser, but it still has its vulnerabilities. It doesn’t hide your IP address or your location, and it doesn’t encrypt your data. Depending on where you live, your ISP may even log every site you visit and store it for a set period.

Should I use a free VPN for Brave browser?

I don’t recommend it, most free VPNs are not safe. It’s not worth it when you can get a low-cost premium VPN that won’t compromise your privacy — all of my recommended VPNs even offer money-back guarantees, so you can get your money back if you don't think the small fee is worth it.

Free VPNs often record and sell your personal information and browsing activity to third parties as a way to make money. They can also lack essential security settings such as leak protection, a kill switch, and a no-logs policy. Without these features, you can easily be exposed to malware, trackers, and prying eyes any time you use Brave browser.

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Get the Best VPN for Brave Today

Using a VPN in combination with Brave browser is an easy way to enhance your privacy. The problem is, most browser extensions are proxies and can’t protect you like a full VPN does. In this case, it’s best to use a VPN app to cover your entire device.

I recommend ExpressVPN as the best VPN for Brave because its browser extension is just as safe as the VPN app — it’s super convenient to use with Brave. It offers a multitude of top-notch security and privacy features, plus, lighting-fast speeds for lag-free browsing. You can try ExpressVPN risk-free since it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not completely happy with it, you can easily claim a refund.

To summarize, the best VPNs for Brave Browser are…