We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
Learn more
vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: Holiday.com, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

Compare VPN Speeds

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Editor's Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and Expressvpn are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company.
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What Do The Results Mean?

Download Speed

Download speeds show you how fast the data is transferred from the internet to your device. It’s measured in megabits per second (Mbps). Good download speed is important for browsing, and watching videos, movies, and shows online.

These are Ideal speeds for:

  • Streaming Netflix in HD (720p): 5.0 Mbps
  • Streaming Netflix in Ultra HD (1080p+): 25.0 Mbps
  • Gaming: 5.0 to 25.0 Mbps
  • Watching live streams on YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook Live: 10.0 Mbps
  • Making audio/video calls: 1.0 Mbps to 3.0 Mbps

Upload Speed

Upload speeds show you how fast data is transferred from your computer to the internet. It’s measured in megabits per second (Mbps). Good upload speeds are important for broadcasting live streams, making video or audio calls, and uploading photos and videos.

These are Ideal speeds for:

  • Gaming: 3.0 to 6.0 Mbps
  • Live streaming on YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook Live: more than 6.0 Mbps
  • Making audio/video calls: 3.0 Mbps

Speed Loss

Speed loss shows the amount of speed you lose when connecting to a VPN. It’s important to note that this is relative to your base speed, so even if the drop looks high, the speeds may still be excellent for streaming, gaming, and browsing.

It’s affected by several factors, like:

  • Server location: if you connect to a server very far from your location, you can expect slower speeds.
  • Server load: if a server you connect to has too many people connected to it, your speeds will be slower.
  • Country where the server is located: some countries have bad internet infrastructure so your speeds will be slower if you connect to servers in those countries (Germany, for example)

Ping

Ping (or latency, which is a more technically correct term) shows the time it takes for a data set to travel from your device to the server and back to your device. Unlike upload and download speed, ping needs to be low if you want to avoid issues. Low ping is important for gaming as it gives you a better reaction time.

  • Ideal ping for gaming: below 100 ms

Speed Test Results for Top VPNs (Last Updated: July 2025)

We run speed tests on a selection of top VPNs from the USA (Dallas, Texas) connected to key locations, and record the speed. The fastest possible protocol is used for each VPN.

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    How Our Speed Test Tool Works

    We test 7 top VPNs connected to 11 popular server locations the VPNs have in common. The data is collected monthly, so you always have the most accurate information about the speed of each VPN. We start by testing our connection without a VPN so you have a better idea of our starting point and how VPN connections affected our speed.

    Our tool has been designed to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information on VPN performance.

    July 2025
    Latest test done
    7
    VPNs tested
    11
    Server locations

    The VPNs We Test

    We test 7 VPN providers and publish the data so you can compare them easily using the tool above. Here are some of the VPNs you'll be able to compare:

    Speed Test Server Locations

    Our speed test servers are located in these cities around the world:

    Fresh Sessions

    Each of our test begins with a fresh session, meaning you’ll always be getting the most up-to-date results.

    Secure Servers

    We only use secure servers to ensure our data’s accuracy and legitimacy.

    Will a VPN Slow Down My Internet Speeds?

    Most VPNs’ adverts will tell you otherwise — but all VPNs will slow your internet down. This loss is barely noticeable with good VPNs though.

    It's normal for VPNs to slow down your speeds because they add an extra stop to your internet traffic's journey (this extra step is important because it secures your data). Rather than going from A (your device) to B (your chosen website), VPN traffic goes from A (your device) to B (a VPN server) to C (your chosen website). It takes a little longer for your traffic to reach its destination, so your connection is a little slower.

    For these reasons, we talk about speed loss in percentages.

    There are a few things you can do to help improve your speeds, including choosing a VPN that is known to be fast, connecting to servers located close to you, and switching protocols.

    Quick Guide: How to test your own VPN's speed and speed loss

    • 1

      Open your VPN. Some VPNs, like ExpressVPN, have a built-in speed test tool that you can use. So, you can choose between the built-in tool (if your provider has one), a speed-testing website, or an app (depending on your device).

    • 2

      Connect to a server of your choice. Ideally, you’d choose a server or the general location that you use the most. In case you’re testing a server that’s giving you trouble, connect to that specific server. It’s important to connect to the VPN before going to a speed-testing website. Otherwise, it could register your actual location and you’d get inaccurate results.

    • 3

      Use the tool below to check your speed. All you have to do is press start and give the tool a few moments to retrieve your results.

    Tip: If you want to check what your speed loss is when you connect to a VPN, test your speeds without a VPN connection first, then follow the steps above, and compare your results.

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    Tips to Improve Your VPN Speeds

    There are a few ways to boost your VPN speeds. You can connect to a nearby server, make sure you're using the right security protocol, use split tunneling, choose a faster VPN, or try a VPN router.

    Connect to a local server

    Connecting to a nearby server speeds up your connection because your data has less distance to travel. Your traffic has to physically travel to the VPN server you choose, so the further it has to go, the slower your connection will be.

    However, if you need to connect to a specific country, this can be a problem. Fortunately, we have a workaround that could help you decrease the speed loss — make sure that you choose the city/region closest to your current area. For example, if you’re in a European country like France and need to connect to the US, choose an East Coast city like New York. But if you’re in Japan, it’s best to select a West Coast city like Seattle.

    Choose the fastest VPN protocol

    Security protocols vary in speed because of the different ways they encrypt and decrypt your traffic. So changing protocols can sometimes help to improve speed. Here’s a quick guide:

    • IKEv2 — This is a relatively fast protocol, but providers don’t always offer it because firewalls and networks block it easily.
    • OpenVPN — Most providers have OpenVPN as the default protocol since it offers fast speeds (even though it’s a bit slower than IKEv2) and good security. You can choose between two options within OpenVPN: UDP and TDC. UDP is the faster one, but TDC is more reliable.
    • WireGuard — This is the fastest protocol at the moment, but only a few providers, like CyberGhost, offer it.

    If you want to see how these protocols affect VPN speeds in a real-life example, check out our speed test tool.

    Use split tunneling

    This clever VPN feature lets you encrypt one app at a time instead, and sends the rest of your traffic through your normal (and usually faster) connection. This means that you can protect the information you need without slowing all of your traffic down.

    Try a VPN router

    VPN routers can increase your VPN speeds because they protect all of your devices automatically. This way, your computer doesn’t have to use extra power to encrypt your traffic and run your VPN app in the background (all of which can slow you down, especially if you’re using an older device).

    VPN routers are also great for protecting as many devices as you like at the same time — even with devices that aren't usually VPN-compatible (they just have to be able to connect to WiFi). However, they can be rather costly compared to VPN apps. They're also not portable so you can only use it where the physical router is.

    FAQs

    What is a good VPN speed?

    • Streaming — You need at least 5 Mbps for streaming in HD (although 10 Mbps is recommended), and streaming in Full HD, Ultra HD, or 4K requires speeds of at least 25 Mbps.
    • Gaming — Most games require at least 3 Mbps.
    • Torrenting — Technically, you can torrent with any internet speed — slower speeds just mean your files take longer to download or upload. However, I recommend download speeds of at least 10 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 3 Mbps for torrenting so that you don't have to wait a long time for your file to download.
    • Browsing — If you just want a VPN for private browsing, checking your emails, and scrolling social media, you only need speeds of 3 Mbps.

    What are download speed, upload speed, ping, and jitter?

    Download speed, upload speed, and ping are parameters that show you different aspects of your internet speed:

    • Download speed shows you how fast you can receive data. Most of your online activity revolves around downloading data — every time you visit a website, social network, or stream something, you download data. It’s measured in megabits per second (Mbps). A good download speed depends on what you want to do, but we’ve created this guide to help you determine if your VPN is fast enough.
    • Upload speed shows you how fast you can send data, which includes uploading photos, videos, torrenting, posting on social media, etc. It’s measured in Mbps as well. Keep in mind that your upload speed will be much lower than your download speed, but this is okay because you don’t need a lot of upload speed to perform basic activities, and even P2P sharing.
    • Ping shows you how long it takes for your data to travel. It’s measured in milliseconds (ms). The faster the ping, the more responsive your connection will be, which is important when playing games and in other cases where timing is crucial.
    • Jitter shows you when there’s a time delay in sending data through your connection. You’ll usually experience this as a sudden video or voice call distortion or disruption. It’s measured in milliseconds (ms) and the longer it is, the more fluctuations in call quality you’ll experience.

    Do VPN speeds change for different devices?

    No, your VPN speed will be roughly the same on all of your devices.

    Your CPU might slightly affect your VPN speed, but you shouldn't notice much difference between your devices.

    If you have a very old device with limited memory, it might struggle to run your VPN app but modern devices shouldn’t have any issues. Good VPNs have dedicated apps tailored to Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux or lightweight extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers — so you get the best performance whether you're using your VPN on a PC or an iPhone.

    We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
    Learn more
    vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: Holiday.com, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.