Our Rating Methodology

Every VPN we review receives a score out of 10. That score is a weighted average of six category scores that reflect what most readers actually use a VPN for.

• Speed & performance — 20%
• Security & privacy — 25%
• Streaming & unblocking — 15%
• Server network & coverage — 10%
• Apps & ease of use — 15%
• Value for money — 15%

Providers are scored on average download-speed retention across five regions. Retaining 90%+ of baseline scores a perfect 10; 70–89% scores 8; 50–69% scores 6; and anything below 50% is capped at 5.

The single most important category. We look at protocol support (WireGuard / OpenVPN / IKEv2), encryption strength, kill switch and leak protection on every platform, jurisdiction, verified no-logs history, and the presence and recency of an independent audit. A provider without an independent audit is capped at 8/10 in this category regardless of the marketing claims.

Scored on the number of streaming services successfully unblocked (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, DAZN) and the stability of the stream in 4K where supported.

We reward genuine geographic diversity, not raw server counts. Providers with servers in 60+ countries score highest; providers with a small footprint but excellent coverage in under-served regions (Africa, South America) are given bonus credit.

Combined score for app design, onboarding time, cross-platform parity, and the presence of nice-to-have features such as split tunnelling, multi-hop, and custom DNS.

Scored on true multi-year cost, renewal price, money-back guarantee length, and simultaneous device count. Providers that raise the renewal price sharply after the first term are penalised.

Some issues automatically cap a provider's overall score:

• Confirmed logging or data-sharing incident: capped at 5/10.
• No kill switch on at least Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android: capped at 7/10.
• Never audited by a reputable third party: capped at 8.5/10.
• Ownership structure not publicly disclosed: capped at 8/10.