Best iPhone VPN of 2024
With so many iPhone VPN apps available, it can be difficult to choose the right solution. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, here are the factors you should look for when choosing a VPN for your iPhone:
Privacy
The most important consideration for any VPN should be privacy. If your iPhone VPN is unable to provide a sufficient level of privacy, then your VPN is essentially useless. Your VPN should offer the industry standard AES 256-bit encryption, along with basic privacy protections like a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and a no-logs policy. If your privacy needs are paramount, you’ll want a VPN provider that is based in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, offers obfuscation, and has a RAM-only server architecture. Additional privacy features to look for include Tor over VPN functionality, ad and tracker blockers, and multi-hop connections. It’s also important to choose a VPN that is reputable, transparent, and regularly audited by third parties for security, which can help build confidence in the VPN’s ability to protect your privacy.
Speed
Your VPN connection speeds can have a major impact on the quality of your streaming, downloading, video conferencing, gaming, and general web browsing. To keep things running as smoothly as possible, you want a VPN that has as little impact on your normal internet speeds as possible.
| Supplier | Average VPN Speed (Mbps) | Average speed without VPN (Mbps) | Loss of speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | 173 | 231 | 25% |
| Surf Shark | 153 | 193 | 17% |
| NordVPN | 206 | 230 | 11% |
| Proton VPN | 157 | 180 | 21% |
| IPVanish | 205 | 367 | 44% |
| PIA | 98 | 211 | 49% |
Usability
A good iPhone VPN should work smoothly and be easy to use, regardless of your technical expertise. It should have all the features you need, easily accessible with the tap of a finger. Many iPhone VPN apps also offer an easy way to contact support directly from the device, which can be useful if you need help on the go. In short, your iPhone VPN app should be as easy to use as your iPhone itself. It should have a large network of servers around the world, so you can connect easily and reliably wherever you are, and it should be able to help you access geo-restricted content from different regions.
Cost
Depending on your budget, you may want to consider the cost and overall value of your iPhone VPN before making a purchase. VPN prices can vary widely from provider to provider, but you can typically expect to spend around $5 to $13 per month for a monthly VPN subscription. If you want to save some money, you can opt for an annual subscription, where prices can range from around $30 to $100 per year. You do want to be careful with free VPNs, as you could end up compromising your privacy instead of protecting it with a free VPN. Proton VPN is currently the only free VPN that CNET recommends.
Most premium VPNs offer a money-back guarantee ranging from one week to 45 days. You can also get a seven-day free trial of many VPNs when you sign up through Apple’s App Store, giving you options to try out different iPhone VPNs risk-free before deciding to fully invest in one.
