5 Best VPNs for USA in 2025 (to use in or outside the USA)

We receive advertising fees from the brands we review that affect the ranking and scoring of such brands.

We base our ratings on a combination of expert research and user feedback. By examining features, reliability, value for money, and product/service quality, we ensure that each product or service is assessed fairly. Our goal is to provide transparent, accurate, and reliable information to help you make an informed purchase decision.

TechShielder

Best VPNs for the US 2025: Connect in the US & Abroad

Living in the United States comes with some pretty cool advantages as a web user. You have access to some of the best content being shown around the world today. You have the right to use video subscription sites and apps such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, BBC iPlayer, etc., and you don’t have to use a VPN to do it.

But in a country such as the USA, which is a founding member of the 5/9/14 Surveillance Alliance, your online privacy is at risk. There are several organizations set up to watch the activities of individuals on the web.

A VPN can be used for many things, but to most users in the US, privacy, security, and anonymity are its top functions. A VPN protects your data by encrypting it, so even if it is copied, it’ll take years and years to decrypt. It protects your information whenever you log into a public Wi-Fi network. And with your data encrypted, your ISP cannot see what you’re doing online, and therefore, cannot sell it to anyone.

The best VPN services for the USA

With all these in mind, we’ve researched the six best VPNs for users in the USA, and we’re going to explain what’s so good about them.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN devices

Features

  • Number of servers: More than 3,000
  • Speeds: Unlimited
  • Server locations: 160 in 105 countries
  • Maximum devices supported: 8
  • 24 live chat: Yes
  • 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes

Pros/Cons

  • Fastest VPN out there
  • Strict no logs policy
  • 256-bit AES encryption
  • Slightly more expensive than others
Visit ExpressVPN

Based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN is in a location outside the Surveillance Alliance and in an excellent privacy jurisdiction. ExpressVPN is one of the best and most highly rated VPNs around because of its consistent devotion to ensuring users’ privacy and security.

ExpressVPN plays no jokes about its clients’ security. It uses the top-notch AES 256-bit encryption and OpenVPN protocol to encrypt your data. It boasts of around 3200 servers in over 160 locations spread over 105 countries, so you have lots of choices when picking a server. A kill switch serves to close your network when a break in connection from the VPN is confirmed.

ExpressVPN states that it does not collect logs of any of your activities, including no logging of browsing history, traffic destination, or data content. It also does not collect connection logs like logs of IP addresses, connection timestamps, VPN IP address, or session duration.

ExpressVPN enables you to stream geo-restricted content from around the globe, de-censor censored sites, and unblock websites. It allows torrenting and maintains high speeds around the globe. ExpressVPN is accessible on all the major platforms; Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, smart TVs, routers game consoles.

You’re allowed to use this VPN for up to 14 devices on one account. If you have a problem while using ExpressVPN, you can ask one of the professionals on their live chat at any time and get a quick, knowledgeable response.

  • Pros: Fastest VPN out there; Strict no logs policy; 256-bit AES encryption;
  • Lowest price: $3.49
Visit ExpressVPN >>

NordVPN

NordVPN devices

Features

  • Cryptocurrency accepted? Yes
  • Simultaneous connections: 10
  • Dedicated IP-addresses? Yes
  • Servers: 7,700+ in 118 countries

Pros/Cons

  • Lots of pricing options
  • Netflix support kept up to date
  • 256-bit AES encryption
  • Slow app
Visit NordVPN

NordVPN is a VPN provider that comes with a considerable amount of features at a price that’s hard to beat.

NordVPN has over 7000 servers in 118+ countries, and more than 1500 of them are located in the United States. This concentration of servers leads to fast network speeds, which is better for streaming content. With the SmartPlay feature, you can unblock geo-restricted content, and de-censor censored websites. Torrenting is also permitted.

Security features on NordVPN are military-grade. Your data can be encrypted doubly through two different servers with Double VPN, to obfuscate your identity and location. CyberSec ensures that you browse free of ads and that any malicious websites you come across are blocked.

An automatic kill switch guards your data in case of a connection drop. Onion over VPN allows users to send their data through Tor to add more layers of encryption. NordVPN has a strict no-logs policy; your data will never be stored.

NordVPN has apps for macOS, Android, Linux, and iOS with browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. A single user can extend the use of his account to up to 10 devices. Nord’s award-winning 24/7 customer service is always ready to help with any issue you might have on any platform.

  • Pros: Lots of pricing options; Netflix support kept up to date; 256-bit AES encryption;
  • Lowest price: $2.99
Visit NordVPN >>

Surfshark

Surfshark devices

Features

  • Servers: 4,500+ in 100 countries
  • Antivirus: Surfshark One & One+ Plans
  • Simultaneous connections: Unlimited
  • Ad blocking? Yes
  • Cookie Pop-up Blocker: Yes

Pros/Cons

  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
  • User-friendly VPN app
  • 256-bit AES encryption & no-logs
  • Expensive for one-month plans
Try Surfshark

SurfShark operates out of the British Virgin Islands, a place untouched by the privacy laws of the Surveillance Alliance. This alone wouldn’t allow SurfShark its place as one of the best VPNs for the USA. But SurfShark, a relatively young VPN, has earned its place.

SurfShark has around 3000 servers, spread out over 100 countries, and growing steadily. This VPN has a zero-logs policy and a kill switch to protect your data. A private DNS and DNS leak protection guard against DNS leaks which can be used to track your real IP address.

Your data is encrypted with AES-256-GCM encryption. MultiHop is a form of Double VPN. Your traffic is routed through two different VPN servers before being sent to its destination, which obfuscates your location and details. Whitelister is a split tunneling feature that allows users to choose which data they’d like to route through the VPN and which they’d like to pass through their regular ISP.

SurfShark has NoBorders mode, which allows you to unblock geo-restricted content and blocked websites. You’ll also be able to see censored sites. When it comes to streaming from places such as Netflix (various libraries), Hulu, HBO, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, etc., SurfShark does it readily and quickly. It unblocks websites in short order, as well. SurfShark also allows you to use an unlimited number of devices on one account. We think this is an excellent idea for families. For any questions or queries, a 24/7 live chat is always available to help.

  • Pros: Unlimited simultaneous connections; User-friendly VPN app; 256-bit AES encryption & no-logs;
  • Lowest Price: $1.99
Try Surfshark >>

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN devices

Features

  • P2P support? Yes
  • 30-day money-back guarantee? Yes
  • Country of origin? Switzerland
  • Servers: 13,000+ in over 120+ countries
  • Simultaneous devices: 10

Pros/Cons

  • Professional support
  • Modern interface and apps
  • AES-256 encryption
  • Lesser known provider
Try ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is located in Switzerland, a privacy-friendly country, and not a member of the 14-Eyes Alliance. ProtonVPN is very big on security and has developed a number of new features to ensure users are as safe as could be during browsing.

Apart from encrypting your data and providing a kill switch, ProtonVPN also offers some unique features to ensure your security further. Perfect Forward Secrecy guards all your connection by creating a new and unique encryption key anytime you log into any server. This is great because it means that if your encryption key got compromised, all previous connections would be safe.

Another extra security feature is Secure Core. This feature routes your data through various privacy-friendly countries before reaching your destination. This provides additional layers of security, which is essential when living and working in the USA.

ProtonVPN stores no-logs and Tor servers are supported for you to route your data through if you’d like an extra dose of anonymity. ProtonVPN also allows for torrenting and streaming. It passed the test of streaming in the USA, bypassing the blocks on Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Amazon Prime Video.

  • Pros: Professional support; Modern interface and apps; AES-256 encryption;
  • Lowest price: $4.19
Try ProtonVPN >>

What else is a VPN good for in the USA?

This may come as a shock to you, but VPNs aren’t just used for security while browsing and streaming. There are a number of other things a VPN can do for you, which can make your life a little bit easier.

  • Save money on flight, hotel, and car rental deals
    Planning a vacation? Well, your VPN can help you shrink some of those high prices. Your IP address might be causing rates to be higher because it’s giving away your location. If you use your VPN to appear as if you’re browsing in a different country, you’ll be surprised to see that the prices might come down quite a bit.
  • Save money shopping online
    Your IP address is the culprit again. By giving away your location, your IP address allows some online stores to inflate their prices when you check them using your usual ISP. But when you use a VPN, the prices might reduce because your IP has been replaced by another country’s own.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Best Free VPN for the USA

Yes, if you’re connecting from the US, then your VPN usage is legal. There are currently no laws that prohibit or restrict the use of VPNs. So, several companies and private individuals freely use VPNs to secure that network and evade geo-restrictions. However, using VPNs for unlawful activities wouldn’t legitimize such actions. Some of them include purchasing or selling contrabands on the dark web or cyberstalking, bullying, or other cybercrimes.

What if I don’t want to route all my internet traffic through a US VPN?

Sometimes, netizens want to use VPNs for only specific apps or browsers. Fortunately, some of the VPNs above allow this practice. So, you can choose what portion of your internet traffic you’ll channel through the VPN. This is called a split-tunneling feature. All you need to do is set the apps you want to access the internet directly while the rest go through the VPN’s encrypted tunnels.

Yes, downloading files through peer-to-peer (p2p) platforms is legal in the US. So, torrenting over a VPN is also lawful. However, downloading specific content may be illegal. For example, downloading copyrighted materials on torrenting platforms is illegal. Furthermore, there could be legal consequences for downloading such protected content. It could range from warning letters to lawsuits. So, indeed you should try not to torrent copyrighted materials. However, you can use the good VPNs above as they don’t store your internet data.

Can I get a dedicated US IP address?

Yes, some VPNs can offer a static US IP address for your VPN needs. This way, you avoid the default shared IP addresses that other VPN users use. Furthermore, you get to control your online reputation with your personal IP. However, you may have to pay an extra fee for a dedicated IP address. Therefore, it would also help to carefully consider whether you truly need a dedicated IP address before getting one.

In conclusion

As an individual living in the USA, using a VPN has become nearly mandatory for your peace of mind while online. Protecting your information from the prying eyes of both individuals and government organizations is a task that cannot be undertaken without some tools to help. But choosing a VPN out of the many providers can be a daunting task. We hope we’ve narrowed down the list for you with our top picks for the best VPNs in the USA.