Best VPNs for USA in 2023 for Privacy, Speed, Value, Unblocking

Whether you’re in the US or a US citizen living abroad, a VPN is a useful tool to have in your arsenal, especially since the US is a part of the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) will not only keep you safe online and your internet activities away from prying eyes, but it can help you access your home streaming services, social media channels, news websites, and online banking services from abroad.

VPNs encrypt all of a device’s internet traffic and route it through an intermediary server in a location that the user chooses. This makes geo-restricted services believe you are in their country and gives you access to their content – perfect for accessing US content from abroad or worldwide content from the US. VPNs also encrypt your network traffic, preventing it from being read by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), hackers, the government, and anyone else who might be monitoring your network.

In this article, we’ll explain how to use a VPN to stay safe online and cover the best VPNs for the USA, as well as some to avoid. We’ll discuss each provider in more detail further down, but if you don’t have time to read the whole article, here’s a quick summary.

Best VPNs for the USA:

1. NordVPN: Our #1 pick for a USA VPN. A vast global network of servers that can unblock the most popular geo-restricted content and sites. Great speeds and strong security. 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark: Best budget VPN for the US. Offers unlimited device connections, robust security, and over 3,200 servers in 100+ countries.
3. ExpressVPN: Strong on speed, security, and privacy. Unblocks geo-restricted content with ease. Effortless to set up and use. 24/7 live customer support.
4. CyberGhost: Fast, beginner-friendly VPN with strong privacy features. Unblocks popular streaming services. Thousands of servers globally and almost 1500 in the US.
5. PrivateVPN: Fast streaming and download speeds and can unblock most restricted content.  Allows 10 simultaneous connections.
6. Hotspot Shield: Fast, security-conscious VPN that unblocks plenty of major streaming services in the US and abroad.
7. Hide.me: Downloading, torrenting, and P2P specialist. Good privacy but pricey.
8. AirVPN: Unmatched security, Tor-friendly. Needs manual configuration.

Best VPNs for the US: at a glance

We’ve compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for the USA.

Why you might need a VPN for the USA

Despite being in the land of the free, Americans are directly in the line of sight of intelligence agencies like the FBI and NSA. Plus, American corporations like Google and Apple are also known to monitor and gather information on users in the United States. While those government agencies and private companies are global and spy on everyone, Americans fall under the direct jurisdiction of their authority, whereas users in other countries at least have a legal border between them. For these reasons, it’s wise to use a VPN to protect your online activities.

The best VPNs for the USA

Due to the nature of internet surveillance in the US, Americans using VPN services require greater security and less access to foreign content than VPN users in other countries. With that in mind, we’ve chosen the best VPNs for the US that achieve this equilibrium based on the following criteria:

• The provider is not based in the United States
• Strict no logs policy, with no traffic logs stored on the provider’s servers
• Strong encryption, 128-bit AES or greater, is used by default
• Shared IP addresses are used to preserve anonymity
• Bonus points for anonymous payment methods, such as Bitcoin

If you are interested in finding out more about how we tested the VPNs in this article, we will explain more about our methodology section below. For now, we’ll take a closer look at the one that made the list.

Here is our list of the best VPNs for America:

1. NordVPN

Sep 2023

NordVPN is our number-one choice VPN for the USA. It’s a Panama-based VPN provider with a reputation for security. That includes double-hop servers that route your traffic through two VPNs and a Tor over VPN option that sends traffic through the Tor network upon exiting the VPN server. Thousands of servers are located around the globe, and almost 2,000 servers in the US.

Most IPs are shared, but some dedicated IP servers are also available if needed. The OpenVPN protocol uses a 256-bit encryption standard. NordVPN accepts Bitcoin payments, and it’s one of the best values any VPN provider offers. The company keeps absolutely no logs of users’ traffic or connection metadata. You may have up to six simultaneous connections on a single subscription.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

BEST VPN FOR USA:NordVPN is our #1 choice. Works well with most popular streaming sites and geo-restricted services. Strong security dn privacy protocols. Connect up to 6 devices simultaneously from one account. Includes a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full NordVPN review.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark is a VPN service incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, beyond the jurisdiction of any 14-Eyes country, including the UK. It operates a network of around 3,200 VPN servers spread across more than 100 countries.

It works with all manner of streaming services, including US and UK Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, Hulu, and more. Surfshark employs strong encryption and has a zero logs policy. Torrenting is allowed, and kill switches built into both the mobile and desktop apps prevent data collection and your real IP address from leaking. 24/7 live chat support is there to help if you need it.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Linux. Surfshark allows an unlimited number of simultaneous devices.

BEST BUDGET OPTION:Surfshark lets you connect all your devices at once for a very low price. Surfshark’s speeds are high, plus it’s extremely versatile and secure. Strict no logs policy. Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review.

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3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN uses AES 256-bit encryption with the OpenVPN protocol by default. No traffic logs are kept that show the content of user activity, but some metadata is recorded. The company is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, beyond the jurisdiction of the US government (and the UK government, in case you were wondering). All servers use shared IPs, so you share an IP address with hundreds of other users. The company accepts payment in Bitcoin in addition to credit card and PayPal.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Linux (command line), and certain routers.

FAST AND VERSATILE:ExpressVPN is easy to use, blazing fast, and able to securely access all major streaming services including Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime. Provides a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN Review.

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4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is based in Romania and offers a diverse selection of privacy and internet security features to choose from. The company keeps no logs of user activity or metadata. It secures your data using OpenVPN connections and 256-bit AES encryption with perfect forward secrecy. DNS leak protection and a kill switch ensure no traffic escapes the VPN tunnel. Additional features include an ad blocker, anti-malware defense, and anti-tracking. CyberGhost allows you to choose a server not just based on location but on how you plan to use it, be it for streaming, torrenting, or anonymous web surfing.

CyberGhost has a vast network with thousands of servers globally (over 9,000) and almost 2,00o in the US. Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

BEST FOR BEGINNERS:CyberGhost is easy to use. A beginner-friendly choice that is great for online privacy and security. Unblocks Netflix and most other popular streaming services. Comes with a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

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5. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN is based in Sweden and is a relatively young provider compared to the others on this list. Despite that, it’s growing quickly thanks to features and performance on par with the bigger names. The company adheres to a strict no-logs policy. 256-bit AES encryption and perfect forward secrecy protect all traffic on the OpenVPN protocol. A kill switch halts all internet traffic if the VPN connection drops. Built-in DNS leak protection prevents web page requests from being sent outside the encrypted tunnel. PrivateVPN is one of the faster VPN services we’ve tested and unblocks just about everything we’ve thrown at it. P2P filesharing is tolerated on all servers. 10 simultaneous connections are allowed on a single plan.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android.

GREAT SPEEDS:PrivateVPN is a good family choice that can connect 10 devices simultaneously. Great privacy and high speeds. It also works with streaming sites like Netflix and Disney Plus, and is suitable for torrenting. Would prefer 24-hour chat support. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

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6. Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is a Switzerland-based provider with a suite of strong security features. It boasts military-grade encryption, leak protection, and automatic wifi protection. It uses shared IP addresses and keeps very minimal logs. Although IP addresses are stored (in encrypted form) while you’re connected, they’re deleted immediately after your session, so can’t be viewed by third parties. The company uses a proprietary “Catapult Hydra” protocol. This is used by some top cybersecurity organizations, including Bitdefender and McAfee, and has been reviewed by many of the companies that use it.

Hotspot Shield apps are available for Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, and Android.

FAST AND SECURE:Hotspot Shield has a reliable network of high-speed servers capable of unblocking HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and more. Connect 5 devices at a time. Also includes a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Hotspot Shield review.

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7. Hide.me

Hide.me is a Malaysia-based VPN provider that keeps zero logs of users’ activity and metadata. It boasts solid speeds, too, making it a good all-around option. Users can choose from various available protocols, although we recommend WireGuard or IKEv2 for optimum security. Each VPN connection on those protocols nets you 256-bit AES encryption and perfect forward secrecy, more than enough to keep your security airtight. It’s not the most adept at accessing sites like Netflix, but for most Americans, this won’t really matter. There are even a few specific servers for P2P activity.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and Windows Phone.

FAST AND SECURE:Hide.me is a torrenting and P2P favourite. Servers are geared toward downloading rather than streaming, with a good emphasis on privacy. Can achieve good speeds but is pricier than close rivals. 30-day money-back guarantee

Read our full Hide.me review.

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8. AirVPN

AirVPN has a rather ugly interface and poor usability, but no equal when it comes to security. This VPN only supports the OpenVPN protocol. For added privacy, OpenVPN encapsulated in SSH and SSL are on offer. DNS leak protection, DNS routing, a kill switch, and port forwarding can all be tweaked in the settings. Zero logs are recorded. The company is based in Italy. The app is targeted at more advanced users, but it shouldn’t be too difficult for a novice to get a grasp of. AirVPN accepts Bitcoin.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, and Linux.

SOLID PRIVACY:AirVPN is for the security conscious. A community-run VPN network that places security and privacy concerns over ease of use. Works well with Tor but be prepared to do some manual tweaking of parameters to get it working right.

Stay tuned for our full review of AirVPN.

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Good US-based VPNs

Due to privacy concerns, we filtered out several VPN providers from this list because they are based in the United States. That doesn’t make them bad VPNs by any means, but the fact that the NSA or FBI could come knocking on their doors doesn’t inspire confidence, even if they advertise a no-logging privacy policy.

But, if you’re not worried about US intelligence agencies and are just looking for a strong VPN choice, there are several other US-based VPNs worth considering:

• IPVanish
• LiquidVPN
• Private Internet Access
• StrongVPN
• Atlas VPN

Other than being based in the US, these VPNs meet all of our other criteria. If you trust them not to store any usage logs, then they shouldn’t have any information to give to law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the first place.

VPNs that Americans should avoid

Hola

Hola is a peer-to-peer VPN-ish browser extension that allows other members to utilize your unused bandwidth. It does not operate its own servers. This is a data privacy problem, especially because Hola isn’t very transparent about it. The company allegedly took advantage of all its users’ network power to create a botnet and attack websites in the past. Because internet service providers often impose data caps in the US, and because of blatant privacy issues, we recommend avoiding Hola.

HideMyAss

HideMyAss is based in the UK. Because the US is good buddies with the UK, it’s not a good option for those hoping to avoid national intelligence agencies. HideMyAss infamously gave up user logs to British authorities, which led to the arrest of a LulzSec hacker. HMA says it never logs the contents of its users’ internet traffic, but it does store detailed metadata logs that include users’ real IP addresses, which was enough for law enforcement to eventually jail LulzSec hacker Cody Kretsinger following his involvement in a cyber attack on Sony Pictures.

“Free” VPNs

Several free VPN services will try to entice you after a quick app store or Google search, but be wary of them. First off, they are typically slow, cap your data, and limit bandwidth to save resources. Secondly, they have poor logging policies and data security. Finally, many free VPNs make money by injecting advertisements and tracking cookies into users’ browsers, which actually decreases your privacy.

Best VPNs for the USA: testing methodology

Comparitech thoroughly tests every VPN we recommend to ensure they meet our standards of quality. When it comes to VPNs for the USA, we specifically examine:

• The VPN provider’s privacy policy and terms of service ensure they keep no identifying logs
• The VPN provider’s country of origin
• The encryption specifications of the VPN connection, including ciphers, key lengths, hash algorithm, and perfect forward secrecy
• Whether the VPN servers assign shared or private IP addresses (shared is preferred for anonymity)
• Which, if any, cryptocurrencies or other anonymous payment methods are accepted?

In addition to these observations, we test each VPN for:

• Speed – We routinely run speed tests on each provider’s global network of VPN servers.
• Streaming ability – Our testers run real-world tests to see if they can securely access major streaming platforms like Netflix from abroad with a VPN. We’ve conducted some 3,000 tests this year alone.
• Data leaks – We check each VPN for DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks that threaten the user’s privacy.

Our recommendations are based on a combination of all the above elements.
Learn more about how we test VPNs on our methodology page.

How to protect yourself with a VPN in the US

Don’t worry if you’ve never used a VPN before, these services are easier to use than you might first expect. Simply follow the steps below to encrypt your traffic and browse safely from anywhere.

Here’s how to use a VPN for the US in 5 simple steps:

1. Start by signing up for one of the VPNs above (we recommend NordVPN).
2. Download the software, choosing the right version for your device and operating system.
3. Log in and select a server in your desired location. Connect to a server in the US to stay safe while browsing in the US or accessing your home services from abroad. Or connect to a server abroad – such as the UK or Canada to access geo-restricted foreign services.
4. Once connected, your online activities can’t be read by your ISP, hackers, or the owner of the Wi-Fi hotspot you’re using.
5. If you experience any issues unblocking geo-restricted content, clear your cookies and try again or contact your VPN’s support team for more advice.

Using VPNs to bypass blackout restrictions in the US

Even though Americans (when within the US) typically have the best pick of content, they are faced with one persistent form of geo-blocking: blackouts.

Blackout restrictions usually apply to live-streaming video, especially sports. Even if you have a subscription to a legal online streaming service, such as MLB.tv for baseball, local teams are often unwatchable online. That’s because regional TV stations often buy the broadcast rights to local games since online streaming services can’t compete.

VPNs circumvent this problem. By simply connecting to another location in the United States where the particular event is not blacked out, the stream can be unblocked. Just make sure you’re using one of our recommended best VPNs for the USA to ensure you have enough data and bandwidth to get decent-quality video without constant buffering.

Check out our detailed tutorials on how to bypass blackout restrictions for MLB baseball, NHL hockey, NBA basketball, NFL football, and ESPN with a VPN.

Using VPNs for torrenting in the US

Downloading and distributing copyrighted material is illegal in the United States. Internet service providers often implement a three-strike rule in which customers are penalized for illegally downloading content via BitTorrent.

While torrenting itself is not illegal, it’s often associated with illegal activity, primarily online piracy. However, non-copyrighted material is completely legal to download.

Copyright holders often act through copyright trolls, which record IP addresses of torrenters and send settlement letters requesting remuneration. Copyright trolls are granted the right to sue on behalf of the copyright holder. However, because an IP address does not legally constitute an identity in the US, it’s usually advisable for recipients to ignore settlement letters if they don’t contain any identifying information.

A VPN’s encryption hides BitTorrent traffic from the user’s ISP. And by masking the user’s real IP address with that of the VPN server, copyright trolls cannot trace torrent downloads back to a specific device.

While you can theoretically use any VPN to torrent safely in the US, many VPNs simply won’t work well. For starters, some VPNs are too slow and may throttle your bandwidth. However, the best VPNs offer unlimited bandwidth and specialty servers optimized for P2P. Furthermore, some VPNs don’t provide sufficient security. Downloading and sharing copyrighted material is illegal. It’s therefore important to choose a VPN that not only changes your IP address, but encrypts your internet traffic and protects your privacy with a strict no-logs policy.

VPNs for the US: FAQs