Best VPNs for Philadelphia: Safe Browsing in Philly

Are you planning to explore the vibrant streets of Philadelphia? Eager to see the iconic Liberty Bell or retrace Rocky Balboa’s legendary steps? While the city’s historical charm beckons, the lurking pitfalls of its public WiFi might hold you back. It’s unnerving to think that while you’re immersed in Philly’s culture, your online activities might be exposed on insecure networks. Worse yet, have you ever faced the frustrating blocks on certain websites while using public hotspots?

Enter the game-changer: A Virtual Private Network (VPN). Our comprehensive research and rigorous testing by our Comparitech testing team have underscored the indispensable role of VPNs in such scenarios. By connecting through a VPN, you secure your digital footprint, effortlessly bypassing those pesky web filters. In addition, you get encryption that shields your data and ensures uninterrupted streaming, rendering mobile ISP throttling obsolete.

Here’s a quick look at our top VPNs for Philadelphia. If any stand out to you, scroll down for a more detailed review:

Best VPNs for Philadelphia

1. NordVPN: The best VPN for Philadelphia overall. A speedy, reliable provider with a proven no-logs policy, strong security, and a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Philadelphia.
2. Surfshark: The best low-cost VPN for Philadelphia. Works with just about every major streaming service and can easily protect every device you own.
3. ExpressVPN: An industry veteran with lots of fast US servers and real everyday usage potential in Philadelphia.
4. CyberGhost: Novice-friendly service with over 1,000 American servers (including Philadelphia) and some of the highest speeds we’ve seen.
5. IPVanish: A security-focused, zero-logs VPN with no connection limit and consistently high speeds. A solid choice for Philadelphia.
6. PrivateVPN: This no-logs service is quick, capable of beating strict online restrictions, and above all, privacy-conscious.

Best VPNs for Philadelphia

We hunted down the best VPNs for Philadelphia and personally tested each to make sure it’s suitable for your needs. Here are a few of the key things we looked for when whittling down the competition:

• Must have servers nearby (or ideally in) Philadelphia
• Provides high speeds and reliable connections
• Can securely access a wide range of geo-restricted services
• Keeps you safe using cutting-edge security tools
• Never logs any details of your activities
• Includes apps for a wide range of devices

This is just an overview, but you can learn more about our VPN testing methods below.

Best Philadelphia VPNs – Our hands-on review

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 VPN for Philadelphia.

The best VPNs for Philadelphia:

1. NordVPN

Apr 2024

NordVPN is our top VPN for Philadelphia. It has over 5,400 servers in around 60 countries globally, with a cluster just 60 miles away in New Jersey. What’s more, this is one of the fastest providers we’ve seen, averaging over 350 Mbps in our latest tests. As such, it’s more than fast enough for streaming, torrenting, gaming, or video calling. Users can connect up to six devices at a time.

This VPN is no slouch where security is concerned, either. It uses effectively uncrackable encryption to shield your activities from prying eyes and also includes WebRTC, DNS, and IPv6 leak protection, a kill switch, and obfuscated servers for the truly privacy-minded. NordVPN follows a zero-logs policy and can be paid for in cryptocurrency. Customer support is available around the clock over live chat and email.

NordVPN has its own iOS, Android, Linux, MacOS, and Windows apps. It can also be manually installed on supported routers, which can help you secure an entire network at once.

BEST VPN FOR PHILADELPHIA:NordVPN is our first choice. It blends speed, security, and unblocking ability to create a well-rounded service that can do just about anything. Best of all, this VPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning you can try it risk-free.

Read our comprehensive NordVPN review.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark is the best low-cost VPN for Philadelphia. There are around 3,200 servers to choose from (spanning 90+ countries), with the nearest cluster located in New York. This provider has high speeds and no limits on the number of devices you can connect. Further, it works with just about every streaming service we’ve tested, so there’s really no limit on what you can watch while connected.

When it comes to security, Surfshark is one of the best. It includes 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, leak protection, and a tool that blocks ads, trackers, and malware automatically. Crucially, this VPN doesn’t keep any logs. If you’d like even more anonymity, you can always pay in one of three cryptocurrencies. Plus, Surfshark recently added a tool that changes your IP address periodically, so it’s clearly not content to rest on its laurels. Live chat is available 24/7 in case of any issues.

Surfshark apps are available for Windows, Android, MacOS, iOS, and Linux. Alternatively, you can follow manual setup instructions to get it running on a variety of home routers.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark is our top choice for anyone on a budget. It’s a great option whether you’re looking to stream, video call, or just use public wifi safely. This service even has a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you’re still unsure.

For more info, check out the complete Surfshark review.

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3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN users can choose from more than 90 locations, and around 16 of those in the US. None of these are in Philadelphia, but the New Jersey clusters offer high speeds and excellent unblocking ability. They’re also great for anyone looking to access stubborn streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and DAZN. Five devices can be connected simultaneously, and there are no bandwidth limits whatsoever.

A VPN with sub-par security simply isn’t worth using. Luckily, this is another area where ExpressVPN stands out. Its 256-bit AES encryption, kill switch, and leak protection ensure that your data stays hidden at all times. Its cloaking ability is first-rate, and as a result, this service will even work in places like China. ExpressVPN doesn’t log any personally identifiable data, but if you’d like another layer of privacy, you can pay in Bitcoin. Live chat is available around the clock.

ExpressVPN has iOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, and Linux apps. It’s also the only VPN on our list with custom router firmware; this makes it significantly easier to secure your home network.

HIGHLY VERSATILE:ExpressVPN not only offers first-class security and speeds, it’s also one of the best VPNs for streaming thanks to its expansive network and cloaking ability. Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Why not read our full ExpressVPN review?

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4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost has a whopping 8,000+ servers in 90+ countries, with around 1,300 of these in the US alone. These servers are helpfully grouped in the app, so you can easily find one that’s optimized for torrenting or accessing your favorite streaming service. This VPN is extremely fast too, averaging over 500 Mbps in our latest speed tests. Plus, with up to seven simultaneous connections permitted, you’ll be able to protect the whole family’s devices while visiting Philadelphia.

This VPN’s security offering includes 256-bit encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a kill switch. You can also use the WireGuard protocol, which is faster and easier to audit than OpenVPN, or connect via a random port (which might help beat some VPN-detection systems). CyberGhost follows a no-logs policy and can’t reveal what you do online even if asked to. Need help? Customer support staff are on-hand 24/7 over email and live chat.

CyberGhost provides apps for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS devices. It also supports a wide range of routers, though you will have to manually configure these.

PERFECT FOR NOVICES:CyberGhost is an extremely fast, beginner-friendly VPN that makes staying safe as simple as possible. It’s just as comfortable torrenting as it is streaming and boasts a fantastic security toolkit too. All plans include a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Take a look at the complete CyberGhost review.

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5. IPVanish

IPVanish owns and operates around 2,000 servers in 60+ countries, and the bulk of these are in the US. Thanks to recent network optimizations and the VPN’s WireGuard support, it now offers some of the fastest speeds we’ve seen (over 500 Mbps on average the last time we tested). This means IPVanish is a strong choice no matter what tasks you have in mind. Not only that, but it has no connection limit whatsoever.

This service protects your privacy by preventing DNS and IPv6 leaks, using 256-bit encryption, and ensuring that you never browse unprotected with its kill switch. Further, IPVanish follows a true no-logs policy, so it can’t share details of your activities with anyone. There are a couple of more advanced tools included, such as the ability to scramble OpenVPN traffic and prevent local hardware (like printers) from communicating with your device. Live chat-based support is on-hand 24/7.

IPVanish has apps for Android, iOS, MacOS, and Windows. You’ll have to configure it manually to get it running on routers or Linux systems.

BROWSE SECURELY:IPVanish clearly values your security. Not only that, but it offers some of the fastest servers on the market. Fantastic for streaming and torrenting safely in Philadelphia. Annual plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Check out our full IPVanish review.

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6. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN has a smaller network, with around 200 servers in 63 countries. There are roughly a dozen in the US, with the closest to Philadelphia being in New Jersey and New York. This provider is known for its quick speeds and strong streaming abilities; we’ve seen it securely access major platforms like Netflix, DAZN, and Amazon Prime Video without breaking a sweat. Additionally, PrivateVPN recently increased its connection limit so you can secure 10 devices at a time.

This VPN is actually its own server host and ISP, which means your traffic never passes through a third party. Of course, that’s far from the only privacy feature in place. There’s also 256-bit encryption (with an option to use 128-bit for improved speeds), a customizable kill switch, and leak protection. PrivateVPN keeps no logs and even has a stealth mode that can help you browse safely in countries with extreme online censorship. Customer support can be reached at almost any time via live chat.

PrivateVPN has its own iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows apps. It can be manually installed on supported Linux distributions and home routers.

PEACE OF MIND:PrivateVPN goes above and beyond to keep your activities hidden. This way, you can use public hotspots, stream, torrent, and shop online in Philly without worrying about who might be watching. This VPN even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Take a look at our in-depth PrivateVPN review.

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How to use a VPN for Philadelphia

Given how jargon-heavy some VPN websites are, it’s easier than you might expect to start browsing safely, just follow this step-by-step guide.

Here’s how to use a VPN for Philadelphia:

1. First, sign up for one of the services above (we recommend NordVPN)
2. Download the app, taking care to install it on any device you use regularly
3. Log in and select a server in your desired location. For most people, this will be whichever server is nearby since these tend to provide the highest speeds
4. Congratulations, you’re now connected. This means your internet traffic can’t be read by snoopers like your ISP, the hotspot owner, or the government. Additionally, you should be able to visit whichever websites you like, regardless of any restrictions the network might have in place
5. If you struggle to access the sites you want, try clearing your browser history and trying again.

Our Methodology: How we chose the best VPNs for Philadelphia

VPNs are an easy way to protect your digital privacy. Of course, every VPN is different, so it pays to shop around. We’ve specifically looked for services with top-tier security features built-in and a presence in or around Philadelphia so that your latency is as low as possible. Here are a few other key criteria that all of our top VPNs had to meet to make our list:

• Server choice: Providers must have servers fairly close by, for instance, in neighboring states like New York or New Jersey. This way, you’re less likely to notice any interruptions due to latency.
• High speeds: The best VPNs for Philadelphia must provide speeds suitable for live streaming, torrenting, gaming, and video-calling. We regularly run speed tests on leading VPNs to see which are the fastest. Our tests also account for consistency, so there’s no need to worry about inadvertently choosing a slow server.
• Strong streaming ability: Plenty of websites try to block VPN users, which is why it’s so important to find one that can go undetected. We test providers against particularly tricky sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and DAZN to ensure we’re only recommending the best of the best.
• Powerful security tools: A VPN without strong security is of no use to anyone. We look for services with 256-bit encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, a kill switch, and a no-logs policy at a bare minimum. However, we prefer VPNs with a wider range of features, particularly if they allow users to browse securely in places like China.
• User-friendly: Our top VPNs should have multi-platform support, beginner-friendly apps, and preferably, 24/7 support over live chat. Anything else that makes usage simpler (such as a lack of connection limits) is extremely welcome.

This is far from the only testing we perform. If you’d like to learn more, we have a whole post breaking down our VPN testing methodology.

Using a VPN in Philadelphia: FAQs