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Originally published October 18, 2018. Updated October 26, 2026.
You are at an airport gate on public Wi-Fi, about to check your bank balance. The best VPN services help with that, and not much else. The FTC says a VPN shifts trust from your network to the VPN provider.
Best VPN Services in 2026: What to Check and What They Cost
What should you look for in the best VPN services?
The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s guide to choosing a VPN starts with audits. Look for ones with public results. An audit is not a permanent guarantee, and neither is a no-logs promise. Where the company operates matters too. OpenVPN or WireGuard beats the older PPTP protocol.
Are free VPN apps safe?
Often not. Many free apps make money from ads or from sharing user data, the FTC notes. In a study it cites of nearly 300 apps, some used no encryption and some shared data with third parties.
How much do the best VPN services cost?
These prices come from each provider’s pricing page and can change. Mullvad costs 5 euros a month, flat. Longer terms get no discount. Proton VPN Plus is $3.49 a month on a 24-month term. It then renews at $83.88 a year. NordVPN Basic is $3.49 a month on its two-year plan. That plan costs $94.23 for the first 27 months, then renews at $139.08 a year. A single month of Basic is $14.99. ExpressVPN lists only 28-month plans, starting at $2.99 a month. Those renew at $99.95 a year.
Which VPNs have published audits?
NordVPN’s announcement says Deloitte Lithuania audited its no-logs policy and issued a report on December 12, 2025. Surfshark announced a Deloitte audit in June 2025. Proton lists a 2026 audit by Securitum, but its page gives no date.
Editor’s Take
The best VPN services are the ones you can check. Pick a provider with a recent public audit and read the renewal price before you pay, because a long first term often renews higher. If scams are your real worry, our guide to spotting a scam text will do more for you than any VPN.
