Best VPN for iPhone (2026): Six Picks Ranked on iOS Facts

The best VPN for iPhone is ExpressVPN, based on what providers document about their iOS apps. Its Network Lock kill switch is always on in the iOS app and cannot be turned off. It is one of only two picks with split tunneling on iOS. Its Lightway protocol also includes post-quantum protection by default.

Proton VPN is the pick if you want an open-source iPhone app and a free plan with no data cap. NordVPN, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and Surfshark follow, each for the strengths set out below.

iOS is a locked-down platform, so a VPN app cannot do everything a desktop app can. We rank providers on what their official pages say their iOS apps do, verified 31 October 2026. We also use the prices and refund rules in their records, and we explain why iCloud Private Relay is not a VPN. We have not tested speed on iOS yet, so every speed claim you see elsewhere is the provider’s.

What matters on iOS, and why

The kill switch, and how it is built. A kill switch blocks your internet if the VPN connection drops. Apple does not let third-party apps install the kind of firewall rules a Windows or Linux kill switch uses. So each provider’s iOS “kill switch” is a different thing, and the providers document the differences.

ExpressVPN says its Internet Kill Switch “is always on and can’t be disabled” on iOS. It has two levels. The Standard level blocks traffic only when the VPN drops. The Advanced level blocks all traffic whenever the VPN is off, “except for essential Apple DNS requests.” DNS requests are the lookups that turn a web address into a server address.

NordVPN’s help center calls its iOS protection “VPN bypass prevention.” It forces all traffic covered by the VPN configuration through the tunnel at the routing level. It stays in force through app restarts and sleep.

Proton VPN’s kill switch on iOS is a toggle under Security Options, with an Advanced mode in beta. Proton warns that “some DNS requests from Apple services can bypass the VPN, even with kill switch enabled.” It also says devices on your local network become unreachable while the kill switch is on.

Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and Surfshark document an automatic kill switch in their iOS apps, but they do not describe how it works. Mullvad’s FAQ says its kill switch is on by default and cannot be turned off, but it does not single out iOS. IVPN documents no kill switch for current iOS versions at all. Its iOS page warns that “vulnerabilities in iOS might affect all VPN connections on iOS, no matter which VPN service you use.”

Split tunneling. Split tunneling lets some apps or sites skip the VPN while everything else goes through it. On iOS it is rare, because Apple’s VPN framework makes per-app routing hard. ExpressVPN’s split tunneling on iOS lets you “choose which websites bypass the VPN through single IPv4 address exclusions.” That is narrower than the per-app control in its Android app. Surfshark says its Bypasser works on iOS and macOS.

Proton VPN’s split-tunneling article covers Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, Android TV and the browser extension, but not iOS. Mullvad’s FAQ says iOS split tunneling “is not possible to do currently.” Private Internet Access, NordVPN, CyberGhost, IVPN, hide.me and Windscribe document none on iOS. Outside our picks, PrivadoVPN added split tunneling for websites and IP addresses to its iOS app in version 3.9.0, in May 2025. IPVanish documents it on iOS too.

Post-quantum key exchange. This is a newer way for an app and a server to agree on encryption keys. It is designed to resist attacks by future quantum computers. ExpressVPN’s Lightway “includes post-quantum protection by default” using ML-KEM. NordVPN’s NordLynx has an opt-in post-quantum toggle that works only with NordLynx.

Surfshark says post-quantum protection is on by default in its WireGuard setup. Its iOS page does not say whether that covers the iPhone app. Mullvad and IVPN offer quantum-resistant WireGuard tunnels in their apps. Proton VPN lists post-quantum encryption as future work on its 2026 roadmap. Private Internet Access and CyberGhost document nothing.

Where you buy it. Every provider on this page says the same thing in different words. If you subscribe through the App Store, Apple handles any refund under Apple’s rules. The provider’s 30- or 45-day guarantee does not apply. You ask Apple through reportaproblem.apple.com, and Apple decides. Its page says only that some purchases “might be eligible.” Buy on the provider’s website if you want the guarantee.

Device limits and renewal. An iPhone is rarely the only device on the plan. Surfshark and Private Internet Access allow unlimited connections. ExpressVPN, Proton VPN and NordVPN allow 10, and CyberGhost allows 7. Of the renewal prices stated on this page, PIA’s is the lowest, at $81.20 every three years. NordVPN’s is the highest, at $139.08 a year.

Open source. On iOS you cannot inspect an app’s network behavior yourself, so published source code matters. Proton VPN, Private Internet Access, Mullvad and IVPN publish the code of their iOS apps. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost do not.

iCloud Private Relay versus a VPN

iCloud Private Relay comes with an iCloud+ subscription. Apple says it “helps protect your privacy when you browse the web in Safari.” It encrypts your DNS records and sends Safari traffic through two relays. In Apple’s words, no single party, not even Apple, can see both who you are and what sites you are visiting. The second relay gives you a temporary IP address, so websites do not see your real one.

Apple’s own page sets out the limits:

• It covers Safari, not other apps.
• It does not let you choose a country or location.
• It is not available in all countries or regions.
• Some websites need extra steps because they cannot use your IP address.

A VPN app covers every app on the phone and lets you pick the exit country. It also runs on networks where Private Relay is unavailable. But it means trusting the VPN company instead of Apple.

For privacy in Safari alone, Private Relay is enough. You need a VPN for streaming, travel, public Wi-Fi with apps other than Safari, or any case where the exit location matters. Apple’s page does not describe how Private Relay works alongside a VPN. If the exit location matters, check what websites see with our IP tool while both are on.

Pick by pick: what the verified data says

We checked every price and plan below on 5 November 2026.

ExpressVPN documents its iOS app more fully than any other pick. The app has:

• Network Lock, always on, with two levels
• split tunneling by IPv4 address exclusion
• Lightway with post-quantum protection by default
• automatic obfuscation on every server
• a 3-day free trial through the App Store for first-time users

Obfuscation disguises VPN traffic, which helps on networks that block VPNs. The app page lists “latest iOS supported” rather than a minimum version.

The pricing page shows only 28-month plans. Basic costs $2.99 a month, or $83.72 up front, and renews at $99.95 a year. Monthly and 12-month plans exist, but their prices show only at checkout. Basic allows 10 devices, Advanced 12 and Express Pro 14. The apps are closed source, apart from the Lightway core and the browser extension. App Store subscriptions are not eligible for the 30-day guarantee.

Proton VPN is the open-source pick. The code of its iOS and iPadOS app is public and audited. The kill switch is a toggle with a beta Advanced mode. The free plan runs on iPhone with no data cap, on one device, with servers in 10 countries and no streaming. The iOS app also has Stealth, Proton’s obfuscation protocol, and a home-screen widget.

VPN Plus costs $3.49 a month on the 2-year plan, or $83.76 up front, and renews at $83.88 a year. The 1-year plan is $4.49 a month, or $53.88, with the same renewal. The monthly plan is $9.99. There is no split tunneling on iOS and no post-quantum encryption yet.

NordVPN needs iOS 17 or later. It has the longest feature list of the closed-source apps:

• NordLynx with the post-quantum toggle
• NordWhisper for restrictive networks
• Threat Protection
• Meshnet
• Siri shortcuts
• VPN bypass prevention as its kill switch

The Basic 2-year plan costs $3.49 a month, or $94.23 for 27 months. It renews at $139.08 a year, the highest renewal on this page. The monthly plan is $14.99. There is no split tunneling on iOS. Website purchases get a 30-day refund. Apple handles refunds for App Store purchases, and Google can refund Google Play purchases within 48 hours.

Private Internet Access (PIA) publishes the code for all its apps, including iOS. The app needs iOS 15 or later. PIA documents these features:

• a kill switch
• WireGuard and OpenVPN
• Siri shortcuts and a home-screen widget
• a Safari content blocker
• Wi-Fi automation
• unlimited connections

The 3-year plan costs $2.03 a month, or $81.20 up front for 40 months, and renews at $81.20 every three years. The 1-year plan is $47.88 and renews at $47.88. Monthly is $11.95. First-time users can try the iOS app free for 7 days on an annual plan. There is no split tunneling on iOS, and no post-quantum encryption is documented. The company is based in the US and owned by Kape Technologies. App Store subscriptions follow Apple’s terms, not PIA’s 30-day guarantee.

CyberGhost supports iOS 15 through iOS 26 on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The app has an automatic kill switch, WireGuard and IKEv2, automatic Wi-Fi protection and a Dedicated IP option. The 28-month plan costs $2.19 a month, or $61.32, and renews at $61.32 a year. The 6-month plan is $41.94 and the monthly plan $12.99. The iOS app has a 7-day free trial, which needs a payment method.

Plans of six months or longer bought on the website get a 45-day guarantee, and monthly plans get 14 days. Purchases through an app store are excluded. CyberGhost has no split tunneling on iOS, no obfuscation and no post-quantum encryption. Plans cover 7 devices, and the apps are closed source.

Surfshark is the other pick with split tunneling on iOS. Its FAQ states that Bypasser works on iOS and macOS. The app needs iOS 17 or later and has a kill switch, Multi Hop, CleanWeb and unlimited connections. Surfshark says post-quantum protection is on by default on WireGuard.

The Starter plan costs $2.49 a month for 27 months, or $67.23, which includes 3 extra months. The pricing page does not state the renewal amount. The monthly plan is $18.95. No app is open source, and the iOS page does not say whether the post-quantum protection applies to the iPhone app.

What to avoid

Buying through the App Store if you might want a refund. All six providers say Apple handles refunds for App Store purchases. NordVPN adds that App Store buyers cannot get referral rewards.

Assuming the kill switch is a firewall. On iOS it is a routing rule or a setting in the VPN configuration. Both Proton VPN and ExpressVPN state that some Apple DNS traffic passes outside the tunnel. If that matters to you, use ExpressVPN’s Advanced level or Proton VPN’s beta Advanced mode. Then run a leak test.

Treating Private Relay as a VPN. It covers Safari only and gives you no choice of country.

Free VPN apps from App Store search results. NordVPN’s own iOS page warns that some free VPN apps imitate real services and fund themselves with ads or data sales. Of the providers we track, these free plans are worth installing on an iPhone:

• Proton VPN: no data cap, 1 device
• Windscribe: 10 GB a month if you confirm your email and stay on its promo email list, otherwise 2 GB, no card
• hide.me: free, no sign-up, 8 locations, 1 connection

IVPN on iOS if you need a kill switch. IVPN’s apps are open source, and Cure53 audits IVPN every year. But IVPN documents no kill switch for current iOS versions.

Judging by the first-term price. First-term prices on this page run from $2.03 to $3.49 a month. Renewals run from $81.20 every three years at PIA, about $2.26 a month, to $139.08 a year at NordVPN, about $11.59 a month. Surfshark does not state its renewal at all. The pricing pages linked from each pick and the comparison hub show both numbers.

Setup notes

1. Install the app from the App Store, but subscribe on the provider’s website. Then sign in.
2. Turn on the kill switch where it is a toggle: in Proton VPN, PIA, CyberGhost and Surfshark. At NordVPN, turn on VPN bypass prevention under Settings. ExpressVPN’s kill switch is already on, and you only choose the level.
3. Choose the modern protocol: Lightway at ExpressVPN, NordLynx at NordVPN and WireGuard elsewhere. CyberGhost’s FAQ notes that iOS supports IKEv2 natively as a fallback, and Surfshark’s FAQ says the same.
4. Turn on auto-connect for untrusted Wi-Fi where the app offers it. PIA’s Wi-Fi automation and CyberGhost’s automatic Wi-Fi protection document this. Proton VPN lists always-on reconnection.
5. On an iPad, the same app and subscription apply. Every pick lists iPad support, and Surfshark lists all iPad models from iPad mini to iPad Pro.
6. Confirm the tunnel with our VPN check and IPv6 leak test. IPv6 is the newer format for internet addresses. ExpressVPN blocks IPv6, and Proton VPN turns it off on iOS. NordVPN does not support it, and Surfshark’s help center recommends turning off IPv6 on the device.

If you also use an Android phone or tablet, the Android page covers the differences. The travel page covers obfuscation for countries that block VPNs.

How we chose

We rank the picks by our score, which is shown above. We include only providers whose official pages document a kill switch in the iOS app. The criteria at the top of the page break ties. That filter removes IVPN, whose iOS app currently documents no kill switch.

Mullvad qualifies on its FAQ but ranks below the six picks on the overall score. The main reasons are that it makes no streaming claims and offers 5 devices and 50 countries. It remains the pick for anonymity on our privacy page.

hide.me, Windscribe, IPVanish and PrivadoVPN document iOS kill switches too. Windscribe’s works through the always-on setting in iOS. All four rank below the picks on the overall score. The iOS apps of hide.me and Windscribe need iOS 15.

Scores come from our published methodology. In it, apps count for 10 percent of the weight and security for 15 percent. Prices are the lowest effective monthly price on each pricing page on 5 November 2026. Every pick lists its renewal price or says that it is not stated.

Affiliate relationships do not influence anything on this page. ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, NordVPN and Surfshark pay us a commission on some purchases. Private Internet Access and CyberGhost currently do not, and both are on the list. See how we make money and the other pages in the best-of hub.