Best VPN for PC (2026): Six Windows Apps Compared

What matters on a Windows PC

ExpressVPN is our top pick for a Windows PC. Its app turns the kill switch on by default and splits traffic by program or by website. Lightway, its own protocol, adds post-quantum encryption. Proton VPN is the pick for open-source code, and it is the only one of the six with a free plan.

The other four picks each lead on one point. NordVPN reaches the most countries, and Private Internet Access (PIA) costs the least over a first term and one renewal. CyberGhost gives you the longest refund, and Surfshark the most control over what skips the VPN.

On a PC, a VPN app can block all traffic when the connection drops and decide which programs use the tunnel. Those two jobs, plus the protocols and outside checks behind them, separate the picks more clearly than server counts.

The kill switch on Windows

A kill switch holds your traffic back while the VPN reconnects, so a dropped connection does not expose your real IP address. All six picks build one into their Windows apps, and each describes its version differently.

• ExpressVPN: the Internet Kill Switch is on by default and blocks IPv4, IPv6 and DNS traffic outside the tunnel.
• NordVPN: the Windows app has two, an Internet kill switch for the whole connection and an App kill switch for single programs.
• PIA: the desktop app has what PIA calls an Advanced Kill Switch.
• Surfshark: the kill switch comes with a soft mode and a strict mode.
• CyberGhost: the desktop app includes an automatic kill switch.
• Proton VPN: the Windows app has one too, and it sends IPv6 traffic through the tunnel instead of blocking it.

Four providers outside the picks make their kill switches harder to leave off. Mullvad says its kill switch is on by default and cannot be turned off. The desktop Firewall at Windscribe is always on and blocks all traffic whenever the tunnel is down. hide.me uses a firewall-based switch that is on by default, while the firewall at IVPN can start blocking as soon as Windows boots.

Split tunneling: what each app can leave out

Split tunneling lets chosen traffic use your normal connection while everything else stays in the VPN. On a PC, that could be a game that needs the lowest possible lag, a work program that refuses VPN addresses or a bank’s website that blocks them. Every pick offers it on Windows, and the table shows what each one can leave out on each system.

Surfshark gives you the most control on Windows. Its Bypasser can leave out programs, websites or IP addresses, and a second mode sends only the programs you choose through the VPN. ExpressVPN covers programs and websites, and Proton VPN covers programs and IP addresses on its paid plans. NordVPN works by program, with its browser extensions handling single websites.

CyberGhost is the exception, because its Windows app can make exceptions for websites but not for programs. You cannot take a whole program, such as a game launcher or a work tool, out of the tunnel.

Protocols and outside checks

All six picks offer WireGuard, a modern VPN protocol, and five add a fallback for networks that block VPN traffic. ExpressVPN disguises VPN traffic on every server automatically, NordVPN has NordWhisper, Proton VPN has Stealth, and Surfshark and PIA offer obfuscation of their own. CyberGhost documents no obfuscation, which matters on hotel, school and office networks that block VPNs.

Post-quantum key exchange, a defense against future quantum computers that could break today’s encryption, is on by default in ExpressVPN’s Lightway and Surfshark’s WireGuard. NordVPN offers it as a setting for NordLynx, its version of WireGuard. Proton VPN lists it as future work, and PIA and CyberGhost document none.

A VPN app handles everything your PC sends, so outside checks of the app matter as much as a no-logs audit. The six picks fall into three groups.

• Published code: Proton VPN and PIA publish the code of every app, the Windows one included.
• Security tests of the Windows app: F-Secure in 2022 and Nettitude in 2024 tested ExpressVPN’s, while Cure53 tested NordVPN’s and SecuRing tested Surfshark’s in 2025.
• Neither: the CyberGhost app is closed source, and its three Deloitte audits looked at the no-logs policy and the servers rather than the app.

What you pay after the first term

First-term prices among the picks are close, from $2.03 to $3.49 a month, but their renewals are far apart. NordVPN’s Basic plan renews at about $11.59 a month, while PIA’s plan stays near $2.26. The chart orders each pick’s cheapest plan by its average monthly cost over the first term and one renewal.

PIA and CyberGhost both renew at the price you first paid, but the result differs. A PIA renewal buys another 36 months. CyberGhost’s $61.32 buys 12 months instead of the first 28, so its monthly cost more than doubles. Surfshark does not say what it charges at renewal, which is why it sits at the bottom of the chart.

If you only need a VPN on your PC for a few weeks, the monthly price matters more. Proton VPN charges $9.99, PIA $11.95, CyberGhost $12.99, NordVPN $14.99 and Surfshark $18.95, while ExpressVPN shows its monthly price only at checkout.

Pick by pick

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN’s Network Lock page says “Internet Kill Switch is enabled by default in the ExpressVPN apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux.” Split tunneling handles programs and websites, and Advanced Protection on the Basic plan blocks ads, trackers and malicious sites. The Windows app also has a public record of outside tests and fixed bugs.

• 2022: F-Secure audited the Windows app.
• 2024: a CNET reporter found that one split-tunneling mode sent some DNS requests, which reveal the sites you visit, to the internet provider. Nettitude later tested the Windows apps and confirmed ExpressVPN’s fix.
• 2025: debug code in some versions let remote-desktop traffic bypass the tunnel until an update five days after a researcher reported it.

Basic covers 10 devices, Advanced 12 and Express Pro 14. ExpressVPN’s own pricing page lists only 28-month plans, and Basic renews at $99.95 a year, about $8.33 a month. Monthly and 1-year prices appear only at checkout, and the 30-day refund is for first-time buyers. Our ExpressVPN pricing page shows every plan and its price history.

Proton VPN

Proton VPN is the pick if you want to check what the app on your PC does. It publishes the code of every app, and Securitum has audited its no-logs policy each year since 2022. Paid plans add three features to the Windows app that the free plan leaves out.

• Secure Core sends your traffic into the network through Proton-owned servers in Switzerland, Iceland or Sweden.
• NetShield blocks ads, trackers and malware at the DNS level.
• Split tunneling leaves out the programs and IP addresses you choose.

The app also offers port forwarding, which our torrenting guide explains, and Stealth for networks that block VPNs, but no post-quantum encryption yet. The free plan works on one PC without a card, with servers in 10 countries that Proton picks for you at medium speed. Our Proton VPN Free guide covers every limit.

VPN Plus costs $3.49 a month on the 2-year plan, which means $83.76 up front, and then renews at $83.88 a year. Its $9.99 monthly plan is the cheapest among the picks that publish one. Refunds within 30 days do not cover payments by bank transfer or cash.

NordVPN

NordVPN suits people who want many server locations and extra controls on their PC. Besides two kill switches and split tunneling by program, it has Double VPN on every plan, which chains a fixed pair of servers. NordWhisper helps on networks that block VPNs, and NordLynx, its WireGuard-based protocol, has an optional post-quantum setting.

NordVPN relies on outside checks rather than open code. PwC and then Deloitte have assessed its no-logs policy six times, most recently in December 2025. Cure53 tested the Windows app with NordVPN’s other apps in 2025. Only the Linux app is open source, and NordVPN says it does not support IPv6 yet.

Basic costs $94.23 for the first 27 months and then $139.08 a year, about $11.59 a month. No other pick that states a renewal price charges as much. The network spans 150 countries, more than any other pick, with more than 7,000 servers, and the 30-day refund covers only your first order.

Private Internet Access

PIA is the pick for a home with many devices and a tight budget. Besides an Advanced Kill Switch and split tunneling, its open-source Windows app has three extras.

• Port forwarding on selected servers lets other computers reach a program on your PC, such as a torrent client.
• MACE blocks ad, tracker and malware domains.
• Multi-Hop adds an extra proxy rather than a second VPN server.

One subscription covers unlimited devices, and the price hardly moves at renewal. The 40-month plan costs $81.20 and renews at the same $81.20 every three years, about $2.26 a month. The 1-year plan costs $47.88 and renews at that price too.

The drawbacks are where PIA is based and what it leaves out. PIA is a US company owned by Kape Technologies, and the US belongs to the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. It documents no post-quantum encryption, and its 30-day refund covers only your first order.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost is the easiest pick to try before you pay. Its Windows app runs free for 24 hours without a card. Plans of 6 months or longer come with a 45-day money-back guarantee, against 14 days on the monthly plan. The app needs Windows 10 or later, has an automatic kill switch and turns IPv6 off to prevent leaks.

It is also the most basic app of the six, for four reasons.

• Split tunneling excludes websites only, never a whole program.
• CyberGhost documents no obfuscation, multi-hop or post-quantum encryption.
• A plan covers 7 devices, the fewest among the picks.
• The apps are closed source.

You pay $61.32 for the first 28 months and the same $61.32 for each year after that. Add-ons cost extra: a Security Suite for Windows starts at $4.50 a month and a dedicated IP at $5 a month. CyberGhost lists more than 9,000 servers in 100 countries.

Surfshark

Surfshark suits a PC where you want fine control over what skips the VPN. Its Bypasser on Windows has two modes. One leaves out the programs, websites or IP addresses you pick, and the other sends only the programs you choose through the VPN. The kill switch has soft and strict modes, and WireGuard comes with post-quantum protection by default.

One account covers unlimited devices, so a household’s PCs, phones and TVs all fit on one plan. The 7-day trial for new users runs on the 12-month and 24-month plans. It needs a card, PayPal or Apple Pay and turns into a paid plan unless you cancel.

SecuRing tested the Windows app along with Surfshark’s other apps in 2025, but no app is open source. Surfshark does not say what Starter renews at, and its $18.95 monthly plan costs the most among the picks that publish one. Its own protocol, Dausos, was only in the macOS app when we checked. The help center also says Surfshark does not support IPv6 and suggests turning IPv6 off on your device.

What to avoid

• An old or unofficial copy of the app. The remote-desktop leak at ExpressVPN sat in some older versions of its Windows app until an update fixed it. Download from the provider’s own website and install updates when the app offers them.
• IPv6 left unchecked. ExpressVPN, PIA and CyberGhost block IPv6 while you are connected, and Proton VPN sends it through the tunnel. NordVPN does not support IPv6 yet and Surfshark advises turning it off, so run our IPv6 leak test with either one.
• Excluding more than you need. Every program or site you leave out of the tunnel uses your real IP address, which the sites you visit and your internet provider can see. Exclude only what will not work through the VPN.
• Free VPN apps from unknown developers. Proton VPN, hide.me, Windscribe and PrivadoVPN offer free plans and state their limits on their own pages, so start with one of them if a paid plan is out of reach.
• Paying for two years on the first-term price alone. NordVPN’s Basic plan costs more than three times as much per month after the first 27 months, and Surfshark does not state its renewal at all. Check the chart above before you pay up front.

Setup notes

1. Download the Windows app from the provider’s own website, install it and sign in with your account.
2. Choose the modern protocol: Lightway at ExpressVPN, NordLynx at NordVPN and WireGuard at the other picks. If a network blocks it, switch to Stealth at Proton VPN, NordWhisper at NordVPN, the obfuscated servers at Surfshark or the obfuscation setting at PIA.
3. Turn on the kill switch in the settings, unless you use ExpressVPN, where it is already on.
4. Add the programs that refuse VPN connections to split tunneling. At CyberGhost you can add websites only, and at Proton VPN the feature needs a paid plan.
5. For a torrent client or a game server, turn on port forwarding at PIA or Proton VPN, the only picks that offer it.
6. Check the connection with our VPN check and WebRTC leak test, and test again after big app or Windows updates.

Every pick also has apps for Android and iOS, so the same subscription can cover your phone. Our Android and iPhone guides explain what changes on those systems.

How we chose

Of the 12 providers we track, we kept those whose official pages document a kill switch and split tunneling in the Windows app. PrivadoVPN was the only one to drop out, because it confirms split tunneling on Fire TV, Android and iOS but not on Windows. Among the rest, we took the six with the highest overall scores, in score order, and the criteria above settle close calls.

Five other providers met the same bar. Their scores sit below the picks, mostly for reasons that apply on any device.

• hide.me has a firewall kill switch that is on by default and port forwarding in its desktop app. Its last no-logs audit was in 2024, and only its Linux client is open source.
• Windscribe keeps its desktop Firewall on at all times and publishes its app code. It has no published no-logs audit, though, and refunds within 7 days only.
• IPVanish splits traffic by program and by domain on Windows. Under a previous owner in 2016, it gave US investigators a user’s details despite a no-logs promise.
• IVPN has open-source apps and a firewall that can start with Windows. Its Standard and Plus plans cover only 5 devices, and its phone apps document no kill switch.
• Mullvad has an open-source app whose kill switch cannot be turned off, for a flat €5 a month. It allows only 5 devices, refunds within 14 days and has servers in 50 countries.

Mullvad and IVPN remain picks on our privacy page. Under our published methodology, apps make up 10 percent of a provider’s score and security another 15 percent.

We read each pick’s Windows download page on 12 November 2026. The prices come from the providers’ pricing pages as checked on 8 November 2026. We have not run our own speed or streaming tests on these Windows apps yet, so every feature on this page is what the provider documents.