With a massive community known for robust conversations and a culture suspicious of self-promotion, Reddit is a gold mine of information when researching products and services.
So, when it comes to uncovering the truth about VPNs and which providers you can trust, who better to ask than Redditors?
After all, they’re some of the most ruthless and brutally honest critics on the Internet.
We’ve scoured the best VPN subreddits to see which services they recommend -- and which ones you should avoid. The following VPNs receive excellent marks from Redditors and will help you pick in confidence without the hassle of jumping between subreddits, scrolling through endless lists of comments, or separating the paid reviews from the real ones.
We've done the research, so you don't have to!
Mullvad
Best VPN for Power Users, Best VPN According to Reddit
With random account generation, cryptocurrency support, and a near-endless list of features available, Mullvad is hands-down Reddit's favorite choice for VPN services with an emphasis on anonymity. While it might not be the most beginner-friendly service out there, support is great according to reviews. So if you're worried, give it a one-month test run and see for yourself!
What's good
- Cash and crypto payment options
- Blowfish and AES-256 support
- WireGuard support
- Minimal logging
- Port forwarding support
- P2P support
What's bad
- 3-hour free trial
- Limited server selection compared to the competition
- Long term prices higher than most competitors
- Slower than many competing services
ExpressVPN
Fastest VPN According to Reddit
Redditors agree that when it comes to speedy transfers, ExpressVPN lives up its name. Whether you're streaming video or sharing files, you'll find stable connections and quick downloads with ExpressVPN.
What's good
- Fast performance
- Zero-log policy
- Intuitive UI
- Many layers of security to protect your identity while browsing the web
What's bad
- Higher price
- Only 8 simultaneous connections
NordVPN
Best VPN for Netflix and Hulu According to Reddit
Streaming video requires snappy connections. Unlocking all the different video collections around the world requires a nice selection of servers in multiple locations and features which help to disguise your VPN use. NordVPN offers both and it works near-seamlessly, making it a favorite for Redditors looking to watch shows and movies from abroad or catch their favorites from home while travelling the world.
What's good
- Huge server selection
- SmartPlay streaming
- Multiple security options
- Apps for PC, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
- User-friendly interface
- Affordable multi-year pricing
- Automatic kill switch
- Zero log policy
- P2P support
- Based in Panama
What's bad
- No phone support
- Abundance of options might feel confusing
- So-so monthly pricing
- Slow email support
Windscribe
Best Free VPN According to Reddit
With 10GB of use available every month, Windscribe free tier lets you can watch videos, download emails, and browse the web with confidence. Redditors note that while 10GB probably won't offer much for HD or UHD video fans, it's more than enough for those occasional workdays at the coffee shop or streaming music while on the go.
What's good
- Free 10GB plan
- Plenty of features and customization options
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- P2P servers
- Malware and phishing protection
What's bad
- Average performance
- No live chat or direct email support
- Located in Canada (part of the Five Eyes surveillance program)
ProtonVPN
Best Alternative Free VPN According Reddit
If speed isn't the biggest concern or you don't have multiple devices you need to connect at the same time, ProtonVPN's free tier is a favorite at Reddit because it offers unlimited free VPN use for a single device. It throttles your speeds, so it might not be great for streaming HD video and it doesn't support filesharing or unlocking video content in other regions, but if you're looking to add some peace of mind to your public Wi-Fi use or need something for those questionable hotel Wi-Fi networks, ProtonVPN is a solid option
What's good
- Superb privacy
- Good performance
- Secure OpenVPN protocol
- P2P and TOR support
- Excellent free plan
What's bad
- Tiered pricing
- Limited server locations
CyberGhost
Best Basic VPN According to Reddit
If you're looking for a simple solution, Redditors think that CyberGhost's easy-to-use app makes it an excellent VPN option. You get plenty of features -- including P2P support and region unlocking -- but with a simple interface that configures many of the settings for you. Just tell the app what you want to do and connect!
What's good
- Pricing
- Simple to use
- Minimal logging
- 7 simultaneous devices
- Bitcoin payments
- Torrenting support
- Regional stream unlocking
What's bad
- Short trial period
- So-so speeds
- Limited chat support hours
- Slow to connect to servers
While we feel these picks from Reddit offer a great experience to a wide range of people, there's not a single pick that will be perfect for everyone.
Many VPN services offer free trials. It’s easy to sign-up for a free account and see how it performs for you.
To get a real idea of what to expect, we recommend using each trial for a few hours.
Try a few different servers and run through the things you’d do often -- such as streaming video, checking email, or using your filesharing platform of choice -- to be sure there are no surprises once you commit to a provider.
We gather what experts across the Internet have to say about the best VPN services out there and provide quick summaries without the complicated tech-speak, marketing hype, or the need to jump between an endless list of tabs. While these Reddit picks should be of high quality, every service has servers that perform better than others and no service is perfect.
They all have weak and strong points.
Explore a little to know how the different options compare.
We offer additional considerations and explanations of common VPN-related terms in our VPN Buyer's Guide.
And, if you’d like to explore options not included in this roundup, our VPN comparison tool lets you filter top VPN services by features, price, and more and compare them side-by-side in a few clicks.
How We Picked
The picks in this buyer's guide are what we think are the best VPNs for streaming for most people.
We selected these models based on analysis of expert reviews from around the web, forum comments on our site, social media discussions, and more.
We compared the things most people consider when purchasing a VPN.
In short, we did the research — so you don’t have to.
When answering the question, “What’s the best VPN according to Reddit?”, we considered the following primary criteria:
Snappy Speeds
If people complained of frequent slowdowns or disconnections, the provider was disqualified. The picks in this collection offer plenty of bandwidth for HD streaming, working from home, playing games, and more according to a wide range of Redditors.
Easy to Use
VPNs shouldn't be confusing or intimidating. While some of these picks offer advanced options if you'd like to use them, all of them are accessible and intuitive. More to the point, Redditors commended them for various elements of their operation -- be that software, features, installation, or account setup.
Solid Reviews
If there's one group of people that have no problem letting you know when they find something they don't like about a service, it's the regulars at Reddit. We scoured reviews for each of our picks to be sure that you won’t find flakey servers, slow connections, questionable support, or false promises.