Which VPN is fastest?

Not a question anyone can answer for you honestly — because most of the difference comes from your line and your distance to the server, not from the logo on the app.

Why we do not publish a league table

Most “fastest VPN” pages rank providers from a handful of tests run on one connection, in one place, on one day. That number cannot tell you what you will get, because the three things that dominate VPN speed are all local to you: how fast your line is, how far you are from the server you connect to, and how busy that server is at the moment you use it.

We will rank providers when we have a documented testing method we can stand behind and publish. Until then, the useful thing is to measure your own connection — which takes about two minutes and gives you a figure that is actually about you.

What actually decides VPN speed

  1. Distance to the server. The single biggest factor. A server in the next city costs you very little; one on another continent costs you a great deal, every request and every reply.
  2. Protocol. Newer protocols are substantially lighter than older ones. Some apps still default to an older one for compatibility, and switching is free.
  3. Server load. A popular server at 9pm behaves differently from the same server at 11am.
  4. Your own line. A VPN cannot make your connection faster than it is without one. If the underlying broadband is the constraint, changing VPN changes nothing — the speed test will tell you which situation you are in.

Notice that three of those four are settings rather than purchases. That is why the free fixes come first here: most people who think they need a faster VPN need a nearer server.

How much loss is normal

Some loss is the VPN working, not failing. The bands the VPN speed test uses:

  • Up to about a quarter — minor, and roughly what a well-configured VPN costs.
  • A quarter to about 60% — noticeable. Usually a distant or busy server rather than the provider.
  • More than 60% — heavy. Something specific is responsible, and it is usually free to change.

Measure yours

The VPN speed test runs two measurements — one with the VPN off, one with it on — and tells you which band you are in and what to try. If the answer is that your provider is the constraint after all, that is worth knowing before you pay another one.

If you want the comparison to mean something, the fair testing guide covers what to hold constant. Most published VPN benchmarks do not.