Which VPN should you choose? Comparison for privacy-conscious users
Mullvad, ProtonVPN, IVPN and others compared honestly. Logging policy, jurisdiction, anonymous payments and WireGuard support.
Which VPN should you choose?
There are hundreds of VPN providers. Most are not interesting for people who are serious about privacy. This article compares the providers worth considering — honestly, without affiliate bias.
Read VPN: what it does and what it doesn’t first if you’re not sure what a VPN actually protects you from.
What to look for in a privacy VPN
No-logs policy — independently audited Every VPN claims to keep no logs. The question is: has that been verified by an independent auditor? Unaudited claims are worthless.
Jurisdiction Where is the company based? A provider in the US or UK can be compelled to hand over data under national law. Switzerland, Sweden and Iceland have stronger privacy legislation, but no jurisdiction is fully immune.
Anonymous payment Paying with a credit card links your identity to your VPN usage. Providers that accept cash, Monero or Bitcoin give you the option to stay genuinely anonymous.
Open-source client Is the app code public? Open-source software can be inspected — closed software cannot.
WireGuard support WireGuard is faster and simpler than OpenVPN and is the current standard for new implementations. Providers offering only OpenVPN are behind.
Ownership structure Kape Technologies owns ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and Private Internet Access. An investor with an adware history now owning multiple “privacy” VPN brands is a red flag.
The comparison
| Provider | Jurisdiction | Audited | Anonymous payment | Open-source | WireGuard | Price/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mullvad | Sweden | Yes | Cash, Monero, BTC | Yes | Yes | €5 |
| ProtonVPN | Switzerland | Yes | BTC, cash | Yes | Yes | €4–10 |
| IVPN | Gibraltar | Yes | Monero, BTC, cash | Yes | Yes | €6–10 |
| Windscribe | Canada | Partial | BTC | Partial | Yes | €5–9 |
| NordVPN | Panama | Yes | Crypto | No | Yes (NordLynx) | €3–5 |
| ExpressVPN | BVI (Kape) | Yes | Crypto | No | Yes (Lightway) | €8–13 |
| Surfshark | Netherlands/BVI | Yes | Crypto | No | Yes | €2–5 |
Per provider
Mullvad — best choice for anonymity
Mullvad works with numbers instead of accounts. You create an account without an email address, username or any personal details. You receive a randomly generated account number.
You can pay with cash by post (literally send banknotes to Sweden), Monero, Bitcoin or credit card. The credit card option is available but links your identity to your account.
The pricing model is simple: one rate, no discounts for longer subscriptions, no tricks. €5 per month.
Independent audits by Cure53 (2020, 2021) and KPMG (2022, 2023) confirm the no-logs policy.
Choose Mullvad if: anonymity is the priority and you’re willing to configure the app yourself.
ProtonVPN — best choice for balance
ProtonVPN comes from the team behind ProtonMail, based in Switzerland. They have a free tier — the only free VPN on this list worth taking seriously. Paid versions add Secure Core (traffic routes through an extra server in a privacy-friendly country) and Tor-over-VPN.
Open-source apps for all platforms, multiple independent audits.
The organisational structure is more complex than Mullvad — they are more commercial and offer subscription discounts for longer periods.
Choose ProtonVPN if: you also use ProtonMail (combine accounts), want a free option to test, or want Tor-over-VPN and Secure Core.
IVPN — maximum privacy control
IVPN is less well known but has one of the strongest privacy positions in the market. No email address required, payment in Monero, BTC or cash. Multi-hop available as standard (traffic via two servers in two countries).
More expensive than Mullvad and ProtonVPN, but offers more control for those who need it.
Choose IVPN if: you want the maximum from a VPN and multi-hop and Monero payment are priorities.
NordVPN — for mainstream use
NordVPN is a solid choice for people who want a user-friendly VPN without diving into technical details. Audited, WireGuard-based (NordLynx), large server network.
The ownership structure is more transparent than Kape brands, but the app is closed source. Ideal for people who want to install a VPN and forget about it.
Choose NordVPN if: ease of use and price are priorities and you don’t need anonymous payment.
ExpressVPN and Surfshark — not recommended for privacy-conscious users
ExpressVPN is owned by Kape Technologies, a company that previously distributed adware. High price for what you get.
Surfshark is cheap and suitable for unlocking geo-restricted content, but not the choice if privacy is the priority.
VP.NET — one to watch (new, June 2025)
VP.NET was founded by Andrew Lee — the original founder of PIA (Private Internet Access), who left after PIA was acquired by Kape Technologies.
The technology is different from every other VPN provider: VP.NET uses Intel SGX secure enclaves — isolated, encrypted memory regions on the server that are inaccessible to the operating system, the hypervisor, and even server administrators. The enclave runs a cryptographic mixer that maps your identity to temporary session IDs. The enclave code is public on GitHub — you can verify yourself that the code running matches what was published.
The philosophy: “don’t trust, verify” — privacy by technical design, not policy promises.
Caveats:
- Launched June 2025 — too new for an independent audit track record
- Intel SGX has had vulnerabilities in the past (Spectre-class attacks) — the security model is only as good as Intel’s enclave implementation
- No proven track record at scale
Conclusion: Technically the most interesting new VPN design in years. Not enough history yet to recommend as a first choice — but worth following. If the audit track record builds up, this could change the standard.
What to avoid
Free VPN services (except ProtonVPN free tier) If you’re not paying, you’re the product. Free VPN services need revenue. That revenue comes from your data: traffic analysis, behavioural profiling, or sale to advertising networks. Some are outright malware.
VPN rankings on affiliate sites Search for “best VPN 2026”? The results are almost always based on affiliate commissions, not independent research. Sites like BestVPN and similar earn up to €100 per referred subscription.
VPN as the only privacy measure A VPN changes who sees your internet traffic — from your provider to the VPN provider. It doesn’t protect against tracking cookies, browser fingerprinting, data breaches at services you use, or malware. It’s one layer, not a complete solution.
VPN on router vs. per device
If you have a GL.iNet router, you can set up VPN at router level. All devices on your network automatically go through VPN — including devices that don’t support their own VPN app (smart TV, games console, IoT).
Advantage: one setting, everything protected. Disadvantage: slightly lower speed due to router-level encryption, and it’s harder to toggle per device.
See the GL.iNet setup guide for step-by-step WireGuard configuration on router.
Summary
| Priority | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Maximum anonymity | Mullvad — numbered account, cash/Monero payment |
| Privacy + features balance | ProtonVPN — Swiss, Secure Core, free tier |
| Maximum control | IVPN — multi-hop, Monero, no account required |
| Ease of use and price | NordVPN — user-friendly, audited |
| Avoid | ExpressVPN (Kape), free VPN services |
See also:
- VPN: what it does and what it doesn’t — VPN limitations explained
- Setting up a GL.iNet travel router — configure VPN at router level
- Which network setup fits your threat profile? — VPN in context of your total network security
- Mullvad VPN review — most recommended VPN
- ProtonVPN review — Swiss privacy
- IVPN review — multi-hop by default