The 3 Best VPNs For Windows PCs - Spring 2025

Mullvad is the best VPN for PCs we've tested. The service is widely recognized for its robust privacy standards, transparency, and strong commitment to digital rights. One of Mullvad's unique privacy features is its registration process, which assigns you a random account number as your only login identifier. This is a more secure practice because it prevents Mullvad from storing personal information, significantly reducing risk in the event of a data breach. Several private payment methods are available, including cryptocurrencies and cash. Pricing is also refreshingly straightforward: a flat rate of €5 (approximately $5 USD) per month, regardless of how long you subscribe for.

Its Windows application is intuitive and widely configurable, supporting both Windows 10 and 11. If you're running an older version of Windows, you can use the WireGuard or OpenVPN app to connect to Mullvad's servers. Mullvad performs as expected, keeping your IP address and DNS queries encrypted within the VPN tunnel. It also consistently delivers impressive speeds and minimal latency, ensuring snappy downloads and stable video calls. It touts additional useful features like obfuscation, which can help bypass censorship that blocks VPN access, and DAITA (Defense Against AI-Guided Traffic Analysis), designed to obscure identifiable patterns within your encrypted traffic.

One of Mullvad's biggest cons is its lack of support for port forwarding, which could be a dealbreaker if you can't live without that functionality. Lastly, its flat-rate pricing is a great deal if you pay month-to-month; however, if you plan on subscribing for longer stretches, other services offering discounts for yearlong or multi-year subscriptions could save you money in the long run.

Proton VPN is your next best option if you need even more features than our top pick. Like Mullvad, this VPN is generally well-regarded for its privacy policies and transparency. It also includes some nice-to-have features compared to our top choice. The easy-to-use PC client supports Windows 7 to Windows 11, so you're even covered if you have an older computer. You can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously, compared to Mullvad's five. It also has servers in over 100 countries, which is handy since you can connect to a server closer to you to improve the connection quality. Additionally, Proton supports port forwarding, a vital feature if you need to host game servers or peer-to-peer (P2P) applications. Like Mullvad, Proton includes obfuscation to help disguise your connection to avoid censorship, an adblocker, and a 'secure-core' feature, which routes your traffic through Proton's 'secure' servers before connecting to your chosen country server.

That said, Proton VPN still isn't perfect. It has sub-par latency, so your connection might feel laggy, especially during latency-sensitive activities like gaming or even video calls. Price-wise, Proton VPN is significantly more expensive than Mullvad if you pay monthly, though it becomes slightly cheaper if you commit to a one- or two-year plan. Proton is a good choice if you need those extra features, but if you don't or are unsure, sticking with Mullvad is the better bet.

Hotspot Shield Free is the best free VPN for Windows we've tested. You can download the client directly from their website and start using it immediately without creating an account. It supports Windows 7 and newer versions. This means your IP address isn't associated with any account data when you download or use the software. It also has no data limit and delivers decent speeds using the WireGuard protocol, though these speeds are capped at around 100Mbps. You can technically connect to the VPN on an unlimited number of devices since it doesn't identify you or your devices through a login. Unfortunately, it lacks the transparency and approach to digital rights found in our top picks and has a somewhat confusing corporate ownership structure that's a little disconcerting. If you don't care and need a free VPN that just works, it's a good choice.

If you're okay with a monthly data limit and prioritize a VPN provider's privacy reputation and transparency, Windscribe Free is the better option. It's a privately owned, independent VPN service with an active community and generally positive feedback. Additionally, Windscribe offers access to servers in 10 countries—more than Hotspot Shield Free's three. Creating an account with your email address grants you 10GB of monthly data; using just a username provides you with 2GB per month.