NordVPN review scores

NordVPN price plans

• Prices start from $3.49/month with NordVPN Basic.
• Complete offers the best value balance of features and price.
• Auto-renewal fees are eye-watering – remember to opt out.

NordVPN has changed some of its plans and their respective prices in recent months. It’s removed the Plus tier and now offers three tiers instead of four: Basic, Complete, and Prime.

While all countries offer Basic and Complete plans, top-tier plans vary by country: in the US it's Prime, in Canada it’s Ultra, and in the UK it’s known as Ultimate Max. For this review, we're primarily focusing on the US plans.

Still, one constant is that you can secure up to 10 devices simultaneously – matching ExpressVPN and Proton VPN.

NordVPN’s current pricing puts it at the premium end. It’s particularly expensive when comparing its one-month subscription plans. While its entry-level Basic plan is $14.99/month – the same as ExpressVPN – the latter’s mid- and top-tier equivalents are significantly cheaper.

There’s little reason to choose NordVPN if you want the flexibility of a short-term plan. Only Surfshark’s base tier is more expensive at $18.95.

You’re better off considering Proton Plus at $9.99/month, or PIA for $11.99/month. Let’s not forget Mullvad either, which, at €5 a month (roughly $5.60 at the time of writing), is a steal - three months of Mullvad is almost the same price as one month of NordVPN Basic.

Where NordVPN gets more competitive is with its one- and two-year subscriptions. This is where the steep discounts kick in, though you’ll need to pay the full amount upfront.

One-year prices of $4.99, $5.99, and $8.99/month are on par with ExpressVPN and Proton VPN. However, Surfshark has the edge, offering plans from just $2.99 a month.

Two-year plans deliver the biggest savings. NordVPN’s prices of $3.49, $3.99, and $6.99/month put it below those of ExpressVPN. Proton VPN is similarly priced, but Surfshark is cheaper, starting at $2.19/month.

When you total the yearly cost, the numbers won’t add up – that’s because you’re getting three extra months included too. Also note that the prices quoted are pre-tax, and the final bill will increase based on your country’s sales tax.

There isn’t too much of a gulf between the total price you pay for NordVPN’s Basic and Complete plans, at least not initially. Upgrading from Basic to Complete costs just $1.00/month more on the annual plan, or $0.50/month more over two years.

This represents solid value considering it adds Nord’s next-gen antivirus, call, email, and message protection, a password manager, and cloud storage.

The bigger price jump is between Complete and Prime – $45 upfront for the annual term, or $81 for the two-year plan, for advanced identity protection via Coveron. That’s an extra $3/month either way, though it won’t be worth it if you’re outside the US since Coveron’s identity protection is US-only.

We then have to consider NordVPN’s auto-renewal prices which are significant to say the least. Take NordVPN’s Complete plan over two years, for example. That’s just $107.73 for the initial two-year term, but it rises a staggering 358% on renewal to $438.86.

You’re not just paying more later, either – you’re also getting fewer months. The initial term throws in three extra months so your lump sum stretches over 27 months; the renewal charges full price for just 24.

If anything, this is a reminder to make sure you turn off auto-renewal upon signup to prevent any nasty surprises further down the line. And if you want the best NordVPN deal, you’ll likely find the deepest discounts during major sales events like Black Friday.

Price and plans score: 8/10

Features: What can NordVPN do?

• NordVPN Basic and Plus plans are the same across the world.
• Full NordProtect cyber-insurance only available in the US.
• NordPass password manager included with all plans apart from Basic.

NordVPN Basic

The Basic plan from NordVPN does exactly what the name suggests. The main feature is the VPN product itself and not too much more. It's the same full VPN software as available on all NordVPN plans.

NordVPN Plus

The Plus plan is my favorite NordVPN plan. Available in any region, it strikes a good balance between value and power by incorporating what I think are NordVPN’s most essential tools and features.

Most notably, you’re given Next Gen Antivirus. This adds malware protection via file scanning, ad-blocking capabilities (including tracker blocking), and measures to protect against phishing and other malicious websites.

Unfortunately, these improvements can only be seen on NordVPN’s desktop apps, which is great if your home PC is the device you’re most concerned about, but leaves you short-changed across all of your mobile devices.

This is especially unfortunate since Surfshark, for example, offers its complete protective toolkit for mobile too – including antivirus on Android, which NordVPN doesn’t have whatsoever.

Something included across almost any device, however, is NordPass. We rate NordPass as the best password manager available right now, so getting it thrown in alongside your VPN package is some serious value.

It’s compatible across all major desktop operating systems, as well as popular web browsers such as Chrome, Brave, Firefox, Edge, and Opera, and of course, iOS and Android mobile devices.

NordPass encrypts your passwords using XChaCha20 but also secures password generation, passkey support, and easy synchronization of data between platforms, so you’re never stuck without the details you need.

What's more, you can use NordPass' data breach scanning – which is traditionally kept for premium NordPass plans. That said, we found it only worked through the NordVPN app, which could be confusing if you're using it alongside NordPass.

NordVPN Complete

Entering the upper echelons of NordVPN is where things get complex since, as mentioned, no one country gets the same premium plans. For the moment, we’ll stick with what the US gets.

NordVPN Complete adds two features to the spread offered by a Plus Plan: firstly, 1 TB of end-to-end encrypted storage. For an extra dollar a month, that may initially seem to be a great deal, but first, consider whether the added storage is actually going to be used.

If, like me, you’ve already pushed the limits of your free storage allowances on systems like Google and iCloud, then maybe it will, but will the added storage outweigh the convenience these services offer? The value for money for that 1 TB of storage is good, but, if you won’t use it, why pay more?

In terms of the value, it’s definitely worth mentioning that among the top VPN providers, only Proton VPN currently offers encrypted storage with any of its packages.

Though to get 500 GB of storage with Proton, you pay $3 per month more than you’d pay for a NordVPN Complete plan. And that makes NordVPN Complete comparatively better value if storage with your VPN is a priority.

Next up is Scam Call Protection. This is NordVPN's latest feature addition, offering potential scam detection, caller identification, and caller categorization (such as telemarketers). For now, this is an Android-only feature, NordVPN has confirmed it's planning to bring the functionality to iPhone users soon.

NordVPN Prime

Prime only brings one new thing to the party, though this time it’s a biggie – NordProtect.

NordProtect is an all-in-one package aimed at protecting your identity at all costs. Firstly, Dark Web Monitoring searches for your social security number, phone number, and email on the dark web 24/7, with immediate notifications should anything be found.

Your credit card also gets similar protection. 1-Bureau credit monitoring notifies you about changes, including inquiries into your credit file, new accounts, and unauthorized use. You can also make use of VantageScore credit scoring, should you wish for insights into how to improve your credit.

TransUnion, the company behind VantageScore, also provides credit freeze assistance as part of NordProtect. This not only helps to prevent credit card fraud, but also ensures your credit score isn’t impacted if you fall victim to it.

If that wasn’t enough, you’re also provided with identity theft insurance up to $1M in coverage, and cyber extortion insurance up to $100K in coverage.

All this protection does come at a hefty cost, however, as Prime Plans start from $6.99 per month on the two-year plan.

That takes your total payment to $50 more than Complete, and your cost on renewal rises to around $340 before tax. So, make sure you really need NordProtect before signing up.

A surprising omission from almost all NordVPN plans worldwide is Incogni. Developed by Nord Security, NordVPN and Surfshark’s parent company, Incogni is a data removal tool that removes your personal information from company databases and people search sites, helping reduce the risk of scams, fraud, and identity theft.

Only Canada’s Ultra plan includes Incogni. Though, much like the US Prime plan, you’ll be forking out a fair sum for it, with prices starting from CA$8.19 per month.

If there’s one constant piece of advice we can give about picking a NordVPN plan, it’s this: know what you want. They all offer value, but only if you actually use the features you're buying.

Score: 10/10

Server network and locations

• Most countries covered of any tested VPN (150).
• Most locations overall with 225
• Approximately 8,000-strong network of RAM-only servers.

NordVPN offers the largest selection of server locations of any VPN we test. Nobody beats NordVPN's 225 locations, while only Proton VPN's 149 countries come close to NordVPN's chart-topping 150

The spread of these locations also earns it top marks. 77 locations in North America is the most of any VPN, 54 locations in Europe are only usurped by NymVPN, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN, and 30 locations in Africa are only topped by Proton’s 33.

NordVPN also remains top for locations in South America and Oceania, while its 43 Asian locations keep it second to Proton VPN's 51.

The provider offers around 79 virtual locations in regions where physical servers are not possible. This is perfect if you're travelling to regions with tight internet restrictions and require a stable, secure connection. However, you can't see in-app which locations are virtual when on Windows, which is unfortunate.

Much like other top VPNs, NordVPN’s network runs on RAM-only servers. This is now reasonably standard practice, since RAM-only servers not only ensure no user data is accidentally stored (since they wipe on reboot) but they are also more efficient in terms of speed, latency, and power consumption.

This ensures the servers are capable of handling NordVPN’s various server uses, be that P2P, multi-hop, or Meshnet, without noticeable drops in performance.

Handily, NordVPN also recently made all of its servers P2P compatible. That means you no longer need to select a dedicated P2P server from the dedicated 'Speciality Servers' list, instead, you can use whichever NordVPN server works best for your needs.

Earlier in 2025, NordVPN threw a challenge to the VPN industry, claiming that the exact number of servers across its locations isn’t important. This means we no longer have a precise figure to use to compare NordVPN with its competitors.

Surfshark, a VPN also owned by Nord Security, uses around 4,500 servers currently, while Proton VPN uses over 15,000. Our latest research suggests NordVPN's figure is somewhere over 8,000 servers, which is above average, but by no means the most.

Realistically, however, we rarely see VPN servers reach absolute maximum load, and, frankly, with the spread of locations NordVPN has, you'll never be short of another place to connect to. There's really nothing we can complain about here, loads of locations, RAM-only servers, top marks!

Score: 10/10

Privacy

• Strong, privacy-focused protocol choices – NordLynx and NordWhisper
• Double VPN and Onion over VPN boost privacy and anonymity
• Tapjacking protection is a handy bonus for Android users

NordVPN’s privacy is founded on its no-logs policy. Not only is the policy in depth, but it has been audited six times, most recently by Deloitte at the end of 2025.

That depth doesn't make for good casual reading but it does successfully cover every important topic, and in enough detail that we’re comfortable with saying that nothing is amiss.

The closest NordVPN comes to recording data is its enforcement of the 10 device limit. As it explains, username and timestamp information is “used to limit the amount of concurrent active user sessions and is automatically deleted within 15 minutes after a session is terminated”.

In-app, NordVPN’s primary privacy focal point is its NordWhisper protocol.

Introduced in January 2025, the protocol is based on the Tor Project’s WebTunnel technology. It wraps your encrypted VPN traffic in a standard HTTPS connection to hide it from detection. This disguises it as standard web traffic and makes NordWhisper especially effective in regions of high internet censorship and places where people found to be using VPNs can be punished.

For everyday connectivity, you’re not short of options either. OpenVPN is available in both its TCP and UDP forms. The former provides a more stable, reliable connection for emailing, browsing, and the like. The latter is more focused towards speed for gaming, streaming, or similar.

Alongside this, you also get NordVPN’s other proprietary protocol, NordLynx. NordLynx uses a ‘double NAT’ system to remove privacy vulnerabilities you’d be at risk of by using traditional WireGuard.

By combining double NAT technology and WireGuard, NordLynx allows you to experience the speed benefits of WireGuard, without any identifiable information being stored, even temporarily, in a server.

NordLynx is also NordVPN’s first post-quantum encrypted VPN protocol. It ensures that your data remains secure even once quantum computing arrives with its enormous boost in code-cracking, number crunching power.

NordVPN has chosen to use ML-KEM, an approved quantum-resistant cryptographic standard, with NordLynx.

NordVPN’s use of RAM-only servers helps too. Since RAM-only servers don’t store any data permanently. That means you’re never at risk of being personally identifiable should Nord’s servers be seized, since there’s no data to be found.

Connecting to NordVPN offers several privacy-centric options. Double VPN works as the name suggests, routing your connection through two VPN servers rather than one. In other words, your data is encrypted twice.

That makes your connection twice as difficult for cybercriminals to crack, your IP address is further protected (since the second server doesn’t have any information about it), and your ISP knows nothing about where you end up on the web.

This makes Double VPN perfect for those needing greater protection in regions where governments attempt to intercept messages or surveil online activities.

NordVPN currently offers 12 Double VPN locations, including 2 locations in the US and Canada. This is far fewer than the likes of Proton VPN and Surfshark.

Proton VPN offers 64 locations that utilize its Secure Core technology, while Surfshark’s Nexus network allows you to make any two server connections you want from its entire server network.

Another option for concealing your VPN connection is NordVPN’s obfuscated servers. These servers now use NordVPN's NordWhisper protocol in addition to extra protections to ensure your VPN connection isn't detected. The shift to using NordWhisper also means you can now connect to obfuscated servers in almost all of NordVPN's locations.

If you’re looking to access the darker corners of the web securely, NordVPN also offers Onion Over VPN connections. Available via its Amsterdam, Stockholm, and Zurich server locations. This connection routes your traffic through both a VPN server and the Tor Network.

As a result, since the Tor Network’s servers are volunteer-operated, you are secured by a VPN before entering it in case a bad actor has planted servers intent on tracking your online activity and stealing your data. This added security when using Tor is something only offered by a few top VPNs, the most notable of which are NordVPN and Proton VPN.

Depending on the platform you’re using, NordVPN also offers several handy privacy settings you can use to further affirm your privacy. Android users get arguably the biggest spread. Notably, NordVPN’s ‘Tapjacking protection’ is something you won’t find on any other NordVPN platform, or offered by any other VPN for that matter.

The system aims to protect users against malicious overlays and is as simple to use as toggling on and forgetting about it. Having had the protection turned on for a matter of months now, I can comfortably say I've never found an instance where an overlay has slipped through the net, and I've never noticed it adding unwanted strain to my phone’s performance either.

Score: 10/10

Security

• Strong encryption and post-quantum encryption standards already live.
• Next Gen Antivirus performs well against malware and phishing sites
• Lots of options for granular security customization.

NordVPN’s security is top-notch.

We tested its claims of strong AES-256-GCM encryption on OpenVPN using a 4096-bit Diffie-Hellman key, and we saw exactly that. Our tests registered AES-256-GCM-SHA384 encryption with 4096-bit certification using TLS 1.3. This makes NordVPN’s OpenVPN protocol as secure as possible, ensuring you needn’t worry about your connection, no matter your location.

On NordLynx, you’re similarly protected. Since the protocol is based on WireGuard, it uses the same ChaCha20 encryption you’d expect to see, using Poly1305 for authentication. This means you’re using the latest and greatest encryption capabilities across both of NordVPN’s primary protocols.

Post-quantum encryption has also already reached NordVPN. While providers such as Proton VPN and Surfshark are yet to implement it or are in the early stages, NordLynx is already post-quantum ready, with the future-proof encryption method available at the switch of a toggle.

While that might seem superfluous right now, it's a key differentiator given the existence of harvest now, decrypt later attacks.

OpenVPN and NordWhisper aren’t post-quantum-equipped quite yet. It's worth knowing that if you turn on post-quantum encryption, it'll turn itself off if your automatically selected protocol isn't NordLynx. This can be fixed in a matter of clicks by turning automatic protocol choosing off, instead selecting to always use NordLynx

You also won’t be post-quantum-protected when using Meshnet or NordVPN’s obfuscated server connection; the same goes if you add a dedicated IP to your plan.

If you’ve turned on post-quantum encryption before using Meshnet, beware that this automatically turns Meshnet off, making you choose between your secure local network and a super-secure VPN connection.

NordVPN also, of course, a more standard suite or security options in place.

Auto-connect jumps straight to mind, since you can fully customize exactly when and how NordVPN auto-connects you to a server.

It covers both the server type, and the instances in which it connects. This includes options for Double VPN, Obfuscated, Onion-Over, and P2P servers, and connecting when on Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or mobile networks. You can even create lists of trusted networks that are excluded from auto-connect parameters.

I use this kind of customization to make sure that I'm always protected and I particularly like it to my ensure my connection on-the-go.

If you want to continue the granular levels of security tailoring, you can also control the DNS server address you connect to, your visibility over LAN, and, on desktops, whether your computer can still be accessed remotely when connected. It’s worth noting, with LAN invisibility especially, toggling these settings can impact performance.

For example, with LAN invisibility turned on, iPhone, iPad, and Mac users won’t be able to use AirDrop. You may also experience significant performance impacts due to how Apple integrates the relevant API parameters in its hardware. If you want to know more, NordVPN released a complete breakdown you can read here.

Something that continues to impress is NordVPN’s kill switch. It's often the downfall of less secure VPN providers. In our security testing, a kill switch is key to ensuring your connection is never inadvertently exposed to bad actors, governments and the like.

We tried to break NordVPN’s kill switch in various ways, including uninstalling NordVPN’s network adapter driver while connected. Not only did NordVPN disconnect us successfully without any IP leaks, but it recognized the issue, reinstalled and activated the driver, and reconnected us, all within seconds.

If we could wish for one thing to improve NordVPN’s kill switch, it would be moving away from the native kill switch system on Android devices.

Across all platforms aside from Android, you can turn the kill switch on and off as you please. On Android, the native kill switch forces you to use the VPN at all times and disconnects you completely from the internet should the connection fail.

While this is super-secure, it’s frustrating should you only require a VPN connection in certain situations.

Something we’ll cover in more depth in the compatibility section is NordVPN’s feature parity across platforms. Split tunneling, another of NordVPN’s security capabilities, is a notable victim of some of NordVPN’s variations by device.

Windows users can create either a list of apps that must use the VPN or a list of apps that must not. Android users can only choose which apps won't use the VPN, and Mac and iOS users don’t get split tunneling at all – though this is reasonably common among VPNs owing to the security systems in place on Apple devices.

Our testing showed no reason to doubt NordVPN’s split tunneling capabilities, though it would be great to see its Android apps gain the same capabilities as Windows. Lacking the choice in this way puts NordVPN behind the likes of Surfshark and Proton VPN, which offer both choices on their Android apps.

We’ve mentioned NordWhisper already, but NordVPN also offers traditional obfuscated servers too. This is helpful since, at the time of writing, NordWhisper isn’t quite available on all platforms as yet – though Windows, Android, Linux, Mac, and iOS all have it already.

These servers, however, have one big problem: accessibility. Not only does NordVPN only offer obfuscated servers in 16 of its 127 countries, but also, depending on the app and protocol you’re using, you may not even see the option. NordVPN’s obfuscated servers only work over OpenVPN, which is understandable given the added security it brings, even if at a huge speed deficit, but if you’ve not manually selected OpenVPN as your protocol choice, your app may not show them.

Our testing on Apple devices showed the option simply doesn’t exist in the app unless you go into your settings and change to OpenVPN.

Windows and Android users don’t face the same issue. The option appears in the ‘Specialty Server’ section, no matter the protocol chosen, which makes much more sense and begs the question of why it isn’t this simple across all devices.

What’s more, the lack of locations means those in regions distant from a server will face even greater performance drops than you’d expect anyway from obfuscated servers.

Another feature lacking in locations is NordVPN’s Onion-over VPN capabilities, though in this instance, this is less of a problem since many providers don’t offer this at all. Onion-over VPN allows you to connect to sites on the Tor Network while secured by a VPN connection, something only offered by Proton VPN among other top VPN providers. In NordVPN’s case, it offers three countries to connect to: the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.

By comparison, Proton’s six locations include Sweden and Switzerland, but the additions of France, Germany, Hong Kong, and the US give the VPN provider not only wider EU coverage but broader coverage worldwide.

As with any VPN connection, reduced locations often mean worse speeds, either due to distance to the server or the load the server is under, and NordVPN’s Onion-over VPN servers prove no different.

Onion-over VPN connections (otherwise called Tor-over VPN) always require greater processing. That makes a dent on performance straight away, no matter the location, but the 741 Kbps download speeds we saw in testing demonstrate just how limited you can be, yes, that was Kbps by the way!

Finally, Double VPN. This is NordVPN’s version of a multi-hop connection, though its simpler than some competitor alternatives. This is because NordVPN doesn’t allow you to choose your entry and exit server, unlike Surfshark.

Even Proton, whose Secure Core Technology limits the choices you have, gives users a few choices. We won’t directly compare NordVPN and Surfshark here, since Surfshark’s Nexus technology gives users complete freedom to multi-hop between every Surfshark server, something no other VPN provider offers.

Outside of the VPN itself, NordVPN also offers Next Gen Antivirus. This works at a deeper level, protecting your desktop devices from phishing and malicious URLs, as well as ads and trackers. It can even scan for and block malicious downloads.

While this is nice, there are several downsides. Firstly, Next Gen Antivirus, oddly, isn’t actually an antivirus. It can’t scan files already on your computer for malware, nor can it remove them. Secondly, the full Next Gen Antivirus suite is only available on desktop devices, while mobile users only get Threat Protection.

That limitation puts NordVPN behind Surfshark here. Surfshark includes a full antivirus with its Surfshark One plan – and it works on mobile as well as desktop.

That said, you can hardly fault Next Gen Antivirus’s results.

We tested Next Gen Antivirus against 50 brand-new malware-hosting and phishing pages, and it was the top-performing software of anything similar we tested among VPNs. It blocked 92% of phishing sites and 80% of malware sites.

By comparison, Surfshark Antivirus achieved only 48% and 28% in these same tests, putting a stretch ahead.

While these results do impress when compared to VPNs, a dedicated antivirus software performs far better than even Next Gen Antivirus.

The likes of Avast, Norton, and ESET achieved equal or greater success in phishing protection tests carried out by AV-Comparatives in 2025. This is why we normally recommend picking up one of the best antivirus software in addition to your VPN of choice.

It's also worth mentioning that Next Gen Antivirus's remit is constantly expanding. In recent months, Email Protection, hijacked session and double extension alerts, search result safety indicators, and crypto wallet checks have all joined the mix. While many of these are niche solutions, they're a handy addition should they fit your everyday needs.

Score: 10/10

Speed

• NordVPN is still among the fastest VPNs using WireGuard.
• Minimal latency and jitter make the best VPN for gamers.
• Struggled over OpenVPN in latest speed tests.

We recently completed our second round of testing using a 10 Gbps line with an increased number of data points.

This time around, NordVPN's NordLynx speeds saw a slight improvement, recording 1427 Mbps, having previously achieved 1249 Mbps. Despite this, NordVPN remains slower than Proton VPN and Surfshark using WireGuard and ExpressVPN’s Lightway Turbo protocol.

Take ExpressVPN’s results with a pinch of salt, though, since Lightway Turbo is only available on its Windows app, and ExpressVPN has warned that it might cause issues with some websites and games.

None of that is true for NordLynx and, although Lightway Turbo’s 1479 Mbps speeds put it a margin ahead of NordLynx on paper, most users won’t see this difference in day-to-day usage.

Instead, you’ll likely benefit more from the added compatibility of NordLynx.

NordLynx’s results do, however, put it among the best VPN protocols for gamers, since in our testing, it recorded only 7 ms latency and 2.2 ms jitter when connected to our nearest server.

High latency results in laggy gameplay, and high jitter can lead to unstable gameplay and stuttering, so recording latency and jitter at low result is key when choosing the best gaming VPN.

Connecting to US NordVPN servers from the UK proved less effective, though still improved over last time around. NordLynx achieved 939 Mbps connecting over the pond this time, having only managed 688 Mbps last time.

This is still slower than many other VPNs over the same distance. That said, you'll rarely struggle with these results no matter what streaming or gaming you test it with.

NordVPN did still hold up well for latency and jitter over long distance, proving, again, that it's a great gaming VPN choice – perfect, in this instance for avoiding unwanted lag while connecting to servers abroad for gaming, streaming, or other high-intensity tasks.

Unfortunately, NordVPN's OpenVPN performance has yet again dropped off. Previously registering 688 Mbps, it now only achieved 633 Mbps, much lower than several other top VPNs.

Score: 9/10

Unblocking streaming services

• Only struggled with two streaming services we tested.
• Never encountered unwanted CAPTCHAs, or dropouts.
• All servers are streaming optimized.

NordVPN was the clear winner in our latest unblocking testing. It struggled with the fewest streaming services of every VPN we've tested.

We test Netflix, across the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan, Prime Video, Disney+, and YouTube. We also tested NordVPN at unblocking local free streaming services, including BBC iPlayer, ITVX, C4, 9Now, and 10Play.

Only YouTube US and Prime Video Australia proved inaccessible. Aside from these, we never encountered VPN detection, unwanted CAPTCHAs during login, or any dreadful lag, buffering or connection dropouts to ruin our streaming experience. This was the same whether we were attempting to watch something live or catching up on demand.

So, while there are now some small blips on NordVPN's record, most won't be heavily impacted.

Proton VPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark all equally struggled with US YouTube. Proton also struggled with Disney+ USA alongside ITVX and Channel 4 in the UK. Surfshark suffered a spread of issues across platforms worldwide, a big change from a near-flawless performance last time out.

What was even more impressive was the lack of impact of NordVPN's Threat Protection Pro ad-blocker. Normally, we find that the ad-blockers of VPN services disrupted the streaming capabilities of local, ad-based services like Channel 4 and ITV, but we saw no such issues with NordVPN. The same cannot be said of Proton VPM and Surfshark.

NordVPN never found itself unable to load services due to their advert reel requirements, even when connecting to ad-based services abroad, such as Peacock. Top marks.

Something certainly playing into this success is that all of NordVPN’s servers are streaming-optimized. This move not only means you never have to scroll through to find those with the correct optimization, but it also means you’re never short of another server to connect to if one struggles to connect to the streaming service you’re trying to access.

Score: 10/10

P2P and torrenting

• Most servers are P2P optimized.
• Lots of guides to help beginners get started.
• No port forwarding support.

Nothing summarizes NordVPN’s torrenting capabilities more than the fact that all but four of its countries offer P2P-optimized servers – sorry to those looking to torrent connected to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, and North Macedonia!

What’s more, finding the server you need is super simple. NordVPN’s P2P-optimized locations can be found in its Specialized Servers section on any app, and you even get the option to quickly connect to the fastest server if you’re not after somewhere specific and would rather sheer performance.

Thankfully, NordVPN’s speed capabilities mean your torrenting experience is likely to be more limited by your peers than your VPN. What’s more, its security measures meant we never found ourselves receiving warnings from our ISP when testing its capabilities with uTorrent, no matter if we were using NordLynx or OpenVPN.

As is standard among top VPNs, NordVPN doesn’t support port forwarding due to the security risks posed. A full blog article outlines their reasons for this, which you can read here.

If you’re new to torrenting, it’s also great to see NordVPN has a whole variety of guides for setting up proxies with popular torrenting services, including BitTorrent, uTorrent, and qBittorrent. They’re easy to digest and come with all the information you need packed in, too.

Score: 4/5

Compatibility

• Apps for every platform – including Linux GUI and routers.
• A similar look across almost every app.
• No Threat Protection Pro on mobile.

NordVPN has apps across every platform out there, including a GUI Linux VPN and router VPN capabilities, alongside the expected web extensions and smart TV apps.

The majority of NordVPN's apps share a similar feel and consequently enough regularity that the features you can access will be found where you’d expect them. Smart TVs are, as expected with most VPNs, the platform with the most differentiation in layout, but that change brings added simplicity and makes it easy to use.

I mentioned already that NordVPN isn’t stellar in terms of its feature-parity across platforms, but for the most part, NordVPN’s compatibility is nothing to be concerned about.

As you can see, in the table below, like most VPNs, Windows gets everything, and iOS users get the least. In amongst this, though, are several key differentiators.

NordVPN users on iOS and Mac don't get to enjoy split tunneling. In the past, that proved difficult for all VPN providers on iOS and Mac due to Apple's security infrastructure, but now the likes of IPVanish and Surfshark are beginning to roll the feature out. NordVPN users have no such luck.

It’s not often that we see Android users facing big feature shortfalls as well but, most frustrating, of the absentees is that there's no Threat Protection Pro on any mobile devices. That's a real loss.

Threat Protection Pro is the best-performing VPN security add-on we've tested, and is a notable step up from the results we saw basic Threat Protection, which mobile users do get.

By comparison, Surfshark's full antivirus capabilities are available across any platform, including the regular file scanning feature – something not offered by NordVPN.

Score: 4/5

Usability

• Simple set up – but ensure you disable auto-renewals.
• Similar user experience across most apps.
• Reducing the use of the map has improved functionality hugely.

Set up

Setting up NordVPN is simple enough. Once you’re signed up, you can download the VPN directly from the website (unless you’ve signed up within the iOS or Android app, in which case you’ll have already installed it to do so). From there, you’re almost on your own.

Loading the installer gives you the option of also adding NordPass and the NordVPN browser extension to your device. Both are great tools and super handy to have – and then you’re straight into the NordVPN app.

Something we recommend doing as soon as you’re in is stopping your auto-renewals. This will stop you getting a nasty and very expensive surprise when your initial NordVPN agreement runs out.

Stop auto-renewal by heading to the Account section of your Settings menu. It takes almost no time at all.

User Experience

NordVPN is as close to identical as it can be across the majority of its apps nowadays, which is only a good thing for sure.

The only times you’ll see anything especially different is on smart TVs, as is expected with most VPNs, and streaming devices such as Fire TV Sticks.

Older Fire TV Sticks, especially, will be in for a shock, as, depending on your device generation, you can be hit with a much older-appearing UI than anywhere else.

Even NordVPN's Chrome extension shares a similar feel. While you can't use it to access VPN protocols or specialist servers, you're never left wondering where anything is.

What's more, you're still equipped with everything from the kill switch, auto-connect, and split tunneling, to otherwise hidden features such as location spoofing, which is only available via the web extension and sets your browser to the location and time zone of your VPN server. It's by no means perfect, but you have all the essential tools in a familiar package.

One of NordVPN’s quirky inclusions in its desktop and mobile apps used to be an interactive map interface you could use to select your server. While this did look rather pleasing, we’ve never found ourselves using it in all the years it’s been there, nor did it ever do anything to make the connection process quicker. So, we’re glad to see it getting phased out on desktop devices in favor of more screen space for features such as Threat Protection Pro.

This change makes it supremely quick and easy access to almost every tool, whether on mobile or desktop.

The home screen brings quick access to every VPN country available, each of NordVPN’s specialty server types, Meshnet, Dark Web Monitoring, and the three key aspects of Threat Protection Pro – anti-malware, advanced browser protection, and ad and tracker blocking.

Accessing these features in more detail is as simple as clicking the corresponding icon on the side-nav, and once you’re where you want to be, you’re greeted by explainer after explainer giving you everything you need to know to understand the tool and how it’ll benefit either your VPN connection or your online security.

I do have two gripes with the desktop version however:

Firstly, the search bar isn’t the most advanced. While some VPN providers will allow you to search for a location and choose between its specific capabilities, for example, P2P or obfuscated, Nord’s shows you the location as though you were connecting normally.

If you’re after, say, a P2P server, you’d have to search P2P, and then choose a server from the icon that appears – a method slower than simply choosing P2P in the specialty servers section you’re greeted with on the home screen.

Secondly, the desktop app no longer offers both choices of pausing your connection or disconnecting entirely. Instead, you now get a pause button which, once clicked, becomes a dropdown with a series of pause durations alongside a disconnect button.

While I understand adding steps to the disconnection process reduces the chance someone will, thus improving their security, for those of us who know when we do and don’t want to be connected, it’s an unnecessary added step. Still, it's a pretty minor beef.

Mobile users get a similarly efficient experience, which we love. While it retains the interactive map, you can access every country, Meshnet, and all of Nord’s Specialty Servers from your home screen – though, understandably given screen restraints, there’s no room for Threat Protection or Dark Web Monitoring this time round.

You still get the same detailed explanations of each feature and setting throughout the app, though you’re still stuck with the same limited search capabilities and pause button that the desktop app uses.

Oddly, something omitted from the main screen across desktop and mobile is any reference to key features, such as protocols or the kill switch. To set up or change these, you need to head into the settings instead. What’s more, while on desktop you can click one button to set the server you’re connected to as your auto-connect, you’re given no such convenience on mobile – though for many this won’t be so useful.

Aside from the minor gripes, NordVPN’s apps are the best they’ve been in years – efficient, clean to look at, and easy for beginners.

The few issues we’ve found, and their minor impact show just how much thought has gone into NordVPN's usability across the board.

Score: 5/5

Accessibility

• NordVPN's website is among the most accessible VPN websites.
• Not a huge amount of language support.
• Keyboard-only navigation could be better.

We put NordVPN.com through an AccessibilityChecker audit, and its score of 83% puts it among the most accessible VPN websites out there. It scores higher than Proton VPN (35%), Surfshark (41%), and ExpressVPN (21%) and PIA (10%). This makes it the most accessible VPN website of all our best VPNs.

Website Accessibility Scores

AccessibilityChecker audit of the home pages of each VPN website

Accessibility score

NordVPN

83

Surfshark

41

ExpressVPN

23

Proton VPN

35

PureVPN

35

Mullvad

89

IPVanish

71

CyberGhost

17

AdGuard VPN

17

PrivadoVPN

10

Hotspot Shield

23

TunnelBear

74

Accessibility score Data

Product	Value (Percent)
NordVPN	83
Surfshark	41
ExpressVPN	23
Proton VPN	35
PureVPN	35
Mullvad	89
IPVanish	71
CyberGhost	17
AdGuard VPN	17
PrivadoVPN	10
Hotspot Shield	23
TunnelBear	74

NordVPN offers a very easy to navigate website for those with visual accessibility needs. The apps could have better keyboard-only support, though.

The site passed all interaction and navigational checks. One element failed a screenreader test due to a prohibited ARIA attribute, and 36 elements failed visual and structural accessibility tests because of poor contrast between foreground and background.

On investigating the contrast issue, it turned out it referred to text that became clearer when scrolled over.

Looking at NordVPN on desktop, we found it supports 13 languages, including options including English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional.)

However, much like Surfshark, it lacked others, including Arabic, Turkish, and Swedish. This seems a simple enough area both NordVPN and Surfshark can improve on, especially since providers such as Norton VPN and Proton VPN have 26 and 28 languages supported, respectively.

Keyboard support on NordVPN is also not the best. Disconnecting our mouse for a second, it quickly became apparent that doing anything other than actually connecting to a VPN server wasn't easy enough.

Unless you’d happened to connect to where you wanted to recently – so it’d appear in your ‘Recent Connections’ list – it was nearly impossible to get a connection going. Using Meshnet, Threat Protection Pro, or anything else, however, was simple.

An easy comparison to make here is with PIA, whose app allows you to scroll its country list, highlight a country, and connect within a few taps of the keyboard – it really should be this simple.

Score: 2/5

Customer support

• 24/7 live chat and email support available alongside a support site
• Easy access to support via the apps
• Excellent online user guides.

NordVPN offers several customer support options, including a support site, 24/7 live chat, and a 24/7 email ticketing system.

Usefully, the app gives you easy access to raising a ticket or accessing the support site if you need help.

We found running diagnostic testing from within the app when you encounter a problem helps speed up the support process, as it reduces the number of additional questions agents need to ask. You can even include a list of apps installed on the impacted device in case any of them may be a contributing factor that the support agent can identify.

Putting its Live Chat service to the test, we found it sufficiently responsive, with an agent responding typically after 2-3 minutes. Its email service wasn’t so hasty. We had to wait around 18 hours before receiving a response to our test question.

Despite its sluggishness, the email system was effective. Our agent solved our test issue by asking a selection of relevant questions at once, collecting our responses, and using them to diagnose the problems.

It was also refreshing to avoid the typical customer support responses of “have you reinstalled the app?” or “have you cleared your cookies?” since the questions we were asked required detailed enough responses that there was no need. This also reduced the amount of back-and-forth required to resolve our test issues.

NordVPN’s customer support page is also very helpful. It doesn't bombarded the reader with category options to click between straight away, as is expected nowadays. Instead, you’re greeted by five overarching categories, one of which is about exploring other Nord Security products. So, in reality, four categories, and a search bar.

There is a trade-off for usability, though. For example, entering any of the categories removes the search bar from your screen, forcing you instead to use the breadcrumb trail at the top of the page to return to the main screen and search from there.

This leaves you doing a lot of unnecessary navigation if you’re merely looking for a quick fix, especially if you’ve clicked through several options in the categories already to try and find your answers that way.

To NordVPN's credit, once you find the article you need, it's usually extremely helpful.

For example, Nord’s proxy setup guide for uTorrent not only gives you the super-clear steps you need, but it also tells you how to then check that what you’ve done is working.

This is great for any kind of VPN user and typically of how strong NordVPN is on customer support.

Score: 4/5

User reviews

Although all review sites should be approached with a level of skepticism, they do offer a good enough gauge of how trustworthy a VPN is and how well it performs if you’re looking at a quick glance.

Across Google Play and the App Store, NordVPN has ratings equal to the very top VPNs. Its rating on TrustPilot is lower than most at only 4.2 out of 5, with 12% of the 44,000+ reviews being 1-star too.

The majority of negative reviews on Trustpilot surround NordVPN’s auto-renewals, which, should you be worried about it, can be turned off in a matter of clicks. We recommend doing this early on in your subscription to ensure you’re not stung down the line.

Track record: can you trust NordVPN?

• Reasonably spotless reputation throughout its history.
• 2018 breach is only notable blot on its record.
• Currently facing some lawsuits around its auto-renewal practices.

NordVPN’s history is, for the most part, positive, though 2018 proved to be a tricky year.

A breach in March 2018 saw NordVPN’s reputation tarnished, in part due to the obvious security concerns, but mainly since it didn’t admit to the breach for another 18 months, with the announcement coming only in October 2019.

The breach was only to one VPN server in Finland, and NordVPN explained in the belated announcement that none of NordVPN’s own servers were compromised, claiming the breach “was made possible by poor configuration on a third-party data center’s part”.

NordVPN was supposedly only made aware of the issue in April 2019, prompting a review and the consequent delay in announcing the breach to customers.

It’s not thought that any identifiable data was stolen in the breach, due to its small scale and the fact that it didn’t breach Nord’s central infrastructure, and all 5,000 servers NordVPN used at the time were audited on the breach’s discovery to remove further vulnerabilities.

NIST’s vulnerability database also has three weaknesses on record from that same year, though thankfully, none in the seven years since, suggesting that there’s little to worry about now.

In 2019, NordVPN would become one of the founding members of the VPN Trust Initiative (VTI), an industry-led consortium focused on “improving digital safety for consumers by building understanding, strengthening trust, and mitigating risk for VPN users”.

This consortium also consists of ExpressVPN, StrongVPN, Surfshark, and encrypt.me, and aims to improve public trust in VPNs and help users make informed decisions.

While this bears no direct impact on its reputation, it’s a clear sign of good intent from NordVPN that has shown little reason to be doubted since.

NordVPN would go on to experience around five years with its reputation out of the spotlight, but a lawsuit against its auto-renewal practices would abruptly end this.

Wittels McInturff Palikovic (WMP) filed a $100m lawsuit against the VPN provider, alleging that it "uses deceptive and illegal auto-renewal practices" in August 2024. In May 2025, a second action was filed on similar grounds.

While this case remains ongoing, the topic of auto-renewals remains on the lips of almost all VPN users, with many of the best VPNs adopting similar practices.

This has lead to similar instances across the industry of users facing unexpected payments for subscriptions and getting pretty upset about it.

If you’re concerned about getting stung, we recommend turning off auto-renewal once you’re logged into NordVPN. You can do that as soon as you've installed it in a matter of a few clicks.

NordVPN's latest headache came in January 2026, when a hacker claimed to have breached a NordVPN development server. No sensitive user information was compromised in the alleged breach, and NordVPN has continuously denied its success.

Score: 4/5

Final verdict

NordVPN is the best VPN for most people. While it’s more expensive than Surfshark, it has superior streaming performance, comparable speeds, and a suite of features, including the best password manager available, depending on the plan you choose.

We recommend a NordVPN Plus plan over its other alternatives. It provides tools, including premium password management and ad and tracker protection, as well as malware blocking and data breach alerts, all alongside its full VPN capabilities.

Who should use NordVPN?

✅ Those looking for top streaming performance: NordVPN performed near-flawlessly across our streaming tests. It had no issue unblocking any provider we threw at it aside YouTube US and Prime Video Australia. It never struggles with buffering or unexpected dropouts. Plus, it has apps for almost any platform you might wish to stream on.

✅ Those wanting a top password manager alongside the VPN: Included in Plus plans and above, NordPass ranks as our top password manager right now. It offers passkey support, features including secure password sharing and strength detection, and is compatible with almost any platform.

✅ Those wanting effective ad and malware blocking: NordVPN Threat Protection Pro performed the best in our latest testing for protection against malware and blocking ads.

Who should try a different VPN instead?

❌ Those wanting full antivirus protection included: While Threat Protection Pro offers solid security capabilities, it is by no means a fully-fledged antivirus. Providers such as Surfshark offer true antivirus protection in their more premium plans, alongside features included with NordVPN such as ad and malware protection.

NordVPN FAQs

NordVPN testing methodology

Throughout this review, I'll refer to things either 'I' or 'we' have seen. Whenever I say 'I' have seen something, this means it is something I, Rob Dunne, and I've seen it in hands-on testing of NordVPN.

When talking about things that 'we' have seen, this refers to anything uncovered during our technical lab testing. This is performed by VPN Technical Editor, Mike Williams.

We test each VPN every six months. These tests cover speed, ad-blocking, anti-phishing and malware, streaming service unblocking, and local IP address leaks. Plus, the server networks are spot-checked to confirm that the VPN server locations are accurate. We also check through each VPN provider's security credentials, privacy policy, and executable files.

You can take a look at our VPN testing methodology to see the full measures we put each VPN through.

The TechRadar VPN team fact-checks every VPN review we write, using our own research and knowledge alongside information provided by NordVPN. We update this review regularly to include any new features or information about the product, ensuring that what you’re reading is 100% up to date and as you would find the product if you downloaded and used it today.

If you notice anything while using NordVPN that doesn't match what you read on this page, please let us know in the comments or by emailing us. We will then do our best to offer product support information or include corrections and warnings to other users, depending on which is appropriate.

The EVO-X5 packs in the latest Strix Halo CPU, and while the updates to the specifications of the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 processor over the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 may look modest, when you give it the additional boost of 196GB of unified memory and the internal space for up to 24TB of storage, you suddenly have a machine whose abilities far exceed the superb EVO-X3 I reviewed recently.

Like so many of these small machines, it’s hard to believe the power it contains when it arrives. The box is small and relatively discreet, a departure from the large, powerful gaming and AI workstations I usually associate with its computing power. Part of the reason for that size reduction is that this is the processing hub, and while the AMD Radeon 8065S graphics will see you through a decent bit of gaming, if you want that full GPU power alongside what’s on offer with the CPU, you’ll need to break out to an external GPU option.

This distinction makes the machine's intended use clear. You can use it on its own as a powerful workstation, handling everything from office day tasks to video and image editing, and even 3D work. You can also rack it alongside additional EVO-X5 Pros to build an almighty AI personal data centre, with features such as the OOB, which lets you access and control the machine even if it’s mid-blue-screen or terminal crash. However, professional IT skills will inevitably also be needed.

On a smaller scale, and in the way that I’ve checked this machine out in this review, is to check the day-to-day function first. Is this $5000 machine good enough to run Microsoft Windows, Office, Adobe Creative Suite, edit images, video, and audio, and all the base functions a powerful machine in the office or studio needs to do, especially at that price?

But to go deeper: if this machine is going to cost almost double today’s pretty decent workstations, why should I pay all that extra money for a machine like this? Am I just paying for the latest AI-enhanced CPUs, or is there more to it? Can the machine's capabilities offset that cost?

To put it to the test, I’ve run through all the usual benchmarks and real-world tests, but after testing a good volume of AI headline-leading mini PCs, I want to see if it can take on a little more.

For instance, can it not only code a straight site, but also build a site from designs? What is the image-generation capability, and can it really run a 300B LLM without stalling? What I’ve noticed with some smaller mini PCs recently is that while they meet the specs and perform impressively, most hit their limits pretty quickly. However, with far more unified RAM than most, this machine has plenty of headroom.

The main test for me here is: can it effectively edit video in DaVinci Resolve? While my workstation can do this, it takes time, and a couple of the machines I’ve looked at recently have hit their limits with that kind of processing.

This looks to be a formidable machine among the best mini PCs I've reviewed, and one that will suit many looking into the use of AI in their day-to-day workflows. But all this power comes at a huge cost, and in balance, is this machine worth that price?

GMKtec EVO-X5 Pro: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From £5,299 / $6,799
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from GMKtec or Amazon

At present, the machine has just gone on sale and is available for $6799 from GMKtec in the US, and £5,299 from the UK website.

The machine is available in either a 2TB or 4TB version, with a $400 / £300 increase for the extra storage.

• Value: 4 / 5

GMKtec EVO-X5 Pro: Specs

CPU: AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495, 16 cores/32 threads

GPU: AMD Radeon 8065S, 40 RDNA 3.5 compute units

NPU: AMD XDNA 2, 55 TOPS

RAM: 192GB LPDDR5X-8533 unified memory, non-upgradeable

Storage: 2TB or 4TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 SSD, three slots, up to 24TB total

Front Ports: 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2 x USB4, 3.5mm audio, P-Mode button, CMOS reset

Rear Ports: HDMI 2.1, 2 x USB4 v2 80Gbps, 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x 10GbE RJ-45 DASH, 3.5mm audio

Wireless: Wi-Fi 7

VESA Mount: No

Dimensions: 221 x 80 x 195mm

Weight: 2.5kg

Power: 54W–120W selectable power modes, external power adapter

Operating System: Windows 11 Pro

GMKtec EVO-X5 Pro: Design

The mini PC is getting bigger; although still compact, it sits somewhere between a small tower desktop and the more traditional mini PC size. The styling is also spot on, with the ability to lay the machine flat or upright depending on your desk space. It’s also nicely designed with an understated all-metal black finish, though GMKtec has included its usual feature: a green power button. This button features fingerprint recognition.

The size, while not large, comes in at 221 × 80 × 195 mm, and in this review it sat neatly beside the monitor in a vertical position, taking up little desktop space. The weight at 2.5kg is substantial for a mini PC, but still far less than most workstations, so in a studio space or if you do need to take a machine out on site, this is a great option.

The build quality is what you would expect at this price, with the all-metal black finish giving it a high-quality look and feel. Aesthetically, this is one of the best-looking mini PCs I’ve seen, while remaining quite understated. Another design point: while this machine can be used on its own, it's also designed to work alongside others, so its size and weight make it easy to connect to additional EVO-X5s if that’s what you or your business needs.

The front layout is minimalistic, with a few essentials across the front. These include the P-Mode button, CMOS reset, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two USB4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the power button. The P-Mode button is a physical button for switching between the power modes, which include silent, balanced and performance, with each adjusting the amount of power that the machine draws from 54W up to 120W, and as I went through the benchmark tests, I realised just how much difference this P-Mode button can make.

That power draw helps explain the power brick that comes with the mini PC, which isn't much smaller than those of many standard mini PCs, but, as ever, can be tucked out of sight behind the machine.

On the rear of the machine, there are plenty of ports, although again, as I’ve seen with these premium machines, the volume of connections is well balanced, with plenty of space given. Options include a 3.5mm audio out, HDMI 2.1, two USB4 v2, two USB 2.0, two 10GbE RJ45 DASH ports, power in and a Kensington lock slot. What interests me is that both RJ45 ports are 10GbE, enabling ultra-fast network speeds if your network can support them.

One of the major issues with these smaller machines is keeping everything cool, and inside there is a network of cooling technologies and systems, with the vent structure visible across the back and top of the machine. As the workload increases, this machine does make some noise, but compared with workstations and servers, that noise is well controlled.

Opening the box, the insides are neatly packed and much more complex in design than I would usually expect in a mini PC. However, the slots for the two additional M.2 sticks are relatively easy to access, with one being a standard M.2 2280 Key-M PCIe 4.0 x4 and the other being M.2 Key-M PCIe 4.0 x1. The RAM is unified, soldered to the motherboard, and not upgradable.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

GMKtec EVO-X5 Pro: Features

The big news on the feature front for the EVO-X5 is the new Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495. While this only offers a slight uplift when it comes to the clock speed, the AI processing is where the real changes have been introduced, with the two headline points being the boost in the power of the integrated GPU and support for up to 196GB of RAM.

There are, of course, other updates and speed boosts, but for AI processing, the 196GB is the headline, letting the machine hold larger language models in memory. GMKtec claims the 55 TOPS NPU, backed by the RAM boost, should let you run 320B LLMs locally.

The integrated GPU also gets an upgrade to the Radeon 8065S, which retains the 40 RDNA 3.5 compute units but should boost gaming performance slightly. Likewise, the 196GB of RAM is a significant upgrade, especially since both the CPU and GPU share the memory. Again, as with the EVO-X3, the onboard memory is LPDDR5X but increases from 8000MT/s to 8533MT/s, boosting the bandwidth slightly for all that AI processing.

In the creative field, connectivity is always important, and two features that instantly piqued my interest were the dual USB4 v2 80Gbps ports and 10GbE network ports. USB4 v2 is also 80Gbps, but it differs from Thunderbolt 5, which is stricter on some parameters. However, the documentation says you can connect an eGPU if needed.

USB4 v2 also offers broad compatibility with external hard drives and SSDs, which are essential for storage, and it can even add two additional M.2 SSDs, boosting internal storage to 24TB. There are three M.2 2280 slots: two PCIe 4.0 x4 and one PCIe 4.0 x1.

The 10GbE networking meant that, during the test, I could simply link the machine into the wired 10GbE network to access the UGreen INX6100. The transfer rates over the 10GbE network are fast enough for network video editing, and you can access and download all files stored on the NAS locally. The other point here is that while one system is AMD and the other is Intel, with the right LLM commands and setup, you can get the two working together, making it an ideal workflow option for sorting and tagging images, for instance.

Alongside the impressive array of connection ports, there’s also Wi-Fi 7 to ensure fast internet connections. In testing, this also meant that when transferring files to the 3D printers, transfer rates for some of the larger files were exceptionally fast. When this speed was combined with the slicing speed within applications such as Bambu Studio, you can really start to see the machine’s potential.

Two features that are interesting but are beyond the scope of this review are AMD DASH and TPM. AMD DASH stands for Desktop and Mobile Architecture for System Hardware and enables remote access and management. TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module and handles security. These are both aimed at enterprise users.

GMKtec Claw and Herdsman come pre-installed and are both pretty decent. Herdsman is essentially along the same lines as LM Studio or Ollama, while GMKtec Claw features chat and the ability to set up automation tasks. They’re actually a great starting point, and both are evolving quickly, becoming more stable and making greater use of the full power of the machine, something that I noted with the EVO-X3 and the lack of connectivity to the NPU.

Many applications, including those from Adobe, still use the GPU heavily for AI processing, although other applications are starting to use the dedicated AI processor.

• Features: 4.5 / 5

GMKtec EVO-X5 Pro: Performance

The EVO-X5 comes with Windows 11 Pro installed, and as ever, the final steps of the installation were needed before I could get started with installing the benchmark and real-world software applications. What was interesting here, and in common with the EVO-X3, was that GMKClaw and Herdsman were both pre-installed.

Herdsman is essentially the local AI model management and inference platform. Essentially, it’s GMKtec’s option over LM Studio or Ollama, and offers plenty of options to download and manage LLMs locally. For most of the tests, I started with this option. Still, I switched to Lemonade, since I’m more familiar with the server and its ability to monitor token generation and use it for the local AI tests I wanted to run.

Starting the tests, I ran through the usual array of Windows applications, including Microsoft Office, with a focus as ever on Word, to write this review, Excel, to store and query the results from the benchmark tests, and PowerPoint, to put together a series of photography lectures that I have running in the next week. Testing these applications on a machine at this level produced the real-world results I expected. All applications ran at speed with no lag, and switching quickly between them and online formatting tools was fast, keeping up with my editing speed without me ever having to wait for the applications to speed up.

These real-world tests reflected the WEI score of 9.5, and again, that’s backed up by the PCMark score of 10,773, the highest score I’ve seen with any mini PC.

Lightroom and Photoshop, like the Microsoft Office apps, just ran without issue. They were fast and responsive, and with well over 100 images, batch processing in Lightroom ran surprisingly through without issue or pause. Likewise, opening a selection of RAW files from Bridge into ACR, making amendments, and saving was equally quick.

As I pushed the system with 4K video editing, it was clear that even without discrete graphics, performance was excellent. With the 2TB SSD, there was plenty of room to store and edit the footage locally, with the option to offload to the NAS once the edit was complete.

What impressed me here was not only the ability to edit 4K footage from the Canon EOS R5C without slowdown, but also the ability to store that footage on the IDX6011 NAS and utilise the 10GbE network for editing. This meant that there was no need for a desktop SSD, as the speed over the network and with a local cache file was more than fast enough for all the work that I do.

As the complexity of the edits increased, I noticed notable slowdowns when scrolling through the timeline and waiting for colour grade changes to render. However, it was still as fast as my workstation with discrete graphics. However, with the option to link in an eGPU, this would further boost video-editing potential, especially as you start to look at AI integrations with programs such as DaVinci Resolve.

I started using Herdsman and located the largest model I could download and test. This was the DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 at 155.7GB. This left little actual headroom for the machine. However, the model worked, though progress was slow; when results came through chat questions, the answers were impressive. Still, even on this machine, the speed was too slow to be truly useful. Switching to Qwen3 30B-A3B at 17.2GB, the difference was instantly noticeable, with swift answers and useful abilities.

However, I wanted to run a series of tests; first, I returned to Lemonade and the SDXL-Turbo model to create a 512 x 512 image of a dog on a beach. The image appeared almost instantly in just 2.5 seconds and was pretty decent. After experimenting a little more, I found the image generation speed and capability were the fastest I have seen so far. Although some images had slightly strange dog eyes, I switched models again and went with Z-Iage-Turbo. This larger 20GB model produced notably better results, though it took longer to render.

The next test, and one that produces all sorts of results, was the website creation task. Here, Qwen3-Coder-Next-GGUF produced the site in 92 seconds, generating 4063 tokens at 45 tokens per second. This was just to generate the code, not to save and organise the files. Still, this was far faster than the EVO-X3 running the same task with the same source files. What was markedly different here was the quality of the site generated. This actually looked like a site, albeit slightly simple, that you could actually use as a point to develop or rework with AI.

Looking through the results, the EVO-X5 clearly outperforms the EVO-X3. It’s not as large a step as I would have thought, but having that additional RAM does mean that larger and more complex models can be loaded, and their abilities are that much greater. However, many language models are designed to adapt to the hardware they’re running on. Still, running those same models on the EVO-X3 and EVO-X5 side by side shows that while everything but the RAM sees a small uplift, the EVO-X5 easily takes the edge in processing and result quality.

Once again, model selection and the LLM Manager are all-important, as is the default token limit your machine can produce. Once you’ve found the model and increased the tokens through the command prompt for that model, things become more impressive. As ever, you also need to look for models that make full use of the NPU, rather than just falling back on the CPU and GPU.

However, across the board, running local LLMs is more than possible, and while many of the speed differences between this and the older EVO-X3 seem small on paper, the real-world realisation of those speeds is marked in use. I found response times were generally faster, with slightly better responses, most notably in website creation. However, as ever, this partly comes down to the AI model's response at the time, and you will always get a different response from the same model on different systems.

That said, the extra RAM does seem to make a difference, letting you run more models in memory and reducing loading and unloading. It also means that you can comfortably run other applications and AI models together, such as Visual Studio or DaVinci Resolve, with some impressive results. This use of running an AI Model alongside Visual Studio or DaVinci Resolve is where the real power comes into play, and from this angle the step up from the EVO-X3 to the EVO-X5 is greater.

While this machine has AI potential, you can still use AI Managers and models to balance what you want the system to do.

The final part of the test was to run a few games, and here again, the power of that CPU and integrated GPU was impressive, with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle running at 1080p extremely well. Likewise, Cyberpunk 2077. If you do want to increase the resolution and effects, then a dedicated eGPU would be a good idea, but out of the box, the performance is still impressive.

At the end of this test, the machine more than proved its abilities and also enabled me to push testing and experimenting with local AI to a greater degree than I have been able to before. The main point for me that helps to balance the cost is the creative and admin potential. This machine rips through video, transcoding quickly when needed, and the auto video editing in DaVinci Resolve is incredibly impressive; however, as ever, there is a learning curve, as these features take time to set up.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

GMKtec EVO-X5 Pro: Final verdict

The EVO-X5 is an interesting machine and, without doubt, the most powerful AI-enhanced mini PC I have looked at so far. What surprises me is that the performance, while better in many respects than the EVO-X3, doesn’t feel much better to justify the current price difference. However, once you look at the current cost of RAM, that increase becomes apparent.

If you are running the EVO-X3, it's a powerful AI machine and will do pretty much everything the EVO-X5 will do, though the process will be slightly different because it doesn’t have as much headroom in RAM capacity.

I have also noted that newer local language models allocate resources better, so while many models thrive in this machine with that extra RAM, plenty of new-generation models are better adapted to memory allocation and seem to run as well on the EVO-X3 with its 128GB of RAM.

However, in use, there’s no doubting this compact machine's speed and abilities. For standard office work, it’s exceptional, and for creative work, it’s surprisingly agile; with a dedicated eGPU to boost graphics processing, it will be a formidable option for video and photo editing.

While this machine is decent for gaming, it’s not designed for it, so a quick dip into the gaming world after work is possible, and the gameplay quality is exceptional. However, if that is what you want the machine for, a dedicated gaming machine will be cheaper.

The new CPU and enhanced RAM deliver the headline performance upgrades, and you can run larger models, making it what it is supposed to be; at present, most of that cost comes from the RAM. So if you want to run larger language models, you will need to stretch to this latest model. However, the EVO-X3 is still an excellent, cheaper option, and at present is equally impressive if slightly less powerful.

Should I buy the GMKtec EVO-X5 Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more professional-grade desktops, we've tested the best business computers.

GreenGeeks: Pricing & plans

Shared hosting is the main attraction, with WordPress and WooCommerce packages built on the same platform. Reseller hosting targets agencies, while VPS customers can choose four self-managed or three managed tiers. Dedicated servers start at $169 a month and are ordered through sales.

GreenGeeks shared hosting

Lite costs $2.95 a month for the first 12-month term, paid as $35.40 upfront, and renews at $13.95. It includes 25GB of storage, unmetered traffic, email, SSL, CDN, a first-year domain, migration, cPanel, Git, SSH, staging, and the AI builder. There is one unresolved problem: GreenGeeks' main pricing page currently advertises five websites, while its dedicated shared-hosting page and support table still say one. Buyers needing more than one site should confirm the limit before ordering.

Pro costs $4.95 a month initially and $18.95 on renewal, with unlimited websites, 50GB of storage, on-demand restores, priority support, and a WordPress repair tool. Premium rises from $8.95 to $30.95, increases storage to 100GB, and adds a dedicated IP, AlphaSSL, and Redis object caching. Renewal prices are around 3.5 to 4.7 times the introductory rates, making Pro the most balanced option but long-term value less convincing.

The 30-day money-back guarantee covers initial shared, reseller, and VPS hosting charges, but not domains, setup fees, add-ons, or renewals. In my sales chat, the agent twice confirmed that a $35.40 Lite purchase using an existing domain and no paid extras would be fully refundable if canceled within 30 days.

GreenGeeks WordPress hosting 

GreenGeeks' WordPress hosting uses the same Lite, Pro, and Premium prices and resources as shared hosting. All tiers include installation, migration, automatic updates, LiteSpeed Cache, WP-CLI, SSH, staging, and Git; Pro and Premium add priority support and the repair tool. These are useful conveniences, but this remains optimized shared hosting rather than a specialist managed WordPress platform with isolated resources or dedicated WordPress support.

GreenGeeks VPS hosting 

The four self-managed VPS plans start at $9.99 a month for 4GB of RAM, two vCPUs, 80GB of NVMe storage, and unmetered transfer, renewing at $19.99. The 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB tiers initially cost $19.99, $39.99, and $59.99, then renew at $39.99, $79.99, and $109.99. Customers handle the operating system, patches, software, and backups.

Managed VPS starts at $69.95 a month for four vCPUs, 4GB of RAM, and 75GB of SSD storage. The 8GB and 16GB plans cost $129.95 and $179.95. They include cPanel Solo, a dedicated IP, migration, DDoS protection, monitoring, operating-system updates, and security patching. GreenGeeks does not automatically back up VPS servers: self-managed customers arrange their own solution, while managed customers can configure cPanel backups if they have sufficient storage.

For more alternatives, see our guide to the best VPS hosting services.

GreenGeeks green hosting

GreenGeeks' environmental program is its best-in-class feature. It works with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to purchase renewable energy certificates equal to three times the electricity included in its annual calculation. Electricity still comes from each data center's local grid, so this is an energy-matching program rather than a claim that every facility runs directly on renewables.

The company has been an EPA Green Power Partner since 2009 and works with One Tree Planted to plant a tree for each new hosting account; it reports more than 50,000 trees planted. Renewable certificates do not eliminate emissions, but the 300% match, long-running partnerships, and explanation of the local-grid limitation make this commitment more transparent than most green-hosting claims. See our guide to the best green web hosting.

GreenGeeks: Website builder

The AI WordPress builder is included at no extra cost. It asks about the site, goals, tone, and preferred structure, then generates pages, text, imagery, and design options that can be customized in WordPress.

In our hands-on testing it offered a quick, approachable starting point. It is not a standalone service: users select WordPress + AI during WordPress installation. It may not be the best website builder for a lot of sites, but it gets the job done easily enough.

GreenGeeks: eCommerce store

GreenGeeks has a WooCommerce hosting range which is very capable of building a top-quality web store (WooCommerce is one of the best ecommerce platforms around).

WooCommerce is available on every shared tier, but these packages use the same underlying platform and prices as regular shared hosting. Premium is the strongest store option because it adds a dedicated IP, AlphaSSL, 100GB of storage, and Redis.

GreenGeeks can install WooCommerce, but its support policy does not extend to developing or deeply debugging third-party applications, so the plans suit users comfortable managing the store itself.

GreenGeeks: Ease of use

Our hands-on testing found GreenGeeks straightforward to navigate. The custom dashboard keeps websites, plans, domains, billing, and support in a simple sidebar, while cPanel handles email, domains, databases, files, and advanced settings.

WordPress can be installed from the dashboard, and app installers handle more than 150 other applications. Beginners get a cleaner front end without depriving experienced users of cPanel.

GreenGeeks: Speed

Performance was the biggest weakness in our shared-hosting test. The WordPress benchmark returned an overall score of 4.7; database and several text operations were respectable, but file handling, persistent object caching, and some WordPress operations pulled the result down. These findings apply to the tested shared-hosting setup, not the VPS range.

The Siege test was more troubling. At five concurrent users, availability was 55.42%, average response time was 6.96 seconds, and 37 transactions failed. Availability fell to 31.48% at nine users and 12.31% at 15, with 74 and 114 failures respectively. That result remains a serious warning for traffic-sensitive shared-hosting projects, even though it should not be generalized to every GreenGeeks product.

GreenGeeks: Support

GreenGeeks offers 24/7 live chat, telephone, and support tickets, although VPS help and billing issues require tickets.

My pre-sales chat received a substantive human response in about a minute. The agent clearly confirmed the refund conditions, included AI builder, data center selection, and dashboard cancellation process. In this interaction, support was fast and specific.

The agent initially said backups were available for up to 48 hours, then corrected the answer and linked the policy. GreenGeeks aims to keep around 30 disaster-recovery sets for shared and reseller hosting, but does not guarantee a particular restore date. Pro and Premium customers have direct restore access; Lite users can request one free manual restore per month, with additional restores at $25.

User-generated cPanel and large Softaculous backups are normally removed after 48 hours, so important sites still need an independent copy.

GreenGeeks: Final verdict

GreenGeeks remains the clearest mainstream choice for buyers who put environmental commitments first. The 300% renewable-energy certificate match is unusually well explained, while cPanel, email, app installers, the AI builder, four data centers, and responsive support make the shared plans practical as well as green.

Steep renewals, inconsistent Lite information, and our poor load-test result prevent a stronger score. 3.5 stars remains appropriate: best-in-class environmental credentials, but an average overall hosting proposition.

GreenGeeks FAQs

Like the H2C, there’s the multi-tool functionality, but as you’ll see from the images, the system is all new, with dedicated tools in the Swaptek Tool Changer rather than the Vortek hotend-changing system, so something closer to the Bondtech INDX tool changers.

An interesting update is the ability to print with different-sized nozzles, so a fine 0.2 mm for fine detail, going to a 0.8 mm for infill and areas where speed is preferable to fine finishes. What I have discovered through the month that I’ve had the printer so far is that this is an evolution of the 3D printing process, refining the techniques and while this technology and its application are still being ironed out, the full potential is apparent.

Adding to the multi-diameter printing is the advanced TPU handling. This essentially enables you to print with thicker 2.85 mm filament using the PrintTool hotend. As the filament is thicker, it supports softer TPU, and again, there’s a learning process behind its use. It’s not quite as simple as popping it in and letting it go, but it is a step in the right direction.

Sitting on top of the machine is the new AMS 3H filament management system that holds up to nine filaments, with two slots enabling integrated drying and bypass feeds for specialist materials.

I’ll admit, as the boxes kept arriving and the H3C started to take shape on the workbench, the machine did seem to dominate the space. However, after squeezing in the H2C next to it, while the new AMS gives a visual impression of scale, the footprint of the two machines is much the same.

The big question for me at the start of this test was whether this new machine and design was a direct replacement for the H2C or something altogether new. It certainly initially looks far more complex, but then, as I became more familiar with the machine, the full tool changer design, once assembled, did seem, a little more simplistic and certainly more reliable as I pushed the print times and complexities.

One point to note is that throughout the test, while I had the machine and seemingly every accessory that I could need to go with it, the actual official machine specifications and final tweaking of the software were still to be released.

What Bambu did supply was a few test models and an extensive set of instructions about how to tackle each of the main new features. There was also a set of complex models that I used to start the test before deviating to some of my own, and then back to the supplied models to finish the test.

I’ll cover more of those tests in the performance section, but what interested me was using this printer for a real practical task. This is, after all, a business-class machine, although the price will put this just in range of the keen enthusiast as well.

The main project for this test was to print and build a set of speakers from Print Your Speakers, with the Supersonic MK3 kit fitting the bill for this test. Essentially, a solid PLA outer with TPU to add damping to the infill, and then a switch of nozzle sizes for the fine detail of the outer wall and a thicker nozzle for the inner walls.

This is where the learning curve of this machine and the Bambu Lab software really comes into play, and while that learning curve is steep.

As the test ran on, the potential of this machine started to grow. While multi-filament and tool changer machines now dominate and Bambu Lab’s lead in the field was quickly fading, especially with the Original Prusa CORE One INDX, of which the H3C’s new system bears more than a passing resemblance. But with support for 2.85 mm TPU and multiple other materials, it now pushes them back out in front and truly offers something unique, although there are still a few refinements needed.

Bambu Lab H3C: Price and availability

The H3C will be available to purchase from the Bambu Lab website from 3 November 2026, following the official launch. Unlike the H2C, there is just one configuration available at launch, with the AMS 3H and all nine PrintTools included.

• H3C AMS Combo: $2,499 / £2,199
• Combo + PLA Palette + TPU: $2,589 /£2,269
• Combo + PLA Palette + TPU + Bambu Station (Enclosed) + E1 Air Purifier:
• $3,049 / £2,699
• Combo + PLA Palette + TPU + Bambu Station (Open): $2,799 / £2,469

Bambu Lab H3C: Design

The Bambu Lab H3C is a 3D printer on another scale, and whilst it doesn’t look that much larger than the H2C initially, once you start to work with it and try to move it around the workshop, you suddenly realise that its colossal 36.28 kg weight and physical dimensions of 493 × 571 × 587 mm make it more of a two-person lift than something you’re able to handle on your own.

That would explain why Bambu Lab also sent a special trolley along with the machine, so it’s easy to access and move around the workshop. The issue at the moment is that there are so many 3D printers coming out that my workshop doesn’t have any space, so this will be something that I will manoeuvre the printer onto once I can find a pathway through the workshop to get the two sections to meet.

As it was, I decided to set this machine up in the photo area, and I’ve already manoeuvred the H2C next to it so that I can do a side-by-side comparison on size and scale, however, again this left little room as the the scale of these machine is rapidly increasing.

As I first lifted the H3C into position, the two machines looked roughly the same size, but as I started to add the huge new AMS 3H on top, I realised that this was an altogether different proposition.

As I unpacked the machine, it was obvious that Bambu Lab had taken a completely different direction to multi tool head printing compared with the H2C, and the H3C has something more akin to the INDX tool changer. You can definitely see the similarities. As I went through the initial setup, what was surprising here was just how easy and straightforward it was, and whilst the machine was large, the actual placing of the AMS on top and positioning all of the nozzles wasn’t at all difficult.

The only thing that you do need to make sure of is that there are nine tools included: eight with 0.4 mm PrintTools for 1.75 mm filament and one dedicated 0.4 mm PrintTool for 2.85 mm filament. Careful reference to the instructions as you’re setting up is essential to make sure that this nozzle goes in the right place.

Before taking a closer look at this new system, it’s worth pointing out that the AMS 3H is quite an evolution on the AMS 2, sitting on top of the machine and really integrating more closely with the design compared with the add-on box of the AMS 2. This, I know, will please a lot of print farms, which, whilst generally fans of the Bambu Lab machines, find the AMS 2 is often a weak point and the part that they have to replace most often. One point here is that, of those nine slots, there’s a separate section within the rack which enables just two of those nine slots to be actively dried.

As we’ve seen before, you can also add more AMS units, enabling up to 24-colour printing, up from the nine possible out of the box.

Once I got everything set up and installed, which, to be honest, didn’t take too long, it was then time to connect the machine to the local network via Wi-Fi 6. As ever, this was as straightforward and simple as with all other Bambu Lab machines. One of the surprises is that a machine of this size and scale, especially aimed at the professional market, doesn’t feature an Ethernet port.

The other point here is that as soon as it connected, it ran through a series of updates before then going through the calibration process. So, while the machine itself is really well designed and easy to set up, the software updating and full calibration process can take up to an hour, which is slightly infuriating when I was quite excited to see what this machine was capable of doing.

After the Wi-Fi connection, calibration and everything else had been run through, it was time to connect through the Bambu Studio software, and again, a few clicks through the beta release that we were given, enabled me to connect quickly to the printer.

However, as always, before running through my own prints and some of those others that had been supplied to fully test out this new machine’s abilities, I ran through the standard test prints on the machine. These are the usual 3D Benchy and variants, alongside scrapers and a few other bits and bobs, as expected. It ran through all of those prints flawlessly, and then it was time to cross over to Bambu Studio.

Bambu Lab actually supplied some very interesting test models, which I go into in the performance section, but before I went into these multi-filament, multicolour designs, I decided to test out some of my more standard prints. This just enabled me to double-check the calibration and also try out a few different materials.

There are two built-in 1080p cameras, with an optional Bird’s Eye camera available as well. The chamber heats up to 65°C, with a 120°C heated bed and a 350°C maximum nozzle temperature.

Leaving the machine just to run through those few prints, I was able to step back and take a proper look at the machine, and it is an evolution of what we’ve seen with the other H series printers, just slightly larger. Again, this is a steel chassis, which gives it structural support and also makes it insanely heavy to lift around the workshop.

The outer is plastic, with a grey and black exterior that looks stylish, just in the same vein as we’ve seen with the other Bambu Lab hardware. On the front, you’ve got a big viewing window so that you can see what’s going on with the print, and whilst the top-mounted AMS 3H does stop you from looking down into the machine, it's integrated rather than being a separate unit, which I personally really like.

As we’ve seen before, there’s a really nice 5-inch colour touchscreen, with an 854 × 480 display resolution, and this is very responsive, giving me full access to all the functions and settings. However, it is getting more complex, especially with those nine toolheads. It does take a little bit of extra time just to orientate yourself with all of those different settings.

Across the front is the main feature of this new 3D printer, obviously the new nine-toolhead rack, and what’s interesting here is that the rack raises and lowers, so if you do want to see what’s going on on the print bed, it’s far easier than with some of the other multiple systems of this style out there. At all times, however, you can see where the influence of the Prusa CORE One INDX version has influenced Bambu Lab’s slight change of direction, although they’ve taken that style of design in a slightly different direction.

The rack features nine individual PrintTool docking positions, and these all automatically dock with tool alignment and offset compensation. What’s interesting here is that there are dedicated filament paths for each PrintTool, meaning that each works completely independently, and there are integrated filament cutters within the PrintTools, again just to help speed things up. When it comes to the extruder and internal mechanisms, they all use hardened steel, with hardened-steel extruder gears and nozzles rated at HRC 55+.

As ever, we see a flexible steel build plate, and this is a decent size, with a 330 × 320 × 325 mm build volume enabling you to tackle all sorts of projects, especially with the huge material support this new printer offers.

Bambu Lab H3C: Features

It’s difficult to do a quick run-through of the features because, over the H2C, things have really progressed, and the new Swaptek nine-tool changing system is a real evolution of design. You can’t help feeling it’s heavily influenced by the INDX system that we’ve seen from Bondtech and featured on the latest Prusa CORE One machines.

However, over that system, there are plenty of changes, and it’s obviously got the Bambu Lab spin, with automatic tool changes that happen in under six seconds. There’s also active preheating that essentially anticipates the upcoming tool changes and heats the next nozzle in advance, making complex models slightly faster to print than on some of those other systems.

One of the features that I noticed early on, and one of the issues with other systems of this style, is that quite often the tool rack gets in the way of being able to see the print area. However, once that new tool is selected, the tool rack actually retracts upwards so that you get a good clear view of the print area, and it also helps to keep the filament tubes out of the way.

Feeding all of those nine new toolheads is the redesign of the AMS system, known as the AMS 3H, that manages the filaments in an integrated box that sits on top of the machine. Like the AMS 2, it's a sealed storage option and helps protect the filaments inside from moisture.

Again, as we’ve seen in the past, it has automatic filament loading and routing that works exceptionally well, and with RFID built in, as long as you’re using Bambu Lab’s own materials, they’ll be automatically recognised and synced with the software, making the whole process that much easier.

One of the surprises is that only two of those nine slots are actively dried, so if you do have filaments that are more prone to moisture than others, then they should sit in those two. There’s a cover that sits over the top, so it’s pretty easy to see which two those are.

As ever, there are also expansion options, so if you have other AMS systems and you want to plug them in, the H3C supports additional AMS units for up to 24-colour printing.

One of the new additions is the FlexFeed extruder that supports both 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm filament, and there’s also a dedicated 2.85 mm filament path for flexible materials such as TPU. While TPU for AMS can just be used directly on the machine, as I discovered when I printed speakers with files from Print Your Speakers, when it came to printing other softer TPU, you have to use one of the bypass feed ports and quickly change part of the installation and feed to the toolheads.

The first time you do it, it takes a little bit of time and working out, but essentially, the soft TPU needs to go into one of the slots that enables active drying. TPU is hygroscopic and collects water like a sponge, so ensuring that it’s nice and dry before it goes through the system is just going to improve and help with the quality of the print.

You then feed that through into the 2.85 mm supporting toolhead, but rather than running through the filament feed tube, you bypass the tube, cutting just a small length that goes into the toolhead and then directly into the extruder. This just helps with the smooth movement of the TPU filament through the system. This means that it can actually cope with TPU all the way down to 75A, perfect for some of the projects that Bambu Lab supplied.

Using TPU in the system is not uncommon, but you still have to reconfigure the system slightly. Bambu Lab has made that slightly easier, and of course, you also have the ability to print with multiple materials and multiple colours.

But what impressed me the most is that with the Bambu Lab PLA palette, which is a new range of filaments, you can print with CMYKW to enable colour mixing using cyan, magenta, yellow, black and white filaments. The end results, as you’re seeing in some of the sample pictures, are quite amazing, enabling far more colourful and complex prints than has previously been possible.

But it’s not just about multiple colour-mixing filaments. You can also use a huge amount of engineering materials because of the hardened nozzles and the actively heated chamber, so utilising ABS, ASA, PA, PC and carbon-filled composites is all perfectly possible.

Further supporting the flexibility over the way you print is that there are multiple nozzle sizes, including 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mm. But what makes a difference here is that you can optimise it to work using those different nozzles in one print. That means you can speed up the printing of the interior support structure with, say, a 0.6 or 0.8 mm nozzle and get that fine-quality finish on the exterior with a 0.2 or 0.4 mm nozzle. This is something very new.

There’s also been a range of feature enhancements for speed, with a maximum toolhead speed of 1,400 mm/s and acceleration of 25,000 mm/s². To keep up with that high-speed printing, the hotend flow rate of 40 mm³/s is also impressive, although these run to Bambu Lab’s own test conditions rather than what you’re actually going to see in the real world.

Something which I haven’t really been able to look at in any depth is the CraftTool support, and we’re starting to see Bambu Lab not only promote their machines for 3D printing but for other craft uses. This is what really made the H2D such an interesting machine. Potentially, in the near future, the CraftTools will enable automatic switching between compatible printing and crafting tools, so there will be blade cutting, drawing and debossing, but I’ll bring you more on that when I’ve been able to look at it properly.

As I mentioned in the Design section, Bambu Lab and, actually, quite a few of the other manufacturers are starting to take filtration seriously, and here we’ve got the H11 HEPA filter, granulated coconut-shell activated-carbon filter and an integrated chamber exhaust and circulation system. Bambu Lab actually even provided an air filter with the machine, which has been very handy, especially in quite a crowded workshop.

When it comes to features, the H3C is one of the most feature-packed printers to have come onto the market yet, but with all of those features comes an added level of complexity that could cause issues in the long run, and the only way to discover those is to ensure that, over the month of having this machine, it has been running almost constantly.

Bambu Lab H3C: Performance

As these 3D printers get more complex and the models that they’re able to produce become increasingly more elaborate, mixing not only colours but materials, the time it takes to fully test one of these machines is rapidly increasing.

Thankfully, Bambu Lab recognises that whilst machines are speeding up, when it comes to fully testing some of those mixed-filament options, it doesn’t just take hours; it takes days for each print to be produced. In order for you to run through all of the test prints provided, including rerouting different filaments, that all takes a considerable amount of time.

But thankfully, I’ve had this printer for almost six weeks, and through that time, there have only been brief periods where it has remained dormant. Otherwise, filament after filament has gone through, producing everything from pinhole cameras out of carbon-filled filament through to some quite incredible desktop speakers, thanks to the guys at printyourspeakers.com, and of course, the extremely elaborate models that the guys at Bambu Lab provided to test out this printer.

Before I go into that, I’ll just quickly run through the setup process of the machine, as whilst this machine looks extremely complex, the actual setup process is typically Bambu. Essentially, with the machine arriving in two boxes, the machine and a separate box for the AMS, it only took about half an hour before the machine was sitting proudly on the workbench, looking ready to produce its first print.

The instructions are pretty clearly laid out, and as you’d expect, the large 5-inch touchscreen gives you all the information you need. Once everything is plugged in and connected, you then simply load the filament, and it’s pretty much set to go. However, as always, that complexity comes with a large extra step.

First, you download and install the firmware, which all ran through nice and quickly, but then it was on to the full setup calibration. Whilst it doesn’t actually take any involvement from yourself other than clicking a couple of buttons, it does take about an hour, and when you have a machine of this size and potential in front of you, that wait is slightly agonising but unfortunately essential.

Once the machine had run through its copious amount of checks and all the nozzles had been calibrated, it was time to run through the first set of prints, and here I had three different options. Firstly, those pre-installed on the machine in the 64 GB internal storage; the second was my usual test prints; and the third was the additional files that Bambu Lab had provided to fully test out the system.

I opted for the quick run of those prints in storage just to check whether the calibration had worked and everything was printing correctly, and sure enough, print after print came off the print bed without issue, mixing the colours beautifully into pretty good-quality standard prints. All of these that I started with initially were PLA and mainly ends of reels from previous reviews.

Then it was on to my own test prints, and again, the accuracy and precision of the printer really stood out, and I was also impressed with the relative speed. One of the big points here is that the tool-changing system, as I saw with the INDX, vastly increases print speeds when compared with the H2C, which is a machine that I actively always have set up and running.

The speeds with this new system are again slightly faster. A quick test of those print speeds on the H3C, printing the two-tone tree frog in large, took two hours and three minutes, with about eight minutes taken for the preparation time and the rest on the actual model printing. This compared with almost three hours on the H2C, and whilst it was far faster on the preparation and checks at just under six minutes, the print time was closer to two hours and 50 minutes. Finally, comparing it with the H2D, surprisingly, it put in a similar time to the H2C.

As I ran through the test, the speed of the machine was the first thing that really stood out, and with a relatively large print bed as well, I was able to print large projects with absolute ease. Support structures went in nice and easily, and I always use PLA support, although as I started to venture into Bambu Lab’s own models, I realised the standard PLA support was just not delicate enough for what was needed, and PVA support, which could be washed away, would have been a better option.

Through my own models, there were quite a few different projects that I wanted to really give a go. The first was a pinhole camera that I had designed for some lectures and was small. It's a good way to test out dimensional accuracy, as I had to drop in a brass-sheet pinhole lens that I had designed and make it tripod-mountable, with brass inserts used for the screw thread.

As the box also had to be lightproof, dimensional accuracy due to the fitting and removing of a lightproof back was also essential, and using a carbon-filled filament with solid infill just ensured that the whole box would stay lightproof. I also had to feature a sliding shutter mechanism that would cover the brass aperture, so again, quality of surface printing as well as dimensional accuracy was absolutely essential.

After running several iterations of the design, I came up with the final product and tested it in the studio with success, producing small prints onto photographic paper through a 0.3 mm aperture. The quality of the print and success of the project just highlighted the first bit of flexibility with this machine and its design.

The next was to call on somebody with a lot more experience with high-quality and precision engineering 3D design, and the guys at Print Your Speakers provided me with the Supersonic MK3 desktop speaker kit to give this new printer a go. There were several angles that I wanted to fully test that no other printer would be able to do.

The first was obviously to print speakers using PLA for the outer, but then rather than having PLA infill, I wanted it to be TPU in order to help absorb some of the sound. I also wanted to be able to swap between nozzle sizes, all of which took a little bit of experimentation, and at present this is an area of the systems use that I will have to come back to, as at the moment I haven't had any success. I then tested a straight PLA box against the PLA and TPU mixed box, and the difference in audio quality was apparent, with a far deeper sound from the more advanced material-mix option.

Having now tried a variety of different materials and options through the machine, I was pretty confident about setting off with some of Bambu Lab’s own models to fully test out its abilities. The first was the FROSTSPINE Dragon Bust 1015, which used a variety of materials and took a while to organise the different materials that were needed into the AMS and configure the system.

Printing this started to point out the big difference between the old Bambu Lab multi-filament AMS systems and this new iteration. It's far more complex, and along with the printing guides that helped guide you through the setup, there’s definitely a greater skill required to get the most out of this machine.

It took two or three initial attempts before that model rattled off the print bed, taking several days to complete. I then moved on to the hummingbird frame, which was a simple multi-filament PLA mix, and here I really started to see the full potential, being able to mix the colours to create colours that weren’t directly available from a single filament but only once they were blended together, and the results were spectacular.

The only thing was that I accidentally used PLA support rather than PVA support, so once the final model printed, which took several days, it was going to be a long process to break away all of that support. The intricacy and delicacy of many of the models that you’re now able to print on this machine far exceed what you’ve been able to do before.

Through this whole process, the one thing that became apparent was that this is a far more hands-on machine, and there is an obvious learning curve, especially working with all the different toolheads, nozzle sizes, bypass filament feeds and potentially additional CraftTools. This is a very feature-enhanced workshop machine at a price that will appeal to both enthusiasts and professionals.

Bambu Lab H3C: Final verdict

In those six weeks of testing, I feel like I’ve only just started to scrape the surface of what’s possible, but there are several key points that I’ve learnt through this test. The first is that if you just want to get straight into printing, then there are cheaper machines out there which will enable you to do that. So if you only print with up to four filaments, which most people do, then the complexity of this machine might be just a little bit above what you need.

But then, as you start to embrace all its options and capabilities, and if you’re willing to sit down and learn about how to mix materials, how to use those different nozzle sizes together and obviously all those different filament types, then you have a 3D printer that is really quite different from anything that’s come before and sets the tone for what’s coming up in the future.

Whilst there are more than passing similarities with the INDX system, what Bambu Lab has done here is to evolve what it had done with its previous multi-filament systems and, with this new option, create something that is far more advanced.

With that increasing complexity come its own issues, and through the process of this review, I did have occasions where I had to rerun the full calibration as one of the nozzles wasn’t quite sitting right. Then there’s the whole bypass reconfiguration of the filament feed, which does get quite complex, but once you’ve done it once, you basically allocate one toolhead to TPU, still leaving you with eight for all other filaments.

The options and possibilities for this machine are huge, and through this review, I’ve just been incredibly impressed with the overall quality. Each firmware update has fixed some of the issues that I was having early on, such as the RFID not recognising filament reels and, for some reason, the auto-feed system suddenly not auto-feeding. But after the update, those issues were fixed.

I also had, as you might be able to see on the speaker set, a slight issue with surface finish, but then that’s because I was experimenting with some of those more advanced features, and this was the first time that I had configured the whole process myself in the software. Later, small models printed with much better quality, but again, this is all part of that learning process. As it stands, this printer is a definite evolution of what’s possible and an exciting glimpse into the future of 3D printing.

Should I buy the Bambu Lab H3C 3D printer?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more models, I've tested the best 3D printers you can get right now.

• Interested in Liquid Web? Check out the website here

Liquid Web: Plans and pricing

The entry Cloud VPS configuration quoted by Liquid Web's sales team uses one CPU core, 2GB of RAM, 60GB of SSD storage, and 2TB of bandwidth for $11 a month.

It is self-managed, with no control panel or backups, and the Amsterdam location costs the same as the US option. That is a reasonable raw-server price, but customers are responsible for the operating system, security, updates, and applications.

Pricing requires care. Liquid Web's public VPS page was still advertising a $5 1GB plan when I checked, but a sales agent said that plan was no longer available and directed me to the current $11 configuration.

A separate promotion reduced a 4GB, two-vCPU server from $17 to $8.50 for its first two months. The discounts are clearly labeled once found, but the mismatch between the landing page and the live sales information is unnecessarily confusing.

The low base price changes dramatically when Liquid Web's signature services are added. Sales confirmed that the 2GB server with full management and cPanel Admin Cloud 5 costs $86 a month in total. The least expensive Acronis option adds another $22 for 100GB, bringing that setup to $108 a month. Its default retention is seven daily, four weekly, and one monthly backup, and the schedule can be adjusted. Liquid Web's public managed VPS range starts at $72 a month for two vCPUs, 4GB of RAM, 80GB of SSD storage, and 3TB of bandwidth, before any separately priced options.

Managed WordPress is much cheaper. Spark Launch starts at $5 a month when billed annually and supports one site, 15GB of storage, and 2TB of bandwidth, with unlimited visits, daily backups retained for seven days, staging, Cloudflare Enterprise, DDoS protection, and a web application firewall. This is the more approachable choice for one WordPress site; VPS makes sense when the workload or need for server-level control justifies the extra complexity.

There is no free Cloud VPS trial, and sales confirmed that monthly Cloud VPS purchases are generally non-refundable. That is a material disadvantage when the useful managed configurations cost far more than their headline server price. Customers should finalize the location, management tier, panel, and backup requirements before ordering.

Liquid Web: Ease of use

Liquid Web's configurator provides unusually granular choices. Depending on the product, customers can select the server size, data center, operating system, self-managed, core managed, or fully managed support, and a control panel such as InterWorx, Plesk, or cPanel. Self-managed customers retain root access and handle administration themselves. Fully managed support adds operating system and control panel updates, security patches, monitoring, server-side troubleshooting, firewall configuration, and help with common software.

There is no demo account for exploring the customer portal before purchase. Even so, our hands-on VPS testing found the management interface clear and intuitive. Installing WordPress was straightforward, the AI site-building tool made it easy to create a starting point, and importing a prepared WordPress and WooCommerce site worked without the credential and database confusion encountered with InMotion Hosting.

Liquid Web also offers a dedicated migration team. On managed services, it can move website content, email, databases, and control panel accounts while coordinating the process to minimize downtime. That hands-on assistance is one reason to pay for management, particularly for agencies or businesses moving a revenue-generating site. Domain registration is not bundled with the server, and Liquid Web is not the natural choice for someone who wants a domain, email, site builder, and hosting in one inexpensive package.

Liquid Web: Speed and experience

Performance is where Liquid Web makes its strongest case. In our WordPress server benchmark, which measures CPU, memory, file operations, database performance, and network speed, Liquid Web produced an overall server score of 8.1 compared with InMotion Hosting's 6.1.

It scored 10 for small-file I/O, 9.66 for local file copying and access, 9.72 for simple database queries, 9.64 for complex database queries, and 9.53 in the network download test. Those are excellent results for a business-focused VPS and support its position as our best VPS host overall.

Our broader testing has been similarly positive. Liquid Web's main website earned an A and 100% performance score in GTmetrix, although its 6.8-second full load time showed why a single headline grade should not be read in isolation.

In a separate two-week UptimeRobot test of the same public site, we recorded no downtime and an average response time of around 107ms. These tests measure different aspects of performance, but both point to a fast and dependable platform.

Liquid Web backs its infrastructure with a 100% network uptime SLA. The wording matters: it guarantees that major routing devices in its network remain reachable from the global internet, rather than promising that every application will run without interruption. Even with that distinction, the guarantee is stronger than the 99.9% or 99.99% figures common among general-purpose hosts.

Liquid Web: Support

Support is available 24/7/365, with the scope depending on the chosen management tier. Self-managed customers receive network and hardware support, while core managed and fully managed plans progressively add operating system maintenance, monitoring, troubleshooting, panel support, and software assistance. The documentation is extensive, and customers can use live chat or open a support case from the portal.

My pre-sales check produced a human acknowledgment in 20 seconds, comfortably inside Liquid Web's advertised 59-second initial response target. The first substantive answer arrived after about four minutes. The agent clearly confirmed that the old $5 plan was unavailable, that Amsterdam carried no location surcharge, and that the $11 server included neither management, a control panel, nor backups.

After correcting a price typo, the agent confirmed the $86 total for the 2GB VPS with full management and cPanel, the $22 Acronis option, its retention schedule, and the lack of a standard refund. The answers were detailed rather than evasive, and the agent supplied configuration and policy links.

Sales also confirmed that Liquid Web still promotes a 59-second response target, although its current SLA describes initial chat and help-desk response times as goals rather than guarantees. I liked the directness of the exchange, even if the four-minute wait for a full answer shows that a fast initial response is not the same as an immediate resolution.

Liquid Web: The competition

ScalaHosting is the more approachable managed VPS alternative. Its SPanel ecosystem bundles many hosting-management tasks into a lower-cost package and suits users who want to avoid cPanel licensing fees.

In our direct WordPress benchmark comparison, ScalaHosting scored 8.3 against Liquid Web's 8.1, so performance was closely matched rather than a clear Liquid Web victory. Liquid Web offers deeper infrastructure choices and a broader high-end range, but the price difference becomes substantial once equivalent management, panel, and backup options are selected.

Cloudways takes a different approach by managing servers from infrastructure providers such as DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, and Google Cloud. It is easier to enter at a moderate monthly cost and is especially attractive for WordPress, but it does not offer cPanel and does not provide the same conventional managed-server relationship. Liquid Web is the stronger fit when infrastructure control, migration help, and an experienced server support team matter more than the lowest monthly bill.

Liquid Web: Final verdict

Liquid Web remains one of the best choices for businesses that need a serious VPS rather than a cheap hosting account. Its benchmark results are excellent, its server configurations are flexible, and its support team gives specific, technically useful answers. Those strengths justify its position as our best VPS host overall for demanding sites, agencies, and customers who value managed infrastructure.

It is not the best-value option for everyone. The $11 entry server is a bare self-managed configuration, the website still shows a discontinued $5 offer, Cloud VPS purchases are generally non-refundable, and a representative managed configuration can exceed $100 once cPanel and backups are included. Beginners with one modest WordPress site should consider the managed WordPress range or a conventional shared host instead.

Choose Liquid Web when performance, configuration freedom, migration assistance, and capable support are worth paying for. Choose ScalaHosting or Cloudways when easier entry pricing matters more. Liquid Web earns four stars because its premium experience is convincing, but its pricing needs to be read all the way through the configurator rather than judged by the headline figure.

I don’t like Fairphone’s products because they’re more environmentally-friendly and repairable than anything else on the market (though they’re all definitely perks). I like them because they always offer something a little different to make them recommendable as some of the best wireless headphones by their own merits.

Last year’s Fairbuds XL 2025 over-ears, for example, had the best controls I’ve used on a pair of headphones before or since (and remain the best-looking cans I’ve reviewed too). And now the Fairphone Fairbuds 2 are here, with a little design decision I didn’t know I wanted so much.

Fairphone is best known for its mobiles, like the recent Fairphone 6 Plus; its whole modus operandi is making green tech (eco-friendly, not colored, although they’re usually also colored green). The brand dabbles in audio too, though, alternating between releasing new earbuds or headphones every other year, and after the original Fairbuds launched in 2024, a new pair are here.

Like the last pair, these are relatively affordable earbuds — 'expensive budget' or 'cheap mid-range' might suffice as definitions — which are great for eco-friendly buyers. They let you enjoy your listening safe in the knowledge that your buying choice was made from renewable energy, using plentiful recycled parts, and won’t impose planet-unfriendly, water usurping AI features on your device.

And then there’s the unexpected bonus. Earlier this year, a fairly shocking study revealed that basically all headphones are coated in PFAS, or forever chemicals, which had people wondering whether they're rubbing toxins on their ears and head. As someone who uses these products for a living, I was a little alarmed to read this, and I’ve been pretty conscious of my listening since then, usually opting for speakers over headphones when I can help it.

It won’t surprise you to learn that the Fairbuds 2 have none of these ‘forever chemicals’, and I could listen for as long as I wanted without worrying about the effects of doing so. It’s hard to put a price on peace of mind, but for music listening, the Fairbuds 2 provide just that.

But I’ve beaten about the bush long enough: beyond health and eco concerns, just how good are these things? Well, the reason I’ve beaten about the bush so much is that “yeah, they’re just fine,” isn't engaging copy.

Design-wise, these are pretty simple buds, with a hardy and light carry case, and pretty feature-light design. There’s little to distinguish them from other buds however, beyond their lack of discernible features. Being pretty plain isn’t the end of the world, and they fit fine.

They’re not the best-sounding earbuds I’ve tested by any stretch of the imagination, but they’re fine for the price if you can look past some rough edges.

I found the ANC pretty good, though it takes its toll on a battery life which roughly matches their price-competitive AirPods rivals (that is to say, it’s not very long). An app brings some extra features, including some of the most effective audio EQ presets I’ve heard from earbuds — if you like customizing your music but aren’t familiar with equalizers, it’s a great option.

If it wasn’t for the Fairphone touch, these would just be middling wireless earbuds that’d disappear behind the competition. But the eco-friendly appeal, their repairability plus the absence of toxic chemicals, all make them far easier to recommend.

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Price and release date

• Released in October in Europe, November US
• Sells for $119 / £99 (about AU$200)
• Cheaper than AirPods 5, which is all that matters

Fairphone unveiled the Fairbuds 2 on October 14, 2026, roughly two years after the release of the original pair and a year after the reimagined Fairbuds XL 2025 over-ears. They went on sale immediately in Europe, but US buyers had to wait until November 2.

You can buy the Fairbuds 2 for $119 / £99 (about AU$200) — Fairphone doesn’t sell its tech in Australia. The brand is increasing its presence in the US; while the original buds did sell there, it only began selling phones earlier this year with the Fairphone 6 Plus.

That phone makes the Fairbuds 2 slightly pricier than their predecessors in the US, but cheaper in the UK; the original Fairbuds went for $99 / £129. Despite this reshuffle, they’re still more affordable than the cheapest version of AirPods 5 (which will set you back $129 / £129 / AU$219), and the Fairphone option actually has ear tips.

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Specs

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Features

• 6-hour battery life isn't amazing
• ANC is surprisingly solid
• App has EQ including useful presets

According to Fairphone, the earbuds last for 6 hours of listening with ANC on, or 8 hours off; that’s not a very competitive spec, all things considered. In my own testing, I’d say I got a little extra time on those figures, but not enough that I can call the battery life ‘good’. Apple's base model AirPods 5 only last for 4 hours with ANC; the step-up model with wireless charging support last 5 with ANC (or 7 without it) so it's a little better than that, but not by much.

The case provides up to 40 hours of battery life, which is a little better (Apple's step-up model only offers 22), but that spec is for ANC-off listening. An ANC-on figure isn’t provided, but I’d estimate it’s about 32 hours.

The ANC is more impressive — I’ll confess, I wasn’t expecting Fairphone to have created top-of-the-class noise cancellation. While this doesn’t match the likes of Soundcore or Bose, the Fairbuds 2 were surprisingly effective at stripping out noisy backgrounds or the kinds of sporadic sounds that other buds struggle with.

The Fairbuds app is pretty basic, but it’s not strictly necessary; I’d used the buds for two whole weeks before I decided to download it to my phone.

The app lets you toggle between ANC modes (on, off, or transparency), see the charge levels, play with an EQ and presets, and set up multipoint connectivity, although I couldn’t find the option to do so myself. There’s also a Find My Earbuds tool which lets you summon both the left or right bud, and this is a feature you don’t always see in earbuds.

The equalizer is a simple five-band one, but I was surprised how effective the five presets are: Balanced, Bass Boost, Treble Boost and Voice all had significant impacts on the sound profile, in a way that I see being really useful for those who like their audio a certain way and don’t want to play with the custom EQ mode. I found Voice useful for spoken-word content, as it did a great job at maintaining the reader’s voice while dampening other sounds.

• Features score: 4 / 5

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Design

• Small, hardy carry case
• Simplistic buds which fit well
• Eco-friendly, chemical-free design

In one way, the Fairphone Fairbuds 2 are some of the most basic-looking buds there can be, but modest looks hide the real selling point of these options. But we’ll get to that later.

Firstly, the case: it’s a small cylinder, weighing 64g (when the buds are inside) and opening in a clam-shell form. You get the basics: a pairing button, a USB-C port, plus a handy three-LED strip to show you how charged your buds are. Handy! The case is made of plastic that’s so solid that I initially thought it was metal, and it feels more robust than most at protecting your buds.

Next, the buds: unlike the first-gen models, these are stem-toting options, and they look far too simplistic to be confused with AirPods: there’s the in-ear bud, a straight and flat stem, and nothing much else (well, other than some lovely responsive touch controls). They weigh 5.8g each.

When I first started testing them, the Fairbuds 2 felt a little loose in the ear; I thought I had another Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro situation going on. But quite quickly they took to my ear, and after the second day they fit perfectly. So if you've just bought a pair, and are having problems, just give them time.

Now for the whole point of the Fairbuds: Fairphone’s eco credentials. The brand is at the forefront of eco-friendly tech, using eco-friendly materials and processes when possible, and in the buds that means the speaker magnets and solder is all recycled material, while the cobalt, copper, gold and silver are all fairly mined or sourced. The eco-friendly-ness doesn’t just keep your conscience clean, though, because it manifests in a few great ways.

Firstly, these things are completely repairable, so if they break you can buy and replace one part instead of needing new buds. There are seven parts in all, all of which can be replaced using a simple screwdriver. Also in the Fairbuds 2, the earbuds don’t use PFAS, or forever chemicals – you can listen for as long as you want without any fear of the chemicals and their as-yet-unknown effects on the human body.

You can buy the FairBuds 2 in green or black, but if you’re going for green tech, I don’t see why you shouldn’t also be buying green-colored tech. The buds themselves have an IP54 protection against dust and splashes, but the case doesn’t have an official rating.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Sound quality

• 11mm driver per bud
• Prominent bass downs out treble
• Supports LDAC playback on supported phones

The Fairphone Fairbuds 2 come with 11mm dynamic drivers, working as jacks of all trades to cover the audio spectrum.

As fairly affordable earbuds go, the Fairbuds 2 are just fine — you’re not getting any obvious issues like tinny audio, overblown bass or a lackluster sound profile, and so I can’t give them a bad sound score. But there are a few audible issues which it’s worth flagging.

I’d call these buds bass-first, because low-end has more heft than high-end, and it does mean that sometimes vocals can lack the sparkle they deserve. In something like Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Factory of Faith or Dispatch’s May We All, the singers sound like they’ve lost an argument with their bassists and rhythm guitarists, and in Macklemore’s Hind’s Hall the drums and bass keep distracting you from the lyrics.

Bass, while prominent, is perhaps not especially refined; the lack of a bespoke low-end-focused driver here is noticeable. Low-end has power prominence but less direction or distinction than you’d hope. It results in a low-end that sometimes sounds just fine, other times a little rumbly.

In Tom Petty’s Supernatural Radio, for example, the bass riff sounds meaty until the other instruments come in, making it sound indistinct. However with the later guitar and piano solo, the bass drowns out the higher-pitched parts.

These are the first buds I’ve tested in about a month in which I can really hear a song’s mids, though, so props go to Fairphone for not leaning too hard into popular sound profiles. However I did notice peaking in certain songs around the high-end.

It’s easy to point out the issues in the Fairbuds 2, because some rivals at this price point are putting out frankly incredible options, but I should clarify that the buds are still pretty good, and most people will be perfectly happy with them.

For some technical specs, the buds support LDAC if you’re using a compatible Android phone, and use the Bluetooth 6.0 standard.

• Sound quality: 3.5 / 5

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Value

• You get what you pay for: solid, reasonably-priced earbuds
• However, there are some fantastic alternatives at the price

The Fairbuds 2 straddle the border between affordable and mid-range earbuds, but given that the brand's tech generally comes with a green premium, I'm happy to consider these a more affordable option.

If I were to close my eyes, and picture buds at this price, I'd basically envision the Fairphones; they audio quality, feature set and design all roughly match what you'd expect from the price. Fine value for money...

... if it wasn't for the fact that it's a really competitive market segment, with some stellar alternatives.

• Value: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Fairphone Fairbuds 2?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Fairphone Fairbuds 2 review: Also consider

Looking for alternative in-ears? Here are a few alternatives at the same price point.

How I tested the Fairphone Faurbuds 2

• Tested for three weeks
• Paired with Android phone for Bluetooth playback
• Used on holiday as well as use at home and around neighborhood.

I used the Fairphone Fairbuds 2 for about three weeks before writing this review; I used them back-to-back with the Huawei FreeBuds Neo, generally bringing them both with me on trips.

In this testing time I went on holiday, so they got time on flights, train and coach trips, and I also used them at the gym, at home and on walks around my local area.

For the entirety of the testing time, the buds were connected to my Samsung phone. I listened to Spotify, played from my high-res collection, played games, conducted video calls and watched videos to test them out.

I've tested most of Fairphone's gadgets since I joined TechRadar in 2019, including the Fairbuds XL 2025 last year, and also have experience reviewing plenty of other earbuds from a range of brands (including almost every other pair mentioned in the review)>

• First reviewed in October 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Sometimes these improvements are minor, like additional transitions, or season-specific effects, while others introduce new tools or refine existing ones.

So, I wanted to see what’s changed and what's new, and whether it's still one of the best video editing software options out there (spoiler: it is, but it's easier to recommend on Windows over macOS).

CyberLink PowerDirector 365: Price & availability

• Perpetual license and subscription options
• Reasonable pricing

Cyberlink’s PowerDirector is mostly a multi-platform tool - I say mostly because although you can run it on the Mac and PC, there isn’t full feature parity between the two versions. In fact, the PC version gets updated much more frequently. With that in mind, I’ll be looking at the PC version in this review.

As for the cost, although Cyberlink pushes you (hard) to rent their software, there is an option to buy a perpetual licence, which you can do for $140. Existing owners of versions 2024 and 2025 can upgrade for $90. You won’t get access to as many features, and you can only take advantage of any future updates for a year, but at least you won’t need to pay any more.

If you prefer renting, and enjoying all the latest additions as and when they’re released, the usual price is $80 per year, but as of this writing, you can subscribe for $55, which is the equivalent of around $4.60 a month, much cheaper than some of its competition.

Thankfully, a free trial is also available - no credit card required - which allows you to test the software, and make sure it does what you need it to do, before deciding which financial route you’d like to take.

CyberLink PowerDirector 365: Interface

• Well-organized interface
• Clear navigation

Launch PowerDirector and you’ll be graced with its welcome screen. From there, you can of course click on ‘New Project’ and get into the editing side of things (more on that in a minute), but that’s not all that window has to offer. You’ll find a handful of large icons, most of which offer quick drag-and-drop effects.

They’re there if you’ve already got a video clip or exported project which you wish to alter with one specific effect throughout. Click on one of those icons, a pop up window appears, drop a clip onto it, and the software will get working. Convenient, yes, but editing this isn’t. So let’s check out the editing side of things.

We’ve reached the stage now in terms of interface development, that if you’ve seen one video editor, you’ve pretty much seen them all. I don’t view that as a bad thing: it makes it easy to switch between them; aside from having a sidebar on the right instead of on the left, or similar, it should take you seconds to find your way around PowerDirector’s interface.

You’ll find a list of icons, top left, which control the top third of the interface. These allow you to switch between your clips, and specific functions, such as titles, transitions, effects, and so on. Top right is the preview section; it’s linked either to your timeline (which takes up the bottom half of the interface) or any selected clip in your media section.

Unlike Premiere Pro, the interface isn’t customisable. You work with what you get. It’s even more inflexible than Final Cut Pro - and I thought FCP was strict! - but at the end of the day, that’s not entirely a bad thing: it means you can sit in front of any computer with PowerDirector installed and know where everything is. That’s a big plus in my book. But the price for that familiarity is a rigid interface. A price worth paying? That would depend on your preference and workflow.

CyberLink PowerDirector 365: Tools

• Everything you need to edit a video
• Free to add effects, transitions, and titles

Everything you need to edit a video project is there for you to use. The timeline has multiple layers, so you can end up making a relatively complex movie. You’ll find various animated titles, Transitions, Effects, Particles, Stickers, and more, all ready to spruce up your edit. They are all excellent and well crafted.

If you’re on a subscription, it’s all available to you, but if you’re working with the free version, you’ll encounter some serious limitations: most of these tools are ‘premium’ ones; you can recognise them thanks to a small black crown inside a yellow circle, top left of a tool’s icon. Despite that, you’ll still be able to insert them into your project, but when it comes to exporting it, you’ll be offered the option of forking out some of your money to be able to use them, or having them automatically removed prior to rendering.

Some tools can’t be accessed unless you log in to your CyberLink account (which is free to setup). That’s because they’re AI-based and require credits to function. You do get 100 credits per month with a subscription, and any additional credit packs are reduced by 50% as long as you keep paying, but you can also get these packs at full price while using the free version. They start at 100, and go up to 2,000, and obviously the more you buy, the cheaper each individual credit gets.

Editing is simple, but it could be easier, mind you. if you're used to using keyboard shortcuts, you'll want to check out the company's learning guide here on how to use them.

CyberLink PowerDirector 365: Editing

• A great editing platform (layering order notwithstanding)
• A wealth of very well done effects, transitions, templates and titles

When it comes to editing, proper editing I mean, with fingers, a keyboard and a mouse or trackpad, and not a text prompt in sight, PowerDirector is pretty darn good at it.

There are however two approaches when working with multiple layers of media. One replicates what happens in the real world: place a sheet of paper on top of another, and you can no longer see the one that’s underneath.

The other does the opposite: the sheet on the bottom is the one you see. I personally prefer the former, but Cyberlink have designed their interface on the latter. Either approach works. It’s just a question of preference and of getting used to it.

Aside from that personal inconvenience, I found PowerDirector to be an extremely competent video editor. As you’d expect, you’re offered Titles, Effects, Transitions, and even Overlays and Templates to add to your project. Many are free to use with the trial version, but some, those with a yellow crown icon on their thumbnails are premium effects. You can add them, but you won’t be able to export your work without paying.

Subtitles are added manually (a chore), by importing a compatible SRT or TXT file (a better option), or by spending credits to let AI do the work for you (the rise of the machines).

Whether you use AI or not, this is an excellent video editor with great looking effects that are easy to add to your project. I found myself editing very quickly with it, even though I’m no fan of their layer order.

CyberLink PowerDirector 365: AI

• Fully embraces AI tools
• You’ll need credits to use them, or edit without ever touching them

With each passing year, CyberLink makes a greater and greater emphasis on AI in PowerDirector, essentially encouraging you to let AI do all the heavy lifting for you.

For instance with ‘AI Storytelling’, you get to import your shots, choose an AI narrator (or let PowerDirector clone your own voice - which absolutely, definitely isn’t freaky at all), select the type of movie you’d like it to create and let it get on with it. Of course, you have control over some settings, but if a machine did all the work for you, did you actually do anything at all?

Or course, any feature that needs to offload its work to an online server will cost you AI credits. If you’re renting the software you’ll have 100 of those each month, and you can also earn 3 additional credits every day, although you need to collect these manually to get them. Be aware that all these credits do not roll over and expire after 30 days.

If you’re into AI, there’s a lot there to appreciate. In addition to letting a machine edit for you, you can use AI to create a talking avatar, using audio imported for that purpose, or a typed script which will be converted into audio for you.

If you’ve run out of media to use, and can’t find anything suitable through free online media libraries, like Pexels.com, PowerDirector’s AI can generate video or images for you.

It can create cinematic shorts, allow you to edit by chatting to it through a text prompt, even transform images into video. Like I said, the push for AI is strong. So strong in fact, the software’s subtitle is "Edit like a pro with AI”.

And if you’re really into AI, you’ll know how credit-hungry these features are, and 100 a month (or 190 if you manage to get those 3 free credits each day) won’t be enough to satiate your appetite. Thankfully, you can buy more. There’s a sliding scale the more you buy; for instance, 1,000 credits will cost you $60, whereas 50 go for $6. Additionally, purchased credits are valid for one year.

CyberLink PowerDirector 365: Latest updates

• Regular updates
• Most tentpole features are AI-based

This is actually one great advantage of this software: the developers constantly release new features and improve its tools.

Some of the latest include pretty powerful AI-based ones. One feature I liked is ‘Auto-Reframe’, which analyses your project and crops it so it looks great on any platform, whether the video ends up being 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1.

Aside from the usual refinement of existing functionality (something that’s always welcome), the very latest features as of this writing, include ‘Text to Video’. The title says it all really, but you also have the ability to upload a reference image so the algorithm has some idea of what you’re after.

Essentially all the major new features added this year are AI-based. It’s AI all the way down with PowerDirector, including ‘Text to Image’, and ‘AI Storytelling’ (the feature where a computer pretty much does your project for you, with you guiding it along the way).

Should I buy CyberLink PowerDirector 365?

Buy it if...

You’re looking for a video editor brimming with AI tools that can help do a lot of the editing work for you.

Don't buy it if...

You feel the world is going too AI crazy, and would prefer using your brain, fingers and mouse to build an edit rather than let a machine do it for you.

How I tested CyberLink PowerDirector 365

Although Cyberlink PowerDirector is available for both Macs and PCs, there isn’t feature parity between the two platforms and, unsurprisingly, most of the latest and coolest toys (ie new features) are on the PC side of the equation, so I grabbed my venerable Core i5 PC laptop and fired it up.

It’s obviously not a top of the line machine, but it shows that despite that, PowerDirector still performed admirably. While some software demands ever more power, this one worked well on what is now considered a mid-range computer, which is definitely a tick in PowerDirector’s favour.

You most definitely don’t need the latest and greatest hardware to run this video editor on (probably because all the AI stuff doesn’t rely on your computer’s specs, but is sent to a server somewhere in the world which handles all the heavy lifting).

That formula continues to work. Shockbyte is our best game server hosting for beginners and our best cheap game server host for simplicity. The new Shockbyte Panel strengthens that case, although the buying and setup journey is not quite as polished as the dashboard itself.

With that in mind, I bought the cheapest Minecraft plan and worked through provisioning, backups, server instances, plugins, files, support, and the self-service refund process.

Shockbyte: Plans and pricing

Shockbyte's Minecraft range starts with the Dirt plan, which includes 1GB RAM and is intended for a small, basic server. The standard month-to-month price shown at checkout was $3.99.

My order received a 30% recurring discount, reducing both the amount due immediately and the monthly charge to $2.79. Europe added nothing to the bill, and the order summary clearly separated the free backup and instance tiers from optional extras. That is unusually transparent for a low-cost hosting checkout.

The broader lineup scales through plans such as Cobblestone and Redstone to 16GB RAM at the top end. Current plans include NVMe storage, unlimited bandwidth, DDoS protection, a free subdomain, and access to the custom panel. Shockbyte advertises a 100% network uptime guarantee. The main purchasing decision is therefore how much memory the game, player count, and chosen mods need rather than which management features are unlocked.

The cheapest plan is compelling for a lightly configured private world, but 1GB leaves little headroom. Shockbyte's own interface showed 475MB of the available 1GB in use while my new Vanilla server was idle. Heavier modpacks require a larger plan: for example, RLCraft's installation notes recommend 3GB to 4GB, despite the catalog presenting it with an Install button on my 1GB server. Buyers should size by the software they actually plan to run, not simply choose the lowest price.

The refund window remains only 72 hours, which is shorter than the guarantees offered by many general web hosts. The process itself is excellent. Manage plan showed that my server was eligible, explained that the refund would return to the original payment method within one to seven business days. It also handled the request without making me open a ticket. The plan was marked refunded and the server suspended immediately.

Shockbyte: Ease of use

The current setup experience is substantially different from Shockbyte's old two-login workflow. The order confirmation led into the same account and then a guided server wizard. I chose a private Minecraft server, Vanilla, the Stable release channel, version 26.3, and automatic Java selection. These choices were explained well enough that a first-time administrator would not need to know the differences before starting.

The operator and whitelist steps were less polished. The wizard would not let me leave the player field blank, even though an administrator may reasonably want to make that decision later. I removed the temporary entry from the console once the server was live.

There was another small disconnect with backups: I enabled recurring backups in the wizard, but the setting did not carry into the finished server, so I created the schedule again from the Backups page.

The panel improves considerably after setup. Its overview places console output, CPU and RAM use, player count, and common game settings on one screen. The left navigation gives quick access to files, configuration, plugins, modpacks, instances, and backups without burying basic controls under an advanced-server vocabulary. I found it fast and easy to navigate, and the live console made it obvious when a change had completed successfully.

Shockbyte's server instances are particularly useful. The free tier allowed two configurations, so I added a Paper 26.3 instance alongside the original Vanilla server.

The panel warned that switching could take three to five minutes, but the whole change completed in about 15 seconds in my test. Only one instance runs at a time, which is sensible at this price, but being able to preserve separate setups makes experimentation much safer.

The modpack browser is broad and inviting, with search, filtering, curated listings, and URL, ZIP, or MRPACK imports. It is one of the strongest reasons to recommend Shockbyte to beginners, but it also exposes the main weakness in the plan guidance: demanding packs should display a clear RAM warning before installation, rather than relying on the customer to research requirements separately.

Shockbyte: Speed and experience

Shockbyte offers server regions across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. I selected Germany for the new server, and the panel displayed an estimated latency of 78ms from my connection.

The Vanilla process then reported that it had finished starting in 2.247 seconds. When I switched to Paper, the control panel and console completed the full change in roughly 15 seconds, far faster than the warning suggested.

Our gameplay testing on a European Minecraft server also produced a steady 30ms to 35ms ping, with no downtime or noticeable deterioration as more players joined. The experience remained stable for a standard Minecraft world, helped by sensible maintenance and avoiding more mods or plugins than the selected RAM could comfortably handle.

Those results support Shockbyte's reputation for dependable entry-level game hosting, while the current panel makes resource limits much easier to see than before.

Backups were quick once configured directly in the panel. The free tier provided three backup slots and 10.5GB of total storage, with the first backup guaranteed to fit. I set a daily schedule, retained the latest three copies, and enabled automatic replacement of the oldest backup.

The first 124.9MB backup completed in around 15 seconds. I liked the allowance and the clear retention controls; I simply wish the onboarding choice had survived the move into the live server.

Shockbyte: Support

Shockbyte's strongest support resource remains its knowledge base. It covers setup, server types, files, plugins, backups, locations, common Minecraft problems, and advanced tasks in clear steps, while the company's YouTube library provides visual walkthroughs. The panel also links relevant guides from the feature being used, which is often faster than waiting for an agent.

Direct support is more uneven. The automated assistant responded immediately and correctly explained that the optional Server Management add-on covers hands-on installation work, while customers can still use the panel's Files, Backups, and Modpacks tools themselves.

However, it could not confirm whether the promotional discount recurs, whether Europe costs extra, or how the Dirt plan's free tiers apply, so it escalated the questions to billing. More than eight hours later, I still had no human answer; the checkout ultimately supplied the missing pricing details.

That experience matches the main reservation from our longer-term use: answers are generally useful once they arrive, but support speed can be inconsistent. There is no telephone support, so customers with urgent issues depend on the ticket queue. The extensive self-help material softens the problem for routine tasks, but it does not replace a prompt human response when a billing or account question falls outside the bot's documentation.

Shockbyte: Final verdict

Shockbyte is still an easy recommendation for beginners who want a Minecraft server without turning server administration into a second hobby.

The entry price is excellent, the new panel is far better than the old workflow, and routine jobs such as creating an instance, installing a plugin, browsing files, and scheduling backups are quick and understandable. That combination makes a convincing case for its place as our best game server host for beginners and one of the best cheap options for simplicity.

It is not completely frictionless. Mandatory player fields in the wizard are unnecessary, the backup setting selected during onboarding did not persist, and the modpack catalog should warn more clearly when a pack is too demanding for the purchased RAM. Support follow-up can also be slow.

These are real annoyances, but none cancels out the value of a $3.99 monthly starting price, a useful free backup tier, and a panel that handles complex tasks without making them feel complex.

Choose Shockbyte if you want low-cost, managed Minecraft hosting with room to experiment. More experienced administrators who want full operating-system control may be better served by a VPS, while large modpacks and busy communities should skip the 1GB tier and budget for more memory. For its intended audience, however, Shockbyte remains fast to set up, approachable to manage, and very hard to beat on price.

Proton VPN review scores

Proton VPN price plans

• Proton VPN starts from $2.99 per month.
• Lower auto-renewal price increases than most other VPNs.
• Proton Unlimited bundles other Proton products with the VPN.

Unlike many top VPNs, Proton VPN doesn’t offer tiered pricing. Instead, there is a single paid plan (alongside the Proton VPN Free product). This plan is offered in three lengths: 1-month, 1-year, and 2-year. The price of the plan drops as the length increases. All of these plans do, however, come with a 10-device limit, much like NordVPN.

We always recommend picking up the two-year plan, since it is the cheapest overall. As with all VPNs, you pay the full cost upfront. Just make sure you turn off auto-renewals, so you’re not stung by unwanted price rises. That said, Proton’s price rises are almost non-existent.

Right now, picking up a 2-year plan costs $2.99/month, paid as $71.76 upfront, and renews at $83.88 every 12 months (or $167.76 over two years). By comparison, NordVPN Basic costs $80.73 for the first two years, then auto-renews at $312.93 for the next two years – and that’s including far fewer features than you’d get with Proton.

NordVPN also charges VAT on top of these costs, making the overall price rise even further both on initial sign-up and at renewal. By comparison, Proton’s price is all you pay; tax is included in the advertised cost, barely a renewal increase, little to worry about.

What's more, it's important to remember that Proton Plus is compared here to all of the other entry-level plans of our recommended VPNs. It comes with features that aren't available with other VPNs unless you go up a price tier. So, Proton VPN is, in fact, far better value than it appears.

One option you do have with Proton is to upgrade to its Proton Unlimited plan. This plan gives you Proton VPN, and all its features, but also Proton Mail, Pass, Calendar, and Drive. So, if you want added security for your emails, photo storage, or personal events, you can get it all bundled into one package.

Proton Unlimited costs only a fraction more than NordVPN’s super-premium Prime Plan. That's $191.76 for two years compared to $186.03. What’s more, you’re not stung with the huge price increase you’d face with NordVPN, and you can access a whole suite of products.

What's quite astounding is that a single, on-off month of Proton Unlimited is actually cheaper than a one-month plan from any other of the best VPNs. For only $12.99, you get the full Proton experience, including all its apps and features.

For comparison, 1 month of NordVPN Basic (which gives just the VPN and basic Threat Protection) is the same price, while one month of Surfshark Starter is even more at $15.45.

So, for one month of security, Proton will struggle to be beaten. If you don’t need the additional Drive, Pass, Mail, and Calendar apps, Proton VPN for 1 month is only $9.99 with all features included too, so you’re always going to save compared to even its biggest rivals.

All of this sits Proton VPN somewhere in the middle for value. At regular two-year pricing it's in the same ballpark as NordVPN and ExpressVPN. It's only Surfshark that is significantly cheaper out of our top choices.

Score: 8/10

Features: What can Proton VPN do?

• Ad blocking from NetShield is excellent.
• Profiles are a very handy feature.
• Fewer tangible features than other top VPNs.

Proton’s one-price-gives-all approach means you get the full suite of VPN features straight away. That said, it doesn’t offer a great deal in terms of add-ons.

NetShield is the primary example of this. As Proton VPN’s biggest additional feature, NetShield blocks your device from ads, trackers, malware sites, and phishing sites. It works at a system level, meaning no additional installs for browsers or apps; they’re all automatically protected.

It is highly effective at blocking ads online. However, in our most recent testing we noticed a drop off in performance concerning the blocking of phishing and malware sites.

Testing it across Windows, Android, and iOS, we never saw it impact our battery life, nor did we encounter issues with most apps or websites despite the warnings Proton gives that problems may occur.

The only sites that struggled were streaming sites. VPN ad-blockers and streaming sites are known enemies, especially when the streaming site is regional and relies on ads to run. We’ll cover this in more depth in the unblocking section later.

Profiles are another key tool in Proton’s arsenal. While some VPNs have functionality to auto-connect on using specific apps or WiFi connections, Profiles goes a step further.

Proton’s solution allows users to create multiple, uniquely tailored settings combinations, 'profiles', for when using the VPN in specific situations. The profiles can be tailored to according to:

• Server type (Standard, Secure Core, P2P)
• Country selection
• Whether NetShield is turned on or off
• Whether port forwarding is turned on or off
• What protocol you use (WireGuard, Stealth, OpenVPN)
• What NAT type

It’s also got what Proton calls ‘Connect and Go’, which allows you to pick an app or website that loads automatically when you turn on your profile.

In testing, we set up a ‘US Streaming’ profile. We used WireGuard UDP and turned NetShield off to avoid ad-blocker issues, and auto-loaded Peacock so we could get straight to watching shows. It worked flawlessly every time.

Usefully, the profiles you create also appear on Proton’s mobile widgets if you’ve connected to them recently. That means you don’t even need to enter the app to get streaming if you’re on the go and want to save time.

On desktop, you can also pin any profile you create to the top of your recents list. Similarly, the browser extension now features 'Recent Connections' at the top of its Location List, allowing you to jump back onto your most frequently used servers in a single click.

I really like Proton VPN's profiles. They're easily accessible, work flawlessly, and supremely helpful, top marks!

Proton recently added "Exclude locations" for Android (allowing users to blacklist specific cities from "Quick Connect") and a "Discreet Icon" feature, which lets users hide the VPN app as a decoy (e.g., a calculator) to bypass physical device inspections.

The final unique aspect of Proton VPN’s experience is VPN Accelerator. It supposedly increases performance by up to 400%.

We’ll get into the results of that later, but it works by splitting the processing needed to handle VPN traffic across multiple processors rather than just one.

This reduces the risk of overload to the processor, which would impact performance and result in reduced speeds for a user. It's on automatically for paid Proton VPN users and it’s unavailable for those on the free plan. We recommend leaving it that way to ensure the best speeds.

That's it for Proton's features, and, while it's not a lot, as I say, it functions well, and there are plenty of 'added value' features on other VPNs that don't.

I'd like to see Proton offer a little more with its VPN going forward but, if all you need is a VPN, then you shouldn't have any complaints.

Score: 7/10

Server network and locations

• Expanded global network now offering 195 total locations across 149 countries.
• Leading location counts in Africa (33) and Asia (51), outperforming rivals like NordVPN.
• Well-above-average coverage in Europe, Oceania, and South America, though trailing in US city options (22 locations)

Proton VPN offers an even broader global spread with 195 total locations across 149 countries, further expanding its lead for total country coverage.

While the number of locations and countries can be a good indicator of a provider’s spread, it’s never perfect. Often the global spread of these servers can be more telling.

Of all the top-tier VPNs we test, Proton VPN offers the strongest network presence across Africa (33 locations vs. NordVPN's 30) and Asia (51 locations vs. NordVPN's 43). It also maintains well-above-average server distribution across Europe, Oceania, and South America.

Where Proton is most lacking by comparison is in the US, offering 22 US locations compared to the 55 offered by both ExpressVPN and NordVPN. However, 22 locations across the US remains more than sufficient for the vast majority of users

It's important to put that in context, though. Proton company mission is to provide private and secure internet access to all, and that's very much reflected in the server spread of its VPN network.

While it might not have as big a concentration in certain areas – mainly North American and Europe Proton makes sure its product is available to as may parts of the globe as possible. That also means it can open up servers and provide free access in times of trouble for local people.

The latest infrastructure expansion adds 7 new server locations across 4 new countries, introducing servers in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo), China (Shenzhen), Guinea (Conakry), Kosovo (Pristina), Palestine (Nablus), UAE (Fujairah), and Zimbabwe (Harare). This further reinforces Proton's commitment to delivering secure access in regions with restrictive internet access.

Proton has regularly become a popular choice for people during periods of heightened internet censorship. Recently, Proton recorded an 8,000% increase in sign-ups from people in Uganda during the country's elections and the associated internet shutdown. The company also recorded a spike in interest in Argentina after two popular streaming platforms were blocked.

That's a unique and laudable pillar of Proton VPN identity. It's a great reason to choose Proton if you live in these areas of the world or your likely to travel to them for work. These are also areas where internet restrictions can be toughest, and present a very immediate need for privacy software.

It's also important to realize that Proton has a large number of servers in its network and that makes it good for handling the ebbs and flows of capacity needs.

Proton’s total number of servers currently sits at nearly 20,000 (19,704 at the time of our latest research). This is not only a huge jump from the 5,000 Proton claimed to have back in June 2024, but also puts the VPN provider far in advance of almost any other.

The more servers a provider has in total, the less likely your connection is to be impacted by excessive server load which, in turn, can lead to reduced download speeds and increased latency or jitter. Those are both things to be avoided if you're looking for a gaming VPN or streaming VPN with consistent, high-speed connections the ideal.

Among Proton’s many locations are some virtual locations. Using virtual servers is common among even the top VPNs, but it’s refreshing to see Proton’s level of transparency surrounding the matter.

That said, it’s not perfect. In our testing, it was quickly apparent that the app lacks clear visual indicators for virtual servers. For instance, the Windows app currently doesn't display any icons to let you know a server is Smart Routed.

What’s more, we found a few instances where these virtual locations didn't appear to connect from exactly where Proton VPN’s website said they were hosted.

However, it's worth noting that the vast majority of servers were hosted exactly where Proton claimed they were. The few exceptions we found were generally hosted in neighboring countries, which is unlikely to cause a noticeable performance drop.

It's most likely that Proton's website server lists are just a bit out of date, rather than anything nefarious.

The real diversion from the norm for Proton's server network, though, is that it doesn't use RAM-only servers. Proton believes the security benefits of such servers are minimal and consequently not worthwhile, which they explain in a blog post.

Instead, Proton runs full disk encryption on their servers. This means that even if a server were to be taken away, it would not be possible to access the server certificates that might allow bad actors to create an attack, or attempt to track customers.

Alongside these servers are Proton’s own Secure Core servers. These servers are owned and run by Proton itself, stored in high-security locations, including a former military base and an underground data center, and form the basis of Proton’s multi-hop offering.

Based in Sweden, Switzerland, and Iceland, these servers are deliberately in physically hardened locations with strong privacy laws, reducing the ability of other countries to file legal challenges for data. Plus, the servers are connected to the internet by a dedicated network Proton owns, with IP addresses owned and operated by its own Local Internet Registry.

The average user won’t see a huge difference in performance but any multihop connection does reduce download speeds and increases latency owing to the added VPN server connection. However, those extra measures mean you’re far more protected when using Secure Core than you would with any other VPN multi-hop system. If that doesn't add peace of mind, then we don't know what will.

Overall, then, a great number of locations, backed by strong, secure infrastructure. There's little you need to worry about when it comes to where to connect with Proton VPN.

Score: 10/10

Privacy

• Based in Switzerland – giving users protection from strict data privacy laws.
• Detailed, clear, privacy and no-logs policies.
• Key privacy features: Stealth, full-disk encryption, Secure Core.

Proton is as a privacy-first company. Its VPN product is no different – and doesn’t disappoint!

We should first address the fact that it is a Swiss company. Being based in Switzerland means the company is protected by some VPN customer-friendly data privacy laws. Switzerland isn’t part of any intelligence-sharing agreements, and sees such importance in privacy that rarely will a Swiss court grant any data request it receives from another country.

This is furthered by Proton’s full, detailed privacy policy, no-logs policy, and transparency reports when it is subject to legal requests by Swiss authorities. We read through Proton’s privacy policy and were pleased to see a high level of detail, without unnecessary complexities.

The same is true for its no-logs policy. It covers everything we’d expect, including linking out to explainers surrounding the technology Proton has in place to secure your data, such as full-disk encryption and bare-metal servers, both of which we’ll cover later.

The future of Switzerland's reputation as a privacy haven is not certain, however. In recent months, there has been discussions about changes to the country's surveillance legislation. Proton has said it will leave the country if Switzerland no longer offers the privacy protections it feels it requires to operate securely.

This no-logs policy has also been audited four times. The last was in August 2025.

These audits have regularly confirmed there is nothing to worry about, even emphasizing the lengths Proton goes to internally to ensure security.

This includes monitoring server configurations and raising alerts if there is an unauthorized change. It also has a change management system which means an employee cannot change any configurations without another employee’s approval.

If that wasn’t enough, Proton’s no logs policy was tested in 2019 when a Swiss court approved a request to hand over customer information. However, since Proton’s no logs policy was watertight and well enforced, there was no information to hand over.

If you’re interested in how many requests Proton receives over a year, you can look over its transparency report. This report is updated whenever a new request is received, even if, as is most common, the request is declined due to Swiss privacy laws.

Proton’s quest for privacy superiority doesn’t just stop with the legalities, though; its Stealth protocol is a staple part of its infrastructure and offers a stellar solution to remaining secure when you need to hide that you’re using a VPN to connect.

Stealth is a protocol based on traditional WireGuard over TCP. By tunneling WireGuard over TCP, having already encapsulated your traffic in TLS, your connection appears as any normal online traffic would.

This is because TCP runs your traffic through the same port that normal HTTPS traffic goes through, port 443. By disguising your traffic in this way, you’re much less likely to be picked up by VPN detection technologies, allowing you greater success when bypassing censorship restrictions, VPN bans, and the like.

All this protective technology does mean that Stealth is by no means the quickest protocol, though that doesn’t mean you’re short of options if you need speed.

Alongside Stealth, you can also pick from WireGuard connection types across all apps, or OpenVPN if you are on Windows, both of which are available in TCP or UDP configurations.

In January 2026, the company announced that it be retiring older manual OpenVPN configurations due to security concerns. Although users of the official app will be unaffected, those running manual setups or on Linux will need to refresh their credentials by February 28 to avoid losing connectivity.

Picking TCP gives a more reliable connection, while UDP is more speed-focused. So, if you’re after a secure, reliable connection, OpenVPN on TCP is the pick, while if you want speed, WireGuard over UDP is ideal, especially with VPN Accelerator enabled.

We’ve mentioned already how Proton avoids using RAM-only servers in favor of full-disk-encrypted servers instead, but it’s also worth mentioning its commitment to physical locations in regions of high risk.

In ‘unfriendly jurisdictions’, as Proton describes them, Proton uses third-party, physical servers to ensure that it’s not subject to local laws and remains a Swiss company, since the infrastructure is owned by a third-party, and it has full control of the server all the way to the base operating level.

Using physical servers, rather than virtual, ensures the hardware is solely dedicated to Proton VPN, allowing for greater security and control when navigating the difficulties faced in these regions.

In terms of privacy features in-app, there are several that are particularly handy.

We’ve already mentioned Proton’s version of multi-hop, Secure Core. This is a super-secure solution to a two-VPN connection, though the added security does mean it sacrifices country availability. Every connection must go through one of Proton’s Swiss, Icelandic, or Swedish Secure Core bases, and the connection can then only exit in 68 of Proton’s usual 149 countries.

While this may seem like a sacrifice initially, 68 is far more than the 12 multi-hop locations NordVPN offers. Only Surfshark’s Nexus network offers more since it allows a multihop connection between any two Surfshark locations without limitation.

Much like NordVPN, you also get Tor over VPN connectivity should you wish to access .onion sites. Again, Proton comfortably beats NordVPN for locations in this respect, with six to Nord’s two.

As with any Tor over VPN connection, performance does take a hefty hit. Our tests showed a maximum download speed of only 1.89 Mbps, though this is more than double NordVPN’s result, which barely scraped over 700 Kbps.

It’s unlikely that, if using the Tor network, you’re doing anything requiring a huge amount of bandwidth, but beware that you’re never going to get the same speeds you would with a different protocol. If you’re unsure how to safely use Tor over VPN, Proton does offer a handy guide you can access from within the app.

Score: 10/10

Security

• Excellent current encryption standards but no post-quantum yet.
• Kill switch that can now be used alongside split-tunneling on Windows
• Poor recent malware site blocking result.

Proton does almost all the necessary security steps well. AES-256-GCM and ChaCha20 encryption using Diffie-Hellman key exchanges are standard practices, and Proton only uses protocols that support perfect forward secrecy. This means not only are you secure, but even if a session were to be compromised, none of your older or later sessions are at risk since they’ll use unique encryption keys.

On the topic of encryption keys, Proton uses 4096-bit RSA keys, a step above VPN providers such as Surfshark, which only use 2048-bit, though you won’t notice the difference day-to-day. 2048-bit encryption keys are extremely safe, which is why top VPNs still use them, but 4096-bit keys add additional security through the increase in key length – why the likes of Proton and NordVPN now use these instead.

Proton’s VPN hasn’t yet implemented post-quantum encryption (PQE). However, it is currently working on adding this feature. In October 2025, the company announced it had started working on a new, in-house VPN architecture This will enable the company to introduce PQE in the coming months. The architecture is now being deployed and PQE rollout is imminent.

In an April 2026 update, the company said it was still working on this and currently laying the groundwork for PQE.

That said, its introduction is still lagging behind NordVPN and Express, who already offer PQE. For a closer look, we've also written an in-depth comparison of NordVPN and Proton VPN.

Despite lacking PQE, Proton has plenty of features to keep users secure.

Auto-connect is an option right out of the gates. However, it’s not the most flexible system we’ve seen, especially when compared to NordVPN. While you can set your desktop to auto-connect on launch, and mobile apps feature a basic 'Always-on' toggle to re-establish dropped connections, it lacks advanced condition-based triggers.

This lack of any customization is surprising. The likes of NordVPN or Surfshark allow you options such as creating a trusted network list or enabling auto-connect under specific connection circumstances. Without this Proton is a distance behind.

Next comes split tunelling. Proton’s split tunelling is advanced, but until recently Windows users couldn't use the split tunnel with the kill switch enabled. Fortunately, this was resolved in an update in February.

Proton does have several advanced features for split-tunneling. You can choose to split-tunnel both apps and IP addresses on Windows and Android, while Mac users are currently limited strictly to apps. On these supported platforms, you can decide whether your tunnel excludes or includes what’s selected from the VPN connection.

Proton’s app detection on desktop is very good. Any .exe file we had was found and properly thumbnailed on our list – a list which usefully retains any app you add permanently, should you wish to amend your list in future.

On mobile, Proton did a great job finding any app we’d installed (including those installed via Chrome), and could even identify and isolate specific system apps. That said, it did take a few seconds to collate the full list of apps, and didn’t give options for specific Chrome ‘apps’ we’d set up on our Android device to quickly access specific websites.

That won’t impact many but it does mean you’re left split-tunneling Chrome as a whole instead of having specific, unencrypted access to sites where VPNs cause issues, including financial sites.

Finally, we should mention Proton’s kill switch. On desktop, you get two kill switch options: Standard, and Advanced. Standard works as you’d expect. You turn it on, and your internet connection drops if your connection to Proton VPN is interrupted.

Advanced adds another layer to this. It only allows internet access when connected to Proton VPN, and it remains active even after restarting your device.

Testing the kill switch over Stealth, WireGuard, and OpenVPN, Proton foiled all of our tricks to forcibly drop the VPN. We were disconnected instantly and saw no signs of leaks, and that's exactly what you want.

iOS and Mac users get the equivalent of Windows’ Standard kill switch, which is more than good enough. Android users use the Android-native kill switch, which is essentially the Windows Advanced option. While it would be great to see consistency across the board, none of our testing suggests any reason to worry about Proton’s kill switch no matter the platform.

Diving into Proton’s advanced settings offers several other ways to improve your security too.

That means using non-Proton server network methods to ensure online access to Proton users in crisis situation.

You can also choose to allow LAN connections while still connected to the VPN, set up custom DNS servers, choose your specific NAT type and OpenVPN network driver, and enable IPv6 support and leak protection.

This is extensive customization for any VPN. What’s also great to see is that mobile users get almost all of these functions, losing only IPv6 leak protection and OpenVPN network driver choices from the otherwise extensive list.

The final tool in Proton VPN’s security arsenal is NetShield. This is Proton’s ad, tracker and malware blocking tool. It works at a system level, meaning there’s no need for separate installs for at-risk programs such as your browser. It instead protects all of your apps instantly.

We put NetShield to the test against 36 brand-new malware and phishing sites and attempted to access them. We also ran it through an ad-blocking tester. These are our most recent VPN lab results:

Proton’s results raise a number of discussion points. Its 32% phishing sites blocked score is a drop from its previous highs, putting it behind competitors like NordVPN. However, blocking 88% of ads means Proton remains top-tier here, achieving double the successful blocks of Surfshark and four times that of NordVPN's basic blocker.

Its 4% malware sites blocked score is concerning, of course. Though curiously, we also found this with ExpressVPN, which scored just 16% in this round, despite both testing well in the past.

As with speed testing, these ad and site blocker tests are only a snapshot in time, and are relative to the latest threats of that particular day. In other words, it might have just been a bad day at the office for ExpressVPN and Proton VPN.

The takeaway message is that, while Proton VPN currently misses a significant number of malware and phishing threats compared to the top performers, its core ad blocking remains highly effective.

Score: 7/10

Speed

• Very fast WireGuard speeds over long and short distance connections.
• OpenVPN speeds a long way behind the competition.
• Stable jitter recorded on recent tests.

Proton has consistently been one of the fastest VPNs that we have tested.

In our most recent round of testing, we broadened our parameters, adding more data points to our testing and increasing our maximum speed capacity to 10 Gbps. This allows for more precise, comparable testing across all VPNs to discern even the smallest differences.

Having previously recorded 1427 Mbps in March 2026, Proton now hits a staggering 1783 Mbps download speed using WireGuard over a short-distance connection.

What’s more, when connecting across transatlantic distances (US to UK) using WireGuard, Proton VPN's download speeds reached 1397 Mbps this time round (up significantly from 939 Mbps in March 2026), solidifying its position among the fastest performers.

Both of these results are more than fast enough for any household looking to protect a Netflix binge, gaming session, or just their emails. Proton delivers outstanding local speed performance with 1783 Mbps on WireGuard, placing it ahead of major competitors like NordVPN (1427 Mbps), ExpressVPN(1810 Mbps), and CyberGhost (1480 Mbps).

Over long-distance transatlantic connections (East US to UK), Proton VPN's 1397 Mbps comfortably outpaces key rivals such as NordVPN (939 Mbps), Windscribe (1209 Mbps), and ExpressVPN Lightway Turbo (1184 Mbps), placing it behind only Surfshark (1739 Mbps) and Norton Standard (1730 Mbps).

Additionally, gamers will be pleased to know that Proton recorded very stable jitter in our most recent test.

While for most these figures won't mean much, gamers should take note, since high jitter can contribute to inconsistent online gaming — a trap some competitors fell into this round. Fortunately, Proton VPN's latency recordings were also highly competitive and comparable with the other best VPNs.

The main area we'd like to see improvements is with Proton VPN’s OpenVPN performance. It's better than it was but, at 449 Mbps download speeds over a local connection, it's still trailing behind the likes of NordVPN (688 Mbps), Surfshark (825 Mbps), and ExpressVPN (1038 Mbps).

OpenVPN is commonly considered more secure and stable than WireGuard. If you’re using Proton for security, you’ll likely find yourself using its Stealth Protocol instead, given it's far more security-focused.

In most other circumstances, WireGuard is more than up to the job. However, you'll definitely need to look elsewhere if you want to use OpenVPN on non-Windows platforms, as Proton now completely excludes OpenVPN support from its Mac, Android, and iOS apps.

Score: 9/10

Unblocking streaming services

• Successfully unblocks Netflix libraries all round the world.
• Was able to unblock both Disney+ and YouTube in the US.
• Needed NetShield switching off to unblock some ad-funded services.

Proton VPN has a good track record in successfully unblocking streaming service all around the world but it's by no means the best streaming VPN. The accolade goes to NordVPN.

We lab test VPNs for their unblocking capabilities with Netflix libraries in the US, UK, Japan, Australia, and Canada, as well as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and YouTube. To check its regional capacity, we also put them against BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, ITV, 7plus, 9Now, 10Play, and TVNZ+.

Proton handled every Netflix library with ease, just the same as all of our top VPN choices. However, it did hit a few snags this time around, failing with several Amazon Prime Video libraries and requiring a bit of initial trial and error on other major sites.

On the plus side, it comfortably dealt with the likes of iPlayer, 7plus, 9Now, 10Play, and even TVNZ+ (which it had failed to unblock in previous testing cycles). But server-side issues did crop up elsewhere.

Trying to access Disney+ UK and ITV saw us blocked when trying to connect from Proton’s London servers; luckily, though, switching over to a Belfast server saw these issues quickly dissipate.

Similarly, un-signed-in US YouTube wouldn’t work via New York servers, but connecting to Colorado was a quick fix. This is still a great win for Proton, though it's worth noting that top rivals like NordVPN and ExpressVPN also successfully unlocked US YouTube from abroad this time around.

It was the local ad-funded streaming services where Proton VPN required a little extra troubleshooting. Beyond just switching server locations, we've found that services like Channel 4 in the UK can struggle unless you temporarily turn off the NetShield ad-blocker.

Fortunately, there are no special "streaming servers" you have to hunt down; you should theoretically be able to stream content from any server in any country. When faced with a block, as happened with Disney+ or YouTube in our tests, we were simply able to click a different city or server in the same country and try again.

A streaming-friendly network allows a greater spread of server load, reduces performance impact, and even allows you to pick servers with better latency to ensure a high-quality experience. So, while we can't claim that Proton is the absolute tip-top for streaming, it's certainly up there with most of the premium contenders.

Score: 7/10

P2P and torrenting

• P2P supported in all Proton VPN server locations on paid plans.
• Proton VPN supports port forwarding.
• Loads of helpful guides and how-tos on torrenting for beginners.

Proton VPN is arguably the best VPN for torrenting out there right now.

P2P is fully optimized and supported across its entire network of 149 countries for paid users. You can filter into the P2P-optimized servers at the click of a button. I downloaded several test torrents, and had no issues at any point in the process.

Proton VPN supports port forwarding which helps to get the best torrenting speeds. Many major VPNs lack this support owing to the known security risks it brings. That's understandable to a degree, but not only does Proton VPN have features to help people using P2P networks, it's also one of the few VPNs to have a wealth of information in its user base on how to actually do it with guides such as how to torrent safely with a VPN.

You can port forward across Proton VPN’s Windows, Linux, and Mac apps – the last of which was finally added in summer 2025.

If you’re confused or need guidance, Proton has more in-depth posts outlining the risks of port forwarding, how to set it up on its apps, how to manually set it up, and even how to manually set it up on the likes of qBittorrent and uTorrent.

This level of guidance is something we’d rarely expect, let alone the level of support on its apps.

If you want to use a VPN for torrenting, then given all this, and Proton's speeds and server network spread, then you really have to have it on your P2P shortlist.

Score: 5/5

Compatibility

• Apps for almost every platform.
• Excellent iOS feature set, including Siri Shortcuts support
• No OpenVPN support on Apple or Android devices, though.

Proton VPN does a remarkable job of not only offering a strong spread of apps, but also ensuring there aren’t huge gaps in features from one app to another.

You can use Proton VPN on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android as expected – plus it has a GUI client for Linux users. Android smart TVs also get an app, as well as Fire TV Sticks and Apple TV boxes.

The Proton VPN browser extension is available on Chrome or Firefox. As with ExpressVPN, PIA, and CyberGhost, you need to download the Chrome Web Store extension onto Edge to get Proton VPN on Microsoft's browser.

Proton VPN is also router-compatible and has a handy, detailed guide that explains what methods you can use to set this up.

In terms of parity across platforms, Proton VPN is near-perfect nowadays, unlike VPN providers such as NordVPN.

The anomalies for Proton to speak of are that its mobile apps lack advanced condition-based auto-connect rules (relying instead on a basic "Always-on" reconnect function), and non-Windows users completely lose native OpenVPN support. This makes Windows the exclusive home for OpenVPN on official desktop/mobile apps.

However, Apple users get plenty of platform-specific quality-of-life additions. In April 2026, Proton added support for Siri Shortcuts to its iOS apps, allowing users to trigger 'Connect' and 'Disconnect' actions using custom voice commands or automated Apple Workflows.

Proton has pulled native OpenVPN support from mobile and Apple apps to favor faster, more secure modern protocols like WireGuard and Stealth. Interestingly, while iOS lost IKEv2 support alongside OpenVPN, macOS actually still retains native IKEv2 support within its app settings. Should you wish to use OpenVPN on Mac, Android, or iOS, Proton does, however, offer in-depth guides to manually configuring those connections.

Prior to summer 2025, Proton users on Mac were also short of both port forwarding and split tunneling capabilities. These features have since both been introduced—though it's worth noting that split tunneling on macOS is currently labeled as an "experimental" feature, giving Mac users slightly less parity than Windows.

Score: 4/5

Usability

• Apps well designed and consistent across platforms.
• Advanced features are explained well and easy to access.
• Browser extension now includes handy 'Recent Connections' shortcut.

Set up

After signing up for Proton VPN, you have two main ways to get your app downloaded.

First off, if you click the ‘Download’ tab at the top of your screen, you’re quickly presented with every app Proton has, including its extensions, mobile apps, and Smart TV apps – though I highly doubt you’ll be downloading Proton to your Smart TV via the website! If you’re on a smaller screen, the download tab is hidden in the hamburger (three-line) menu in the top right corner.

Alternatively, from the website, if you go into your Proton account (found in the top-right corner of your screen), you can access some more specific application types.

In the downloads section, you can quickly access APK, GitHub, and F-Droid versions of its Android, Android TV, and Chromebook apps. You’ll also find here your configuration settings to manually set up OpenVPN or WireGuard on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, or a router.

Once you click the download button, you’re on your own, in the app, at least. The download client gives you the option to install Proton Drive, Proton Mail, and Proton Pass, alongside the VPN, and then, once Proton VPN is loaded, you log in, click ‘Get Started’, and go.

User Experience

Once you’re in, Proton’s hues of reddish purple and black could leave a beginner wondering quite how complex an experience they’re in for; luckily, all of Proton’s apps are simple.

This visual identity is consistent across all of Proton’s platforms, as is the simplicity. The key differentiator between Proton VPN on desktop and Proton VPN across other platforms is the map aspect of its interface. On Windows and Mac, the map can be used to identify and connect to a server.

On mobile, this map isn’t navigable, though it shows the country you're connected to from the list. On smart TVs, there isn't a map at all.

In reality, I rarely find myself using the map as a connection location tool with any VPN I use. A search field and list proves quicker in my experience.

No matter the platform you’re on, you’re directed towards everything you’d need straight away.

Smart TVs understandably have the fewest quick action options, but everything other than server location is found under settings, so you’re not left trawling a bunch of submenus using a TV remote – even though Android TVs have to go to the bottom of the locations menu to find the settings panel.

Finding the server you’re after couldn’t be simpler, either. The app doesn’t hide its Tor, Secure Core, or P2P servers entirely. Instead, it offers dedicated tabs across desktop and mobile, and shows each country’s server types in their server lists on Smart TVs. You can even search by individual server code if you know the one you want.

One area Proton previously struggled with was its browser extension, but it has bounced back significantly. While it used to suffer from poor user reviews, it has climbed to a solid 4.0 rating on the Chrome Web Store, matching rivals like Surfshark.

It still offers less customization than the main apps, allowing access only to standard or Secure Core servers, and its settings menu remains primarily focused on data sharing rather than technical features. However, it's a much cleaner experience than it used to be — further improved by the addition of a 'Recent Connections' section pinned to the top of the Location List, making server reconnections much faster.

I’d also like to see Proton make more efficient use of space in its desktop apps. The Proton map interface takes up an extraordinary amount of space for fairly limited use – one reason why NordVPN completely overhauled its desktop dashboard layout in early 2026 to favor a search bar instead.

Meanwhile, key features such as protocol selection and auto-connect aren’t front and center where they could be.

Proton VPN's mobile and smart TV apps do a much better job of managing space. They prioritize quick access to server locations and connection types, with the map present only once connected.

Mobile management is further enhanced on iPhone and iPad thanks to its recent support for Siri Shortcuts, enabling hands-free 'Connect' and 'Disconnect' actions directly via voice commands or the Apple Shortcuts app.

Quibbles aside, I'm really impressed with the Proton VPN apps. Using features is simple thanks to high-quality explainers under each option, plus links out to some key guides when the setting is more advanced, such as port forwarding.

You can also tell what features are active by whether they’re greyed out or in full color, and on desktop platforms, you’re given a bunch of keyboard shortcuts to make accessing sections of the app quicker than it already is.

The main anomalies across platforms are that mobile apps only offer standard "Always-on" auto-reconnection rather than advanced condition-based rules, and native OpenVPN support is completely missing from Mac, iOS, and Android apps — making Windows the exclusive home for the protocol inside Proton's native software.

You also get full customization of your security options, should you wish, but equally, beginners won't feel pushed into making changes they're not ready for, and they won't get bombarded with complex terms.

Of course, the most prominent feature of any VPN app should be the big Connect button, and that's nice and clear with Proton. There's no fuss, no confusion, just simple security on every platform.

Score: 4/5

Accessibility

• Excellent language support.
• Great keyboard-only experience.
• Proton VPN's website scored fairly low for screen reader accessibility.

Putting ProtonVPN.com through accessibilitychecker.org’s accessibility scan gave us some interesting insights.

Proton VPN’s accessibility audit scored 53% overall, closing the gap on the likes of NordVPN (65%) and Mullvad (95%), while pushing well ahead of providers such as Surfshark (23%). PureVPN remains tied with Proton's historical baseline at 35%.

Diving into the report, the site's issues primarily surround screen reader testing. The automated auditing highlights that multiple page structure and coding problems remain, which greatly reduce its overall screen reader compatibility.

In relation to the industry as a whole, however, Proton’s new 53% score is quite respectable, placing it a mid-range 6th place out of 14 major tested providers. Accessibility is clearly an area that still needs greater focus across the entire industry.

Outside of web-based metrics, Proton VPN's actual application does a great job of accommodating people's physical needs.

Ditching our mouse still meant we rarely struggled using the desktop app with the keyboard alone. On a few instances, we were jumped to unintended areas of the app, and sometimes our selection rectangle just disappeared entirely, but never often enough to stop us from connecting successfully. We also never struggled to search servers specifically, nor did adjusting settings prove difficult.

From our experiences, you’ll likely only find a better keyboard experience using either PIA or ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN has long focused on simplicity in its apps, so success in this regard is no surprise. Proton VPN did a better job in this regard than NordVPN, though.

Proton also completely knocks other premium VPNs out of the water when it comes to localized language support. It natively offers 36 languages across its clients. That makes Proton VPN’s language total significantly larger than major competitors like NordVPN and Surfshark.

So, while Proton could still do better in terms of visual screen-reader compliance, it remains highly accessible in almost every other practical metric.

Score: 3/5

Customer support

• Good depth of support guides
• Live chat and priority support available for paid tiers
• Agents began to struggle once diving deeper into issues

Accessing support for Proton VPN is simple. First off, you can use its FAQs, guides, and resources hub to access guides on almost any topic.

Testing the depth of its guides using ‘DNS’ as a search, it was great to see guides on everything from DNS leaks, to flushing DNS caches, and how you can use custom DNS.

It even filed in instances where DNS was a related topic and highlighted the relevant text. For example, it pulled in Proton’s streaming troubleshooter guide since DNS over HTTPS can contribute.

These guides are easily accessible, too. Whether it’s via a couple of clicks in the Windows app or two taps on mobile, you can quickly enter the Proton Support Center, report issues with your service, or access debug logs to help support assistants troubleshoot your problem.

If you are a paid user on the VPN Plus or Unlimited plans, you also get access to priority support and a dedicated live chat feature to bypass the ticket queue entirely. Keep in mind that if you are using the completely free version, live chat is locked away and you'll be reliant solely on the help documents and email ticketing.

Alternatively, if you run into a unique technical glitch, Proton has one of the absolute busiest Reddit communities in the entire VPN space. With roughly 600+ weekly contributions, the r/ProtonVPN subreddit is a thriving hub for user-to-user troubleshooting that regularly beats out rivals like NordVPN or ExpressVPN for active community help.

Next, we tested the skills of Proton’s support agents. We raised the question, “What do we do if we can’t access .onion websites while connected to Tor over VPN?” and got a reply via ticket in around five minutes!

What was more impressive was that our response wasn’t just an automated acknowledgment — we got some sensible suggestions right off the bat around testing different servers, switching browsers, and disabling NetShield. We were also asked for more details to help pinpoint the issue.

At this stage, though, the standard slipped a bit. Our agent became bogged down in browser troubleshooting, and response times jumped from five minutes to around three hours. What we received at the end of that wait felt a bit underwhelming for the amount of information we’d provided.

To be fair to the agent, browser and platform quirks are common culprit areas for Proton's Tor integration. For instance, desktop Firefox requires a manual configuration tweak to resolve onion URLs, Firefox for Android won't open them at all, and Apple users must have their app Kill Switch turned on just to get Tor traffic to pass cleanly.

Even so, the handling could have been smoother. By comparison, we’ve put the same question to NordVPN in the past, and, while the initial response was slower, we received a much more cohesive set of diagnostic questions and an all-around more reassuring experience.

Proton’s lightning-fast initial response does deserve credit, though. Plus, our broader experiences with their team over our months of testing have generally been highly reliable more often than not.

Score: 4/5

User reviews

While not perfect by any means, review sites often prove a good initial gauge of how trustworthy a VPN is, how well it performs, and what issues it’s had in the past.

Proton VPN’s mobile apps are among the best on the market. Its stellar ratings of 4.7 on the Google Play Store and 4.6 on the Apple App Store are a fair reflection of its capabilities and put the VPN provider very much on par with our other top recommended services.

On the desktop side, its Chrome Extension has undergone a major redemption arc. While it historically lagged behind with a mediocre user rating due to early performance bugs, a series of major software overhauls has seen its score climb to a highly respectable 4.1/5 on the Chrome Web Store.

It’s a massive improvement that brings it right back into the conversation with competing browser extensions.

Proton’s Trustpilot reviews offer further food for thought, since scoring a 2.2 out of 5 is still quite low compared to its app store success. There isn’t a single trending theme driving the negative reviews either—unlike, for example, NordVPN’s frequently targeted auto-renewal policy.

It's also worth noting that Proton has a comparatively tiny footprint here with just 901 reviews in total, while the likes of ExpressVPN and Surfshark have accumulated over 25,000.

It is somewhat strange that these complaints aren't widely reflected in the highly positive mobile app store reviews. Ultimately, while a chunk of 1-star Trustpilot reviews shouldn't be ignored completely, the actual day-to-day performance of the product and our rigorous long-term lab testing simply do not tally with those specific negative metrics.

Track record: can you trust Proton VPN?

• All Proton VPN apps are open source.
• Annual no-logs audits since 2022.
• Proton Mail privacy requests raise concerns for some users.

Proton has a strong track record of proving its commitment to privacy. Since 2022, the VPN provider has undergone yearly no-logs audits. The latest was published by independent auditors in September 2025, but its history of transparency goes back long before this.

What’s more, all of Proton VPN’s apps are open source. This means that anyone can look at, and judge, the code found in each app. By going open source, anyone can check and confirm that Proton’s apps work properly and do everything they’re supposed to safely – providing peace of mind that there isn't anything malicious happening behind the scenes.

The company also helps fund external projects that work to protect people's privacy and in January 2026, it donated over $1.27 million to a variety of digital rights groups. Organizations included Transparency International, Witness, EDRi and Lighthouse Reports.

Despite this, there are a handful of high-profile legal incidents involving its sister product, Proton Mail, that continue to concern some privacy advocates.

In September 2021, Proton was compelled to log and hand over the IP address of a French climate activist. Later, in May 2024, Proton complied with a request to hand over the optional recovery email address of a Catalan independence activist, which authorities then used to identify them via Apple.

Most recently, in March 2026, Proton was forced to share credit card payment data with the FBI regarding an activist in Atlanta.

What many critics fail to realize is that Proton did not directly cooperate with foreign governments in any of these cases. Foreign law enforcement agencies had to apply through international legal channels to Swiss courts.

Because Proton is a Swiss company, it cannot ignore a legally binding Swiss court order. Crucially, in none of these cases was Proton's end-to-end encryption broken — no email content, message text, or core data has ever been compromised. The users were ultimately exposed due to peripheral metadata they chose to provide, such as personal credit cards or personal recovery emails.

It also must be remembered that these cases strictly surround Proton Mail, not Proton VPN, and these products are handled entirely differently under Swiss law.

Proton’s privacy policy does a good job explaining this, explicitly noting that Swiss regulations do not force VPN providers to log data, whereas email services can be required to disclose IP logs or account metadata in the event of a Swiss criminal investigation.

The other sensible move for people using Proton Mail is not to register a recovery email address in the first place, although that comes with the obvious risk of losing access to your account.

While it's understandable why these legal disclosures shook the trust of some users who mistook privacy for total anonymity, they do not warrant concern about the VPN itself. To Proton’s credit, it goes to great lengths to remain transparent about its legal obligations, and its core zero-knowledge encryption architecture remains entirely intact.

Score: 4/5

Final verdict

Proton VPN is, without doubt, a top VPN. It offers a huge array of locations, superb speeds, and rock-solid security. It's surprisingly good value too, when you compare it to the equivalently-featured tiers of other VPNs.

Proton VPN's track record and high levels of privacy are what it should be most proud of, though. Of all the VPNs we recommend, it's the one we'd bet our lives on if we really had to.

It’s also a highly customizable VPN with stunning apps. Its whole ecosystem of Big Tech alternative software is well worth using if you like them.

Who should use Proton VPN?

✅ Torrenters: Proton’s breadth of P2P support, and, more importantly, port forwarding support, make it perfect for torrenting. Plus, it offers a wealth of knowledge guides to help you stay safe and effective.

✅ Those wanting to move away from Google: Picking up a Proton Unlimited plan opens the door to more than just Proton VPN, you can use its secure storage, email.

Who should try a different VPN instead?

❌ Streamers: While Proton VPN can definitely unblock streaming services, it struggles more than some may like. You can likely find stronger streaming performance for a similar or cheaper price if this is a priority.

Also consider

Proton VPN FAQs

Proton VPN testing methodology

Alongside the features that I've tested on my own devices, I'll also refer to what "we" have tested in this review. When I talk about "we", I'm referring to anything found during our lab testing. This testing is conducted by VPN Technical Editor, Mike Williams. Mike has been lab testing VPNs for over 11 years.

Each VPN is tested every six months. We measure speed, ad-blocking, anti-phishing and malware, streaming service unblocking, local IP address leaks, and more. Each server network is spot-checked to confirm that the VPN server locations are accurate. We also confirm a provider's security credentials, privacy policy, and executable files are secure and safe.

To find the full details of our VPN review processes, you can take a look at our VPN testing methodology.

This review has been fact-checked by the TechRadar VPN team, as well as with information provided by Proton. We update this review regularly to include any new features or information about the product. That means that this review is always up to date and as you would find the product if you downloaded and used it today.

If you notice anything in your experience of using Proton VPN that doesn't match what you read on this page, please let us know in the comments or by emailing us.

We will then do our best to offer product support information or include corrections and warnings to other users, depending on which is appropriate.