Proton VPN climbs to third in our updated VPN rankings

• Top five recommended VPNs have all be re-tested and reviews re-written.
• Proton VPN climbs to 3rd place as ExpressVPN slips to 4th.
• NordVPN remains at #1.

It's official! The results are in from our latest VPN re-test and it's Proton VPN that's the biggest mover and shaker.

While NordVPN remains are #1 choice of best VPN service, Proton VPN has clawed its way up to third sport at the expense of once table-topping ExpressVPN.

Surfshark stays in second and best free VPN, PrivadoVPN Free, remains TechRadar's fifth recommendation for people looking to protect their privacy online.

Our December 2025 VPN re-test has seen the addition of a new testing category – Accessibility.

The TechRadar VPN editorial team and our VPN lab have assessed each service for ease of use for those with visual needs and for anyone looking to use VPN apps without a mouse or trackpad.

We've also added in assessments for voice control and language support too.

Winter deal

Proton VPN: (was $3.59) now $2.99 a month
Want one of the most privacy-focused VPNs on a budget? Then look no further than Proton VPN, now rated as #3 in TechRadar's Best VPN list. A two-year subscription with Proton VPN Plus includes:

🌍 Servers in more countries than almost any other VPN

🔒 Unbeatable privacy

⚙️ Advanced security features

View Deal

Otherwise, it's our VPN lab speed testing which has seen the biggest change. We've upgraded to a faster 10 Gbps connection to make sure that the VPNs we're testing aren't in any danger of maxing out the line.

The fastest average download speeds from our top 5 VPNs was Surfshark, which recorded 1615 Mbps between our Dublin-based speed set-up and the nearest server on the Surfshark network.

Lastly, we've also entirely reformatted our VPN reviews and review scoring system.

There are 13 scoring categories weighted to prfioritize the features which our readers have told us mean the most to them with price plan value, features, server network, privacy, security, speed and streaming service unblocking the biggest considerations.

Holiday sale

Save over $20 on ExpressVPN: $2.79/month + 4 months extra
ExpressVPN’s holiday discount is a rare chance to snag an advanced VPN for a budget-friendly price. For less than $80 upfront, you get:

✅ 10 simultaneous connections
✅ Ad and malicious site blocking
✅ AES-256 encryption with 4096-bit RSA keys

While ExpressVPN doesn’t pack in quite as many extra features as NordVPN or Surfshark, its streamlined apps and 105-country network are hard to beat. It's also one of the most reliable choice for unblocking global streaming libraries.

View Deal

There are also scores for P2P, apps and compatibility, usability, customer support and track record, as well as accessibility.

Each scoring category has a corresponding section in our reviews which offers comprehensive findings from both the VPN editorial and VPN lab teams. The idea is to blend the data-led hard facts recorded in the lab with the hands-on experience from the long-term, real-world expertise of our editorial team. Do take a read, and let us know what you think.

In the meantime, it would be remiss of me not to point out that ExpressVPN launched its holiday sales on December 19, 2025. Despite dropping down to 4th in our rankings, it's still an excellent VPN and a very strong shout for VPN newbies and anyone looking for consistently fast performance on Windows.

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