Best Multidevice VPNs

Surfshark offers nearly unrivaled value for cost. You'll pay just $15.45 per month, $45 per year ($60 annually after a 12-month introductory period) or $60 total for a two-year plan (after which the price shoots up to $60 per year). Its prices are well below those of rivals like NordVPN, ExpressVPN and IPVanish.

Despite its wallet-friendly price, Surfshark doesn't cut corners. It sports unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can stream foreign Netflix libraries on your Amazon Fire TV while your partner uses a VPN on their iPad and your kid games with the Windows client app running. We were impressed with its various features, including a kill switch, obfuscation, split tunneling and even a GUI Linux app. You've got plenty of connection choices with Surfshark’s more than 3,200 servers in 100 countries. There's an app for virtually every platform, including Apple TV -- a device many VPN providers still don't support.

Surfshark performed well, delivering a 17% average internet download speed loss, which is perfectly acceptable for 4K video streaming, gaming or Zoom calls. Rivals like NordVPN (11%) and ExpressVPN (25%) provide better speeds, albeit for more money. Surfshark offers unrestricted simultaneous device usage while providing apps for tons of gadgets.

NordVPN is so popular because of its fast connections, privacy-focused features and excellent geo-unblocking for streaming services. Its intuitive design doesn't compromise on settings and makes it an outstanding choice for casual VPN newcomers and seasoned power users alike. With support for nearly every platform, including Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android/Android TV, iOS/iPadOS, Fire TV, browsers and even Apple TV, Nord is great for use on multiple devices. Its generous 10 simultaneous connections may not technically be unlimited, but most folks likely won’t come near needing that many active VPNs running. 

In our 2024 speed tests, NordVPN led the pack as the fastest VPN, sporting an overall average internet download speed loss of just 11.1%. Our CNET Labs team clocked an average speed loss on its NordLynx VPN protocol of merely 3.2% with Windows and 12.6% on MacOS. With OpenVPN, its speed loss was a blazing-fast 10.1% average on MacOS and 18.6% using Windows. We do recommend an OpenVPN connection for more privacy-critical users, but other users should be fine with using the marginally speedier NordLynx protocol. With apps for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android/Android TV, iOS/iPadOS, browsers and even Apple TV, Nord runs on almost any platform you can think of.

We appreciate NordVPN's commitment to privacy and security. In addition to features like Onion over VPN (Tor) and a Double VPN, which deliver additional encryption, a 2023 audit by Deloitte backed up its no-log claims for improved transparency. On the entertainment side, we had no issues streaming US and UK Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus libraries on most devices. 

ExpressVPN is CNET’s Editors’ Choice for the best VPN overall, but it falls short of taking the top spot in this list because it only allows for eight simultaneous connections, which is a slight increase from its previous limit of five. Granted, eight simultaneous connections should be enough for the average VPN user, but it’s still not quite as generous as others in the field that allow an unlimited number of simultaneous connections. 

That said, ExpressVPN is a solid option for pretty much any device you’d want to protect with a VPN. The overall app experience is consistent across the board and is easy to use on any platform. You'll even enjoy ExpressVPN's Apple TV app. Linux users will need to use the command line interface because ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a native GUI for Linux machines. If you want to protect all of your connected devices with a router setup, ExpressVPN’s own Aircove VPN router is by far the simplest solution -- if you’re willing to pony up $190 for the hardware. 

ExpressVPN is among the pricier VPN options, but it’s worth it because it’s reasonably fast, great for streaming and delivers top-notch privacy. While its 24.8% average internet speed loss was slower than top performers NordVPN (11%) and Surfshark (17%), it’s still plenty quick for daily use, even with bandwidth applications like gaming or 4K video streaming. With ExpressVPN, you’ll have access to a massive network of servers spread out across 105 different countries, along with crucial privacy protections like DNS leak protection, a kill switch and a RAM-only server infrastructure. Granted, we experienced a serious issue with DNS leaks using ExpressVPN’s split tunneling on Windows, although the bug only affected an estimated 1% or less of users, according to Express. Thankfully, Express handled it swiftly and transparently, fixing the problem while publishing a blog post for commendable transparency. We still recommend Express (even if it’s not the top choice for multidevice users). Live chat support is available 24/7, and a knowledge base filled with helpful guides is easily accessible on the ExpressVPN website. A monthly subscription costs $13, which is about on par with most other premium VPNs, but its $60 bi-annual plan and its $100 yearly plan are considerably more expensive than some of the other more budget-friendly options, like PIA or Surfshark. 

Private Internet Access is a superb VPN for multiple devices that doesn't break the bank. Perhaps most importantly, PIA doesn't limit your simultaneous connections. You can use your VPN to stream Prey on Disney Plus via Android TV, securely surf the web on your MacBook Pro or Windows laptop, and protect yourself from DDoS attacks while gaming on your PC. PIA sets you back just $12 per month, $40 per year or $79 every three years, making it one of the cheapest VPNs on the market. 

We didn't experience any DNS leaks during testing. PIA features open-source apps and boasts one of the most easily digestible privacy policies. We encountered a high average internet speed loss in our 2024 testing, resulting in a 49% degradation. For reference, we generally find 20% or less perfectly usable, with many providers offering well below that -- like Nord with its 11% average speed loss, or Surfshark at 17%. If you have fast internet of at least 100Mbps, you should be fine, but folks with slow or unreliable connections like satellite internet might need a faster VPN. 

With servers in 91 countries, you've got a decent network of locations to pick from. All of its apps are open-source, and we appreciate its regular third-party audits as well as transparency reports. On the other hand, its US jurisdiction may give some privacy-minded users a reason to consider other options. Streaming was solid: PIA successfully unblocked Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video on US and UK servers with most devices we tested. PIA is an excellent choice if you're on a budget but want a secure VPN, although gamers and folks with slower internet should look elsewhere for faster VPNs.

If you want a VPN that’s transparent, privacy-focused and available for free on your devices, then Swiss-based Proton VPN is worth a look. Proton VPN is the only truly free VPN that CNET recommends because its free tier is fast, secure and doesn’t impose usage limits. The free plan is available on all major platforms, so you can use it across your compatible devices, but it’s limited to a single device connection at a time. If you opt for a paid subscription, you’ll be able to connect up to 10 devices simultaneously, which is more than ExpressVPN, the same as NordVPN, but fewer than Surfshark, IPVanish and PIA.

Proton VPN is an open-source VPN provider that emphasizes privacy. Paying users can choose to run their connection through Proton VPN’s wholly owned Secure Core servers, which are physically housed in Switzerland, on a former military base in Iceland and in an underground data center in Sweden. This adds another level of privacy to your connection by routing your traffic through the Secure Core servers first, before exiting through VPN servers in your selected location. You’ll also get privacy protections like DNS leak protection, a kill switch, Tor over VPN and obfuscation. Linux users have the option of connecting via the CLI or using Proton’s native Linux GUI. If you’re into streaming, then you may want to consider another option, because Proton VPN’s speeds tend to fluctuate dramatically. Customer support is also a bit behind the competition due to Proton VPN’s lack of live chat support. The VPN’s pricing is in the middle of the pack at $10 per month, $60 for your first year, or $108 for your first two years (Proton VPN renews at $80 annually for the one- and two-year plans). We don’t recommend signing on with a single VPN provider for more than a year at a time, due to how quickly things tend to shift in the VPN industry.