10 Best VPNs for Windows 10. Fast Speeds in 2023

If you’re looking to enhance the security of your internet connection and keep your data safe from snoopers, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a great way to do it. 

A VPN can help keep your online activity secure, unblock restricted websites, and help you access geo-restricted content.

If you are looking to encrypt your connection on your Windows devices, I’m here to give you the lowdown on the best VPNs for Windows 10. These premium choices are designed to deliver top notch security, streaming capability, and fast speeds.

Plus, you don’t need to be techy to figure out how they work – most of these VPN services offer intuitive desktop clients, mobile apps, and web browser extensions. 

So let’s jump in and take a look at the best VPNs for Windows 10 users.

Here is a quick summary of the best VPNs.

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is at the top of this list of the best vpns for Windows for a number of reasons.

It has a very cool look and feel which leads to a great user experience, even if it does not perform great in other tests… like speed tests.

Here is a detailed NordVPN review.

First of all the, the Windows app home screen is very simplistic and makes it very easy to access other screens.

In order to connect to a server, simply click on the quick connect button and NordVPN smart connect feature will find the best server for you based on its proximity and server load.

If you want to manually choose the server to connect to, just click on the country name in the server list on the left hand side and it will automatically choose for you the best server.

Even though streaming servers are not labelled, finding P2P servers is quite easy. Just click on the P2P option in the Windows app menu.

It also has an autostart menu that enables you to configure your Windows vpn app to launch every time you power up your computer.

If you want to ensure that your device never accesses the internet without a vpn, then configure the auto start settings with the kill switch turned on.

This way, the only device that will be able to access the internet at startup is your VPN, after which other applications will be allowed access – after your VPN establishes a secure connection.

Switching servers is quite easy as all you need to do is click on a different server in the servers list.

2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is also one of the best VPNs for Windows 10 if you are looking for a VPN with a minimalist interface.

Unlike NordVPN, the ExpressVPN Windows 10 app is pretty simple, only giving you the auto-connect button unless you expand it so that you can see more advanced settings.

Check out my detailed review of ExpressVPN.

The autoconnect button is very prominent on the home screen and is the best way to let the app select the best vpn server for you.

Once you click it, it will select and connect you to the closest and fastest server.

If you want to manually select a server, you’ll need to click on the 3 dots that open a separate window on the right hand side with a list of servers, sorted in alphabetical order for you to choose from.

It also has a server search feature that lets you search for the right server simply by typing the name of the country or city that you want to connect to.

However, ExpressVPN Windows app does not let you sort the server list, neither does it show you which servers is the fastest or closest to you.

The ExpressVPN Windows 10 app on the flip side has auto start settings that enable you to configure your vpn app to start when your computer boot.

If you add their kill switch to the autostart settings, you’ll be able to ensure that your computer connects to your vpn the first thing after boot.

You can also set your prefered auto connect server so that it connects to your prefered located each time.

3. IPVanish

IPVanish has a great looking Windows application.

I have added it to this list of the best vpns for Windows 10 in 2021 because its Windows app is very easy to use. Here is a detailed IPVanish review.

Once you login, you will find the list of vpn servers at the center of the application for you to choose from and connect to.

After connecting, the Windows app will show you your download and upload speeds for that particular connection at the bottom of the app.

What I don’t like is that IPVanish shows me my original IP and my current IP. I prefer rather not to be shown my original IP. That being said, IPVanish has a server rating feature that enables you to know the best servers to connect to.

It rates each server performance out of five stars so that you can know which server in which city is the best to connect to.

In the IPVanish Windows 10 application you’ll also find the option to configure your app to autostart.

You also have the option to set it to autostart in a minimized state so that it doesn’t show up on your desktop.

Just like NordVPN, you also have the option of choosing the server that you want it to connect to when it starts… you can choose the country and city of your prefered server.

4. PureVPN

PureVPN has Windows 10 application that is very easy to use.

Even though it can feel quite overwhelming at times because of its many options before you login, it’s very easy to use after logging.

Here is a detailed review of PureVPN.

The PureVPN Windows 10 app home screen shows you a list of available servers and you can choose to either list them by countries or by cities.

It also has a search feature that lets you search for a server by the name of the country.

It is also very easy to find a server for streaming and torrenting because all servers that support P2P file sharing have a P2P label next to them.

In addition to server searching, the PureVPN Windows 10 app also has the auto start feature that lets you configure your application to launch during startup.

However, there is no option for setting your vpn app to run in the background or in a minimized state.

It also lets you choose the VPN protocol to connect with when it starts but it does not let you choose your prefered server… so it automatically chooses the server that is closest to you.

The Windows 10 application also has a kill switch for ensuring that you always stay anonymous online by not accessing the internet using your ISP given IP address.

5. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is also one of the best vpns for Windows 10 because it makes streaming and torrenting very easy.

The CyberGhost Windows application has a minimalist home screen, just like ExpressVPN. It only features a connect button that lets you connect to the best server recommended by the smart connect feature.

Here is a complete CyberGhost review.

Just under the connect button, is an arrow that when clicked opens another minimalist server selection window that highlights the best countries to connect to as well as the best servers for unblocking Netflix, BBC iPlayer etc.

In case you want more control of the server you connect to, you click on the most servers options which now opens a full blown servers selection windows with all the servers that CyberGhost has.

Here you can find the best servers for streaming or torrenting because all of them are labelled.

The CyberGhost Windows 10 vpn app also has the autostart setting that allows you to start  your vpn app on system startup.

It also gives you the option of choosing the particular servers that you’d like to connect to at startup as well as the particular app that you want launched immediately after CyberGhost establishes a secure vpn connection.

The gray background color of the Windows app gives it a very cool feel which is why it makes it into the list of the best Windows 10 vpn apps.

6. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN is also one of the best vpns for Windows 10.

I have added PrivateVPN into this list of the best Windows VPNs apps, not because it has a very cool user interface, but because it embraces a very simplistic interface.

Click here for a detailed PrivateVPN review.

While the Windows 10 app is NOT colorfully designed, it makes it very easy to find what you are looking for.

Just after login, you’ll find a dashboard with a smart connect button that will select the best server for you based on your location.

You can also list the servers based on the services that they provide, like Netflix and torrenting servers, or based on their locations, sorted in alphabetical order.

In addition to that, once you are connected to the Windows 10 vpn app, you’ll see your external IP, encryption technology and vpn protocol in use in the app home screen.

PrivateVPN also has autostart settings give you an option of choosing to start your vpn app in a minimized state at system startup.

But since it does not let you choose the server to connect to at startup, it will connect to the last server that you connected to during your last successful connection.

There is also an option in the PrivateVPN Windows app that lets you search for a server based on the service or country you want to connect to.

7. TorGuard

TorGuard is another vpn service with a very interesting Windows 10 app.

Even though some people might think it has a rather complicated user interface, I personally find TorGuard Windows 10 very easy to use if you like to keep things simple.

Here is an indepth TorGuard review.

However, if you want more granular control of your internet access using TorGuard, you’ll have access to more advanced settings in the TorGuard advanced settings.

To begin with, just after login, TorGuard Windows 10 vpn app gives you a smart connect button. Using this button, you’ll be able to connect to the best servers based on your location and the server load.

If you want to choose a server to connect to, simply access the server list by clicking on the select server button.

This will give you a list of all TorGuard servers sorted in alphabetical order, though you can also reverse sort them in alphabetical order, sort them based on their usage as well as proximity.

Since all TorGuard servers support torrenting and none of them support streaming, there is no need for server labelling.

The Windows 10 app also has an autostart setting which when turned on will auto-launch your VPN app at startup.

Since it doesn’t let you choose the prefered server to connect to at launch, it will connect to the last server you connected to during your last successful connection.

It also has the option to force reconnect in case your vpn disconnects from the server.

This feature alone makes TorGuard one of the best VPNs for Windows 10 because it will save you the frustration of having to manually reconnect your VPN every time that it disconnects from the server.

8. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access is another VPN company that does a great job of providing an application with a  very great look and feel.

It is one of the best VPN apps for Windows 10 because of its dark theme that is very calming while also making the most important features and settings prominent.

Find a detailed Private Internet Access review here.

After logging into PIA Windows 10 vpn app, you’ll find a very big smart connect button.

Using this button enables your PIA app to find the best server for you based on your location.

On the flip side, manually choosing a server to connect to is very easy. Once you are successfully connected, PIA will show you your real IP on the left hand side and your vpn IP on the right hand side.

That part I don’t like… I don’t want a VPN showing me my IP again because it’s additional work greying out my IP when I want to take a screenshot and share it.

All you need to do is click on the forward arrow button on the home screen and a list of servers, arranged in alphabetical order will appear.

Each country has a list of cities where they have servers under it. Connecting to a server is simply by clicking on it and it switches servers.

Just like other VPNs, the PIA Windows 10 VPN apps also has auto-start settings that lets you launch your VPN application at system start.

All the servers also have a ping time next to them, so you can easily know the fastest and slowest servers.

Since all PIA servers are optimized for torrenting and streaming, none of their servers are labelled.

9. StrongVPN

StrongVPN, even though quite an old company, is not a very popular vpn company.

That being said, its Windows 10 app is one of the best Windows 10 vpns apps. It has simple sharp design, with sharp corners all over… most vpn apps like to round their window frame corners.

Here is a more in depth StrongVPN review.

The StrongVPN app has a prominent smart connect button on the homepage that will choose the best server for you based on your location.

In case you want to manually choose the server that you connect to, then you need to click on the city name in the app home screen in order to launch another window with a list of servers.

These servers are listed in alphabetical order along with the cities where they are based.

You have the option of sorting them with the country name or with the name of the city where the server is located.

What I don’t like about StrongVPN is when it comes to switching servers.

In order to connect to a different server, you need to open the server list, scroll the server list using your mouse because it doesn’t work by dragging the scroll bar.

Once you see the server you want to connect to, you to click on it, then click save, then go back to the home screen and click to connect.

Excuse me… but how many clicks were those.

Actually, I should not have listed StrongVPN as the best VPN for Windows 10 based on the hectic server switching alone, but I wanted you to see how some companies complicate a very simple thing.

Once you are connected to the server, you’ll be shown your current vpn IP address as well as the time elapsed since you connected to this particular server.

On the flip side, StrongVPN Windows 10 app also gives you the option to set your app to auto-start and auto-connect at system launch.

It also lets you set your vpn to connect automatically every time it disconnects, could be when your internet connection drops.

Once it starts at launch, it will connect to your last successful location.

10. Surfshark

If you are looking for a vpn that has a really cool user interface for Windows 10 then I recommend Surfshark.

I have listed it as the best vpn for Windows 10 because it has a very easy to use user interface. The home screen only has three menu options that lead you to all the other features that this amazing vpn has.

Check out my detailed Surfshark review.

So there is very little clutter on the Windows 10 vpn homescreen.

There is a smart connect feature on the home screen that will connect you to the fastest server that is near you. Clicking on the hamburger icon will open a list of servers that are listed in alphabetical order.

However, you can sort the servers however you want based on the continents they are based in, the torrenting servers as well as the static IP servers.

The server search feature also lets you search servers based on the name of the country.

P2P servers are accessed using the smart search feature while streaming servers are not labelled as all Surfshark servers are optimized for streaming.

In addition to the smart search, Surfshark Windows 10 vpn app also has a setting for launching your application automatically at system start.

In fact, you also get the option of setting the app to run minimized in the background.

You can also choose the particular server or country that you want to connect to at startup.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a novice or an advanced user, finding the best VPN for Windows can be a challenge. 

There’s a lot to consider when choosing the right one for your specific needs. 

But if you take the time to do your research and understand what each provider has to offer, you’ll be able to find the best VPN for Windows that works for you. 

From powerful encryption and top-notch security to lightning-fast speeds and top-notch customer service, you’ll be able to find a reliable VPN that will keep you safe and sound while you’re connected to the internet. 

When it comes to finding the best VPN for Windows, the possibilities are endless. 

So get out there and find the right one for you!