Easy-to-use iOS app
Terrific overall performance
Packed with features
Does all the hard work for you
A premium price tag
ExpressVPN is a regular mention in the ongoing debate around today's top VPN, and it's no different for iOS devices. Its iPhone VPN app boasts a simple design that makes it perfect for beginners.
ExpressVPN takes all of the difficult, techy decisions and automates them for you with the help of their industry-leading experts. A single tap means you're connected instantly with the most secure and fastest connection possible.
If you're looking for reliable access to the likes of Netflix and BBC iPlayer, well, you're in luck – ExpressVPN unblocks virtually every streaming platform you can think of (and then some).
The only downside is the pricing. ExpressVPN only offers a one-year subscription, as opposed to the likes of NordVPN and Surfshark which offer discounted two-year plans. On the surface, that makes it seem significantly more expensive, but when you compare the one-year plans of each, it's far less than it seems. Ultimately, ExpressVPN is a truly premium service, and you definitely get your money's worth.
App support ExpressVPN's iOS app is chock-full of handy tools and information. You can install ExpressVPN on any iOS device (including iPads) – from the 6S all the way to the iPhone 16.
I especially like the Security Assistant tool, which dishes out privacy-boosting advice and recommendations. These are massively useful if you're interested in shoring up the security of your various social media and streaming counts – and a Data Breach Alert will give you a heads-up if your email addresses have been involved in a leak, too.
Read more about ExpressVPN's features, unblocking, and speed ▼
Features ExpressVPN leads the way with its post-quantum encryption, meaning your data is safe from the risks of Q-day. In addition, it offers some unique features, including its groundbreaking
A dedicated content-unblocking team
Excellent features, even on the free version
Fast and easy-to-use iPhone app
No security audits yet
The single-month plan is pricey
Fewer servers than ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark
PrivadoVPN’s feature-rich and speed-oriented features make it the best free VPN on the market. Its easy-to-use and reliable iPhone application is intuitive and highly customizable.
It's not quite as polished as its competitors in terms of overall offering, but PrivadoVPN can still unblock most streaming platforms and keep up with those movie marathons,
While it reserves most of its advanced features for paying customers, PrivadoVPN also has one of the most generous free plans in the industry. In addition, it offers round-the-clock customer support via live chat and email for all its iPhone users.
App support I especially like how mobile-friendly PrivadoVPN's iOS apps are. This might sound like a no-brainer, but some mobile VPN apps can be a little tricky to use on smaller screens. You can switch servers, and check out the location list, with a swipe, which is handy.
Unfortunately, there are a few things missing from the iOS offering. There's no favorites system, for example, and no kill switch. This might be a deal-breaker for you if you're concerned about accidental data leaks revealing identifiable information.
Read more about PrivadoVPN's features, unblocking, and speed ▼
Features With a premium subscription, you get ten simultaneous connections, a SOCKS5 Proxy to help access geo-restricted content, an ad blocker, parental controls, and even threat protection to help keep your devices safe from malware.
Unlike its competition, PrivadoVPN has yet to complete an independent audit. However, a spokesperson explained to us that an audit would require months of standstill for development, and that would prevent them from delivering on the needs of their users. They reassured us that PrivadoVPN intends to pursue an audit as soon as possible, but it needs to ensure it's offering the best service it can at all times. For now, this is certainly a downside, especially for those who primarily expect security and privacy guarantees from a VPN service.
Streaming and unblocking Free VPNs typically struggle to unblock any streaming platforms – but PrivadoVPN bucks the trend. Whether you're a paid or free user, you'll have round-the-clock access to big names like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+, to name a few.
PrivadoVPN's dedicated team works continuously to ensure that the service can bypass censorship and regional restrictions. This is good news if you live somewhere where social media platforms are banned or blocked, or if you need access to restricted news outlets, too.
Speed PrivadoVPN impresses when it comes to speed, too, clocking in at a respectable 350 Mbps during our most recent tests. It's more than enough to keep casual users satisfied – whether you're tuning in to HD content, hopping into online games, or doing a spot of torrenting.
It's also worth noting that PrivadoVPN handles its bandwidth and transit routes itself. This means that its speeds tend to be more reliable, fluctuate less, and experience virtually no congestion. Better yet, this applies to its free servers, too.
Expert Verdict: PrivadoVPN Expert Verdict: PrivadoVPN Andreas Theodorou
Editor-in-Chief, TechRadar VPN PrivadoVPN offers a decent mid-tier premium service, but it's hands-down the best free VPN for iPhones and overall on the market right now. If you want something simple and straightforward, you can't go wrong with PrivadoVPN.
★★★★
Read more: PrivadoVPN review
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PrivadoVPN test results: Attributes Notes Rating Design: A simple yet colorful design ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ease of use: Easy to use and clearly laid out ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Performance: The low end of average for a leading service, but generally fast enough for anything you could throw at it ⭐⭐⭐ Unblocking: Some hiccups despite a dedicated unblocking team ⭐⭐⭐ Security and privacy: Good scores on paper, but currently lacking an independent audit ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Customer support: Decent email support, but not a lot of of on-site help ⭐⭐⭐ Price: Nothing beats free ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How to choose a VPN There are a ton of iPhone VPNs on the market these days (and they'll work on your iPad, too) – but sifting through the options to find your perfect match can be a chore.
The first thing to ask yourself is this: what are you going to use your VPN for? Streamers will want a speedy service that can keep up with 4K shows, privacy-first users will need proven security tools, and some folks want a balance of everything.
With that in mind, here are a few key criteria to keep in mind when shopping around:
Speed : quick VPN services have no trouble when it comes to streaming, torrenting, and gaming – no buffering or lag spikes.Servers : the more servers a VPN has, the more choices you have when it comes to spoofing your IP address and unblocking geo-restricted content.Security : a VPN that doesn't prioritize your security just isn't worth using. Look for today's top protocols (OpenVPN and WireGuard), an audited no-logs policy, and a reliable kill switch.Apps : naturally, you'll want sleek iPhone apps that aren't stuffed with clutter or hard to use. Make sure your VPN is compatible with your other devices, too.Price : here's the big one – but the good news is that there are VPNs to suit every budget, and plenty of free trials to check out before committing to a subscription.How we tested iPhone VPNs for iOS For over 15 years our TechRadar testing team has used our technology backgrounds, hands-on experience, and research capabilities to dive deep into the weeds of dozens of VPN services. Some aren’t worthy of our stamp of approval, but those that are included in our VPN guides have passed our rigorous tests.
To begin with, we want to make sure the VPNs we recommend are secure to use. As part of our testing, our IT experts do everything they can to find flaws. This includes trying to force the VPN to drop, and if successful looking at how well the kill switch kicks in. They also try to punch through the VPN running on one device with another device to see if any information is leaked.
Because your privacy is so important, we spend a lot of time reading the fine print of each VPN privacy policy. We take note of those that include a no-logging clause and give extra points to those that allow third-party audits of their claims.
(Image credit: Shutterstock) Another important factor in determining privacy is where the VPN is based. There are some countries that band together to form the Five Eye Alliance
VPNs are also subject to the Five Eyes Alliance, so choosing one in a more neutral location is a security plus. ExpressVPN is based in the Virgin Islands while Proton VPN is a Swiss company.
Speed is a big must-have if you need a VPN for torrenting or streaming TV shows. Torrenting is the process of sending and receiving files, such as email attachments, to and from a specific individual. This is sometimes referred to as a person-to-person (P2P) transfer.
Usually, you’d use a VPN for torrenting when the information you are sending is confidential, like a contract, or an application where personal information is provided. In order to reduce the risk of the file being intercepted, even though it will be encrypted and hard to decipher, a VPN with a high speed is important. VPN speeds refer to how fast information travels between two points including to VPN servers, or even two people’s personal devices.
We have several test machines set up in the US and the UK and use both testing locations to tap into servers worldwide to help with our testing.
For TV streaming, higher speeds mean it’s quicker to download the movie you want to watch, and there’s less chance of lag or buffering when watching live streams of your favorite reality show, or sports game.
In both cases, we took testing of speed pretty seriously. First, we used performance testing sites, including SpeedTest, nPerf, and SpeedOfMe to determine the average speeds of our connections. These tests were run several times from various devices (PC, mobile, etc.) and from different locations. We have several test machines set up in the US and the UK and use both testing locations to tap into servers worldwide to help with our testing.
We also connected using different encryption protocols. OpenVPN has historically been the go-to, but recently WireGuard has proven to be more secure and faster. But we still test both along with the IKEv2 protocol which is commonly used on Mac devices. Surfshark came out on top with its impressive 960Mbps speeds. But even VPNs, like Express, that only have a top speed of 560, are still plenty fast to support TV streaming.
Talking about streaming services, when you travel outside of your country, or viewing area, sometimes your account will be blocked because it picks up your device’s location as being away from your home or city. It uses an IP address to determine your whereabouts.
(Image credit: ExpressVPN) Connecting to a VPN server gives you another IP address that matches the location of the server. For example, if you’re traveling to Australia from the US, connecting to a US VPN server will give you a US IP address. With this, you can access your online streaming accounts and watch your favorite shows.
As part of our in-depth testing, we try and tap into as many channels and streaming services as possible. And we don’t limit ourselves to just a couple of countries. For example, we know exactly which VPNs unlock Netflix Japan, Netflix UK, and Netflix Canada.
Other common services and channels we test are Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Disney+. We also check out the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 in the UK, and bother 9Now and 10Play in Australia. Our rundown of the best streaming VPNs has all the details and results of this part of our testing.
If you're interested in taking a deeper dive into how we put providers under the microscope, head on over to our in-depth VPN testing methodology page.
Our iPhone VPN testers Meet the experts behind our best VPN guide and their favorite VPN services:
Andreas Theodorou Social Links Navigation
Editor-in-Chief (Tech Software) A privacy purist at heart, Andreas is a VPN expert that believes that the best VPN doesn't have to be the most expensive—it's about what's right for you.
Mike regularly reviews our top picks, and loves looking behind the curtains to see how a VPN works in the background. If there's a skeleton in the closet, he'll find it.
FAQs What is the best iPhone VPN? With so many iPhone VPNs out there, this is no easy answer. Right now, NordVPN ranks top of our list of the best iPhone VPNs. Its impressive mix of security features, high download speeds across OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols, and its continued value for money across different plans make it the best choice for most people. Despite this, VPNs suit people in different ways, so you may find you prefer the experience on offer from other VPN providers.
Do I really need an iPhone VPN? Even Apple's App Store is not devoid of its own share of dodgy apps (although truth be told, Google Play is a far more dangerous place to be). In terms of harmful activities, the argument that iPhone users have less to worry about than other (especially Android) users certainly has some merit. However, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't still be careful.
(Image credit: Apple) What does a VPN do on iPhone? There's a multitude of reasons why you might want to download a mobile VPN app onto your iPhone. Foremost is security - the encrypted tunnels through which all data will be exchanged when connected to Wi-Fi would be a garbled mess to any hackers who do somehow manage to get hold of it.
But it's a VPN's IP spoofing that's where things get fascinating. By jumping onto a server in another location, you can effectively change location and kid your Apple iPhone into thinking that it's in another country altogether. A country or location, for example, where you can stream a wider variety of Netflix shows, and where you can get cheaper prices on services and products. And super handy if you're struggling to use WhatsApp in China or log into Facebook at your school.
Are free iPhone VPN apps worth it? Free VPNs have their place – there's no doubt about that. An extra layer of security while using public Wi-Fi is no bad thing at all - especially if you're shopping or having private interactions.
But for the most part, it's a totally false economy. Many free apps limit the amount of data you can use each day or month, so you can mostly forget about using them for streaming and torrenting. But more than that, you're likely to get an ad-heavy app experience where the provider is probably making back cash by selling your details to third parties. Our advice...avoid it, especially when the best iPhone VPN apps on this list are so affordable anyway.
(Image credit: TechRadar) Do iPhones have a built in VPN? While iPhone doesn't currently have a built-in VPN, it does offer excellent VPN support for both manual and automatic configuration when downloading any number of VPN apps. All you'll need to do, then, to install a VPN on your Apple smartphone, is select which iPhone VPN you want to sign up to, install the client, and you're away.
Do iPhone VPNs leak data? You might've heard of an iOS bug, first reported in 2022, that lead to data leaks when using a VPN. Obviously, that's not ideal, as you want your VPN to protect you against leaks and keep your most sensitive information safe, not put it in danger.
The bug affects multiple VPN services and, even more insidiously, the user won't be alerted to the fact that their data is leaking. Currently, Apple hasn't addressed the issue—and it seems unlikely that the tech giant will—so, for now, I'd suggest doing all of your most sensitive browsing on a PC or Android device (with a VPN, of course.)
What does my ISP/mobile carrier see when I'm connected to a VPN? The short answer? Very little. Though your ISP and mobile carrier will be able to see the VPN's IP address, they won't be able to see which sites you visit, your search history, or any files you happen to download.
However, there are a few things that your ISP/mobile carrier can see. Switch on your VPN, and the your connection timestamp, how much data you're sending and receiving, and the VPN port will be visible.
How do I manually configure a VPN in my iPhone settings? To add a VPN manually, go to Settings > General > VPN > Add VPN Configuration > Type.
You will then choose between a number of protocols: IKEv2, IPSec, or L2TP.
You'll then need to enter a server address, as well as your username and password, and a remote ID. All this should be found in your account of your chosen VPN provider.
Once set up, you'll find VPN under Mobile Data and/or Personal Hotspot immediately when you go into settings, or under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.
Edited by River helps take care of cybersecurity content on TechRadar—ranging from breaking news pieces, reviews, and buying guides.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.
