Europe is widely regarded as privacy-friendly. However, some nations are members of surveillance alliances that focus on gathering citizen data. Also, content on popular streaming platforms can sometimes be unavailable in the European region.
A virtual private network (VPN) helps resolve both of these problems. It encrypts and secures your online data from third-party snoops. It’ll also make it appear as if you’re in another country, letting you unblock content that has been geo-restricted by streaming platforms.
We tried out several leading providers to bring you the six best VPNs for Europe.
- NordVPN: The best overall VPN for Europe 2023
- Surfshark: Best VPN for streaming European content
- ExpressVPN: The best VPN for Europe, for server choice
- CyberGhost: The most cost-effective VPN for Europe
- Private Internet Access: The best VPN for Europe, for privacy
- IPVanish: Best VPN for Europe, for torrenting and downloading
If you’re looking for a perfect combination of speed, unblocking ability, security, and privacy at the right price, look no further than NordVPN.
Want more information on using VPNs in Europe? Want to know how we put this list together? Check out the rest of the article below.
Europe is generally seen as a privacy-friendly place. Most nations have GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliant laws that protect citizens’ privacy — both online and offline. But this doesn’t mean there’s no use for a virtual private network (VPN) in Europe.
Governments may continue to snoop on their citizens through international surveillance coalitions, such as the 14 Eyes alliance. But a VPN encrypts your internet traffic, protecting your data and online activity from curious third parties. It can also spoof your location and let you access region-blocked content from within Europe.
While there are plenty of reasons to use a VPN in Europe, there are only a handful of providers that offer the speed, privacy, and security you’ll need in 2023.
Which VPN is Best for Europe?
We’ve tested and reviewed 70+ VPNs and found the top six for European users. Our team is spread across the globe, offering us the unique opportunity to test VPNs within Europe and remotely from other countries.
Check out a quick comparison of the best VPNs we’ve uncovered in the table below.
| FEATURE | NordVPN | Surfshark | ExpressVPN | CyberGhost | Private Internet Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited speeds | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Free data per month | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| European countries with VPN servers | 35+ | 40+ | 40+ | 40+ | 40+ |
| Unblocks Netflix USA?* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Supports torrenting? | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Encryption type | AES 256-bit | AES 256-bit | AES 256-bit | AES 256-bit | AES 256-bit |
| Platforms supported | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, AndroidTV, and more | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, AndroidTV, and more | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, AndroidTV, and more | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, AndroidTV, and more | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, AndroidTV, and more |
| Download | NordVPN | Surfshark | ExpressVPN | CyberGhost | Private Internet Access |
With our results, you’re guaranteed the best security and privacy a VPN can offer, without slowing down your browsing or streaming.
Keep reading on for a deep analysis of each pick.
* US Netflix access as checked at the time of writing
1. NordVPN: The best overall VPN for Europe for 2023
Features at a glance
- Server network in Europe: 2,500+ servers in Europe across 35+ countries
- Operating systems supported: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, consoles, Smart TVs, and even RaspberryPi
- Encryption protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2 and NordLynx (WireGuard)
- Money-back guarantee: 30-day money-back guarantee
NordVPN is regarded as one of the best overall VPNs out there, with exceptional security and privacy features. NordVPN is an exceptionally fast VPN, too, offering industry-leading speeds. Compared to our download speed of 94.4 Mbps and upload speed of 94.52 Mbps without a VPN, we saw results of 87.54 Mbps and 90.66 Mbps, respectively.
NordVPN’s network of over 2,500 European servers provides ample opportunities to connect to a VPN server on the continent. In fact, more than half of Nord’s servers are based in Europe. Everything’s bundled into a quick-access map too, so it won’t take long to find a suitable European VPN server location.
NordVPN uses the most advanced encryption protocols to secure your data, including OpenVPN and IKEv2. This is in addition to NordLynx, a custom-built protocol that’s one of the strongest around. So, your data will be safe, whether you’re logging in remotely from the US or UK, or sitting in a European cafe with unsecured Wi-Fi.
As a bonus, NordVPN’s service is headquartered in Panama, which is a privacy-friendly jurisdiction well out of reach of the 5, 9 and 14 Eyes alliances. The service doesn’t log your data either. NordVPN also offers obfuscated servers, which makes it much more difficult for websites to ban or block VPN traffic.
- Fast and large worldwide network of VPN servers
- Perfect for privacy and streaming
- Trusted by many, with over 14 million users
To learn more about this provider, comb through our in-depth NordVPN review. If you’re ready to pull the trigger but not commit to a plan, NordVPN has a free 30-day trial you can take for a test run.
2. Surfshark: Best VPN for streaming European content
Features at a glance
- Server network in Europe: 600+ ultra-fast servers in 40+ European countries
- Operating systems supported: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, and Fire TV
- Encryption protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard
- Money-back guarantee: 30-day money-back guarantee
Surfshark has been a leading fast and secure VPN provider since its launch in 2018. Our tests in the Netherlands revealed positive results, with download and upload speeds of 90.72 Mbps and 90.25 Mbps, respectively.
So, it’s ideal for European residents who are temporarily away from home. Surfshark will let you access your usual streaming services from wherever you are in the world without being blocked. Through testing, we can confirm that Surfshark’s adept at unblocking Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and other similar streaming services.
Surfshark uses AES-256 bit military-grade encryption. Coupled with Surfshark’s no-logs policy, your data will be kept secure, especially given the company’s headquarters in the British Virgin Islands. This territory enjoys certain privacy benefits that Europe does not, falling outside of international data-sharing alliances.
Other Surfshark selling points include a kill switch and leak protection. “Cleanweb” protects you from ads, trackers, and malware, while “Bypasser” lets you specify traffic that will not use the VPN — another useful feature often called “split tunneling.”
- Very user-friendly and works with Netflix and torrents
- 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked!
- Cheap with many extra options
Want to take a deep dive into Surfshark’s specs? We’ve reviewed Surfshark extensively. As always, do try out Surfshark using its 30-day money-back guarantee before committing to a long-term subscription.
3. ExpressVPN: The best VPN for Europe, for server choice
Features at a glance
- Server network in Europe: Extensive network in 40+ countries
- Operating systems supported: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, consoles, and Smart TVs
- Encryption protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2 and Lightway
- Money-back guarantee: 30-day money-back guarantee
ExpressVPN is a consistently high-performing VPN service provider. It excels in speed, security and usability, which are essential factors in selecting the best VPN for Europe.
This provider offers high speeds when you use European VPN servers. We tested its speed on our connection in the Netherlands, which has a download rate of around 94.4 Mbps without a VPN. Comparatively, ExpressVPN gave us a download speed of 88.71 Mbps and upload speed of 88.15 Mbps.
These speeds, paired with unlimited bandwidth, cover your daily browsing, streaming, gaming and downloading needs. Moreover, the speeds don’t dip much, even on servers further away. This means that you can stream American Netflix from Europe without lag or delays using ExpressVPN.
In terms of security, ExpressVPN uses industry-leading encryption protocols, such as OpenVPN, IKEv2 and their own custom Lightway protocol. Other important privacy and security features tested include a kill switch, split tunneling, and TrustedServer technology — which means your data is never written to a hard drive. Coupled with an independently confirmed no-logs policy and headquarters in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN is a bastion of privacy.
Even though it’s pretty expensive, ExpressVPN justifies that price tag in quality. And you can always try it free for a month using ExpressVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Very easy-to-use VPN
- Perfect for anonymous browsing, downloading, and streaming (i.e., Netflix)
- 3,000+ servers in 94 countries
To see if the service justifies the price tag, just look at our full ExpressVPN review.
4. CyberGhost: The most cost-effective VPN for Europe
Features at a glance
- Server network in Europe: Over 2,000 servers in the UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands alone
- Operating systems supported: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, consoles, and smart TVs
- Encryption protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard
- Money-back guarantee: 45-day money-back guarantee
If you’re looking for a VPN that has all the essential features at a budget-friendly price, then CyberGhost could be ideal. CyberGhost impressed in our tests, turning out some seriously fast European speeds, especially when connected to nearby servers. We saw a download speed of 88.23 Mbps, with an impressively similar upload speed of 88.57 Mbps.
With such a fast connection, you should have no issues, whether you’re streaming, checking your accounts back home in Europe, or traveling between EU countries. You can also connect to any of CyberGhost’s 7,000+ other servers to unblock a range of content. Overall, it’s a good general-purpose VPN for Europe.
CyberGhost uses 256-bit end-to-end encryption. It’s also GDPR-compliant, which means it meets some of the highest privacy standards in the world. While it does track some user data, CyberGhost is headquartered in Romania, which is good news. Romania has routinely refused to comply with mandatory data retention laws in the EU, viewing them as a breach of data privacy.
CyberGhost also comes with malicious content blocking, IP and DNS leak protection and a kill switch.
So if you want all the premium features that ExpressVPN and NordVPN offer, but at a lower price, then go for CyberGhost. Be sure to make use of its extended 45-day money-back guarantee to try it out first.
- Very user-friendly
- High quality for a low price
- Torrents and Netflix possible
To see what makes this a great VPN outside Europe, take a look at our extensive CyberGhost review.
5. Private Internet Access: The best VPN for Europe, for privacy
Features at a glance
- Server network in Europe: Servers in more than 40 locations across Europe
- Operating systems supported: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux and browsers like Chrome, Firefox and Opera
- Encryption protocols: OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP and WireGuard
- Money-back guarantee: 30-day money-back guarantee
Private Internet Access (PIA) is another VPN with excellent connection speeds, as evident from its performance on our speed test. On our Netherlands connection, we saw a download speed of 90.73 Mbps and upload speeds of 90.77 Mbps.
PIA’s server network in Europe is spread across 42 locations, giving users good a lot of choices. Overall, it has 33,000 servers in more than 70 countries, which is more than enough to do pretty much anything you might need.
PIA uses the best available VPN encryption protocols and even offers an optional SOCKS5 proxy. All PIA servers were recently upgraded to ensure that they support the latest secure protocol, Wireguard. The service has a native kill switch, plus PIA MACE, which blocks trackers and malware. There’s a strict no-logs policy that has been proven in court.
While PIA is located in the United States — part of the 5/9/14 Alliance — our research suggests this concern is largely unwarranted. The VPN provider has repeatedly shown that it does not possess any user data.
- Strong focus on privacy and security
- Good price
- Fast and stable servers
They also offer a 30-day free trial you can take advantage of to see if the service is for you. Learn more about this VPN by reading our full PIA review.
6. IPVanish: Best VPN for Europe, for torrenting and downloading
Features at a glance
- Server network in Europe: 537 servers in more than 20 countries
- Operating systems supported: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, and routers
- Encryption protocols: OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP and WireGuard
- Money-back guarantee: 30-day money-back guarantee
IPVanish is a great VPN for torrents and downloads, owing to strong speeds combined with top-notch security. There’s no limit on bandwidth, which is great if you’re downloading large volumes of data. And speeds on our Netherlands connection showed 90.05 Mbps download speeds and 88.48 Mbps upload speeds.
IPVanish also has a flexible torrenting policy, so you won’t hit any roadblocks when downloading content. While torrenting legal content isn’t a problem in Europe, using a VPN for torrenting is recommended. Doing so on your usual connection attracts risks, as you broadcast your IP address to everyone in your torrent network.
Though this VPN claims to keep no logs, we do have some concerns about the level of security it provides. Firstly, the US location raises concerns about surveillance and data being handed to government agencies. Indeed, IPVanish handed over user data to law enforcement agencies in 2016, raising questions over its no-logs policy. So, use IPVanish if you wish, but you should bear this in mind.
All in all, IPVanish is a good pick for someone who’s always downloading content, whether it’s for work or leisure. You can take the service for a spin using their 30-day free trial.
- Fast and stable servers
- Torrenting is possible
- The app keeps connection logs
Not sure yet on this pick? Just read our full IPVanish review where we cover this VPN top-to-bottom.
How We Picked the Best VPNs for Europe
Most people who need a VPN for Europe fall into one or more of the below categories. We’ve found that our list handled these tasks best:
- You want to access European streaming content, but you’re physically located elsewhere.
- You need a fast VPN connection on servers local to Europe, if possible, that won’t tank your internet speed.
- You need top-notch security and privacy to keep your data safe while in Europe or traveling between European nations.
- You want to torrent, so you need a VPN that supports peer-to-peer file sharing.
In reality, you probably want all of those things. The good news is all of the VPNs that we tested above check those boxes. While testing, we found alternatives that fell short on speed, security and logging, available features, and so on. These VPNs didn’t make it onto our list of the best VPNs for Europe.
In fact, some of them made it into our list of VPNs to avoid. You should always be wary of free VPNs; as is the case in life, when something’s free, there’s usually a catch.
VPNs to Avoid in Europe
While most of these providers are free or have free versions, to be clear, we’re not saying that all free VPNs are bad. We routinely test and list the best free VPNs you can find right now, and many offer a safe and reliable service, albeit with data caps or speed limitations.
But some free VPNs are considered unreliable or even a risk to your privacy. We’ve listed some of the free VPNs for Europe that you should avoid. While some have European servers, their privacy practices could put you at risk.
| Free VPN | Why it’s best not to use it |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hola has been known to allow paid users to piggyback off your internet connection. Aside from slowing down the speeds you’ll get in Europe, this could risk linking your IP to illegal activities. |
| Psiphon | Psiphon has been known to share data with commercial third parties. This is a direct risk to your anonymity and privacy, which defeats the purpose of using a VPN. |
| Speedify VPN | Speedify VPN has numerous European VPN servers, but the provider scored 1/10 for speed in our tests. You’ll struggle to do anything with this connection. |
| Touch VPN | Touch VPN uses various browser trackers, as well as sharing user data with third parties. Even if you’re simply browsing the web on a European VPN server, your data could be compromised. |
None of the providers in the above list are completely free, but they do have money-back guarantee periods without paying a cent. Alternatively, for safer free VPNs in Europe, check out our list of the five best free European VPNs.
Why Use a VPN in Europe?
Even though most European countries respect the online privacy of their citizens, a VPN has many useful applications:
- A VPN encrypts your activity and changes your IP address, which helps avoid unwanted surveillance of any kind. This is especially true if you live in a country that’s a member of surveillance alliances, like the 5/9/14 Eyes.
- Your internet activity is routed through a random server when using a VPN. You can select a server that’s located in a country of your choice to overcome geo-restrictions, which are used by streaming companies to limit your access to content.
- Using a VPN helps you use public Wi-Fi in a safe and anonymous manner. Europe offers thousands of free Wi-Fi hotspots, but many of them are unsecured networks. Cybercriminals can snoop on the network to launch man-in-the-middle attacks or simply siphon off your data and credentials.
- A VPN also helps overcome any restrictions that your internet service provider or government may have placed on downloading torrents. Some even offer specialty servers that allow you to download torrents at blazing-fast speeds.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a resident of Europe vacationing elsewhere or simply traveling within the union, you should always surf or stream using a VPN. Aside from gaining access to a much wider range of streaming content, you’ll be better protected against scams, malware, and other online threats, as well as unfair data-gathering practices.
We’ve tested the best VPNs for Europe and can confidently recommend the following providers:
- NordVPN: The best overall VPN for Europe
- Surfshark: Best VPN for streaming European content
- ExpressVPN: The best VPN for Europe, for server choice
- CyberGhost: The most cost-effective VPN for Europe
- Private Internet Access: The best VPN for Europe, for privacy
- IPVanish: Best VPN for Europe, for torrenting and downloading
Remember, a VPN should improve your online security and safety, so you should choose a secure, no-logs provider such as those above. If in doubt, drop a comment below, and we’ll be happy to provide tailored advice.
Got questions about the best VPN in Europe? Check out our FAQ section for some of the regular questions we receive.
Yes, you’ll find that VPNs are legal in most European countries. However, some countries may restrict the purposes for which a VPN can be used. For more information on the legality of VPN use, check out our full article on VPN laws across the world. We’ve covered the countries in which you can get into trouble for using a virtual private network.
Even though European nations are largely privacy-friendly, you should still use a VPN. While the GDPR protects your personal privacy, international data-sharing alliances achieve the opposite. Using a VPN has the following benefits:
- A VPN encrypts your data, protecting it from government surveillance or other prying eyes on the internet.
- You can use a VPN to change your location to a different country and access content that is geo-blocked.
- A VPN helps ensure you remain safe and anonymous when using public Wi-Fi.
- Government and ISP censorship can be overcome by using a VPN.
Follow the steps listed below to change your VPN location to Europe.
- Get a subscription with a tried-and-tested VPN provider. We recommend NordVPN hands-down. It’s fast, has thousands of VPN servers across Europe, and boasts some of the strongest, advanced security features around.
- Download and install the VPN app for your operating system.
- Open the app and choose a server in a European nation, such as Germany or France.
- Connect to the server that you’d like to use.
- Now, you’ve successfully changed your virtual location to Europe, gaining a new IP address.
Check out our full article on the best VPN providers in Europe if you want to see how other top providers shape up.
After extensive testing, we can tell you that NordVPN is the best overall VPN for Europe. It offers incredible speeds, a vast server network, advanced security features, and user-friendly applications. Our article on the best VPN providers for Europe provides other options for you to choose from.
