Top 7 Best VPN Apps for Android 2023 | Ranked by Experts

Imagine finding the right VPN for Android wasn’t a time-consuming, expensive and confusing task.

If you could just head over to the Google Play Store and get the very best one.

But that seems like a dream, right?

There are too many apps to choose from
You don’t know which are reputable
They all sound the same

But before you walk away and give up, it doesn’t need to be like that.

Because in this article I’m going to show you exactly which are the best VPNs for Android phones, but also ones that are suitable for tablets too.

Keeping scrolling down and below, we’ve listed seven top options and why they stand out.

No more searching or wasting money. On with our top seven choices.

Best VPN for Android

RANK	PRICE	COUNTRY LOCATIONS	SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS
1	$6.67 /mo	94	5	VISIT
2	$2.99 /mo	62	6	VISIT
3	$2.75 /mo	90	7	VISIT
4	$6.49 /mo	61	∞	VISIT
5	$6.67 /mo	70	5	VISIT
6	$2.99 /mo	63	∞	VISIT
7	$5.83 /mo	21	12	VISIT

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a service with an excellent rating, which offers a perfect Android VPN app, which you can download to your Android device from its website or the Google Play Store.

One feature I especially liked at ExpressVPN was you’re able to get a free 24-hour trial directly via the app to see what the service is like. If you do eventually sign-up, they have a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you’re unhappy with the service.

The ExpressVPN Android app has been well thought out and you’re able to pay directly using your GooglePlay account, although if you’re looking for other options, then credit card and Paypal are also accepted.

ExpressVPN allows you to select a server of your choice from a list of over 94 different countries. Differing sorting abilities are available to find servers in specific locations and also those recommended for your usage.

ExpressVPN lives up to its name and is not only easy to use but quick to get connected within just a few taps of your phone, tablet, or other Android devices.

You can also establish five simultaneous connections with it and protect multiple devices.

They’re a little more expensive than some other options, which is a bit of a negative but the service is good and their Android app reliable and robust. All in all, it is a great choice for Android users and the top VPN in the industry.

Try the Top VPN for Android risk-free with their 30-day money-back guarantee.

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2. NordVPN

The second choice on our list of top VPNs for Android goes to NordVPN.

This is one of the best Android VPNs out there for a number of reasons, such as being extremely easy to use.

NordVPN has an excellent rating, and one of the best Android VPN apps for new users, as it provides you with a map of the world, and lets you select the exact location where you wish to connect to.

NordVPN is also very easy to download from Google Play Store and install. On top of that, NordVPN also offers top-notch security, and a strict no logging policy.

Whether you wish to use a VPN to boost your online security, privacy, anonymity, or even to bypass geo-restrictions, Nord VPN is the right choice for most Android users.

NordVPN also has an awe-inspiring server network which covers 60 countries with a grand total of 5470 servers at the time of writing. Its connection speed is outstanding, as well, which makes it perfect for streaming, downloading content, torrenting, and more.

It doesn’t have a free version, but it does provide you with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test it out and get a refund if you do not like it, or if it doesn’t have servers where you need them.

Still, with its servers being placed in strategic locations, we expect that NordVPN will suit your needs just fine.

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3. CyberGhost

The next on our list of the best Android VPNs is CyberGhost VPN. This is a VPN from Romania that also has a very user-friendly VPN app, fast VPN connection, and plenty of VPN servers.

The first thing to note is that CyberGhost is very secure, with strong VPN protocols like OpenVPN, which can protect your traffic by creating a secure tunnel around it.

Next, it also has top-notch encryption, just like the one used by NordVPN an ExpressVPN – 256-bit AES encryption. When it comes to its VPN server network, it is massive, offering 6,600 VPN servers in 90 different countries around the world.

With such a high number of servers and plentiful server locations, you will be able to unblock any streaming service.

This VPN provider also allows 7 device connections at the same time, so you can protect your entire family. It also offers ad blocking and many other security features that will enhance your privacy.

Its best feature, however, is its 45-day money-back guarantee, which basically lets you use it for a month and a half, and still get a refund if you ask for it at any point during this time.

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4. IPVanish

IPVanish is without a doubt a top-notch VPN for Android phone and works with Android 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and many earlier versions. If you’re after a fuss-free Android app then it certainly fits the bill.

The main display of the IPVanish VPN Android app is simply a server list that can be sorted by country, server response time, or by server capacity. This allows you to find both the fastest and least utilized server.

By simply pressing on a server name connection is made and your Android is secure from prying eyes.

With access to over 1500 servers in over 60 countries, with a total of 40,000 IP addresses, the Android app allows you to protect your mobile connection anywhere in the world or access geo-blocked services from your phone or tablet, simply by connecting to any VPN server that it offers.

The simplicity of using a VPN as an Android app allows you to use it regardless of if you’re a beginner or an expert, just choose a server of your choice and click to connect, there is nothing more to it.

Once you’re connected, you can leave the app and simply return to your usual phone or tablet usage and leave it running in the background.

The IPVanish app supports 256-bit encryption via OpenVPN and their service stores no-logs allowing you to browse the mobile web securely and privately.

Best of all, you can also use the same service on an unlimited number of devices, so fire up your desktop or laptop or even another mobile device and protect yourself across all devices, thanks to its multiple simultaneous connections.

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5. VyprVPN

VyprVPN has one of the most attractive Android VPN apps available. Visually it resembles their desktop software, so if you’ve used the Windows or Mac versions of their clients, then you’ll be familiar with the look.

Like the other providers in this guide, VyprVPN offers a simple interface to let you get connected with the least amount of hassle.

Their app differs somewhat from the other providers with the main screen, allowing you to connect and displaying information such as your current IP address.

Server selection is tucked away on a separate screen and allows you to add favorites for easy access. A nice addition is the ability to run speed tests to find out which server is the fastest.

Another feature I was impressed with was the ability to switch between OpenVPN 256-bit encryption and the custom Chameleon VPN mode from VyprVPN. Chameleon allows users in countries with restrictive internet like China and Iran to bypass government firewalls which is a definite plus of the app.

Thankfully VyprVPN reduced their prices and increased their offering a few years back, so it’s now a competitive option for your Android.

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6. Surfshark

Similarly to ExpressVPN, Surfshark is VPN service from the British Virgin Islands, which means that it is located in a privacy-friendly nation, and far away from any intrusive government.

As such, you can be sure that it will adequately secure your internet access by encrypting your connection for as long as you use it. At the same time, it has a strict no logging policy, which guarantees that it cannot provide anyone with your data.

Surfshark has plenty of excellent features, such as 24/7 customer support available via live chat, user-friendly VPN apps for all kinds of devices and systems, great privacy protection features, such as kill switch, and a significant number of servers.

Speaking of servers, Surfshark more than 1700 of them, with server locations in 63 different countries. They all offer excellent speeds and the ability to unblock services like Netflix, or any other foreign website.

It even offers a free trial for Android VPN users, which is great, since not a lot of VPNs do that.

In the end, Surfshark may be younger than the rest of the VPNs on this list, but it is definitely one of the best VPNs for Android that you will find.

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7. StrongVPN

StrongVPN doesn’t quite have as many servers locations available as other providers only currently offering 21 countries. Still, they are one of the cheapest providers that you can use to secure your internet access. And, when taking a yearly package, their price works out at just $4.99 /mo.

If you can deal with the lesser selection of servers then you’ll be rewarded with a really easy to use Android app.

The main screen features a connection button that simply indicates your connection status. Server selection is dealt with on a separate screen similar to the VyprVPN app.

StrongVPN was easy to establish a connection with, but I actually preferred the one screen style provided by ExpressVPN as I found it quicker and simpler to make connections, especially on the move, in a coffee shop, or when using other public wi-fi.

The app range from StrongVPN has been redesigned in recent years so now looks uniform across all platforms. A great move in my opinion!

StrongVPN is one of the cheapest of all the providers and they offer a good service so if they have a feature you like that the others don’t then sign up by clicking the link below.

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How we Tested & Selected these VPNs

In order to understand why we suggest these services, you should first know how we tested them and why we chose these VPN providers, specifically.

That means understanding what makes them the best Android VPNs out there.

To make that assessment and deduce which are the best Android VPN apps, we used the following metrics:

1) Speed

High speed is crucial for every VPN for Android, as you will need good speed in order to do most things that you would usually do with your phone.

Whether you are interested in streaming shows on Netflix, playing online games, making video calls, or anything else – you need a VPN that is fast.

The reason for this is the fact that VPN slows down your internet.

While using a VPN, you get protection, but that comes at a cost, and in order to feel the minimum impact, you need the fastest VPN. Otherwise, streaming services will be too slow for you to enjoy them.

Who wants buffering and low quality video in this day and age?

2) Security

We cannot stress the importance of security enough.

After all, VPNs are meant to be used for enhancing the security of their users. Their use for unblocking Netflix and other geo-restricted or censored services is a popular one, but VPNs are still primarily security-oriented.

Therefore, when making our list of the best Android VPN services, we only listed VPNs that offer the best security features out there.

The most important features that can help you protect your internet connection are security protocols and encryption.

However, the best VPNs also have a no-logging policy. A no-logging policy basically means that the VPN service will not record your online activities. That way, they cannot provide your data to anyone, nor can it be stolen from them.

Some VPNs have extra security features, such as a kill switch, which instantly breaks the internet connection of your Android device, in case there is a data leak. That way, your security is guaranteed, and your data will not be compromised.

There are also things like split tunneling. Essentially, split tunneling allows you to select which apps on your Android will be protected with a VPN, and which won’t.

Not all VPN providers offer this feature, so if you wish to have it when using a VPN, make sure that a provider has it beforehand.

In the end, whether you use a Wi-Fi network or data, you should always have a VPN turned on to protect you.

3) Streaming

Streaming is a big part of VPN usage these days. Basically, everyone wants to enjoy streaming services like Netflix. However, they are not available in every country.

Netflix, for example, is available in the majority of the world, but it has a different catalog for every country in which it operates.

It doesn’t seem fair that a person from a small African country and a person from the US pay the same amount for it, but one has access to a few hundred shows and movies, while the US has thousands.

This is why the majority of VPN users around the world tend to use VPN providers to access foreign Netflix and unblock all the shows that they can’t access at home.

This is also why speeds are essential, as mentioned, but also simultaneous connections. The more simultaneous connections a VPN offers, the more devices you can use it on at the same time.

That way, your entire family can watch different things on Netflix at different times.

But, be careful – not every VPN can unblock Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and other similar streaming services.

This is why you might want to check with the customer support via live chat whether their service can access Netflix before you subscribe.

4) Price

We also considered what deals Android VPNs are offering, and what kinds of plans they offer.

All of them have a 1-month plan, and most have a 1-year plan, but other than that they may differ significantly. One Android VPN could easily offer a 3-month or 6-month plan, while another would only offer plans that last for multiple years.

In the end, it is up to you to decide how dedicated you wish to be to your new VPN.

But one pro-tip, the longer you subscribe, the cheaper they become.

5) App

Naturally, when choosing the best Android VPN, we did not only look if it can access Netflix, but also how user-friendly these VPNs are.

We understand that some VPN users are using such apps for the first time, and they need the apps to be easy to use, with a beginner-friendly layout.

However, it is also important for them to be quick to connect, and to have all the essential features.

If the app ever malfunctions, you will want to have a kill switch enabled. A kill switch will prevent your data from leaking, and your identity from being exposed.

What does an Android VPN do?

To put it quite simply, Android VPN allows you to protect your Android device while browsing the web.

The internet is filled with data-hungry companies, advertisers, government agencies, and other threats, all of which are extremely hungry for data, for their own reasons.

An Android VPN allows you to protect your data and hide it from view, make it unreadable, and prevent it from leaking through the use of DNS leak protection, a kill switch, and similar tools.

It can also let you mask your online identity and appear to be coming from somewhere else, depending on where the server you have connected to is located.

That way, you can even bypass censorship and geo-restrictions.

How can I get a VPN for Android?

If you wish to get a VPN for your Android device, the process of obtaining one is actually very simple. All you need to do is follow a few short steps.

For our example, we will use the top choice, ExpressVPN.

Go to the ExpressVPN website.
Sign up for an account. To do this, you will have to enter your email and password.
Select a payment plan, and enter your payment details.
Go to the Google Play Store on your device, and search for the ExpressVPN app.
Download and install the app from Google Play Store (the installation process will be automatic for Android).
Log in to the app with your email address and a password provided by the ExpressVPN website.
Find a list of servers, and select the one you wish to connect to.

And, that’s pretty much all there is to it.

You will now be able to access anything that the internet has to offer in 94 different countries, which is quite a bit of new content for you to explore.

Why do I need a VPN for my Android device?

Here are a couple of reasons why you might want to use a VPN on your device:

To protect your privacy and identity.
To unblock geo-restricted or censored websites and content.
To protect yourself from hackers on public Wi-Fi.
To get better deals when shopping online.

As you can see, there are quite a few use cases for the VPN, and these are only the main ones.

Protecting your privacy and identity certainly takes the top spot on the list, given how important it is to ensure your safety from all the mentioned entities which could compromise it.

Unblocking censored and restricted content is also self-explanatory, especially when it comes to streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and alike.

Protecting yourself on public Wi-Fi is also important, as using public hotspots unprotected could make you an easy prey for hackers. They would find a network and just wait for people to connect to it and attack their devices.

Lastly, we mentioned getting better shopping deals, which is also true, since many online stores and services tailor the prices of their goods based on where you are connecting from.

Using a VPN to connect to a different area might bring you an unexpected discount.

What’s the best free VPN for Android?

One thing that you should understand is that there is no such thing as a good free VPN for Android.

Free VPNs are often quite flawed, with poor security features, slow speed, few overcrowded servers, and no extra security features such as the kill switch. A free VPN can only provide you with the bare minimum, and even then, it does it quite poorly.

Worse than that, a free VPN might even log your data and sell it to the highest bidder.

After all, they are FREE VPNs, meaning that they have to get the money for maintaining their services from somewhere.

The best you can hope to find is not really a free VPN, but rather a premium VPN that offers a free package, such as ProtonVPN or Tunnelbear.

However, keep in mind that these services are rather limited, whether they decide to put a cap on the amount of data you can spend per month, or the number of servers that you can connect to.

It likely won’t be long before you realize that they are good for getting a taste of a VPN, but not that great for actually sustaining you for an entire month of protected browsing and streaming.

Turning to free VPNs at this point would be a bad call. Instead, simply skip free VPNs completely, and use a premium one for total peace of mind.

Android VPN app Safety on the Google Play Store

Remember one thing, just because an app is on the Google Play Store, it doesn’t mean that it is safe.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of fake VPN apps that have found their way to major app stores, but Google and other store managers simply cannot identify them in time.

Instead of trusting them, rely on other users. Try to find their rating in and out of the store.

Reputable VPNs like ExpressVPN will have more positives reviews than negative ones.

The rating can help you deduce whether an app is valid or not. Apart from the rating, you should also read the comments. Fake VPNs will usually have a fake rating with 5 stars where the comments praise them, as well as a real rating with 1 star where users warn others of a scam.

If there is nothing in between, you will know that this is a VPN you should stay away from.

Find Thoughts

There is actually very little difference between Android apps. There isn’t a huge amount of settings and most of them take only one or two clicks to get connected.

What is more important is to consider the service behind the app because ultimately it is speed, server availability and price that will determine how the Android app stands up.

After extensive testing, our experts found the best Android VPN to be ExpressVPN because it seemed to be the easiest to get connected with the least hassle and clicks.

The service behind ExpressVPN is also one of the best, with the highest speeds. When using public Wi-Fi or mobile internet then speed is critical and I felt they outperformed the competition.

At just $6.67 /mo when taking an annual package, it’s certainly worth the money but if you feel one of the other providers offers a feature that they don’t then feel free to browse the other provider’s websites to find the Android VPN solution of your choice.

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