When it comes to your own security online, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are the best way to go.
In this guide, you’ll discover which are the best VPN services for use in the United States and some of the top reasons that make these seven services standout amongst the crowd.
As you are likely aware, online privacy issues have been growing more and more in recent years, particularly in the US.
Levels of censorship continue to rise, reports of hacking attacks are daily, and agencies like the NSA are spying on everyone – be they visiting foreigners or the country’s citizens.
Issues like net neutrality are something that the public has to fight for, while your very ISP is tracking your every move. This robs you of your online freedom, privacy, and even certain benefits, such as free torrenting.
However, you can bypass most of these problems through the use of a good quality VPN service, and there are plenty to choose from.
Below I’m taking a look at the top 7 services suitable for the United States to keep you secure online, unblock content such as movies/TV shows, and allow you to torrent freely and a whole lot of other uses.
Best VPN for United States
| RANK | PROVIDER | PRICE | COUNTRY LOCATIONS | SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  | $6.67 /mo | 94 | 5 | VISIT |
| 2. |  | $6.49 /mo | 60 | ∞ | VISIT |
| 3. |  | $2.99 /mo | 62 | 6 | VISIT |
| 4. |  | $5.00 /mo | 64 | 5 | VISIT |
| 5. |  | $2.75 /mo | 60 | 7 | VISIT |
| 6. |  | $2.49 /mo | 63 | ∞ | VISIT |
| 7. |  | $2.69 /mo | 74 | 10 | VISIT |
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPN services around, and I have the speed tests to prove it. It calls itself the leader in the entire VPN industry with good reason.
It’s easily one of the best VPNs on the market.
However, the VPN service is also known for great security measures, such as strong encryption and security protocols, which can keep your online traffic safe and away from the prying eyes of the US government, or any other entity, a kill switch, and split tunneling.
With a strict audited no-logs policy, your data is protected.
ExpressVPN features a massive server network that contains over 3,000 servers located in 160 cities in over 90 countries worldwide. And, don’t worry, there are many VPN servers located in the US as well that will give you fast download speeds and many US IP addresses to connect to.
This means that you will not have to face US geo-restrictions by only being able to connect to overseas servers. Instead, you can connect locally as well, in areas such as Seattle, Los Angeles, San Jose, New York, New Jersey, and others.
In addition, this is a service registered off-shore, outside of the US jurisdiction which is great for avoiding surveillance and other privacy-invasive issues.
They also offer apps that cover many devices such as Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. You can have up to 5 simultaneous connections to the VPN at once.
All of the above reasons are why ExpressVPN is one of the best VPN providers for the US, offering you both speed and security, with a very strict privacy policy. Plus, if you aren’t happy, they offer a money-back guarantee for the first 30 days of your subscription.
Best VPN for United States
2. IPVanish
Next, there is IPVanish. This is another excellent service which can allow you to browse the web anonymously at high speeds, while still enjoying full privacy protection.
It features over 1,200 anonymous servers in over 60 countries around the world including a number of servers in the US, which means that the service can provide over 40,000 shared IP addresses.
The servers in the US, in places such as New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, and many other locations making it one of the best VPNs for USA. There are also plenty of servers overseas if needed.
This VPN provides you with the ability to connect to an unlimited number of devices giving you simultaneous connections.
One thing I love about IPVanish is its user-friendly interface, making it easy to use for any technophobes out there.
However, it’s worth noting that IPVanish is a US-registered service (US VPN), which can be viewed as positive or negative, depending on how you see it.
However, the service points out that it holds a no-logs policy, meaning that it does not have information about you to give, even if forced to do so, making this US VPN pretty solid.
Your privacy is paramount and IPVanish has a strict privacy policy that prohibits any data collection, which is something that all VPN companies should strive for.
If you aren’t happy with IPVanish, you are covered by their money-back guarantee.
3. NordVPN
NordVPN is also an excellent choice for a VPN for the US, as it guarantees complete privacy and advanced security, with its prices being among the cheapest in the industry. Which isn’t bad considering it is one of the best VPNs available.
The service features more than 5,400 servers in 61 countries around the world, with as much as 1846 of them being in the United States which is a pretty big server network.
The servers are lightening fast plus there are P2P friendly servers, double-hop and other unique features not found elsewhere.
They boast DNS leak protection and a built in kill switch which are great security features to help protect your privacy. Along with a split tunneling feature which is useful for internet banking, you are in safe hands.
NordVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning that you can go back on your purchase within 30 days if you decide that you are not satisfied.
Any problems and I’m sure their dedicated customer support will be more than happy to help.
Further, NordVPN is very user-friendly and easy to use, and you can even use it on as many as six devices at once giving you simultaneous connections to a VPN server.
It covers nearly every device and system there is, which means that you can protect everything from your phone to your family desktop and even the Amazon Fire TV devices with this single service.
It also offers a double VPN which is one of my favourite privacy features that NordVPN offers, all while maintaining fast speeds.
4. VyprVPN
VyprVPN offers an excellent deal, with over 700 servers in 70 different locations.
In North America, the service has servers in Toronto, Canada, as well as in Mexico City, Mexico.
However, there are many more servers in multiple locations in the US, such as in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, the NYC, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
Apart from a high number of US-based servers, VyprVPN also provides many other benefits that allow you to browse the web with complete privacy and anonymity.
For example, all of its servers are in their possession, meaning that there are no third parties involved.
The service offers a 30-day money back guarantee which gives you plenty of time to test it first.
Furthermore, the company is registered in Switzerland, meaning that it is outside of the US jurisdiction, even if it didn’t prove that it keeps no records.
So with your privacy in mind, Vypr VPN is one of the best.
If in the unlikely event you are unhappy with their service and their customer support can’t help you, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. CyberGhost VPN
Next, there is CyberGhost VPN – yet another service that is registered outside of the US, which makes it that much safer right from the start.
Apart from that, the service offers over 7100+ servers in over 90 countries, including the US, where it has as many as 1200+ active servers and plenty of US IP addresses.
This makes a pretty huge network of servers, one of the largest in the world.
Many of them are based in locations such as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New Jersey, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
All of the servers are very fast, and their high number prevents them from being overcrowded. This also makes them excellent for streaming.
They’ve got loads of specific servers for unblocking streaming services not only from the US but from across the world, and a whole host of apps for a multitude of devices such as Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac.
You can have a number of devices with up to 7 simultaneous connections.
Finally, the VPN service is more than capable of protecting your privacy and securing your anonymity with their 256-bit encryption (which is pretty strong security), and it also claims to keep no logs, although you should note that unlike VyprVPN, for example, this has not been confirmed by an independent party.
They also offer a 45-day money-back guarantee for good measure.
6. Surfshark VPN
If you want a Zero logs VPN that makes your privacy its top priority, and gives you the most bang for your buck, then look no further.
Surfshark VPN is one of the cheapest VPN service providers around. Even though they offer brilliant prices, their VPN service doesn’t suffer, in fact I believe they are one of the best VPNs around at the moment.
With an industry-leading AES 256 Bit encryption and it’s built-in Camo-mode, you can rest assured that your data is kept private.
They also offer two very important security features, a split tunneling feature named Whitelister mode, this allows certain websites and apps to bypass the VPN servers, and a kill switch.
Along with the above, they allow you to connect unlimited devices, so you can protect ALL of your devices from any data leaks, keeping you safe and secure.
The ability to connect an unlimited number of devices that will provide you with simultaneous connections and the fact that Surfshark VPN works incredibly well with online streaming services such as Netflix, make this one of the best VPN services around.
Fast speeds, cheap prices, excellent security, and a large number of servers located in the US make this one of the best VPNs for USA.
Still not convinced? Well, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee and offer the best customer service.
7. PrivateInternetAccess VPN
PrivateInternetAccess prides itself on its extremely fast connection speeds, and it’s no-logging policy, meaning you get the fastest download speeds which will come in handy when using streaming sites such as Netflix or BBC iPlayer, but you won’t be sacrificing your privacy and security.
With a number of VPN servers located in the US, and over 14,000 servers around the globe (14 server locations in the US), you will be able to bypass any geo-restrictions that are in place and access the content you want.
You will be able to have up to 10 simultaneous connections giving your devices all of the security and privacy you need while you are surfing the web.
One of my favourite features from this VPN provider is the ability to pay for the VPN using cryptocurrency, which will help keep your private data safe and is best practice when looking to remain as anonymous as possible.
They also offer 24/7 live chat support which is great for helping you with any questions that you may have. In fact, their customer support is excellent.
PtivateInternetAccess VPN is so confident that you will like their service, that they have extended their money-back guarantee to 30 days.
Should I choose a US or Non-US service?
In the end, this is a decision that you have to make yourself, although there are positives and negatives to both sides.
If you choose a US-based service, you should keep in mind that a US VPN will need to oblige by US laws. Because of this, many services claim that they do not hold users’ logs and other activity.
However, until a third party confirms this, it is best only to choose services that can prove that such claims are true or that have faced court orders to prove this to be true.
If not, it is likely that a subpoena might force a US VPN services to hand over information such as your browsing history, as well as information regarding when you used the VPN.
On the other hand, the US cannot obtain such data from services registered off-shore, as they do not fall under the country’s jurisdiction, and instead follow the laws of the country they are registered in.
ExpressVPN, for example, is a service registered outside of the US, while PIA and IPVanish are registered within the country.
Why do I need a VPN for the US?
1. Government/Company Surveillance
When it comes to your privacy, not only do unsavoury characters want to collect your data without you knowing, but major companies like to collect data too for sending targeted adverts your way.
In fact, even the government have been guilty of stealing your private data over the years, even if you are outside the US. During 2017, the NSA tripled their data collection, collecting all of your private phone data without your knowledge or permission.
To me this is unacceptable and by using a VPN will help you give your devices that extra bit of security and leak protection.
It is also worth noting that in some countries have data retention laws meaning your ISP is required to keep all of your browsing data for at least 12 months – however, for now, the US is not one of them.
2. Unlock streaming content
When looking to unlock content from streaming sites, a VPN is the perfect solution to your problem.
By connecting to a server located in another region, you will have access to regionally restricted content from virtually anywhere. Whole new libraries of movies/ TV shows will be available to you at the click of a button
For example, say that you are on your lunch break sitting in your favourite New York Coffee shop and you want to watch an episode of your favourite (and the best) British TV show Doctor Who, then you will need a VPN to be able to access BBC iPlayer.
VPNs give you the ability to connect to a VPN server located in another region e.g. the UK and will unlock that regions content making it readily available for you to stream.
So it is important to choose a VPN with a large offering of server locations, the best US VPN services are in the list above.
VPNs are extremely useful for keeping your data private, but the fact that they let you unlock streaming content from all over the world is pretty amazing if you ask me.
3. Torrent/Download safely
As much as we like to say we don’t torrent or download anything, most of us would be lying.
Even though there is tons of questionable content, most of us just want to download large Linux distros or other large legal files.
The problem is, the majority of ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) have blocked popular torrent sites, and using a VPN will help you get around this problem.
Plus using a VPN will help keep your identity as anonymous as it can be.
So use a VPN next time you want to torrent/download, you will find there are a lot more sites now available to you.
Most VPN companies have certain privacy features that stop your ISP from knowing you are using a VPN, which is even better for you, it also gives you some added security when browsing torrent sites.
4. Protection on Public Wi-Fi
A 2014 study found that 72% of the public questioned the security of public Wi-Fi, I’m sure you have asked the question too.
The thing is, public Wi-Fi has its perks, it’s free, most locations have it, and it can be pretty fast depending on where you are.
However, if you join a public Wi-Fi spot, you are opening yourself up to danger. Hackers love nothing more than waiting in public hotspots to identify a target and steal all of their information.
You’d be surprised by what information they can gain access to once they are on the same network as you.
It is worth noting though that this isn’t as risky as in the past as many websites now use the secure ‘HTTPS’ protocol. But there are still tasks like sending email via your desktop client that can expose your data.
A VPN will give you that extra layer of security by allowing you to browse the internet on your own private network.
5. ISP Throttling/Net Neutrality
Did you know your ISP might be slowing down your internet connection depending on what sites you are accessing?
Yep, it’s true. In fact, they do it more often than you might think.
A few years back the US got rid of Net Neutrality, which means that internet speed is now “pay to play”.
So you will notice that the larger businesses have very fast connections to their sites meaning internet traffic will fly through, while smaller businesses will have their internet traffic slowed down as they haven’t paid.
To me, that doesn’t seem fair, and by using a VPN you will be bypassing your ISP throttling your internet speeds.
How to get a US IP Address
If you want to get a US IP Address, you will need to use a VPN. Follow the steps below and you’ll be set up with your VPN in a matter of minutes:
- Visit ExpressVPN and set up your account by selecting what package you require and by entering your details in the spaces provided.
- Once you have created an account and subscribed to the VPN service, download the ExpressVPN app to your device and log in using your username and password.
- Next, select a VPN server located in the US and click the Connect button.
- You will now find that you have a US IP address ready to be used to browse the internet mostly anonymous.
How to pick a VPN for the US
1. Server Locations in the US
When you are looking at what VPN will best serve you, you need to consider how many servers are located in the US and nearby regions.
The USA is a big country, so having local servers will ensure that you get the fastest connection speeds, which is something that we all want. Plus by using a US VPN server, you will get a new IP address.
However, if you are wanting to access content from outside of the US region, or perhaps you want to avoid US servers altogether, then you will want to connect to a server located outside the US, but still a close enough region to ensure your connection speeds don’t drop too much.
The best VPNs on the market will have a wide selection of server locations for you to connect to, and should be easy to use.
2. Audited No-Log policy
The whole purpose of having a VPN is to keep your data secure and out of other people’s hands, privacy is key. This is precisely why it is important that whatever VPN you choose has a fully audited no-log policy.
The VPNs in my list all have no-logging policies and most have been audited by 3rd parties to ensure that their claims are true. Some of the VPNs have even been taken to court and proven that they have no logs, which is always nice to see.
If a VPN hasn’t had to prove their no-log policy, then who’s to know if they are telling the truth or not?
When it comes to your information, ALWAYS go with a proven no-log VPN, after all, if a VPN logs your data it defeats the purpose of having one. In today’s world, your privacy is key.
3. Fast Download Speeds
Remember the days of dial-up internet?
Yeah, me too and it wasn’t pretty.
That’s why when it comes to selecting a VPN you will want to ensure that you are getting the fastest VPN connection speeds possible.
Nowadays connection speed is more important than ever, with the rise of online video streaming, and downloading huge files each day for work or entertainment, you’ll want a fast connection.
The thing is, some VPN services don’t live up to the claims, but the ones in my list do and have been fully tested by our speed tests.
4. Apps for your devices
When it comes to VPN providers, most of them will offer a wide range of apps for all of the common devices, such as Mac, Windows, Linux, FireTV, Routers, Android, and iOS.
It is important that a VPN is versatile, as it will make your experience much smoother if they provide you with an easy setup. Most VPNs are as simple as download, install, and log in.
It is also worth noting that each VPN service provider will allow you to connect varying number of devices simultaneously. This is very useful if you have a family, or if you are like me and have every device under the sun, then you will be covered too.
It may be worth noting that each VPN has designed their apps to be user-friendly, mainly for the ease of use. You no longer need to be an expert to connect to a server.
Can I get a free US VPN?
You can certainly use a free VPN, yes.
However, such services are often too slow, and they will log your data and keep most of the information, which they can then sell, store, or provide to the government if it happens to ask.
Doing so ultimately defeats the purpose of using a VPN in the first place, you want a VPN with a no logging policy.
Besides, if you need a VPN for only a short while, and you do not feel like paying for it – you can always use services like VPNHub or Tunnelbear that let you trial a reduced service for a few days.
Personally, I would avoid free VPNs, they are more hassle than they are worth, and anything that stores user data is a big no from me.
Your best course of action would be to use a VPN on my list as they will provide you with the privacy and security you need.
Final Thoughts
In this day and age, achieving online privacy and anonymity is not easy, and it is impossible to do it without a good VPN service.
Constant monitoring by the government and its agencies, as well as by your ISP (Internet Service Provider) means that nothing you do online within the US will stay private unless you protect yourself.
Luckily, VPNs can allow you to do just that, with ExpressVPN being our favourite choice.
It is fast, it is registered outside of the US, it provides excellent protection, has many servers in many different locations, a built in kill switch and it features a 30-day money-back guarantee, just in case you change your mind.
Save 49% off our top choice United States VPN
