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Updated: Oct 29, 2024, 4:14pm
Cybersecurity is one of the biggest concerns for businesses of all sizes. With the rise of ransomware and other common cyber threats, organizations are looking for methods to better secure digital data and connections. Many companies have turned to virtual private networks (VPNs). The best business VPNs offer more than peace of mind and online security. They can also offer a peek at foreign markets and help remote workers protect valuable data and assets.
With an ever-growing market of VPN options from which to choose, finding the right one for your company’s needs can be a challenge. So, we analyzed 22 of the top VPN services to bring you this list of the 10 best business VPNs of 2024.
We reviewed 22 of the best VPNs on the market and scored them on eight primary factors and 59 subfactors and used those scores to rate them on a scale of 1 to 5. The primary factors we tested included download/upload speeds, pricing and general features. Our experts’ hands-on experience with these VPNs was also factored into the final scores.
| Criteria | Scoring Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General Features | 25% | These are the bare-minimum features that any VPN should have to be worth buying. This includes split tunneling, anonymous browsing, DNS protection measures, dedicated IP addresses and kill switches. |
| Speeds | 20% | We conducted rigorous speed tests of each VPN and determined their average upload and download speeds as part of our overall score. Our VPN speed tests were run on a Windows 11 Pro machine using Ookla’s publicly available speed test. VPN services are connected to the nearest possible server. |
| Pricing and Fees | 15% | In scoring this section, we considered the lowest-price tier, the highest-price tier, whether or not the service had a free version or a free trial, and whether the provider made its prices publicly available on its website. |
| Additional Features | 10% | While “general features” covers all the qualities a VPN should have, we also looked at qualities that aren’t necessarily required but are good to have nonetheless. Helpful features include browser extensions, simultaneous device connections and whether or not the provider has a no-logs policy. |
| Expert Score | 10% | Our experts researched and tested each VPN and graded them based on their hands-on experience with the software. |
| Ratings and Reviews | 10% | Of course, our experts’ experience with these VPNs isn’t necessarily indicative of the average user experience. As a result, we also factored in aggregate ratings from websites, such as G2, Trustpilot and Capterra, as part of our scoring. |
| Service and Support | 7% | Factors we considered when scoring this section include if the provider has 24/7 customer support, a live chat feature, phone support and a knowledge base to answer questions without needing to contact someone directly. |
| Mobile App | 3% | Whether or not a VPN has a mobile app is particularly important when trying to access the internet while traveling. Thankfully, all the VPNs we tested had mobile apps. The apps’ ratings on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store were factored into our score for this section. |
Read more: How we test VPNs
In the simplest terms, a virtual private network, or VPN, is software that allows users to connect their computer or other devices to a different computer, also known as a “server,” and access the internet through that server. This means that if the server is in another country, your connection looks like it’s coming from that country instead of the country you’re in. This can let you access web content you might not otherwise be able to see. People typically use VPNs this way to access streaming content not accessible in their home country.
A business VPN performs essentially the same functions as a normal VPN but with more of an eye to its business use cases. For example, employees who regularly travel to different countries could use a business VPN to access their company’s network and resources, even if that access would normally be blocked in that country. Many business VPNs also offer features such as a dedicated IP address and a team management dashboard or console.
There’s a lot to consider when buying any new software or service for your business, but there are usually green flags to look for and red flags to avoid. In the case of business VPNs, essential features such as split tunneling, dedicated IP addresses and a large number of server locations are signs that a VPN might be right for you. Other factors such as ease of use, security and the VPN provider’s location are also worth considering when selecting a VPN.
Privacy is the name of the game for VPNs, and it’s important to choose a VPN with a strong commitment to privacy. Ideally, you should be able to choose a VPN provider that has a strict “no-logs” policy; however, it’s difficult to verify if a provider operates under a no-logs policy, except in instances such as a data breach where you can see what data they were collecting from customers. Another privacy positive is if the provider publishes regular transparency reports, outlining data requests they have received from a government and whether or not they complied with those requests.
Where the VPN is headquartered can also play a role in how private your data is. In general, it’s wise to avoid VPNs hailing from the so-called “Five Eyes” countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. These countries are part of an intelligence-sharing alliance dating back to the Cold War that allows these countries to share any data they have gathered on their citizens or other countries’ citizens with one another.
In 2018, these five nations issued a statement essentially threatening tech companies to give them access to encrypted data (such as data encrypted by a VPN) on request. Other intelligence-sharing agreements have led to the term “Nine Eyes” countries being used to describe the Five Eyes plus France, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway, and “Fourteen Eyes” for the Nine Eyes plus Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden.
In all cases, however, thoroughly read a VPN provider’s terms of service and privacy policy to best understand what the provider is allowed to do with your data.
Building off that commitment to privacy, a VPN’s ability to secure your connection and data is incredibly important. In general, you want to look for a VPN that uses military-grade encryption when safeguarding your connection.
“Military-grade encryption,” in this case, usually refers to AES-256 encryption. “AES” stands for Advanced Encryption Standard, an encryption specification developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It has been approved for U.S. government use since May 26, 2002, and is still in use today. AES comes in three key lengths: 128, 192 and 256 bits, with 256 being the most secure but requiring the most processing power.
All VPNs reviewed here have a version of AES-256 encryption as part of their standard security features.
When looking for a VPN that’s right for your business, ease of use is an extremely important decision factor. Most businesses will employ a large number of people with wildly varying levels of technical expertise and competence. For a VPN to properly secure your network, all users must be able to set up and operate the service.
In our experience, ease of use isn’t much of an issue, as most VPN setups only take a few minutes and a couple of button clicks to use, but certain VPNs might require a bit more configuration and time spent emailing customer support, which might be more of a headache than some users want to manage. Be sure to check business and product reviews online to see how often these sorts of headaches pop up for any VPNs you’re considering for your organization.
On top of that, it needs to be compatible with all devices in your network, from laptops to tablets to phones. For example, if many employees in your company use their phones to access company resources and channels, it’s wise to make sure that your VPN has mobile app integrations to better secure the network. Try to survey your company’s workforce and see what devices they typically use when accessing your network, so you can make sure any VPNs you select are compatible with those devices.
Featured Partners
1
NordVPN
74% off + 3 months extra, starting at $2.90
6
Yes (add-on)
2
Surfshark
$2.49/month
Unlimited
Yes
3
Private Internet Access
$2.03
Unlimited
Yes (add-on)
| VPN Provider | Free Plan | Lowest Paid Plan Price | Highest Disclosed Plan Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mullvad VPN | No | €5 (about $5.50 per user per month) | Only one plan available |
| Proton VPN | Yes | $8.99 per user per month | $14.99 per user per month |
| IVPN | No | $6 per user per month | $10 per user per month |
| NordVPN | No | $10 per user per month | $18 per user per month |
| Surfshark | No | $5.90 per user per month (billed annually) | $6.90 per user per month (billed annually) |
| ExpressVPN | No | $12.95 per user per month | Only one plan available |
| Mozilla VPN | No | $9.99 per user per month | Only one plan available |
| CyberGhost | No | $11.99 per user per month | Only one plan price disclosed |
| Private Internet Access (PIA) | No | $9.95 per user per month | $11.95 per user per month |
| hide.me | Yes | $4.75 per user per month | Only one plan available |
As with other subscription-based services, the cost of a business VPN can vary wildly between companies. Some, including hide.me, offer a free version with limited features. Almost all providers offer a monthly subscription at a higher price than their yearly subscriptions, such as PIA VPN going from $11.95 per month for its monthly plan to $3.33 per month for its yearly plan. If you’re buying a year’s subscription for the service though, we’ve found that it will generally run you somewhere from $3 to $5 per month.
There are ways to save, of course. Many companies will offer free trials or money-back guarantees to entice users to give their service a try with a lower initial commitment. You’ll also see discounts and deals throughout the year from some providers.
As a general rule, VPNs are designed to be pretty easy to set up. Oftentimes, all you need to do is download and run the installer, open the app, choose your server location and connect. There are some factors to consider before setting up a VPN, though. Chiefly, VPNs do not play well with one another, meaning that trying to set up a new VPN while you still have an old VPN installed can cause problems.
So, make sure you’ve uninstalled any VPNs you’re no longer using before setting up the new VPN. Additionally, your network’s firewall can also sometimes block your connection. If you’re trying to install your VPN with your router, make sure your VPN supports router connections and that your router is either open source or has built-in VPN support or both.
Featured Partners
1
NordVPN
74% off + 3 months extra, starting at $2.90
6
Yes (add-on)
2
Surfshark
$2.49/month
Unlimited
Yes
3
Private Internet Access
$2.03
Unlimited
Yes (add-on)
Staff Reviewer Zephin Livingston and Managing Editor Rob Watts contributed to this article.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question as the best VPN for small businesses depends on the business’s specific needs. However, some features to look for in a small business VPN include a dedicated IP address or server, support for multiple devices and protocols, a kill switch and a high number of server locations. NordLayer is a strong contender for the best VPN for small businesses.
In general, VPNs are good for businesses. They can help keep your data and activity private and offer several other benefits, such as the ability to connect more devices, user management, remote employee protection, public Wi-Fi security and more server locations.
If you purchase from the right company, yes, your VPN should really be secure. However, if you’ve allowed sites access to your data, a VPN can’t protect you from that sort of tracking. The type of VPN protocols used also contributes to how secure your VPN is, as outdated protocols have multiple known exploits.
The process for connecting to a VPN varies depending on your device and operating system. Generally, you need to download the VPN’s app or software, enter your username and password and select a server. For more detailed instructions, check out the VPN’s website or contact customer service.
For a small business, we recommend the ASUS RT-AX59U. It’s a dual-band router that supports MU-MIMO for multiple users, and it has built-in support for setting up a VPN connection. It’s not a perfect device, but it’s a dependable, affordable router for small businesses looking to connect a VPN.
