Best Android VPN Apps for 2026

Protecting your internet connection while you’re at home or on your laptop on the go is important.

But why protect just one part of your internet use?

If you’re using an Android phone, you should be using a VPN whenever you connect to the internet.

Let’s talk about why that’s a good idea, then discuss the best VPNs for Android phones. We’ll go over our selection criteria, then provide our recommendations.

Why Use an Android VPN?

Just like the internet traffic that you send from your home or work computer, the traffic you send from your phone should be protected. A VPN provides that protection.

For a detailed explanation, check out our full beginner’s guide to VPNs. In short, though, using a VPN on your Android:

1. Hide your IP so you can remain anonymous and private
2. Bypasses geo-restrictions (especially useful for streaming Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video etc…)
3. Helps keep your personal data safe and secure
4. Protects your anonymity online and prevents online tracking

You might not think that you have any reason to hide the internet traffic coming from your phone, but remember that you send texts, photos, and emails from it. Would you want someone spying on those? Even if you’re not sending anything particularly private, you still don’t want anyone snooping.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation recommends using VPNs to avoid surveillance by your ISP. The same is absolutely true of your mobile data provider, and for all the same reasons.

There are certainly other reasons you might use a VPN, but these are the most popular. Protected browsing is crucial for streaming and torrenting from your phone, but the security benefits alone are worth setting up a VPN.

5 Best VPN Apps for Android Devices

Without further ado, here are 5 top VPNs for Android devices that are fast, safe and secure:

1. Surfshark – Cheap VPN for Streaming on Android

Surfshark continues to be an outstanding VPN choice for your Android device, offering exceptional value and performance.

One of the big advantages of Surfshark is their incredibly affordable pricing.

If you opt in for the 2-year Starter plan, you’ll get it at a monthly cost of just $1.99, which includes 3 free months for a total of 27 months. They use strong VPN protocols (WireGuard and IKEv2) and allow unlimited simultaneous connections, making it perfect for protecting all your devices.

Beyond that, the app has everything you’d expect from a top-tier Android VPN app. It’s super easy to use, has simple server choice across 3,200+ servers in 100+ countries, and offers a convenient Bypasser feature (split tunneling), which allows excluding some websites from the VPN connection.

The 4.6 rating with nearly 200K reviews on the Google Play Store is also reassuring:

With fast speeds consistently ranking among the best in the industry and excellent streaming capabilities, it’s a great option for budget-conscious users who don’t want to compromise on quality.

→ Get 87% off Surfshark with a 30-day money-back guarantee
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2. ProtonVPN – Best for Privacy & Fast Speeds on Android

ProtonVPN is one of the fastest providers we’ve tested, consistently maintaining excellent speeds with minimal performance loss testing – thanks to WireGuard (plus a Stealth option) and its VPN Accelerator tech. While your exact speed on Android will depend on your device and connection, ProtonVPN reliably delivers smooth streaming and everyday browsing.

The Android app supports a wide range of devices and versions, with a clean, tap-to-connect interface and a configurable Quick Connect. Save favorite locations for faster access and switch between nearby Plus servers if a site doesn’t work on the first try. With 15,000+ servers in 120+ countries on paid plans, finding a fast, low-latency route is easy.

Privacy is where ProtonVPN stands out: Swiss jurisdiction, a strict no-logs policy, open-source apps, and extras like Secure Core (multi-hop through hardened servers) and NetShield (malware/ad-blocking) that you can toggle right in the app. Its Google Play rating is also confidence-inspiring at around 4.6/5 with 50M+ downloads.

 

3. NordVPN – Most VPN Servers With Different IP Addresses

NordVPN is a top contender in every category, but it stands out among Android VPNs for the remarkably high reviews it gets from its users: NordVPN’s app earned a 4.6 ranking on Google Play with over 1 million reviews, one of the highest we’ve seen:

In addition to one-tap access to over 8,200+ servers in 165 countries, the app also has a built-in adblocker so you can browse the internet more freely and use less data. All you need to do is tell NordVPN where you want to connect, and you’ll be instantly connected to their network.

We also love that they offer a no questions asked 30 days money back guarantee, so you can check out the Android app to see if you like it. If you don’t, all you have to do is cancel the service and request a refund.

We think you’ll like it, though; with outstanding speed performance maintaining about 95% of baseline speeds in recent tests, industry-standard AES-256 encryption, and a mind-boggling number of servers, there’s not a whole lot more you could ask for. It consistently ranks as one of the fastest VPNs available, making it perfect for streaming and gaming from your phone.

Another great feature is NordVPN’s extra-secure Double VPN.

It routes your traffic through two VPN servers instead of a single one to give you doubly encrypted data. This feature might slow down your connection, but if you need to be absolutely sure that no one knows what you’re doing online, you can be confident in Double VPN.

When you top all of that off with a very affordable pricing structure, you get a winner. If you sign up for a two year plan with NordVPN, you’ll only pay $3.09 per month with the Basic plan. Not many VPNs charge less than that.

→ Get 77% off NordVPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee
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4. Private Internet Access – Most Flexible Android VPN

PIA continues to deliver solid performance and excellent value. With its extensive server network of 35,000+ servers across 84 countries, you’ll always be able to find a server that’s not overcrowded.

The app also maintains a strong 4.0+ rating in the Play Store—people really appreciate its flexibility. It offers features like per-app VPN rules, ad blocking through MACE technology, and excellent customization options that power users love.

Although we recommend using a VPN for any internet connection on your Android, we understand that you might want more speed when you’re using certain apps. Letting some of them connect outside of the VPN will do that, and PIA’s split tunneling feature makes this easy.

PIA’s massive server network means you’ll always find a server with good performance. And because you can get a three-year subscription for as low as $2.03 per month, it remains one of the most affordable VPNs available.

 

5. TunnelBear – Best Rating on Google Play

As we mentioned previously, the app itself has to be good for us to recommend an Android VPN. And TunnelBear continues to have a fantastic app, which is one of the reasons why it maintains excellent ratings on the Play Store.

That’s not much of a surprise, considering how fun the app is to use. Like everything else made by TunnelBear, it’s full of fun graphics and cute bears. Which might not sound like it’s worth anything, but if the app is easy and pleasant to use, you’re more likely to use it.

And the VPN itself is solid, too. The Android app gets 256-bit AES encryption with strong VPN protocols, which means your traffic is secure. While it’s not the fastest VPN out there, it offers stable connections and maintains a strict no-logging policy that we really appreciate.

Their paid plans start at $3.33 per month for the three-year plan, making it competitively priced. And there’s a free plan so you can try the app out to see how it works for you. You’ll be limited to 500MB per month, but that should be enough to test the interface and basic functionality.

 

Why We Don’t Recommend FREE VPNs for Android

Lots of people know that they should be using a VPN. But fewer are willing to pay for it. That’s why there are thousands of people out there looking for the best free Android VPN. As you’ll see in a moment, we don’t recommend any free VPNs.

Why not? Because free VPNs come with compromises. First, they’re often not very reliable. Providers of paid VPNs aren’t likely to prioritize the traffic of their free users, and if you aren’t willing to pay, you’re going to get second-rate service.

The same applies to speed. Free Android VPNs just aren’t going to be able to compete with paid options on speed. You’ll get faster, more stable connections from a paid provider, and that’s worth a lot.

Second, providers of free VPNs still have to make money. And if they’re not getting it from you, they’re getting it from advertisers. Free VPN providers are more likely to log your information, sell your data to third parties, and display ads while you’re connected. While ads are annoying, having your data collected and sold is a violation of your privacy.

And because privacy is one of the most important underlying principles of any VPN, that’s bad news.

For all of these reasons, we recommend that you always use a paid VPN for Android. You’ll get a faster, more stable service, and your privacy will be better protected. And with the low costs of many of the VPNs below, you can get those things affordably.

What We Look For in Android VPNs

So what makes a great Android VPN? In most cases, it’s the same factors that make any VPN a good one. High speeds. No logging of any kind (or, at the very least, minimal logging). Solid encryption for security and privacy.

We also prefer that VPNs not be headquartered in countries that have strict surveillance and data retention laws, like the US, Canada, the UK, and much of western Europe. Some VPNs in these places are very trustworthy, but we prefer that they are housed in more lenient jurisdictions. Though any worthy VPN will have servers all over the world.

Simple, straightforward apps are also a big plus. If you have to spend a long time figuring out how to get online with your VPN, you’re much less likely to use it regularly. And that could expose you to security and privacy risks. The easier it is to get online, the better.

We also look at app reviews in the Google Play Store to see how users feel about the app. If a VPN app has more one- and two-star reviews than other apps, it’s cause for a closer look.

And, of course, we look at the price. We know that an expensive VPN doesn’t fit into everyone’s budget, so we try to highlight the options with the best value.

The Best Android VPNs Are at Your Disposal

The five VPNs we listed above are fantastic options for Android users. They’ll keep your traffic private, help you get around geo-restrictions, and keep your ISP from throttling your traffic. And because they’re at least relatively affordable, they’ll do it all without breaking the bank.

1. NordVPN – $2.99/mo (Basic Plan)
2. ProtonVPN – $2.49/mo (Basic Plan)
3. Surfshark – $2.19/mo (Starter Plan)
4. Private Internet Access – $2.03/mo (3-year plan)
5. TunnelBear – $3.33/mo (3-year plan)

If you’re not using an Android VPN, you should start doing it now. You can’t go wrong with any of these choices, so pick one and start browsing more safely today!