The portable nature of laptops make them great for work and travel, but connecting to an open WiFi network in a hotel or airport lobby could expose all of your data to a hacker. Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) in combination with your laptop is practically a requirement if you want to protect your data fully while on the move.
Learn more about VPN services
Not sure what a VPN is and how it can help? Take a look at the guides we have linked below for information about them:
- What is a VPN? – If you are completely new to VPNs, then take a look at our VPN beginner’s guide to find out what a VPN is, how they work, and what the advantages of using one are.
- VPN encryption – If you want to know more about VPN encryption and how it works then click through to this guide.
- Stay secure online – If you want to know more information about how to stay secure online check out this guide for some helpful tips.
- Using a VPN on specific devices – Check out our VPN for Windows guide for more information about using a VPN on a Windows machine. Alternatively, if you are a Mac user, you should know that not all VPNs will work with macOS. For a list of VPNs that do and some helpful tips check out our VPN for Mac guide.
Not sure what a VPN is and how it can help?
Other than encrypting all of your data and keeping hackers out, there are plenty of reasons you should use a VPN.
The best Laptop VPN
Below we have listed the best VPNs for laptops. All of these services support Windows and macOS, provide excellent encryption, and unblock sites from all over the world. For more information about any of the services in the list below, click through the provider’s website or scroll down to see a summary of each VPN service.
- NordVPN– Easy to use | Servers in 60 countries | Value for money
- CyberGhost– Accepts bitcoin | Servers in 90 countries | $2.75 per month
- Ivacy– Fast and reliable | Apps for all platforms | Servers in 50 countries
- PrivateVPN– Fast and reliable | Apps for all platforms |Live chat support
- ExpressVPN– Lightning fast | Apps for all platforms |24/7 live chat support
VPN for Laptop – Summaries
Below we have summarized everything that makes these the best VPNs for Laptops. If you need more information about any of them, click through to the VPNs website or take a look at our detailed VPN reviews.
NordVPN is a provider based in Panama that is both excellent for privacy and for unblocking more content online. The VPN has a zero logs policy, which means that it never stores any data about what you do while connected to its servers. And, because it provides strong OpenVPN encryption you gain complete privacy from your ISP and the government. NordVPN also provides robust privacy and security features, including DNS leak protection, a killswitch to stop you leaking data if the VPN connection drops out, obfuscated servers, double hope encryption, and VPN into Tor. With NordVPN you get access to servers in over 60 countries and all those servers are lightning fast for performing data intensive tasks such as streaming in HD. What’s more this VPN is equipped with servers that unblock popular services such as BBC iPlayer and Netflix US. This VPN is truly an amazing all rounder and because it has software for WIndows and OS X, you can use it on any laptop you prefer. Try it out thanks to its 30-day money back guarantee.
CyberGhost VPN is an easy and cheap VPN that is ideal for newbies
CyberGhost is a Romanian VPN provider that is both cheap and excellent at its job. This VPN has servers in 90 countries, which makes it fantastic for unblocking content from all around the globe. And this VPN’s serverd are fast meaning that you will be able to stream without buffering. When it comes to provacy, this VPN does not have quite as many features as NordVPN. However, it has the essentials; a kilswitch, DNS leak protection, and strong OpenVPN encryption. It also provides a zero logs service, meaning that it is suitable for gainign strong digital privacy. This VPN is excelent value for money, because it lets you use a single account on up to 7 devices simultaneously. And, if you deicde to try it, you can get your money back for 45 days, risk free. And, ues, this VPN has aps for both Macbooks and Windows laptops – so it is a fantastic all rounder.
Ivacy VPN is a service that is perfect for unblocking content in privacy both at home and on the move
Despite being a relatively young provider, last year Ivacy won third place for “best overall VPN” at the ProPrivacy.com Awards in Las Vegas. Ivacy is a fast VPN that provides access to servers globally. And the service is ideal for unblocking content and streaming in privacy. The VPN has software for all platforms and it can be installed and used on up to 5 devices simultaneously. Ivacy VPN is excellent value for money, and despite being cheap it is watertight in terms of privacy. High end VPN features such as a killswitch, OpenVPN encryption, and VPN cloaking are all available – and the VPN is ideally suited to keeping your data secure on public WiFi and for hiding your web habits from your ISP. This VPN is also able to unblock popular services such as Netflix US. Test the service now thanks to its 30-day money back guarantee.
PrivateVPN is a Swedish service that is highly praised by consumers
Consumers looking for a laptop VPN will not go far wrong with PrivateVPN. This service is based in Sweden, which is a location known to be strong on privacy. What’s more, this service keeps no logs – meaning that it never has any records lying around of what its subscribers do when connected to its servers. This means it has nothing to provide the authorities – even if they should serve it a warrant. This VPN has DNS leak protection, strong OpenVPN encryption, a killswitch and cloaking. It is also one of the few VPN that unblocks Netflix US – and a choice of Netflx catalogs around the world. We like this VPN because it has software for all platforms that is easy to use, and because it has excellent live chat customer support. There is no doubt that this VPN provides value for money – and you can test it risk free because it has a 30-day money back guarantee.
ExpressVPN is a well-known service that is a fantastic all rounder for laptop users
ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs in the world. It is an established service based in the British Virgin Islands, that is known to provide an extremely reliable platform – perfect for accessing censored or geo restricted content. ExpressVPN has some of the best VPN software we have ever encountered, and those apps are vailable for all platforms. And, this VPN lets you install and use the VPN software on three devices simultaneously. When it comes to privacy, ExpressVPN is watertight. Robust OpenVPN encrytion protects your data from government snoops, local newotk administrators, and ISP tracking. In addition, this VPN has a zero logs policy, stealth mode, a kilswitch and DNS leak protection. ExpressVPN unblocks Netflix US, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer – and because it has servers in 94 countries there is nothign that it can’t unblock. It is also one of the fastest VPNs in the world. While Express is a bit pricey, it really is true that you get what you pay for. A fantastic VPN with a 30-day money back guarantee that is worth paying for if you can afford it.
Best VPN for Laptops: Considerations
Can you get a laptop VPN for free?
Very few legitimate VPNs let you use their services for free. This is because running and upkeep on a VPN network is pricey and requires users to purchase a subscription. However, the good news is that some reliable VPNs do provide limited free versions of their premium subscriptions in order to let people get a taste of their service. This means you can use a VPN for free on a laptop to unblock content or gain privacy and security.
However, if you are a regular internet user and require unblocking capabilities, privacy, and WiFi security on a constant basis – you will need to choose a service from this list and pay for a subscription. This is because free VPNs have data limits and bandwidth caps designed to make free users graduate onto a paid subscription.
Another important thing to remember is that many free VPNs exist that are dangerous. Some free VPNs are funded using their users’ data, meaning that they are not providing the privacy you require. And, some free VPNs are filled with spyware and adware that will put your data at risk.
For this reason, we strongly urge you to stay away from anything but trusted free VPNs that provide full privacy and security. Even some free VPNs that appear high up in the Google Play store – and have endorsements from consumers – have been proven to contain spyware.
Laptop Webcam Hacking: A Real Threat
While the notion of laptop webcam hacking may seem like something from a conspiracy website or a Matt Damon movie, it is a real danger that can severely violate your privacy. Even more worrying is that Russian teenage hackers might not even be the biggest threat when it comes to this kind of hacking.
GCHQ (the UK’s version of the NSA) has made headlines for the use of snooping tools such as Nosey Smurf and Gumfish.
These snooping methods further increase the distrust between governments and ordinary citizens. Just another reason to set a VPN up on your laptop today!
How to move a current VPN subscription onto a new laptop?
VPNs usually allow users to connect between 5 – 7 devices at once.
If you are already subscribing to a VPN, chances are you are entitled to use it on a number of devices simultaneously. So, If you have just purchased a new laptop, simply head over to your current VPN’s website, log in using your credentials and download the VPN software you require. When it finishes downloading, install it and enter your credentials. Now you are ready to start using your VPN on your new laptop.
Remember that you can use your VPN on a laptop, desktop, mobile devices, and tablets – all at the same time – with a subscription to any of the VPNs in this guide.
Share Your Laptop VPN with Your Other Devices!
If you own a laptop, chances are you probably own a smartphone, tablet, or PC as well. Using a high-quality VPN service, like the ones I’ve mentioned above, usually allows you to have the VPN active on multiple devices at the same time. This is great news if you want to secure multiple devices with one VPN subscription.
If you are using a laptop at home or in the office, you can also configure a VPN on your router and cover all of your devices under one VPN connection.
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