Our Core Principles
Every VPN in this ranking is purchased at our own expense and tested on real Windows hardware — never via a free review account or inside a cloud VM. We test on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 to catch platform-specific issues. No VPN provider influences our scores or rankings. Our #1 pick is determined by test data, not commercial relationships.
We evaluate security implementation against published standards. The IKEv2 protocol specification is documented in RFC 7296. AES-256-GCM cipher requirements are defined in NIST SP 800-77. Providers whose implementations deviate from these standards are penalised in our security score.
Our Testing Process — Step by Step
Windows App Installation & Setup
We install each VPN on a clean Windows 11 virtual machine and a physical Windows 10 machine. We time the installation process from download to first connection, note any error prompts or setup friction, and verify the app correctly auto-connects after system reboot. We also test that the kill switch activates within 200ms of a forced network disconnect.
Speed Testing — Six Locations, Three Times of Day
Speed tests run using Ookla Speedtest CLI on a dedicated Windows 11 machine with a symmetric 1 Gbps fibre connection. We test six server locations: UK (nearest), US East, US West, Germany, Singapore, and Australia. Each location is tested at three times of day — morning, peak evening, and off-peak night — over a two-week period. We report the average of all sessions, never cherry-picked best results. Where a provider offers multiple protocols, we test WireGuard (or its WireGuard derivative) as the primary result.
DNS, WebRTC & IPv6 Leak Testing
After connecting to each VPN, we run simultaneous leak checks using both ipleak.net and browserleaks.com. Any DNS, WebRTC, or IPv6 address leak results in an automatic red-flag that negatively affects the security score. We test with the kill switch active and inactive, and repeat after every major Windows update to confirm the leak protection remains intact.
Streaming Platform Compatibility
We test each VPN against Netflix (US, UK, Japan, Germany libraries), BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video US. Tests run weekly over a three-week test window — a single passing result doesn't count. We require consistent access across at least 8 of 10 test sessions to label a platform as 'works'. Providers that refresh their server IP pools frequently score significantly better here.
Privacy Policy & Audit Review
We read every privacy policy in full — not just the marketing summary. We check what data is collected at connection time, what is retained after disconnection, under what circumstances data might be disclosed, and what jurisdiction governs the policy. Independent audits from recognised firms (Cure53, PwC, KPMG, Deloitte, SEC Consult) carry significant extra weight in our privacy score. We evaluate the scope of the audit — an app-only audit is weaker than one covering server infrastructure.
Windows App Quality Assessment
Beyond functionality, we evaluate the app on usability criteria: how quickly can a new user connect and change servers? Is the kill switch and split tunneling accessible without reading documentation? Does the app handle Windows sleep/wake cycles without reconnect failures? We note Windows 10 vs Windows 11 differences and test on both versions.
Value Scoring
Monthly price on the longest available plan divided by the number of simultaneous connections gives a per-device cost, weighted against the feature set. We factor in money-back guarantee terms, free tier availability, and whether the price is promotional (expiring) or stable. Plans that renew at a significantly higher rate are penalised.
Re-Testing After Major Updates
VPN software is updated constantly, and a performance score from an older version is not representative of the current product. We repeat our full speed tests, leak checks, and streaming compatibility tests after every major version update to each VPN's Windows client. Our rankings reflect the current version of each app, not historical data. Update frequency and the quality of the update release notes are themselves evaluated as product quality indicators.
How We Score Each VPN
| Category | Weight | Key Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 25% | Download, upload, latency — 6 locations, averaged |
| Security | 25% | Protocol strength, kill switch, leak test results |
| Privacy | 20% | Logging policy, jurisdiction, audit coverage |
| Ease of Use | 15% | Setup time, UI clarity, Windows integration |
| Value | 15% | Per-device cost, features per dollar, guarantee terms |
How Often Do We Update Rankings?
Scores are reviewed quarterly as a baseline. However, we re-test any VPN immediately after a major version update to its Windows client — app updates frequently affect speed, security configuration, and UI. We also trigger an immediate re-review when significant events occur: a new independent audit is published, a provider changes ownership, a jurisdiction change is announced, or a security incident is reported. Our rankings reflect the current product, not what a VPN was six months ago.
What We Don't Test
We focus specifically on VPN performance for desktop PC users on Windows 10 and Windows 11. We do not evaluate mobile apps (iOS/Android), browser extensions, or macOS/Linux performance — these may differ significantly. We also do not test torrenting performance or P2P-specific server configurations as primary evaluation criteria, though we note P2P support where relevant. For our complete approach, see the full methodology page.