Best VPN Providers for Routers

ExpressVPN is a popular VPN service provider with over 4 million users. The company was founded in 2009, and is registered in the British Virgin Islands, which does not cooperate with the Five Eyes or any other governmental agency. ExpressVPN claims it never logs user data that can be used to trace the identity of a user, and that claim is backed by hard evidence. In 2017, Turkish authorities confiscated one of ExpressVPN's servers in the hopes of extracting information about an assassin hired to kill Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov; but they were unable to extract any useful information from the server.

ExpressVPN has downloadable versions for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and various routers. In addition, they sell the proprietary "Aircove" router, which is an 802.11ax (a.k.a "wi-fi 6") router with integrated VPN capabilities. The router is available on the ExpressVPN website. To find it, select "Download VPN," the select "Router VPN," and then select following by selecting the "Need a Router" Try Aircove" button. It's important to understand that the Aircove router is fully functional router even without an ExpressVPN account. It's a dual-band router with 4 antennas, 5 Ethernet ports, and speeds over 1000Mbps. That being said, its main purpose is to facilitate your ExpressVPN subscription, which is sold separately.

Running ExpressVPN through a router has some obvious advantages over using an app. For one, you can run an many devices through the router as you want. This circumvent ExpresVPN's 5-device limit. That makes it an excellent solution for business and large families. In addition, a router is less likely to crash than an app, and less likely to suffer extreme speed losses. To be clear, Aircove isn't the only router that works with ExpressVPN. If you're happy with your current router and are just looking for a way to use ExpressVPN on it, you can find detailed instructions on the ExpressVPN website. Their VPN is compatible with over a dozen models.

ProtonVPN was designed by the same team from CERN that brought us ProtonMail. The team realized that many of the people using ProtonMail were journalists and political activists who needed a secure and untraceable internet connection. According to the ProtonVPN website, the team is comprised of "scientists, engineers, and developers" who seek to apply their expertise "for the public good." According to co-founder and CEO Andy Yen, "Our intent when creating ProtonMail was to improve online data security and to also protect at-risk groups such as democracy activists, dissidents, and journalists." ProtonVPN was developed to further those ideals.

ProtonVPN offers a broad range of VPN solutions, including browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, and apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. According to the website, the Linux version works with "Ubuntu 20+, Debian 10+, Fedora 34+, Manjaro, and Arch Linux (including their derivatives)," and other Linux systems work via OpenVPN. ProtonVPN has optimized for various activities, such as unblocking the geo-restricted libraries of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+. There are also P2P servers optimized for file sharing/torrenting, and there are Secure Core servers with the highest security standards.

ProtonVPN has version for several routers, and on their website you'll find a list of all compatible routers as well as detailed instructions for how to configure them. The list includes Tomato, DD-WRT, Vilfo, and AsusWRT. In addition, ProtonVPN has a partnership with InvizBox, and the website describes their new InvizBox 2 as a "specialized VPN router [...] that is already configured for ProtonVPN."

NordVPN has made a name for itself as one of the top VPNs on the market. The company operates more than 5000 servers around the world, and offers some of the fastest speeds and most sophisticated security products available. NordVPN boasts over 10 million registered users, and it's the most VPN-related product in the world, according to Google Trends. In an Independent Reasonable Assurance Report conducted by Deloitte, auditors concluded that "the configuration of IT systems and management of the supporting IT operations is properly prepared, in all material respects in accordance with the Nordvpn’s description."

NordVPN has 3 plans: Standard, Plus, and Complete. Each is available on a monthly basis, as well as 1-year and 2-year subscriptions. The Standard plan includes access to the VPN for up to 6 devices, malware protection designed to identify unsafe files and attachments, and the anti-tracking/ad-blocking system that prevents sites from using cookies to spam you with advertisements. The Plus plan includes all of the above, as well as a data-breach scanner that crawls the internet looking for indications your data has been leaked. The Complete plan adds 1 terabyte of secure cloud storage and a file-encryption protocol that helps you protect your personal files from invasive hackers.

There are many routers that work with NordVPN, and you'll find the complete list (as well as setup tutorials) on the site. However, the website also recommends using an Asus router—specifically one with the Asus WRT firmware. That includes the Asus ZenWiFi XT9, the ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000, the RT-AX (888U, 86U, or 86s), and the RT-AXE7800. That doesn't mean you have to run out and buy one of these routers. It just means you'll enjoy the most functionality with them.

PureVPN was founded in 2007, and operates out of the British Virgin Islands—a country with strict privacy laws, that doesn't cooperate with the Five Eyes conglomerate. PureVPN has nearly 7000 servers across 80 countries, including scores of virtual servers. With over 2000 servers just in North America, there's never an access or speed issue. To the contrary, PureVPN offers some of the fastest speeds, particularly in the US and Canada. In an attempt to prove itself the most transparent VPN in the world, PureVPN began an "always on" program with auditing firm KPMG, in which the latter has 24/7 unfettered access to the PureVPN's network infrastructure architecture. Thus far, KPMG has returned very positive audits of PureVPN; and subsequent to every audit the VPN's performance has improved.

PureVPN is one of the best VPN for streaming services, easily getting passed geographic restrictions imposed by Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, iTV, 10play, and even ESPN. If you're looking for a static-IP and/or port forwarding, you're in luck. Both are available upon checkout. PureVPN offers 3 plans: Standard, Plus, and Max. The Standard plan includes a VPN and nothing else, while the Plus adds the PureKeep password manager and PureEncrypt (a file-encryption tool). The Max plan offers special protection for your social media accounts and search history, but the jump in price leads us to question the value-for-dollar.

On its blog page, PureVPN recommends several routers, though oddly enough many of them don't support WireGuard and most of them are very expensive. It's hard to justify spending $300, $500, or even $1000 or a router, especially if you're already happy with the router you're using. If you're a serious gamer, or if you're running a busy office, perhaps such expenditures are justified. For most users, however, we would recommend something like the TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750, which won't break the bank.

CyberGhost was founded in Romania in 2011, and has grown into a popular VPN with over 7.5 million registered users worldwide. CyberGhost has over 9000 servers worldwide, which is one of the largest reported server fleets. Having such a large server fleet makes it easier for users to unlock streaming services, because there are far more IPs for them to identify and block. As a result, CyberGhost gives you access to all the libraries on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, and ever Amazon Prime Video (one of the most difficult to unlock). CyberGhost is also one of the only platforms to offer a 45-day money-back guarantee.

CyberGhost is compatible with all the important operating systems, but you don't get the same level of functionality from each. For example, the Windows app is excellent, while the Linux app is old, basic, and annoyingly complicated to install. There are versions for mobile apps, all of which work well, though the iOS version is missing a kill switch for some reason. Similarly, the MacOS version is excellent in every way other than the kill switch, which seems to crash the app. There are browser extensions for all the major browsers—Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Opera, and even Edge. The best of the bunch is the Chrome app, while the Edge app is quite disappointing.

On their website, CyberGhost lists 3 "Recommended Routers for Smart Wi-Fi Networks," each with a different price level. The "Economy" router is the CyberGhost Netgear R6400v2, which they recommend for "up to 5 devices." In the Mid Range category is the CyberGhost Linksys WRT3200ACM, for "up to 9 devices." Last is the High End category: the CyberGhost Asus RT-AC5300, which is one of the most popular routers among gamer groups. This is a router than can handle a dozen devices with ease. The CyberGhost offers a 20% on each of the 3 routers, and all 3 come with CyberGhost pre-configured.

Personal privacy is a complicated political issue, and each country has its own approach to balancing its "need" for information with its citizens' need for privacy. On one of the extreme are countries like Iran and China, where everything is monitored, and on the other extreme is Switzerland, where internet privacy is constitutionally protected. VyprVPN is based in Switzerland because of the country's strict privacy laws. The owners of the parent company, Golden Frog," moved their operations from the United States to Switzerland in response to revelations of the US spying on its citizens. The opened a small but highly secured server fleet, to which no one outside the company has any access.

VyprVPN has solutions for just about any device or operating system. On the site you'll find instructions for manually setting up VyprVPN on Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux (Ubuntu), Android, QNAP, and Anonabox. In addition, there are instructions for various routers, including those from Tomato, Asus, pfSense, DD-DWR, and several others. If you're not interested in setting up the VPN yourself, consider downloading one of the WireGuard compatible apps, which are available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. They also developed a sophisticated protocol called "Chameleon," designed to mask location, and even the fact that the user is on a VPN.

If you're running a business and need a more sophisticated solution, VyprVPN offers business plans that include a dedicated account manager, specially configured business servers, and tools to help manage multiple users. For a little extra, you can add more users, get a dedicated-IP, and even a dedicated server. These features are compatible with Amazon Web Services, VirtualBox, DigitalOcean, and other such platforms.

Hide.Me was founded in 2012, and operates out of Malaysia, well outside the spying "Eyes" programs found in much of North America and Europe. The company manages over 2000 servers in 46 countries, and prides itself for having distributed the servers such that everyone can enjoy excellent access. That being said, there are far more servers in Europe than in North America, such that European users enjoy significantly faster speeds. Hide.Me maintains its own servers, adding a layer of security not found in companies that rent their servers from third parties.

There are Hide.Me versions for Windows, Android, iOS, MacOS, and Linux, as well as browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. There's even a client for Amazon Fire TV. Gamers will enjoy the speeds Hide.Me achieves by un-throttling ISP limitations while protecting devices such as PlayStation, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. If you enjoy watching lots of content from various streaming services, you'll be happy to know Hide.Me is very good an unlocking most of them, especially Netflix.

You can configure most routers to work with Hide.Me, but the platform recommends the Vilfo Router, which is a "pre-configured router that only requires internet connection," according to the Hide.Me website. Vilfo isn't the strongest router out there, however, and users should keep keep that in mind. Those looking for long-range Wi-Fi performance should probably consider an Asus router instead.

PrivateVPN was founded in Sweden in 2009. The company operates a very small collection of hyper-secure servers (200+) in 60+ countries, but manages to perform surprisingly well in most metrics. It manages speeds around 100Mpbs, and successfully unblocks Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu. More importantly, it manages to sneak over the Great Firewall of China via a "Stealth VPN" protocol based on Shadowsocks. Unfortunately, Sweden participates in an extended version of the Five Eyes program known as "Fourteen Eyes." As such, the Swedish Government actively spies on PrivateVPN, though it's not clear how much information they are able to glean.

PrivateVPN offers version of its VPN for many operating systems like Windows and Mac, including older system versions (like Windows 7 and 8, and Android 4.0). There is also a version for Linux. The VPN runs all the top protocols, such as OpenVPN, L2tp (best for China), and IPsec, and also works with WireGuard. There are apps for iPhones and iPads, as well as a version for Kodi. According to PrivateVPN's website, the VPN has over 40,000 users, and has never experienced a data breach.

If you already have an internet router and don't plan to purchase a new one, you'll need to check whether it's compatible with PrivateVPN. Many but not all DD-WRT routers are compatible with PrivateVPN, and the same is true of Tomato routers. Asus, Netgear, and Linksys routers work with PrivateVPN, and you can find the instructions on the website. Unfortunately, there are no routers specifically configured for PrivateVPN.