Best VPN for Android: 3 deals not to be missed

Since 2015, the Android operating system has been the most used in the world, far ahead of iOS. If you are one of the many people who use this OS and want to protect your Android smartphone, tablet or television, VPN software should interest you.

By installing a VPN on your Android device, you will immediately get a secure and anonymous connection, no matter where you are. It must be said that faced with increasing surveillance on the Internet (including by Google), Internet users are increasingly looking for tranquility, anonymity and discretion. The VPN also has the functions of changing the location of your Android device and allowing you to access various contents around the world.

To take full advantage of these benefits, we have prepared a list of the best VPNs on Android in 2024. With paid and free providers, there will be something for all budgets and needs. But first, here's a summary of the market.

Ranking of the best VPNs for Android in 2024:

• NordVPN
• ExpressVPN
• CyberGhost VPN
• Proton VPN
• Hide.me
• PrivateVPN

In this list of the best VPN, we have identified three paid offers and three free offers. It goes without saying that the premium versions are more reliable, and above all unlimited. That said, if you want to slowly understand how a VPN works, you can opt for a no-cost plan. Please note, however, that NordVPN, ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN all have subscriptions with a “satisfied or refunded” period, which allows you to access the best and very easily obtain a refund upon simple request. In our opinion, this is how you will have the best VPN experience on Android.

Premium: the 3 best Android VPNs

We start this article with the best (paid) VPNs for Android. Among all those we have listed, only these offers will give you unlimited access to a VPN worthy of the name: bandwidth, speeds, number and distribution of servers, customer support, guarantee, etc. As we will see later, you should not imagine benefiting from so many features with a free VPN. By opting for one of the providers presented below, you will not feel frustration because no limits will be imposed on you.

1) NordVPN

We couldn't start this ranking of the best Android VPNs other than with NordVPN. This software is very famous and well known to Internet users, whether for Samsung, Huawei, HTC, LG terminals and any other device equipped with Android.

If NordVPN sits at the top of this podium of the best premium VPNs, it's because it offers all the best for a super competitive price. And you can enjoy it on 10 devices (whether they run Android or other OS) simultaneously, perfect for equipping the whole family, or even a few friends.

By encrypting your data, NordVPN protects you against hackers and theft of personal information. Itssecure connectionwon't let anyone spy on what you do on your Android smartphone or tablet.

On its interface, you can select a location among111 pays(no competitor can compete)and more than 6,700 servers. Once connected, your IP address is immediately hidden and your geographic location will be changed according to your choice. In the eyes of the internet, your Android device with a VPN will no longer be located where you actually are and you will benefit from anonymous browsing.

For enhanced protection, NordVPN provides features such as Double VPN to encrypt your data twice, CyberSec with options similar to those of an antivirus or Onion Over VPN to access Tor.

We love the very intuitive interface of its application which allows you to navigate on a world map to select the desired country. If necessary, you can also expand a list or use a more traditional search bar. If you opt for its 2-year plan, you will benefit from the best rates (around €3.09 per month).

While its only weakness was its speed, NordVPN is now capitalizing on its “new” protocol: NordLynx. With NordLynx, the objective is to allow users to benefit from a better connection speed without making any concessions on the security aspect. It is a successful improvement of WireGuard (protocol used by some of its competitors).

NordVPN offers a30-day “satisfied or refunded” guaranteeto give you time to test the application of the best VPN on Android. For any difficulties encountered or questions, NordVPN provides a live chat accessible 24/7 from its website.

Discover NordVPN for Android

You can readour full NordVPN review here.

2) ExpressVPN

In second place and without much surprise, ExpressVPN is hot on the heels of the best VPN for Android. And for good reason, it has a very advanced and secure VPN application that works perfectly on Android. You can install it on as many media as you want anduse it on 8 devices at the same time. It was the most popular VPN among Android users for a long time.

From the application interface, you can choose to connect to one of its105 pays(and 3,000 servers) in order to maintain your anonymity and simulate a new geographic location. You will thus unlock access to numerous video streaming services (Netflix, Prime Video, etc.) or TV channel platforms. To watch your films and series from your tablet, mobile or Android TV, it's ideal because ExpressVPN grantsunlimited bandwidth. Thanks to its connection, all traffic passing through your Android device will also be end-to-end encrypted so that your data remains well protected.

To use ExpressVPN, you will first need to subscribe by signing up for one of its plans. Then you can download the app from Google Play Store. The APK format of the ExpressVPN application is also secure and compatible on Android versions 13/12/11/10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop.

Although installation is simple on smartphones, tablets and Android TV, there are plenty of tutorials from the provider to help you. They are written in French and very detailed. You can also contact the technical teams from achat en direct accessible 24h/24, 7j/7.

ExpressVPN's prices may seem high, but when you compare its speed, stability and number of countries covered to other offers, the solution is well worth a few extra euros. ExpressVPN positions itself as the high-end VPN for Android and supports its pricing policy. So that you can appreciate its services for yourself without taking any risks, ExpressVPN offers a30 day free trial.

Test ExpressVPN on Android

3) CyberGhost VPN

CyberGhost VPN is the ideal candidate to increase your security on Android and hide your IP address. It's not for nothing that it is one of the most popular VPNs among users of Android smartphones and tablets.

By activating CyberGhost VPN, your traffic will benefit from256-bit AES encryption, one of the most powerful in the cybersecurity sector. This encrypted tunnel will allow you to protect all web data passing through your Android smartphone or tablet (passwords, emails, downloaded files, banking transactions, browsing histories, etc.), whether you are connected to your box or from a public Internet access point. With its Kill Switch function (integrated into the CyberGhost VPN application on Android and activated by default), it guarantees you continuous effective protection.

The VPN provides Android users with a monumental network ofmore than 12,000 servers in 100 countries. Thanks to its numerous locations, CyberGhost can accompany you during business trips and trips abroad so that you don't miss anything of your series or TV programs. Small downside to take into account: unlike NordVPN and Express, CyberGhost VPN does not work correctly in China.

The VPN publisher CyberGhost also stands out with its live chat with an interface in French. This way, you can contact an advisor at any time and explain your problem in your native language, which is often much simpler. The same goes for the answers which will be given in French, probably easier to understand for those who are not perfectly bilingual in English.

If CyberGhost has already attracted millions of Android users, it is also thanks to its attractive prices. With along-term subscription that costs less than €2.50/month, it is particularly accessible. In addition, it offers asimultaneous connection on 7 devices.

As soon as you have subscribed, you will automatically be eligible for the 45-day “satisfied or refunded” guarantee. If CyberGhost VPN has not managed to convince you within this period, all your costs will be fully refunded upon request.

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Free: the 3 VPN software for Android

By preferringa free VPNfor a best paid Android VPN, you will have to be ready to make some concessions because you will find that you will not have as many advantages. In terms of features, speed and overall service, you won't find better than the paid VPNs offered above. That said, you may have your reasons for using a no-fee plan.

Now that you're warned, we can move on to our selection of the best free VPNs for Android.

1) Proton VPN

Proton VPN is one of the most used free VPNs on Android. It markets several paid offers but it is its free plan that interests us here. This Virtual Private Network based in Switzerland is reliable and guarantees an encrypted connection to its users, including those who have opted for the free offer. The other major advantage is that it does not keep any logs and its free application on Android is ad-free.

By installing Proton VPN on your Android smartphone or tablet from Google Play Store, you will be able to enjoy it unlimitedly because there is nono bandwidth constraints. For a €0 service, this is a major advantage. You will be able to activate your VPN when you use applications, browse Google Chrome or even when playing online.

Proton VPN Free Tier servers only cover5 pays: Japan, the United States, Poland, Romania and the Netherlands. Faced with so few locations, the Proton VPN application will be especially useful for securing your connection on Android because in terms of changing your geographic position, you will be very limited. If you are abroad, you will not be able to obtain a French, Swiss or Belgian IP address and this can be problematic if you want to have access to your sites and television programs. Either way, Proton VPN doesn't let you choose which country you connect to; it is the application that makes this choice without asking your opinion.

Finally, subscribers of the free Proton VPN plan will not be able to benefit from very high speeds but only aaverage flowand fairly high latency times. We prefer to tell you, Proton VPN is not optimal/recommended for online gaming or video streaming activities on Android. If that doesn't bother you, don't hesitate to try this VPN. After all, the service won't cost you anything.

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2) Hide.me

Hide.me comes second in this selection of preferred free VPNs on Android since it does not record any logs and its package gives access to aprivate and anonymous connection. Its application is also very easy to use on all Android devices.

You can simulate a location in7 paysdifferent countries, namely the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Finland and Germany. If you wanted to connect your smartphone to regions other than these and access foreign content more widely, this is compromised. France is on the list and it is already a huge asset; in particular to watch your usual programs even when you are out and about outside France.

Another strength of Hide.me: it no longer imposes bandwidth limits as was the case at the time. On the other hand, it is the flow rates (and therefore the speeds) which are now restricted. It's correct overall, but don't imagine enjoying your content in the same way as with our selection of premium VPNs.

Finally, if you live abroad in a country with web censorship, Hide.me is not the best VPN to use on Android as it is not very stable in these regions. If this is your case,you will instead have to opt for NordVPN.

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3) PrivateVPN

PrivadoVPN is the third best free VPN on Android. To benefit from its free plan, you will first need to create an account. The process only takes a few seconds. Once that's done, all you have to do is download the Privado mobile application from the Google Play Store.

With this solution, in addition to paying nothing, you will have access to many advantages. This VPN indeed provides asecure connectionend-to-end to protect your Android device. As soon as PrivadoVPN is activated, you will be able to connect to the web anywhere without fear of anyone accessing your data and activities. However, please note that this VPN does not work in regions of the world that censor the internet such as China, Russia and some countries in Africa or the Middle East.

PrivadoVPN will also allow you to change your IP address and choose another in10 pays. The publisher's servers are in fact located in 10 countries including France, the United States, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Argentina and India. It is therefore entirely possible to have access to your usual programs and some international content with this free VPN.

The free version of Privado provides access to rare countries (in the free plans) but does not provide access to the ad and malware blocker. Damage…

The other negative point which could slow down your navigation is itsbandwidth limited to 10 GB per month. Once the credit is exhausted, you must wait for the data volume to be renewed after 30 days… Depending on how you use your internet connection, this 10 GB limit may represent less than 5 hours of activity. If, like a large part of the population, you use your Android smartphone daily to go on the internet, this restriction may prove problematic. It's up to you to see if this is enough for you or if you are ready to reduce your data consumption.

Conclusion: the best VPN on Android is NordVPN

In 2024, NordVPN is the best VPN on Android – and the best VPN at all. Its application offers incredible fluidity and unlimited bandwidth. With its high level of security and more than 6,700 servers in 111 countries, this VPN is effective all over the world.

It is so powerful that it is one of the only ones that manages to effectively bypass the Great Firewall and operate in strict censorship zones. Likewise, it is one of the few to allow access to all Netflix catalogs (US, UK, Canada). Others have difficulty not being detected or even banned altogether. In terms of security, it has proven its rigor and robustness for more than twelve years. This is the best choice for us, it's up to you to make yours.

Although it is not officially free, this VPN for Android systematically includes a 30-day “Money Back Guarantee” period. So you can use it for 1 whole month and get a full refund if you cancel on time. NordVPN is ultra transparent, you will have no difficulty canceling your subscription. Everything happens automatically after you have made your request to customer service available 24/7.

Testing NordVPN

Android VPN FAQs

We've collected the most asked questions from Internet users about VPNs for Android and we answer them without filter in this FAQ.

Rather free or paid VPN for an Android device?

There is no “right” answer to this question. This will indeed depend on your needs and expectations. If you want to see what a VPN looks like and how such a service can benefit you on an Android device, then a free VPN is a good choice. Now if you want to access geo-restricted content (on Netflix for example), watch French TV channels abroad, download files securely, or unblock inaccessible sites, then it is better to install a VPN paid on your Android device.

The latter have the advantage of being (much) more efficient, of working in all cases, of not imposing limitations (on data consumption or speeds), of not endangering your anonymity, or still respect your privacy by making strong and verifiable commitments. As a reminder, many free VPNs only offer very few servers and do not hesitate to resell your browsing data to the highest bidder in order to finance their service.

Can an Android VPN make me completely anonymous?

Many Internet users seem to think that using a VPN makes you 100% anonymous on the Internet. This is not entirely true. To be correct, it's better to say that a VPN will greatly improve your online anonymity, including hiding your IP address (and the location associated with it) and encrypting your Internet traffic (thus making it unreadable). Enjoying complete anonymity on the internet requires a little more than a VPN.

Does Android have a built-in VPN?

Yes, Android has a built-in VPN. However, to be able to take advantage of it, you will need to subscribe to a VPN service. Indeed, without that, you will have no way to set up an encrypted tunnel. A number of services presented in our comparison allow the use of the VPN integrated into Android. That said, if you don't want to bother configuring everything, the best thing to do is install the Android application from the provider you have chosen.

This way, you will have access to a much easier to use interface and you will be able to change servers (and countries) in just a few actions. If you are curious to learn more about Android's built-in VPN, we advise you to browse the documentation offered by Google.