Using the best VPN for laptop computers can keep you more secure and private when online. These days, it is pretty much essential to use a VPN to encrypt your data on all devices, whether you’re at home or on the go.
However, the level of importance arguably increases when using your laptop with public wifi or when working remotely. Whatever concerns you may have (or perhaps didn’t know you should have), you can find a top VPN provider to suit you and your laptop here at TheGameHaus.
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is basically a type of software that you can install on your laptop and other devices to redirect your traffic by tunneling through an alternative server. What this does is keep your device's location completely private, making it harder or near impossible for your online activities to be tracked.
Additionally, VPNs also stop sites from collecting your data and come with security features to keep you safer from malware and hacks. On top of all that, by changing your location, you can work around censorship and geo-block restrictions.
Here are the main reasons why you should have a VPN every time you connect your laptop to the internet:
Of course, there are a couple of downsides to consider when getting a VPN:
In the vast majority of countries, you can legally use a VPN on your laptop and other devices. In Western Europe and the US, it is even considered a right to be able to protect your privacy online using software such as a VPN.
However, there are some countries where VPN use is restricted, or where only government-approved providers are permitted. Such countries include Russia, China and UAE. And at the extreme end, there are a handful of nations where VPNs are banned outright, such as North Korea, Belarus and Iraq. Therefore, downloading a VPN should be dependent on where you are currently residing.
There are two different ways that you can use a VPN on your laptop:
To do either of these, you will first need to set up a paid VPN subscription. We will take a look at the best VPNs for your laptop a little bit later on. For now though, here are the steps that you need to take to install and use a VPN app:
Yes, there are free VPNs for laptops available that you can install and use on your laptop computer and other devices. However, these providers give you software and a service that is far inferior to those of paid services.
In fact, some free VPNs actually collect your data instead of protecting it, which entirely defeats the purpose. Rather than looking for an always free VPN, we instead recommend that you do a free trial on one of our top-rated premium VPN providers.
Premium VPNs charge you a monthly subscription fee for using their service. If you sign up for a monthly rolling contract, you can expect to pay around $11.99 per month for a decent quality VPN.
However, all of the VPN providers that we recommend have discounts for longer-term subscriptions of two and three years. With these deals, you can expect to pay anywhere between just $2 to $7 per month, and some providers will even give you three months free. Here’s a quick look at what our top five laptop VPN providers have to offer:
| Provider | Regular Monthly Price | Best Discount | Free Trial period |
|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | $12.95 | $6.67 + 3 months free (two year plan) | 30 days |
| CyberGhost | $12.99 | $2.11 + 3 months free (two year plan) | 45 days |
| NordVPN | $13.99 | $3.99 per month (two year plan) | 30 days |
| Surshark | $17.95 | $2.39 + 1 month free (two year plan) | 30 days |
| PIA | $11.95 | $2.03 + 3 months free (three year plan) | 30 days |
One of the main purposes of this article is to help you to find the best VPN provider for you and your laptop. That’s why we have considered a number of different aspects and features of what you might be looking for in a VPN when creating our top five list.
Before we give you a more detailed explanation of each provider’s strengths and possible weaknesses, here are some of the main criteria that we consider when rating VPNs:
This provider has servers in 94 countries across the globe while offering fast speeds and one of the most high-tech laptop apps around. Additionally, you have the option to install extensions on your Chrome and Firefox browsers.
As well as being able to install the app and extensions on your laptop, you can install ExpressVPN on your router at home, so that all devices connected to your wifi network are protected.
Considering speed, security, and ease of use, this is easily the best provider on our list. However, quality does come at a price so it’s hardly surprising that ExpressVPN is also the most expensive and comes with a five device limit.
NordVPN provides you with a user-friendly app containing a map that you can browse to choose your ideal location. It is also fast, very secure, and overall easy to use, and it can be installed on your router just like ExpressVPN.
The reason why NordVPN is second on our list is that it just slightly lags behind ExpressVPN in most areas. Moreover, the laptop app could use some tweaking - for example, it auto-disconnects when your battery dips below a certain percentage.
On the flip side, there are some areas where NordVPN is better. For instance, it has better unblocking abilities for streaming sites than most other VPNs and comes in at a cheaper price point than ExpressVPN. You also get an unlimited number of devices and same-time connections with your subscription plan.
CyberGhost is one of the most secure VPNs thanks to its military-grade technology. Additionally, it is also one of the most private, as it is one of the few VPN providers that offers you a selection of encryption protocols when connecting.
Despite being seemingly aimed at the more tech-savvy remote laptop worker, the CyberGhost app is still very easy to use. It is packed with features to help keep you protected, and also has decent unblocking abilities for using social media at work or watching Netflix overseas during your downtime.
Finally, it is one of the cheapest providers on our list, however, it does lack in some areas compared to the more expensive providers above. For instance, some of the encryption protocols will slow your connection speed down a little bit and the ad blocker could use some improvements.
If this is your first time installing and using a laptop VPN, then we recommend giving Surfshark VPN a shot. It can be downloaded and installed in less than a minute and once it’s on your laptop, it is super easy to use.
All of its apps - whether on your laptop, mobile, Firestick, router or browser extensions - are extremely user-friendly. In terms of performance, Surfshark appears to be emerging as a rival to NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
However, it isn’t quite there yet, and a few things still need improving. For one thing, the 24/7 customer support live chat can be quite slow in fact. That being said, this will likely get better as their customer base and team continues to grow.
The encryption technology used by PIA is even better than any of the protocols offered by CyberGhost. Moreover, the strict no-logs policy keeps you private while the open source software means that everything from their side is super transparent.
One of the great features of this VPN is the split tunneling, which allows you to customize the rules for certain apps or websites. For instance, you can set your laptop up so that Facebook will always go through a VPN so you can bypass specific bans.
It is also the cheapest VPN on our list, however, you do have to commit to a three-year plan to get the best price. The downsides of this VPN come when using it for leisure, as it struggles to bypass some major streaming platforms’ geo-blocks, including favourites like Amazon Prime and HBO Max.
That just about summarizes everything that you need to know about using a VPN on your laptop and how it works. At the end of the day, the most important thing that you need to do is consider what features matter to you the most, whether that’s connection speeds, security and privacy, or costs, among other factors.
Once your priorities have been decided, you can use our provider reviews to make a well-informed decision about which is the best option for you. If you still have a hard time choosing, remember you can always bookmark this page and revisit us for updates on the best new VPNs for laptop computers.
Getting a VPN and installing the app on your laptop is easy. If you want to get started, just follow the steps in this guide at TheGameHaus.com.
The answer to this question really depends on what you are looking for - do you want a free trial of a premium VPN or one that is always free? In this article, our experts can help to find the best solution for you.
Here at TheGameHaus.com, you can compare the best VPNs for laptops and other devices. We have ranked and evaluated the top providers based on our tests that consider a number of different criteria.
