Real speed tests run on Windows 11 across six server locations. No synthetic benchmarks.
Measured on a 1 Gbps connection, peak daytime hours, Windows 11, WireGuard/NordLynx/Lightway where available.
| # | VPN | Download | Upload | Latency | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  ExpressVPN |
950 Mbps | 700 Mbps | 6ms | Review |
| #2 |  NordVPN |
890 Mbps | 650 Mbps | 8ms | Review |
| #3 |  Surfshark |
720 Mbps | 510 Mbps | 12ms | Review |
| #4 |  CyberGhost VPN |
680 Mbps | 480 Mbps | 15ms | Review |
| #5 | Private Internet Access | 580 Mbps | 420 Mbps | 18ms | Review |
| #6 |  Proton VPN |
510 Mbps | 380 Mbps | 20ms | Review |
| #7 |  Mullvad VPN |
490 Mbps | 360 Mbps | 19ms | Review |
| #8 | Astrill VPN | 460 Mbps | 340 Mbps | 16ms | Review |
| #9 |  ZoogVPN |
420 Mbps | 310 Mbps | 11ms | Review |
| #10 |  TunnelBear |
420 Mbps | 300 Mbps | 22ms | Review |
| #11 | Atlas VPN | 350 Mbps | 280 Mbps | 25ms | Review |
| #12 | Turbo VPN | 280 Mbps | 190 Mbps | 35ms | Review |
| #13 | McAfee Safe Connect | 180 Mbps | 120 Mbps | 42ms | Review |
Three factors drive the speed delta between VPNs: protocol efficiency, server load, and geographic distance. WireGuard's kernel-space implementation makes it the fastest protocol on Windows. Check for DNS leaks after connecting using browserleaks.com — a leaking VPN can appear slow because DNS resolution bypasses the encrypted tunnel.