Best VPN for iPhone 2025: Boost Your Privacy on the Go

Pros

• Lots of unique privacy features
• Split tunneling on iOS
• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• User-friendly iOS app

Cons

• 14-Eyes jurisdiction (Netherlands)
• Expensive monthly plan

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to high-priced VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, but still want a premium VPN experience, Surfshark is a great choice. Surfshark’s iOS app is slick, packed with useful privacy features and works just as well as its expensive peers. The app connects in a snap and settings are easily accessible with just a few taps. All in all, it’s a top-notch VPN for iPhone that’s fast, user-friendly and excellent for streaming when you’re on the go.

Why we like it

Like many other VPNs, Surfshark’s iOS app offers standard features like a kill switch, quick-connect and protocol selection (WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2). Like other top VPNs, Surfshark includes standard privacy protections like an audited no-logs policy and DNS leak protection. But Surfshark’s iPhone app includes a few extras like an ad blocker, static IP, Rotating IP that automatically changes your IP address every few minutes and Dynamic Multihop, which allows you to tunnel through any two server locations of your choosing. Notably, Surfshark also offers split-tunneling on its iOS app, a feature that most other VPNs no longer offer for Apple devices. We also like that Surfshark gives you the option to pause your connection instead of disconnecting outright, which can be helpful if you need to take care of a few things while off the VPN but don’t want to forget to turn it back on when you want to protect your privacy.

But what really sets Surfshark apart from the competition is its Alternative ID feature that lets you generate a fake persona that includes a full name, physical address and email address that you can use to fill out forms and sign up for stuff online without having to use your actual personal information. Alternative ID features are included with all subscription plans, but an Alternative Number feature is also available for an extra $3 per month, letting you receive calls and communicate via text without having to divulge your actual phone number.

Surfshark isn’t the fastest VPN, but it’s still relatively speedy and plenty fast enough for general online browsing, as well as more data-heavy activities like streaming and gaming on your iPhone. In our 2025 speed tests, we calculated a total average speed loss of 21%, which is slower than NordVPN’s 3% speed loss but more in line with Proton VPN’s 16% speed loss and ExpressVPN’s 18%. Either way, if your network connection is fast enough to begin with, Surfshark’s speeds still shouldn’t noticeably impact your online activity.

In our streaming tests, Surfshark performed exceptionally well on iOS, unblocking content on popular streaming sites like Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu, Netflix and HBO Max -- through various global server locations. And with a massive network of over 4,500 servers in 100 different countries, Surfshark can help give you access to a vast amount of international streaming content on your iPhone whether you’re at home or traveling the world. 

Surfshark's long-term plans offer a lot of value when compared with ExpressVPN's and NordVPN's prices, especially considering Surfshark's unlimited simultaneous connection allowance. The annual plan costs $48 for the first year, and the two-year plan costs $54 total for the first two years combined, with the annual and two-year plans renewing at $79 per year. However, Surfshark's monthly subscription costs $15.45 per month, which is more expensive than just about any other VPN's monthly rate, so for the best value, we recommend sticking with an annual plan. All subscription plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you're not satisfied with the service.

Also nominated in: Best VPN for Amazon Prime Video, Best VPN for Netflix

Pros

• Streamlined, easy-to-use app across iOS/iPadOS, MacOS and non-Apple platforms alike
• Strong privacy and transparency
• Forward-thinking security enhancements
• Excellent for streaming
• Privacy-friendly jurisdiction (British Virgin Islands)

Cons

• Extremely expensive
• No multi-hop connections

ExpressVPN is the best iPhone VPN for beginners because its iOS app is a breeze to use and because the service delivers industry-leading privacy protections, fast speeds and excellent streaming capabilities. The app's minimalist interface is simple to navigate and includes all the basic features you'd want in a VPN app, like a kill switch, protocol selection (Lightway, IKEv2, WireGuard) and easy access to servers. Additional tools you'll have on hand include a DNS leak test, WebRTC leak test and IP address checker -- which make it easy to ensure the VPN is working properly when you're on the go.

Why we like it

If you want to stream your favorite shows and movies on your iPhone, ExpressVPN is an excellent option. The 18% average speed loss we measured in our most recent speed tests means ExpressVPN should be plenty fast for streaming and other data-heavy online activities. During our latest tests with ExpressVPN's iOS app, we were able to access content on popular streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu, Netflix and HBO Max.

Privacy-focused users will appreciate ExpressVPN’s forward-thinking privacy initiatives and its strong commitment to transparency. Its post-quantum protections help protect your data from future threats from quantum computers and are built into its Lightway and WireGuard protocols. ShuffleIP is another privacy feature that changes your IP address for every website you visit, making it even more difficult to track you online when using the service. Like ExpressVPN’s post-quantum protections, ShuffleIP works in the background so you don’t need to enable it separately. During our latest tests, the kill switch worked as expected on iOS and we detected no leaks. ExpressVPN's no-logs policy is regularly audited, offering additional peace of mind.

With ExpressVPN, you'll get the best overall VPN and one of the best iPhone VPNs you can buy. If you’ve got other devices to connect, ExpressVPN lets you link up to 10 simultaneously. But with its premium service comes a premium price tag. The monthly plan costs $13 per month, which is in the same ballpark as what most VPNs charge per month. But ExpressVPN's longer-term plans are considerably more expensive than many of its competitors, including Surfshark, Proton VPN and Mullvad. The yearly plan costs $75 for the first year and the two-year plan costs $100 for the first two years combined. The annual and two-year plans both renew at $100 per year after the initial billing period. ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can give the service a try before fully committing.

Also nominated in: Best VPN for Apple TV, Best VPNs for Streaming

73% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months). Now only $3.49/month

Pros

• User-friendly apps on iOS, iPadOS, MacOS, Apple TV and non-Apple platforms
• Blazing-fast internet speeds
• Strong privacy
• Great for streaming service unblocking

Cons

• Inconsistent pricing structure
• High renewal pricing

NordVPN is the fastest VPN for iPhones, making it an excellent choice for bandwidth-intensive activities like streaming videos, gaming or hopping on Zoom calls. Its minimal 3% speed loss in our 2025 tests made it significantly faster than the rest of the pack. Across the board, from its iOS and iPadOS to MacOS, Windows and Android apps, NordVPN is user-friendly, with a familiar app experience regardless of the platform. In our testing, NordVPN’s iPhone app was slick and intuitive, with easy access to settings like protocol selection (OpenVPN and NordLynx), server selection, specialty servers and Threat Protection. 

Why we like it

Its generous global network of 8,000-plus servers across 126 countries makes NordVPN a solid choice for international travel and streaming content unblocking. We effortlessly unblocked content on many streaming apps, including Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Netflix and BBC iPlayer. 

While Nord’s superb entertainment support is great for casual VPN users looking to unblock streaming content, its strong privacy chops make it a compelling choice for users with serious privacy needs, like activists or whistleblowers. Its proprietary NordWhisper VPN protocol is designed to mimic standard web traffic, and therefore may slip through school Wi-Fi firewalls and other networks that restrict VPN use. Specialty servers like Tor Over VPN and double hop can enhance your privacy, making it even more difficult to trace your web traffic back to your device. And Meshnet is a unique privacy feature that lets you create a virtual network to host remote LAN parties for gaming, seamlessly access streaming services while traveling or avoid CAPTCHAs. NordVPN also includes a strict no-logs policy that's been independently audited, along with DNS leak protection. 

At $13 per month, $69 for the first year or $81 for two years, NordVPN's introductory prices are decent. However, its annual and two-year plans skyrocket to an astronomical $140 per year upon renewal. You can avoid a pricey auto-renewal by stacking subscriptions, but we'd rather see NordVPN offer a more budget-friendly renewal price. But if you want blisteringly fast connectivity, NordVPN is a fantastic choice for streaming on your iPhone, iPad, MacBook or Apple TV. Your purchase is backed by an industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.

Also nominated in: Fastest VPNs, Best VPNs for Netflix

Pros

• Open-source apps
• Fast speeds
• Excellent for streaming
• Useful privacy features
• Impressive server network

Cons

• No 24/7 live chat support yet

Proton VPN is the best (and only) free VPN that we recommend for iPhone or any other platform. But Proton’s exceptional premium VPN plan is a worthy upgrade -- or alternative to other paid VPN rivals. We particularly like the option to create custom server group profiles and easy access to settings like protocol selection (WireGuard, Stealth), kill switch, NetShield and VPN Accelerator. 

Why we like it

Proton VPN's free plan doesn’t sell your user data, impose usage limits or plaster your screen with ads. But you can’t select a server manually, you’re limited to servers in 10 countries and you can only connect on one device at a time. By comparison, its paid plan provides 14,900-plus servers in 127 countries, lets you jump on any server you want and allows for up to 10 simultaneous connections.

Where Proton VPN excels is its balance of remaining privacy-forward but great for casual VPN users. It’s fast and outstanding for streaming, while prioritizing privacy. You’ll get some unique privacy features, like its proprietary Stealth VPN protocol that’s designed to bypass VPN blocks. Android users can access guest mode to use Proton VPN without creating an account, and the company said that feature is coming to iOS and iPadOS in 2025. Proton VPN also has a kill switch, independently audited no-logs policy and DNS leak protection. 

During our tests, Proton unblocked nearly every streaming service we tried, including some tough-to-access ones, like Egypt Netflix libraries -- ExpressVPN and Surfshark were the only other VPNs we tested that were able to load Netflix Egypt. Whether you want to boost your privacy, need to stream geo-protected content or want a generous global server network for travel, Proton VPN is a great choice. While some VPNs like ExpressVPN are slightly more user-friendly, it’s hard to find a VPN that balances intuitive app design with streaming unblocking as well as Proton does.

Proton VPN costs $10 per month, $36 for the first year or $72 for the first two years, with the annual and two-year plans renewing at $80 per year. Proton VPN is a solid overall investment that provides fast speeds, unique and useful privacy amenities plus excellent streaming service unblocking capabilities. All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Also nominated in: Best Free VPN, Best VPN for Amazon Prime Video