The best VPNs for mobile devices in 2023

Ali Qamar Last updated: March 16, 2023 Read time: 15 minutes Disclosure

This articles lists 5 best VPN apps to protect your mobile devices from cyber threats. Read along to pick the right option for you.

Sneak peek at the best mobile VPNs

Today, smartphones have made our lives easier by allowing access to the internet anytime. Nonetheless, as you connect your mobile phones with cellular networks or Wi-Fi, your phones become vulnerable to hacking, identity thefts, and other cyber-attacks. Therefore, using a Mobile VPN app is inevitable to protect the valuable information on your phone. However, choosing a reputable service amongst the plethora of VPNs is challenging. This guide lists the best VPNs for mobile devices. They are well-known for their no-logs policies, geo-restriction unblocking abilities, and robust privacy and security features.

Today’s world relies on mobile devices more than ever before. You can find smartphones in every social group in every country. So, mobile security gained priority as these toys became more common than wristwatches. Consequently, the demand for the best mobile VPN apps also exploded, giving rise to many VPN vendors, each having something on offer.

If you adopt a VPN service on your phone or tablet (which you should), you must pick the best possible service.

But since testing VPNs takes so much time, effort, and resources, how can you find the right one? Don’t worry. We have already done the work for you. So, just read this article and pick a VPN that solves your mobile security problems.

Top 3 mobile phone VPN apps – Quick list

If you don’t have the time or the inclination to read our detailed descriptions for the best three VPN mobile apps, here’s the gist.

  1. NordVPN. The best mobile app in the VPN world. It has everything you want in a VPN app and more.
  2. ExpressVPN. An app that combines simplicity and ease of use with many advanced options under the hood for the users.
  3. Surfshark. Robust, friendly, and versatile app giving you almost all you can expect from the best VPNs in the market at a meager cost.

The best mobile VPN: What is it made of?

Let’s start with reputation. The best choice for you to adopt as your VPN provider must be a vendor with a clean track record. Also, the coolest, most excellent, prettiest VPN app is not worth downloading into your device if it doesn’t give you a good service.

Likewise, it should have impressive performance and features, like solid encryption, stable connections (especially in mobile devices where you change networks often), reliable IP masking, and safe against DNS, WebRTC, or IPv6 leaks.

In other words: the app is a delivery system for your VPN vendor’s service. If it doesn’t protect you, you shouldn’t use it, no matter how excellent the app is on its own merits.

NordVPN, our top pick for this task, fits the bill in this regard. It’s the industry leader in a very crowded and tight field. NordVPN’s mobile app is light, fast, powerful, affords you the best privacy in the market, and supports HD video streams.

Not enough? NordVPN also offers the kill switch and split tunneling features to keep your work going.

But of course, it isn’t the only service provider you can trust for your mobile. Below you’ll find more options that are also best for protecting mobile devices with VPNs.

5 best smartphone VPN apps today – Detailed list

The five apps described in this section come from some of the best VPN networks on the internet. Yes, they’re friendly, neat, and reliable. But most importantly, they afford you a premium VPN when you’re on the road. In addition, they will keep you safe and protect your privacy, which is the name of the game.

1. NordVPN

NordVPN

A well-established VPN service provider offering top-notch unblocking capabilities, robust security features, and P2P-optimized servers.

servers More than 5,100 servers spread in 60 countries
P2P support icon Has P2P optimized servers
encryption Double encryption feature
simultaneous connections Offers 6 simultaneous connections
money-back guarantee 30 days money-back guarantee
protection Web protection
MultiHop mode Double VPN feature
Kill switch Customizable kill switch
SmartPlay feature SmartPlay for streaming
tor compatible Offers Onion Over VPN feature

Pros
  • Fast speeds
  • Allows P2P (torrent) traffic
  • Colossal server coverage
Cons
  • Desktop application can be tricky to use for some users

After testing many VPNs for different tasks, we found NordVPN to top all tests. It’s no coincidence that NordVPN provides the best cell phone VPN.

This VPN’s desktop apps are probably the most powerful in the business, and their mobile versions reflect that. Moreover, the portability of these apps doesn’t compromise their power.

NordVPN apps keep your data secure when you use public WiFi hotspots. Moreover, these apps offer several features rarely available with mobile apps, for example, Onion over VPN (a service exclusive of NordVPN) and DoubleVPN.