5 Best VPNs for WiFi in 2023

Abeerah Hashim Last updated: May 16, 2023 Read time: 19 minutes Disclosure

Public wifi hotspots are not safe for your online security. But, you can avoid the risks by using the right VPNs for wifi privacy.

Public wifi hotspots are a sign of our times. They’re ubiquitous and growing more frequent. Also, they are efficient and convenient. But unfortunately, they can also be the death of digital privacy and security unless you know how to protect yourself when you use them — which is to use a good VPN. So let us tell you the best VPNs out there for you to secure your public wifi activities.

A “Virtual Private Network” or VPN is a digital online service. You pick a server within the VPN’s network when you use one. Then, the server becomes the only link between you and the rest of the internet. Everything you do goes through it. In addition, all the communications between the server and your device are encrypted, thus making it safe from the security threats typical of public wifi networks. So a VPN enhances your ability to stay secure, private, and anonymous online, primarily if you use public wifi hotspots frequently. A bonus is that high-quality VPNs allow you to unblock geo-blocked online services.

But remember that the VPN market is like any other in this sense: the quality you can find in the market follows a distribution in which only a few top options are genuinely excellent, while the rest are mediocre or outright deficient. So if you want to know that the VPN vendor of your choice will deliver everything you want and expect from a VPN, you have to choose it wisely. So let us tell you the best VPN services for staying safe in wifi hotspots.

Best WiFi VPNs – Quick list

If you don’t have the time to read our full article and see what we have to say about each VPN in detail, here is a quick list for those in a rush.

  1. ExpressVPN. The best VPN to have in a public wifi network. The server network spans 94 countries, it has terrific speeds, good security, lots of extra features, excellent customer support, and friendly apps, and it can unblock any digital service you want.
  2. Private Internet Access (PIA). This VPN is known in the industry for its commitment to user privacy and is the largest VPN server network on the planet, with more than 30.000 nodes available.
  3. NordVPN. One of the most advanced VPNs in the market will also deliver the goods when you’re on public wifi. Five thousand servers, the ability to unblock Skype, Netflix, and many more websites, a friendly app, excellent chat support, great security, and a strict no-logs policy make this one of the best VPNs for any task, wifi included.
  4. PureVPN. An excellent VPN that doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. It’s a powerful and versatile service that always keeps your mobile devices safe.
  5. Surfshark. Top-notch service at a meager price. This young VPN already has a vast server network, many exciting extra features, no connection limits, and good privacy policies.

VPNs comparison table

Website www.ExpressVPN.com www.NordVPN.com www.PrivateVPN.com www.PureVPN.com www.Surfshark.com
Streaming services Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, BBC, iPlayer, ITV Hub Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, BBC, iPlayer, ITV Hub Netflix, BBC, iPlayer, ITV Hub, Hulu Netflix, BBC, iPlayer, ITV Hub, Hulu Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC, iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+
Server countries 94+ 60 63 78 65
Devices supported Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Smart TVs, Routers Windows, macOS, Android, iOS Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, routers  Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux
No logs policy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kill switch The best deal (per month) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Pricing Starting from $6.67 Starting from $2.99 Starting from $2.0 Starting from $1.33 Starting from $2.05

Best 5 VPNs to protect wifi privacy

A suitable VPN in public wifi hotspots must provide the best security under the most hostile conditions, high speeds, and friendly apps. Therefore, we also looked at the following things to narrow down our selections:

  • The best possible encryption level for security.
  • Additional security measures like a kill switch.
  • A privacy policy that involves keeping no logs.
  • Reliable servers for every task.
  • A server network that includes plenty of countries.
  • Customer support has a live chat feature.
  • User-friendly apps.

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN new features block logo 120 by 120 now

The best and our top recommended VPN serrvice for Wifi. With its top-notch secuity and privacy features you are totally save while using public wifi hotspots.

servers More than 3,000 VPN servers spread in over 90 countries
Trusted servers nord TrustedServer technology
encryption Has AES-256-bit encryption
Zero-logs policy Strict no-logs policy
Split tunneling feature Offers effective split tunneling
network lock feature Network Lock (kill switch)
tor compatible Tor compatible
P2P optimized servers Supports P2P (torrenting)
simultaneous connections Allows 5 simultaneous connections per account
money-back guarantee 30-day money-back guarantee

Pros
  • Super-secure security and privacy
  • 24/7 live chat support
  • Blazing-fast speeds
Cons
  • Bit pricier compared to industry knowledge

ExpressVPN combines a powerful combination of the best speeds and security in the VPN-verse. So it’s our top pick of an excellent VPN for public wifi hotspots.

A network spanning 94 countries and including more than three thousand servers overall ensures that you will always find a fast and reliable server to connect to, regardless of your physical location. 

ExpressVPN excels at every digital task. So whether you’re looking to browse the web, see your email, listen to music, edit documents on the go, or watch video from even the most restricted video streaming platforms, such as Netflix, this is a vendor that will perform in style.

Since security is the main pitfall in public wifi hotspots, the security features in your chosen VPN are critical. And ExpressVPN delivers the goods in this regard as well. The traffic encryption is AES 256, and the network is thoroughly effective against DNS and IP leaks, a kill switch, split tunneling, and much more. All these things come as close as possible to a 100% guarantee of your internet traffic, even in those wifi hotspots where your city’s best hackers butter their bread.

Last but not least, ExpressVPN has user privacy at heart, too, because it keeps no logs of user activity. Unfortunately, it’s not just a policy, but a physical impossibility since their server is all RAM-only, without any conventional hard drives that can store any information after a reboot.

ExpressVPN software is available as mobile apps for iOS and Android devices; VPN clients are also available for macOS, Linux, and Windows. There are Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browser plugins available too. The ExpressVPN browser plugins are unique in that they are control interfaces for the complete service in a device. Other such plugins are not. Instead, they provide VPN protection for web browser traffic only.


2. Private Internet Access (PIA)