Six VPNs worth a look in 2027, with a date behind every fact
Six services cover most people in 2027: Windscribe, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, NordVPN, Proton VPN and Teal VPN. Every fact below names its source and date; Teal VPN's prices and apps were checked in November 2026 and this page is kept current through 2027.
Teal VPN, made by Fxolio LLC in the United States, has a Free plan (Teal Free, 500 MB a day) and a Pro plan, with apps for Android, Android TV, Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook. We build it, so read our row knowing that, and check the other rows against each company's own site.
We did not run a lab with 23 reviewers. CNET did, and its list dated 20 October 2026 moved Windscribe to the top and ExpressVPN down to its streaming pick. For the services we do not run we lean on CNET and on Lucy Johnson's traveller list at My Vegan Travels (5 August 2026); for Teal we use our own numbers.
| Service | Known for (source, date) | Devices per account | Price note | Strict networks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windscribe | CNET best overall, score 9.2 (20 October 2026); open source and audited | Not stated in the pages we read | No renewal price hikes (CNET); refund policy called restrictive | Not stated |
| ExpressVPN | Fastest in CNET's 2026 tests, score 8.0; based in the British Virgin Islands | Up to 14 (My Vegan Travels, August 2026) | From $3.49 a month intro price (My Vegan Travels); CNET calls it expensive | Not stated |
| Surfshark | CNET pick for innovative features, score 8.6; RAM-only servers | Unlimited (CNET, October 2026) | Monthly plan called extraordinarily expensive by CNET | Not stated |
| NordVPN | CNET bundling pick, score 8.4; 9000 servers in 118 countries (My Vegan Travels) | Up to 10 (My Vegan Travels) | From $3.39 a month intro price (My Vegan Travels, August 2026) | Not stated |
| Proton VPN | CNET best value pick; My Vegan Travels names its no-cost plan | Not stated in the pages we read | Not stated in the pages we read | Not stated |
| Teal VPN | Teal Secure obfuscation on every connection and plan; 14 server countries; no browsing logs, no ads | 10 on yearly, 5 on monthly and 6-month; 2 on Teal Free | $36 a year ($3.00 a month), $24 for 6 months, $7.99 monthly; 30-day money-back (checked November 2026) | Built for them, but no VPN is guaranteed on every network |
Best VPN for phone in 2027: Android has more choice than iPhone
On Android every service in the table has an app; on iPhone, Teal VPN has no app as of November 2026, so iPhone users should choose from the other five.
The Teal VPN Android app runs Teal Secure on every connection, which means the obfuscation is on without a toggle to find. On Teal Free the 500 MB a day is enough for messaging, maps and email on a trip, not for an evening of video.
For iPhone we can only point at the review sites: CNET's October 2026 list credits Surfshark with split tunneling on iOS and Android, and Lucy Johnson at My Vegan Travels uses NordVPN daily on her phone. We have not tested either on iOS ourselves.
Best VPN for PC and Mac in 2027: count the devices you own first
For a laptop, choose by device count and renewal price: Teal VPN Pro covers 10 devices on the yearly plan, ExpressVPN up to 14 and Surfshark an unlimited number, per the sources dated above.
Teal VPN has native apps for Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook (the Play app or the Chrome extension), plus Chrome, Edge and Firefox extensions. An extension protects only that browser; the desktop app protects everything on the machine, so install the app when you can.
Whatever you pick, confirm it on the laptop you actually use: connect, open Teal VPN's leak test at tealvpn.com/ip-leak-test, and check that the IP and the DNS servers shown belong to the VPN, not to your home provider. The test needs no sign-in and works with any VPN.
Best VPN for China and other strict networks in 2027: obfuscation on by default
For China and Iran the feature that matters is obfuscation that is always on, which is why Teal Secure runs on every Teal VPN connection and every plan, including Teal Free. When a network closes one route, the app tries other routes by itself; you do not pick a special server.
That is the honest ceiling too: no VPN is guaranteed to connect on every network, and networks change between the day we write this and the day you land. Install and sign in before you leave, and check the local rules before you travel.
Teal VPN's nearest servers to China and Hong Kong are Singapore, Japan and South Korea, and there is an India server for anyone travelling there. Among the other five services, none of the pages we read in November 2026 states what they do on strict networks, so ask each company directly.
- Install the app and sign in at home, before the flight
- Connect once and run tealvpn.com/ip-leak-test so you know what a good result looks like
- Note the support email on paper in case the website is slow to load
- Carry a second service if the trip is important; two apps cost less than a lost week
- Check the local rules before you travel
Best VPN for privacy in 2027: logs, an audit date, and a leak test you run yourself
Judge privacy on three things: a plain no-logs statement, the date of the last independent audit, and a leak test you run on your own machine. CNET's privacy pick for 2026 is Mullvad; Windscribe earns its top score partly for being open source and audited.
Teal VPN keeps no browsing logs and shows no ads, and Teal Free asks for nothing beyond an email. Ask any provider, including us, for the date of its last independent audit before you pay for a year.
Run the leak test first on tealvpn.com/ip-leak-test, then repeat it on any second leak-test site and compare the DNS lines. If one shows your home provider's servers while the VPN says connected, the VPN is leaking lookups and the privacy claim does not matter.
Signs a VPN takes privacy seriously
- No-logs statement in plain words, not a maze of exceptions
- Audit with a named firm and a date
- RAM-only or regularly wiped servers (Surfshark states this, per CNET)
- Leak test passes on your own device
Signs to walk away
- No company name or country on the site
- A no-cost app with no paid plan and no stated business model
- Refund terms you cannot find before paying
- DNS line in the leak test shows your home provider
A VPN plan that costs nothing in 2027: Teal Free gives 500 MB a day
Teal Free gives 500 MB a day on 2 devices with no account details beyond an email, and it runs the same Teal Secure obfuscation and the same 14 server countries as Pro. Proton VPN also has a no-cost plan, which My Vegan Travels names as its pick in that category (August 2026).
Our opinion: a no-cost plan from a company that also sells a paid plan is the safer kind, because the business model is in front of you. A no-cost app with no paid plan and no company name is paying its bills some other way.
If 500 MB a day runs out, Teal VPN Pro is $36 a year ($3.00 a month), $24 for six months or $7.99 monthly, with 30 days money-back, paid by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal or crypto (checked November 2026).
- 500 MB
- a day on Teal Free2 devices, email only
- 14
- server countriessame list on Teal Free and Pro
- $3.00
- a month on the yearly plan$36 a year, 30-day money-back
How we judge a VPN in 2027: six checks you can run on any provider
Six checks separate a good VPN from a good landing page, and you can run them on any provider in about twenty minutes. We think most people over-weigh server counts and under-weigh the price in year two.
Find the price after the first term
Intro prices such as $3.39 or $3.49 a month (My Vegan Travels, August 2026) are for the first term; open the checkout and read what year two costs. CNET credits Windscribe with no renewal price hikes. Teal VPN's yearly plan is $36 and the checkout shows that figure, not a promotional one.
Ask for the audit date
A privacy claim without a dated independent audit is a promise. CNET lists Windscribe as audited; ask every other company, including us, the same question by email.
Match the apps to the devices you own
Teal VPN has no iPhone app as of November 2026; some rivals have no Linux or Android TV app. Check the download page, not the home page.
Read the refund window before paying
Teal VPN gives 30 days money-back. CNET flags Windscribe's refund policy as restrictive, which is a reason to read the terms, not a reason to skip it.
Check what happens on strict networks
Look for obfuscation that is on by default and a stated fallback when a route closes. Teal Secure does both; most vendor pages we read do not say.
Run a leak test on your own device
Connect, open tealvpn.com/ip-leak-test, and confirm the IP and DNS servers belong to the VPN. Then repeat on a second site. No review replaces this five-minute check.
What changed for 2027
The biggest change is at the top of CNET's list: after six months of testing in 2026, Windscribe replaced ExpressVPN as best overall (20 October 2026), and renewal price stability became part of the scoring.
ExpressVPN remains the fastest service in CNET's 2026 tests but is marked down as expensive and for a new app CNET calls a little buggy. Surfshark keeps unlimited devices; NordVPN is now framed around its bundles rather than the VPN alone.
On our side, as of November 2026 Teal Secure runs on every connection and every plan, the server list stands at 14 countries, and the yearly plan is $36. We will update this page through 2027 as those facts move.
Keep reading
References
- Best VPN of 2026: CNET's All-New Top Picks, Tested and Vetted by Our Experts
- The best VPNs I use as a full-time traveller (2026) - My Vegan Travels
- The Best VPN Services We've Tested (October 2026) - PCMag
Need help with Teal? Contact support.
Questions
What is the best VPN service in 2027?
CNET's current best overall is Windscribe (20 October 2026), with ExpressVPN the fastest in its tests. If you need a VPN that connects on strict networks such as China, Teal VPN runs Teal Secure obfuscation on every plan; no VPN is guaranteed on every network.
Is there a VPN that costs nothing and is safe to use in 2027?
Teal Free gives 500 MB a day on 2 devices with only an email, and Proton VPN has a no-cost plan named by My Vegan Travels (August 2026). Prefer a no-cost plan from a company that also sells a paid one, so the business model is visible.
What is the best VPN for China in 2027?
Pick one with obfuscation on by default and a fallback when a route closes; Teal Secure does both on Teal VPN, including Teal Free. Install before you leave, check the local rules before you travel, and carry a second service if the trip matters.
Which VPN is best for privacy in 2027?
CNET's privacy pick is Mullvad, and Windscribe is open source and audited. Whatever you choose, run tealvpn.com/ip-leak-test on your own device; a DNS line showing your home provider means the privacy claim is not holding.
Can a VPN get me cheaper flights in 2027?
Sometimes, sometimes not. A VPN changes the country a site thinks you are in, and airfares vary by market, but there is no reliable list of countries that are always cheaper, and we make no promise of savings.
Is Teal VPN good for streaming?
We make no streaming claims. Teal VPN is built for strict networks and privacy; CNET's streaming pick for 2026 is ExpressVPN, so read its review if streaming is your main reason.
How many devices does the best VPN cover in 2027?
Surfshark says unlimited, ExpressVPN up to 14 and NordVPN up to 10 (My Vegan Travels, August 2026). Teal VPN covers 10 on the yearly plan, 5 on monthly and 6-month, and 2 on Teal Free, as of November 2026.