# VPN providers privacy ratings

Virtual private network services.

**Our pick:** [Mullvad VPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/mullvad-vpn/): No email, no name and no card needed. A stable, flat price, WireGuard on every platform, fully open-source apps, and repeated public audits of both the apps and the server infrastructure.

| Name | Grade | Jurisdiction | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Mullvad VPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/mullvad-vpn/) (our pick) | B (79/100) | Sweden (Fourteen Eyes) | Flat-priced VPN from Sweden. Accounts are a random number with no email, and payment in cash or Monero is accepted. |
| [Proton VPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/protonvpn/) | B (83/100) | Switzerland | VPN service from Proton in Switzerland with open-source apps on every platform and a free plan without ads. |
| [Windscribe](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/windscribe/) | B (81/100) | Canada (Five Eyes) | VPN service from Canada with a limited free plan, open-source apps and browser extensions, and WireGuard, IKEv2 and OpenVPN support. |
| [NymVPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/nymvpn/) | B (77/100) | Switzerland | VPN from Nym Technologies SA in Switzerland that runs on a decentralized network of independent nodes. It offers a fast two-hop WireGuard mode and an anonymous mode routed through the Nym mixnet. |
| [IVPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/ivpn/) | B (75/100) | Gibraltar | VPN service from Gibraltar with random account IDs, no email at sign-up, cash and Monero payment, and open-source apps. |
| [Private Internet Access](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/private-internet-access/) | C (71/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Commercial VPN service from Private Internet Access, Inc. in the United States, a subsidiary of Kape Technologies. The apps are open source and support WireGuard and OpenVPN. |
| [RiseupVPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/riseupvpn/) | C (70/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Free, donation-funded VPN run by the Riseup collective in the United States. It needs no account and uses the open-source LEAP VPN client with OpenVPN. |
| [hide.me](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/hide-me/) | C (67/100) | Malaysia | VPN service from eVenture Ltd. in Malaysia with a free plan that needs no sign-up and paid plans. Apps support WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 and SoftEther. |
| [AirVPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/airvpn/) | C (65/100) | Italy (Fourteen Eyes) | VPN service run by Air di Paolo Brini in Italy. Accounts need no email address, and the open-source Eddie client supports WireGuard and OpenVPN. |
| [Obscura](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/obscura/) | C (63/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | VPN from Sovereign Engineering Inc. in the United States that sends WireGuard traffic over QUIC through its own relay to Mullvad exit servers, so neither party sees both the user and the traffic. Accounts are a random number. |
| [Party VPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/party-vpn/) | C (63/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | Pay-as-you-go VPN paid for only in cryptocurrency, including Monero. Supports WireGuard and AmneziaWG, and offers a REST API. |
| [ExpressVPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/expressvpn/) | D (56/100) | British Virgin Islands | Commercial VPN service run by Express Technologies Ltd. in the British Virgin Islands, a subsidiary of Kape Technologies. It uses its own open-source Lightway protocol. |
| [Mozilla VPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/mozilla-vpn/) | D (56/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | VPN service from Mozilla that runs on Mullvad's WireGuard server network. The apps are open source under MPL-2.0 and require a Mozilla account. |
| [NordVPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/nordvpn/) | D (56/100) | Panama | Commercial VPN service from Nord Security, operated by a company in Panama. Apps use the WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol, OpenVPN or the NordWhisper protocol. |
| [CyberGhost VPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/cyberghost/) | D (50/100) | Romania | Commercial VPN service from CyberGhost S.R.L. in Romania, a subsidiary of Kape Technologies. Apps support WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2. |
| [Azire](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/azire/) | D (48/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | WireGuard VPN service founded in Stockholm and owned by Malwarebytes, running on servers it owns and operates. |
| [Surfshark](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/surfshark/) | D (48/100) | Netherlands (Nine Eyes) | Commercial VPN service from Surfshark B.V. in the Netherlands. Apps support WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2. |
| [OVPN](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/ovpn/) | D (42/100) | United States (Five Eyes) | VPN service founded in Sweden, now run by OVPN Inc., with WireGuard and OpenVPN on diskless servers, optional ad blocking, and monthly transparency reports. |
| [TunnelBear](https://privacyratings.com/vpns/tunnelbear/) | D (42/100) | Canada (Five Eyes) | VPN service from TunnelBear, based in Canada, with a free plan limited by data and paid unlimited plans. Apps support WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2. |

## Criteria

- **Open source** (weight 3): Is all the source code needed to run the product public?
- **No trackers or telemetry** (weight 3): Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
- **No ads or data sales** (weight 2): Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
- **Independent audit** (weight 2): Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?
- **Transparency report** (weight 2): Does the provider regularly publish how many government and legal requests it receives and how it responds?
- **Tells users about requests** (weight 1): Does the provider promise to tell users about requests for their data, unless a court forbids it?
- **TLS configuration** (weight 2, automated): Does the website pass the Qualys SSL Labs test with a grade of A or better?
- **Security headers** (weight 1, automated): Does the website pass the Mozilla HTTP Observatory test with a grade of A or better?
- **Modern web standards** (weight 1, automated): Does the website score 90% or higher on the Internet.nl website test?
- **Audited no-logs policy** (weight 3): Has an independent audit confirmed that activity and connection logs are not kept?
- **Anonymous payment** (weight 2): Can an account be created and paid for without an email address, name or card?
- **Open-source apps** (weight 2): Are the apps for every platform open source?
- **Modern protocols** (weight 1): Is WireGuard (or another modern audited protocol) supported?

Source: https://privacyratings.com/vpns/