Best VPN for Chrome 2025: Keep Your Browsing Traffic Private

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Chrome overall, thanks to its unique feature that gives you full app features through the Chrome browser plugin. Whether you use the ExpressVPN Chrome browser extension or its Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android or iOS app, you'll get a VPN that's extremely simple to use, fast and excellent for streaming. That said, it’s not ideal for a situation where you just want a fast browser-only VPN install -- like if you’re at the public library and want a private internet session. In those cases, something like NordVPN is a better option.

Why we like it

Uniquely, ExpressVPN’s browser plugin is essentially a remote in-browser control for the desktop app. Unlike Nord, Surfshark and other VPNs, Express requires installing the desktop app in conjunction with its browser extension. In exchange, using ExpressVPN on Chrome provides the full slate of app features like split tunneling. You'll also find extensions for other Chromium-based web browsers, including Brave, Vivaldi and Edge. 

Regardless of how you use ExpressVPN, you’ll get a simple interface and consistent user experience across platforms, making it an ideal choice for beginners. We're particularly impressed with its streaming performance, which let us access content from popular streaming sites like Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Max and Amazon Prime Video across all devices we tested. We measured an 18% average speed loss in our latest speed tests with ExpressVPN, which represented significant improvement over our previous testing.

If you have heightened privacy needs, you’ll appreciate ExpressVPN’s approach to transparency and user privacy. The provider leads the industry with 23 independent audits since 2018 and sets a standard by consistently rolling out innovative privacy improvements. In addition to helpful features like IP Shuffle, which changes your IP address each time you load a website, making it even more difficult to track you online, ExpressVPN has beefed up its post-quantum protections. ExpressVPN employs industry-standard AES 256-bit and ChaCha20 encryption with its Lightway protocol and also supports OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols. Its TrustedServer technology takes the RAM-only server infrastructure to the next level by reinstalling the entire server stack in addition to wiping any data with every reboot.

The monthly ExpressVPN subscription costs $13 per month, which is pretty standard across the industry. If you choose the yearly subscription, you’ll pay $75 for the first year (renewing at $100 annually) or $98 total for the first two years combined (renewing at $100 annually) -- roughly in line with what its closest competitor, NordVPN, charges: $13 per month, $60 for the first year or $81 total for the first two years combined (the one- and two-year plans renew at $140 total per year). Other top VPNs like Surfshark and Proton VPN are considerably cheaper -- both of which renew at $80 per year. ExpressVPN offers a seven-day free trial, followed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have the opportunity to try the service before buying or fully committing.

• Also featured in: Best VPN Service, Best VPN for Windows

NordVPN is the best VPN for users who need blazing-fast speeds for high-bandwidth activities like streaming or gaming, and its Chrome extension is one of the easiest ways to get connected. Aside from its Chrome plugin, Nord offers Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox plugins. While Express remains slightly ahead in privacy and transparency and other VPNs offer cheaper long-term prices, NordVPN still provides an impressive all-around service that continues to improve.

Why we like it

NordVPN is the fastest VPN we tested by a long shot, with a best-in-class 3% average internet download speed loss -- its closest competitor was Proton at 16% speed loss. In our testing, we found NordVPN an excellent choice for streaming, with effortless unblocking of foreign Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and Max libraries. Additionally, we had no issues watching BBC iPlayer, CBC Gem, Hulu, Crunchyroll and several other regional streaming services. Coupled with fast speeds, its excellent region-restricted content unblocking makes Nord one of the best VPNs for streaming. 

Its 10-device simultaneous device allowance is excellent for power users with many devices. While some providers, like Surfshark and PIA, offer unlimited simultaneous device policies, Nord’s longtime rival ExpressVPN limits you to eight. 

We like that NordVPN’s strong privacy chops go beyond the basics. Alongside the industry-standard NordLynx (WireGuard-based) and OpenVPN VPN protocols, Nord offers its proprietary obfuscation-oriented NordWhisper, which masquerades as traditional web traffic to try slipping through firewalls. You’ll also get double VPN (which uses a second VPN connection) and Onion over VPN servers (which use Tor) to make it even more difficult to trace your traffic back to its source compared to a standard VPN connection.

Initially, NordVPN is a great value at $13 per month, $60 for the first year or $81 total for the first two years. However, the one- and two-year plans renew at an astronomical $140 per year, which is considerably more than the $79 to $80 that Surfshark and Proton VPN renew for, but in the same ballpark as ExpressVPN's $100 annual renewal price, depending on the plan. Although you can avoid a pricey renewal price hike by stacking subscriptions, we’d like to see Nord’s pricing model be more transparent. Despite its extortionate renewal price, NordVPN is a superb VPN for everyone from streaming fanatics to folks with critical privacy needs.

• Also featured in: Best VPN for Android, Best VPN for Amazon Fire TV

Surfshark's the best value VPN for Chrome, working splendidly for anyone looking for a premium VPN experience for a cheaper price than ExpressVPN or NordVPN. Surfshark boasts an impressive roster of useful premium features that deliver a lot of value despite a recent renewal price hike. It can’t quite match NordVPN’s speed or ExpressVPN’s overall privacy position but it comes remarkably close at a cheaper price. All in all, Surfshark is a top-notch VPN that demonstrates consistent improvement year after year.

Why we like it

Surfshark’s Chrome extension is functionally and visually very similar to its apps across other platforms, so users will feel right at home using the extension. Choosing a server location is simple, and the extension establishes the connection immediately. Although Surfshark’s Chrome extension is not as fully featured as its app, you’ll still have the ability to choose from servers in 100 countries.

Streaming enthusiasts will appreciate that Surfshark does a good job of unblocking content on most platforms and streaming services and that it offers apps for smart TVs as well as streaming devices. It also offers unlimited simultaneous connections while most VPNs limit you to 10 or fewer.

We’re impressed with Surfshark’s consistently fast speeds in the past few years, with an average speed loss hovering in the high-teens. We measured an average speed loss of 21% in our 2025 speed tests. Surfshark’s network of more than 3,200 servers across 100 countries is large enough to help ensure fast speeds and stable connections by minimizing congestion and offering more options for more users to connect to servers nearby their physical location.

In addition to standard privacy protections like its kill switch, no-logs policy and DNS leak protection, Surfshark includes a few unique features that help it stand out from the pack. Dynamic Multihop lets you tunnel through any two server locations of your choosing for an added layer of privacy, and Rotating IP switches your IP address every few minutes, making it harder to track you online. Surfshark’s Alternative ID lets you create an alter-ego complete with full name, physical address and email address that you can use online without divulging your true identity. Following the lead of other VPN providers including ExpressVPN, Mullvad and NordVPN, Surfshark plans to roll out post-quantum protections this year to protect against potential future threats from quantum computers.

While Surfshark’s $15.45 per month rate makes it one of the most expensive monthly subscription prices in the industry, pricing for its longer-term plans is reasonable. The yearly plan costs $48 for the first year and $79 annually thereafter, and the two-year plan costs $60 total for the first two years combined, then $79 annually. Surfshark’s renewal prices increased this year, but its overall pricing is still cheaper than ExpressVPN’s $75 for the first year (renewing at $100 annually) or $98 total for the first two years (renewing at $100 a year). Similarly, Surfshark's prices undercut NordVPN’s $60 for the first year or $81 total for the first two years(the one- and two-year plans renew at $140 annually). And like many other VPNs, Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you’re not satisfied with the service. 

• Also featured in: Best VPN for Netflix, Best VPN for iPhone

PIA is a wallet-friendly VPN for Chrome that’s cheaper than most competitors at $12 per month, $40 for the first year (renewing at $50 annually) or $79 total for three years of service. While its features don't always stack up to competitors like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, it does offer a level of customization -- including for its Chrome extension -- that we appreciate. PIA also offers unlimited simultaneous connections, a benefit that pricier VPNs like Proton, ExpressVPN and NordVPN don’t have.

Why we like it

PIA’s Chrome extension offers a lot of neat settings that you can play around with to precisely dial in your desired level of privacy. PIA’s Chrome plugin gives you access to its entire network of server locations in 91 countries. You have the option to enable WebRTC blocking, as well as to block camera, microphone and location access. You can also disable credit card and address autofill in Chrome from PIA’s extension in addition to disabling cookies and other tracking technology. PIA uses TLS v1.3 to encrypt Chrome browser traffic.

We like that its apps are open-source, meaning anyone can inspect the source code for bugs or vulnerabilities, which is solid transparency. Only a few other providers, including Proton VPN and Mullvad, have open-source apps. While PIA largely sticks to covering the basics, it features some nice privacy amenities, including split tunneling on MacOS (which lets you use a VPN for certain apps and services but not others) -- a rarity among VPN providers. Notably, Surfshark also has Mac split tunneling. 

Unfortunately, PIA was rough around the edges in our latest round of testing. We clocked its internet speed loss at an underwhelming 48% average in our 2025 speed testing, meaningfully higher than the 25% average we like to see. Additionally, we encountered many CAPTCHAs while trying to perform basic tasks like running a Google search. Although streaming was largely decent, we had to change servers more often than with other providers, like NordVPN, Proton VPN, ExpressVPN or Surfshark.

Still, PIA can be good on a budget for folks who need comprehensive US server coverage. Otherwise, your money is probably better spent on Surfshark or Proton VPN, both of which offer faster server performance and robust privacy while charging slightly more cash than PIA.

• Also featured in: Best VPN for Mac, Best VPN for Multiple Devices

Proton VPN is the best free VPN for Chrome -- and the only zero-dollar VPN on the market that we wholeheartedly recommend. And its paid plan is still impressive, competing directly with VPNs like Surfshark and Mullvad for overall performance. While its brower plugin was previously locked behind the paid plan, Proton has since expanded it to free users as well. On either subscription, Proton is a solid overall VPN with customization that should appeal to VPN power users.

Why we like it

Proton’s browser extension (available for Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, Chromium and other browsers) works for free users as of August 2024 -- previously, Proton VPN's browser plugin was relegated to its paid plan. You can also use Proton’s free tier with Chrome by installing the app for your device. The browser extension offers a Quick Connect option that routes you through an ideal server. Proton VPN’s Chrome plugin lets you enable auto connect to start a VPN your browser opens, split tunneling to exclude websites or IP addresses from using your VPN and WebRTC protection for further hiding your IP address.

Unlike other free VPNs, Proton doesn’t sell your data, plaster your screen with ads or limit your monthly usage. But you’re restricted to using one device at a time, can only connect to servers in five countries and can’t manually pick a server. In comparison, PrivadoVPN’s free tier lets you choose a server while capping your monthly usage at 10GB. But Privado, unlike Proton, hasn’t been audited, making it a poor choice for anyone remotely concerned about privacy. If you need more servers and greater manual control, Proton’s paid plans provide 13,800-plus servers in 122 countries, which is helpful for international travel or streaming.

Proton is fast, extremely private and exceptional for streaming. You’ll find a slew of unique privacy features, like discreet app icons on Android that let you disguise the Proton app on your phone as a calculator, notes or weather app, which could be helpful when traveling to countries where VPNs are frowned upon. But it’s not all work and no play with Proton VPN. Its 16% average internet download speed loss, which was second only to NordVPN in our testing, is great for streaming. You can expect to keep most of your baseline internet speeds, which should help you stay clear of buffering or low-res video. Moreover, Proton unblocked virtually every streaming service we threw at it, including Netflix Egypt, which only a few VPNs, including ExpressVPN, could also unlock. 

Ultimately, Proton VPN is hands-down the best free VPN on the market, with a compelling premium plan that’s private and great for streaming.

• Also featured in: Best VPN for Amazon Prime Video, Best VPN for Travel

ExpressVPN has cutting-edge privacy and security features and is a recipient of a CNET Editor’s Choice award. It’s extremely simple to use, fast and excellent for streaming. Right now, you can get 61% off when you sign up for a two-year subscription, plus four free months on any of ExpressVPN’s three subscription tiers.