Technologies
Fastest VPN of 2023
Most VPNs will cut your speeds in half. Get one that won’t. Here are the fastest VPNs we tested in 2023.

If you’re using a virtual private network for data-heavy online activities like streaming, gaming, video conferencing or torrenting, your VPN speeds will be a major consideration. Even if your internet is fast, keep in mind that most VPNs will typically cut your speeds in half, which could negatively affect your overall online experience. A fast VPN can help ensure that your streams are smooth, your games are free of lag, your calls are stable and your downloads are quick.
Testing to determine the fastest VPN is a time-intensive, imperfect process that can take various forms. At CNET, we’ve developed a speed testing methodology that seeks to mirror the typical VPN user’s most likely conditions. This way, our analysis of the fastest VPNs can provide the most practical value to VPN consumers.
And while we believe a VPN’s security is of paramount importance, we also understand that many VPN users may prioritize speed over security — if their primary use case is streaming, for example. That’s why we’ve also started taking into account speeds through lightweight VPN protocols like WireGuard and VPN providers’ own proprietary protocols. While WireGuard and other protocols like ExpressVPN’s Lightway and NordVPN’s NordLynx are by all indications highly secure, their security is not as battle-tested in the wild as OpenVPN.
On the flip side, these relatively newer protocols are typically faster than OpenVPN — often by a considerable margin. We still recommend using OpenVPN for the best balance of speed and security (and for anyone with critical privacy needs), but we tested their fastest protocols in order to measure them by their full potential for speed.
Keep in mind that this is a list of the fastest VPNs as we measured them in February and March of 2023, and should be referenced as a general guide to how you may expect these VPNs to perform for you. Your own results may vary, depending on various factors including what platform you’re using, your location and the level of service you’re receiving from your internet service provider.
VPN speeds compared
2019 tested speed loss* | 2020 tested speed loss* | 2022 tested speed loss* | 2023 tested speed loss* | Net change from previous test | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
NordVPN | 32% | 53% | 13% | 10% | Faster in 2023 tests |
ExpressVPN | 2% | 51% | 2% | 18% | Slower in 2023 tests |
IPVanish | N/A | 65% | 58% | 26% | Faster in 2023 tests |
Proton VPN | N/A | 9% | 17% | 36% | Slower in 2023 tests |
Surfshark | 27% | 17% | 19% | 40% | Slower in 2023 tests |
*Lower number is better.
These are the fastest VPNs in 2023
NordVPN
- 10% speed loss in February/March 2023 speed tests (improved from 13% in 2022)
- Fastest speed tested: 7% speed loss (NordLynx)
- Fastest VPN connections: Europe
- Slowest VPN connections: Singapore
NordVPN’s speeds have been improving over the past few years. In our 2020 speed tests we calculated a 53% speed loss, and in the summer of 2022 a 13% speed loss. In our most recent testing in February and March of 2023, the speed loss dropped to just 10% on average. The fastest round of testing yielded a mere 7% speed loss through its proprietary WireGuard-based NordLynx VPN protocol from our testing location in Ohio. This steady improvement in speeds has helped NordVPN leapfrog ExpressVPN and take the reins as the fastest VPN.
We were impressed with the consistency of NordVPN’s speeds across the board, regardless of whether we were testing speeds through OpenVPN or NordLynx. Our base internet speeds hovered around 370 megabits per second, and NordVPN’s speeds held consistently between around 320 to 355Mbps to server locations around the globe. We achieved the fastest speeds to servers in Europe, and as expected, the slowest speeds to Singapore. However, Nord’s speeds to Singapore were faster than other VPNs’ speeds to closer locations, which impressed us.
NordVPN offers a decent network of 5,500-plus servers in 60 countries around the world, including servers in 15 cities throughout the US. It pairs solid encryption with its blazing-fast speeds and provides tons of useful features. NordVPN works great on all platforms and is priced at $60 for the first year (then $100 for any subsequent years) or $13 per month. If you’re not satisfied, your purchase is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Current fastest VPN we’ve tested
- Tons of features
- Diskless RAM-only server infrastructure
- Solid encryption
59% off with 24-mo plan (+extra months)
ExpressVPN
- 18% speed loss in February/March 2023 tests (worse than 2% in 2022)
- Fastest speed tested: 9% speed loss (OpenVPN)
- Fastest VPN location: Europe
- Slowest VPN location: Singapore
ExpressVPN wowed us with its incredible 2% speed loss last year — a result that placed it handily in the lead as our fastest VPN at the time. However, ExpressVPN’s stratospheric speeds came back down to Earth in our most recent tests, averaging a still respectable 18% speed loss overall. The recent drop in speeds has — for the time being — relegated ExpressVPN to second place behind NordVPN. ExpressVPN’s fastest round of tests yielded a 9% speed loss through OpenVPN. Though the provider’s proprietary Lightway protocol should theoretically be faster than OpenVPN, the fastest round of testing through Lightway was slightly slower at an 11% speed loss. Because we recommend OpenVPN for critical privacy needs (and due to its demonstrated commitment to security and transparency), ExpressVPN is perhaps an even better option than NordVPN for anyone looking for the very best combination of speeds and security.
Though not quite as consistent as NordVPN, ExpressVPN’s speeds were largely stable throughout the multiple rounds of testing we did to various server locations around the world. The fastest speeds we measured through ExpressVPN were to Europe, where we registered 343.31Mbps, and the slowest speeds we measured were to Singapore at 287.43Mbps, but speeds generally hovered in the low-to-mid 300s when testing the VPN’s speeds from Ohio.
ExpressVPN boasts one of the most expansive networks of servers in the VPN industry, with servers in 94 countries around the world. Its speed, security, transparency and impressive suite of privacy features has helped ExpressVPN earn CNET’s Editors’ Choice for Best VPN for 2023. It’s also a great option for streaming and gaming. However, ExpressVPN is one of the most expensive VPNs on the market today. The service doesn’t offer much in the way of introductory pricing like NordVPN does, but you can get your first 15 months for $100 if you purchase the yearly plan (which then renews annually at the same $100 rate). You can also choose a bi-annual plan for $60 every six months or a monthly plan at $13 per month. Like NordVPN, Express also offers a no-questions-asked, 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Among the fastest VPNs
- Unblocks Netflix, great for gaming and P2P
- Solid security and transparency, zero leaks
- Excellent customer support, easy refunds
49% off with 12-mo plan (+3 free months)
How we tested VPN speeds
In the past, we tested VPN speeds strictly through the OpenVPN protocol because of its speed, security and ubiquity. But with all the top VPNs now offering speedier protocols, we’ve begun testing speeds through WireGuard and, if available, the VPN provider’s own proprietary protocol.
We conducted our latest speed tests in February and March of 2023 from testing locations in Cleveland, Ohio, and Budapest, Hungary. In addition to testing OpenVPN speeds from these locations, we tested speeds through WireGuard for Surfshark, Proton VPN and IPVanish. Additionally, we tested ExpressVPN’s speeds through its proprietary Lightway protocol and NordVPN’s speeds through its NordLynx protocol. We conducted five rounds of testing on each VPN, consisting of five separate tests each to five locations around the world. Five rounds of testing for each VPN from both testing locations using multiple VPN protocols added up to more than 2,500 individual speed tests overall.
Prior to each round of testing, we measured our non-VPN speeds five times to calculate the average speeds we were getting from our ISP. Then, we tested speeds five times each to VPN server locations in New York, the UK, Australia, Europe (France and Germany) and Singapore. This way, we’re able to get a good read on VPN speeds to popular locations across the globe. Once we completed the five rounds of testing to each location, we calculated our average VPN and non-VPN speeds to determine the percentage of speed lost overall through the VPN.
Calculating the percentage of speed lost through the VPN allows us to present a clear representation of how you can expect these VPNs to perform for you. Your base internet speeds may be a lot faster or a lot slower than what we got through the internet connections we used during our testing, so saying that we achieved speeds of 341.5Mbps with NordVPN doesn’t paint the full picture without putting it into the proper context of how much of a speed drop that was in relation to our base speeds.
We conducted all of our tests through the Ookla speed-testing platform, because it’s user-friendly and among the most widely used speed testing sites. It’s also the tool that most VPN users are likely to use to measure their own speeds.
What about Surfshark, IPVanish and Proton VPN?
Surfshark, IPVanish and Proton VPN all have the capacity to deliver speeds adequate for just about any online activity. However, their inconsistent speed performance during our testing dropped each one out of consideration for the fastest VPN crown.
You can typically expect to lose about half of your base internet speeds through most VPNs, so we were surprised to see that we lost a whopping 76% of our base speeds connecting through OpenVPN with Surfshark. We conducted more than 250 individual OpenVPN speed tests with Surfshark over the course of several weeks in case what we were seeing was an aberration, yet speeds were poor across the board through each location we tested, each time we tested it. By comparison, Surfshark’s sister company NordVPN only cut our speeds by 9% when connecting through OpenVPN.
Surfshark
- 40% speed loss in February/March 2023 speed tests (slower than 19% in 2022)
- Fastest speed tested: 8% speed loss (WireGuard)
- Fastest VPN connections: Europe
- Slowest VPN connections: Singapore
We reached out to Surfshark to inquire about the issue with its OpenVPN speeds and a representative from the company told us that the poor speed performance must have begun recently because speeds have been consistently good over the past few months. The representative told us that the development team is investigating the issue and hopes to have it resolved soon. We will retest Surfshark’s speeds once the issue has been resolved and update our fastest VPN list as appropriate at that time.
That said, Surfshark’s WireGuard speeds were respectable. In our two rounds of testing Surfshark’s speeds through the WireGuard protocol, we calculated a 22% speed loss on average. In one round of testing, we measured only an 8% drop in speeds — which was actually among the fastest we measured. Surfshark is fast if you use WireGuard, but its OpenVPN speeds leave much to be desired, and ultimately bumped it out of the fastest VPN race. We recommend using OpenVPN for anything privacy critical, so if you want to use OpenVPN for your heightened privacy needs but don’t want to lose more than three-quarters of your internet speeds in the process, NordVPN or ExpressVPN would be a better bet at this time — based on our tests.
IPVanish
- 26% speed loss in February/March 2023 speed tests (faster than 58% in 2022)
- Fastest speed tested: 14% speed loss (WireGuard)
- Fastest VPN connections: New York
- Slowest VPN connections: Singapore
When we tested IPVanish, we lost 58% of our speeds when connecting through OpenVPN from the US and 19% from Budapest. What was especially maddening was that the app didn’t always connect us to the fastest possible server when using IPVanish’s Quick Connect feature. While IPVanish’s speeds within the US were fairly consistent, speeds to other locations fluctuated dramatically. Speeds to Europe, for example, peaked as high as 317Mbps and dropped to as low as 40Mbps. We got faster and more consistent speeds when abandoning the Quick Connect feature and choosing servers manually while connecting via OpenVPN.
IPVanish’s WireGuard speeds were better, dropping our speeds by only 14.5% on average. During one round of testing IPVanish in Budapest, the ISP we were connected through was noticeably throttling our speeds, causing many of our VPN speed readings to be faster than our non-VPN readings, which ultimately resulted in a mere 3% average speed loss for that round. However, despite that anomaly, the inconsistent nature of IPVanish’s speeds along with how unreliably Quick Connect performed was what put it out of the running for the fastest VPN.
Proton VPN
- 36% speed loss in February/March 2023 speed tests (slower than 17% in 2022)
- Fastest speed tested: 23% speed loss (WireGuard)
- Fastest VPN connections: New York
- Slowest VPN connections: UK
Proton VPN was by far the most inconsistent of the bunch. The peaks and valleys we experienced in terms of speeds were staggering, regardless of protocol or testing location. Speeds would go up to 328Mbps and drop to 3Mbps in the same round of testing. Overall, Proton averaged a 36% speed loss, which is unexceptional, at best. If you’re looking for a VPN that consistently delivers fast speeds, Proton VPN is decidedly not the VPN you’re looking for.
How to get the most speed out of your VPN
There are a few things you can try if you want to speed up your VPN connection. In theory, WireGuard and newer, proprietary VPN protocols that more and more providers are offering should offer faster speeds than OpenVPN. You can try one of these protocols to boost your speeds if gaining maximum speed is your primary objective and you’re not getting what you want out of your OpenVPN connection.
If location is not a concern, you’ll want to connect to the server that’s the closest to your physical location. This will cut down on the physical distance your data has to travel and, in turn, deliver faster speeds.
Connecting to a server that is overloaded with users can result in undesirable speeds. Many VPN apps include information regarding server load, so try to look for a server indicating a light load for optimum speeds.
Fastest VPN FAQ
Which VPN is the fastest?
NordVPN is the fastest VPN right now, based on the extensive testing we conducted in 2023. Out of the VPNs we speed tested, NordVPN’s speeds were the most consistently fast across the board. NordVPN averaged just a 10% speed loss overall, with its best result being a 7% speed loss through WireGuard. ExpressVPN came in second place with an 18% average speed loss, with its best result being a 9% speed loss through OpenVPN.
Do I need a VPN?
You need a VPN if you want to maintain your privacy online and hide your internet activity from your ISP, government entities and other snoops. If you want to evade online censorship or unblock geographically restricted content, you need a VPN. VPNs can also be beneficial for gaming, torrenting, finding deals online and speeding up your internet connection if your ISP is deliberately throttling your speeds. Anyone who uses the internet can benefit from a VPN in one way or another.
How can I test my VPN speeds?
All you need to do to test your own VPN speeds is to use an online speed testing tool like the one provided by Ookla. First, test your base internet speeds with the VPN disengaged and make a note of your non-VPN speeds. Then, connect to a server through your VPN app and run a new speed test and note the speed change. It’s a good idea to run multiple tests both with and without the VPN turned on to get a fuller picture of the VPN’s speed performance. Most VPNs also offer a money-back guarantee, so it’s a good idea as well to test your VPN speeds during that trial period. If you’re not getting acceptable speeds even after trying different server locations and VPN protocols, you may want to give another VPN a try before the trial period ends.
What’s the best free VPN?
If you need to use a free VPN, we recommend using Proton VPN’s free version. It’s the only free VPN worth using, because it’s secure, comparatively fast and doesn’t impose usage or data caps. Otherwise, we don’t recommend using most free VPNs because the majority of them are essentially useless, if not downright dangerous. Free VPNs typically impose data and usage limits, employ weaker encryption and offer fewer server locations than their paid counterparts. Free VPNs also need to make money somehow, so you can expect them to be selling your data to third-party advertisers. Some have even been known to contain malware.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, June 28
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for June 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s Saturday, so it’s extra-long, and might take you a while. Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Detachable parts of a dress form
Answer: ARMS
5A clue: Catering container containing caffeine
Answer: TEARUN
8A clue: Climbing structure offered in pet stores
Answer: CATTREE
9A clue: Gets into town
Answer: ARRIVES
10A clue: Frédéric Chopin or Ray Charles, notably
Answer: PIANIST
11A clue: They don’t hold water
Answer: SIEVES
12A clue: ___-jerk reaction
Answer: KNEE
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: With some chance of failure
Answer: ATARISK
2D clue: Prepare for a new job, maybe
Answer: RETRAIN
3D clue: Midday Broadway showing
Answer: MATINEE
4D clue: Goal of a noted reality show set on an island
Answer: SURVIVE
6D clue: Witherspoon who portrayed June Carter in «Walk the Line»
Answer: REESE
7D clue: Lodgings for larks
Answer: NESTS
8D clue: Souvenir from a baseball game
Answer: CAP
Technologies
Facing Billions in DMA Fines, Apple Lets EU iPhone Users Install Apps Outside the App Store
A last-minute rule change lets European iPhone owners download apps from rival stores and developer websites, while introducing new fees that Apple hopes will satisfy regulators in Brussels.

In a scramble to sidestep penalties that could soar into the billions, and with Brussels regulators watching closely, Apple has agreed to let Europeans download iPhone apps from outside its own App Store.
With just hours left before an EU compliance deadline, the company said residents of the 27-nation bloc will soon be able to grab apps from rival marketplaces or straight off a developer’s website. The change rolls out later this year with iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, and also lets users set a different browser engine and choose a third-party wallet at checkout.
For everyday EU iPhone owners, that means the download button could pop up in more places than just Apple’s storefront. After you select the new setting, iOS shows a one-time permission sheet confirming you’re leaving Apple’s marketplace. The app then passes a quick notarization scan meant to weed out malware. Apple notes that off-store downloads work only inside the EU, and disappear if you stay outside the bloc for more than 30 days.
Cost to developers
Developers do gain fresh distribution freedom, but there’s a price tag. A new two-tier Store Services fee asks for 5% of outside sales in exchange for basic services like app reviews and support in what’s called Tier 1, or 13% for the full bundle of perks, including automatic updates and App Store promotions in Tier 2.
Apple will take a 5% «Core Technology Commission» on any purchase made outside its own payment system. That new cut will phase out the current €0.50-per-download fee and become the sole charge across the EU when a unified pricing model arrives on Jan. 1, 2026.
Apple insists «more than 99%» of devs will pay the same or less under the revamped math.
Why now?
In April, the European Commission fined Apple €500 million ($585 million) for blocking developers from steering users to cheaper payment options, and warned that daily penalties of up to 5% of global revenue could follow if it failed to comply.
Throughout the back-and-forth, Apple has accused the commission of «moving the goalposts» on what counts as compliance, with a spokesperson saying the company has invested «hundreds of thousands of hours» to meet the EU’s evolving demands.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney blasted the 5% tier as a «malicious compliance scheme» that «makes a mockery of fair competition.»
If regulators decide Apple still hasn’t gone far enough, the iPhone maker could face steeper sanctions, or even be forced to separate its App Store business.
Technologies
Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for June 27, #1469
Here are hints — and the answer — for today’s Wordle No. 1,469 for June 27. Some players need a new starter word now.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Wordle puzzle isn’t too tough, but somehow, it has a starting letter I never seem to guess. Some posters on Reddit say it was one of their starter words, so now they’re in the market for a new way to begin the game. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.
Today’s Wordle hints
Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.
Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats
Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.
Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels
There are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.
Wordle hint No. 3: First letter
Today’s Wordle answer begins with P.
Wordle hint No. 4: Placement
The two vowels are next to each other.
Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning
Today’s Wordle answer can refer to something that is not decorated and is simple.
TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER
Today’s Wordle answer is PLAIN.
Yesterday’s Wordle answer
Yesterday’s Wordle answer, June 26, No. 1468 was OFFER.
Recent Wordle answers
June 22, No. 1464: THRUM
June 23, No. 1465: ODDLY
June 24, No. 1466: ELITE
June 25, No. 1467: COMFY
Will Wordle run out of words?
When Wordle began, creator Josh Wardle used a list of five-letter words he’d shared with his partner, picking only the words they recognized. While that’s more than 2,000 words, more than half of them have already been used.
Wordle editor Tracy Bennett admitted that the game will eventually have to come to grips with the fact that the word list is not eternal.
«One possibility is that we could recycle old words at some point, like when we get close to the end,» Bennett told a Wordle player on TikTok.
She also said the editors might throw all the words back in and reuse them, or allow plurals, or past tense, something that’s not done now.
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