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All VPNs are different. Some shout about offering the fastest speeds or tightest security, while others claim to have more servers in one region than their competitors, but a good international VPN ought to offer reliable servers everywhere, right?
Indeed, having tonnes of server options will always be beneficial, though if you’re serious about speeds and other factors, it’s also worth researching which is the best VPN country to connect to, as some countries are considered safer, faster, or better for specific things. Right here you’ll discover everything you need to know about server choices and VPN providers themselves.
As you can imagine, this is an issue widely debated among tech-wizzes and VPN geniuses. Of course, there’s no real general consensus on which is the best country for VPN use all-round, though many experts – ours included – believe the following VPN server locations are great choices for these specific purposes:
Independent tests ranks Switzerland as the country with an average broadband speed of around 230Mbps, which certainly isn’t going to be breaking any world records any time soon. That said, it’s quite widely regarded as the best country for VPN privacy, largely because:
Torrenting and P2P file sharing can potentially incur fines in the UK, but it’s generally considered one of the fastest VPN destinations for basic browsing and gaming. Here’s why:
When it comes to streaming services, the US generally offers greater choice and variety than other nations – so you should choose to connect stateside. America routinely ranks well in VPN speed tests, and also:
VPN providers themselves are much like VPN countries – some are better than others, and for different reasons, too. Whether you’re looking for the best VPN provider for security, speed or just the odd bit of streaming, there are a few companies you should 100% check out. These include:
No matter where you live, NordVPN lets you hook yourself up to 5,800 ultra-fast servers all around the world, and with just the click of a button. Their user-friendly VPN country changer tool allows you to achieve this by clicking an interactive world map – or you can just stick to a more traditional drop-down box.
With this provider, you can connect to 60 different countries in total. Those of you with a keen eye might notice that this is a little less than what other international VPNs allow, but speeds with Nord tend to be second to none. In our independent comparisons, we found you can pretty much always expect 200Mbps or more no matter which country you’re connecting from, or to.
ExpressVPN will let you connect to secure, low-latency servers in as many as 94 different countries. Now obviously that doesn’t cover the entire planet, but it sure does outdo what most of this provider’s competitors are able to offer – and connections tend to be a lot more smoother and more stable, too.
You can use Express VPN to change country manually in an instant by simply scrolling through this provider’s list of more than 160 different cities, of which 40 are in Europe and 28 are in the US. They also offer a handy “Smart Location” algorithm that’ll automatically connect you to the fastest and most logical locations based on where you are.
SurfShark is another very capable VPN provider with huge potential from an international standpoint. They offer servers that span across a market-leading range of 100 different countries, though you won’t be able to access quite so many individual IP addresses as you can with NordVPN.
Where SurfShark really wins out, however, is when it comes to security. If you want to change your country with a VPN regularly with the underlying knowledge that your connection will be 100% private and secure every time, SurfShark is the VPN for you.
We figured it might be a little easier for you to determine which of the above is the best fit for you if we compared a few stats alongside each other. So, here’s a handy table about our three favourite VPN providers:
NordVPN | ExpressVPN | SurfShark | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of servers | 5,800 | 2,000+ | 3,200 |
Number of countries | 60 | 94 | 100 |
Average real-world speeds | 202Mbps | 194Mbps | 182Mbps |
Best price plan | $3.49 monthly | $6.67 monthly | $2.49 monthly |
Simultaneous devices permitted | Up to 6 | Up to 5 | Unlimited |
Best for | Individual IP address choice | Stable and reliable connections | Country options and security |
Ultimately, Switzerland is a good server location to choose if privacy is your top priority, while the UK will net you faster speeds and the US is ideal if you want to stream the latest and greatest TV shows and movies with minimal buffering.
One important thing to note, provider-wise however, is that the best VPN for your country won’t always be the same as the fastest or most secure service in another – which is why we’d recommend reading through our various VPN guides. Generally, however, when it comes to VPN providers, NordVPN, ExpressVPN and SurfShark are three titans from an international perspective, offering tonnes of server options, superb security, and many other incredible features.
While some VPNs might offer you access to a greater number of countries, there’s a chance some of their competitors might trump them when it comes to individual city or server location options. You can compare the international potential of different VPNs using our expert-led reviews and comparison articles, which reveal the best VPNs for security, speed, choice of servers, and more.
If security is most important to you when comparing VPNs, we’d suggest reading up on the top security protocols used by today’s best providers, to gain a greater understanding of what VPNs do to encrypt your online traffic. There are several ultra-secure VPNs out there to choose them, and you can compare the features of each using our comparisons and reviews, too.
When using a VPN for streaming, you want to be able to access buffer-free content via a secure server that isn’t going to reveal your online identity. Discover the best VPNs for streaming, gaming, remote work and more using Strafe.com today.