TechCity may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes which products we recommend. This guide is based on research, not our own hands-on testing: provider pricing pages, published independent audits, Google’s Android help pages and app store listings, with prices checked on October 8, 2026.
The best VPN for Android in 2026 is NordVPN for most people, and Proton VPN Free if you do not want to pay anything. If you own a Pixel 7 or newer, check your settings before you buy anything at all. Google already put a VPN on your phone.
This guide covers Android apps only. For our full comparison of VPN prices, renewal costs and audits across every device, see the best VPNs of 2026, compared on price and privacy.
The short answer: the best VPN apps for Android
- Best overall: NordVPN. Polished Android app, 10 devices, a fresh independent no-logs assessment.
- Best free VPN for Android: Proton VPN Free. No ads and no data cap.
- Best for privacy on a budget: Proton VPN Plus. Open-source app, five years of annual audits.
- Best if you own a Pixel: VPN by Google. Already built in, nothing to install.
- Best for a family of Android phones: Surfshark. Unlimited devices on one plan.
- Easiest app to use: ExpressVPN. One big button and very little to configure.
- Best for handing over almost nothing: Mullvad. No email needed, one flat price.
Before you download any VPN from the Play Store, check who owns it
Search “VPN” in the Google Play Store and you get hundreds of free apps with millions of downloads and four-star ratings. Download counts tell you nothing about who runs the app or where your traffic goes.
In June 2025 the Tech Transparency Project, a watchdog group, reported that Google Play was still offering VPN apps with links to Chinese companies. Four of them, including Turbo VPN, VPN Proxy Master and Snap VPN, were tied to Qihoo 360, a Chinese company the US Commerce Department put on its Entity List of restricted trade partners in 2020. The listings did not make that ownership obvious.
A VPN app sees every website and app your phone connects to. That is the whole job. So the company behind it matters more than the logo or the star rating. Here is a two-minute check you can run on any VPN listing:
- Tap the developer name under the app title. A real VPN company has one clear name, a website and a physical address. A string of unrelated apps from the same developer is a warning sign.
- Scroll to “Data safety.” This section shows what the app says it collects and shares. Google notes that developers fill this in themselves. Treat it as a claim, not proof.
- Look for a published, independent audit on the company’s own website. Every paid pick below has one. Most free VPN apps in the Play Store do not.
- Check the permissions. A VPN needs network access. It does not need your contacts, your camera or your location.
If an app fails the first or third check, skip it, no matter how many downloads it has.
Android VPN prices in 2026, including what you pay after the deal
Every paid VPN here sells the same plan for Android, Windows, Mac and iPhone, so one subscription covers your phone, your tablet and your laptop. Prices are in US dollars from each provider’s official pricing page on October 8, 2026. Sales tax may be added at checkout.
| VPN | Deal price | First bill | Price after the deal | Devices | Refund window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN Basic | $3.49/mo | $94.23 for 27 months | $139.08 a year | 10 | 30 days |
| Proton VPN Plus | $3.49/mo | $83.76 for 2 years | $83.88 a year | 10 | 30 days |
| Surfshark Starter | $2.49/mo | $67.23 for 27 months | Higher standard rate, shown at checkout | Unlimited | 30 days |
| ExpressVPN Basic | $2.99/mo | $83.72 for 28 months | $99.95 a year | 10 | 30 days |
| Mullvad | €5/mo (about $5.59) | Pay monthly or yearly | Same €5/mo, no increase | 5 | 14 days |
| Proton VPN Free | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 | Not needed |
| VPN by Google | Included | $0 on Pixel 7 and newer | $0 | That Pixel | Not needed |
One tip for Android users: buy on the provider’s website, not inside the app. Plans bought through Google Play billing may be priced differently, and refunds may then go through Google’s process instead of the provider’s own money-back guarantee.
Best VPN for Android overall: NordVPN
NordVPN is the one we would put on most Android phones. Its app opens to a map and a Quick Connect button, and the deeper settings are there when you want them, including split tunneling, a kill switch and a choice of protocols. Its default protocol, NordLynx, is built on WireGuard, a modern design known for being light on battery and fast to reconnect when your phone switches from Wi-Fi to mobile data.
Deloitte Lithuania ran NordVPN’s sixth independent no-logs assessment from November to December 2025, and the results were published in February 2026. One Basic plan covers 10 devices, which is enough for a phone, a tablet, an Android TV box and a few laptops.
The downside: the renewal. The Basic plan works out to about $41.88 a year on the deal, then renews at $139.08 a year. Set a calendar reminder for the month before it renews.
Skip if: you only want a VPN for café Wi-Fi a few times a month. A free option below will do that.
Best free VPN for Android: Proton VPN Free has no ads and no data cap
Most free VPN apps pay for themselves with ads, data limits or your browsing data. Proton VPN Free does none of those. It runs on the same app as the paid plan, made by the Swiss company behind Proton Mail, and it does not keep logs of what you do.
The limits are honest and clear: one device, servers in 10 countries picked for you rather than by you, medium speed, and no streaming or file-sharing. For protecting your phone on public Wi-Fi, that is all you need.
The downside: you cannot choose the country, and speeds can drop at busy times.
Skip if: you want to watch shows from another country’s streaming library or protect more than one device.
Best for privacy on a budget: Proton VPN Plus
Upgrade the free plan and you get Proton VPN Plus: 10 devices, every server country, streaming support and features like Secure Core, which routes your traffic through privacy-friendly countries before it leaves for the open internet. The Android app is open source, so anyone can read the code, and Proton passed its fifth annual no-logs audit in June 2026.
Of the plans sold on a long introductory deal, it has the smallest jump at renewal: $83.76 for the first two years, then $83.88 a year.
The downside: the monthly plan is $9.99, so the savings only show up if you commit to two years.
Skip if: you want the simplest possible app. Proton has more settings than most people will touch.
Already own a Pixel 7 or newer? You have VPN by Google
Google builds a VPN into the Pixel 7 and later models, plus the Pixel Tablet, at no extra cost. It is off until you turn it on. Go to Settings > Network & internet > VPN and look for VPN by Google. The exact menu names can differ slightly by Android version.
It is designed to protect your connection on public Wi-Fi and mobile data. It is not designed to make you appear in another country, and it has far fewer settings than a paid app. For a lot of Pixel owners, that is the right trade.
The downside: it only works on that Pixel. Your laptop and your partner’s Samsung are not covered.
Skip if: you need to pick a server location, or you want one subscription across every device in the house.
Best for a family of Android phones: Surfshark covers unlimited devices
If you are buying for a household with four phones, two tablets and an Android TV, device limits start to matter. Surfshark has none. One Starter plan at $67.23 for the first 27 months covers every device you own. Its Android app includes a split tunneling tool called Bypasser and an ad and tracker blocker called CleanWeb. Deloitte reviewed its no-logs policy in June 2025, a repeat of an earlier 2023 review.
The downside: Surfshark’s pricing page does not list the renewal price. You see it at checkout, so read that line before you pay.
Skip if: you only have one or two devices. You are paying for capacity you will not use.
Easiest Android VPN app: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the one to install for a parent or grandparent who wants protection without a lesson. Open it, press the big power button, done. Its servers run from memory instead of hard drives, so data is wiped each time a server restarts, and it has published independent audits every year since 2018 from firms including Cure53, KPMG and PwC Switzerland.
The Basic plan is $83.72 for the first 28 months and renews at $99.95 a year, which is $39.13 a year less than NordVPN Basic after the deal ends.
The downside: the Basic plan leaves out extras like the ad blocker and password manager, which sit on the higher tiers.
Skip if: you like to fine-tune settings. ExpressVPN keeps things simple on purpose.
Best for handing over almost nothing: Mullvad
Mullvad does not ask for your email or your name. You get an account number, and that is your login. It costs a flat €5 a month, about $5.59, with no introductory deal and no renewal jump. You can even pay in cash by mail. The Android app supports split tunneling, and it also runs on Android TV.
The downside: 5 devices, a 14-day refund window instead of 30, and no streaming focus.
Skip if: you want the lowest price per month. The others cost less on a long deal, at least until renewal.
Three Android settings that make any VPN work better
Installing the app is half the job. These three settings are where Android gives you more control than most people use.
1. Turn on Always-on VPN so it never quietly switches off
Android can keep your VPN running from the moment the phone starts. On Pixel and most phones running stock Android, go to Settings > Network & internet > VPN, tap the gear icon next to your VPN, then turn on Always-on VPN. On Samsung Galaxy phones, the VPN menu sits under Settings > Connections > More connection settings > VPN.
On the same screen you will usually see Block connections without VPN. This is Android’s own kill switch. If the VPN drops, your phone stops sending data until it reconnects. Turn it on if privacy matters more to you than staying connected every second.
2. Use split tunneling for banking apps that block VPNs
Some banking, payment and streaming apps refuse to work when they detect a VPN. Instead of switching the VPN off every time, use split tunneling. It lets you pick apps that skip the VPN while everything else stays protected. NordVPN, Proton, Surfshark, ExpressVPN and Mullvad all offer it on Android. Look for “Split tunneling” or, on Surfshark, “Bypasser” in the app settings.
3. Check battery use during your refund window
Every VPN uses some battery, and how much depends on your phone and your network. Run your new VPN for a normal day, then open Settings > Battery and see where it ranks. If it sits near the top, switch the app’s protocol to WireGuard or NordLynx, which tend to use less power. If it still drains too much, ask for your money back before the window closes.
What a VPN on your phone will not do
A VPN hides your traffic from the Wi-Fi network you are on and from your mobile carrier. It does not stop phishing texts, protect a weak password or remove malware you already installed. If you are setting up a VPN to feel safer, spend ten minutes on two-factor authentication and setting up passkeys too. Those stop more account takeovers than any VPN.
Wondering whether your phone also needs antivirus? We cover that in our guide to antivirus in 2026. And if the reason you want a VPN is your home network, start with changing your router’s default Wi-Fi settings.
How we picked
This is a research-based guide. We did not test these apps hands-on for this version. We checked each provider’s official pricing page on October 8, 2026, read their published independent audits and Android documentation, and used Google’s own Android help pages for the built-in settings. We ranked apps on four things that matter on a phone: who owns the app and whether its claims have been independently checked, Android-specific features like split tunneling and Always-on support, how many devices one plan covers, and the real price after the deal ends.
We left out free VPN apps whose ownership or data practices we could not confirm on an official source, and we did not use speed scores from other people’s tests. We will add our own results when we test these apps.
So which VPN should you put on your Android phone?
Got a Pixel 7 or newer and only need protection on public Wi-Fi? Turn on VPN by Google and stop there. Want free on any Android? Proton VPN Free. Want one paid plan that covers your phone, tablet and laptop well? NordVPN, with a reminder set before it renews.
Whichever you pick, turn on Always-on VPN the same day. A VPN that switches itself off without telling you protects nothing.
