I tested 5 VPNs from 3 countries. Only 2 held up.

I was in a coworking space in Lisbon, connected to a router that looked like it had been installed during the Obama administration. The network was called something like “GuestWIFI_5G_2.4” and it dropped every eight minutes. I had a client call on Zoom in twenty minutes, and my usual Best vpn digital nomads (the one I will not name here out of pity) refused to connect at all.

That was the third time that month a VPN failed me at the worst possible moment. The first time was at an airport in Bangkok where the captive portal fought the VPN client until I gave up. The second was at a hotel in Krakow where the VPN connected but cut my speed so badly that I couldn’t load Gmail. I have worked remotely in eight countries this year. A VPN that works at home and fails abroad is worse than no VPN at all.

That week, I bought subscriptions to five different services and ran them through the gauntlet. Three failed in ways I will describe below. Two kept working everywhere I went. This is not a technical deep dive for network engineers. It is a field report for people who need to stay connected in places where the WiFi is sus and the coffee is cheap.

Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I get a small commission at no cost to you. I only link things I have actually used in real work situations.

What remote workers actually need from a VPN

If you work from cafes, hotels, airports, or Best coworking spaces digital nomads, a VPN does two jobs. First, it protects passwords, client files, and banking sessions on networks you do not control. Second, it lets you access services that block foreign IPs, including some banking apps, project management tools, and streaming services that help you unwind after a deadline.

Speed matters more than it does for a casual user. A remote worker is on video calls, uploading large files, and syncing cloud storage. A VPN that cuts your speed by 70% is unusable. You also need a kill switch that actually works. This feature blocks all internet traffic if the VPN drops, preventing your real IP from leaking. Some services claim to have one and then quietly fail when the connection hiccups.

Device coverage is the third requirement. You want one subscription covering your laptop, your phone, and ideally a partner’s devices too. Some Best esim providers digital nomads limit you to five devices, which sounds generous until you count your work laptop, personal laptop, phone, tablet, and the old MacBook you keep as a backup.

Split tunneling is underrated. This lets you route only work traffic through the VPN while keeping Netflix or Spotify on your regular connection. It saves bandwidth and prevents the “everything is slow” feeling.

I evaluated all five services on these criteria during real work trips, not synthetic benchmarks. Here is what happened.

NordVPN: the reliable default

NordVPN has been the biggest name in consumer VPNs for years, and there is a reason for that. It is not the cheapest option, but it is the one I would hand to a freelancer who needs something to work without babysitting.

The connection speed is the best I measured. In Lisbon, I got 87 Mbps down on a 100 Mbps connection. In Bangkok, on a congested hotel network, I still pulled 42 Mbps. That is enough for HD video calls and cloud sync without waiting. The speed claims on their website are not marketing fiction. Their NordLynx protocol is a WireGuard fork that actually delivers.

The kill switch works. I tested it by intentionally disconnecting from WiFi during an upload. The upload paused, the internet showed as offline, and nothing leaked through. When I reconnected, the VPN reestablished itself within three seconds. Some cheaper VPNs take fifteen seconds or more, which is long enough for background apps to check for updates over your real connection.

They have over six thousand servers in sixty countries, which sounds excessive but matters when you are in a smaller city. I connected to a server in Warsaw from Krakow and got better speeds than the server in Berlin. More servers means less crowding.

The Meshnet feature lets you create a private encrypted network between your own devices. I have not used it heavily, but it is interesting for freelancers who want to access files on their home computer while traveling without exposing that computer to the internet.

What I did not like. The map-based interface is pretty but slow to get around. I would rather type a country name than click on a dot. The startup time on Windows is also slow. It takes about ten seconds from login to a working connection, which feels long when you are rushing to join a call.

The price. NordVPN costs about $60 per year on a standard plan, or $96 for two years. That is cheaper than a single month of coffee in London. The two-year deal is better value, though committing that far ahead requires some trust.

Surfshark: the budget pick that punches above its weight

Surfshark is half the price of NordVPN and does not feel half as good. That sentence should not make sense, but it is the truth.

They allow unlimited devices on one account. I connected a ThinkPad, a MacBook Air, an iPhone, and my partner’s Samsung without hitting a limit. For freelancers sharing costs with a spouse or managing multiple work devices, this alone justifies the subscription.

Speed is close to NordVPN in many locations. I got 79 Mbps in Lisbon, 38 Mbps in Bangkok. The difference is not noticeable in normal use. Both handle video calls without the robotic voice effect.

CleanWeb is their ad and tracker blocker. It is not as good as a dedicated browser extension like uBlock Origin, but it does block pop-ups and malicious domains at the network level. This is nice on hotel networks where the captive portal tries to serve you six ads before you can check your email.

The downside. The server network is smaller than NordVPN’s, about 3,200 servers in 100 countries. The geographic spread is wider, but individual locations are more crowded. I had to switch servers twice in Bangkok before finding one that was not overloaded at 2 PM local time.

The price. Surfshark is roughly $48 for the first year, often with a few extra months thrown in. At that price, it is hard to complain about minor rough edges. If you are a new freelancer watching every dollar, this is where I would start.

Proton VPN: the privacy-first choice

Proton VPN comes from the same Swiss team behind Proton Mail. If your work involves sensitive client data, legal documents, or anything that could benefit from stronger privacy guarantees, this is worth considering.

Their no-logs policy is legally enforceable under Swiss law, unlike policies based in countries with broad surveillance mandates. They also publish third-party audits of their applications, which is still rare in the VPN industry. Most VPNs claim to not log. Proton actually has court records demonstrating that they cannot produce data they do not have.

The Secure Core feature routes traffic through privacy-friendly countries before it exits to the internet. This makes traffic analysis harder. I cannot prove this matters for a freelance writer. I can prove that it adds about eight milliseconds of latency, which is acceptable.

Why it is not my top pick. The speeds are slower. In Lisbon, I got 61 Mbps. In Bangkok, 24 Mbps. That is still usable for most work, but it is a clear step down from NordVPN or Surfshark. The interface is also functional rather than fast. Switching servers takes a few extra clicks.

The price. Proton VPN Plus is around $96 per year. That matches NordVPN’s two-year rate, but Proton’s higher price is harder to justify on speed alone unless you specifically need the privacy story.

I want to mention one non-affiliate alternative. Mullvad is a Swedish VPN that accepts cash payments and does not require an email address. If you are doing investigative journalism, political consulting, or any work where anonymity matters more than convenience, Mullvad is worth looking into. For everyday remote work, the apps are too barebones and the speeds are too inconsistent.

Who should keep relying on hotel WiFi

If you only work from your home office on a wired connection, a VPN is not urgent. Your router is probably more secure than a hostel network, and the main benefit you lose is the ability to appear in a different country for region-locked services.

If your work does not involve client data, confidential files, or financial transactions, the risk is lower. A graphic designer working exclusively on public brand assets faces less exposure than a consultant handling pre-release product information.

People who refuse to pay for software on principle can use Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 app or the free tier of Proton VPN. Both are legitimate and safe. They are slower, more limited, and less convenient than paid options. The ten dollars a month is probably worth the time you save not fighting connection issues.

The setup I ended up with

I use NordVPN on my primary work laptop. The speed and kill switch reliability matter more to me than saving twenty dollars a year. When I am in a country with aggressive network filtering, I switch to their Obfuscated servers, which disguise VPN traffic as regular HTTPS traffic. It adds a speed penalty but keeps me connected.

Surfshark lives on my second laptop and my phone, mostly so my partner can use it without needing a separate subscription. The unlimited device policy makes this possible. I have not had a moment where I thought, “I wish I was on NordVPN instead” while using Surfshark. That is the best compliment I can give a budget alternative.

Proton VPN is installed but dormant. I activate it when handling sensitive contract negotiations or intellectual property discussions. The Secure Core is overkill for normal use, but for the three or four times a year when I handle genuinely sensitive work, I like having it ready.

Questions remote workers ask about VPNs

Will a VPN slow down my internet?

Yes, but the best ones barely slow it down. NordVPN and Surfshark both cut my speed by less than 15% on good networks. On bad networks, the VPN sometimes improves speed by bypassing local congestion. The worst offenders cut speeds by 70% or more. That is the difference between a usable video call and a slideshow.

Is it safe to use a free VPN for client work?

No. Free VPNs monetize somehow. If they are not charging you, they are selling your data, injecting ads, or restricting bandwidth until you upgrade. Proton VPN is the only exception, and their free tier is intentionally limited to encourage upgrades. For client work, pay for a service with a business model that aligns with your interests.

Do I need a VPN if I only use my phone’s hotspot?

A mobile hotspot is more secure than public WiFi, but not fully secure. Cellular traffic can still be intercepted by malicious base stations, and some carriers slow or block specific services. A VPN adds a layer of protection. If you work exclusively from your own phone hotspot in your apartment, it is less urgent. If you tether in crowded places, use one.

Can I use a VPN to access my home country’s Netflix?

Yes. Streaming is the least interesting thing a VPN does, but it is a real benefit when you are in a country with a terrible content library. NordVPN and Surfshark both work with most streaming services. Proton VPN does not prioritize streaming and sometimes misses.

The honest takeaway

You do not need the fanciest VPN. You need one that connects when you click it, stays connected through a network hiccup, and does not turn your Zoom call into a robot conversation. That narrows the field more than you might expect.

If you handle sensitive work and want the fastest, most reliable experience: NordVPN. It costs more upfront on a yearly plan, but it outperformed everything else in real conditions.

If you manage multiple devices or share costs with someone else: Surfshark. It is cheaper, nearly as fast, and the unlimited device policy removes a real headache.

If privacy is your top concern above speed: Proton VPN. The speed is fine. The legal infrastructure behind it is better than fine.

Related guides: Best portable monitor digital nomads.

Start with the budget pick. Upgrade if you hit limits. A VPN sitting unused because you have not set it up yet is the worst VPN of all.