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There is no single fastest VPN in 2026. The published tests name or rank five providers more often than others: Proton VPN, PrivadoVPN, NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark. Each figure, however, comes from a different test, route, protocol and line speed, so the numbers cannot be placed on one scale. Tom’s Guide names Proton VPN its fastest VPN overall in its April 17, 2026 comparison, while PrivadoVPN recorded the highest single WireGuard result in that same test.
This page does not add lab measurements of its own. It gathers the published results, attributes each one to the outlet or vendor that produced it, and explains what each figure measured, so you can judge which number applies to your connection.
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How the five providers were chosen
The five names are the providers that appear most often across the 2026 results covered here. Proton VPN appears in two outlet tests. NordVPN appears in the Artifact Security test reported by TechRadar and on NordVPN’s own vendor page. ExpressVPN and Surfshark appear in Comparitech’s live table and in the same Artifact Security test. PrivadoVPN appears in Tom’s Guide’s comparison. This is a selection by coverage, not a verified ranking, and the order of the providers in the table below is not a ranking either.
Two other providers appear in the same reports without a result that can be set beside the five. Mullvad was one of the five providers in the Artifact Security test, but its placement is not stated in TechRadar’s report. Total VPN and Hotspot Shield appear among the higher-ranked providers in Comparitech’s live table, with no shared test that would allow a direct comparison.
#1 Best Overall
- 【Five Gigabit Ports】1 Gigabit WAN Port plus 2 Gigabit WAN/LAN Ports plus 2 Gigabit LAN Port. Up to 3 WAN ports optimize bandwidth usage through one device.
- 【One USB WAN Port】Mobile broadband via 4G/3G modem is supported for WAN backup by connecting to the USB port. For complete list of compatible 4G/3G modems, please visit TP-Link website.
- 【Abundant Security Features】Advanced firewall policies, DoS defense, IP/MAC/URL filtering, speed test and more security functions protect your network and data.
- 【Highly Secure VPN】Supports up to 20× LAN-to-LAN IPsec, 16× OpenVPN, 16× L2TP, and 16× PPTP VPN connections.
- Security - SPI Firewall, VPN Pass through, FTP/H.323/PPTP/SIP/IPsec ALG, DoS Defence, Ping of Death and Local Management. Standards and Protocols IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.1q
The reported results, provider by provider
| Provider | Published source and date | Reported result |
|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN | Tom’s Guide, April 17, 2026 | Named overall winner; 1,548 Mbps peak on its 10 Gbps line |
| Proton VPN | TechRadar, 2026 fastest-VPN comparison | WireGuard: 1,475 Mbps locally; 1,548 Mbps UK to US |
| PrivadoVPN | Tom’s Guide, April 17, 2026 | Over 2,000 Mbps in its WireGuard testing; not the overall winner |
| NordVPN | TechRadar on the Artifact Security test, September 2026 | Overall score of 91 and first place among the five providers tested (scale not stated) |
| NordVPN | NordVPN vendor speed page (undated) | Vendor-run tests; no single speed figure stated on the page |
| ExpressVPN | Comparitech live table, accessed October 7, 2026 | Among the higher-ranked providers; weekly mean not stated here |
| ExpressVPN | TechRadar on the Artifact Security test, September 2026 | Included; placement not stated |
| Surfshark | Comparitech live table, accessed October 7, 2026 | Among the higher-ranked providers; weekly mean not stated here |
| Surfshark | TechRadar on the Artifact Security test, September 2026 | Included; placement not stated |
Proton VPN
Proton VPN is the only one of the five with two outlet results, and the two outlets measured it differently. Tom’s Guide’s 1,548 Mbps figure is a peak, and Tom’s Guide ranks Proton first overall because its verdict weighs more than raw throughput. The outlet says its overall ranking includes OpenVPN results and streaming, and that platform availability affects the ranking. TechRadar’s figures are WireGuard-only and tied to one local test and one UK-to-US route. Read the two as consistent with each other, not as one benchmark confirmed twice.
PrivadoVPN
The over-2,000 Mbps result is a single high WireGuard figure from Tom’s Guide’s testing. Tom’s Guide did not place PrivadoVPN first overall, because its verdict weighs other criteria as well. A single high result is a ceiling observed under one set of conditions, not the speed a subscriber should expect on every server or every evening.
Rank #2
- 【AC1200 Dual-band Wireless Router】Simultaneous dual-band with wireless speed up to 300 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 867 Mbps (5GHz). 2.4GHz band can handles some simple tasks like emails or web browsing while bandwidth intensive tasks such as gaming or 4K video streaming can be handled by the 5GHz band.*Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【Easy Setup】Please refer to the User Manual and the Unboxing & Setup video guide on Amazon for detailed setup instructions and methods for connecting to the Internet.
- 【Pocket-friendly】Lightweight design(145g) which designed for your next trip or adventure. Alongside its portable, compact design makes it easy to take with you on the go.
- 【Full Gigabit Ports】Gigabit Wireless Internet Router with 2 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN ports, ideal for lots of internet plan and allow you to connect your wired devices directly.
- 【Keep your Internet Safe】IPv6 supported. OpenVPN & WireGuard pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers. Cloudflare encryption supported to protect the privacy.
NordVPN
NordVPN has two kinds of evidence, and they should not be merged. The first is the Artifact Security test, reported by TechRadar, which compared five providers across Germany, Singapore, US West, US East and the UK, and placed NordVPN first. The second is NordVPN’s own page, which describes NordVPN’s testing and claims leadership on the strength of outside publications and West Coast Labs. The page itself warns that its results may differ from a typical user’s experience because its test infrastructure is unusually fast. Treat those claims as the vendor’s position, not as independent confirmation.
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Both providers appear in Comparitech’s live table, which reports weekly mean download speeds by provider and test location. Because the values change with location and time, the table shows where each provider was performing at the time it was accessed, not a fixed ranking. Comparitech’s UK London-rig figures are labelled indicative, not a promise of an individual speed. A provider missing from the table has no speed benchmark there, which is different from a poor result: Comparitech lists 59 providers as not yet speed-benchmarked.
Rank #3
- New-Gen WiFi Standard – WiFi 6(802.11ax) standard supporting MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology for better efficiency and throughput.Antenna : External antenna x 4. Processor : Dual-core (4 VPE). Power Supply : AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz), DC Output : 12 V with max. 1.5A current.
- Ultra-fast WiFi Speed – RT-AX1800S supports 1024-QAM for dramatically faster wireless connections
- Increase Capacity and Efficiency – Supporting not only MU-MIMO but also OFDMA technique to efficiently allocate channels, communicate with multiple devices simultaneously
- 5 Gigabit ports – One Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, 10X faster than 100–Base T Ethernet.
- Commercial-grade Security Anywhere – Protect your home network with AiProtection Classic, powered by Trend Micro. And when away from home, ASUS Instant Guard gives you a one-click secure VPN.
What the numbers actually measure
Most of the apparent disagreement between these results comes from six variables. Check each speed figure against them before comparing it with another.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Next-Gen Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Speeds: 2402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz bands ensure smoother streaming and faster downloads; support VPN server and VPN client¹
- A More Responsive Experience: Enjoy smooth gaming, video streaming, and live feeds simultaneously. OFDMA makes your Wi-Fi stronger by allowing multiple clients to share one band at the same time, cutting latency and jitter.²
- Expanded Wi-Fi Coverage: 4 high-gain external antennas and Beamforming technology combine to extend strong, reliable, Wi-Fi throughout your home.
- Improved Battery Life: Target Wake Time helps your devices to communicate efficiently while consuming less power.
- Improved Cooling Design: No heat ups, no throttles. A larger heat sink and redefined case design cools the WiFi 6 system and enables your network to stay at top speeds in more versatile environments.
Rank #4
- 【DUAL BAND WIFI 7 TRAVEL ROUTER】Products with US, UK, EU, AU Plug; Dual band network with wireless speed 688Mbps (2.4G)+2882Mbps (5G); Dual 2.5G Ethernet Ports (1x WAN and 1x LAN Port); USB 3.0 port.
- 【NETWORK CONTROL WITH TOUCHSCREEN SIMPLICITY】Slate 7’s touchscreen interface lets you scan QR codes for quick Wi-Fi, monitor speed in real time, toggle VPN on/off, and switch providers directly on the display. Color-coded indicators provide instant network status updates for Ethernet, Tethering, Repeater, and Cellular modes, offering a seamless, user-friendly experience.
- 【OpenWrt 23.05 FIRMWARE】The Slate 7 (GL-BE3600) is a high-performance Wi-Fi 7 travel router, built with OpenWrt 23.05 (Kernel 5.4.213) for maximum customization and advanced networking capabilities. With 512MB storage, total customization with open-source freedom and flexible installation of OpenWrt plugins.
- 【VPN CLIENT & SERVER】OpenVPN and WireGuard are pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers (active subscription required). Simply log in to your existing VPN account with our portable wifi device, and Slate 7 automatically encrypts all network traffic within the connected network. Max. VPN speed of 100 Mbps (OpenVPN); 540 Mbps (WireGuard). *Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【PERFECT PORTABLE WIFI ROUTER FOR TRAVEL】The Slate 7 is an ideal portable internet device perfect for international travel. With its mini size and travel-friendly features, the pocket Wi-Fi router is the perfect companion for travelers in need of a secure internet connectivity on the go in which includes hotels or cruise ships.
- Peak or average. Tom’s Guide’s 1,548 Mbps is described as a peak. Comparitech reports weekly means, and the Artifact Security report includes Windows average and peak median figures. A peak and a median answer different questions.
- Route. Local tests, a UK-to-US route, and the Artifact Security test’s five regions measure different distances. Distance usually lowers throughput and raises latency, so a long-route figure should not be compared with a local one.
- Protocol. Tom’s Guide repeated its tests with WireGuard, OpenVPN and proprietary protocols. TechRadar recommends WireGuard for speed-focused use. A provider’s fastest protocol is not always available on every platform, and that affects which result a typical user will see.
- Baseline line speed. Tom’s Guide ran on an uncontested 10 Gbps line. VPN.com’s aggregated tests used connections from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps, with WireGuard where available. A VPN cannot carry traffic faster than the line beneath it, so a result on a 10 Gbps line says little about a home connection rated at a few hundred megabits.
- Latency and jitter. Throughput is not the measure for games or video calls. Tom’s Guide measures latency and jitter. NordVPN’s page describes latency and gaming measurements alongside download and upload.
- Repetition and timing. Tom’s Guide ran its tests in the morning and in the evening. NordVPN’s page describes roughly 300 tests per day across 11 locations, a vendor-described figure. A single run tells you little about consistency.
How to measure your own VPN speed
- Run a speed test with the VPN switched off, preferably on a wired connection, three times at the hour you usually use the VPN. Note the median download, upload and ping. This is your baseline.
- In the VPN app’s protocol setting, choose WireGuard if it is offered. Connect to a server in your own country and run three tests. Note the same three figures.
- Connect to a server on the route you care about, such as a distant country if your downloads or games come from there, and repeat the three tests.
- Switch to OpenVPN or the provider’s proprietary protocol only if WireGuard is unavailable or your network blocks it, then repeat step 2 to see the difference.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 in the evening, when home networks are busiest.
- Compare each median with your baseline. The gap is the overhead you pay on that route and protocol. No published test guarantees a particular percentage, so your own results are the only figure that applies to your connection.
Which fast VPN setting fits which job
| Use | What to prioritise | What the published guidance says |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming and video calls | Ping and jitter on a nearby server | Throughput matters less here. Tom’s Guide measures latency and jitter, and NordVPN’s page includes gaming measurements. |
| Streaming | A server in the right country and platform availability | Tom’s Guide says platform availability affects its overall ranking. NordVPN’s page includes streaming measurements. |
| Large downloads | Sustained download throughput on a nearby server, using WireGuard | TechRadar recommends WireGuard for speed-focused use. |
| Restrictive networks, such as strict firewalls | Stability and connection reliability over peak speed | TechRadar notes that OpenVPN may be useful for security and stability in stricter-firewall settings. |
How much weight each source deserves
- Tom’s Guide is an editorial test with repeated runs, several protocols and domestic Wi-Fi testing. Its overall winner is an editorial judgement that blends several criteria, so it is not simply the fastest number in its article.
- TechRadar reports Proton VPN’s WireGuard figures and the Artifact Security test. The Artifact test used fixed routes between five regions, so it shows relative performance on those routes, not on yours.
- Comparitech publishes a live table that depends on location and date. Its values are useful for a snapshot, but they should be read with the date, location and protocol attached.
- VPN.com aggregates independent testing from November 2025 through April 2026, drawn from several outlets. It discloses that it earns affiliate commissions and says providers cannot pay for higher rankings. Its trust score is not a speed test.
- NordVPN is the provider describing its own tests. Its leadership claims and methodology are vendor statements.
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