Gjurgjica Panova
Updated on: December 14, 2023
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for Chrome in 2024:
- 🥇ExpressVPN: It has an excellent Google Chrome extension that comes with all of the core features of the client app. It maintains fast speeds, encrypts your entire internet traffic, and is very beginner-friendly. Each purchase is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
I use Google Chrome a lot, even though I know it’s not exactly private. It doesn’t block trackers, third-party cookies, or malware and phishing attempts like some other browsers.
That’s why I like using a VPN (virtual private network) with Chrome. VPNs don’t necessarily block trackers or malware, but they encrypt all your internet data, making it indecipherable to potential snoops. Also, VPNs change your IP address, so nobody can figure out your location.
I tested 20+ of the top VPNs to find a secure and fast VPN for Chrome. My top 5 VPN picks have Chrome extensions that block trackers, malware, or both, have IP leak protection, and offer great speeds.
My favorite is ExpressVPN. Its Chrome extension has all the features of the VPN app since it lets you remotely control it, and it’s also the fastest VPN on the market.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for Chrome:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for Chrome in 2024 (with a large server network + super fast speeds).
- 2. 🥈Private Internet Access — Great VPN with a feature-rich Chrome extension and additional privacy features.
- 3. 🥉NordVPN — Solid VPN for fast speeds on Chrome extension (includes top-notch security features).
- 4. Surfshark — Good VPN with an intuitive Chrome extension and a large server network.
- 5. CyberGhost VPN — Best free Google Chrome extension (without limits on data) + very fast speeds.
- Comparison of the Best VPNs for Chrome in 2024.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Chrome
Approved by our experts
ExpressVPN is my top pick for Chrome, as you get all the features the VPN app has to offer, plus some extra security settings. That’s because the extension lets you remotely control the VPN app. It’s also very easy to use — it has a quick-connect feature that allows you to connect to the fast server for your location.
The VPN’s extension gives you access to servers in 105 countries, so you’ll have plenty of options to find the fastest server in your location for browsing. I also like that it works with 100+ streaming sites, including Netflix, Max, and Hulu (as confirmed by colleagues in locations where these apps are available), as well as less popular sites, like FuboTV and SlingTV.
When I tested it, I had really fast speeds on both nearby and more distant servers — websites loaded instantly, and HD and 4K videos started playing right away without any interruptions.
The extension secures all of your internet traffic on your device, unlike most extensions that only secure your browser traffic. This is because the extension basically functions as a remote control for the VPN app on your device. I also really like that it connects you to the more secure HTTPS version of websites, which encrypts your data to protect it and makes it more difficult for any third party to intercept it.
Plus, the VPN has advanced security features, including RAM-only servers (wipe all data upon reboot), perfect forward secrecy, which changes your encryption key for every VPN session, and leak protection against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks. It also comes with an ad blocker that filters out most display ads.
I also think it’s great that it helps spoof your location to prevent websites from finding out your real location. It does this by matching your browser geolocation data with the IP address of the VPN server location you’re connected to. That’s helpful when you’re visiting websites that require your geo-location to show you their content.
ExpressVPN has plans starting at $6.67 / month. Every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is my top choice for Chrome. It offers a Chrome extension that’s linked to the VPN app, so you get every feature that ExpressVPN has to offer. This includes strong security features, excellent streaming support, and an intuitive interface. Each plan is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Good Chrome Extension With Extra Privacy Features
Private Internet Access (PIA)’s Chrome extension offers a lot of extra privacy features that other browser extensions on this list don’t have. For example, it stops websites that don’t ask for permission from accessing your camera, microphone, and location.
I also like that the Chrome extension disables the autofill function, which prevents your browser from adding your address or credit card information in hidden fields. This makes it less likely to get your sensitive information leaked. And just like ExpressVPN, PIA’s extension can automatically connect you to HTTPS versions of websites, which use encryption to protect your data.
You also get WebRTC leak protection and PIA’s ad and malicious site blocker, which is currently the best VPN ad blocker on the market. In my tests, it blocked all ads on ad-heavy sites and prevented me from visiting shady sites 100% of the time.
There are also a lot of anti-tracking features, including the option to turn off third-party cookies, which track your activities, hyperlink auditing, which lets trackers know when you click on a link, and website referring.
In my tests, PIA’s Chrome extension had good speeds and worked with top streaming sites. Websites and HD videos loaded instantly, while 4K videos took no more than 2 seconds to load (ExpressVPN was a bit faster).
I like how easy it is to use PIA’s Chrome extension. It comes with all the convenient features that you get in the provider’s other app, like a list of the last server locations you connected to. And I like that every setting in the extension comes with a helpful explanation.
Private Internet Access is one of the most affordable VPNs, starting at just $2.11 / month. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access’s Chrome extension is packed with excellent privacy features, extra security features, and anti-tracking tools. It’s one of the most feature-rich VPN extensions on the market and one of the only ones that stops sites from accessing your camera and microphone and also disables the autofill function. It offers very fast speeds and a user-friendly interface. Each plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. NordVPN — Fast Chrome Extension With Strong Security Features
NordVPN’s Chrome extension provides strong security features for a secure browsing experience. It offers WebRTC leak protection and includes the Threat Protection Lite feature that blocks ads and malicious websites. In my test, the feature blocked most ads on the sites I visited, including ad-heavy sites, and it detected all the shady sites I tried to visit.
NordVPN had great speeds during my tests. Websites and HD videos loaded instantly and I only experienced minor buffering with 4K videos. That said, NordVPN doesn’t match ExpressVPN’s speeds.
NordVPN’s Chrome extension provides strong security features for a secure browsing experience. It offers WebRTC leak protection and includes the Threat Protection Lite feature that blocks ads and malicious websites. In my test, the feature blocked most ads on the sites I visited, including ad-heavy sites, and it detected all the shady sites I tried to visit.
I really like that you get access to all servers in 61 countries in the extension. This makes it super easy to find the fastest server for your location. I was also happy that customer support confirmed it works with top streaming services, including Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
NordVPN’s Chrome extension is one of the most beginner-friendly I’ve tested. The main dashboard has an intuitive interface, a quick-connect feature, and a list of the recent location you’ve connected to for 1-click connections. I also like that you can set up the extension to auto-connect you to a VPN server every time you launch the browser.
NordVPN offers plans starting at $3.39 / month. Every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN’s Chrome extension has strong security features for safe browsing, including WebRTC leak protection and an ad and malicious site blocker. It also has fast speeds, gives you access to all servers in 61 countries, and comes with convenient features. All purchases have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
4. Surfshark — Great Chrome VPN With Large Server Network
Surfshark has servers in 100 countries, and all of the server locations are available in its Chrome extension, so you can easily find your home country and a nearby server to get the fastest speeds possible.
I had decent speeds with Surfshark’s Chrome extension, but it was slower than ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access. Websites loaded in 1–2 seconds, HD videos took a maximum of 3 seconds to load, and 4K videos played in 4–5 seconds.
I like that Surfshark’s Chrome extension comes with its ad blocker, which did a decent job of blocking most ads in my tests. That said, Private Internet Access’s MACE blocked a lot more ads. On the plus side, the VPN’s Chrome extension has a feature that alerts you if your data is leaked in a data breach.
Plus, the extension works with most popular streaming sites (providing you live in an area where they’re available), including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Max. The only popular site it can’t access is Disney+.
I think it’s great that the Chrome extension has the same design as the other apps — it was a lot easier to find everything I needed. But even if you’ve never used Surfshark before, the design is pretty intuitive and there’s even a quick-connect option.
Surfshark is pretty cheap, with plans starting at $1.99 / month. Every plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark has a large server network, which makes it super easy to find the nearest server for the best possible speeds. The Chrome extension has great security features, decent speeds, and is easy to use. Also, every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
5. CyberGhost VPN — Best Free Google Chrome VPN Extension
CyberGhost VPN is one of the few VPNs that offer a free Google Chrome extension, and you don’t even need an account to use it. Even better, you get unlimited data, which is something very few free VPNs offer.
CyberGhost’s Chrome extension is pretty secure. It may not be a full-fledged VPN since it’s a proxy, but it still encrypts all of your traffic and stops you from visiting malicious sites.
I was disappointed to find that it only gives access to servers in 4 countries, including the US, Germany, the Netherlands, and Romania. Although they’re spread out well, not everyone will be able to use nearby servers, so their speeds will likely suffer. For comparison, CyberGhost’s VPN apps offer servers in 100+ locations.
It also offers great speeds. In my tests, websites loaded instantly, HD videos took about 1–2 seconds to load, and 4K videos started playing after 3–4 seconds with a little buffering in the beginning. But it doesn’t support streaming like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access, which is a shame.
CyberGhost’s Chrome extension is also missing some other features, like a kill switch, which is an essential security feature that disables internet traffic when your VPN connection drops.
CyberGhost VPN’s premium plans are affordable and start at $2.03 / month. Its long-term plans are backed by a generous 45-day money-back guarantee, while its monthly plan comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN offers a free Chrome extension that encrypts your traffic, hides your location, and protects you against leaks. However, it only allows you to connect to servers in 4 countries, and you don’t get streaming support. If you want the full CyberGhost package, the VPN’s plans are pretty affordable, and the long-term subscriptions are backed by a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
Comparison of the Best VPNs for Chrome in 2024
How to Choose the Best VPN for Chrome in 2024
- Find a VPN with a Google Chrome extension. My favorite one is ExpressVPN’s Chrome extension, as it lets you remotely control the VPN app, meaning it encrypts your entire internet traffic.
- Check for strong security features. All the VPNs on this list provide essential security features, like military-grade 256-bit AES encryption, a no-logs policy, leak protection, and a kill switch, which disconnects you from the internet if your VPN connection drops.
- Go for a VPN with a good server network. This allows you to find a nearby server to connect to in every location and get the fastest possible speeds.
- Choose a VPN with fast speeds. Most VPNs slow down your speeds, as it takes time to encrypt your data. ExpressVPN had the fastest speeds in my tests.
- Look for ease of use. All the VPNs in this list have user-friendly Chrome extensions and apps that make it easy to find and connect to a server in just a couple of clicks.
- Consider a VPN that has good value. Every VPN I recommend comes with really affordable plans and a generous money-back guarantee.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- PrivateVPN. Private VPN has good security and privacy features, excellent streaming support, and fast speeds. But, it doesn’t come with a Chrome extension.
- TunnelBear. TunnelBear has a Chrome extension. However, the extension doesn’t allow you to choose specific server locations, and it doesn’t come with many extra features.
- IPVanish. IPVanish is secure and has decent speeds, but it lacks a Chrome extension, and it also doesn’t work with most popular streaming sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best VPN for Chrome?
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Chrome, as it comes with every feature that the VPN app offers since it lets you remotely control the VPN app. That also means it encrypts your entire internet traffic, whereas most extensions only secure your browser traffic. It’s also really fast, works with 100+ streaming sites, and has a 30-day money back guarantee.
Can I use a free VPN extension for Chrome?
Yes, you can. That said, I’m not a huge fan of free Chrome VPNs because most of them are pretty limited. For example, CyberGhost VPN has a free Chrome extension that’s secure, but it doesn’t have streaming support and it only lets you use servers in 4 countries.
Instead, I recommend getting an affordable premium VPN, like ExpressVPN, which encrypts your entire device’s traffic, protects you from trackers and malicious sites, works with 100+ streaming sites, has servers in 105 countries, and comes with a 30-day refund.
Can a VPN extension slow down my internet connection?
Yes, a VPN extension can slow down your internet connection because it encrypts your traffic and routes it through one of its servers, so it takes a bit more time for your traffic to get to its final destination. That said, all the VPN extensions I recommend maintained fast speeds across all servers in my tests.
Do VPN extensions for Chrome work with incognito mode?
Yes, VPN extensions for Chrome typically work in incognito mode. Your VPN will still encrypt your internet traffic and route it through one of its servers, regardless of whether you’re in incognito mode or not. All the VPN extensions on this list work in incognito mode.
