Best VPN countries by server locations
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Learn moreChoosing the correct VPN server location is an integral part of an enjoyable browsing experience. A lot is riding on your server location, including your download and upload speeds, latency, available content libraries, and even data protection measures, since some countries are strictly against VPN use. So, by connecting to the right server, you can enjoy the full VPN experience.
To provide you a list of the best server locations, I analyzed different countries’ data privacy laws, content restrictions, and other privacy indicators. In addition, I made sure to test these server locations with different VPN providers included in this VPN list.
So continue reading to see the best server locations for different VPN use. Whether it’s torrenting, streaming, gaming, or other specific needs, I have you covered.
Which country is the best for a VPN connection?
- Switzerland – best country for privacy to connect VPN through
- Spain – best VPN country for torrenting
- The UK – the fastest VPN location
- Panama – best country for anonymous VPN connection
- The United States – the best VPN country for streaming
While all of the top-rated VPNs now have vast lists of servers in geographically various locations, I narrowed the list down with only the best options with the most variety of servers for optimal VPN use.
Top 5 VPNs with the best server locations
- NordVPN – the overall best VPN with 6400+ servers in 111 countries
- Surfshark – the most affordable VPN with 3200+ servers in 100 locations
- PureVPN – feature-rich VPN with 6500+ servers in 65 countries
- ExpressVPN – excellent security and thousands of servers in 105 countries
- CyberGhost – highly customizable VPN with 11500+ servers in 100 locations
Best countries to connect to VPN through – detailed list
A lot of research goes into figuring out which VPN locations are best for what. When picking the VPN country list, I took four main aspects into consideration – local privacy laws and belonging to the 14-eyes alliance, laws and regulations related to torrenting, streaming service availability, and internet infrastructure, which is mainly related to speed.
Below are the detailed overviews of each country – how good of a VPN location it is in general, and how suitable it is for a specific purpose.
1. Switzerland – the best privacy-focused VPN country
Best VPNs for this country: | NordVPN, Surfshark, PureVPN |
Member of surveillance groups: | No |
Torrenting is legal: | For personal use |
Avg. broadband internet speed: | 229.96 Mbps |
NordVPN and Surfshark are the two best VPNs with servers in Switzerland. It is the best VPN country to connect to – whether you’re looking for privacy, relaxed laws around torrenting, or excellent internet speed. This country does its own thing (as usual) and is not part of any alliances or unions that could put your online activities under the watchful eyes of some unwanted third parties.
Privacy: Switzerland is not part of the 14-eyes alliance, which is great news for privacy-seeking VPN users. Additionally, personal privacy protection is taken very seriously in this country. Even though Switzerland is not part of the EU and therefore doesn’t need to comply with GDPR, it does have its own Act on Data Protection (DPA). This act is pretty strict on what kind of information about a person can be collected by companies, how this data is processed, and who has access to it. The law has been recently revised, and a new Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP) is set to be implemented on September 1st, 2023.
Torrenting: downloading copyrighted material for personal use is legal in Switzerland. This means that no one will care if they see you downloading all 15 seasons of Supernatural on your device. However, downloading copyrighted material is not the same as sharing it – the latter is illegal and you should think twice before becoming a seeder.
Streaming: Netflix Switzerland has a few exclusive titles in its library, which some VPNs are able to unblock. Disney+ and Youtube are also available. Other than that, there are not a lot of other streaming services operating in Switzerland, maybe except for some local news broadcasters and such. Thus, if you’re looking for a VPN location purely for streaming, Switzerland is not the one.
Internet infrastructure: the internet infrastructure in your chosen VPN country may have an impact on the speed of your VPN connection. The good news is that the internet infrastructure in Switzerland is mostly made up of fiber optics networks, with an exception of some rural areas. The internet speed is very good, both broadband and mobile. Thus, unless Switzerland is very far away from your actual location, connecting to a VPN server in, say, Zurich, should have minimal impact on your baseline speed.
2. Spain – the best VPN country for torrenting
Best VPNs for this country: | NordVPN, Surfshark |
Member of surveillance groups: | 14-eyes alliance |
Torrenting is legal: | For personal use |
Avg. broadband internet speed: | 201.47 Mbps |
All VPNs on this list have servers in Spain, but the best ones are NordVPN and Surfshark. Spain is a very good VPN location, especially when it comes to torrenting and streaming. In terms of internet speed, there shouldn’t be huge slowdowns. As for privacy, I have some mixed feelings.
Privacy: even though Spain is part of the 14-eyes alliance, it is also a part of the EU and thus GDPR applies in all areas related to personal data handling. Therefore, you have the right to consent or withdraw the consent about your personal information collection and usage, but any data that you give access to may be shared with some other countries if the need arises. Thus, the country is neither a very good nor a very bad VPN location for privacy.
Torrenting: like in Switzerland, torrenting in Spain is legal, and downloading (but not sharing) copyrighted materials for personal use is also allowed. Thus, connecting to a server in Spain for torrenting is not a bad idea.
Streaming: the Spanish Netflix library has over 7k titles, some of which might be exclusive. There are also other popular streaming services available, including but not limited to Disney+, HBO, Rakuten TV, FuboTV, and more. So I say that Spain is a nice VPN location for streaming, especially if you have a preference for Spanish content.
Internet infrastructure: Spain has ambitious plans for ultra-fast broadband speed by 2025, in accordance with the plans of the EU. Besides that, the internet infrastructure is really well developed, and the average broadband speed in Spain is one of the fastest in the world. The coverage is also pretty wide, therefore you can be pretty sure that no matter where in Spain you are, you will have access to the internet.
3. The United Kingdom – good VPN location for fast connection speeds
Best VPNs for this country: | NordVPN, Surfshark, PureVPN |
Member of surveillance groups: | 5-eyes alliance |
Torrenting is legal: | No |
Avg. broadband internet speed: | 102.24 Mbps |
Most quality VPNs have servers in the UK, including NordVPN, Surfhark, and ExpressVPN. The UK is a good country to connect to for privacy and streaming, as well as fast speeds – especially if you are in Europe. And while torrenting in the UK is not recommended, the other aspects make it an overall good VPN location.
Privacy: The UK is a member of the 5-eyes alliance, which means that they will share intel with some other member countries. However, the regular citizen needn’t worry – even though the UK is no longer part of the EU and so GDPR doesn’t apply there, the country has its own Data Protection Act. This act regulates ways in which personal data can be collected, used, and kept, and an individual also has the right to have their data erased from databases.
Torrenting: it is not entirely illegal in the UK – as long as there are no copyrighted materials involved. Otherwise, using P2P sharing for pirating may result in fines at best, and jail time if you’re really unlucky. Therefore, torrenting in the UK without a VPN is not a good idea – torrenting in some other country while connected to a VPN server in the UK is also not recommended. Please choose some other VPN location.
Streaming: the United Kingdom is probably the second best location for streaming (after the US) – it has numerous streaming services available, namely BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and others. The UK Netflix library is also huge – it has over 7200 titles, some of which are exclusive. Besides, it is the easiest country out of all European countries to unblock streaming services in – all reputable VPNs have servers here, and most of them can get through geo-restrictions.
4. Panama - the best VPN location for anonymity,
Best VPNs for this country: | Surfshark, PureVPN |
Member of surveillance groups: | No |
Torrenting is legal: | No data |
Avg. broadband internet speed: | 137.38 Mbps |
Out of all VPNs on this list, Surfshark, PureVPN, and PrivateVPN have servers in Panama. While this country is not something spectacular in terms of a VPN location, the laws around personal data protection make it a popular choice for VPNs to be based in, and for users to connect to when seeking anonymity.
Privacy: VPNs like NordVPN are based in Panama for a reason. The country doesn’t belong to the 5, 9, or 14-eye alliance. Also, the laws regarding personal data and privacy protection in Panama are especially favorable toward individual persons. The collection of personal data is not required by law, and informed consent from a person to collect or use their data in any way must be given at all times. The law that governs the protection of private and sensitive personal information is not very old – it entered into force in March of 2021 and was drafted to comply, in part, with the GDPR, which also applies outside of the EU in some cases. All in all, Panama is a good VPN location for privacy.
Torrenting: there is not much known about laws in Panama related to downloading copyrighted material for personal use. You could assume all is well, and you could also assume that you could easily get jailed if caught. Therefore, I can’t really recommend or not recommend using VPN servers in Panama for torrenting. If you decide to try it, do so at your own risk.
Streaming: there are several popular streaming platforms available in Panama – Netflix, HBO Max, Disney +, Paramount, Amazon Prime Video, and some others. While the number of Netflix titles is not huge – just over 2200 – there might be some exclusives in there.
Internet infrastructure: the whole internet thing is pretty well developed in Panama, but it also may depend on where you live. In the more dense areas, the internet may be pretty fast, but if you go farther away into the wilderness, the prices of wireless internet may rise and the quality of service may drop. Nevertheless, Panama is a pretty fast VPN location.
5. The United States – the best country for streaming with a VPN
Best VPNs for this country: | NordVPN, IPVanish |
Member of surveillance groups: | 5-eyes alliance |
Torrenting is legal: | No |
Avg. broadband internet speed: | 203.81 Mbps |
NordVPN, IPVanish and CyberGhost have plenty of server locations in The United States. The best thing that this VPN country has to offer is the abundance of streaming services available – anything from the biggest Netflix library to the most niche sports streaming platform. Unfortunately, other areas such as privacy, torrenting, and internet infrastructure aren’t as good.
Privacy: the US is a member of the 14-eyes alliance. In general, it is known to not particularly care for its citizens’ privacy – the abundance of nation-state surveillance scandals over the years offers some proof of that. Additionally, personal privacy laws differ from state to state, and federal, state and local laws also mean and cover different things. Thus, it isn't easy to assess the privacy situation in regard to the whole country. However, California is one notable state that has stepped up its privacy game with the Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which includes some restrictions on personal information collection, use, and disclosure. Some good news is that the CCPA is getting a new, improved version in 2023, together with Virginia and Colorado introducing their own privacy laws the same year.
Torrenting: while torrenting is not illegal by itself, downloading and sharing copyrighted stuff through P2P connections can have some serious consequences. If caught, a user may get a strict warning from their Internet Service Provider, get fined, be charged with a crime, or even get jailed. Additionally, the US is known to practice taking down P2P sharing websites, so even an innocent Google search could be a risk. In short, I don’t recommend torrenting in the US without a quality VPN.
Streaming: the US is the best country for streaming anything. Be it TV series or sports, news, or other entertainment – the United States has access to it all. For example, the biggest Netflix library is considered to be in the US. Such streaming platforms as Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney+, ESPN+, and others have their roots in this country as well. A lot of popular movies and shows also become available in the US first, and having early access is always nice.
Internet infrastructure: there are four main ISPs in the United States, and each of them, like packs of wolves or other territorial creatures, has its own area in which it operates and serves customers. This creates a lack of incentive for competition between providers, and consequently, no need to improve their services based on consumer demand. Additionally, based on data from 2021, an incredibly high number of areas don’t meet the minimum broadband speeds (which aren’t that high). This means that if you’re not in a big city, your internet is going to be crap. And just as a sprinkle of salt – the issue of Net Neutrality has been around since the 90s in the US and it doesn’t look like it’s gonna be solved anytime soon. So if you’re thinking of connecting to a US VPN location for speed – maybe connect somewhere else.
How to choose the best VPN server location
Connecting to a VPN server in any location will do the trick and conceal your IP address and grant you a degree of online privacy and anonymity. However, if you want to take it a step further, dedicating a bit more time and deliberation to choosing a VPN country might be a good idea. Below are some guidelines on how to choose the best VPN server location:
- See how many servers a VPN has in one location – choose the country or city in which the number of servers is the highest. That way, you can avoid overcrowding and drastic connection speed slow-downs.
- Do some research on which streaming services in which countries have the titles you want to watch, or stream sporting and other events.
- Find a country where torrenting for personal purposes is legal.
- Make sure that your desired country has good internet infrastructure and broadband speeds – if you connect to a location with poor internet, the connection speed will drop drastically.
- If you want fast speed, choose a server in a country closest to your original location. That way, the VPN connection speed will remain almost the same as the original baseline speed.
Best VPN server locations
Any VPN location will most likely work for any purpose, but some may be better suited for specific needs – be it streaming, privacy, online gambling, or speed. I did some research and testing to figure out which countries with VPN servers are the best for which purpose.
What’s the best VPN location for privacy?
The best VPN countries to connect to for privacy are Panama and Switzerland. Both these countries are known either known for their advanced personal privacy protection laws which favor the individual and require consent in any situation related to handling personal data. Additionally, these countries don’t belong to the 14-eyes or any other alliances related to intel sharing between countries.
What’s the best VPN country for streaming?
If you’re looking for a VPN location for streaming, any city in the US or the UK is the best. They have the biggest Netflix libraries and access to such streaming services as Hulu, HBO Max, etc.
Servers in European countries will also unblock some regional or country-specific TV channels and streaming sites.
If you’re an anime series or movies fan, connecting to a server in Japan to access the Japanese Netflix library is one of the best decisions you can make.
What’s the best VPN server location for betting?
Canada is regarded as one of the best locations for betting overall because of its relatively relaxed laws around gambling. A lot of betting sites are available in Canada. Many reputable VPNs also have servers in Canada, sometimes even in several different cities.
The UK is another country that has a big gambling market – there are quite a few gambling websites available. Additionally, any VPN that has some self-respect will have servers in at least a few locations in the UK.
What are the fastest VPN locations?
Generally, the fastest VPN location is the one that is closest to your actual location. The bigger the distance, the bigger the speed drop, and vice versa. So, if you only want some additional online protection, connecting to a server nearby is the best for speed.
Otherwise, choosing a country with good internet infrastructures, such as Switzerland, Singapore, and Romania, is the best option.
Which VPNs have the most server locations?
Not all VPNs are made equal, and some have more servers in more locations than others. Here’s a short list of 5 VPNs that have the highest number of different countries:
- Surfshark – 100 countries
- ExpressVPN – 105 countries
- CyberGhost – 100 countries
- PureVPN – 65 countries
- PrivateVPN – 63 countries
- NordVPN – 111 countries
- IPVanish – 100 countries
Best VPNs by country
Here are some of the best VPNs for a particular country, region, or location – tried, tested, and reviewed:
Western Europe | VPN for Europe, as well as best VPNs for the UK, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Iceland. |
Eastern Europe | Best VPNs for Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Russia. |
The Americas | Best VPNs for USA, Mexico, Canada, New Jersey, Brazil |
Middle East | Best VPNs for UAE, India, Turkey, Iran. |
Asia and Oceania | Best VPNs for South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand. |
Final thoughts
All in all, not every VPN location is suitable for every purpose and knowing where to connect if you want privacy or good speeds can make your online life a whole lot easier.
For example, the best country for privacy is Switzerland, and the best country for torrenting is Spain. However, other countries may also fit the descriptions. Thus, when choosing a VPN country, it is also important to take into consideration such aspects as internet infrastructure, which streaming services are available, and any privacy or VPN usage-related laws and issues.
And of course, not every VPN has servers in the best locations. My top pick is NordVPN with more than 6400 servers in 111 locations all over the world, excellent speeds, and advanced security.
I hope that this article has been helpful and you are now armed with invaluable knowledge of the best VPN locations to connect through.
FAQ
Which country is the best for torrenting?
Downloading copyrighted material using P2P sharing is illegal in most countries of the world. In some you would get a strict warning from your ISP, in some, you would get prosecuted. However, there are some countries that turn a blind eye – as long as you download the materials for personal use and don’t share them through the same networks you got them from. These countries include Switzerland, Spain, and Poland.
In what countries should I use a VPN the most?
A VPN is the most useful in countries where there is a lot of surveillance, restrictions on the internet, and general control over what people can access or do. To name names, such countries may be the UAE, China, Iran, Russia, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, etc. A VPN could be useful in countries that are also a part of the 14-eyes alliance, such as the US.
Should I use a VPN server located in my own country?
Using a VPN server located in your own country is a good idea if you’re not looking to unblock foreign streaming libraries, restricted websites, etc., and want only an additional layer of online privacy. Connecting to a VPN server in your own country or in a nearby country can also ensure minimal drops in connection speed.
Which country has the fastest VPN server?
The fastest VPN server will always be in the country that is the closest to your actual location. However, VPN countries that have the best internet infrastructure and the best speeds are Spain, Singapore, Monaco, Switzerland, and South Korea, among others.
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