Best VPNs for browser in 2023

VPN browser plugins are comfortable alternatives to native device applications. By using them on popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and others, your traffic gets encrypted and protected from snoopers. Moreso, they include ad blockers and can help you bypass geo-blocks.

On the other hand, VPN extensions don’t encrypt your traffic on apps, games, or tools. They might also use weaker tunneling protocols and offer a small number of extra features you get compared to native VPN applications.

Having all this in mind, choosing the right VPN becomes tricky. That’s why we have tested and listed the top VPNs for browsers in terms of security, features, ease of use, and other influential aspects. Read on and learn more about browser VPNs.

Top 5 best browser VPNs

1. NordVPN – best browser VPN extension in 2023
2. Surfshark – top-class VPN for popular browsers
3. PureVPN – good VPN with intuitive browser extensions
4. ExpressVPN – VPN browser with advanced security features
5. Ivacy VPN – solid VPN option for browsing

What to look for in the best browser VPN?

If you’re a first-time user, it might be hard to decide what separates an average VPN from the best VPN for browsers. So we’ve made a short list of things you should look for when choosing ultimately the greatest browser VPN:

• Protection. Best VPNs should provide top-class security and privacy. So seek for military-grade encryption, strict no-logs policy as well as DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leak protection.
• Features. Beware that many VPN providers offer limited features with their browser extensions compared to native apps. Make sure that your chosen VPN is not one of them and offers a feature-rich experience even with an extension.
• User-friendly interface. Since you’ll be using a VPN browser extension on a daily basis, it’s essential that it would be convenient. So look for providers offering an intuitive and easy to use extension for your browser.
• Unblocking capabilities. If you’re interested in accessing websites that are unavailable in your region or watching US Netflix from abroad, then choose a VPN with strong unblocking capabilities. This way, you’ll be able to access global content from anywhere.
• Customer support. Nobody is immune to encountering small issues from time to time and having a live support agent by your side is the best solution. When trying to find the best browser VPN, check whether it has multiple customer support options.

The best VPN browser extensions in 2023

There’s a strong chance that your browser doesn’t have an in-built VPN as none of the popular ones do. So we’ve compiled a list of top-class products to help you find the best browser VPN to protect your online activities.

1. NordVPN – overall best VPN for all major browsers

Visit NordVPN

NordVPN is the best browser VPN with extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and other popular browsers. It offers top-class security features, unblocks most popular streaming sites, and provides blazing-fast speeds.

Security and privacy: NordVPN browser extension uses the Transport Layer Security (TLS 1.2) protocol for protection. Additionally, it operates under a strict and independently audited no-logs policy. If you want an even stronger security and privacy, its native app offers AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption.

Performance: for the best speeds, this VPN uses the revolutionary NordLynx tunneling protocol (a variation of the well-known WireGuard). We’ve connected to a server in Sweden and reached 283 Mbps download and 265 Mbps upload speeds.

Features: NordVPN extension for browsers blocks intrusive ads and potentially malicious websites with the Threat Protection Lite feature. Also, it disables the WebRTC protocol to provide IP leak protection and even allows you to selectively choose which URLs to include/exclude from the secure connection.

Streaming: we’ve tried connecting to multiple servers and all of them gave easy access to popular streaming sites, like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and others. On top of that, there were no buffering or other interruptions.

NordVPN pricing starts from $3.19/month for 6 simultaneous connections. Each subscription includes a 30-day money-back guarantee and you can get its native app on Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS devices.

Check out our full NordVPN review for more details.

2. Surfshark – top-notch browser VPN to stay safe online

Visit Surfshark VPN

Surfshark is another best VPN for browsers. It offers extensions for Chrome, Brave, and other popular browsers that are easy to set up and use. You can expect super-fast speeds and robust protection for your data.

Security and privacy: this provider doesn’t collect or store sensitive user information as there’s a reliable no-logs policy that’s also independently audited by a third-party firm. You can get even more protection with this VPN’s client app which offers AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption.

Performance: since Surfshark offers the fastest tunneling protocol, WireGuard, we’ve tested its speeds and the results are impressive. It provided 250 Mbps download and 263 Mbps upload speed when connected to a UK server.

Features: Surfshark browser extension includes a Cookie pop-blocker that removes intrusive consent forms and content-covering banners as well as a CleanWeb feature that blocks ads. In addition, there are safety warnings that appear if you visit a hacked website and the WebRTC leak protection.

Streaming: with such an impressive server fleet, this VPN easily unblocked major streaming platforms, like Netflix, Disney+, YouTube and others. Also, great speeds ensured a seamless streaming experience.

What’s worth mentioning is that you can get Surfshark from as low as $2.30/month for unlimited simultaneous connections. Apart from extensions, there are native apps for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS devices.

Explore our Surfshark VPN review or do a Surfshark vs NordVPN comparison to make a well-informed decision.

3. PureVPN – good browser VPN with user-friendly extensions

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PureVPN is a good browser VPN with easy-to-use extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Brave, and Edge. You get great features to increase your privacy as well as access to geo-restricted content.

Security and privacy: your information is not only safe from the outsiders but also the provider itself. It neither monitors your Internet traffic nor gathers private information. In addition, your data is encrypted using military-grade algorithms on its client apps.

Performance: to find out whether PureVPN offers great speeds, we’ve tried connecting to an Australian server using WireGuard. It delivered solid results – 249 Mbps download and 268 Mbps upload speed.

Features: PureVPN extensions offer only the basics, like changing IP address and preventing WebRTC leaks. However, its native apps allow you to enjoy all of its features, including a kill switch and split tunneling.

Streaming: Since this provider offers an impressive number of servers in different locations, we’ve unblocked Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and other streaming sites without major effort.

You can get PureVPN from $2.08/month for 10 devices with an extended 31-day money-back guarantee. If you’re keen to try the client app instead of its browser extensions, this VPN is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

Learn more about this provider in our PureVPN review.

4. ExpressVPN – browser VPN with location spoofing

Visit ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN isn’t your another regular browser VPN, as it requires you to have a native app installed as well to ensure all-around protection. The extension can be used on Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi, and even Safari browsers, with some advanced security features included.

Security and privacy: AES-256 encryption is the one that leads the market and, consequently, the one that ExpressVPN uses to encrypt your browsing activity. There’s also WebRTC blocking that doesn’t allow websites to detect your real IP or location. And an audited no-logs policy ensures complete privacy from the provider’s side.

Performance: ExpressVPN is definitely an excellent aspirant to be one of the fastest VPNs on the market. It offers an in-house-built Lightway tunneling protocol, which is an improved version of the WireGuard tunnel. And when testing it across 10 different server locations, the average speed remained at 231 Mbps.

Features: since ExpressVPN’s browser extension isn’t a stand-alone, with the native app, you receive a fully-fledged suite of features. While the app has a kill switch, split tunneling, and more, the browser extension includes the HTTPS Everywhere feature that connects you to a safer HTTPS version of the website, and there’s also location spoofing to keep your real location unknown.

Streaming: combining ExpessVPN’s speeds, a server fleet, and strong content unblocking capabilities lead you to enjoy Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more in full HD without noticeable lagging anywhere you go.

So, ExpressVPN does outrival simple browser built-in VPNs. However, it’s also quite expensive, with the starting price of $6.67/month for 8 devices. Nevertheless, a 30-day money-back guarantee allows you to test the service on all major operating systems and browsers.

For a side-by-side comparison, read our NordVPN vs ExpressVPN analysis or explore our Express VPN review.

5. Ivacy VPN – secure browser VPN for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge

Visit Ivacy VPN

Ivacy VPN is a decent option for protecting your browsing activities. You can easily add an extension on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge to stay safe online and unblock popular streaming platforms.

Security and privacy: even though this provider hasn’t been independently audited, it still states that no user-related logs are collected or stored. Additionally, it uses AES-256 algorithm to encrypt data if you’re using a native app on your device.

Performance: our tests show solid results when it comes to speed with the WireGuard tunneling protocol. We’ve picked the UK server and reached a ​​277 Mbps download and 183 Mbps upload speed.

Features: Ivacy VPN browser extensions offer two main features – the Bypass Proxy and WebRTC leak protection. The former one allows you to include/exclude websites from the secure connection while the latter prevents IP leaks.

Streaming: when it comes to streaming capabilities, this VPN helped us unblock Netflix, YouTube, and BBC iPlayer. The experience was solid as we didn’t encounter any buffering issues.

Ivacy VPN pricing starts from $1.00/month for 10 devices and it’s a truly affordable price. In addition, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee and its native app is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices.

Find more details about this provider in our Ivacy VPN review.

6. Windscribe – Browser VPN with a free version

Visit Windscribe VPN

Windscribe is a feature-packed browser extension for Chromium browsers, like Chrome itself, Firefox, Edge, Opera, and more. What’s great is that you can also use it for free and still receive a decent amount of features.

Security and privacy: this VPN browser extension is a safe option to use. It applies industry-leading encryption to mask your online activity, and the WebRTC Slayer feature protects your IP and real location from getting exposed. Plus, the company promises not to collect your logs even if you’re a free user.

Performance: so Windscribe isn’t the fastest VPN you can get by looking at this list. When testing its premium version with the WireGuard tunnel enabled, the average download speed with a German server was 190 Mbps. And keep in mind that a free version slows down the connection even more.

Features: with this VPN, you can reach a high anonymity level while browsing on your browser. Even with a free proxy browser extension, you can use an ad blocker to remove adware and avoid trackers. As for premium users only, there’s Timezone spoofing to match your IP with the browser’s timezone, Cookie Monitoring to delete cookies after you’re done with the site, and even more features.

Streaming: Windscribe premium has specialized servers that help you access Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube. However, there might be some lagging. And what’s worse is that the free version might only work with Netflix.

A free VPN browser extension is great for testing the service, especially when you can have unlimited connections and use up to 10 GB of data (when signing up with an email). However, only a paid subscription can deliver the best out of a VPN. The starting price is $5.75/month, and you can use a 30-day money-back guarantee to make a final decision.

Learn more about the features in our Windscribe review.

How we tested these browser VPN extensions

Not all VPNs offer equally good services. In order to provide you with the list of best VPNs for browsers, we’ve tested them according to the following criteria:

• Security and privacy. We consider VPNs for browsers as being the best if they offer AES-256 encryption, an independently audited no-logs policy, and advanced security features.
• Compatibility. We’ve also tested VPNs in terms of their compatibility with major browsers. Only the ones that offer extensions for all popular browsers, like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Brave, were included to the list.
• Server selection. A wide variety of servers in different countries gives you more options to enjoy speedy and secure services. So we’ve looked into the overall server fleets and tried their performance in the EU, US, and other regions.
• Available features. Even though the majority of VPN extensions can provide strong encryption to secure data, we’ve picked providers that go beyond that. For example, selected VPNs include ad blockers and leak protection.
• Speed. It’s vital that securing your traffic with a browser VPN would only improve your browsing experience rather than deteriorate it. The selected providers showed impressive results during the examination with our VPN speed test tool.
• Price. Nobody should pay premium prices for average services. So we’ve compared VPN prices with their specific service offerings and picked providers with the best price and quality ratio.

Why do I need a VPN extension for my browser?

A browser VPN can deliver multiple useful benefits. Here’s a list of key reasons why you should use one:

• Complete privacy. You should consider getting a VPN extension on your browser to remain completely anonymous on a daily basis. It can stop ISP from tracking your online activities as well as prevent leaving traces accessible for advertisers across visited websites.
• Improved security. A VPN browser extension reroutes your traffic through a secure VPN tunnel. Meaning that it adds an extra layer of security and helps avoid potential data leaks.
• No ads. Some top-notch VPN providers also include ad blocking features that can help you get rid of annoying, intrusive, and likely malicious advertisements. That includes banners, pop-ups, and promotional videos which interrupt your browsing experience.
• Unlimited entertainment. You’ve probably crossed a website or streaming service that was not accessible in your region. Having a VPN extension on your browser allows you to bypass geo-restrictions and watch global content on BBC iPlayer, change Netflix region, and even unblock gambling sites.

VPN extensions vs native VPN apps

The main difference between a VPN extension and a VPN client app is the encryption. The former one only changes your IP address, like a proxy server, while the latter also encrypts your traffic. In short, a native VPN app provides better security compared to a VPN extension.

Additionally, installing a VPN client on your device allows you to access all of its features. For example, many premium VPNs offer a kill switch, split tunneling, and/or a data breach checker only on their native apps and not browser plugins.

Therefore, if you consider which one you should get – we always recommend a VPN client app. They not only offer better protection and functionality, but also are very intuitive and easy to use. You can find more information in our Proxy vs VPN comparison.

VPN not working with your browser? Here's a fix:

Even though it’s rare that a VPN wouldn’t work with your browser if you’re using a trustworthy provider, we’ve stumbled upon a few such cases.

So firstly, it’s essential to identify a reason why a VPN might not work with your browser:

• You’re using an outdated browser version.
• Cookies and cache are revealing your real IP address.
• Your device OS is outdated.
• You’re connected to a blacklisted VPN server.

Then, try the potential solutions to fix this issue:

• Update your browser to the latest version.
• Clear your browsing history, cookies, and cache.
• Install the newest OS upgrade.
• Try using another VPN server.

Is a VPN still not working with your browser? There’s a strong chance that your chosen provider is not compatible with a browser you’re using. In this case, you should switch to a more reliable VPN that has extensions for all major browsers and supports the most popular OS.

Try NordVPN for your browser

NordVPN has extensions for Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Firefox. They are easy to use and allow you to select from a wide variety of servers in different locations. Alternatively, you can use its dedicated apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices.

cybernews® score

4.9 /5

• User-friendly interface
• Robust security
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Try NordVPN

Can I use a free VPN extension for my browser?

Yes, you can use a free VPN extension for your browser. But we strongly advise against that for a couple of reasons related to security and privacy.

The VPN market operates as any other and providers are focused on remaining profitable. Unfortunately, if services are offered for free then they need to find alternative revenue streams. That’s where they might try to gain financial benefits from collecting and sharing sensitive user information.

In the worst case scenario, free VPN extensions might pose a serious risk to your security if they are used as a disguise to distribute malware. Since many users are seeking free services, cybercriminals often spread viruses posing as legitimate and free products to take advantage of unsuspecting users.

If you want to avoid such risks, we recommend using a 30-day money-back guarantee or free trials offered by reputable VPN providers:

• NordVPN is a safe and reliable VPN that has a free 7-day version on Android and offers a full refund option within the first month of usage.
• Surfshark also offers a free trial on macOS, iOS, and Android that you can use for up to a week. Alternatively, each subscription includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Final thoughts

Unfortunately, some of the widely used browsers are known to collect user-related data. Meaning that your browsing activities are not private and outsiders have access to your online preferences and query history.

Therefore, installing the best browser VPN can help you remain completely anonymous. For example, NordVPN not only encrypts your data but also doesn’t collect any logs and even blocks potentially malicious ads. You can get VPN extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Brave.

Apart from that, using the best VPN for your browser can help you unlock limitless access to entertainment. By connecting to a secure VPN server, you can change your virtual location and watch any movies or TV shows on Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming sites.

Have you already tried using a VPN extension on your browser? We’d appreciate you sharing your experience with us in the comments below!

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