The Best VPN Extensions for Chrome

In addition to WebRTC blocking, which is commonplace among VPN extensions to stop your real IP from leaking, it also offers HTTPS Everywhere.

This helpfully automatically redirects you to the HTTPS version of a website if you’re ever mistakenly directed to the insecure and potentially dangerous HTTP version instead.

Even more interesting than that, though, is that ExpressVPN is the only VPN featured on this list to offer HTML5 geospoofing.

ExpressVPN’s Chrome browser extension.

This technology prevents your browser from using HTML5 to work out your real-world location. Failure to do so is a big reason why so many VPNs can’t bypass geoblocks from services like Netflix or BBC iPlayer.

ExpressVPN’s Chrome extension has no such trouble accessing Netflix – not just the US library but 17 others as well.

Because the extension is connected directly to the desktop app you get full access to every single ExpressVPN server, with options spread out all over the world.

We found that ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Google Chromecast streaming devices, too. See how to use a VPN with Chromecast in our dedicated guide.

That said, that direct connection can be an inconvenience at times. If all you want to do is quickly toggle browser protection on and off while leaving the rest of your device untouched you can’t do that.

This also means that it has a slightly greater impact on your internet speed versus a conventional extension, but not by much – ExpressVPN is one of the fastest out there.

It’s also expensive, there’s no denying it. At $6.67 per month on its cheapest deal, ExpressVPN is one of the most costly VPNs out there.

As a complete package we think it’s well worth it, but if you just want a secure Chrome browser extension then you might want to consider one of the other options on this page.

Where the full NordVPN desktop app may be loaded with extra features and customization options, the Chrome extension strips it back to the basics. There’s two buttons on the main screen: one lets you pick a server and the other gets you connected.

Choosing to select a server gives you a list of all 111 countries available in the full NordVPN app. You can’t choose a specific location though, so you’ll have to trust it to connect you to the fastest option possible.

NordVPN owns and operates all of its DNS servers, for added security.

We’ve found NordVPN to be extremely reliable for watching Netflix, not just in the US but in other popular locations too (like France and Germany).

We were occasionally confronted with a Netflix error code while hopping between libraries, but clearing Chrome’s cache and cookies promptly fixed it.

There are only three extra features included inside the NordVPN Chrome extension: a WebRTC blocker (which is enabled by default and should absolutely stay that way), a ‘Bypass List’ (which acts like a split tunnel for your browser, allowing you to choose which sites are ignored by the VPN), and CyberSec.

CyberSec is by far the most interesting option of the three. Also available in the full desktop client, CyberSec blocks ads, warns you when you’re about to access an unsafe site, and protects you from ‘other threats’ (like phishing).

You probably already use an adblock extension in Chrome, but if you don’t this is a nice addition to have.

That’s all there is to the app. We’d like to see some more options around encryption, and a choice of city-level servers would be nice. As it is, NordVPN is the perfect lightweight Chrome VPN extension if you want to instantly encrypt your browser traffic with a single click.

For just $3.29 per month it’s one of the best options out there.

VPN.AC’s extension has 64 servers spread across five continents – Africa unfortunately misses out. These servers are named and numbered, too, so you know for sure which one you’re connecting to each time you use the extension.

15 of these are Double Hop servers, which send your browser requests to a server in one country before then passing them on again to your desired end location. This will slow your traffic down, but is an effective way to stay extra private.

In the settings menu you’ll also find a toggle labeled “I am in China,” which reveals a new set of 25 servers specifically optimized for use in China to help beat the Great Firewall.

They’re mostly located across East Asia to give you the best speeds possible, but there’s also several in the US as well as one each in the UK and Canada to help access content.

Accessing content is one of the areas where VPN.AC’s Chrome extension falters, though. In our testing we could only get it to work with Netflix US – other international libraries simply redirected to the US one.

VPN.AC also uses something called SecureProxy as an encryption standard for its browser extension.

While the main app offers OpenVPN and a number of other established protocols, SecureProxy was developed by VPN.AC itself (the company claims it’s to reduce data overhead and maintain high speeds).

There’s nothing wrong with SecureProxy, that we know of, but given that it was privately created by VPN.AC we really have no way of knowing for sure. A choice of protocols, or at least some more information, would be appreciated.

The Private Internet Access (PIA) extension offers access to 18,651 servers located in 91 countries.

This number of servers is well in excess of ExpressVPN’s 3,000 servers, and NordVPN’s 6,328.

The servers are clearly labeled and numbered, so you know which server you’re connecting to whenever you use the extension.

Also, for those wishing to connect to servers in America, Private Internet Access is the only VPN with locations in 50 US states.

These American servers are all capable of unblocking American streaming sites like Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video.

PIA’s Chrome extension on macOS.

The Private Internet Access Chrome extension is our pick for internet security and privacy in part thanks to MACE.

MACE is a built-in tool that blocks ads and protects against trackers and malware. In our tests, MACE blocked 80% of ads, 100% of ‘analytical’ trackers, and 66% of ‘social’ trackers we subjected it to.

By comparison, NordVPN’s ad blocker only blocks 60% of ads, 66% of ‘analytical,’ trackers, and 33% of ‘social’ trackers.

For users looking for a VPN with ad and tracker blocking, we highly recommend using PIA in conjunction with MACE, which is included in every subscription.

You don’t need to make an account with CyberGhost or provide any personal details to use the Chrome extension. It’s simply a case of finding the extension on the Chrome store and adding it to your browser.

It’s a simple and streamlined extension consisting of a large connect button and a dropdown menu for the server locations. You can connect to servers in Romania, the Netherlands, Germany, and the US. There’s no extra features or settings, though.

This makes CyberGhost a perfect lightweight option for browsing but we would like to see some basic security features like a WebRTC blocker.

You can use CyberGhost’s American server to access the US Netflix library.

You’re restricted to 720p video quality when using CyberGhost’s Chrome extension.

CyberGhost’s connection speeds aren’t the fastest on Chrome so it might take a few minutes to load your Netflix title. You may also find that your video quality is capped at 720p but considering that no other free Chrome extension can access US Netflix, we think this is a small price to pay.

CyberGhost doesn’t impose any data restrictions on its Chrome extension, so you can stream for as long as you want.

It also encrypts your personal data using the trusted OpenVPN TCP protocol, which is then encased in TLS for a further layer of security. It’s rare for a free Chrome extension to offer this level of protection for your traffic.

A subscription to CyberGhost, giving you access to the full VPN, costs a reasonable $2.19 per month over three years.

This gives you access to 12,000 servers in 100 countries as well as WebRTC leak protection and a reliable VPN kill switch.

But if you’re just interested in encrypting your browser traffic, anonymizing yourself online, and watching US Netflix, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t give CyberGhost’s free VPN Chrome extension a try.