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The best VPN for Firefox is ExpressVPN, with a rating of 9.1/10. Its user-friendly VPN add-on encrypts your browser traffic, offers IP addresses in 106 different countries, and bypasses most streaming geo-restrictions. A 100% free alternative is Windscribe, but its encryption is weaker, it has fewer server locations, and there is a 10GB monthly usage cap.
Firefox’s Private Browsing mode isn’t enough to protect your privacy.
We recommend using a VPN add-on with Firefox to encrypt your web browser traffic, hide your IP address, and unblock geo-locked websites.
Unfortunately, many free Firefox VPN add-ons are unsafe. We found many are proxies lacking secure encryption, leak your sensitive data, and even log your browsing activity.
This is why we strongly advise on using a browser extension from a trustworthy VPN service to prevent your internet activity being logged or leaking.
Out of 61 VPNs we tested, below are the three VPN add-ons for Firefox we recommend:
We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our ratings are based on our own testing results and are unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.
The table below compares our most highly-rated Firefox VPN extensions based on the number of servers, the level of encryption they offer, additional privacy settings, and price.
| Pricing Plans |
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|---|---|
| Local Download Speed | 85Mbps (15% loss) |
| Countries with Servers | 106 |
| Logging Policy | No Identifiable Data |
| Compatible with |
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If you want the convenience of a VPN browser extension, without sacrificing your online privacy and security, ExpressVPN is the best solution for you.
Unlike most VPN browser extensions, ExpressVPN’s add-on remotely controls the main VPN app to provide full device protection. This means you can protect your whole device without leaving the Firefox browser window.
Browser extensions are typically an afterthought for VPNs. A lot of them are proxies, meaning they provide less robust TLS encryption and might even leak sensitive information.
ExpressVPN’s Firefox add-on is different. They’ve approached the issue with new eyes and created an innovative solution, bypassing the proxy option altogether — giving you full VPN protection and Firefox-tailored features at the same time.
By default, HTML5 geo-spoofing is turned off and Block WebRTC is on. We recommend turning both these features on during the tutorial.
If you’re already logged into the ExpressVPN desktop app, you’ll be glad to hear ExpressVPN’s Firefox add-on automatically logs you in upon installation. We often find extensions ask you to log in again, so this is a welcome perk.
ExpressVPN’s Firefox add-on has HTML5 geo-spoofing and a WebRTC blocker.
We also like the shortcut to the main app, where you can configure more advanced settings like the kill switch, change protocols, and turn on the ad blocker.
However, most VPN Firefox add-ons have this to the extension for convenience.
The ExpressVPN Firefox add-on uses OpenVPN, Lightway, or IKEv2 protocol and AES-256 encryption to protect your internet traffic.
It uses the connection settings already set in your desktop app, which is great from a security perspective. But it does mean you have to open the main app to change connection settings, as you can’t tweak them from the Firefox add-on.
ExpressVPN doesn’t collect any personally-identifiable logs, so no IP address, browsing activity, or timestamps. In other words, ExpressVPN’s servers won’t track or store what you’re doing online.
The VPN is based in an ideal location for a privacy service — the British Virgin Islands, which is a privacy-haven. It also uses diskless servers and previously hasn’t been able to provide information on users in a server seizure.
For Firefox VPN users hoping to find a VPN extension that works with Netflix, look no further.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Netflix, unblocking 18 international libraries, as well as Disney+, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Max, and many more services.
You can connect to over 106 locations across the globe directly through ExpressVPN’s add-on. It’s the same server network as the full app, so you won’t find any nasty surprises.
And if you ever run into issues with the VPN, you can contact its 24/7 live chat support, who in our experience are always quick to respond and helpful.
| Pricing Plans |
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|---|---|
| Local Download Speed | 86Mbps (14% loss) |
| Countries with Servers | 111 |
| Logging Policy | No Identifiable Data |
| Compatible with |
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NordVPN is an excellent choice for Firefox, providing a proxy extension with AES-256 encryption, fast speeds, and servers in 111 countries — all for an affordable price.
It’s important to note that unlike ExpressVPN’s Firefox add-on, NordVPN’s add-on is not a VPN. Instead, NordVPN offers a proxy add-on.
Both proxies and VPNs route your traffic through a separate server, change your IP address, and change your digital location.
However, proxies typically use inferior TLS encryption, which is the same encryption websites use. You also can’t choose a specific protocol when using a proxy add-on.
If you just want a VPN for casual browsing and occasionally streaming films or TV, the difference between a VPN and proxy is minimal when it comes to a trusted VPN like NordVPN.
However, it’s critical to know the difference, as NordVPN’s proxy won’t offer the same level of security as a full VPN and won’t cover your entire device’s traffic.
In addition, just because NordVPN’s proxy is safe, doesn’t mean all other Firefox proxy add-ons are safe. On the contrary, a majority of free proxies have insecure encryption or no encryption at all, and might leak your data.
NordVPN’s Firefox add-on includes a wide variety of useful features, including: auto-connect, WebRTC blocker, ad blocker, URL split tunneling, malicious website blocker, and HTML5 geo-spoofing.
NordVPN’s suite of features on Firefox is much more developed than ExpressVPN’s. It’s also easier to understand and use for beginners than Windscribe’s Firefox add-on.
These features are easy to navigate. They’re all present in the Firefox add-on and categorized into connection settings or security and privacy features.
NordVPN’s Firefox browser extension settings.
Thanks to its minimal interface, NordVPN is very easy to use. You can select servers, toggle on additional security features, and that’s about it.
It has the same server list as the desktop VPN app — covering an impressive 111 countries and even city-level servers in the US, UK, Germany, Australia, and more.
Despite its triumphs, we do have one bugbear with the Firefox add-on. When you first install the extension, it pushes an intrusive referral campaign onto the home screen.
You can easily close this ad, but the box is continually filling up with tips, NordVPN campaigns, and other intrusive elements. We would prefer a cleaner home screen, like that on ExpressVPN’s Firefox add-on.
| Extension Available for Free? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Data Cap | 10GB Per Month |
| Local Download Speed | 87Mbps (13% loss) |
| Countries with Servers | 10 |
| Logging Policy | No Identifiable Data |
| Compatible with |
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The Windscribe Firefox add-on is another proxy rather than a VPN. This means it doesn’t offer the same level of encryption as ExpressVPN’s Firefox add-on and won’t cover your entire device’s traffic.
Having said that, Windcribe’s free Firefox extension comes with a number of good security features, and it reliably unblocks many streaming websites.
Windscribe’s Firefox add-on isn’t a full VPN. Instead, it’s a proxy, just like NordVPN’s add-on.
It’s actually less secure than NordVPN’s add-on since it only offers TLS AES-128 encryption, whereas NordVPN’s proxy is one level above with TLS AES-256 encryption.
Windscribe’s Firefox browser extension comes with an ad, tracker, and malware blocker.
But, Windscribe’s Firefox add-on comes with a huge list of useful privacy and security features: auto-connect, browser kill switch, ad blocker, malware blocker, tracker blocker, cookie deleter, WebRTC, HTML5 geo-spoofing, browser-time spoofer, and more.
In fact, Windscribe’s extension is one of the best VPN ad blockers we’ve tested.
In combination, these Firefox features are a great way to bypass geo-restrictions on streaming services, which usually detect VPNs with these methods.
However, as much as these features are useful, many of them have cringy names that sound like they belong in a superhero movie: WebRTC Slayer, Location Warp, Smokewall, Cookie Monster, and Failover.
This can be confusing for a newcomer, especially if you haven’t used a VPN before. But each feature thankfully comes with a short description letting you know what it does.
Unlike other paid VPNs in this list, Windscribe’s proxy add-on is completely free to use.
But there are some downsides: there is a strict 10GB monthly data cap and there are only 10 countries to choose from. This can lead to occasional server congestion, but this is usually the case with free VPN services.
If you want Windscribe’s exclusive Firefox features and the full list of servers, you can opt for a monthly or yearly subscription.
Setting up a VPN (or proxy) extension on your Firefox browser is quick and simple. The simplest method is the following:
How to Add a VPN Directly from Firefox
The method above is the quickest and easiest. That said, there is also a second slightly more involved method, which you can find out more about in our dedicated Firefox VPN setup guide.
We use our own unique rating system to test and evaluate Firefox VPN add-ons. In the table below, you can see how the best VPNs for Firefox perform in each testing category:
VPNs with a data cap receive a reduction to their overall rating.
The process of rating VPN browser extensions is different to the one we use for full VPN applications, as there are typically restrictions and subtle differences that users aren’t aware of.
That’s why we start from scratch, and test all Firefox VPN extensions independently of how the full VPN application performs.
How well each VPN answers these questions make up its final rating. Below, you can see how much of the overall rating these key testing areas make up.
VPN encryption is what sets a browser extension apart from a low-level proxy, or spoofer. It’s what makes it a VPN, essentially.
While proxies can unblock websites by changing your IP like a VPN does, a VPN is different (and superior) to a proxy because it works at a device-level and encrypts all the data flowing through your device. Proxies leave your data open to prying eyes.
We look for encryption protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard and ciphers like AES-256. Those that offer less robust encryption like SSTP have a lower rating, but are still preferable over a proxy.
We also inspect the VPN’s privacy policy for any differences between its full app and browser extension. We like to see them as aligned as possible, ideally identical, and for the privacy policy to be as close to zero-logs as possible.
While privacy is our most important value, we’re aware that browser extensions are hugely popular as most people want to access geo-restricted streaming services.
That’s why we’ve attached 20% of our overall rating to a Firefox extension’s ability to access streaming services otherwise restricted.
We test each VPN extension on Netflix to see whether it can unblock the many different libraries across the globe. The more it can access, and the speed and ease with which it does it, the higher we rate the VPN extension.
This is particularly important for extensions, which often perform differently to the full VPN app.
The more VPN server locations available within the browser extension, the better.
While it isn’t essential to have hundreds of available countries if you simply want to spoof your IP at home, we reserve praise for VPN extensions that are as close to its full app as possible.
It also allows the possibility to connect to more streaming libraries from across the globe.
Firefox is known to cause VPNs to leak WebRTC. This is a security risk whenever you use voice or video chat in your browser.
Therefore, the most important additional feature we always want to see is a WebRTC leak-blocking setting.
Beyond that, features like an ad and tracker blocker provide additional value. Best of all is a HTML geo-blocker to prevent real location reveals.
Almost all free VPNs come with a data cap. Like with most limitations on free VPNs, this is imposed to encourage users to upgrade to a paid subscription.
If you use up your data cap, the rest of your internet activity will be outside the VPN tunnel. Consequently, your ISP can monitor the web pages you visit.
We apply a penalty to the VPN’s overall Firefox rating based on its data cap:
No, Firefox does not have a built-in VPN. Instead, the company behind Firefox, Mozilla, has its own VPN service.
In our hands-on tests, we found Mozilla VPN to be fast and private VPN service, with a decent suite of security features. However, it doesn’t work with a lot of streaming services and doesn’t offer great value for money.
