The Best VPNs for USA

Private Internet Access is by far the best VPN when it comes to US server locations.

The VPN gives you access to server locations in every single US state, which no other VPN offers.

If you’re abroad and want to access specific region-restricted content, such as local web content and local news, then PIA VPN is the right choice for you.

Additionally, the VPN’s US speeds are among the fastest we’ve ever recorded. When connecting from New York, our download speeds decreased by only 5% on a local server and by 10% when connected to a server on the West Coast.

We’ve never experienced traffic congestion, thanks to the sheer amount of servers on offer.

PIA is an effective streaming VPN, able to get around geo-blocks imposed by platforms like Netflix, YouTube TV, HBO Max, Hulu, and ESPN+.

However, unlike NordVPN and ExpressVPN, PIA’s streaming compatibility isn’t as reliable across different devices.

For instance, the Fire TV Stick app only works with Hulu and Peacock, but no other major American streaming apps.

Moreover, PIA’s Smart DNS service doesn’t work with streaming apps at all.

On devices that don’t support VPN apps, like games consoles, you can install PIA on your router, but you won’t enjoy the ‘luxury’ of a dedicated router app that ExpressVPN offers.

Private Internet Access is a safe and trustworthy VPN with verified no-logs VPN policy.

PIA also includes an effective ad blocker called MACE, and extra features like split tunneling, port forwarding, customizable encryption, and a SOCKS5 proxy as part of the VPN service.

At the same time, PIA’s apps are user-friendly, which makes the service a good choice for newcomers and experienced VPN users alike.

All of the above is available at just $2.03 per month on a two-year subscription, making it one of cheapest VPNs on the market.

You can also take advantage of a 7-day VPN free trial, available via the Apple and Google Play App stores.

ExpressVPN beats US streaming service geo-restrictions with ease.

The VPN unblocked almost all US streaming services we tested, including American Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, ESPN+, Peacock, Disney+, and Peacock from outside the US.

That’s not it, the VPN also worked easily with HBO Max and bypassed Hulu’s VPN blocks, too.

The great thing about using ExpressVPN is that it delivers fast and unrestricted access across an incredibly wide range of devices.

In addition to its standard computer and smartphone software, ExpressVPN has developed Fire TV and Apple TV apps, a Smart DNS service (MediaStreamer), and even a dedicated router app.

ExpressVPN provides access to 17 city-server locations, including popular cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York.

While the company has never disclosed how many US servers it maintains, we have never experienced any serious server congestion and streaming quality has always been optimal.

ExpressVPN performed exceptionally well in all our tests, but this high level of performance does come with a price tag to match.

At its cheapest, it costs $4.99 per month on a 15-month plan, substantially more than Private Internet Access.

That said, there are ways for you to try ExpressVPN for free before committing.

You can either sign up to a seven-day free trial on mobile, or use the VPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee, which the company has always honored in our experience.

NordVPN is a great solution if you want to watch US streaming services from anywhere in the world.

You can unblock US Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and more on most of the VPN’s US servers.

With NordVPN, you can stream US content via its excellent Fire TV Stick app, and Smart DNS service that worked well on our test PS5 and Xbox.

NordVPN owns nearly 2,000 US servers to give its customers access to a wide range of US IP addresses.

With an average download speed loss of just 14% connecting to its US servers from overseas, NordVPN delivered smooth and buffer-free streaming.

NordVPN and ExpressVPN are almost equal, but the former is certainly cheaper when you first subscribe to its service.

At $2.99 per month on a two-year plan, NordVPN is a slightly less expensive alternative to ExpressVPN for very similar speeds and access to geo-blocked video content.

However, NordVPN’s apps aren’t as well-designed as ExpressVPN’s. Its desktop software, for instance, can’t be resized and displays a rather useless map that takes up a lot of screen space.

Moreover, NordVPN’s Fire TV Stick has given us issues unblocking US streaming apps on occasions. And, there is no custom router app, either.

Windscribe free lets you connect to 8 US cities in 7 different states. These include:

• Atlanta, Georgia
• Chicago, Illinois
• Dallas, Texas
• Los Angeles, California
• Miami, Florida
• New York City, New York
• Seattle, Washington
• Washington D.C.

For a free VPN, this is a very good amount of US servers. It has East Coast, West Coast, and Southern options.

With Windscribe you can also get IP addresses in 10 other countries, making it a good free VPN for Germany and a useful one for getting a French VPN IP address.

While this is a small amount of countries compared to the full, paid version of the VPN, it still provides a diverse range of servers to connect to.

Windscribe Free unblocks most major US streaming services. For instance, it’s a reliable free VPN for Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu.

Sadly, the VPN no longer works with US Netflix, though. It used to work in the past, but currently all the provider’s free US IP addresses are blocked.

As with any free service, Windscribe Free has its drawbacks. Primarily, its speed performance is less impressive than the paid version. The free servers just don’t compare.

And while there’s little difference between Windscribe Pro and Free in terms of security offering and unblocking capabilities, there’s no getting around the free version’s 10GB data cap.

PrivadoVPN is the only free VPN that unblocks US Netflix on desktop devices.

Almost all other free VPNs we’ve tested cannot access US Netflix from overseas. Even Windscribe Free cannot unblock US Netflix.

PrivadoVPN also unblocks a variety of other major US streaming services, including HBO Max, Hulu, and the US version of Amazon Prime Video.

PrivadoVPN has also fixed its Fire TV Stick app, though, so you can now use it to stream geo-restricted content on TV devices

PrivadoVPN Free runs 4 free US city server locations, including: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington.

This offers a nice coast-to-coast spread, although it’s missing IP addresses in the flyover states and the South.

Windscribe Free and Proton VPN both offer more US servers, but we’ve never encountered long-distance speed issues when using PrivadoVPN Free.

Our speed test data shows an impressive average local download speed of 96Mbps. Connecting to the West Coast from our New York base, we picked up equally fast speeds of 91Mbps. We experienced no severe loading times when streaming and web browsing.

As with Windscribe, PrivadoVPN limits free use of its service to 10GB per month. This is restrictive, but still more generous than many other free VPNs, like TunnelBear’s 2GB data allowance.

PrivadoVPN is peculiar in that it requests you manually refresh your free data each month within your online account area. This is frustrating and unnecessary.