The 4 Best VPN for India (2023 Update)

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How we test the best VPN for India

We chose and tested a selection of 30 free and paid VPN services on Windows 11, Windows 10, macOS, Android, and iPhone. Here’s how we ran the tests.

> Test 1: Logging policy

What is a logging policy?

While surfing the internet with a VPN, you would assume that your viewing habits aren’t being recorded. This isn’t necessarily true. Some VPN providers can track your every move since all of your data is routed through their servers. They can also pinpoint which location you’re surfing from, which websites you visit, and what files you download. All of this information could be sold to advertising companies or passed to authorities.

If you’re using a free VPN service, it’s possible that your internet habits and location are being stored and sold to data brokers, advertisers, and others who want this type of personal viewing history. Often this is the reason why their VPN service is free to users. The real income generator is selling your information.

VPN providers should outline their logging policy clearly, regardless of whether they offer free or paid services. However, to gain more users, this logging policy is often hidden deep in the documentation. It can also be written in complicated and confusing ways.

What do we test for?

Each VPN’s privacy and logging policies are read and analyzed thoroughly. We take note of exactly what they are tracking and for what that information will be used. Some types of data logging are necessary and don’t reveal any information about the user. Things like server load data and bandwidth usage don’t provide any value to a data broker, so we find this to be completely acceptable. This type of information can help the VPN provider to improve their product and services.

However, if we find that the VPN provider is tracking and storing your browsing history, this will be unacceptable. Tracking and saving your internet, even if deleted at the end of your session is still questionable. This is sensitive information and should never be monitored.

We also check if the VPN provider tracks your IP address, as this would provide information regarding your location. Any instances of monitoring or saving the users’ locations or ISPs are considered an invasion of their privacy.

> Test 2: Ownership

What do we mean by ownership?

Every VPN service is owned by a company. And sometimes that company is owned by another, so finding the ultimate owner of a VPN service can sometimes be obscure. Depending on the corporate structure, some or all of them could have access to your data. Each company needs to be registered in a country, and things become a bit blurred when they are registered in a country other than your own. Each country has different data retention laws, which can play a role in how your information is kept and for how long.

With a bit of research, it quickly becomes apparent that a small number of companies own most VPN services.

• Kape Technologies, a company registered in the United Kingdom, owns ExpressVPN, Zen Mate, CyberGhost VPN, and Private Internet Access.
• Ziff Davis, from the United States, owns StrongVPN, Buffered VPN, IPVanish, SaferVPN, and Perimeter 81, along with several others.
• Aura/Pango, another United States company, owns JustVPN, Hotspot Shield, and TouchVPN. They also provide VPN technology for a variety of other VPN providers like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Panda, and others.
• CyberSpace, a Netherlands company, owns NordVPN, Surfshark, and also Atlas VPN.
• Gaditek, from Pakistan, owns PureVPN, Ivacy VPN, and PureVPN, along with Unblock VPN.

What do we test for?

This test is quite important. We first determine who owns the company and then research to see if there are other companies at also retain rights to the primary company’s data. We then dig deep to discover if the company is following its country’s data retention laws. With further research, we determine if the company has ever broken these laws or has been involved in scandalous and unethical activities.

For example, IPVanish had been tracking and storing user data even though its logging and privacy policy claimed it didn’t retain any data. In 2016, they handed over this data to the Department of Homeland Security, data it wasn’t supposed to have. They’ve changed owners twice since then, but due to their unethical business practices, their current trustworthiness is debatable.

> Test 3: Independent audit

What is an independent audit?

Regardless of what a VPN provider claims, it can be difficult to determine if what they are saying is true. Marketing materials are written to entice new users to try their product or service and therefore could be written in a confusing format.

Independent audits are typically performed by an outside company to analyze a specific function or element of its operation or business practices. For VPN providers, this is often a review of their privacy policy or server infrastructure. An independent audit can prove that a company’s privacy policy is true and correct.

Some examples include:

• ExpressVPN was audited by PriceWaterhouseCooper (PwC) in 2019 to ensure whether ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer technology did in fact completely wipe and remove all data every time its server was rebooted.
• In 2023, Deloitte audited Private Internet Access (PIA) to make sure the server environment was adhering to PIA’s privacy policy.
• Cure53’s 2021 audit of Surfshark’s server infrastructure was performed to search for any flaws.
• NordVPN was audited in 2020 by PwC to investigate server infrastructure, configuration, and technical logs. They also personally interviewed NordVPN’s employees.

What do we test for?

Although we don’t personally audit these companies, we do check to see if they regularly get subjected to independent audits. We analyze what these audits investigated and if any flaws were found. If there were any issues, we investigate if they’ve been fixed.

> Test 4: Available VPN protocols

What is a VPN protocol?

A VPN protocol is a structure of rules on how a VPN server and a VPN app communicate. It covers how the two identify each other and how the app logs in to the server. Also included are the details of how data is sent, what the packet encryption methods are, and other factors.

If VPN protocols are changed, this can greatly impact several different aspects of how the VPN operates. Things like connection time, download speeds, and data security can all be affected.

Some of the most common VPN protocols are:

OpenVPN: This fast and secure open-source VPN protocol is the most popular. It’s easy to customize and works with almost every operating system. A majority of VPN services use this protocol.

WireGuard: This newer protocol was designed to improve upon OpenVPN and IPSec. It’s the fastest option available for widespread use.

IKEv2: Designed by Cisco and Microsoft, this protocol’s strength is its reliable security. Unfortunately, our tests revealed that, while very secure, it’s significantly slower than WireGuard and OpenVPN.

L2TP/IPSec: This older protocol is simple and doesn’t have the speed of more modern protocols.

PPTP: Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol is one of the oldest and has several flaws and vulnerabilities.

NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Hotspot Shield, and some others have put forth some time and effort to create their own unique proprietary VPN protocols. Out of all custom designs, only NordVPN is open-sourced. This is an advantage for those who want to inspect its code and improve upon it.

Examples include:

• Hotspot Shield has created Catapult Hydra.
• Lightway was developed by ExpressVPN.
• Based on WireGuard, NordVPN created NordLynx.

Even experts can’t agree on which VPN protocol is the best choice. The most popular one with VPN providers is OpenVPN since it works well with almost all operating systems and is open-source software. Providers also typically offer alternatives. The best alternatives are WireGuard and IKEv2.

What do we test for?

We test to see which protocols are offered by different VPN service providers. Along with the specific protocol, we also determine if the protocol is compatible with all devices and operating systems.

> Test 5: Supported encryption standard

What is an encryption standard?

Data encryption is a key part of how VPNs work. Encryption helps protect data from hackers, scrambling it into an indecipherable mix. The first version of data encryption was developed in 1977 and was known as the Data Encryption Standard (DES). By 2002, it was replaced with the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). This updated version is much more secure.

The majority of VPN protocols use AES-128 or AES-256 in two versions, either GCM or CBC. GCM is faster and more secure. The reason for this is that GCM can be written in parallel. CBC can only be written in a series and is therefore much slower.

What do we test for?

We check to see which encryption standard is offered and if they offer any alternatives. Our preferred default is AES-128, and if this is their standard, we’d like to see the alternative being AES-128 (GCM) or AES-256.

> Test 6: Basic security features

What are basic security features?

All VPN providers should have some level of basic security features. A VPN should offer:

AES-256 encryption: This virtually unhackable encryption standard is the most secure and desirable. It’s sufficient against most common security threats and hacks.

OpenVPN and WireGuard: Both provide excellent security features. For an open-sourced VPN protocol, OpenVPN is known as the best. WireGuard comes in as a close second but is quickly catching up.

Split tunneling: Its benefit is the ability to allow certain apps and programs to connect directly to the internet while bypassing the VPN tunnel.

Kill switch: This automatically blocks the internet connection if the encrypted VPN tunnel fails to work.

What do we test for?

We test to ensure that the VPN provider uses all of these essential security features. We further investigate the split tunneling and kill switch features to make sure that they work flawlessly.

> Test 7: Advanced security features

What are advanced security features?

There are certain additional security features that can increase your confidence that your data is safe from malicious threats. Here are some of the most important ones:

Ad, tracker, and malicious website blockers: These automatically block unwanted advertisements, tracking cookies, and blocks known URLs that secretly install malware.

Dedicated IP address: This feature allows you to have a static IP address. Constantly changing IP addresses (and associated locations) can cause issues with financial institutions. Another benefit is sometimes avoiding captchas and gaining access to servers that only allow authorized IP addresses.

Double VPN: This will allow you to route your internet traffic via two VPN servers. Also known as VPN server changing, your encryption is doubled, supplies an added layer of IP protection, and ensures a higher level of anonymity.

Obfuscated servers: These can manipulate and change your data which can hide that you’re using a VPN. Obfuscated servers are most beneficial in countries like China or the UAE where the use of VPNs is highly discouraged.

Override GPS location: Great for spoofing your location, this feature makes apps believe you are in a different location.

RAM-only servers: Unlike on traditional devices, the information here is stored on the server’s RAM (Random Access Memory). The advantage is that all of its data is cleared every time the server is restarted. This information is nonrecoverable.

What do we test for?

We look to see if the VPN provider offers these additional security features. If they do, we test them to ensure that they are fully functional.

> Test 8: IP leak

What is an IP leak?

When using a VPN service, your actual IP address is replaced with the IP address of the VPN server to the outside world. This hides your identity and your actual location. A benefit of using a VPN is to keep your IP address private by replacing it with a fake one. Your IP address can reveal your approximate location, usually as accurate as your zip code area. By replacing your IP address, your personal information remains private.

An IP leak occurs when your real IP address is exposed and is no longer shielded by the address of the VPN server. Once revealed, your ISP can track not only your location but also a detailed history of where you’ve visited on the web. The main reason for using a VPN service is to hide your IP address, so IP leaks defeat the purpose.

What do we test for?

We perform a test by connecting to a VPN service and running an IP address lookup. If the results reveal our true IP address instead of the VPN’s, we’ve confirmed an IP leak.

> Test 9: DNS leak

What is a DNS leak?

A Domain Name System (DNS) translates a readable domain name into the IP address for a website. For example, if you type in “SoftwareLab.org” into a browser, the browser will consult a DNS server and translate it to 165.227.148.211, the IP address for the website. This system makes surfing the internet simpler.

Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) typically operates the DNS server. However, accessing this service provides your ISP with a history of every site you visit on the internet. For those who consider this an invasion of privacy and prefer to keep this information hidden, a VPN can bypass the ISP with private DNS servers.

For your browsing history to remain private, a VPN needs to route your DNS queries through the VPN tunnel to the VPN’s DNS servers. If it doesn’t, a DNS leak has occurred, revealing your browsing history. This can happen if you are inexperienced with your VPN’s settings or the VPN you’re using doesn’t have its own DNS servers.

What do we test for?

We test for a DNS leak by connecting to a VPN service and running a DNS server lookup. If the results don’t show that they own the DNS servers, we consider this a DNS leak.

> Test 10: WebRTC leak

What is a WebRTC leak?

VPN services block your private information, things like your IP address and web surfing history, but sometimes leaks can occur through WebRTC.

Web Real-Time Communication, or WebRTC for short, allows web browsers to create communication channels with websites in real-time. This comes in handy when streaming live video and audio feeds. When this communication occurs, the website and your browser exchange a lot of information. One piece of data shared is your actual IP address. This is a requirement of WebRTC, so blocking WebRTC requests, even with the help of a VPN, can be difficult.

The best VPN services are built to allow this communication to happen, but they replace your IP with the VPN server’s IP address.

What do we test for?

We test by running a WebRTC lookup. If our original IP address shows up, we know there’s a WebRTC leak.

> Test 11: Download speed via OpenVPN

What is OpenVPN?

First introduced in 2001, OpenVPN is an open-source VPN protocol. Its source code is open for critique and inspection and is frequently used as a base for custom protocols. It’s known as one of the most secure VPN protocols and is used by many VPN services due to its reliable and secure connection speeds. It runs on multiple operating systems.

There are two versions within the OpenVPN protocol. Its default option, OpenVPN UDP (User Datagram Protocol), allows for the fastest download speed. OpenVPN TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), provides more control over data transmission, however, this comes at the cost of slower download speeds.

Now with the WireGuard VPN protocol, OpenVPN may have been bumped to second place. OpenVPN is still quite popular, but more VPN services are switching to the WireGuard VPN protocol.

What do we test for?

We set the Windows app to the Open VPN protocol and test the download speed for each of the best VPN services. We check the download speed on a 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps) internet connection.

> Test 12: Supported speed via WireGuard

What is WireGuard?

WireGuard is a less complex and faster open-source VPN protocol than OpenVPN and IPsec. With only 4,000 lines of code compared to 500,000 that the other two have, it’s considerably easier to troubleshoot and perform security audits.

It was initially created to for Linux kernel, however, it now runs on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

Our observations of WireGuard have shown that it’s 60% faster than OpenVPN.

What do we test for?

We push the VPN to the limit by setting the app to Windows with the WireGuard protocol and testing the download speed on a 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps) internet connection.

> Test 13: (Virtual) VPN servers and locations

What are (virtual) VPN servers?

VPN servers host specialized VPN software to create an encrypted VPN tunnel with VPN clients. Some may have specialized VPN software. Top-notch VPN services such as Surfshark and NordVPN use RAM-only servers which will completely erase any data after a reboot. This is a highly desirable feature.

Most VPN servers are a physical server that’s located in the country that the app indicates. By connecting to one of these servers, all of your internet traffic is routed to the actual server in that country. This gives you an IP address tied to the country you are logged in to.

This isn’t true in all cases. Some smaller or less developed countries don’t have server parks that are located within their country. Located within the confines of Spain, the mountainous country of Andorra does not own any physical VPN servers. However, some VPN providers do offer a server in Andorra.

This is where virtual servers come into play. They can provide you with a local IP address in a country that doesn’t actually have a server located there. You can get a local IP address for Andorra, but the physical server may be located in Spain.

VPN providers with extensive networks typically have servers in approximately 60 countries. Those that have more are usually using virtual servers.

What do we test for?

We inspect to see the number of servers and locations a VPN provider has. We also look to see if servers can be selected on a country or city level, and we take note if they are physical or virtual.

> Test 14: Streaming compatibility

What is compatibility with a streaming service?

A common reason to use a VPN service is to have access to films and content that isn’t available in your country. Popular streaming services limit which titles are available based on the user’s location. Connecting to a VPN located in a country different than the one the user is residing in will provide much different content. For example, Netflix has content that is only available in the United States.

For Netflix users outside of the U.S., they would need to log into a VPN server located within the United States to see this content. This is also true for those within the States who want to watch a popular show in India, perhaps one that isn’t available to Netflix users who aren’t physically in India.

Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Some streaming services check to see if a user is connected to a VPN, and if so, may block access to titles only available to those within the country. Some VPN providers have been working to find ways around this issue.

What do we test for?

We run tests to see if VPN providers can unblock Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer in the United States. For Netflix, we also inspect for unblocking in other countries.

> Test 15: Torrenting compatibility

What is compatibility with a torrent network?

Torrenting is a way to share files in a peer-to-peer environment. Users make files available to each other to download. There’s no central server for this, with users downloading directly from one other. For the process to work, users must use torrent client like BitTorrent.

Simply sharing files with other users isn’t illegal. However, due to copyright laws, sharing certain types of files is. One of the most popular files to share are copyrighted movies, which is against the law. The actual process behind torrenting is completely legal, but complications can occur depending on the content you’re sharing or downloading.

What do we test for?

We test to see if the VPN provider allows for downloading peer-to-peer files on some or all of their servers.

> Test 16: Annual price and price per device

What is the annual price and price per device?

Most VPN providers are upfront with their pricing structure. Most have a monthly subscription fee, and the most expensive plans are for a single device, one-month use.

We calculate the price for an entire year and the price per device. Most are comparatively priced, however, ExpressVPN has proven to be much more costly than the others.

What do we test for?

We calculate the price for a one-year contract for each VPN provider. We also examine the price per connection by dividing this price by the number of simultaneous connections permitted.

What VPNs for India have we tested?

We have tested 30 paid and free VPNs (Virtual Private Networks). Proton VPN is the best free VPN service. But if you have the money, we recommend getting a paid VPN service.

In the best case, the free version allows you to protect only one device and doesn’t offer you unlimited bandwidth / unlimited data. And in the worst case, the free VPN providers show you ads or secretly sell your browsing history to advertisers and your internet service provider.

And should you be strapped for cash, don’t opt for an expensive VPN like ExpressVPN. Instead, get a cheap VPN, like Surfshark, that allows you to install it on an unlimited number of devices and share the cost with a friend.

• Astrill VPN
• Atlas VPN
• Avast SecureLine VPN
• Betternet VPN
• Bitdefender VPN
• CactusVPN
• CyberGhost VPN
• ExpressVPN
• HideME VPN
• HMA VPN (HideMyAss VPN)
• Hola VPN
• Hotspot Shield VPN
• IPVanish VPN
• Ivacy VPN
• IVPN
• Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection
• McAfee Safe Connect VPN
• Mozilla VPN
• MullVad VPN
• NordVPN
• Norton Secure VPN
• Private Internet Access VPN
• PrivateVPN
• Proton VPN
• PureVPN
• StrongVPN
• Surfshark VPN
• Tunnelbear VPN
• VyprVPN
• Windscribe VPN

The best are: CyberGhost, NordVPN, and Surfshark.

Frequently asked questions

Languages, comparisons and Sources

Other comparisons on SoftwareLab.org:

• Best Antivirus of 2023
• Antivirus for Windows 11
• Antivirus for macOS
• Antivirus for Android
• Antivirus for iOS
• Antivirus with a VPN
• Best VPN of 2023

VPN privacy policies and independent audits:

• CyberGhost – Privacy Policy
• CyberGhost – Transparency Report
• ExpressVPN – Privacy Policy
• ExpressVPN – PWC Audit
• ExpressVPN – Lightway Audit
• ExpressVPN – Browser Extension Audit
• IPVanish – Privacy Policy
• NordVPN – Privacy Policy
• NordVPN – Privacy Policy Audit
• Surfshark – Privacy Policy
• Surfshark – Infrastructure Audit

VPN testing tools:

• BrowserLeaks – Data Leak Test
• Fast – Speed Test
• Speed Test – Speed Test
• Exodus – Privacy Audit Android

Custom VPN protocols:

• ExpressVPN – Lightway protocol
• NordVPN – NordLynx Protocol

VPN mergers and acquisitions:

• NordVPN and Surfshark merger
• Kape technologies buys CyberGhost
• Kape Technologies buys ExpressVPN
• Kape technologies buys Private Internet Access